Here - Seniors Information Service

ANNUAL REPORT
2014/2015
“As we strive to always
improve our services
we will continue to
work to reach as many
people as possible”
CONTENTS
SectionTitle
Page 2
Page
1.0Highlights
4
2.0
Our Vision, Mission, Values and Principles
5
3.0
Chairperson and Chief Executive’s Report
6
4.0
Client Stories
8
5.0
In Figures
10
6.0
Our Programs
12
7.0
Our Events
16
8.0
Financial Overview
18
9.0
Independent Auditor’s Report
20
Auditor’s Independent Declaration
21
10.0Community
22
Board
22
Staff
26
Volunteers
27
Supporters
28
Memberships
29
11.0
30
Our Future
Page 3
1.0
2.0
HIGHLIGHTS
OUR VISION, MISSION,
VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
Our Values
1.We value and respect all people’s
right to choice, culture and
beliefs
2. We are open and outward
looking and work with agility
1
2
3
4
Page 4
3. We engage and connect with our
community, partners and staff by
working collaboratively
Supported more than 16000 clients,
maintaining our contact levels
of more than 15000 annually for
the fourth consecutive year whilst
continuing to act as the recognised,
independent, information resource
and support for all South Australians
in ageing.
Expanded our service delivery to
include and integrate the Disability
Information and Resource Centre’s
programs to our range of services.
Created and developed a
photographic exhibition Hidden
Places Hidden Lives with the support
of the South Australian Government,
community photographers, local
councils and supported residential
facility residents.
Auspiced the South Australian Self
Management Alliance (SASMA)
symposium titled “Living well in a
complex life” focusing on Wellness,
Reablement and the clients journey.
5
6
7
Offered more than 74
seminars on a range of
topics reaching out to
more than 5000 South
Australians.
Increased support for the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
Transgender and Intersex
(LGBTI) community
through the appointment
of an LGBTI community
worker to support and
highlight the needs of the
community.
Supported more than
2000 South Australians to
connect with the digital
world, family, friends and
services.
4. We strive for innovation and
learning in service delivery and
communication
5. We are accountable for our
actions and performance.
Our Vision
Our Principles
Seniors and people with a disability
in South Australia have access to
quality, independent and relevant
information and services to live
their lives as they choose.
• We recognise the rights to
individual freedom of expression,
self-determination and decision
making
Our Mission
• We are flexible and responsive to
emerging community needs and
vulnerability
To provide and promote inclusive,
timely and accurate information
and services to seniors, people with
a disability, their families, friends,
carers and service providers.
• We relieve distress and build
capability for individuals to selfmanage their lives
• We are volunteer centric,
emphasising the importance of
peer based support where possible
as a way of building sustainable
capacity and confidence
• We seek regular feedback
to inform individual and
organisation wide service reviews
and improvement.
Page 5
3.0
Chairperson and
chief Executive’s report
We are pleased to present the 2014/15
Annual Report.
Seniors Information Service is a
charitable and inclusive organisation
providing information, support,
programs and advice to South
Australians on the ageing and
disability journey. We have and
continue to play a vital role in the
lives of many South Australians,
helping people access information
and connect with services and
community organisations. This
information and support helps our
clients, their families and carers to
make informed decisions about the
way they want to live their lives.
trusted way as all our services –
personally, reliably, and with care,
respect and support.
This increased service focus also
gave Seniors Information Service
the opportunity to organise the
Disability, Ageing and Lifestyle
Expo in September 2015, providing
an effective platform for service
providers and industry experts to
connect with people living with
disabilities, seniors and carers
on direct service and equipment
provision as well other topics such
as accommodation, active living and
lifestyle opportunities.
In its vital function as a connecting
link between individuals, service
providers, services and government
entities, Seniors Information Service
has taken a big step in the past
financial year to provide support to
even more South Australians.
As the national and local policy
and funding landscape continues to
change, with respect to services for
people with disabilities and those
affected by ageing, our organisation
in turn continues to evolve, making
sure our clients can stay in control
of their lives, understand what their
entitlements are and how to access
them.
Throughout its history, Seniors
Information Service has continuously
evolved to adapt to the changing
landscape of ageing, ageing services,
client needs and government policy,
and continues to evolve to this day. In
December 2014, Seniors Information
Service incorporated disability
services into its service offering
which had previously been offered
through the Disability Information
and Resource Centre. Disability
services are provided in the same
We acknowledge that with change
comes challenge. While the changes
we have faced this year have been
considerable we recognise we have
also made significant advances
in broadening collaborative
partnerships, changing our service
offerings to meet policy changes
and managing our governance and
financial resources consistently and
strategically. Our work to achieve
broader financial sustainability will
continue to be a focus in 2015/16.
Page 6
“We acknowledge
that with change
comes challenge”
Throughout this our dedicated staff
have where possible continued to
provide a personalised approach
to each client’s individual
circumstances, connecting them
with the services and service
providers available to them whilst
empowering our clients to make
informed choices about the way they
live their lives.
We acknowledge our service
offering would not be possible
without the support and
commitment of our funding
partners, the Federal Government,
through Department of Social
Services, the Government of South
Australia, through Department for
Communities and Social Inclusion,
as well as our valued sponsors and
supporters.
We also extend a deeply appreciative
thank you and recognition to our
Board and our Volunteers who
have so generously given their
time and commitment to serve the
people of South Australia and our
organisation.
Without these wonderful people
we would not be able to offer the
services and programs we do.
We are proud to have assisted every
single South Australian who has
used our up-to-date, reliable and
comprehensive service offering to
navigate the ageing and disability
systems and we will continue
to develop the best support and
advisory systems to improve the
quality of life of those on the ageing
journey and living with disabilities.
As we strive to always improve
our services we will continue to
work hard to reach as many people
as possible in a manner that is
respectful and timely to meet the
needs of our community.
Paul Gardner
Chairperson
Jenny Hughes
Chief Executive
Page 7
4.0
CLIENT STORIES
At Seniors Information
Service we are
committed to providing
a personal and relevant
service to everyone
who contacts us with
an enquiry or seeking
assistance. Here are
some of the many
stories that come out
of our work every
day, illustrating the
importance of the
valuable service and
support we provide:
Navigating the
System
We received a call from
an 89 year old lady,
asking for a copy of the
income assessment form
for Home Care Packages,
and our team mailed
the form and related
information booklet
to her home address.
A little while later she
phoned again, asking for
help with completing the
forms.
When she came to
SIS I checked her
circumstances and
noticed that she was not
required to complete
the form as she received
an Age Pension and
Centrelink had her
details. She insisted that
she had been told by the
Aged Care Assessment
Page 8
Team (ACAT) that she
had to complete it.
I called the Centrelink
helpline and confirmed
that it was not necessary
to complete the form,
and then phoned the
ACAT assessor to clarify
the issue. The ACAT
assessor explained
that she had provided
the form to the lady
and had highlighted
the section explaining
the circumstances in
which a person is not
required to complete
it. The lady was used
to relying solely on her
daughter for all support,
but the daughter was no
longer able to provide
all the care the mother
needed. The mother had
struggled to navigate
the system on her own,
and was grateful that
we had provided the
guidance required and
she was able to access
the services she needed.
Service Connection
An 88-year old lady
telephoned, saying that
she used to receive a
daily call to check on
her wellbeing. However,
she had been in hospital
for some time and
since she had come
back home she had not
received any calls, and
she wanted to know what
happened and why she
was not receiving the
service anymore. With
her consent I contacted
the service provider and
found out that they had
not been notified that
she had been discharged,
which is why they were
not making regular
contact. The service
provider updated her
records and resumed
the service for the client
immediately, putting
her mind at ease. The
lady was very grateful as
without our intervention,
the service provider
would not have known
to resume the valuable
contact.
Housing Assistance
A 72-year old woman
and her 76-year old
husband were referred
to us to assist with their
housing needs. They
previously lived outside
the metropolitan area
in a caravan, but due
to health reasons and
the medical services
required, the couple had
moved back to Adelaide
and were staying with
their daughter. This was
a short term solution
only and they needed a
flat to live in. I referred
them to Assistance with
Care and Housing for
the Aged (ACHA) and
provided our vacancy
list and rental booklet
information. Since one
of them had cancer, I
also referred them to
a local cancer support
service because they
seemed unaware of the
different services and
support available to them.
I suggested they should
contact us again for inhome support information
when they had settled into
their new place, to ensure
they continued to receive
the services available to
them. They were very
grateful because we not
only helped them with
their immediate problem,
but provided additional
support they did not know
existed.
Connecting People
and Service Providers
A service provider
(rehabilitation consultant)
called us looking for
accommodation for a 60
year old client who is on
WorkCover, with severe
mobility impairment and
issues with falling. The
client was not eligible for
an Aged Care Assessment
Team (ACAT) assessment
because of the existing
WorkCover connection, according to the caller. I referred
the caller to a provider who had accommodation that met
the requirements of the person and Disability SA, and I
sent through our retirement villages serviced apartment
vacancy list. I also provided feedback to the caller to assist
with sourcing a suitable accommodation solution for the
client.
Medical Care
A 94-year old veteran had been advised that he needed a
nebuliser, but the process of how to obtain one through
the Department of Veteran Affairs’ (DVA) Rehabilitation
Appliances Program - whilst explained - was not well
understood as he couldn’t retain the information and didn’t
know what to do to get the medication he required.
He called us asking what he had to do to get the nebuliser
he needed. I spoke to DVA and was referred to the website
for relevant forms and supplier details. I contacted the
supplier myself. Since the gentleman’s details were not on
the supplier’s database yet, I was informed that he would
have to complete the form and return it to the supplier with
his doctor’s signature.
I printed the application and mailed it to the client, along
with an explanation of what he needed to do next. I also
called him to let him know what I had found out, and
that he could expect a letter in the mail to assist him with
getting the nebuliser.
Language Support
A client in her 70s of CALD background came to our
office asking for help. She lived alone, with no family or
other support. She explained that although she has no hot
water or air conditioning in her house she was hit with a
very high electricity bill and did not know what to do. I
helped the lady by contacting her electricity provider and
explaining the client’s circumstances. The utility supplier
staff recognised that the error was likely to be on their side
and promised a staff member would be sent to check her
meter. With the help of one of our volunteers who speaks
the lady’s language, the outcome was explained to her and
she was very grateful.
Page 9
5.0
IN FIGURES
Seniors Information Service
works with South Australians
living with disability and on the
ageing journey, their families and
carers, by providing information,
advice and support, and offering
training courses and seminars and
connecting people to services.
The following figures showcase how
valuable, wide-spread and inclusive
Seniors Information Service
operations are, and the difference
our organisation makes to South
Australians every day.
In the past financial year, Seniors
Information Service coordinated
close to 9000 personal enquiries.
In 2014/15 individuals contacting
Seniors Information Service sought
assistance with their own personal
matters (55 per cent), sought advice
on service providers (22 per cent)
or were relatives or friends of those
needing assistance (21 per cent).
Other interest groups made up the
remaining 2 per cent.
Client type 2014/15
19%
2% 2%
22%
Service Provider
Self
Relative
Friend
Other
55%
Page 10
The vast majority of enquiries came
by
phone (78
per cent), followed
by
Seniors
Information
Service
email (15 per cent) and dropping in
works with South Australians
personally (5 per cent).
on the ageing journey, their
In some cases the contact was
familiesbyand
carers,
and not
initiated
Seniors
Information
Service
(2 per cent).
only provides
information,
Enquiry method 2014/15
advice and support, but
5% 2%
also connects
them with the
15%
relevant services availablePhone
Email/Letter
to them and offers training
courses and seminars. Drop In
SIS initiated
In 2014/15 the three
78%
largest groups of clients
were individuals contacting
Almost half of Seniors Information
Seniorsclients
Information
Service
Service’s
reside in Adelaide’s
Southern
Eastern metropolitan
seeking and
assistance
with their
area (49 per cent), slightly more
own matters (55%), service
than a third live in the Northern
providers
andperrelatives
and
Western (22%)
suburbs (36
cent),
followed
by South
Australia’s
South
or friends
of those
needing
Eastern regional areas (9 per cent),
assistance (21%). [insert
the State’s North West (6 per cent).
chart graphic]
The vast majority of enquiries
location
2014/15
came byClient
phone
(77%),
location(15%)
2014/15 and
followedClient
by email
9%
North & West
36% (5%),
6%
dropping
9% in personally
North
& West
Metro
6%
Metro
and in some cases
the contactSouth & East
36%
South & East
was initiated by Seniors MetroMetro
49%
& West& West
Information
Service (2%).NorthNorth
Country
Country
[insert chart graphic]
South & East
49%
South & East
Country
Country
Information about aged care
facilities was the subject most
discussed in 2014/15, with 40 per
cent of client contact relating to the
availability, entitlements, support
and processes related to accessing
aged care facilities.
Finance, income and business
enquiries came second (13 per cent),
closely followed by accommodation
(12 per cent), personal and family
support (9 per cent) and leisure
and education (9 per cent).
Other enquiry topics included
communication and information
services, law and justice, health and
material and practical needs.
Eighteen per cent of enquiries
came from people who identified
as Culturally and Linguistically
Diverse (CALD) and Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI),
further cementing our commitment
to making services accessible to all
groups within the South Australian
community.
6%
4%
5% 1% 1%
Aged Care Facilities
40%
Accommodation
Finance, income & business
9%
Leisure & Education
Personal and family support
Communication & info services
9%
Material & practical needs
Law & justice
13%
12%
Health
Community organisation & dev.
Page 11
6.0
OUR PROGRAMS
Over the years Seniors Information
Service has developed a series of
programs that complement its one-onone interactions and service delivery, and
the organisation continues to evaluate
community needs and how to best assist
those affected by ageing and disability.
Some examples of our extensive
community engagement programs are:
CALD Program
Throughout the past financial year,
Seniors Information Service continued
to support the increasing needs of the
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
(CALD) community, providing guidance
and presentations to navigate and access
services offered through My Aged Care
and myGov.
There were 16 presentations on
various topics including Community
Home Support Program, Packages of
Care under the Consumer Directed
Care approach, Personal Alarm,
Concessions, Legal Matters including
Will, Enduring Power and Advanced
Care Directives, Accommodation, and
Aged Care Facilities. Presentations were
delivered in different languages with
the assistance of qualified interpreters
in Arabic, Swahili, Mandarin, Cantonese,
Vietnamese, Tamil, Korean, Macedonian
and Bhutanese respectively.
Seniors Information Service has
an ongoing and excellent working
relationship with well-established and
new and emerging groups including
the Greek Welfare Services of SA Inc.,
Greek Orthodox Community of SA
Inc., Latvian Association of SA Inc.,
Ukrainian Social Services of SA Inc.,
Page 12
Chinese Welfare Services of SA Inc.,
Overseas Chinese Association of SA,
Coordinating Italian Committee
(CIC), Bene Community Services,
Vietnamese Women Association of
SA Inc., Vietnamese Association of
Australia, SA Chapter, Macedonian
Education Community Services,
Muslim Women’s Association of SA
Inc., Lebanese Advisory Council of SA
Inc., African Communities Council
of SA Inc. – Community Services,
Women Council of Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Communities of
SA, CALD peak organisations such as
Multicultural Communities Council
of SA Inc., Migrant Resource Centre of
SA Inc., Multicultural Aged Care of SA
Inc., Ethnic Link Services, Australian
Refugees Association of Australia and
Welcome Australia Migrant Women
Support Services of SA Inc.
These relationships provided Seniors
Information Service the opportunity
to appropriately link the community
leaders and members to the services
they needed; to continuously support
them with up to date information
to make informed choices, enabling
them to remain actively engaged
and participate in their respective
community.
We also worked closely with three
Councils – Adelaide City Council,
Burnside Council and Campbelltown
Council – to create an outreach
program that is widely accessible to
senior residents, including members
of CALD groups and other special
needs groups.
At Seniors Information Service we are
supported by a wonderful group of
CALD IT Volunteers who are bilingual
in languages such as Arabic (Iran),
Filipino (Philippines), Spanish (Chile,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Venezuela),
Mandarin, Cantonese (China, Hong
Kong, Singapore), Hokkien and Malay
(Malaysia) and Tamil (India), creating
an extensive support network for nonEnglish speaking clients.
Through its extensive work with carer
groups across metropolitan Adelaide,
Seniors Information Service has
identified a growing fear among CALD
groups that they may not be able to
access the services available to them
due to a lack of digital skills, as many
information services have moved to
online platforms.
Hearing these concerns from carers
working with CALD groups from
different backgrounds, Seniors
Information Service is continuing to
work with community organisations to
support them to address these different
and complex issues.
Health - Measuring CALD
Consumer Experience
SA Health’s ultimate goal is for every
consumer to have the best care and best
hospital experience that is respectful, to
respond appropriately to their needs, and
to respect their values and preferences.
To achieve this goal SA Health conducts
a yearly survey with around 2000
patients across the state to find out more
about their hospital experience.
Under the CALD program, Seniors
Information Service has been invited
by SA Health to participate in a review
of consumer experiences in accessing
services across the health sector.
Along with the Multicultural Communities
Council of SA, the partner agencies have
facilitated three CALD forums with Italian,
Greek and Vietnamese carers. Additional
forums for the well-established and the
new and emerging communities are being
planned for 2015/16 and will be jointly
hosted by Seniors Information Service
and Multicultural Communities Council
of SA Inc. In the process, an independent
surveyor and qualified interpreters were
engaged and will be continuously engaged
for better outcomes.
The feedback received from the first three
consultations among carers of Italian,
Greek and Vietnamese background has
been insightful and mainly positive, but has
also highlighted areas for improvement,
which are currently being assessed. We
are pleased that through our work and
networks we have been able to support SA
Health to meet their goals for consumer
care.
Domestic Violence
Seniors Information Service received a
request from the Federal Government
Department of Social Services CALD
Domestic Violence Unit in Canberra to
host a Domestic Violence Kitchen Table
Discussion with CALD Women on violence
against women and their children.
There were 21 women from diverse
cultural and religious backgrounds
including social workers, program
managers, case managers, domestic
violence counsellors, women from Middle
Eastern, African, Asian and subcontinent
background and three young women
(University students) who participated
in the kitchen table discussion. Seniors
Information Service successfully facilitated
the discussion by allowing each participant
to have her voice heard.
Page 13
Access2HomeCare,
2008 – 2015
In the discussion, there were complex
issues shared such as different forms
of abuse, challenges and barriers,
community concerns, women and
children’s safety, the need for men
to be educated, barriers in accessing
mainstream services, lack of resources
for transitional and support services
for women and children. Some
women without permanent visa status
are considered extremely vulnerable
and at high risk.
The summary of the Seniors
Information Service Kitchen
Table Discussion - including 20
recommendations - will be a part of
the summary report of the 29 Kitchen
Table discussions held across the
country which will be launched at a
National Round Table Conference
sometime in 2015.
Growing Digital Literacy
Training
In 2014/15 Seniors Information
Service continued to provide its
digital literacy training and seminars
to those wanting to understand better
how to use today’s technology to
access information, use services and
stay in touch with friends and family.
The workshops, seminars and oneon-one sessions continued to enjoy
strong popularity, with more than
2000 people attending the 100
digital training sessions held by our
volunteers.
Page 14
We have also made significant inroads
to secure the future and growth of the
program, signing an agreement with
Carers SA in April 2015 to provide
carers with free training to enter the
digital world.
The project aims to support carers
to learn and understand the digital
technology through a partnership
with Carers SA, funded by the
Australian Government.
Seniors Information Service will
deliver peer education courses on
Internet security, digital devices and
tablets and skills in using online
resources such as My Aged Care and
myGov websites. The project will
commence in 2015/16.
Supporting our older
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Intersex
(LGBTI) Community
Access and Equity remains a key
focus area for Seniors Information
Service as we continue to provide
vital support to communities and
groups at risk of discrimination
or social isolation. Through our
consultations with older Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex
(LGBTI) people we identified there is
a lack of support services within the
community.
In 2015, we employed a Project
Officer to support the community,
particularly older LGBTI members
who may have experienced or are at
risk of discrimination and homophobia
in the aged care and ageing sector. The
aim is to provide relevant information
on aged care, ageing and disability to
older LGBTI people as well as creating
social connections.
A grant from the SA Government’s
Department for Communities and
Social Inclusion allowed us to develop
a calendar of events and establish
a hub of social activities, including
regular movie afternoons, community
dinners and social drop-in sessions to
complement our information sessions
to address the specific needs of older
members of the LGBTI community.
Through our work, the LGBTI
community is being supported by a
committed and insightful Reference
Group and we thank them for giving
us their time and knowledge.
Tax Help Centre
The forerunner to My Aged Care,
Access2HomeCare (A2HC) was a statewide program designed to improve
both provision of and access to Home
and Community Care (HACC) services.
By promoting a more even distribution
of clients across the numerous service
providing Agencies, A2HC ensured
waiting lists were reduced and optimal
distribution of services achieved.
Furthermore, the single point of entry
served to simplify Client access to
services, particularly where multiple
Providers were involved.
An integral component of the program
was the Capacity Monitoring Function,
created and administered by Seniors
Information Service. The Capacity
Monitoring Function provided A2HC
officers with details of current service
availability, maintained in real-time by
the Agencies themselves and supported
by SIS.
Tax Help Centre is a community
based program which aims to provide
assistance and education to low income
earners and disadvantaged people.
At its height, 180 Agencies and their
branches maintained the capacity data
for 350 HACC programs, comprising
over 2000 individual home support and
related services.
Two volunteers trained by the
Australian Taxation Office were
allocated to Seniors Information
Service to provide tax help to people
seeking assistance with their tax
affairs. During 2014/15 financial year
we helped 44 clients through this
initiative.
Overall A2HC and the Capacity
Monitory Function was a great success
and lives on through My Aged Care,
the new Federal government portal.
After seven years of successful
operation in South Australia, the
work of SIS in the Capacity Monitory
Function formally ended in June 2015.
Page 15
7.0
OUR EVENTS
At Seniors Information Service
we are committed to supporting
our clients, their families and
carers across the state and we
have developed a number of
specialised courses and events to
meet the needs of our community.
In all, we have presented a total
of 74 information seminars and
workshops with nearly 5000
attendees in the past financial year.
• Mindful Dementia 2014
We continue to demonstrate
our commitment to clients
with particular vulnerabilities
by delivering our programs at
a growing number of events
including:
• The Masonic Homes Healthy,
Happy, Longer Retirement Expo
2014.
• Accommodating Your Future 2015
• ACH Good Lives Expo 2015
• Adelaide Retirement Lifestyle and
Travel Expo 2015
• Dementia Carers Pamper Day
2015
• Dementia Information Day 2014
• Disability and Lifestyles Expo 2014
• Engaging with Ageing - Health
and Wellbeing 2014
• Every Generation Festival in
Rundle Mall 2014
• FEAST Festival 2014
• Gawler Ageing in Style Expo 2015
• Gawler Digital Forum 2014
• Hidden Places Hidden Lives
Community Forum 2014
Page 16
• SALA Launch – Hidden Places
2014
• South Australian Self
Management Alliance Symposium
2014
• Seniors Financial Forum with
Minister for Ageing, Zoe Bettison
2014
• Tech Savvy Expo for Seniors 2014
Hidden Places Hidden
Lives
The Hidden Places Hidden Lives was a
unique project funded by the South
Australian Government, Office for
the Ageing as a way of introducing
creative acts as a tool to people
living in supported residential
facilities to tell their story. The
exhibition was held as part of the
South Australian Living Artists
Festival.
This community photography
project was the Hawke Centre/
SALA exhibition in August 2014.
A community forum was also held
in conjunction with the exhibition
examining the role of the arts in
social engagement and connection
in disadvantaged communities.
More than 190 people attended
the Hidden Places Hidden Lives
community forum.
SASMA Symposium –
Living Well in a Complex
Life
Seniors Information Service has
a long history of auspicing small
organisations such as the South
Australian Self Management
Alliance (SASMA). This year we
sponsored the SASMA Symposium
– “Living Well in a Complex Life” at
the Morphettville Racecourse.
More than 165 people attended
the symposium, listening to guest
speakers exploring ways to live an
empowered life, filled with strength,
courage for change, wellbeing and
enablement.
Every Generation Festival
in Rundle Mall
Seniors Information Services again
participated in this popular annual
event, held throughout the month
of October 2014. The Festival is an
outstanding opportunity to connect
with South Australian seniors, their
families and carers, and discuss
topics and issues related to the
ageing journey. This year we had an
information stall in Rundle Mall on
30 October 2014 and it again proved
to be a popular way to provide
information and advice to the many
people who use Rundle Mall.
Harmony Day
Seniors Information Service
celebrated Harmony Day with
shared multicultural meals and
the production of the ever popular
fourth Harmony Day Cookbook,
following its big success the year
before. The event was open to all
communities and was supported
by the Department of Immigration
and Citizenship. The free cookbook
was distributed widely into the
community and is available
to download on the Seniors
Information Service website.
Page 17
8.0
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
The 2014/15 financial year saw
Seniors Information Service return
an operating surplus of $343.
Whilst it was a difficult year for
the organisation from a financial
perspective, particularly given the
uncertainty regarding changes
to the Commonwealth aged care
funding arrangements, the focus on
financial management remained
high.
The balance sheet remains strong,
with the value of the organisation’s
cash reserves of $725,000 being
more than sufficient to meet the
total liabilities of $215,000 and
future contractual commitments of
$197,000.
The considerable reduction in
revenue in 2014/15 was primarily
due to the cessation of the
Commonwealth Carelink program
of $800,000. During 2014/15 Seniors
Information Service commenced
a program of diversification of its
revenue base and whilst the benefits
are expected to be seen from
2015/16 onwards it was pleasing that
non-Commonwealth grant funding
rose by 80 per cent during the year.
Page 18
Within the constrained fiscal
environment, and in recognition
of the funding reduction, Seniors
Information Service maintained a
tight control on expenditure whilst
recognising the need to invest in
new skills to ensure long term
sustainability.
Looking forward the Board
welcomed the news that the
Commonwealth would continue to
fund the Home Support program
(formerly known as the HACC
program) to June 30, 2017. The
Board will continue to work towards
the diversification of revenue
streams and opportunities for
service and project delivery in both
the aged and disability sector to
ensure long term sustainability.
Angela Allison
Audit and Financial Management
Delegate
Financial Summary 2014-15
2014-15
2013-14
% change
$'000
$'000
favourable/
(unfavourable)
Income and Expenditure Statement
Operating revenue
957
974
(2%)
Operating expenses
957
1,008
5%
0
(34)
(100%)
742
782
(5%)
54
77
(30%)
Total Assets
796
859
(7%)
Current liabilities
215
204
(5%)
0
74
100%
Total Liabilities
215
278
23%
Net Assets
581
581
0%
Net surplus
Asset and Liabilities Statement
Current Assets
Non current assets
Non current liabilities
Copies of our full financial statements are
available upon request. Please contact our
office on (08) 8168 8776 to obtain your copy.
Page 19
9.0
Page 20
INDEPENDENT
AUDITOR’S REPORT
Auditor’s independent
declaration
Page 21
10.0
COMMUNITY
The important work carried out
through Seniors Information
Service wouldn’t be possible without
our community – our Board, our
Staff and our Volunteers.
The tireless efforts of all those
supporting the organisation never
go unnoticed and are appreciated
greatly.
Put simply, the main reason why
we can interact with so many
people who require our services is
the generous contribution of our
support community.
Seniors Information Service
would like to acknowledge the
contributions made by the Board,
Staff and Volunteers.
Dr Christina Hagger –
Deputy Chairperson
PhD, MBA, BA (Hons)
Board
The Seniors Information Service Board
is charged with the strategic direction of
the organisation, as well as ensuring the
organisation operates as effectively and
efficiently as possible, and adheres to all
statutory regulations and requirements.
During the 2014/15 financial year the
board met seven times, focusing on
matters of strategic planning, service
provision, financial and legal matters
and the operational structure of the
organisation. The Board also held a
formal training day. The Marketing and
Events Subcommittee of the Board met
four times in the 2014/15 financial year.
The members of the board are vital
to our ongoing work and give the
organisation additional knowledge and
advice in areas such as finance, legal,
active ageing research and community
engagement.
In 2014/15 Seniors Information Service
Board consisted of the following
members:
Page 22
Paul Gardner –
Board Chairperson
Paul brings an exceptional depth of
health administration and ancillary
experience to the board of Seniors
Information Service.
He has served as Deputy Chair of
Southern Domiciliary Care and
Chairperson of Sexual Health
Information Networking and
Education SA (SHine SA).
Paul currently sits on the board of
Medvet Science and was a member
of the inaugural Governing Council
of the Southern Health Region. He
has amassed significant experience
in health administration working for
the South Australian Department
of Health, and has more recently
consulted with the South Australian
Department of Health, Dubai’s
Ministry of Health and a broad
range of South Australian nongovernment organisations.
Christina has an extensive
background working as a policy
advisor in the State Health system.
Her research interest in ageing was
developed through her work with
the World Congress of Gerontology
and Novartis Foundation for
Gerontological Research. Her PhD
research focused on positive ageing
for retirees.
Christina is a Senior Research
Fellow and Knowledge Exchange
Manager for the national Primary
Health Care Research & Information
Service (PHCRIS) based at Flinders
University.
Her primary responsibility is to
maximise the value of research as
a resource to improve health care
outcomes.
Page 23
Angela Allison –
Audit and Financial
Management Delegate
BA, CPA, AICD
Angela brings extensive financial
and corporate governance skills and
experience to Seniors Information
Service. Angela is an accomplished
accountant and corporate services
manager with more than 20 years’
experience of financial and strategic
management across the government
sector.
In addition to establishing her own
consultancy during the past two
years she continues to occupy key
oversight roles within government
organisations, including The
Education Adelaide Board and
Department of Education and
Child Development Audit and Risk
Management Committee.
Danica has more than 20
years’ experience working with
Commonwealth government
authorities including the Departments
of Social Security, Health and Ageing,
and Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.
She was appointed to the board of
Seniors Information Service as a
representative of the Multicultural
Communities Council in 1997 and
has actively represented the needs of
non-English speaking communities
since. Danica is a member of the
Multicultural Communities Council
aged care sub-committee and the
Consumer Advisory Committee
of Domiciliary Care SA, and a past
Chairperson of disability rights
advocate MALSSA Inc as well as
a past member of the Ministerial
Advisory Board on Ageing.
Hans Broweleit Board Member
Michael Kelledy Board Member
Col (Retd)
LLB (hons)
Hans joined the board of Seniors
Information Service after a
successful military career spanning
31 years. He has played an active
role in promoting the rights of
retired servicemen and women,
holding the part-time role of
Welfare and Pensions Officer with
the Returned Services League and a
number of voluntary positions with
National Seniors Australia.
Page 24
Danica Vukovich –
Board Member
Ian Dobbie Board Member
BBus, Grad. Dip.
Bus Admin
Ian has had an extensive career
in the management of health
organisations, during which he
has championed the need for
consumer and patient rights.
He has held executive positions
with the SA Branch of the AMA,
the former Divisions of General
Practice, and more recently
with Medicare Locals. His main
skills areas include strategic and
business planning, marketing and
communications and employing
effective governance structures in
not for profit organisations.
"SIS is a valuable
community
service”
Dr Fiona Kerr - Board
Member
PhD (Social
Neuroscience), ENG Hons
(Complex Systems), BA
Psych, BA Soc
Fiona works half time for the
University of Adelaide as the
systems and neural complexity
specialist, across both the Faculty of
the Professions and Medical Faculty.
She combines this with a business
background spanning 30 years of
experience in the areas of complex
organisational strategy, review
and transformation across the
public, private and tertiary sectors.
Fiona is a member of the Ageing
Think Tank and the Active Ageing
Innovation Collaborative in SA,
and advisor to the peak body for
Multiculturalism in SA.
She is an advisor to governments
in Asia and Australia on fostering
creative bureaucracy and
community engagement to tackle
large and long term societal
challenges, and is currently
working with the SA government
on a reforming democracy project
for the state. She has recently set
up ‘human-e’, a social enterprise
company which advises on and
researches the interaction between
humans and technology.
Michael has more than 20 years’ legal
experience with a focus on public
law and corporate governance. He
has worked with councils, statutory
authorities and not-for-profit
organisations to provide legal advice
together with business and strategic
advice and insight. He completed his
legal training at the University of the
West of England.
Page 25
COMMUNITY
Staff
Seniors Information Service has
been providing valuable services to
the South Australian community
for more than 20 years, and the
organisation continues to grow,
evolve and change thanks to the
contribution of our highly skilled,
knowledgeable and friendly staff. In
the past financial year, the following
staff members have helped Seniors
Information Service to deliver
services to South Australians.
• Ana Abadi – Acting Volunteer
Coordinator/Project Support
Officer
• Ann Shipley – Information
Officer
• Caroline Batty – Executive
Officer
• Diana Calle – Information
Management Officer – Marketing
& Advertising
• Donna Brownsea – Strategic
Project Officer
• Fleur Durham – Information
Officer
• Jane Hyde – Information Officer
• Jennie Commane – Project
Officer
• Jennifer Hughes – Chief
Executive Officer
• Jessica Partridge – Social Media
and Marketing Support Officer
• Johanna Ganiku – Information
Officer (Data Management)
Page 26
• Luisa Silveira – Information
Officer
• Louise Fuller – Project Officer
• Meg Schwarz – Community
Development Officer
• Michael Porter – IT Manager/
Information Officer
• Miriam Cocking – Access and
Equity Officer
• Monica Garcia – Information
Officer
• Olga Kokaliaris – Events and
Marketing Support Officer
• Paul Stone – LGBTI Community
Worker
• Robin Walden – Marketing &
Events Coordinator
• Sabine Hahn – Finance/HR
Officer
• Sakina Vohra – Events and
Marketing Officer
• Sasha Dragovelic – Digital
Literacy Project Officer
“Excellent one-on-one
coaching to help me
with today’s technology.
It covered all I needed
and was explained
well. A fantastic service
provided by SIS”
Volunteers
Our volunteers have contributed a
wonderful 6106 hours to the work
undertaken at Seniors Information
Service during the 2014/15
financial year, delivering more than
$205,000 in economic value to the
organisation.
We are proud that 41 volunteers
donated their time to support us
with the delivery of our services to
the South Australian community
– we could not do it without
their generosity, dedication and
commitment. Seniors Information
Service would like to take this
opportunity to thank all volunteers
for their contribution in 2014/15:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Adalgisa Smith
Ana Abadi
Andres Rodriguez
Ann Shipley
Anna Nguyen
AnnieDe Vink
Bahara Leva
Blaine Millan
Carol Durrans
Christopher Shipley
Claude Rankine
Colin Searle
Deborah McCulloch
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ellen Wicker
Gordon Bissett
Janet Deering
Jessica Partridge
Joanne Wedding
Johanna Ganiku
John Dunsford
John Sloan
June Lee
Karen Poulten
Kenneth Davis
Lily Michailov
Liseth Laguado
Mahamati
Maria Macalalad
Marie Good
Mary Broadhurst
Miriam Cocking
Norman Radican
Philip Hahn
Richard Parkes
Richard Velasquez
Rob Obrien
Rod Trinca
Saiereh Lodehi
Shehzad Munir
Sue McKinnon
Zoran Radenovic
Page 27
COMMUNITY
Supporters
As a charitable organisation Seniors
Information Service relies heavily
on funding and other forms of
support to deliver its services to as
many people requiring assistance as
possible.
We are therefore particularly grateful
for the support from and close
collaborations with the following
organisations. Without these funding
bodies, supporters and partners our
work would not be possible.
Funding bodies:
Federal Government
• Department of Social Services
South Australian Government
• Department for Communities and
Social Inclusion
• Department of Planning, Transport
and Infrastructure
• SA Health
• Office for the Ageing
• Office for Volunteers
Corporate Supporters
• Carers Association of SA
• SGIC
Collaborative partners:
• Access2HomeCare Program
• Aged Care Housing Group
• Adelaide City Council
Page 28
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alzheimer’s SA
Australian Taxation Office
Burnside Council
CALD Ageing Alliance
Campbelltown Council
Carers Association of SA
Centrelink
Chinese Welfare Services of SA Inc
Country Health SA
Department for Communities and
Social Inclusion
Department of Human Services
Eastern Regional Collaborative
Project
Ethnic Link Services
Greek Community Services of SA
Greek Welfare Services “St Philotei”
HACC Collaborative Projects
Helping Hand SA
Multicultural Age Care Inc. – CALD
Workers Network
Multicultural Communities Council
of SA – CAASA Committee
Northern Collaborative Project
Radio Adelaide
Reconciliation SA
Royal Adelaide Hospital Consumers
Group
SA Health – Safety and Quality
South Australian Self-Management
Alliance
Southern Services Reform Group
(SSRG)
St Louis Community Care
• The Senior
• Uniting Care Wesley Bowden ATSI
Carers Program Team
• Uniting Communities Services HACC
Program Manager ATSI Focus
• Volunteering SA & NT Inc.
• Western Linkages
Memberships
In order to provide the best possible
service quality and reliable information
to those who require our support,
Seniors Information Service is a member
of the following key committees and key
forums:
• African Communities Council –
HACC Services
• Aged Care Housing (ACH)
• Aged Care Services
• Australian Refugees of Australia
• Cambodian Association of SA - HACC
Services
• Central Adelaide Local Health
Network Consumer Advisory Council
• Centrelink Regional Multicultural
Forum
• CO.AS.IT SA Inc. (Comitato Assistenza
Agli Italiani) – Italian Assistance
Association
• Coordinating Italian Committee of SA
Inc (CIC)
• Council of Women of CALD
Background
• Council on the Ageing SA
• Department of Human Services
Consultative Forum
• Department of Human Services –
Regional Multicultural Advisory
Group
• Domiciliary Care SA (Metro) –
Consumer Advisory Committee
• Ethnic Broadcasters Inc
• Greek Orthodox Community of SA
Inc. – HACC Reference Group
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
and Intersex (LGBTI) Ageing and
Aged Care Network
• Migrant Women’s Lobby Group
• Northern Adelaide Medicare Local Older People and Aged Care reference
group
• Overseas Chinese Association Inc
• Retirement Village Advisory
Committee
• Russian Association of SA
• SA Agency Liaison Group for the
Australian Aged Care Quality Agency
• SA Community Transport Association
• SA Reconciliation Action Plan
stakeholder forum
• Southern Adelaide - Fleurieu and
Kangaroo Island Medicare Local
• South Australian Council of Social
Services
• The Filipino Seniors Group -“Ka
Pamilya”
• The Society of St Hilarion Community
Services
• Ukrainian Social Services
• Uniting Communities – Multicultural
Home Support Program Committee
• Veterans and Veterans Families
Counselling Service
• Vietnamese Association of Australia,
SA Chapter
• Vietnamese Women’s Association of
SA Inc
Page 29
11.0
OUR FUTURE
As an organisation, Seniors
Information Service is committed
to delivering sustainable services to
those requiring support, to being the
connecting link between our clients
and service providers and to acting
as a valuable resource of information
empowering South Australians to
remain in control of their own lives.
The incorporation of Disability
Information and Resource Centre
(DIRC) and its services places a
large responsibility on Seniors
Information Service’ shoulders, and
one of the main focus areas for the
2015/16 financial year will be to do
that responsibility justice. We will
do this by keeping up the great work
previously delivered by DIRC, as
well as adding other services to those
living with disabilities.
Page 30
In the coming 12 months we will
concentrate on making Seniors
Information Service the place to go
for all matters of relevance to people
who are ageing, have a disability
or need to make difficult lifestyle
choices. We will continue to offer
information on a range of topics
including active ageing and will offer
a legal services clinic for our clients
seeking advice on Estate Planning
and Retirement Living and Aged Care
costs.
We will also continue to offer a
wide range of training courses and
seminars to meet the changing
needs of our clients, particularly
with the changes to the Ageing and
Disability services. In essence, we will
continue to develop partnerships and
governance to accommodate existing
operations and new service areas,
drive further growth and improve
the overall service provision to meet
the needs of the South Australian
community.
We will take the expertise, skills and
learnings from the past 20 years
to further shape the organisations’
future, and ensure that it remains
– and grows – as a valuable service
available to all South Australians.
Our inclusive, reliable and personal
approach will continue to evolve
with the needs of our clients, and
contribute further to a thriving,
independent South Australian
community, empowered to live life
to the fullest.
"Thank you indeed
for your generous
welcome to your
drop-in centre.
It provided an
enormous amount
of information, and
more importantly,
confidence in the
future for me”
Page 31
149 Currie Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8168 8776
Country SA: 1800 636 368
www.seniors.asn.au
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“Seniors Information Service is the
trusted, hands-on place to go”