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www.lifeassist.org.au
Annual Report 2013 –14
motivation
Empowermentflexibility
independence
Page 3 About Us/Snapshot 2013 -14
Page 4 Vision & values
Page 5 Chairperson’s report
Page 6 -7 Chief Executive’s report
Page 8 Governance statement
Page 9 Board of Governance
Page 10 -11 Executive team
Pages 12 & 13 Participant profile
Page 14 Disability solutions
Page 15 Positive ageing
Page 16-17 Carer wellbeing
Page 18 Participant committee
Page 19 Research, innovation & advocacy
Page 20 Website/ICT strategy
Page 21 Self funded services launch
Page 22 -23 Operational support services
Page 24 Service structure
Page 25 Government funding & services supported/Homeshare
Pages 26 & 27 Financials
Page 28 Pastoral care & culture
Page 29 People & culture
Page 30 Our supporters
Page 31 Realising a Dream Fund
Contents
UnitingCare Community Options is a not-for-profit provider
of community-based support for older people, people
with disabilities, and the carers and family members who
support them.
Our operations are primarily based in Melbourne’s eastern
metropolitan region, though our expanded focus this year
also includes the development of new services in
the north and southeast.
Our first services for older people were developed in 1987
with a new community-based approach for older people
with dementia. Since then we have grown significantly with
a range of new programs to support people with disabilities
and carers of all ages and types. Most recently our
programs have included people with mental health issues.
Our approach to service has continued to develop in line
with the needs of the community. We continue significant
work to develop more individualised, person-directed
(consumer-directed) services. While this focus on matching
informal and formal services to people’s individual needs
has characterised our approach since the earliest days
of the organisation, we are proud of the recent work
we have done to develop new and innovative ways of
assisting people.
UnitingCare Community Options is auspiced by the Uniting
Church in Australia. We are part of the wider UnitingCare
Australia Network, which operates nationally. We also work
closely with a range of UnitingCare and other providers of
community-based services, primary health providers and
research institutions in pursuit of our goal to improve the
lives of people in the community.
About us
Annual Operating Budget: $19.21 million
Total expenditure: $19.64 million
Head office location: Glen Waverley
Areas of operation: Boroondara, Dandenong, Knox, Manningham, Maroondah, Monash, Whitehorse, Yarra Ranges, Nillumbik, Whittlesea, Darebin, Moreland and Hume
Snapshot 2013 -14
3
Number of people supported: Ageing 688 Disability 716 Carers 2933 TOTAL 4337 UnitingCare Community Options also provided 12,829 people with information and referrals through Direct2Care
Number of staff: 132
Number of volunteers: 22
“…we are proud of the
recent work we have
done to develop new
and innovative ways
of assisting people”
AT UnitingCare Community Options, our vision is ‘a good
life for all’. We believe that everyone has the right to live
the life they want in their own community.
We developed our vision in 2006 in close consultation with
our staff, Board and the participants and carers
we support.
Our vision statement is deliberately broad and aspirational,
yet provides a clear focus on our most important goal:
to assist people in the community – whatever their age,
situation, or abilities – to live a life of value.
A series of workshops with staff and participants has
investigated how well our vision, mission and values still
reflected the goals, beliefs and values of the organisation
and those we support.
This process has resulted in an update of our mission
statement, which has now been condensed to better
represent how our staff and participants see and
understand our mission.
While our mission statement was updated, the consultation
process showed that staff and participants still identify
strongly with our vision and values statements and these
have both remained the same.
We value:•The uniqueness and worth of every individual;
•Right relationships that enable people to be
influential in their own support arrangements and
ensure they are treated with dignity and respect;
•The strengths and abilities of all;
•Creativity and innovation in the pursuit of our goals;
•Transparency and accountability.
One of the challenges we face as an organisation is
ensuring that our vision, mission, and values are more than
just words and theory.
We are particularly proud that recent consultation sessions
showed that our staff were not only able to identify these
values and beliefs, but were able to talk about the role
that they played in their day-to-day work.
Over the past 12 months we’ve continued to work to
ensure that these values and beliefs have a real life in the
organisation. A range of initiatives has ensured that our
staff actively engage with these beliefs in our ongoing
staff training sessions and in organisation-wide staff and
participant events.
Vision & values
Our mission statement:Our Mission is to work with
vulnerable and disadvantaged
individuals and their families so
that they can live a valued
and meaningful life and
remain connected to
their community.
54
4
In the past year UnitingCare Community Options has
again worked hard to meet our main goal - providing a
good life for all. This is an ambitious goal, but one that we
have to strive towards if we are to remain relevant to the
community that we live in.
Each year brings new challenges, new opportunities,
new faces and some sad farewells. One of the saddest
farewells in this past year has been to Jon Hilton, an
amazing Board member with great vision who died in July
2013. We had a function to name the Board room after
Jon, and at each meeting when I see his picture looking
down on us, I think of the wise counsel he provided,
particularly in the IT areas.
And in those Board meetings, this year, we have discussed
and encouraged some interesting new directions and
challenges. With the assistance of a new CEO who hit the
ground running about a year ago, we have kicked some
goals. Gerry Mak has provided fresh eyes, and, coming
from a business background, has challenged our thinking
on how we do things.
Rebranding UnitingCare Community Options to
UnitingCare lifeAssist is one of his achievements. I never
liked the old name, but was told that it had historical
importance. But the new name, UnitingCare lifeAssist is far
more relevant, I think, and better explains to the outside
world what we can do.
The Participant Touchpoint Service Standards has been
another goal achieved. In a world where we have to be
more responsive to our participants’ needs, we decided
to ask them about their experiences in dealing with us.
We analysed when we needed to communicate with
our participants, and how to improve that experience.
Implementing and carrying out that improvement is the
challenge for this year. To assist us to do that we have
strengthened the role of the Participant Committee.
This is our window to see how we are being perceived by
participants, and with a new Charter of Rights, hopefully
our participants are able to help us improve our offerings
and service.
Implementing the Participant Touchpoint Service
Standards is also part of what we need to do to gear up
for Consumer Directed Care, which will be introduced in
the ageing space on 1st July 2015. The National Disability
Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will also move to Consumer
Directed Care in the near future. So we have to learn
to explain better to our Participants what their options
are, and how to implement them. Part of the rebranding
of the organisation meant also changing mypalette, to
mylifeAssist. But the change is more than a name change.
We have had to re-think how we do provide more options
to more people - always trying to improve their life as our
primary goal.
May I also thank Horace Chai who retired from the Board
during the year for his service, as head of the Finance and
Risk Management Committee, as well as his general wise
counsel on the Board. And may I welcome David Newey
and Andrew Vernes, who have agreed to join the Board,
both of whom bring skills in business and planning rigour,
which we recognised as areas we needed to improve on.
The Board might set strategies and directions, but none
of those will mean anything unless they are implemented
by our front line forces, the staff of UnitingCare lifeAssist.
So can I thank all of you for the energy, the passion,
and the commitment that you have shown over the
past 12 months in making a difference in the lives of our
participants.
by Michael LanyonChairperson
UnitingCare Community Options Board of Governance
2013 -14: New directions and challenges
5
Board Report
The past twelve months have seen us continue into our
27th year supporting people in need, with particular
emphasis on people with disabilities and older folk, as well
as their carers and families. In addition we have also had
to ramp up our preparation for the aged care reforms
commencing in July 2015 and the National Disability
Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which has several trial sites in
operation throughout Australia and in the Barwon region
in Victoria. The remaining NDIS rollout schedule is yet to be
announced.
The central theme of our reform readiness program has
been to constantly look for new and better ways to
engage with our participants, our reason for being.
For example, in December 2013 the board of governance
signed off on a set of service standards developed by
a representative group of participants to cover every
touch-point in a participant’s journey with us. This was
the first project undertaken by the new administration
to emphasise that participant needs must always be
foremost in our service delivery.
At the same time a management restructure took place
to strengthen the voice of disability solutions, positive
ageing and carer wellbeing at the highest level of
decision-making.
Our participant committee is being increasingly drawn
into our planning processes as we prepare for the new
world of competition where aged care and disability
grant recipients will be able to choose their service
providers. The committee has also developed a Charter
of Participant Rights that is due for formal adoption at the
time of printing of this Annual Report.
As chief executive I see it as a key responsibility to promote
a staff culture that places participants first and one that
will underscore a robust future-proofing strategy. “Ten
Words” summarises this culture where we seek passionate
staff, who are focused, innovative and accountable, in
relation to participant centredness, thought leadership
and commercial astuteness.
I am delighted to report that the staff has embraced
this articulation of its ethos and aspirations.
In early 2014 some landmark decisions were taken.
We extended our mission to include everyone who suffers
overwhelming vulnerability at any stage during her or his
life. The support we can offer is our expertise in helping
people identify goals to meet their needs and then, as
support system navigators, pointing the way to relevant
free, government funded or self funded services from the
myriad options that abound.
The second major decision we took was to rebrand
UnitingCare Community Options as UnitingCare lifeAssist.
This has met with universal approval; comments like “It’s
a great name and logo – it describes exactly what you
do!” are typical. And at the same we launched the
new lifeAssist website, which has also been greeted with
acclaim for its unique and interactive participant focus.
Our self-funded service option, mypalette, was rebranded
to become mylifeAssist. It is steadily gaining individual and
corporate recognition for the flexible and cost effective
solutions it can offer our community-wide audience,
especially for older Australians who want to stay living at
home for as long as possible.
Passionate staffThe first thing I did when I was appointed in August 2013
was to hold informal, confidential “getting to know you”
conversations with each staff member. This reflected a
simple belief that to get to know an organisation you
need to get to know the people who work in it. Three main
themes emerged. The first was that staff are passionate
about helping participants. The second was that too
much time was diverted from working with participants to
by Gerry MakChief Executive
The year of ‘getting our house in order’
6
ANNUAL REPORT 2012/137
administrative tasks. The third was that many staff sought
more delegated responsibility.
An external consultant has confirmed that there is great
scope for reducing the time spent on administration.
Our 2015 Annual Report will highlight substantial advances
in this regard. This business process re-engineering project
will provide input to the review of our cost structure,
an obviously critical competitive factor.
Over the past year we have launched some new services
– a Mental Health Respite Carer Support Options program
and Homeshare. We have also continued our research
partnership with Deakin University to provide us with a
strong evidence base for aspiring to best practice in
our work.
2014, the year of “Getting Our House in Order” for the
imminent competitive environment, is drawing on our rich
heritage and the fresh injection of supporting commercial
expertise. Daryl Kee has been appointed executive
manager (marketing), Michael Hallas as strategic alliance
manager, Richard Schwarz as finance manager and
Andrea KIncade as development manager. Anna Di
Pietrantonio, Aimi Johnson and Wina Kung have been
promoted to the operational executive manager positions
of disability solutions, carer wellbeing and positive ageing
respectively. Together with Emmanuel Gauci, executive
manager (operational support), we have achieved our
goal of equal gender balance for our senior management
team.
No report of this kind would be complete without
acknowledging and thanking the many other staff who
have made stellar contributions. Two lifeAssist stalwarts,
Fonda Voukelatos and Despina Kavnoudias, each with
more than a decade of service to their name, have
moved on to fresh challenges and they carry our
gratitude and best wishes them.
7
Staff Achievement Awards: Gerry Vassallo, Linda Bethune, Agata Kasprzyszak, Dawn Harris, David Starr, Natalie
Karametos, Eileen Edwardes, Jennifer Duniam, Katherine Ward, Sandra Timbrell, Peri Penry-Williams.
Years of Service Awards: Jo Rodger, Loretta Gullifer, Maree Lilley, Anne Fernando, Sandra Timbrell, Elaine
Hutchinson, Imana Omerdic, Inas Schuring, Susan Chadband, Debra Hamstead, Gayle Green, Wina Kung,
Debra Matheson, Glenys Hughes, Despina Kavnoudias, Keith Dahmes, Xandra Macmillan, Clare McCandlish,
Katherine Ward, Lisa Mooney.
Excellent service provides excellent outcomes for our participants. At UnitingCare Community Options we know it is essential that we recognise and encourage exemplary service, so each year we ask our participants to nominate staff they believe should be recognised for their outstanding work.
Board membersAll Board members are non-executive directors and
receive no remuneration for their services.
At any one time there must be no less than 10 and no
more than 13 directors, one third of whom must be
members of the Uniting Church. Directors are appointed
for a maximum of three terms of three years each.
The Board of Governance oversees the appointment and
induction process for Board and Committee members.
Nominations for appointment are made to ensure the
Board has the right mix of skills, experience and expertise.
Board and Committee members receive written advice
of the terms and conditions of their appointment and
complete a structured induction program when first
appointed. Board and Committee members’ knowledge
of the business is maintained by regular visits to
UnitingCare Community Options events, management
presentations and access to continuing education
programs as necessary.
Risk managementThe Board oversees the establishment, implementation
and annual review of UnitingCare Community Options’
risk management systems, which are designed to protect
the organisation’s reputation and manage any risks that
might affect its ability to support people.
Management is responsible for establishing and
implementing the risk management system. The Finance,
Audit and Risk Management sub-committee is responsible
for monitoring the effectiveness of the risk management
system.
Ethical Standards and Code of ConductBoard members, senior executives and staff are expected
to comply with relevant laws and the codes of conduct
of relevant professional bodies. All are expected to act
with integrity, compassion, fairness and honesty at all
times when dealing with colleagues, participants, carers
and others who are stakeholders in our mission.
Board members and staff are made aware of UnitingCare
Community Options’ ethical standards and code of
conduct during their induction to the organisation and
are provided with a copy of both documents at that time.
Involving stakeholdersUnitingCare Community Options has many stakeholders,
including the people we support and assist, their families
and carers, those we provide with grant funds, our donors
and benefactors, our staff and volunteers, the broader
community, the government agencies which provide our
funds and regulate our operations, and our suppliers.
We adopt a consultative approach in dealing with
our stakeholders. The Participant Committee provides
feedback on behalf of our participants and we have a
participant member on the Board of Governance.
We undertake regular surveys and forums with staff
and participants.
We take part in industry forums so that governments at all
levels are aware of our concerns and our achievements to
ensure we stay abreast of industry developments.
Independent adviceThe Board and Board Committees have access to advice
on legal, investment and taxation matters. The Board
has engaged UCA Funds Management to manage its
investment portfolio.
The Board has approved risk and return parameters for
investment and receives reports from management and
UCA Funds Management regarding the performance of
the investment portfolio.
Governance statement
Carer Recognition ActThe Carer Recognition Act (Vic) 2012 recognises,
promotes and values the role of carers and formally
acknowledges the important contribution that people
in care relationships make to our community and the
unique knowledge that carers hold of the person in
their care. In accordance with our obligations under
the Act, UCCO has promoted the Act and its principles
to staff and trained our staff on the implications of
the principles to the development, provision and
evaluation of supports and assistance to those in caring
relationships. UCCO includes Act details in its information
pack to participants and on our website. UCCO has
also reviewed its human resources policies to ensure
its flexibility clauses provide scope for recognising the
impact of caring relationships on employment.
8
Board of GovernanceMichael Lanyon (Chair)Michael has over 30 years of experience
practising law. Michael has extensive
experience in supporting the not-for-
profit sector as both a solicitor and a
participant. Michael currently acts as
Chairman of the Glen Iris Uniting Church.
Byron Groves (Treasurer)Byron has more than 35 years’
management experience in small to
medium sized organisations in both public
and private sectors. He is recognised for
his strong ‘people’ focus and is currently
Chief Executive Officer at
Christian Brethren Community Care.
Andrew VernesAndrew has extensive business
experience in complex international
and corporate environments within
senior leadership teams. His most
recent appointment as CEO of
Sportainmentleisure follows several years
as a consultant for various business
development companies.
Jill WellsJill has been a member of the
Participant Committee and the Board of
Governance since 2007.
Jill is actively involved in the community,
advocating to improve the lives of
people with disabilities.
Charles AllenCharles has over 28 years experience
with the Victorian Police Force. He is
currently an Inspector within the Transit
Safety Division. In his former role as
Police Service Area Manager for Greater
Dandenong, he engaged in many
community problem-solving partnerships.
David NeweyDavid brings a wealth of experience to
the Board, having worked for Caltex Oil,
Spotless Services and most recently as
General Manager at Zart Art - a supplier
of art and craft equipment to schools
around Australia and China.
Liz GilliesLiz currently teaches at Melbourne
Business School and has over 20 years’
experience in a range of fields including
positions at Hoechst Australia, the
Victorian Farmers Federation, Deakin
University, the Parliament of Victoria and
the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.
Jennifer CampbellJennifer is a successful dentist based
in Caulfield South. She is a foundation
member and past President of the
Victorian Women Dentists Association,
was the first female President of the
Richmond Rowing Club and is an elder/
member of the Glen Iris Uniting Church
Council.
Sub-Committees
Strategy, Research and Advocacy: Liz Gillies (Chair), Andrew Vernes, David Newey, Gerry Mak.
Participant and Quality: Jill Wells (Chair) Jennifer Campbell, Jan Wilson, Gerry Mak.
Finance, Audit and Risk Management: Byron Groves (Chair), Michael Lanyon, Charles Allen, Gerry Mak.
9
Jan WilsonJan has spent the past 40 years working with primary and
secondary school-aged children as an Educational Psychologist.
She has served as National and State President of the Australian
Guidance Counselling Association and sat on the Board of the
Association of Employees with a Disability.
Gerry Mak Chief Executive See Gerry’s profile on page 10.
Executive team
Fonda VoukelatosGroup Manager – Innovation and Ageing ServicesFonda has worked in health research, government and community
care settings for 15 years. Recently, he undertook a placement with
the Department of Health and Ageing around national community
care reforms. Fonda has led Australian first research into Consumer
Directed Care. He has a Bachelor of Science with Honours (from
the faculty of Medicine – dementia research); Graduate Diploma
Loss and Grief Counselling; Australian Institute of Company Directors
(AICD) Director’s course.
•Fonda resigned from his position in August 2014 to join another UnitingCare agency.
Gerry MakChief ExecutiveGerry is an experienced leader with a long history as a senior
executive both inside and outside the social services sector,
most recently as CEO of Finlaysons, one of Adelaide’s leading
commercial Law firms. He has been a Local Government CEO and
was also the first non-doctor to be appointed as CEO of The Royal
Australian College of GPs (NFP) and was CEO at SA Heart.
Gerry has Bachelor degrees in Economics and Law,
a post-graduate diploma in Education and an MBA.
Anna Di PietrantonioExecutive Manager – Disability SolutionsAnna has been with UnitingCare Community Options for almost
10 years working across multiple programs in Disability, Carers and
Ageing. Anna has held many roles in the disability sector including
support worker, planning and facilitation worker and management
roles. Anna’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Applied Science
(Disability Studies).
The UnitingCare Community Options Board of Governance is supported by an Executive Leadership Team whose task is to ensure that the organisation’s strategic goals are translated into its every day activities.
The Leadership Team comprises:
10
Emmanuel GauciGroup Manager – Organisation and Carer SupportEmmanuel is an experienced senior manager having worked in
community, State and local before commencing with UnitingCare
Community Options in 2007. Emmanuel has Bachelors Degrees in
Arts and Education, a Diploma of Education, Masters Degrees in
Business and in Arts, and he is a graduate of the Australian Institute
of Company Directors.
Wina KungExecutive Manager – Positive Ageing Wina Kung is a qualified social worker with a Masters of Social Work,
a Bachelor of Social Work and a Masters of Social Science (Human
Resources Management and Training). Wina has been working in
the community sector for over 20 years including 14 years in aged
care. Wina has been with UnitingCare lifeAssist for over 5 years.
Aimi JohnsonExecutive Manager – Carer Wellbeing and IntakeAimi is responsible for the Carer Wellbeing and Intake division that
oversees all incoming referrals for UnitingCare Community Options
and provides a wide range of carer services. Aimi has a Bachelor of
Applied Science (Disability Studies) and 14 years experience in the
sector, more than six of which have been with UnitingCare lifeAssist
in a variety of roles including Young Carer Partnership Worker and
Program Manager. Aimi has a varied background working in youth,
child and family disability services and volunteer coordination.
Daryl KeeExecutive Manager – MarketingDaryl has an extensive background in consumer marketing across
the corporate and private business community. A multi-award-
winning marketer and marketing strategist, he has worked in retail,
property, entertainment, tourism, and event marketing industries
before joining UnitingCare Community Options at the end of 2013.
11
Gender breakdown by age of participants
UnitingCare Community Options supports a growing
and diverse group of participants who reflect the
characteristics of the broader community that we serve.
Two-thirds of the over 4000 people whom we supported
in 2013/2014 were women. Three out of every 10 males,
whom we supported, were under 30 years of age. And just
over half of our participants are aged 60 years or more.
One third of participants were born overseas, with
participants from over 90 countries. The largest numbers
came from the United Kingdom, Europe (Greece, Italy,
Poland and Germany) and Asia (China, Sri Lanka,
Malaysia and India). The changing ethnic composition of
the community is reflected in the increasing number of
participants from India and Sri Lanka. The major languages
other than English spoken by our participants were
Greek, Italian, Chinese languages, Polish and South Asian
languages.
There has been a significant increase in the number of
participants who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
heritage, from eight to 40. This reflects the efforts being
made by the agency to build a relationship with local
indigenous and stolen generation communities.
The geographic spread of our participants reflects
the growth of our carer support programs into
Melbourne’s northern and southern regions. While half
of our participants live in the municipalities of Monash,
Whitehorse and Boroondara, seven percent live in either
northern or southern parts of Melbourne.
An increasing proportion of our participants rely on
government pensions or benefits as their major source of
income, especially those participants accessing aged and
carer support services. This proportion has increased from
57% to 75% in the past 12 months. Significantly around half
of the participants accessing disability services receive no
government pension or benefit.
A profile of our participants 2013-14
12
0%MALE FEMALE TOTAL
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%80-89
50-59
20-29
100% 90 plus
60-69
30-39
70-79
40-49
10-19
0-9
‘Significantly around half of the participants accessing disability services receive no government pension or benefit.’
ANNUAL REPORT 2012/13
Participant income by source
Top 6 languages other than English spoken by participants
11
Participant birthplace by program area Participant birthplace by program area
Distribution of participants by municipality
13
Cardinia 1%
Other Southern <1%
Monash 20%
Whitehorse 19%
Boroondara 14%
Yarra Ranges 11%
No pension or benefit
25%
Pension or benefit
75%
Knox 11%
Maroondah 9%
Manningham 9%
North 3%
Casey 2%
Dandenong 1%
‘The geographic spread of our participants reflects the growth of our carer support programs into Melbourne’s northern and southern regions.’
20
10%
40
20%
60
30%
0
0
80
40%
100
50%
120
60%
140
70%
160
80%
162
Greek
Australia English speaking
Non-English speaking
Not stated
Chinese Italian Polish South Asian
Vietnamese
22
144
20
108
15
53
7
35
5
30
4
180
90%
Disability
Ageing
TOTAL
Carer Support
13
= Number
= % of Non English speaking participants
14
The Disability Solutions division has had a major year of
review, reform and future proofing.
We have spent much of the year examining our programs
and the way that we work to ensure that we provide
the best quality of service to our participants at best
efficiency.
UCCO is the only organisation authorised under state
disability funding to determine the eligibility of disability
services within our core local government areas:
Booroondara, Monash and Whitehorse. To maintain this
standing, UCCO commits to regular review and quality
management.
Throughout the year we have also been working to
ensure that we empower and prepare our participants for
changes the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
will bring to individuals.
UCCO is committed to keeping up-to-date with NDIS
changes, and continues to contribute to its development
where possible. Through our case management we are
resourcing individuals to be prepared for what the NDIS
might bring.
We have purchased in excess of 48,000 hours of direct
services for our participants over ther year, including
personal care, respite and therapy hours.
We provided just over 17,000 hours of partnership work,
care coordination and case management.
Partnerships and links with our funding bodies continue
to strengthen and we are perceived as problem solvers
within the sector. We are building more formal processes
and referral pathways with community groups to ensure
the best and consistent outcomes for our participants.
Our Community Connections Program continues its
success. Ongoing development continues with an
education element being explored. Under the Community
Connections Program are two activities: the Community
Development program and Circles of Support program.
Community Connections uses creative and innovative
resources to connect people in meaningful ways to their
communities and/or build a network around the individual
to help them remain living within their community.
A successful element of the work completed this year
is the launch of the Homeshare model which operates
across the Disability and Ageing streams (see page 25).
We have also continued to work with a significant number
(38) of individuals to assist in the management of their
Individual Support Packages. This number continues
to grow. We have assisted with tasks including case
management, care coordination and brokerage support.
Disability Solutions
•Chronic Illness
•Linkages (Disability)
•Flexible Support Packages (FSP)
•Planning and Assessment
•Preventative Respite
• Individual Support Packages
•Community Connections Program
(including Circles of Support and
Community Development Program)
•Eastern Disability Support Fund
•Realising a Dream Fund
PARTICIPANT PROGRAMS
UCCO continues to work with people diagnosed
with disabilities across most of the inner east of
Melbourne, incorporating the local government
areas of Boroondara, Monash and Whitehorse.
Our person-centred approach to working with
people with disabilities is focused on providing
support that specifically meets the needs of
the individual, their carers and family, whilst
developing meaningful action plans that
incorporate needs for different life areas.
During the 2013/14 year via our partnership work/
case management and care coordination we
have worked with 716 participants across the year.
1511
It was a challenging year for the Aged Care Sector.
The Australian Aged Care Reforms have been
progressively implemented since 2012. UnitingCare
Community Options has been implementing a range of
strategies to prepare for the Reforms especially using the
consumer-directed care (CDC) approach in delivering
services to our clients.
We supported 688 clients across all aged care programs
in FY 2013-14, including Home Care Packages, HACC
Linkages, Housing Support for the Aged and Hospital
Admission Risk Program.
During the year, the Positive Ageing Team has formed a
wide range of strategic partnerships and participated in
industry networks such as: UnitingCare Australia’s Aged
Care Network, UnitingCare Aged Network in Victoria,
Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Victoria Community
Task Force, LASA Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Interest
Group, LASA CDC Working Group, Statewide Package
Care Forum and Outer East Health & Community Support
Alliance Executive Committee. UnitingCare Australia also
provided a representative at the National Aged Care
Gateway Advisory Committee.
Operationally, we have fostered our strong working
relationships with our external stakeholders to deliver
better client access and seamless responses. We are
grateful for the relationships we have in place with our
State Department of Health, Commonwealth Department
of Social Services, along with our service partners including
Eastern Health, St. Vincent’s Health, Medicare locals, local
councils along with other local and regional networks.
UCCO was involved in Aged Care Workforce Innovation
Network (WIN) Reform Ready Review in 2013 and
successfully received a grant of $20,000 from an Aged
Care WIN Enterprise Tailored Grant to assist UCCO to
implement strategies to improve our consumer directed
care readiness.
An exciting time aheadThe year ahead will be an exciting time for UnitingCare
lifeAssist. We are committed to ensuring that anything
we do is through the lens of human rights and a person-
centred perspective. Clients who come to lifeAssist will
have full opportunities to build their capacities in self
direction, making informed choices and enjoying a full
range of service options.
lifeAssist will actively refresh our service model to reflect
Person-Directed Care best practice. This will involve
refining our Person Directed Care Principles, modifying
our system to match the governmental requirements of
CDC and engaging staff development to deliver the best
quality services to our clients.
Positive Ageing‘The Positive Ageing Team has formed a wide range of strategic partnerships and participated in industry networks … we have fostered our strong working relationships with external stakeholders…’
15
Carer Wellbeing
16
This has been another significant year for the Carer
Wellbeing and Intake team, having delivered a wide
range of services and projects to the community in the
2013/2014 year. We have had a divisional restructure with
the appointment of a new Executive Manager along
with the implementation a centralised intake model. The
Carer Support programs have continued to grow with
the commencement of the Mental Health Respite Carer
Support program under the Targeted Community Care
(Mental Health) Program (see opposite). This financial year
has also seen the cessation of Carelink as My Aged Care
has officially been launched by the Federal Government.
During 2013/2014, we supported 2933 carers with short-
term and emergency respite and carer support through
the Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre.
We have continued to strengthen our partnerships across
all our program areas to deliver flexible tailored services
that meet the needs of carers in the region.
Working on a broader scale, our Mental Health Carer
Support team has actively contributed to Eastern Health’s
expansion of the online Mental Health navigation tool to
incorporate a dedicated carer and indigenous services
streams, and as part of statewide Victorian Carer Services
Network Mental Health working group, a cross regional
partnership has resulted in the development of an exciting
new Future Planning Toolkit for carers.
Year highlights•Providing11,703peoplewithinformationandreferrals
through Direct2Care.
•Supportingandparticipatinginarangeofinformative
and educative forums around caring for people at the
end of life stage, delivered through the Eastern Palliative
Care Consortium.
•Contributingtotheprovisionofinformationtocarers
of people with dementia through the Taste 2 Remember
forum that had over 120 participants from five culturally
and linguistically diverse communities (Chinese,
Hungarian, Korean, Macedonian and Maltese)
•Maintainingastrongpresenceinkeyregionalnetworks
across all our program areas. This has seen our teams
participate in Carers and Mental Health weeks, RIDE expo,
and Mental Health expo.
•Expandingtherangeofcarersupportactivitiesfor
young carers, arising from an innovative experiential
consultation exploring gaps to understand supports
needed. These findings, which the young carer team was
very passionate about, were fed back to the government
through our reporting. Ongoing themes were that they
needed support with school and more opportunities to
meet other young people in a similar situation and have
an opportunity to develop personal networks.
The program ran its largest number of camps in a year
with the this was made possible through the input of
young carer during working groups. A highlight for many
was a camp to Sydney. The Young Carer program
supported 20 young carers to apply and receive a WCF
Thomas Charitable Trust/Rotary Young Carers Scholarship.
•Broadeningtherangeofrespiteoffering,wellbeingand
social inclusion initiatives through a partnership with Irribina
trialling meeting carer respite needs in a new format.
•CollaboratingwithInterchangeInnerandOuterEast,
Spectrum, Parent Support Network and FaMPI
•Expandingasuccessfulexerciseprogramforcarers
delivered at Knox Leisure Works in partnership with the
YMCA and Knox Council to all eligible carer accessing
support through UCCO.
•Continuinganumberofpartnershipswithmainstream
and ethno-specific agencies across Melbourne’s eastern
and northern metropolian regions.
•Avarietyofeducationandskilldevelopment
workshops have featured mindfulness, relaxation, stress
management, assertiveness, and boundary setting.
•Ourteamshavetrialledanumberofnewstrategies
to support and connect carers and their families across
Mental Health and Severe and Profound programs
including a number of overnight retreats for couples, with
events focused on a break for the family unit such as
Melbourne Zoo and Tall Ship Pirate days.
•ForCarersWeekwetookover100carerstothe
Aquarium for a tour and lunch in the Yarra room
overlooking the water.
•WorkinginpartnershipwithConnectingHometo
support Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander adult carers
to participate in Health and Healing programs in the
Northern Region and young carers to participate in a
youth group in the Eastern Region.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012/131719
•Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre
•National Respite for Carers Program
•Planned Respite Program
•Consumer Directed Respite Care
•Dementia Education & Training Program
•Respite Support for Carers of Young People
with Severe or Profound Disability
•Services for Families and Carers of People
with Mental Illness – Mental Health Respite:
Carer Support
•Young Carers Respite and Information Services
•Quick Response Service
•Direct2Care
•TheQuickResponseServicecontinuestobeaunique
service that UCCO delivers, a program funded by HACC.
Originally provided only to the inner east of the region, our
growth funds have enabled us expand the service across
the whole of the eastern region. This year we exceeded
targets supporting more than 250 people.
The year ahead is set to be another exciting year as we
plan to further expand the range of social, recreational
and peer supports available to our carers and facilitate
carer forums that assist us to tailor supports that best meet
our carers’ needs.
UCCO has expanded its services with a new carer support
service, Mental Health Respite Carer Support Options.
MHRCSO commenced supporting carers in 2013,
co-located with UnitingCare Connections located at
55 Webb Street, Narre Warren.
The service is funded through the Targeted Community
Care (Mental Health) Program of the Department of
Social Services. The aim of the MHRCSO is to support and
maintain the caring relationships between carers and care
recipients by facilitating access to information, respite and
other supports appropriate to the carer’s individual needs
and circumstances to improve overall wellbeing.
This service has seen the employment of three staff. One
of these positions is UCCO’s first Peer Support Partnership
Worker who is able to work with carers and draw on the
personal experience of being a carer.
The team has been successful in a number of peer support
activities, information sessions, educational programs and
activities for their carers and the broader community.
Some highlights include family circus skills day, mindfulness
training and trips to Peninsula Hot Springs.
The MHRCSO program provides 50 primary carers and 35
additional family member carers with support for up to 12
months. The new service has been well received by the
community, was at capacity in January 2014 and now
has a waiting list of carers wanting to access the service.
This is an exciting opportunity for UCCO as we build
relationships with a wide range of service providers in
the municipalities of Greater Dandenong, Casey and
Cardinia, and develop a profile within the
local community.
New service: Mental Health Respite Carer Support Options
17
Sixteen young carers visited Sydney for three action packed
days mid January. The young carers were all secondary school
students. “It was the experience of a lifetime with all the fun we
had and memories we made,” said one of the adventurers.
Members of the Participant Committee are going from
strength to strength as they represent participant views
and influence changes in service delivery to achieve
a good life for all. The Committee has achieved full
membership of quality representatives and the Committee
Chair, Kevin Nunan, is currently searching for consulting
members to contribute in key areas.
All participants are represented within the organisation via
the Participant Committee.
PARTICIPANT LIAISON OFFICERIn April Kevin Nunan commenced his role at UCCO as
the Participant Liaison Officer in addition to his existing
role as the Participant Committee Chair. Kevin is working
with the committee to determine its future operation and
the nature of their involvement with the organisation on
matters that affect participants.
PARTICIPANT TOUCH POINT STANDARDSUCCO worked closely with Participant Committee
members to create the Touch Point Standards – an
innovative approach to identify every point of contact
participants have with the organisation during service
delivery. This initiative sought to measure participants’
service expectations and has been a major project for the
Committee. The standards aim to guide staff in consistent
service delivery for all participants and strengthen
customer service in all interactions.
Jill Wells, Participant Member on the Board of Governance
and Kevin Nunan worked closely with Disability Solutions,
Carer Wellbeing and Positive Ageing teams to develop
the standards.
PARTICIPANT CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIESThe Participant Charter of Rights and Responsibilities
started its development toward the end of the financial
year and will be ready for implementation in 2014/15.
It is a statement of rights and responsibilities for people
receiving lifeAssist services, and will be incorporated in the
Participant Information Booklet. The Charter is aligned to
the Touch Point Standards and sets out the expectations
that participants have of all staff who interact with them in
addition to participants’ responsibilities in accessing
lifeAssist services.
PARTICIPANT COMMITTEE REVIEWA series of one-to-one interviews took place between
committee members and the Participant Liaison Officer to
determine the direction of the Committee, the skill set of
individuals and committee member representation.
The findings from these interviews will inform the Participant
Committee Review currently underway.
WEBSITEMembers of the Participant Committee were instrumental
in testing the new lifeAssist.org.au website prior to
its launch. They provided valuable feedback about
improvements to make the content easy to read and the
layout simple to navigate.
Participant Committee
18
Kevin Nunan received a $10,500 scholarship from
the Victorian Government in May to take part in a
year’s leadership training under the 2014 Williamson
Community Leadership Program.
Mr Nunan has been an UCCO participant since
2004. He has been an active member of UCCO’s
Participant Committee for five years, its Chairperson
for the last year and has now taken up a position
with the organisation as Participant Liaison Officer.
UCCO Chief Executive, Gerry Mak was delighted
with the scholarship announcement: “Kevin’s
appointment as Participant Liaison Officer will
be pivotal to UCCO as he will harness feedback
and input from across our participant base so
as to improve outcomes for current and future
participants.”
PARTICIPANT COMMITTEE 2013-14: Bernadette Clancy, Iris Dawson, Kevin Nunan, Matthew Simpson, Alexis Smith, Zarina Van Cuylenberg, Beryl Wilshusen, Margaret Bennett, Faye Sanderson, Peter Carter (resigned March 2014)
ANNUAL REPORT 2012/1321
ResearchUCCO has a strong history of supporting and promoting
research-driven, evidence-based practice.
In April 2006, UCCO established a formal research
partnership with Deakin University as a means to facilitate
research into improving the quality of life of care recipients
and carers who receive support through community care
services. Since then, research has remained integral to our
approach and we’ve been involved in a broad range of
projects to support research in the fields of ageing and
disability. Research for the year involved six projects.
Child Protection for Children with Disabilities aims to
develop approaches designed to safeguard people with
disabilities within a service provider context. Four honours
year students and one PhD candidate were attracted,
and one national Delphi survey was completed.
Advance Care Planning in Community Aged Care: Records of older people entering a hospital Emergency
Department were checked to see if they had advance
care plans in place. A journal article is in preparation.
EBPAC Choice in Aged Care Project Phase 2 was
completed. This project is funded to adapt a People
at Centre Stage approach to people in rural/regional,
culturally and linguistically diverse, and Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander communities. Phase 2 comprised
the development of special needs overlays and
implementation of project. 2014-15 will see data collection
of repeat measures, data analysis and a final report.
Virtual Reality in Restorative Health in the Home: What Works for Older People? This project explores the
application of 2D and 3D virtual reality applications for
older people. Project phases 1-2 are complete, phases 3-5
underway.
Development of an Organisational Readiness Tool for Consumer Directed Care (CDC) project aims to develop
a readiness toolkit for organisations to implement CDC
in community aged care. Project Phases 1-2 were
completed, Phase 3 underway.
What are the Support Needs of Parents with a Pre/Post-Natal Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability. Currently
underway in this project is a state of the science review.
Stage 1 - review of Down Syndrome submitted for
publication - was being re-drafted by June 30.
InnovationWhat Chief Executive Gerry Mak describes as the “year
of getting our house in order” saw significant energy in
innovation. Some of our major innovations included:
•RebrandingtoUnitingCarelifeAssist
•ParticipantTouchPointstandardsproject(p18)
•lifeassist.org.auwebsitedevelopment(p20)
•ICTStrategyforefficiencyinsystems(p20)
•Self-fundedservicesbrandlaunch,Aug2013(p21)
•Self-fundedservicesrefinement,Nov2013-June2014.
AdvocacyHuman rights: As with our operational activities, our
advocacy initiatives emerge from a basis around human
rights. In this we seek to uphold and make real human
rights instruments such as the United Nations Conventions
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the Victorian
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
In 2013 we were proud to be a part of a highly successful
statewide forum around implementing and progressing
human rights across a range of areas, including disability
and aged care. Key factors drawn from this forum
extended also to internal training and staff culture.
Social inclusion of people with disabilities: Our 2014
submission to the Inquiry into the Social Inclusion of people
with disabilities included our staff and participants.
The submission focussed on the key issues around inclusion:
•Thatinclusionisdefinedbytheindividual
•Inclusionisoftenatitsbestwhenitinvolvesinclusion
within mainstream, generic services and community
opportunities, not disability specific
•Fullinclusionrequiresagrowthintheknowledgeand
understanding of the broader community
•Socialinclusionisbestwhendesignedasaccessforall,
rather than access for people with disabilities
Faith-based agencies (and UCA): We continue to take
an active role in collaborations beyond our borders.
We continue to work alongside the advocacy initiatives
of UnitingCare Victoria and Tasmania and UnitingCare
Australia, and this year have broadened our connections
by developing a collaboration of faith-based agencies
so as to build a greater voice and influence with
Government and in the broader community.
Research, Innovation & Advocacy
2319
UCCO’s ICT continues to strive to provide the most
efficient and capable systems to assist our staff to provide
the optimal care to our participants. The foundations
that we created almost five years ago are allowing us to
maintain high standards for availability, accessibility and
expandability to our core systems.
This year we embarked on the creation of a new ICT
strategy that focuses on using advances in technology
to ensure we provide not only the best care but are
leaders in services delivery. We want to ensure that we
have systems and the infrastructure in place that will allow
for growth, improvements in service delivery and foster
efficient, cost effective outcomes and are fully aligned
to our business needs. As importantly, it also focusses the
efforts of the ICT team on activities and tasks that relate
back to the ultimate goals of the organisation.
Significant elements of our ICT Strategy include:
• Mobile Fleet Upgrade
• Upgrade of Wireless Infrastructure
• Implement “Point of Care”
– a mobile/offline solution
• Implement CDC module
• Scope requirements for and purchase a client/
customer relationship management system
• Investigation of systems to allow participants easy
and secure access to UCCO systems.
As a major part of the UCCO rebranding to lifeAssist,
development of a new user-friendly website took place in
from early 2014, ahead of its launch mid July.
The common approach by most organisations has been
to provide page after page of information about the
services they provide. People looking for help have been
expected to wade through all of this information trying
to find possible solutions to their particular need, often in
stressful circumstances.
In planning the new website Daryl Kee (executive
manager, marketing) approached from the perspective
of anyone looking for assistance by phone.
“The first thing we would do is ask someone about themself
and their needs if they rang looking for help,” said Mr Mak.
“We wouldn’t list all of the things we do and wait for the
person on the other end of the phone to say ‘that sounds
like me’. We have applied exactly the same principle in
designing our new website.”
The new website can provide all options which are
relevant to the individual and their personal circumstances
in less than 30 seconds. By the click of no more than four
option buttons, anyone looking for help will find specific
options which suit their personal needs from all the
programs which UCCO/lifeAssist can source, including
government-funded, self-funded free access or referral
services.
Innovating to lead: a new ICT strategy
20
Major website redevelopment
www.lifeassist.org.au
Self-funded services launchAfter two years in the planning, UCCO
launched its self-funded service as
mypalette in August 2013.Created with its own brand, its own website and separate
operational team, mypalette was launched with a direct
mail campaign to 35,000 self-funded retirees throughout
UCCO’s primary service area.
This was followed by a program of one-on-one
presentations to local GPs, pharmacists and other
professional service providers with whom potential clients
have regular contact.
The introduction of self-funded services provided
UCCO with an opportunity to provide an even more
comprehensive offering within our existing range of
services. mypalette presented options for top up services
to participants who needed supports over and above
what their package provided. It offered a stop-gap
measure for those who were on waiting lists for packages.
It also offered an affordable range of options to anyone
who may not qualify for funded package supports.
Since its launch in late 2013 mypalette (known as
mylifeAssist since July 2014) has taken us into several
unexpected areas:
• That many GPs weren’t knowledgeable as we had
assumed about Community Services for their patients,
so we have been doing presentations at practices,
and have become a training partner of the Royal
Australian College of General Practitioners.
• We have identified an opportunity to, and have been
working on, building relationships with organisations
such as the RSL, State Trustees, Community Groups
and Corporate Employers with a view to expanding
our network of referrers beyond single GPs and
Chemists.
• We have assisted UCCO participants to secure and
manage Bushfire Relief funding.
• We have been acknowledged by industry experts as
having one of the most comprehensive planning tools
they’ve seen available in our market.
Responses from our Clients have been flattering and
encouraging:
• It was fantastic to speak to someone who was happy
to answer all my questions. Don’t ever lose that. It’s
what makes you different from other agencies.
• I was with the RAAF for 5 years and flew commercial
planes for 38 years but damned if I could get my
head around the Aged Care System.
• Thank you for your follow up, I really appreciate your
care.
• Thank you very much for your well written plan.
Your work is very much appreciated.
In July 2014, mypalette rebranded to mylifeAssist to align
with the organisation’s branding and marketing strategy
and has been operationally integrated into daily lifeAssist
activity. It has also been expanded to offer temporary
and ad-hoc self-funded supports as part of an holistic
care planning and case management solution. This has
provided clients with an increased level of access to our
services and has better enabled us to provide “a good
life for all”.
Our partnership workers and service facilitators across
all divisions are now skilled in offering self-funded top up
services to their participants in a streamlined and efficient
way.
In the year ahead, mylifeAssist will be spearheading the
organisation’s presence at a number of community expos
and enterprise roadshows working with other lifeAssist
divisions to achieve a united front targeted to various
care needs.
With the introduction of income testing for home care
packages, mylifeAssist’s flexibility to meet the needs of
needs of clients without any of the constraints of funded
packages becomes even more relevant.
mylifeAssist continues to work with the broader community
and business enterprises to offer self-funded care options
and solutions to their members, employees and clients
respectively.
212321
22
Operational Support ServicesThe 2013/2014 year has been one characterised both by
consolidation and review. The Division was consolidated
in the beginning of the year, with an organisational
restructure that brought together all back-of-house
corporate functions, that is, Finance and Property, People
and Culture, Information & Communication Technology,
QualityandRiskManagementandServiceProvider/
Contract Management under one Division.
Associated with this change we have recruited three
newManagers,inFinance,Quality&RiskandinService
Provider/Contract Management, each of whom brings a
wealth of expertise and knowledge from the private and/
or not-for-profit sectors.
2013-14 represented the first full year of managing supplier
payments and providing contractual reporting through
the new client information management system. These
new processes have required a change in work flows for
the finance team, and the transition phase has been a
steep learning curve. The changes have challenged the
team to be innovative and flexible without compromising
the overall objective of providing a quality output both to
internal and to external customers.
Significantly, we have undergone a number of external
audits in 2013/14. We were audited against the DHS
One Standards with successful results. As part of our
annualQualityManagementSystemreview,UCCOwas
also audited by an independent body, SAI Global and
successfully maintained accreditation under the ISO
9001:2008 standards.
The merger of back-of-house functions has provided the
impetus for a review of our processes and systems, as we
prepare the agency for entry into the more market-based
environment that characterises developments across
ageing and disability services.
Among our most significant reviews have been:
• An organisational wide climate survey.
• An external review of accounting practices which,
together with an examination of internal business
processes, is reducing the processing cost associated
with our delivery of a multi-million dollar brokerage
service;
• A new Information and Communication Technology
Strategy to guide our investment in ICT over the next
three years.
• A comprehensive review of our risk profile and
management plan. The organisation’s risk
management function has been allocated
to the quality department. This will enable risk
management to become more closely aligned with
the organisation’s quality management system and
internal audit function and therefore strengthen our
capacity to identify and improve those processes that
may pose a higher risk to the organisation ; and
• A reassessment of our recruitment processes as a
precursor to the introduction of electronic recruitment
software.
In preparation for more person directed services, we have:
• Invested in upskilling managers on various costing
methodologies;
• Invested in new software to generate monthly
reporting and billing;
• Revised our service provider contracts;
• Reviewed our core competencies for recruitment
purposes; and
• Expanded our individualised financial options
such as stored value cards.
Helpdesk requests (ICT)
System availability (ICT)
1315
The past year has been a busy one in terms of service
provision. We have:
• Had six external audits, including audits of our service
partners, conducted either by our funding agencies or
our external quality auditor;
• Conducted thirteen second party audits of service
partners and subcontracted service providers as part
ofourQualityAssuranceprogramtoensurethese
providers commit to UCCO Principles, Values and
Standards to deliver a quality and aafe service in
participants’ homes;
• Conducted four internal audits of various operational
programs;
• Maintained network access at or above 99.7% both
for business and after-hours usage;
• Responded to over 1500 help desk requests;
• Installed a new Disaster Recovery program with
improved backup arrangements;
• Upgraded our server network and our Microsoft
network;
• Reduced debtors ratio by 20%, thereby increasing
cash flow into the agency;
• Reduced by half the reporting timeframes for
the production of monthly financial reports to
management and Board;
• Implemented new privacy arrangements to comply
with legislative changes; and
• Implemented whistleblower policy and other fraud
prevention strategies.
Audit activity
Financial ratios New Hires
23
Homeshare
Housing Support
for the Aged
National Respite
for Carers
Program
The chart below illustrates the various services and programs we provide to older people and people with disabilities.
Service structure
24
Positive Ageing
Carer Wellbeing and Intake
Disability Solutions
Home Care
Packages
Hospital
Admission
Risk Program
Linkages
Direct2Care
KEY
Quick Response
Service
Homeshare
Mental Health
Respite: Carer Support
(Melbourne east & north)
Disability Carer
Support Program
Young Carer
Program
Flexible Support
Packages
Chronic Illness
Linkages
Family Choices
Royal Children’s Hospital
(finished Dec 2013)
Eastern Disability
Support Fund
Individual
Support Package
Circles of
Support
Community
Development
Program
Preventative
Respite
= Commonwealth funded
= Victorian State funded
= Joint funded
= Other
= Self funded
(formerly mypalette)
25
Commonwealth Government fundingDepartment of Social Service
(Health and Ageing)Home Care Packages
Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centre
National Respite for Carers Program
Consumer Directed Respite Program
Dementia Education and Training
Department of Families, Housing,
Community Services and
Indigenous Affairs
Mental Health Respite: Carer Support
Young Carers Respite and Information Service
Respite For Carers of People With a Severe and Profound Disability
State Government fundingDepartment of Human ServicesChronic Illness
Eastern Disability Support Fund
Flexible Support Packages (inclusive of Making a Difference and Early Choices)
Individual Support Packages
Preventative Respite
Housing Support for the Aged
Hospital Admission Risk Program administered through Eastern Health
Joint Commonwealth and State Funding administered by Vic Department of HealthLinkages
QuickResponseProgram
Direct2Care
OtherCity of Boroondara
Royal Children’s Hospital (Family Choice)
By Jeremy Picknell, Co-ordinator, Homeshare Program
A great new opportunity now exists in Melbourne’s east
for people over 65 or with a disability to stay living at
home longer.
Instead of struggling with daily tasks, feeling isolated or
wondering whether it is time to give up the home they
love, they can join the Homeshare program.
Launched by UnitingCare Community Options in May,
this free program can match Householders with a
Homesharer who can move in and, in exchange for free
rent, provide company, overnight presence and up to
10 hours of much needed practical assistance each
week. With Homesharers providing their own food and
a share of utility bills, nobody is out of pocket.
Homesharers can come from all backgrounds and
can be men or women from in their twenties right
up into retirement age. Homesharers undergo a
thorough assessment process, including referee and
police checks. Once a Homeshare match begins, it is
closely monitored and supported by the Homeshare
coordinators at UnitingCare Community Options.
This jointly Commonwealth and State funded program is
modelled from well-established international Homeshare
programs which have been running for decades.
Government funding & services supported
Homeshare program launched in Melbourne’s east
Our services depend on funding from a variety of government programs and sources. This list shows the various packages and programs we provide and the source of that funding.
Statement of Financial Position
ASSETS
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash & cash equivalents
Trade and other receivables
Other Assets
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS
NON-CURRENT ASSETS
Trade and other receivables
Financial assets
Property, plant and equipment
TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS
TOTAL ASSETS
LIABILITIES
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Trade and other payables
Provisions
Income in advance
TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES
NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
Provisions
TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES
TOTAL LIABILITIES
NET ASSETS
EQUITY
Reserves
Retained earnings
TOTAL EQUITY
3,103,446
412,615
44,461
3,560,522
130,288
3,496,531
1,603,591
5,230,410
7,966,983
1,451,355
1,069,357
642,978
3,163,690
1,052,858
1,052,858
4,216,548
3,750,435
(503,464)
4,253,899
3,750,435
2,449,158
329,644
329,644
2,848,297
211,310
3,610,015
1,491,438
5,312,763
8,161,060
1,332,781
1,167,897
1,068,058
3,568,736
1,162,648
1,162,648
4,731,384
3,429,676
(389,980)
3,819,656
3,429,676
2014 2013
Financials
26
This summarised
financial report
has been derived
from the audited
financial report
for UnitingCare
Community
Options for the
year ending
30 June 2014.
A copy of the
auditor’s report is
available upon
request.
ANNUAL REPORT 2012/13ANNUAL REPORT 2012/132527
Statement of comprehensive income
Revenue
Employee benefits expense
Depreciation and amortisation
expense
Purchase of services
Rent expenses
Motor vehicle expenses
Telephone expenses
Computer expenses
Business development expenses
Synod fees
Research expenses
Advertising and marketing
expenses
Other expenses
SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE YEAR
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Net fair value movements for
available for sale financial assets
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/ (LOSS) FOR THE YEAR
18,253,337
(8,244,527)
(281,253)
(7,852,949)
(580,861)
(108,941)
(86,290)
(68,159)
(199,492)
(139,514)
(74,719)
(61,087)
(396,573)
158,972
107,570
266,542
19,211,653
(9,198,594)
(280,867)
(8,260,478)
(616,456)
(101,363)
(77,117)
(160,095)
–
(144,624)
(81,027)
(219,559)
(505,716)
(434,243)
113,484
(320,759)
2014 2013
27
Income sources for 2013/14 Use of funds 2013/14
Commonwealth 54%
State 42%
Interest 2%
Property costs 3%
Client fees 1%
Depreciation 1%
Employee costs47%
Purchase of services
42%
Other 1% Other operating expenses
7%
Items that will be reclassified to profit or loss when specific conditions are met
By Siew-Kim Lim, Pastoral
Support & Culture Advisor
At last year’s Annual Report
to the Community, I referred
to Philippians 4:8 as it
contains a set of principles/
attitudes to live by. It reads:
“Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever
is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy – think about such things.” These principles
contain constructive, active and value words that makes
a great recipe for wellness. Herein lays the secret of not
letting things settle into comfortable or status quo but to
being bold and assertive when needful; of standing up to
or advocating for what is right and just; of taking a little
effort to recognise, notice, thank and give well deserved
praise who make a difference in your life or the lives of
others.
Pastoral care is about being 100% present. There is a
saying that God has given us 2 ears and 1 mouth for a
reason – that we listen more. The fact that LISTEN and
SILENT contains the same alphabets is uncanny but how
true. Listen deeply, listen without judgement, recognise
your own inner speak and listen more. It is also crucial to
be comfortable with Silence – it’s simply sitting silently with
someone – which is often more helpful than saying more
than one should.
Pastoral Care & Culture highlights 2013/14:•Supporting in the order of 60 staff when needed with
an open door policy – someone to access immediately,
encouraging them to be in touch with their emotions and
what’s going on, not ignore them. This involved anything
from illness, loss and grief, job issues, conflict, family and
relationships.
•Ongoing support to participants as referred by
partnership workers. Pastoral home visits or outings are
diverse, here are a couple of examples from the year:
Abigail was a main carer for her daughter Sharon who
was diagnosed with leukaemia 8 years before she lost
her battle. Pastoral support was referred as a support for
a grieving mother who was struggling with immense loss
and help her gain her own identity – now, a carer no
more – there was a lot of apprehension of life ahead.
A couple of visits gave the platform to let Abigail talk
about Sharon. As the family never had a holiday, the
partnership worker, with a letter I wrote in support –
applied for a couple of grants that gave the family a
break a few months after their mourning period.
Mimi had been relocated and was feeling quite lost,
unsettled and disconnected from her adult children.
When I visited her, I asked her how she was feeling.
She said no one asks that of her – most times it is about
what they want from her or expect from her. She shared
one loss after another and in moments like these, that
is all that is needed. To sit with what is uncomfortable,
painful, unjust and simply listen then at the end ask:
what would you like me to do for you? “Pray for me and
my new home”, Mimi said.
Such is a snippet of pastoral care – where you listen to
what is said, what is not said, and provide safety and a
platform for more conversation.
•Operation Santa 2013: In our first involvement in this
project I was local coordinator liaising with two major
Target stores to ensure even distribution of gifts to suit
UCCO’s participants. From a pastoral perspective, I was
able to contribute suggestions and more thought in gift
selection and encouraging our partnership workers to
select gifts so our grandparent participants could gift
their grandchildren (some for the first time or after a
lapse of many years). A total of 219 recipients from 140
individuals and families received gifts. These we could
share thanks to the generosity of the Templestowe and
Doncaster communities. This excludes those who received
gifts that were redistributed to Kildonan and the Burmese
community of Grace Community Church. Many thanks
also to Good Life Gym (Dingley) and Bubbles Pre-School
who contributed extra gifts.
•UCCO Peer Choice Staff Awards 2013: Coordinated the
staff recognition project which saw seven candidates
winning awards which included the Lives our Values
Award, Teamwork/Collaboration Award , Innovation
Award, Flexibility & Adaptability Award. Four candidates
received the Fun & Apt Award out of 59 nominations.
•Connections with the Presbytery: I attended the
Community Services Forum for the Presbytery of Yarra Yarra
each month.
Pastoral Care & Culture – reflection 2013/14
28
The 2013-2014 year was a transformative year for
UnitingCare Community Options. Externally and internally,
change has been present with significant reforms taking
place in the sector and the commencement of a new
Chief Executive.
The changes have required our organisation to become
more sophisticated in understanding the outcomes each
person needs to achieve in their role and in measuring
what has been achieved. The People & Culture team
have invested in their understanding how to attract,
develop and retain high performers and as a result, along
with several other valuable initiatives, they:
• Implemented improved recruitment processes
including psychometric assessments and skills testing
to ensure we have the right people delivering high
quality services to our participants
• Invested in professional development in the form of
guest speakers and specialist trainers to ensure our
people have access to cutting edge information and
are always learning
• Assisted with a major organisational restructure that
ensured each of the client groups we serve has
someone at the Executive level to have input and
influence on how the business meets the need of
each client group
• Took an active interest in improving the first impression
of our employees because we believe that a great
orientation process can set our people up to win in
their roles.
We consider our people to be our most valuable asset and
as such will continue to invest in ensuring we have the right
people in the right roles achieving great outcomes and
are being developed in an ongoing way.
Negotiation of Collective Agreement In August 2013, the ‘UnitingCare Community Options Staff
Enterprise Agreement 2013’ was ratified through Fair Work
Australia. The ratification of this agreement followed a
negotiation process that evidenced the mutual respect
and trust between the staff body and management group
of the organisation. The agreement represents a generous
set of terms and conditions with some of the newer
additions being the introduction of Cultural Leave and
Family Violence Leave and the de-gendering of Parental
Leave provisions.
Congratulations to the staff representative group on
their efforts on this agreement and work throughout the
negotiation process.
Staff satisfaction survey and action planning processIn March 2014, we partnered with SACS Consulting who
facilitated an organisational development process that
involved conducting a climate survey of the organisation
and then having each team across the organisation
participate in an action planning process focused on
becoming the best team it could be.
This was a great opportunity for us as an organisation to
prepare for our future and one we could not do without
our peoples’ active involvement. Each team will now
continue to execute their plans which will ensure as
an organisation we best position ourselves to meet the
challenges that lie ahead.
We have committed to running this process again in
the new financial year with a view to seeing improved
results across all teams, ultimately resulting in a great
employment experience for our people and consequently
greater services to our clients.
The People and Culture Team With a complex and fast paced set of services to deliver,
the People and Culture team also contributed and
added value to a number of projects and initiatives across
the organisation. Acknowledgment and thanks from
Cassandra Hatton to Wayne Dalton, Judith Larkin, Wendy
Keil, Siew Kim Lim and Christian Heskes.
People & Culture
29
Staff pictured at our Christmas function
Our supportersThe following organisations, businesses, benevolent funds and individuals have provided donations during 2013 -14:
We sincerely thank the following volunteers for their efforts through the year:
Black Cabs Combined p/l
Chirnside Park Senior Citizens Club
C Thorn
Mr Donald Knox
Eziway Salary Packaging P/l
Freda Hellyer
I V Burns
James McComb
Leonie Martenstyn
Lorna Boucher
McArthur Management Services P/l
Meredith Gunn
Mission Op Shop, Blackburn South
Nextt Health P/l
Omnicare P/l
Rotary Club Glen Waverley
St Andrews Foundation
State Trustees Australia Foundation – Henry Shaw Educational Donation
Sunsuper Dreams Pty Ltd
The Ian and Nelle Clark Encouragement Fund
The Walter and Eliza Hall Trust
UCA Parish of Balkara
Uniting Care LifeAssist staff
YoungCare
30
Independent couple in their 90s: a friend when they need one
At the initial 2012 home visit with ‘Wendy’, ‘Dan’and
their family, UCCO explained the Community Aged
Care Package (CACP). Dan (94) and Wendy (93) both
appeared alert and cognitively aware although some
frailty was obvious with both of them.
The devoted couple live in a comfortable unit in
the Peppertree Hill Village in Rowville. The couple
occasionally join in social gatherings being conducted
at the village centre as well as outings with family.
Dan still drives locally and they both do their weekly
shop together.
Wendy has had three hospital admissions over the past
18 months and has also spent time in rehab. Her heart
problems are escalating and, sadly, her endurance is
decreasing. As a result, UCCO increased assistance
when she first came home from hospital/rehab. We then
adjusted the services to meet Wendy’s new needs.
Wendy worries about Dan these days and about his
ability to maintain their garden. As a result, her package
now pays for occasional gardening assistance.
Dan had a fall in the home last year which gave both
a fright, however, UCCO was able to step in with
additional assistance short term to get them over that
particular event.
In recognition of the couple’s determination to maintain
their independence for as long as possible, UCCO
works quietly in the background with them but remains
ready to step up services at any time that they indicate
that they are unwell and not managing as well as they
would like.
•IanHayes
•MadeleineBowers
•NadiraJayawardena
•NormanHead
•WillsMa
•FrancoiseD’Argent
•VanTran
Thirty-seven participants received a contribution from the
Realising a Dream fund through the year, totalling $24,812.
The Realising a Dream Fund contributes to goals or dreams
with one-off grants that are not covered by traditional
funding package guidelines.
The Fund aims to help participants attend an event,
engage in an activity, purchase a range of services or
purchase equipment they genuinely need.
Examples of grant contributions include: a holiday to
Vietnam with the family, a lawn mower, a tandem bike,
a wheelchair, soccer club registration and a specialised
mattress.
A panel of three UCCO program managers meets
bimonthly to assess applications and determine
contributions.
Applications are facilitated by partnership workers on
behalf of their participants.
Successful grants are assessed on the goals of the fund
and the values we have as an organisation.
Preference is given to those contributions which might
help build on participant strengths.
31
Realising a Dream Fund
DONATIONSHow you can make a difference
Visit our website to see how you can donate:
www.lifeassist.org.au
UnitingCare lifeAssist is a not-for-profit organisation working to achieve ‘a good life for all’.
Your tax deductible financial contribution can help support our most innovative programs and make a lasting difference in someone’s life.
In particular, we invite donations to our Realising Dreams Fund. Established in 2008, the Fund provides our participants with access to one-off grants to help them purchase a range of services or pieces of equipment which will contribute to their ability to realise a particular dream or goal.
Wheeler’s Hill resident Harry Mason had gained much
pleasure and relaxation from gardening in the past, but in
recent years was unable to maintain garden beds at his
retirement unit.
Harry couldn’t reach plants easily and had even taken
a couple of falls trying – having to be helped by his
neighbours or carer.
UnitingCare Community Options’ Realising a Dream Fund
helped Harry rejevunate his garden through the year.
Funds helped him raise the level of garden beds and
purchase long-handled tools to help him better manage
and maintain the garden safely.
Help for green thumb Harry
Ground Floor, Building 5, Brandon Office Park 530-540 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
1300 ASSIST (1300 277 478)
WWW.LIFEASSIST.ORG.AUABN 84 308 043 413
Printed on 100% recycled stock
In July 2014 UnitingCare Community Options (UCCO) changed its name change to lifeAssist.
The name change represents who we are and what we do, both now and into the future.
Our vision remains unchanged: ‘A good life for all’. Our highly qualified team of dedicated professionals will
continue to deliver the very best services available, both government-funded and self-funded.
UnitingCare
Proud member of
