2. Contents
2 Who We Are
6 From the Chairperson
7 From the CEO
8 Board of Directors
12 Deafblind Services
and Ablelink
14 Able Living
16 Able Lifestyle Choices
18 Community Support
20 Respite
School Holiday Program
21 Strategic Plan
22 High Performance
Reporting
24 Corporate Servcies
26 Organisational
Highlights
28 Supporters
Organisation
Structure
2014
Ric Hubbard
State Manager
Victoria
Chris Jones
State Manager
Queensland
John Schade
State Manager
ACT
John Klug
State Manager
Tasmania
Penny Wilson
General Manager
People, Strategy
and Business
Engagement
Ed Holmes
General Manager
Corporate
Services
Board of
Governance
Kaye Collard
Chief Executive Officer
1
3. Able Australia is one of Australia’s
leading not-for-profit organisations,
delivering high quality, person-
centred services to people living
with multiple disabilities, including
deafblindness and in community
support services.
Who we are
From its humble beginnings in 1967 as an
association for people with Deafblindness and
Rubella, Able Australia has grown into a diverse
and dynamic organisation that supports more than
4000 people throughout the Australian Capital
Territory, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria.
Today, we employ more than 500 staff and 300
volunteers who are passionate about ensuring
every person we support is seen, heard,
respected, valued and connected.
Our services
Able Australia provides a range of services,
including:
• Able Living – long-term residential
accommodation
• Able Respite – short-term respite
accommodation
• Able Deafblind Services – outreach
community support for people living with
deafblindness
• Able Lifestyle Choices – community based
day activities
• Ablelink – adaptive communications facility
• Community Transport – transport solutions
assisting vulnerable community members to
stay connected to their community
• Community Support – support programs
to assist vulnerable and financially
disadvantaged community members
• Arts therapy – a range of art and music
therapy programs
Able Australia derives funding from
government and its own fundraising activities,
including donations, raffles, trusts and
foundations, corporate partnerships, bequests
and events. Able Australia operates services
in Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and the
Australian Capital Territory.
Our supporters
Able Australia’s Patron is Peter Hitchener
- a leading Melbourne based journalist
and newsreader for National Nine News in
Melbourne. Mr Hitchener has been our Patron
since 1998 and generously contributes his time
to assist Able Australia.
Ahmed Kelly was appointed Able Australia
Ambassador in 2012. Ahmed is a successful
Paralympic swimmer and a passionate
supporter of Able Australia’s work around
the country.
2 3
4. Images
2013-14: The year in focus Key numbers
Staff by category Staff by gender
JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
2013 2014
Admin Staff
Consultants
Maintenance Staff
Managers
Senior Executives
Senior Managers
Service Staff
Female
Male
64%
36%
Able Australia television
commercial goes to air
Executive Roadshows
commence
New fleet
agreement signed
with GE Capital
CEO Scott Sheppard
departs
Annual General
Meeting
Kaye Collard
appointed CEO
Able Golf Swing
Victoria
David Clark elected
Chair of the Able Australia
Board
Opening of Birribi
in Launceston
Able Day in the Sky
Deafblind Camp at Phillip
Island
Contracts with Carelink+
and TechnologyOne signed
Able Golf Swing Tasmania
Renovated Able East opens
Contract with
Telarus signed
IncredAble Art
exhibition in
Launceston
Ableart Exhibition at
Federation Square,
Melbourne
New National Office
building purchased
Deafblind
Awareness Week
Purchase of house
in Moorabbin
4 5
5. These are certainly exciting
times for our sector.
Both the launch of the
National Disability Insurance
Scheme pilot sites and the
aged care reforms we have
seen over the past 12 months
mark the beginning of
something truly wonderful
for the people we support.
Thanks to these initiatives,
people with a disability or in
community support programs
will have more choice and
control over the support they
receive than ever before. It is
transforming our sector at a
rapid rate.
If Able Australia is to thrive
and continue its growth in this
new environment, we need to
evolve. Change is inevitable
for all social service providers
and we have worked hard
over the past year to ensure
we remain relevant and meet
the needs of our clients,
now and into the future.
This evolution is critical to
our future success, which is
why we are investing in our
infrastructure (particularly
in our Information Systems)
and our people to transform
and grow our capability as an
organisation.
From the
Chairperson
Dav i d C lar k
Significantly, we are
making this investment
while continuing to live
within our financial means.
Able Australia has taken
great care to continue our
growth and development by
making prudent business
decisions. The result is a
strong organisation that is
well resourced and able to
provide the highest standard
of support to the people
who need us most, while
operating well below the DHS
benchmark for administration
costs.
With the foundations now in
place, the year ahead presents
us with opportunities to
consolidate the progress we
have made so far and prepare
ourselves for growth. We
have already undertaken and
achieved many significant
initiatives; including a
greater investment in our
infrastructure, a commitment
to the introduction of
best practice principles
and gaining a better
understanding of the NDIS
and what it means for us and
those we support.
In late October 2013, our CEO,
Scott Sheppard left the role to
pursue other opportunities.
On behalf of the Board I thank
him for his contribution and
dedication to our organisation
during his time in the role.
I also thank our current CEO,
Kaye Collard, for accepting
the role at a time of great
change and for her leadership
and commitment to guiding
initiatives and developing
strategy. Kaye’s insights
from her many years on the
Board and as Chair have been
valuable to the organisation.
Most importantly I would
like to thank the staff for
the tremendous dedication
they bring to work every
day. Without them, our
organisation simply could
not continue to provide
the exceptional service we
deliver day in, day out. We
are very proud of what our
talented people do and how
they make a difference to so
many peoples lives.
Finally, I would like to thank
my fellow Board members.
Board directorship is a
voluntary role which requires
a substantial amount of time
and commitment. I thank
them for their dedication,
support and valuable input
throughout the year.
Our sector has been through
an unprecedented amount
of change during the past
12 months. By association,
our organisation has had to
evolve to take advantage of
new opportunities.
Even my own transition from
Chair of the Able Australia
Board to CEO has been a
significant change for me
personally. It has provided a
new perspective on where we
have come from and where we
need to go if we are to prosper
in the new NDIS world.
The shift away from block
funding towards individual
support through NDIS is a new
opportunity for Able. We have
invested significant time in
positioning ourselves as a
provider of choice in the trial
sites of Barwon (Victoria), the
ACT and particularly in
Tasmania. We are seen as a very
strong service provider in
Tasmania with the number of
NDIS-funded people we are
supporting growing by the week.
Our belief is the funding
stream source should make
no difference to the quality
of care and support we
provide. For that reason
we will continue to ensure
everything we do is of high
quality, efficient and effective,
From the
CEO
K AY E C O L L A R D
while remembering our first
priority is to the people we
connect with through our
services.
There were many things for
us to be proud of during the
past year. Our Community
interaction, the opening of
‘Birribi’ – our new day services
centre in Launceston – was
a particular highlight, along
with the commencement of
our new computer hardware
and software systems project
and the continued growth
of Deafblind Services into
Queensland. We continue to
develop our comprehensive
service model for Deafblind
Services and we are excited
about where this might take
us in the years ahead.
Forming strategic
partnerships will be one of
many areas we focus on in
2014-15, as we seek out new
ways to broaden our service
offerings around the country.
Our ability to support people
with a full suite of service
options will be critical to our
success as individual choice
becomes the norm.
Fundraising support is critical
to many of our key programs
and will remain a priority.
Competition for donors is
tighter than ever, so it’s vital
we continue seeking out
new and innovative ways to
maintain their commitment
and interest.
I would like to thank the
Board for their ongoing
support and guidance
during the past year. Their
enthusiasm for our new
Systems Infrastructure
has been particularly
valuable and will go a long
way towards helping us to
become a more sophisticated
organisation.
My thanks to the National
Management Team for
their ability to adapt and
find solutions to the many
challenges that came their
way throughout the year.
Finally, my special thanks
to our staff and volunteers
for their commitment and
dedication to the people we
support. The compassion
and supportive attitude they
bring to the workplace and
the many special activities
we run, has been vital to our
success throughout the
2013-14 year and beyond.
6 7
6. Board of Directors
David Clark
Chairperson
Director since
November 2012
Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
David was appointed Chairperson of the Able Australia Board
in December 2013. He is an Executive Coach with more than 20
years’ experience in senior executive roles within a diverse range
of organisations. His background is in Human Resources and
Senior Executive Management roles, working primarily in the food
and beverage industry. David has worked in Europe, USA, Asia and
the Pacific and has deep experience in organisational change.
David’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Finance, Investment and Remuneration Committee
Frank Harris OAM JP
Deputy Chairperson
Director since 2008
Frank is a retired Bail Justice (Dept Justice Appointment) and
currently a practising Justice of the Peace. He has more than
36 years’ experience at an executive level in disability service
organisations and is the current Patron at Crisis Support Services.
Frank’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Finance, Investment and Remuneration Committee
Julie Hore
Deputy Chairperson
Director since 2007
Bachelor of Commerce; Bachelor of Laws (Hon)
Julie is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company
Directors. Her experience includes being a solicitor with Stedman
Cameron Meares Hall, a corporate solicitor for Shell Australia
and Shell UK, as well as several Senior Executive and Project
Management roles within the Retail, Commercial and Corporate
Services divisions of Shell Australia.
Julie’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Chair – Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Committee
Peter Reilly
Treasurer
Director since 2012
Bachelor of Business Accounting; Associate – the Institute of
Chartered Accountants, Registered Tax agent since 1976,
Associate – Institute of Company Directors
Peter has more than 30 years’ experience as a senior executive
and has demonstrated success in a range of areas including
general management, building high performance teams,
developing and implementing financial and business plans,
directing public companies and ensuring funding requirements
are met in high growth organisations. Peter is a Director of public
companies, MBD Corporation Ltd and MRL Corporation Limited,
a Director of Melba Opera Trust and Chairman of the St. Bernard’s
Foundation.
Peter’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Chair – Finance, Investment and Remuneration Committee
Mary ‘Jock’ Power
Company Secretary
Director since 1991
Trained Teacher Certificate for the Deaf; Diploma of Education
and Administration
Jock is retired from the Ministry of Education and a former
Vice-Principal at Carronbank School. She is also a former
Acting Principal at Princess Elizabeth Junior School and has
qualifications in a variety of management and engineering
disciplines.
Mike Bottomley
Director since 2012
Mike currently owns and operates several businesses throughout
Queensland and New South Wales including Aitken Welding
Supplies, Abrasive Diamond and Industrial and INSESA. Mike has
also been a strong supporter of several community organisations
including Apex, Life Saving, Rotary and church council.
Mike’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Committee
8 9
7. Laura Meagher
Director since 2008
Bachelor of Commerce (Law); Bachelor of Management (HRM);
Diploma of Public Relations
Laura is a committed professional having worked in management,
strategic and operational marketing and communications roles for
over a decade. She has a flair for events, sponsorship, promotions
and public relations. With high level qualifications in these areas,
Laura provides valuable contributions to the Board.
Laura’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Chair – Quality and Efficacy Committee
• Public Relations, Marketing and Fundraising Committee
Hon. Don Wing AM
Director since 2011
Bachelor of Laws
Don practised as a Barrister and Solicitor for 20 years before
being elected to the Legislative Council in the Parliament of
Tasmania. During his 29 years as an Independent Member, he
served as President of the Council for six years and was Mayor
of Launceston from 1983-1987. Don is a member and patron of a
number of community, humanitarian and sporting organisations.
Don’s Able Australia Board Committee membership includes:
• Quality and Efficacy Committee
Meetings of
Directors
During the year, 11 meetings of Board
Directors were held.
*NOTE: Kaye Collard, Board Member up until October 2013.
Kaye Collard* 3 3
Julie Hore 11 9
Donald Wing 11 11
Peter Reilly 11 10
Frank Harris 11 10
Mike Bottomley 11 10
Jock Power 11 11
David Clark 11 9
Laura Meagher 11 6
Number
Eligible to
Attend
Number
Attended
Number
Eligible to
Attend
Number
Attended
During the year, three meetings of the
Finance, Investment and Remuneration
Committee members were held.
*NOTE: Kaye Collard, Board Member up until October 2013.
Peter Reilly 3 3
Kaye Collard* 1 1
Frank Harris 3 3
David Clark 3 3
Number
Eligible to
Attend
Number
Attended
During the year, four meetings of the Finance,
Investment and Remuneration Committee
(Investment Sub-Committee) were held.
*NOTE: Kaye Collard, Board Member up until October 2013.
Peter Reilly 4 4
Kaye Collard* 1 1
Frank Harris 1 1
During the year, four meetings of the Public
Relations, Marketing and Fundraising
Committee members were held.
*NOTE: Kaye Collard, Board Member up until October 2013.
Kaye Collard* 1 1
Julie Hore 4 3
Laura Meagher 4 4
Mike Bottomley 4 4
Number
Eligible to
Attend
Number
Attended
During the year, three meetings of Quality and
Efficacy Committee members were held.
*NOTE: Kaye Collard, Board Member up until October 2013.
Kaye Collard* 1 1
Laura Meagher 3 3
Donald Wing 3 2
Frank Harrisâ€
1 1
Number
Eligible to
Attend
Number
Attended
â€
NOTE: Frank Harris appointed at Feb. 2014 Board meeting.
1110
8. Our capability in this field dates back to
1967. This year, we began exploring new
opportunities to support Deafblind people
outside of Victoria. This new era for Able
commenced in Queensland, where the
team successfully facilitated nine forums
for Deafblind people to network with each
other and learn more about the variety of
communication options available to them.
It has been a positive start and work is well
underway to explore new territories around
Australia during the year ahead.
In Victoria, we assisted more than 125 people
with deafblindness through a range of support
and recreational programs. The recreation
programs continued to be popular. Well run
activities provided Deafblind people with
opportunities to take part in a range of fun
activities they wouldn’t normally have been
able to experience.
The annual Deafblind Camp in Phillip Island
was one of many highlights of the year, along
with Able Day on the Bay and Able Day in the
Sky (see story opposite).
Ablelink remains an integral part of our
Deafblind Services program, providing a
vital technological link between Deafblind
people and the world around them. Located
in Ross House in Melbourne’s CBD, Ablelink
is easily accessible for people with dual
sensory loss who would otherwise not
Deafblind Services
and Ablelink
receive support to learn and benefit from the
continuous improvements in technology and
communication.
During 2013-2014, we supported more than 30
deafblind people through a combination of
braille equipment, iPads, iPhones and Android
telecommunication to send emails, text
messages and connect to the internet.
By supporting people to network with each
other through technology, they are now in turn
helping to train each other. Our ‘try before you
buy’ technology philosophy provides a rare
opportunity to determine which equipment
best meets their needs before they invest.
Deafblind
Recreational
Program
Our recreation program offers people with
deafblindness an opportunity to step out of
their normal routine and experience a range
of activities they might not normally have
support to do on their own.
December’s Able Day in the Sky event provides
the people we support with an opportunity to
experience the thrilling sensation of soaring
above the clouds in a four-seater aircraft flight
over Melbourne. Around 80 support workers,
volunteers and interpreters give up their time
to help bring this day to life, including the
pilots who donate the planes, fuel and
maintenance costs.
The annual Deafblind Camp is held in March
each year. In 2014, was held at Victoria’s Phillip
Island Adventure Resort.
Able Australia is one of only a few organisations throughout the country
with expertise in supporting people with deafblindness.
The three-day camp provided people who are
deaf and blind with an opportunity to spend
valuable social time with others in a safe
environment. This year’s activities included
visits to the local wildlife park and the penguin
parade, as well as swimming at the beach,
winery tours and a number of other activities
such as the flying fox, archery, the giant swing
and the infamous ‘Circatron’.
Our annual winter activity is Able Day on the
Bay - a rare opportunity for Deafblind people to
hit the waters of Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay.
In 2014, this great day was held in July and
featured boat trips on the bay, joy rides in
an array of vintage cars and an indulgent
‘Christmas in July’ lunch at the Beaumaris
Motor Yacht Squadron club.
Our special thanks to all the volunteers and
support staff who gave up their time throughout
the year to help make our recreational
activities such a success.
12 13
9. In the ACT, preparation for
the launch of the National
Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS) trial site was a focal
point for the Able Living
team throughout 2013-14 in
addition to other normal
duties. Individual funding is a
new concept for many of the
people we support and we
have worked closely with the
families of those we support
through the Able Living
program to help with
the transition.
As part of this preparation,
the team invested heavily in
training to ensure staff are
continuously improving the
standard of support they
provide. By making this a high
priority, we are already seeing
significant improvements in
the general health of residents,
with reduced hospital visits
across the board.
Work to create new social
contact opportunities
for residents continued
throughout the year to help
build self-confidence, social
skills and independence.
In Victoria, the purchase of a
new property in Moorabbin
was one of many highlights.
This new home will provide
a more spacious and modern
accommodation setting for
our five Bentleigh residents.
Renovation of the site began
early in the new financial
year to ensure it meets
Department of Human
Services accommodation and
building code requirements.
Throughout the year, the
Able Living team provided
24/7 accommodation
support for 45 residents in
10 residential settings across
the metropolitan area of
Melbourne.
In Tasmania, Able Living has
grown to 26 properties and
now supports 80 residents.
Three new houses are due
to be opened during 2014-15
following requests from the
Department of Health and
Human Services and the
National Disability Insurance
Authority (NDIA) for further
support.
The team continued to
prepare for the full roll out
of the NDIS in July 2016
by working closely with
the NDIA (the government
authority overseeing the
administration of the NDIS).
Able Living experienced
some significant growth (7 per
cent) on the back of excellent
referrals from the NDIA
during 2013-14. Considering
just 6 per cent Able Australia’s
client base was within the
funding age bracket, this
growth has been outstanding.
Able Living
Through the Able Living program, Able Australia provides safe and
supported accommodation to assist people with a disability to live an
independent and fulfilling life.
The five women residents at
Able’s Johnston St house in
the ACT are developing some
new skills in public speaking
by being involved with the
Penguin Club of Australia.
The Penguin Club was
founded in Sydney in 1937
and was one of the first
organisations to give women
the opportunity to develop
communication skills, during
an era when women were not
active in public life.
The Club has branches
throughout Australia, but
until recently did not have
a presence in Canberra. In
March this year, the Executive
members sought expressions
of interest from local people
who would be willing to assist
in establishing an ACT group.
Able Team Leader, Liz Way,
had been a member of a
Penguin Club since she
was a teenager and quickly
identified an opportunity
for the people we support to
get involved. After making
some enquiries, Liz took
some promotional material
about the Penguins Speak
Easy Program to Johnston
St and explained what was
involved to the women living
at the house. When she
asked each of them if they
would like to take part, they
enthusiastically agreed.
Since then, three meetings
have been held - each
featuring a guest speaker and
an opportunity for members
to make a small presentation
to the group, followed by
a feedback session. As a
starting point, the Johnston
St residents each chose to
recite a rhyme in front of the
group, with one person who
almost never speaks, reciting a
rhyme in a full and loud voice
which surprised and excited
everyone.
The residents also choose a
laminated card depicting a
picture or word each meeting.
They talk about why they like
the picture and/or words and
what it means to them.
Needless to say, all five
residents are thrilled to
be learning new skills and
having the opportunity to
engage with other members
of the community each
month.
Through this great
experience, the residents
are developing greater self-
confidence, gaining mental
stimulation based on their
own interests, improving their
self-advocacy skills and are
now building relationships
and interacting with one
another within the home far
more frequently than they
have in the past.
Liz is now exploring a number
of options to involve the
residents of Able’s other
Canberra-based homes as well.
For their part, the Penguin Club
is thrilled to see the positive
benefits the program is having
on the residents. The Executive
offered Liz support to cover
her expenses so she could
present her experiences at
their National Conference in
Adelaide in September.
Five penguins
of Johnston Street
1514
10. In many ways, Lifestyle Choices is a flagship
program for Able Australia in Tasmania,
where our reputation as a high quality service
provider continues to develop.
Referrals from both the NDIA and Department
of Health and Human Services increased
throughout 2013-14, with both parties
recommending Able as a provider of choice.
As a result, Lifestyle Choices in both
Launceston and Hobart grew by nine per cent,
so maintaining and building on our
relationship with the NDIA and the Department
will be critical during the year ahead.
A key factor in this success has been the
introduction of sector leader model of Best
Practice support, through the appointment of a
Manager of Positive Practice and Engagement.
This model has been commended by both the
Minister for Human Services and the Senior
Practitioner and was presented at the Disability
Support Worker Conference as an example for
others to follow.
The opening of our new Lifestyle Choices
facility in Launceston was another highlight for
the year. Known as Birribi (meaning a meeting
place), this former fire station was purchased,
renovated and opened on time and within
budget. The official opening of the property
received strong and positive media coverage
and has been instrumental in our ability
to expand and improve on the services we
provide to the local community.
In Victoria, our Lifestyle Choices teams at Able
North (Reservoir) and Able East (Camberwell)
have been working with local Councils and
community groups (including special schools)
to develop holiday programs for people with a
disability. These programs will operate out of
Able’s Lifestyle Choices facilities during school
holiday term breaks. In some cases, young people
receiving Futures For Young Adult funding can
try our programs and facilities, potentially using
our Lifestyle Choices programs in the future.
Throughout the year, the Victorian team
supported 32 people at Able North, 21 people
through the Camberwell-based Retirees
program and 33 people at Able East. The people
we support at each location have achieved
positive goal outcomes and benefited from
personal programs that align with their
aspirations.
Able
Lifestyle
Choices
Music Therapy
Able’s Music Therapy program is highly regarded
throughout metropolitan Melbourne and sessions
are now supporting 280 people in areas as far west
as Altona Meadows, Doreen to the north, Croydon
in the east and Lysterfield in the south.
The program has been through a Quality
Assurance process to ensure operations and
service delivery are in accordance with best
practice. In addition, all staff are required to
possess Tertiary Music Therapy qualifications
and registration with the Australian Music
Therapy Association.
Throughout 2013-14, the team has worked hard
to establish partnerships with School Holiday
Program providers who integrate Music
Therapy sessions into their schedule. As one
of the only Music Therapy services catering
for adults with a disability, Able Music Therapy
continues to attract highly qualified music
therapists with an interest in this area.
Art Therapy
During the year, a study was
conducted to explore the benefits of
extending the Arts Therapy program
to employ a fully qualified Arts
Therapist. The study examined the
likelihood of providing more Arts
Therapy services to people being
supported through Deafblind Services,
Able Living and Lifestyle Choices.
A full time Arts Therapy Coordinator
was appointed early in 2014. The
program has now been extended
to support everyone in our existing
programs, as well as new people in
aged care facilities, schools and
community groups.
Lifestyle Choices offers a diverse range of high quality, individually
designed day activities for people with physical, intellectual and
sensory disabilities.
16 17
11. Through the Active Living Program for Seniors
(ALPS), Able provided a range of activities
designed to support older people who may be
at risk of social isolation. Delivery of the Savvy,
Wise and Well sessions within the Boonah and
Beaudesert regions was a particular highlight
as it was the first program delivered in the
Beaudesert area under the ALPS banner.
Our Meals on Wheels service enjoyed another
strong year, providing more than 2,300 meals
to Jimboomba residents who are either
frail aged, young or have a disability. This
vital service ensures wholesome meals are
delivered once a week to people in need,
enabling them to continue living comfortably
and independently in their own home.
Our emergency relief service supported 387
people throughout the year, predominantly
through the provision of food, prescriptions
Community
Support
and emergency access to phones. Negotiations
are underway to create a Logan Emergency
Relief Consortium in 2014-15.
The No Interest Loans (NILS) project had
its most successful year on record, with 197
new loans issued and arrears and write offs
maintained at a low level. Elsewhere, Caddies
NILS provided Home Energy Saver Scheme
rebates to 87 people and gained an additional
$23,300 in operational funding. We now have a
client return base of around 30 per cent.
The Centre Based Day Care program supports
older people who require low to medium living
support in a comfortable setting out of home;
and younger people living with a disability. In
2013-14, the program supported 16 people.
The Community Visitor Scheme was once
again supported by some remarkably generous
people, who volunteered to simply spend some
time with residents in aged care facilities. From
the volunteer who visits five men for morning
tea twice a week, to the volunteers who spend
their Mondays knitting and chatting with
residents with dementia, we are extremely
grateful to all of our volunteers.
The development of the Youth Support
Program was a particular highlight of the past
12 months, thanks to the recruitment of two
staff to assist with programming. The Tuesday
program now offers cooking classes to teach
young people how to provide healthy and
quick meals. Lego V3 Robotronics is also being
offered to encourage and engage youth to help
them learn to work together and develop skills
in graphic design.
The Community Transport program delivered
34,000 trips across Able’s Queensland service
region during 2013/14. The Community
Transport service supports people in the local
community to attend medical and paramedical
appointments, social, recreational activities,
shopping trips and various group activities.
Transport is available for the frail aged and
those living with a disability and their carers
living independently in the community and
is focused on promoting the independence
and community involvement of program
participants.
Lindy and Peter (far right) Tully with Shawn Gamble.
Able Australia’s range of community support programs have
been specifically developed to assist some of the Queensland
community’s most vulnerable people - whether they be
elderly, have a disability or are financially disadvantaged.
Disability first for
Able QLD
Queensland’s Youth Service in Jimboomba
ran its first Disability Engagement meeting
in June with eight families/carers attending
a presentation by Peter Tully (Queensland’s
Community Disability Engagement Officer)
and his wife, Linda.
His parents and carers were provided feedback
on the status of the NDIS and launch site
experience, together with information on the
current funding streams in Queensland.
A question and answer session took place and
a number of participants sought information on
the prospect of Able commencing day services
in Jimboomba. As a result of the meeting,
Peter has been requested to assist parents/
carers as an advocate with discussion with
the Department around content and potential
switching of service provision to Able, together
with addressing individual needs. Peter has
also been requested to meet individually to
discuss similar matters.
Peter’s role as Community/Disability
Engagement Officer assists Able Australia
to engage with parents / carers and provide
information we learn from our involvement
in the NDIS launch sites in Tasmania and the
ACT. This will provide an avenue to assist with
discussions with the Queensland Department
of Communities, Child Safety and Disability
Services.
1918
12. Strategic Plan
Strategic
objective
2013-14 highlights
1.
Geographic
expansion
• Deafblind Services expanded into Queensland
• Supported 10 new people in the Geelong and Barwon Region
2.
Focus on
client needs
• Secured a new residential property in Moorabbin
• Appointed Carelink and Technology One as major software providers
for the organisation
• Major ICT upgrade to improve connectivity
• Developed Able Australia’s Practice Model of Support and
Best Practice Governance
• Adopted a national approach for decreasing and eliminating
Restrictive Practices
3.
Investment and
renewal strategy
• Implemented, built capacity and developed staff in use of Tickit
• New integrated monthly KPI reporting mechanism
• Developed a partnership with Volunteering Services Australia
(a division of Volunteering Gold Coast) to build volunteer base
4.
Strategic
Partnership
• Progressed partnerships with key corporate supporters (NAB, Community
Sector Banking, Ricoh, GE Capital etc)
• Enhanced existing partnerships with Beaucare Inc in Queensland for
more coordinated transport solutions
5.
Brand strategy
• Comprehensive brand audit
• Commenced development of new branding and website
• Adopted a national approach to coordinating events
• Extremely successful Deafblind Awareness Week media campaign
• Appointed a Fundraising Manager to drive more strategic and
efficient fundraising
6.
Longer term
financial
management
• Successfully rolled out motor vehicle leasing project - approximately
50 new vehicles
• Purchased new National Office in Surrey Hills
• Developed risk management register in Tickit
• Established an investment subcommittee of the Board to oversee
asset investment
• Conducted a successful tender process for work cover premiums for
ACT TAS, resulting in lower premiums
Respite
Respite services are provided
in Victoria and Tasmania and
continued to be a growth area
for Able Australia throughout
2013-14.
Through a wide range of
facility-based and community
outreach respite services,
Able supported more than 35
people throughout the year,
providing a much needed
break for many families.
Intensive respite services
were provided throughout
the year at Able’s house in
Dandenong (Victoria). Around
25 young people aged 12-18
years were supported at the
site during the weekends,
school holidays and public
holidays.
This program has proven
to be highly effective and
additional support has
now been requested by
the Southern Region of
the Department of Human
Services (DHS). This will see
Able Australia support people
who have been relinquished
to the state throughout
the week, ensuring a more
efficient use of our available
respite facilities.
During the year, the team
at Able’s Bonbeach house
in Victoria began providing
additional support for adults
needing urgent, short-
term accommodation. This
provided much needed
accommodation options
for the Southern Region of
DHS and a number of other
service providers in the local
area with limited emergency
housing options.
School Holiday
Program
Able Australia’s successful Tasmanian School
Holiday Program continued to operate
throughout 2013-14 and for the first time,
expanded its reach to cover the state’s eastern
coast.
This free program for children (aged between
12 and 18) living with a disability is corporate
funded or sponsored by local councils and grew
by more than 50 per cent during 2013-14.
It features a range of best practice activities that
are individualised, exciting and emotionally
and physically stimulating to ensure the
specific needs of each person are catered for.
It is a successful model that presents each child
with an opportunity to be genuinely engaged
and stimulated, while families experience some
much needed respite. Respite is an important
part of every caring relationship and has a
number of benefits, including:
• Increased social connectivity for the child
• Improved employment opportunities for
carers or parents
• Reduced stress for the family unit
In 2014-15, a similar program will be trialled in
Victoria.
20 21
13. High Performance
Effectively managing this large-
scale, multilayered change
for our 500 plus staff and 230
volunteers around the country
has been a significant project
throughout the year. At its
core is a whole-of-organisation
Information Communications
Technology hardware project
and new software systems
implementation. This will
transform our paper-based
system to a fully automated
electronic front and back-end
process.
While change is being driven
by external market factors,
the people we support and
their advocates, change also
has strong internal support
– we want to support people
in the best and most efficient
manner possible. During the
year, a group of ‘Able Change
Leaders’ was identified - each
with the capacity, capability,
expertise and techniques to
effectively drive complex
changes within the
organisation. They support
the National Management
Team in delivering change
for Able.
The Reference Group is
a key part of the EnAble
Change project. Initially a
communications channel,
it has evolved into a full
support project that will see
major capability building
around change management
in the year ahead. Activities
will initially focus on the
new computer hardware and
systems rollout. Over time,
EnAble Change will help
Able truly embed the best
approaches to supporting
people in our many and
varied services.
Strategic
Planning
It was timely that our
Strategic Plan was
reviewed to better align
the organisation with the
evolving landscape and
external context. Planning
commenced with a Board
review of strategic priorities
in March. Each area and group
within Able contributed to
the draft strategic plan, which
was developed to ensure that
everyone can understand
what we seek to do and how
we will achieve our goals.
‘What Able is’ and how we
go about our work, focusing
on the aims and outcomes
of people we support has
not significantly changed.
However, the size, geography
and external environment
have changed markedly and
strategically for the next
three years will address these
changes.
Best
Practice
During the year, we continued
the journey towards
nationwide best practice
implementation. This began
with organisation-wide
discussions which involved
everyone in change and
highlighted that every role
is fundamental to Able’s
ability to assist people better.
From this, Able Australia
aims to become a resilient
and connected organisation
that supports person centred
services in a constantly
evolving sector.
As part of this work, the
Able Practice Model of
Support was developed.
This important framework
draws from evidenced based
internationally recognised
practice models. The Able
Model is a system of policies,
procedures and guidelines
that align with legislative
requirements and enhance the
practice support for people
accessing and/or living in
Able Australia services. It
will be the basis of a person’s
engagement with Able
Australia from access to exit
and will guide all our practices.
Additionally, a Governance
model was established to
help build capacity towards
best practice across the
organisation. The model
includes a National Best
Practice Advisory Group
which brings together
key internal stakeholders
and experts to help drive
implementation, monitor and
further develop Best Practice
initiatives, including the Able
Practice Model of Support.
Work with staff supporting
people living with restrictive
interventions continued
throughout the year.
This work resulted in the
reduction (and in some cases,
elimination) of chemical and
mechanical restraints for
many. This highlighted Able’s
commitment to supporting
people to live a life of dignity
without restraint.
Quality
During 2013-14, we were proud
to have been recertified
within the ISO accreditation
framework once again.
This was achieved while
maintaining certification
within each state against their
relevant service standards
and funding agreements.
During the past year, many things have changed in terms of what we do
every day and how we remain accountable to the people we support,
their families or loved ones, different agencies and government.
Our formal feedback software
(Tickit) was successfully
implemented across all
states/territories, paving
the way for the organisation
to improve incident
reporting/management,
risk identification and
assessment, auditing and
reporting. Tickit is linked to
the Feedback section of the
Able Australia website which
helps make the process of
following up on enquiries
more open and efficient.
Another highlight was the
development and release of a
new integrated monthly Key
Performance Indicator (KPI)
reporting mechanism. This
system enables governance
and management to monitor,
report and respond to key
performance indicators
across finance, operations,
funding agreements, risks,
incidents, feedback, HR and
payroll against targeted
outcomes.
The implementation of a
revised Risk Framework
has helped identify key
organisational risks across
the three key pillars of
service delivery, support and
business. This framework was
successfully transferred into
the Tickit system.
Just before dawn on 23 April, Denise Rigby realised her dream of
flying high in Australia’s only disability-accessible hot air balloon.
Denise is a resident at our Able Living house in Heidelberg,
Victoria and shared her dream with Best Practice Advisor Karen
Major. Coincidentally, Karen already knew of a company called
Global Ballooning, a company catering for people with a disability.
With support from Anne, Karen and the CEO of Global
Ballooning, Denise made her own presentation to a local branch
of the Lions Club. They agreed to fund her flight on top of what
she had already saved, making this dream come true much
earlier than anyone expected.
After the flight, Denise’s ecstatic cry of ‘it was fantastic’ with
both thumbs held high in the air said it all!
Best Practice in practice
22 23
14. Following a number of acquisitions and other
significant changes during the previous year,
2013-14 was very much about consolidation
and ensuring we have the right infrastructure
in place to capitalise on our investments.
While the financial result was down on the
previous year (due to a few abnormal gains in
the 2013 year and investment in capacity in
2014), Able remains in a very strong financial
position and well ahead of the sector in terms
of net assets.
We achieved our goal of trading at a modest
surplus, while investing back into programs
that benefit the people we support. Just over 9
per cent of our expenditure went to non- client
facing expenditure in 2013-14 - an increase of
1.7 per cent on average of the past two financial
years. This was a result of a decision to increase
the capacity of the supporting functions of the
organisation, such as information technology
and human resources, which had not kept pace
with our recent rapid growth.
During the year, a new Board sub-committee
was established to oversee the investment
of our share portfolio . By managing our
investment portfolio more strategically, we
expect to further increase our income for
investing into our support programs.
After a thorough tender process, GE Capital
was selected as our preferred fleet supplier
in September 2013, based on the competitive
commercial terms and strong corporate
support they were able to offer. This enabled
us to upgrade our fleet (approximately 50
vehicles) to more modern, reliable vehicles.
Corporate Services
Another successful tender process allowed us
to negotiate lower Work Cover premiums and
increase support and training for our staff in
the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania.
Ongoing financial losses at an operational level
continued to be a challenge and a great deal
of work was completed throughout the year to
determine where we can improve. The Finance
team has worked collaboratively with local
management to review the causes in each state
and has made steady progress.
A major outcome of this process was a review
of our overtime process and costs in Tasmania.
This exercise resulted in the introduction
of some positive improvements in May. The
forecast reduction in overtime costs will help
to improve the organisation’s financial viability
significantly in 2014-15.
The year ended with the purchase of two new
properties. A new National Office building,
located in Surrey Hills (Victoria) was secured
on 30 June. The National Office team will move
into the new premises early in 2015, which will
free up space at the current Camberwell site for
Victorian-based day programs.
In addition, a replacement property for the
people we support in Bentleigh (Victoria) was
secured with the purchase of a new house
in Moorabbin. The site is currently being
renovated, with the residents due to move in
late November 2014.
ICT systems are go
The signing of contracts with TechnologyOne
and CareLink+ in March marked a significant
milestone in Able Australia’s history.
Both systems will revolutionise the way we
operate. They will drastically improve our
ability to meet the new NDIA regulatory
requirements and help overcoming many of
the problems we experienced with our manual
processes in the past.
To ensure staff can access the new systems
to the best of their ability, Able signed an
agreement with Telarus in May. Telarus was
selected to provide a vastly improved Wide
Area Network to all 50 Able Australia sites,
creating a faster, more accessible internet
system.
(L-R) Craig Porter - CEO Icon Global, Ed Holmes – General
Manager Corporate Services, Behnam Ronhizadegan -
Victoria State Manager TechnologyOne, Allison Becker
- Marketing Manager Icon Global, Kaye Collard - CEO,
James Hao – Project Manager Information Systems and
Roger DelCastello - Customer Development Manger
TechnologyOne.
This will mean far better connectivity
and speed of computer use for the entire
organisation.
This year, the Board approved the largest
software systems investment in Able’s history
to help bring the organisation into line with the
rest of the sector.
The lack of an efficient computerised system
has been an ongoing challenge for staff around
the country. It has made it difficult to measure
how effectively we are supporting people, to
share information, deliver timely reports and
eliminate double handling between operations
and back office. Â
The new systems will lead to an integration
and/or automation of our business processes
and help us to become more competitive
without comprising service quality.
After an extensive tender process,
TechnologyOne was appointed to implement
the new back office systems (covering Finance,
Information and
Communications Technology
HR, Payroll and Fundraising), while CareLink+
was engaged to supply the new system for
people we support. Â Both organisations have
extensive sector experience and demonstrated
a sound understanding of Able’s operations
and challenges. Â
To ensure everyone can access the new
technology efficiently, we have also
commenced a major computer upgrade.
A Wide Area Network (WAN) will be rolled
out in late 2014 to improve connectivity and
computer response times for all Able sites. We
are updating old computers at the same time.
An agreement with Ricoh was signed during
the year for the provision of new printer/
scanners across the organisation. The new
technology will create a more efficient office
environment for all staff, allowing them to
spend more time with the people we support.
24 25
15. Organisational
Highlights
Fundraising
Thanks to our generous donors we were able to
achieve another solid result in 2013-14, despite
the relatively ‘flat’ donation levels being
experienced across all sectors.
Fundraising conditions have changed. We
are seeing increased competition within the
broader health, aged care and community
sectors. This means increased competition for
new donors. While these factors have produced
challenging conditions, they do provide an
avenue for innovation and new opportunities.
Four major fundraising campaigns were
conducted during the year, helping support
valuable programs such as Able Lifestyle
Choices, Ablelink, School Holiday Programs
and the Able North Sensory Garden project.
We also received several generous bequests
throughout the year.
The year saw us return to managing our raffles
in-house. By handling the process ourselves
rather than engaging external consultants,
we can ensure that more of every dollar we
raise goes towards the people we support.
We received a lot of positive feedback about
the change in approach which will continue
throughout 2014-15.
In May, we opted to move away from working
with external fundraising consultants in favour
of appointing a dedicated Fundraising Manager.
This new role will oversee the development
of a comprehensive strategy, focusing on key
fundraising areas such as annual campaigns,
major gifts, bequests and donor engagement.
Communications
Events
The pending roll out of the National Disability
Insurance Scheme has highlighted the need
for all community service providers to
prominently market themselves in future.
Accordingly, much of 2013-14 was spent
assessing how effective we have been in the
space in the past. We considered what we have
done well, what needs to be done differently
and how things will be done better in future.
People we support, key stakeholders and staff
around the country were interviewed as part
of an extensive audit of Able’s current brand.
The feedback they provided strongly indicated
a need for change. As a result, we will see some
exciting changes for Able Australia in 2014-
15, including a comprehensive suite of new
marketing material.
Work is underway on a new Able Australia
website that is being specifically designed
to provide targeted information to new and
existing clients. We aim to better inform people
who would benefit from Able’s services. The
new site is due to go live late in 2014.
A number of trial advertising campaigns were
run during the year. This included major
and suburban newspaper campaigns and a
television commercial run on digital channels
GEM, GO and WIN across the eastern states. An
analysis of each campaign’s effectiveness will
inform our future advertising strategy.
The publicity campaign to support Deafblind
Awareness Week was our most successful ever.
Several major national television stories were
produced, supported by multiple high profile
television and radio appearances in our key
deafblindness market area (metro Melbourne)
and dozens of additional radio and press
interviews around the country.
In June, a full time Events and Communications
Coordinator was appointed to the National
team to help support our many events around
the country. This role works closely with each
of Able’s state offices to stage professional
community-based events that not only help
raise funds for people we support, but promote
the Able brand, engaging more with people and
organisations.
Human Resources
People have been the focus of building Able’s
future capacity and the organisation has
worked hard to ensure the right people are in
the right role.
Professional appointments to critical roles in
communications, events, fundraising, learning
and development, human resources, business
analysis and ICT systems training have already
produced more effective and efficient work
practices.
Particularly important to our future success
was supporting the professional development
of Able’s Human Resources team, to match the
growth Able has experienced.
An assessment during the year highlighted
a need to better support staff and workforce
priorities to address some significant gaps
that were evident. One key outcome was
that specific senior expertise was added to
the Human Resources team during the year.
This was achieved through the appointment
of a Human Resources Operations Manager
and a strategically-focused National Human
Resources Manager.
This means Able can better work towards
recruiting, retaining and supporting staff,
training and develop the organisation, planning
for workforce requirements and dealing
effectively with our changing industrial
environment.
Deafblind
Awareness Week
in the media
Two inspiring women who are facing huge
personal challenges of their own, helped
make our publicity campaign for this year’s
Deafblind Awareness Week (21-27 June) one of
our most successful ever.
At 24 years of age, Hailey Paynter was
diagnosed with an auto immune disease known
as CRION (Chronic Relapsing Inflammatory
Optic Neuropathy) - a degenerative condition
that could ultimately cause her to lose all of
her sight. In September, Hailey and her mother,
who has acute deafness, hiked to the top of
Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa in
September to raise awareness of deafblindness
and raise funds for Able Australia.
It is a terrific story of courage and
determination and was quickly identified by
the national Communications and Branding
team as the ideal focal point for our efforts to
raise awareness of deafblindness through the
media.
The story proved to be a great success with
several major national television stories being
produced, multiple high profile television and
radio appearances in our key deafblindness
market area (metro Melbourne) and dozens of
additional radio and press interviews around
the country to specifically raise awareness of
deafblindness as a unique disability in its own
right.
26 27
17. Victoria
Melbourne
616 Riversdale Road
Camberwell VIC 3124
T. 1300 225 369
F. (03) 9882 9210
TTY. (03) 9882 6786
Tasmania
Hobart
137 Main Road
Moonah TAS 7009
T. (03) 6228 0443
F. (03) 6228 6446
Launceston
177 Invermay Road
Invermay TAS 7250
T. (03) 6331 2536
F. (03) 6331 8126
Australian
Capital Territory
Canberra
Building A, Suite 20
Narrabundah Business Park
281 Goyder Street
Narrabundah ACT 2604
T. (02) 6232 6800
F. (03) 6232 6881
Queensland
Southport
13 Sykes Court
Southport QLD 4215
T. (07) 5571 0344
F. (07) 5571 0166
info@ableaustralia.org.au
www.ableaustralia.org.au
Able Australia Services
ABN 83 024 339 234
ACN 005 783 175
