Annual Report 2017 - NSS · Launched at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), a condensed version can be found on page 21 of this report. The Plan represents the road map that NSS will

Annual Report2017

2 | Northern Support Services

ContentsVision, Mission, Values 3

70th birthday 4

Governance 6

Our people 6

Message from our Chair 8

Message from our CEO 10

Highlights of the year 12

Highlights of the year 18

Financial overview 20

Strategic Plan 21

Thank you 22

We acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal owners of country throughout Victoria. We pay our respects to them, their culture and their Elders past, present and future. We also acknowledge the cultural advice and support we receive from the Aboriginal community through the Balit Narrum network.

Northern Support Services for people with disabilities Inc. acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.

Vision, Mission, Values

Our VisionAn inclusive and connected community for all

Our MissionEmpowering people in their life choices

Our ValuesNorthern Support Services (NSS) is a values-based organisation that considers the following as part of its decision-making process:

IntegrityBeing ethical and transparent in everything we do

RespectDelivering services with equality, respect and fairness

InclusionAdopting a person-centred approach

ListeningActively listening to participants, their families and other stakeholders

Artwork byCharles House

Annual Report 2017 | 3


70thbirthdayIn 1947, we first opened our doors as the Northcote Preston Helping Hand Association (NPHHA). For 70 years, we have provided innovative and supportive programs for people with disabilities, including autism, their families and carers in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Today, we continue to deliver extensive services by designing programs and using community resources that will increase and enhance each person’s abilities. This allows our participants to actively take part in, and contribute to, their local community.

NSS is a vibrant and stimulating place where we harness our participants’ energy and enthusiasm to provide them with enrichment, life skills and opportunities. We celebrate the qualities of each individual and, in consultation with every participant, create plans that reflect their abilities, goals and choices.

Highlights of our journey to our 70th birthday include:

Opening of Ethel Street centre – 1956On 19 May 1956, His Excellency Sir Dallas Brooks, the Governor General of Victoria opened the new purpose-built centre in Ethel Street.

George and Rose Henderson House – 1961The ‘Senior Annex’ building at Ethel Street was renamed the ‘George and Rose Henderson House’. This tribute was made by the Executive Committee in 1959, for the couple’s work over the years.

Northcote Rotary film – 1966Northcote Rotary made a film about the centre and its daily activities. The premiere was held on 4 October 1966.

Recreational space for the children – 1972The land west of the centre was developed to provide recreational space for the children. The Northcote Lions Club supplied equipment to create the adventure playground.

Third building opening – 1972On 12 March 1972, our third building (an addition to the Henderson House Workshop) was opened by the Minister for Health, the Hon. John Rossiter.

Debutante ball – 1986The event was held at Preston Town Hall, with debutantes being presented to the Mayor of Preston, Councillor Helen Davis and her husband Chic.

Moomba Parade – 1998Participants had their art exhibited at the Victorian Art Gallery and took part in the Moomba celebrations. They were also involved in the Brunswick Street Festival and an exhibit for the International Year of the Older Person’s.

Northcote Preston Helping Hand Association (NPHHA) swimming carnival – 1999The first of many swimming carnivals was held in July 1999.

Name change and new premises ‒ 2001/2002We changed our name to Northern Support Services for People with Disabilities Inc (NSS) and moved into our premises at Union Street, Northcote.

New brand and website - 2017We refreshed our logo and updated our website, making it more accessible to clients and families.

Artwork byGuiseppe Calcagno



GovernanceThe role of the NSS Board of Management is to provide strong executive oversight and governance. The Board ensures our strategic goals are achieved.

Our Board is made up of voluntary members. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) reports to the Board and leads a team of professional staff committed to delivering innovative and person-centred services for people with disabilities, their families and carers.

Two committees also report to the Board:

• Audit and Risk

• Strategy and Governance.

Each committee has a formal Terms of Reference, which are reviewed every year.

Our Board is committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance and annually reviews the policies that govern NSS.

Board 2016/2017

Chair

Deputy Chair

Treasurer

Board Members

Debora Jackson

Suzanne Hall

Andrew Steggall

Clive Baldwin

John Brown

Ged Kearney

Jeanette Kinahan (to March 2017)

Graeme McDonald

Angela Woodruff

CEOGeoff Manton

Working with the CEO in the provision of high-quality care and services to our participants, are our Operational Services teams:

• Community Options

• Living Options

• Vocational Options

• Support Coordination.

Supporting our operational function is our Corporate Services team, which is made up of Financial, Human Resources, Quality and Risk and Occupational Health and Safety.

Our peopleNSS has an amazing team of staff and volunteers. Thank you for your professionalism and hard work over the past year, and for always putting our participants, families and their carers first.

Key highlights• Our health and safety performance rating is

2.3 per cent better than the industry average

• We spent $42,860 training and developing our staff

• During the year we successfully passed Quality Audits DHHS Standards and ISO 9001: 2015

136 staff

23% male

77% female

Full time 30%

Part time30%

Casual36%

Artwork byElizabeth Ivanoff



Message from our ChairAs Chair of the Board, it is with great pleasure that I present the 2017 Annual Report for NSS.

This year, we’re celebrating our 70th birthday and our proud history of providing innovative services and programs within the Northcote and Thornbury communities. The timing of our 70th anniversary shares another important milestone – the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS is the biggest social reform since deinstitutionalisation was put into action 30 years ago.

Before the roll out of the NDIS in July 2016, NSS entered a period of significant change. Along with the recruitment of a new CEO, the Board is committed to investing in:

• a new participant management system

• a strong communication and marketing strategy

• upgrades to our information technology systems

• ongoing development of stronger governance procedures.

Some of these projects have successfully been implemented by our CEO, Geoff Manton.

During his first year in the role, Geoff has had a positive impact on:

• improving capital

• making leadership more transparent and improving organisational culture

• quality and risk management processes

• the structure of the organisation

• outcomes and how things are reported.

Under his guidance, NSS has significantly enhanced its governance and operational capabilities.

A key highlight of the Board’s work this year, has been the development of our new 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, (the Plan) that aligns our strategy with the new NDIS operating environment. Launched at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), a condensed version can be found on page 21 of this report. The Plan represents the road map that NSS will follow to guide, monitor, and measure the organisation’s development and achievements.

The past year has been challenging for everyone, and I would like to acknowledge and thank our staff for their dedication and hard work over this time. Together, they have assisted with the transition of more than 170 participants to the new NDIS service model, and made it as seamless as possible for participants and their families/carers.

Throughout the past year we have also had some changes to our Board. We farewelled Jeanette Kinahan and Ged Kearney, and we thank them for their commitment and valuable insights. We are also very pleased to welcome Angela Woodruff, Graeme McDonald and Clive Baldwin to the Board, and look forward to their contribution to our continued development.

As we close another year, I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved with NSS. We each play an important part in sustaining this extraordinary organisation and I look forward to sharing part of the next 70-year journey with you.

Debora Jackson Chair – Board of Management

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.”Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Artwork byDianne Cilia



Message from our CEOIt is my pleasure to be writing my second CEO’s report for Northern Support Services. Last year, I said that change can be an exciting and challenging experience, and the roll out of the NDIS has provided both in spades.

Many people have described the NDIS as a ‘disruptive innovation’. This is a term used for an innovation that creates a new market by disrupting the existing one. As the year unfolded, managing that disruption became our central focus.

Although transitioning to the NDIS was slow to start, its pace quickly picked up towards the end of 2016. The main thing we wanted to achieve during this transition, was to make sure our participants had as little disruption to their services as possible. Maintaining this goal and supporting participants, their families and carers, did come at a significant cost, which is shown in our annual financial return.

Also contributing to costs this year were several one-off events. They include:

• Upgrades to our information technology systems for better security and safety.

• The transition from the Department of Human Services (DHHS) block funding to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) ‘fee for service’ model. To make sure this had as little impact as possible on our participants, we covered the excess costs for services during this time.

There were additional factors affecting these costs. They include:

• the NDIA’s portal not working; causing many errors

• many participant plans needing review and correction

• slow communication from the NDIA when issues came up

• the need to hire more staff to meet the new demands.

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”Anthony J D’Angelo

We understand that the NDIS journey has been a mixed experience for participants. Some have enjoyed a smooth transition, while others have had a bumpy ride. We’ve all had our training wheels on this year, but NSS is proud to have continued giving our participants stable, ongoing access to services with little or no disruption.

Despite the challenges of this transition, NSS has had a very productive year. Our achievements have included:

• establishing a new service delivery model

• upgrading our facilities at 13 Rathmines Road

• launching our new accessible website to provide important information to people with disability

• significantly improving our fire and safety standards

• establishing a new service for Support Coordination

• upgrading our facilities at Ethel Street

• launching our e-news, called News Circle

• introducing Eftpos facilities

• finishing our new three-year Strategic Plan.

As the dust settles on the year that was, there’s still a lot of work to be done. To make sure we get the most out of the NDIS reforms, we plan to:

• tender for Disability Employment programs and grow our Vocational Options programs

• expand our Supported Accommodation program.

I would also like to acknowledge the busy and difficult year it has been for participants, families, carers, staff, the Board and industry partners. Thank you to everyone, I am very grateful for your persistence, dedication and support as we transform NSS into a provider of choice within the new NDIS world.

Geoff MantonChief Executive Officer



Highlights of the yearCommunity Options Community EducationOur Community Education team continues to offer exciting, innovative and inspiring programs that provide progressive and valuable outcomes for our participants.

One example is our annual Open Day, which has become a calendar favourite in the community. This year, the day was filled with laughter, music, fantastic coffee from our very own NSS café and fabulous food from our kitchen. There were also radio and video productions, movie-making sessions, art and craft activities and displays, as well as yoga and aerobic classes.

Throughout the year, the Community Education team has also supported:

• the VALID Conference, where 21 NSS participants attended with supporting staff

• eight new participants transitioning from schools to community education

• sixty-eight participants transitioning into the NDIS between 2016-2017

• the High Street Bells’ Choir performance at Rucker’s Hill Nursing Home in Northcote, where eight NSS participants attend weekly rehearsals and participate in public performances

• entering the Focus on Ability Film Festival, with the successful movies premiering in Sydney in September 2017

• the continuation of strong relationships with other not-for-profit organisations, such as The Lost Dogs’ Home, where participants are supported while volunteering twice a week

• the Community Connections program – once a week, five participants have been spending time with the residents at Aurrum Nursing Home in Reservoir. This has been a lovely connection between the residents and NSS.



Children’s Social GroupsWe now offer a range of after-school social groups and school holiday programs. These provide social and recreational activities within the community, as well as in-house activities including cooking, art, craft, listening to music, board games and more. Some of the year’s highlights include:

• our new one-on-one Travel Training Program, where participants are supported to make decisions on destinations and how to get there (bus, train, tram, walking)

• the recruitment of new staff members

• activities at our centre, including cooking/food prep, art, craft and gardening

• activities in the community, including Latitude Indoor Low Impact centre, mini-golf, restaurant dinners, Timezone, Bundoora Farm, and Darebin Park visits.

Options for Older PeopleStaff and participants from the Options for Older People program continue to enjoy new and interesting experiences. Throughout the year, they have built important relationships with local Neighbourhood Houses, where they go on a weekly basis to participate in activities and maintain their connections with local community members. Staff and participants of the program have also enjoyed:

• moving back into the respite building after months of repairs

• entertainment from cabaret performers, Chris and Carol, who helped celebrate major events throughout the year

• seeing some of our valuable volunteers move into permanent part-time positions at NSS

• having a new kitchen installed in our building at 5 Ethel Street, which has created many more opportunities for our groups and classes

• being invited by the Mayor of the City of Boroondara to attend their annual Meals on Wheels volunteers’ luncheon council – where NSS participants were acknowledged for their dedication to the program

• building new friendships at our monthly community luncheon in South Morang

• successfully transitioning 22 participants to the NDIS

• our thriving Garden to Plate program, where participants are learning about growing organic produce and then using it to cook simple and healthy meals. The produce is grown in our very own garden at Clapham Street, Thornbury.

Recreation ServicesOur Recreation Services provide an opportunity for the families and carers of people with disabilities to take a break from everyday life. Our staff work closely with families to make sure the respite we provide is a positive and rewarding experience for the carer and the person with disability. The year’s highlights include:

• helping 25 participants start using the NDIS and making sure their support needs fit in with their new plans

• creating a new group of eight people who meet every second Saturday to do social and recreation activities with the help of two support workers

• welcoming 11 new participants for one-on-one support

• helping a participant find an art class and providing staff support for this. This participant has built their confidence and is now able to do the art class on their own, without support from NSS.




Koorie ServicesWe are actively involved in our local Aboriginal community and provide a number of programs that assist Aboriginal children with disability. In the year ahead, and in consultation with families, we hope to establish a short-term accommodation service for Koorie children who use our facilities.

Our highlights for the past year include:

• Continuing the Deadly Kids holiday programs in partnership with the Hume Council. These programs ran for six days during the holiday periods in December 2016, April 2017 and July 2017. They provided activities for a group of nine Koorie children from the Hume area.

• Signing service agreements for three NDIS participants to give them staff support during after-school activities.

• Seeing that our monthly cooking program has had a very positive impact on one participant, who now actively helps in the kitchen at home and makes his school lunches independently.

• Seeing how our funding this year has allowed families to support their children in going to events and on trips, as well as getting educational items they would have had difficulty in accessing. The funding has helped participants and their families travel to, and participate in, Indigenous-round sporting events, art classes and taekwondo lessons.

• Forming new connections with Aboriginal organisations, such as Connect Homes and VACCA.

Living Options Our Living Options services include:

• short-term accommodation

• independent living support

• shared supported accommodation

• personal care.

We pride ourselves on our reputation for providing quality services and staff in these specialised areas. We will continue to invest into the growth of our Living Options services for the future.

We are actively pursuing additional shared supported accommodation and have seen growth in our personal care services in the past 12 months.

AccommodationOur Accommodation services have seen major developments during the year, with renovations completed in February 2016 for one of our houses.

Other highlights for the year include:

• Rolling out the NDIS for most of our residents. This means that many of them have started benefiting from one-on-one supports, and are enjoying extra activities throughout the week and on weekends.

• Enjoying a Labor Day BBQ at Studley Park, Kew. Our residents had great fun playing cricket, particularly Ida who was kind enough to share her cricket set.

• Attending various concerts this year, such as My Fair Lady, Kinky Boots, and Hello Dolly – but Jesus Christ Superstar was definitely a highlight!

• Celebrating the 2016 Christmas party, where residents enjoyed dancing with staff and friends. Our staff put in extra efforts to make sure this event remains a highlight for all residents every year.

KeyRing Our KeyRing program provides assistance and support to participants who want to live more independently. It has been a busy year for the team, who has supported the transition of more than 75 per cent of participants to the NDIS.

Other highlights include:

• Taking our participants on holidays with the support of staff – including a trip to Disneyland!

• Supporting 60 per cent of participants to regularly attend monthly dinners and outings. This number is set to increase as the NDIS roles out in the north-eastern Melbourne area.

• Helping staff make the transition to new work practices driven by the NDIS funding environment.

• Celebrating some fantastic achievements from a few of our KeyRing participants this year. One participant is celebrating 25 years as a goal umpire with the FIDA football league. Another participant has released two books of poetry through her local community house writing group.

• Supporting eligible KeyRing participants to receive substantial Business Services Wage Assessment Tool (BSWAT) Payment Scheme compensation offers. NSS staff helped people through the application process and it has made a huge difference to their independence.


Vocational Options NSS Vocational Options is a key education provider aimed at helping people with disability gain skills and employment. Since 2016, NSS doubled its student numbers from the previous year. Students with a disability are supported by an individual learning plan, identifying the support services they can use. The plan enables the students to connect with the specialist support they need, for example, from Vision Australia. Students also have individual learning support and can access adaptive technologies, revised teaching materials and flexible learning environments.

The Vocational Options team has moved to Reservoir Neighbourhood House (RNH). This has provided a more independent and flexible learning environment for the students. It has a kitchen, two training rooms, a computer room and a quiet room.

In 2017, we delivered the Certificate I in Work Education and the Certificate I in Transition Education to a group of students with various disability and learning needs. Our students also successfully:

• travelled independently to and from NSS by public transport

• applied for positions within various industries

• produced assessments and presented via PowerPoint

• gained employment in the hospitality industry and connected different industries to help them find employment in the future

• served and sold barista quality coffee to participants and staff

• gained independent life skills such as cooking, transport, communication and completion of forms.

We also introduced ‘Storypark’ to our students’ families. This is a program that helps increase family involvement in each student’s learning. The families get to look at these stories as soon as it happens and they can communicate to our trainers during the process.

The NSS Vocational Options team is looking forward to further growth in the coming year, with additional subjects and options for qualifications to be added to our current offering.



Highlights of the yearI like coming to NSS because…

“It’s good and the people are happy. NSS is a good work place. I have achieved a lot of goals.” Charles

“Everyone supports you. I like the way that others respect me and keep me and my friends safe.”Lucas

“It’s a nice place. I like the arts.” Keith

“I really enjoy coming to NSS because I get to see all my friends again on Thursday. I can do that because I have RTO on all the other days.”

Mathew

“It’s good to see my friends. I love doing different programs at NSS like travel training.”

Susan

“Northern Support Services has been good for John and me. Thank you for giving us amazing carers to come and help with lots of things like the food shopping. They also take John and me ten pin bowling, to concerts and the footy, which we enjoy ... John and I would like to say thank you for everything and all your support.”

Miranda

“I enjoy going to the gym on a Thursday with my support worker and was especially pleased when my doctor noticed how I was losing weight – something I have been trying to do for a long time. I also look forward to going out with my friends and support worker during the holidays. It’s always so good to see him as we have a lot to talk about as he understands me and my sense of humour. We enjoy our activities together and it is always a happy day.”

Peter

Artwork byAnthony Romagnano



Financial overview For NSS and many other similar organisations, 2017 has been a challenging financial year because of the introduction of the NDIS. The way we receive our funding has changed – from getting it in advance to charging it in arrears from the NDIS. Software upgrades, including a new client management system, were also needed. Significant NSS resources were required to develop the way we accept new participants and process their claims.

These have all had an impact on our financial results and cash flow. However, we still have a strong balance sheet, which includes significant investments into our programs.

The operating revenue for NSS for the year ending 30 June 2017, was $7.3m – a decrease of 3.5 per cent on the previous year. The net deficit was $932,432, while fair value gain on investments for the year was $43,910.

Our funding came from many sources including:

Funding

Going forward, the bulk of our funding will be from the services we manage under the NDIS.

Total expenses from operating activities reached $8.2m – a 9 per cent increase from the previous year. This is higher than the increase in revenue. Our major costs are staff salaries and wages, which make up 76 per cent of our total expenses.

As at 30 June 2017, we have kept a solid balance sheet, which includes substantial cash and cash-equivalent assets.

Financial performance2016–17

$2015–16

$

Revenue 7,301,222 7,573,664

Expenditure 8,233,654 7,572,466

Net surplus (932,432) 1,198

Financial position2016–17

$2015–16

$

Total assets 7,533,987 8,523,260

Total liabilities 1,464,217 1,564,968

Equity 6,069,770 6,958,292

Cash and investments 4,566,646 6,352,224

60% state government

26% NDIS claims

14% participant fees, interest and other sources

Strategic Plan NSS is committed to achieving the following six strategic initiatives by 2020:

1. Ensure financial viability NSS will continue to be a viable and sustainable organisation within the new NDIS environment.

2. Strengthen our operationsNSS will continue to invest in operational systems and practices that supply data, information and reports quickly and accurately. This will help management and staff deliver the best support services to participants.

3. Develop our structuresThe current legal, governance and operations structures will continue to help the Board to govern and the managers to manage.

4. Enhance our services Our unique service model will focus on the participant. It will help people to develop meaningful life skills, workforce capacity and engagement with communities.

5. Grow our businessNSS will continue to logically and sequentially grow and expand its services and business through strategic partnerships and alliances.

6. Develop our people and cultureNSS will continue to invest in its people, developing our leaders and workforce in an environment of support and accountability.

Artwork byCallum Panjkov



Thank youWe would like to sincerely thank the following organisations for their time and effort in providing support and opportunities for our participants and staff:

Aboriginal Advancement League

Ascot Vale Special School

Alchemy Fashion Sewing School

All Saints Church Northcote

Balit Narrum Strategic Group

Bulleen Heights Special School

Bundoora Wickets at Bundoora Action Indoor Sports

City of Boroondara – Meals on Wheels

City of Darebin

Clubmates

Coburg Special School

Collingwood Children’s Farm

Croxton Special Developmental School

Curtin University Centre for Research into Disability and Society

Darebin City Council Aboriginal and Disability Working group

Darebin Community Healthcare Professionals

Darebin Library

Deakin University

Decibels Youth Music Studios Reservoir

Greek Women’s Club — Jika Jika Community Centre

Greenbrook Community House

Holden Street Neighbourhood House

Hume City Council Ageing and Disability Department

Latrobe University

Leader Newspapers

Leisure Options

Lemon Mint Café

Lentara Uniting Church Asylum Seekers Women's Centre

Melbourne City Mission – Outreach Program

Melbourne Table and Chairs

Melbourne Times

Merri Community Health

Moonee Valley Council

Moonee Valley Racecourse (Morning Melodies)

Nelson Alexander

Northern Falcons Soccer Club

Northern School of Autism

Northland Youth Centre

Omni-care

Red Cross Opportunity Shop

Ruckers Hill Café

Reservoir Bowls Club

Reservoir Leisure Centre

Salvos Stores

Segafreddo Espresso

Sherwood North Café

SPAN Neighbourhood House

SYN FM

The Long Walk

The Lost Dogs’ Home

Thornbury Women’s Neighbourhood House

Tulsi Yoga

Uniting Church High Street, Northcote

VALID

Waratah SDS

Watsonia RSL (Morning Melodies)

Watsonia Neighbourhood House

And finally….Thank you to the wonderful artists who shared their beautiful work for this report:

Anthony Romagnano

Callum Panjkov

Charles House

Dianne Cilia

Elizabeth Ivanoff

Guiseppe Calcagno

We also acknowledge the generosity of the Byrne Fund – a charitable fund account of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation. Their grant will again be used in our Community Education Program to purchase gardening materials for our budding horticulturists to use, plant and enjoy.



ABN

Association Number

Address

Phone

Email

Web

95 505 211 826

A0045239B

30 Union Street, Northcote, VIC 3070PO Box 260, Northcote, VIC 3070

+61 03 9486 5077

[email protected]

www.nss.org.au

Documents

Annual Report 2017 - NSS · Launched at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), a condensed version can be found on page 21 of this report. The Plan represents the road map that NSS will