interchange inner east · 2016. 9. 24. · interchange inner east – annual report 2012 – 2013 6...

Interchange Inner East – Annual Report 2012 – 2013 1

Interchange Inner East Annual Report

2012 - 2013


We wish to thank and acknowledge our volunteers and contributors for their efforts and generosity to enable IIE to enrich the lives of young people with a disability, and provide valuable respite to their families. Board and Staff

Volunteers

Signif icant contributions

Board Members Staff Members David Bailey (President) Dr Michael Summers ( Vice President) Fraser McLisky (Vice President) Marco Kohne (Treasurer) Kathryn Stubbings (Secretary) replaced by Jocelyn Geary (Secretary) August 2012 Julie Mitchell Nora Sparrow

Marie Lugg (Executive Officer) Geri Baker ( Quality & Community Development Officer) Clare O’Sullivan (Program Manager) Stephanie Johnson ( In - Home Respite Program Manager) Kathy Hewitt ( Host Program Co-ordinator) Amy Hurren ( Recreation Program Co-Ordinator) Kim Nguyen ( Recreation Program Co-ordinator until 23/12/2012)

Vivienne Quinlivan (Innovative Respite Program Co-Ordinator) Bronwyn Copping (In- Home Respite Program Co-Ordinator) Danielle McDonald (In-Home Respite Program Co-Ordinator) Annie Wylie (Early Childhood Project Officer) Anne Bate ( Office Administrator) Sarah Martin (Finance Support) Gabby Staffa ( Reception/Administration)

Recreational Hosts

Lena Dao Felicity Ford Danielle Ockwell Georgina Thomas Wasmiah Alharti Ting Ting Cao Joshua Hewitt Shardie Johns Daphne Keck Agnes Loo Priska McDonald Jessica Mitchell Arun Mohan Stella Pavlou Tess Rowley Jenny Squires Cameron Stone Carlee Williamson

Abrahams, Suzanne & Paul Apostolopoulos, Cheryl & Arthur Brandenburg, Janet Brasher, Jacqui and Phil Buckley, Janet & Nigel Cherry, Sian Cook, Margaret Da Fonesca, Jennifer & Didi Esler, Jo & Michael Evans, Debbie Giljohann, Anne & Peter Hamilton, Cindy & Trent Harris, Kim and Martin, Cameron Hastie, William

Healy, David & Sue Hoang, Khoi Jackson, Margaret James, Jane and Paul Kinch, Darlene Lawther, Suzanne & Peter MacDonald, Kate Murphy, Cassandra Murray, Ebonee-Lee Perdikaris, Faye Petersen, Sharon & David Roberts, Alexandra

Sanders, Debbie and Mark Slater, Belinda Thomas, Kaye Thomas, Sandra & Peter Thompson, Anne Thompson, Jane Weatherlake, Cathy & Philip Wei, Corinne

Philanthropic and Community Support Contribution

2011/14 Community Support and Wellbeing Operational Grant for Interchange Early Childhood Support Project

Total over 3 years $8,500

Boroondara Community Grant-Minor Equipment $3,000

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Youth in Philanthropy Program $6,000

Stockland Tooronga Community Grant $5,000

Bendigo Bank - Canterbury Community Bank Branch $3000

Acknowledgements

Right: Del and Thomas. Del was a longstanding volunteer, who passed a way in July this year. It is with sadness that we acknowledge the great contribution she made to both Interchange and the Forbes family. Del and her daughter, Jain, have been hosting Thomas for ten years.


Who we are Our Vision 4 Our Mission 4 Our Purpose 4 Our Values 5 Our Commitment 5 What we do 5

Performance

Performance Highlights 11 People Highlights 12 Risk Management 12 Complaints Management 13 Quality and Development Report 13

In-home Respite Program

Interchange’s Individual Care Program (ICP) 14 Flexible Family Support Program (FFSP) 14

Host Program

Host Volunteer Program 15 Early Childhood Project 16

Recreation Program

After 4 and Fun After 4 17 Camp and Holiday Activities 18

Financials

Treasurer’s Report 20 Financials 21

Contents


Interchange Inner East (IIE) provides respite services to families who have a child or young adult with a disability within the local government area of Boroondara, Manningham, Monash and Whitehorse. Over our thirty year history, we continue to grow as a family focused community organisation. We work to listen to and understand the individual needs of our participants and families in order to develop responsive and meaningful respite and recreation opportunities for children and young people living with a disability. This includes providing greater choice and flexibility for individual support and planning. We seek to view the whole person within the context of their family and community.

Our Vision

Our vision is to share the caring by supporting families through quality respite.

Our Mission

IIE is a community-based service, which supports families with children or young people who have disabilities by providing quality respite care which is planned and regular. The service gives young people the opportunity to extend their social contacts, friendships and experiences in an appropriate environment.

Our Purpose • To provide innovative and high quality planned respite services to families with

children/young adults who have a disability based on individual preferences and choices that empower participants and their families.

• To provide respite services to individuals and groups, in the community and at home, that increase the life experiences and enrich the lives of children and young adults with disabilities, particularly through the delivery of engaging recreational programs and social interactions.

• To be guided by the voices of our participants and their families in the development, delivery and evaluation of our services.

• To forge strong community partnerships with individuals and organisations for an inclusive community, and to promote the value of the benefits of planned and regular respite services for children and young adults and their families.

• To provide safe and effective respite services through our culture, structures and processes, and through the recruitment and ongoing development of capable, trained and highly skilled staff and volunteers.

• To increase our capacity to meet the needs of families with children and young adults with disability and ensure the sustainability of the organisation through responsible management of available resources, and adapting to the changing needs of families, their children and the service delivery environment.

Who we are


Our Values

People Valuing the person, their families and their inclusion in the community

Integrity Developing relationships of care and support with participants, families and individuals

Quality Employing skilled and competent staff and supporting their professional development

Ethical Maintaining standards and practices that support the rights of all persons

Respect Respecting the diversity, individual difference and potential of all persons

Governance Promoting best practices, accountability, professionalism and managing risk

Our Commitment • To connect with our participants and families by informing, collaborating and

empowering them to access and shape the types of respite experiences they require to live a fuller and more enriching life.

• To work closely with the children, young adults and their families to provide support and assistance in their homes and in the community by our trained and competent staff.

• To foster strong partnerships to achieve an inclusive community. • To actively seek funding to grow our service to complement and capitalize on our

valued government funding. • To advocate for better outcomes for our families through establishing strategic

community links and connections. • To connect meaningfully with all involved in the IIE community.

What we do

• IIE offers the following programs to provide respite to families:

Host Program • Host Volunteer Program • Early Childhood Project

In-home Respite Program

Other • 24 hour on-call emergency service • Annual events (Christmas party / Discos)

Recreation Program • Weekend group activities in the community • After 4 weekday activities • Camps and Holiday activities

• Flexible Family Support Program • Individual Care Program • In participant’s family home


That “the only certainty is change” is especially true for the disability sector. Throughout the year there has rarely been a day without some mention of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). We can all be thankful that this initiative has bi-partisan support. Over the next 5 years there will be some fundamental changes to the way funding is delivered and services are provided. How this will look like when fully implemented is uncertain. The Board and staff of IIE have spent a lot of time this past year preparing for the changing landscape. To date, most of this has been in advocacy to help ensure that the NDIS becomes a reality, and then through attending various seminars to better understand the practical differences that it will deliver. On September 1 2013, we spent a full day mapping out strategic pathways for the organisation so that it can adapt and thrive in the new environment. More of this will be communicated soon. Legislative changes made it timely for us to look at our constitution and to re-write it to better reflect today’s organisation and to ensure that it is appropriate for the future. Michael Summers did a fantastic job in leading us through this process. The members of the organisation will vote on the new constitution at the AGM, and I look forward to advocating for its acceptance. A decision was made to change our name from “Committee of Management” to “Board of Management”. We felt that this reflected the growth of the organisation, the competency of the management team, and the focus on strategy and governance. On the surface this might appear to be a minor item, but it is an indication of the ever growing maturity of IIE.

Interchange Victoria (IV), an umbrella organisation that links like-minded service providers, has undergone significant personnel and strategic changes. I believe that IV is now far better placed to assist us in advancing the way we carry out our services. We look forward to cementing our relationship with IV’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kerry Uren, and working with her and the other member-organisations to improve service provision for our stakeholders. Proper governance and procedures are essential for IIE to survive and prosper. Presently, we are reliant on block funding from government agencies, and are subject to rigorous audits of how we carry out our services to maintain that funding. It is with pleasure that we can report very satisfactory findings in all of the audits we were subject to. My congratulations to all of the staff for this splendid result. Our funding is coming with more strings attached, such that it is becoming very difficult to run our programs without incurring losses. In previous years we have been able to develop a good balance sheet, and your Board is conscious of not running down those assets. This has, and will, necessitate changes in the way we provide

President’s Report


services, and what services we provide. This was a major subject at our strategy day. I know that the management team has been making adjustments to some of the operations, which has required acceptance from staff and participants alike. I thank you for this, and request that you continue to work with us. Our Executive Officer (EO), Marie Lugg has continued to lead IIE superbly. Her enthusiasm and energy know no bounds. She has a firm vision of what IIE should look like in the NDIS era, and a resolute commitment to make this happen. Your Board fully supports Marie in this quest. She has been supported by fantastic staff. Over the past year a number of long time members have moved on to the next phases of their lives and we have welcomed new recruits bring a new level of enthusiasm and experiences. IIE would not be the tremendous place it is without the contributions of the previous staff, and I thank them all for their dedication and compassion.

The hunger of the community to volunteer remains strong, and IIE continues to be the recipient of a generosity of spirit that forever amazes me. In the office, the host program, helping with excursions, on the board, donations of many kinds. We are all truly blessed to be in a community where opportunities exist for us to give of our capabilities, and likewise to be the recipients of that offering. I thank everyone for what they give. Overall, it is a pleasure to report that IIE is in good shape. We are well lead, have staff who are bringing skills necessary for the future, have invested wisely in systems and relationships necessary for us to thrive, are financially sound, and are actively planning for the future. I again thank all who are involved in the leadership and running of IIE, and look forward to the rest of the journey in providing this essential service.

David Bailey President


A solid year of achievements for IIE within a framework whereby key strategic priorities were accomplished in the areas of governance, service delivery and operational strategic management. At the service delivery level, the team implemented revised policies and procedures which ensured safer and more effective person centered and goal oriented outcomes for our varied participants and their families. In delivering 48,494 hours of service to 244 families, Interchange managed to ride the challenges and uncertainties linked to the implementation of the NDIS Launch sites as well as harnessing the excitement and promise that this scheme represents to people living with a disability and their families. We continued to embed strong operational foundations of a high quality to meet the inherent risks and challenges in this specialised model of respite service delivery. In-depth coverage on performance is covered in our Performance section.

Of special note is the huge contribution offered to IIE by a small but committed army of skilled, conscientious and committed volunteers, the value of whose support is immeasurable. The staff and I are delighted to be so ably supported by the current honorary Board who have settled into their governance roles with focused commitment. Thanks to each of them for their generosity of time and spirit. As we reflect on the staff who, for a range of lifestyle reasons, have chosen to move on this past year, we acknowledge Stephanie Johnson (Senior Coordinator In-Home Respite Program) after 15 wonderful years of fantastic service, Danielle McDonald and Bronwyn Copping (In – Home respite coordinators) and Kim Nguyen (Recreation Program Coordinator) all of whom have provided us with standards of service which I know you all appreciated. To our current staff which includes our valued Respite Support Workers may I offer you my respectful acknowledgement for your commitment and dedication to our participants and families.

Marie Lugg

Executive Officer

CEO’s Report


Services

Volunteers

Pictured above: Genevieve Constantas

Highlights

48,494hours of service

244 Participants and Families assisted

122 Respite Support workers

14 Office /Program staff

75 Volunteers

5,826 hours of volunteering

22% increase from last financial year


Our Participants By Disabil i ty Type:

Note: the majority of IIE participants fall within the moderate to high intellectual disability range. By Gender:


Performance Highlights

The following details our achievement of our key strategic priorities for this financial year:

Achievements of Key Strategic Prior i t ies

Priority one: Governance

• Successfully established the targeted recruitment of eight Board members to fulfill the critical competencies identified at audit

• A skilled representative Board, equipped to move IIE forward to meet the strategic and future planning demands of the sector preparing for the NDIS

• Delivered specialised governance training • Established sub-committees for governance in risk management, quality and finance • Stakeholder consultation to review and revise the Purposes as part of a broader review of

the Constitution against the Model Rules for an Incorporated Association Act.

Priority two: Service Delivery

• Successfully reduced the wait list in our children and young adult Recreation Groups by merging some groups and encouraging individual families to re-examine their need for Respite services.

• Our Innovative School Respite Program has been a key area of increased service for younger children with high to complex needs introducing them and their families to various forms of respite in their early years.

• Our Lord Mayors appeal enabled us to include some high needs older children in the Camp experience through additional staffing resources.

Priority three: Operational Strategic Management • Applied a rigorous risk management filter to all IIE policies and procedures with a cycle for

review and revision implemented. The key policies relate to safety and security screening of Respite Support Staff as well as the monitoring of staff training qualifications and performance management.

• A focus on positive behaviour skill training and the importance of person centered planning for individuals have been prioritised.

• Individual client/family agreements have been reviewed and family and staff manuals revised and disseminated to our participants and staff.

• Transition to the Modern Award required intensive review of position descriptions and reclassifications of status for our 140 casual staff.

• The imposition of the Equal Remuneration Order (ERO) in December 2012 placed huge additional resource demands on this already resource stretched service. Our commitment is to provide optimum employment conditions for our valued workforce and to invest in our capacity to recruit, retain and support the highest quality staff.

• Our investment in customising Carelink+, our community database, through the expert consultation of Donna Orchard, continues to offer us enhanced systems of efficiency and reporting as we extend its functionality to other aspects of the business.

Performance


People Highlights

Staff management:

• 20 enthusiastic and skilled new support workers have joined us during the financial year. A group induction model was developed to ensure IIE staff was comprehensively informed of relevant policies and procedures to provide safe and effective support. This resulted in an improved and structured induction and the identification of additional staff training needs.

• Our Program coordinators, Amy Hurren and Kim Nguyen, moved from maternity leave cover for Vivienne Quinlivan and Hayley Cassar to permanent staff.

• After 15 years service of provided high quality family support, Stephanie Johnson (Program coordinator), decided to pursue other interests.

• Kim Nguyen, a Masters of Journalism student left at the end of the year to complete his postgraduate degree in Sweden.

• Other staff movements include Bronwyn Copping relocating to regional Victoria and Danielle McDonald seeking a more family friendly commute to work. This movement in personnel holding part-time roles, resulted in the opportunity for IIE to embed full time positions in these critical roles with enhanced continuity, responsiveness and availability to families together with more efficient and accountable systems of operation.

Workforce Development:

• We continue to offer both new and established casual staff training opportunities through evening and weekend staff training sessions.

• Staff training this year has included Positive Behaviour Ethical Response training, to assist staff in both their management of and response to behaviours requiring management or intervention. This training included training in the DHS Directions Paper on Prohibited Physical Restraint.

• Additional training was provided to staff in the areas of Manual Handling; Epilepsy Management; First Aid/CPR; and Mental Health First Aid.

• Training continues to be provided to address the maintenance and development of general skills and to meet the specific needs of individual participants.

Risk Management

As part of our Risk Management Framework, we have embedded a strong culture of identifying, analysing, monitoring and reporting of Incidents. For the financial year, we have registered 56 non-critical incidents and two critical incidents. Each incident is analysed by the Executive Officer and management team and relevant controls and processes are implemented where required. This enables Respite Support Staff to be equipped with the most up to date behaviour management /support information for each client in their care. The two critical incidents followed the appropriate reporting and escalation process to DHS. Both incidents were satisfactorily resolved.


Complaints Management

IIE values feedback and has a robust complaints management process to ensure identified weakness in IIE’s programs, policies and service are remediated. For this financial year, there were five family/participant and two staff complaints resulting in satisfactory resolution of all except one case in which Interchange’s policies and model of service delivery was unable to meet the expectations of the client and family.

Quality and Development Report

As IIE continues to develop, improve and grow, the role of Quality and Development remains- to seek community support and additional funding; and to review our policies, procedures and outcomes for IIE’s families and participants to ensure that IIE remains a high quality, responsive and effective service. IIE receives funding from both the State Department of Health and the Department of Human Services, as such, we are required to meet the service standards, and be externally audited, by both government departments. These audits took place through March to August of 2012. Throughout this period, IIE received interim reports and was required to develop Quality Plans in response to recommendations from the auditors. The final assessment and reports from the auditors were very positive, with IIE achieving Certification against the Disability Service Standards effective from 1st August 2012 to March 2015. The August 2012 Home and Community Care (HACC) Audit covered- Standard 1: Effective Management Standard 2: Appropriate Access and Service Delivery Standard 3: Service User Rights and Responsibilities I am delighted to report that IIE met all Standards with no ‘Required Improvements.’ This Quality Assessment process enabled IIE to identify and initiate a range of improvements in the area of Governance, File management and Program Assessment and Planning. These improvements resulted in-

• the targeted recruitment of Board members to fulfill the increasingly demanding and complex tasks of Governance,

• improved file management • The review and distribution of the Participant and Family Manual 2013 and the Respite

Support Worker Manual 2013 • improved documentation and assessment of participant’s individual goals, and • the development of a risk register for Policies and Procedures with a cycle for Review

Again, we thank those of you who assisted us by participating in this Quality Assessment process. Many thanks, and acknowledgement of the work of the voluntary Board members on the Quality Sub-Committee, Kathryn Stubbings and Fraser McLisky, for their skills and ongoing support.

Geri Baker Quality and Community Development Project Officer


Highlights The In Home Respite Program has gone through various positive changes during this financial year. Both programs, Flexible Family Support Program (FFSP) and the Individual Care Program (ICP), have maintained a consistent level of support to families accessing the programs with a moderate level of growth in new participants. In total, In- home respite programs have provided 22,533 hours of support, an increase of 1,281 hours from last financial year. The following table details the number of hours provided and number of participants for FFSP and ICP: Financial Year FFSP ICP

Number of hours provided

Number of participants



2012-2013 4,992 33 17,541 84

Interchange’s Individual Care Program (ICP)

• This Program’s growth is in response to Interchange’s capacity to support individualised funding for our clients. IIE support is purchased by a range of brokerage agencies to meet the respite needs of individuals and families.

• An indication of the quality of IIE’s support services lies in the growth in the number of brokerage agencies, purchasing our direct care support. Currently we have 13 different agencies purchasing IIE’s support services on behalf of participants.

Flexible Family Support Program (FFSP)

• This Program is funded by Health and Community Care (HACC) to enable IIE to respond to the needs of families seeking in-home respite. The funding is block funding, which enables IIE to provide support, particularly focused on families yet to receive attached individualised funding. IIE’s capacity to grow this service is limited by allocated government funding.

• In this financial year, the Program has experienced a number of staff changes, particularly at the coordinator level, with stability being re-established towards the end of the financial year. It is pleasing to report that the program has maintained and grown services through this period of change, and has recruited approximately 20 new, skilled Respite Support Workers. These new workers have been inducted and matched to families and attended in-house training to broaden their skills and understanding, to assist them to support participants with behavioural support needs.

• Despite the staff changes experienced through the 2012-13 period, we continue to strive to offer a responsive service that provides families and participants with care and support that is based on their choices for the best way to utilise their funding.

• Coordinators continue to establish ongoing communication with individuals and families in response to the continually shifting and changing needs of families as they juggle the demands of life with a child with a disability.

• IIE is pleased with its structural capacity to assist participants with Individual Support Packages as the National Disability Insurance Scheme rolls out.

In Home Respite Programs


Highlights

Our longest standing volunteer is Kaye Thomas who has been hosting Dane for 21 years. Kaye was awarded the Caroline Chisholm award this year, presented by Anna Burke in the seat of Chisholm (in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs). This is awarded to local volunteers who demonstrate the Caroline Chisholm values, a tireless worker for the welfare and political rights of women and children in the 19th century. Kaye has provided an incredible level of support to Dane’s family. Kaye takes Dane to the beach and classical music concerts, and considers him to be part of her family.

Host Volunteer Program

The Host Program continues to thrive with 37 host volunteer families and individuals providing regular respite to families, comprising 3,954 hours of respite. The number of volunteers has increased by 10%, and the respite hours delivered has increased by 15% from last financial year. Families continue to tell us how much they appreciate the respite and wonder where we find such caring and dedicated volunteers.

Host Program

Above: Kayne and Dane

Above: The Hamilton family and Sheena


Early Childhood Project

• This Program is supported by a 2011-2014 Boroondara Operational Grant of $8,500. The grant has enabled IIE to establish a program to support families of pre-school children with a disability through introducing a volunteer to provide flexible support to the family.

• The aim of the program is to develop an approach to Host volunteering that acknowledges and accommodates the different needs of families of younger children. For example, a family of a pre-school child may not require weekend or overnight support but may need a regular few hours during the busy evening meal time.

• The Program has succeeded in matching volunteers to assist families in a variety of ways, such as delivering an evening meal once a week, providing structured activities and play for siblings, or a few hours of care in the child’s own home and respite to busy parents.

• Aligned with the Council’s key direction “Strengthening Communities,” IIE’s Early Childhood Support Program has focused on promoting community awareness of the needs of children with disabilities and their families, and building interest in providing support that contributes to an inclusive, connected community.

• A local brochure drop has occurred, and IIE has also targeted local primary schools and community groups in their volunteer recruitment drive.

• We recognise the contribution of Anna Wylie in the development of the Early Childhood Program. Anna is currently on maternity leave, and has welcomed another little girl, Lucy Grace into her family.

Advertisement for Interchange

Earlier this year Interchange Victoria was compiling a TV advertisement to attract volunteers, and one of the IIE families was asked to be part of it. Emily Ryan, Belinda-Host Volunteer (pictured on the right), and Emily’s Mum, Annemarie, all participated in the ad. It was pretty nerve wracking as Emily had been practising her lines for weeks, but got a bit nervous once the stage lights were on and the camera was rolling. However it all worked out well in the end, and Emily is very happy that she is now ‘famous and on TV’.

For the financial year, • 10 new families have

benefited from volunteer support

• 4 families have accessed additional IIE Respite services


Highlights

The Recreation Program has experienced significant growth through the increase in recurrent funding provided by DHS’ Innovative Respite program. IIE successfully applied for this funding in 2011 enabling us to provide the additional afternoon/evening respite program-‘Fun After 4’, and additional holiday programs, ‘Come and Try’ days and camps for children with high support needs, through 2012-13. This program has enabled IIE to offer children their first experience of out of home respite and to build the confidence of both children and parents experiencing those first periods of separation. The feedback from the 15 participants, who have benefited, together with the qualitative and quantitative reporting responses for government, indicates a very positive outcome for this new initiative. For this financial year, the Recreation Program continued to deliver quality group activities with a total of 22,577 hours of respite support delivered by IIE’s team of dedicated Support Workers. The table below indicates total number of participants and service hours: Financial Year Recreation program Holiday programs / Camps





2012-2013 10,207 160 12,370 96 In Term 4, 2012 and the beginning of 2013, the Program Manager and Recreation Coordinator assessed the group compositions of all the Recreation groups with the aim of assessing the compatibility of participants based on their interests and needs, offering greater choice and diversity in activities, and to maximise use of the program, reduce vacancies, and fill regular vacancies. The results have been very positive with improved regular attendance, increased participation and choice in activities, and some new friendships developed.

The summer holiday period saw a review of IIE’s preparedness and response to the bush fire risk associated with the holiday program and camps. IIE assessed the policies and procedures for both Support workers and Coordinators to ensure a clear process for assessing risks at sites/venues and for evacuation in the case of an emergency.

After 4 and Fun After 4

These programs provide a structured afternoon/evening Respite Program on the Kendall St site. The regular attendees are supported to participate in the preparation of afternoon tea and dinner and a range of interactive games and activities. This foundational model of after school care has been extremely successful as it meets a lifestyle support gap for families juggling employment and the needs of siblings during the 4pm – 8pm time slot. IIE will leverage our insights from this model to inform future service growth for school aged children and those

Recreation Program

Above: Damien enjoying the sunshine


attending Day Programs. 12 participants regularly benefited from the After 4 programs with an additional 5-10 benefiting from occasional care. We thank our regular volunteers Stewart and Daphne who make such a difference to staff and participants. The volunteers assist with preparing an evening meal, are great fun, and help to engage all in games and activities. We are lucky to have a young, secondary school aged volunteer, Daphne, who has been helping out with the Monday ‘Fun after 4’ group each week. Daphne plays games, takes Tom for a walk in his wheel chair through the Canterbury Gardens, and regularly helps with dinner. Daphne commented that it’s great to be able to help with dinner- ‘it must be such a busy time for families.’ For her 14th birthday, Daphne made a special request of her friends; she asked them not to give her any presents, but a ‘donation to IIE would be appreciated’. To our surprise, Daphne presented IIE with a fish bowl full of money- we were thrilled to see she had raised $1,175.90! Quite an amazing contribution for one so young! We asked Daphne to choose how to spend the money and she has nominated to pay for some of the large expenses at the Christmas Party - animal farm, bouncy castle. She has also offered to get a group of her friends together to volunteer for the Christmas Party and run the face-painting stall.

Camp and Holiday Activit ies Activities provide enhanced respite experiences to a large percentage of our recreation participants as they visited fun filled and exciting venues across regional Victoria and participated in challenging activities of their choice. During the school holiday program (ages 12-22) and over the weekend period for the Young Adults program (ages 22-36) there are a variety of different camp sites booked by the Recreation Program. Adventure camps all have a range of activities based at the camp sites such as the giant swing, flying fox, laser tag, bushwalking, canoeing and games rooms. These activities always appear to be a great hit with the campers!

As well as the range of camp sites, there are many day activities, both during the school holiday program as well as the weekend recreation program for both the Adolescent and Young Adults groups. Participants are involved in local cultural festivals around the city and art workshops including mosaic art, painting and ceramics. A range of tourist attractions such as the Eureka Sky Deck, tours of the MCG, zoos and parks, Luna Park and Scienceworks are visited. Groups go to basketball games, AFL and VFL football matches, Soccer, Rugby and

Above: Marie receives Daphne’s donation

Above: A participant on the flying fox


participate in more active activities like Bounce trampoline centre, Roller Skating, Mini-golf and Rock Climbing. Many groups go on outings to restaurants, to music venues, to the movies, Yarra river cruises and picnics both at local parks and at the beach. IIE also has a range of sport and music equipment that is taking on both day activities and camps. Annual Disco

The annual disco took us all back to the Wild West (pictured below), with very well received line dancers, who led all in a few fun line dances. This year’s disco’s exceeded expectations in attendance, the enthusiasm of a fantastic group of young volunteers, and an incredibly engaging and fun theme for the nights.


Treasurer’s Report For the 30 June 2013 financial year, IIE generated income of $1,876,418 and expenditure of $1,838,464, which resulted in a net surplus of $37,954. Total income has increased by 3.6% (or $65,060) in comparison to last year. This growth has resulted mainly from increased government funding of our contracted programmes such as Host, Recreation and Flexible Family Support. The Individual Care Program remains at 41% of our total income as in previous years. In addition miscellaneous income / funding relates to funding received for purchase of minor equipment. Total Expenditure has decreased by 1.9% ($34,888) in comparison to last year. This is a result of a strong focus on cost control in the administration expenses, which now represent 15% of total income, in comparison to 19% last year. As in previous years no monies were received by the Committee of Management, which continues to operate on voluntary basis. IIE remains in a healthy position with strong reserves of $576,870. Going forward the Board of Management remains committed to a strong focus on cost control and through continued investment in development of our staff and creation of new roles such as the volunteer coordinator to support our government funded programs. I would like to thank all the staff and in particular the finance staff, for all their hard work and dedication as 2012/2013 year has been one of significant change and challenges to the organisation.

Marco Köhne Treasurer

Treasurer’s Report


Financial Highlights

Income overview: Income increased by 3.6% ($65,060) in comparison to last financial year. The pie chart on the right shows the break down of income sources. Note ‘Other’ includes: Local Government, Donations, NRC and Miscellaneous Expenses overview: Expenses decreased by 1.9% ($34,888) in comparison to last financial year. The pie chart on the right shows the break down of expense sources.

Financials


Above: Michael with a catch

“I have a 10 year old son who has Cerebral Palsy. He requires 24/7 care. He uses a wheelchair, is non-‐verbal and requires full assistance for all daily care, including feeding, showering, toileting and dressing. I am a single mother raising my son and have no family living in Melbourne to help me to care for him. Recently I broke my foot, which required plaster and crutches. I have been completely immobile and unable to care for my son. If it were not for the additional funding for extra hours of respite I would have been in a dire situation. Not only has Interchange arranged morning/night and weekend shifts, they have provided me with carers of an excellent standard to best care for my son. Being a single parent of a child with a disability provides many challenges, and unfortunately when obstacles like this arise we can feel so vulnerable. I am truly grateful for the extra funding which was a total necessity.”

Rachael McMurray (pictured on the right)

“The organisation has brought so much happiness, relief and opportunities to not only my sister but to our entire family and is truly wonderful in its efforts which change so many lives.”

Kathryn D'Alessandro

“Mum and I have been hosting Thomas one Sunday per month for about ten years now. We started out catching local trains because that was Thomas’s passion. We would take a train ride to a pool or the movies with McDonalds for lunch. For many years now we have been taking country trains. Unfortunately, Mum passed away this last July. I made sure Thomas and I visited her together when she was in hospital. Her funeral was held at a theatre and Thomas and his parents were there. Thomas was included in the family ritual of carrying the coffin off the stage as the curtain was drawn. Thomas was strong and that helped me cope. The host program has been a very important part of my life, especially sharing it with both Mum and Thomas. We are still mourning – it’s early days yet. However, just as Mum wished, Thomas and I are still going to continue to travel the trains with Mum in our hearts.” Jain Thompson


Interchange Inner East is supported by funding from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments under the HACC program. Interchange Inner East acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.

Interchange Inner East wishes to thank all our friends and supporters who have generously donated or contributed in any way throughout the past year.

Interchange Inner East Association Incorporated ABN 62 762 490 245 2 Kendall Street, Caterbury PO BOX 262, Canterbury 3126 T: 03 9836 9811 F: 03 9888 5272 E: [email protected] www.iie.org.au

interchange inner east · 2016. 9. 24. · interchange inner east – annual report 2012 – 2013 6...

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