Issue 1 December 2015
Also in this issue:
6&7
Rachael’s work experience 3
News from Launceston
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Pirate Party
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Funky space for young ones
Harold and Les fishing in the Upper Derwent River
From the CEO Welcome to you all, readers old and new to our flagship publication highlighting the activities undertaken by the people we support, the achievements of the organisation and of our employees.
operations of Liviende Veranto.
To now be Liviende Veranto can be lauded as a remarkable accomplishment by the Boards and management teams of both Liviende and Veranto. The leadership shown andthe goodwill to succeed was driven by the undeniable belief that to bring our two organisations together will ultimately benefit the people we support. A key focus for both Boards was to ensure that all employees were encouraged to transition to Liviende Veranto with full entitlements; demonstrating the high regard in which our employees are held. This has also been achieved.
The stregth of Liviende Veranto lies within our people and we are particularly fortunate to have a very talented team. So let me introduce our senior leaders to you ….
My sincere thanks to all Board members, particularly Ginna Webster, Liz Swain, Sue Leitch, Elizabeth Skirving, Todd Hitchins and my colleagues across the organisation specifically Janette Martin and Rachel Jansen. While everyone has contributed in a valuable way, the influence of these people deserves particular acknowledgement. Recognising the potential merits of the merger was underpinned by the values alignment between the two organisations, acknowledging the journey to date, while recognising clearly that the future of disability services and of course that of Liviende Veranto, under the National Disability Insurance Scheme will be exciting, challenging, competitive and importantly, full of opportunity. So where to from here …. Work is now progressing to align the two sets of business systems, a process involving the management groups working on a cooperative basis across portfolio areas. The value of individual policies and processes will be assessed to ensure we take the best available option into the future
Anticipating that this work will take a number of months, we aim to be well placed to engage the Board and Senior Leadership in strategic planning in March; particularly with a focus towards the full roll-out of the NDIS to commence in July 2016.
Joining me on the Executive are Deputy Chief Executive Officer Janette Martin and Chief Finnacial Officer Emma Bates. Janette and I have been colleagues for many years and throughout that time I have come to know and respect just how deeply commited Janette is to the people we support. Welcome to Emma, taking up the newly created role of CFO. Emma joined us at the end of October moving from the UK to live in Tassie. Our senior Leaders are: Manager Operations - Nicole Cumine, Manager Quality and Compliance – KathyTauber, Manager IT – Ian Hopkins, Manager HR – Rachel Jansen and Manager Advocacy and Engagement – Natalie Rose. Our finance team, looking very much the ‘typical’ accountants have their own feature article. It is great to see them embracing all the latest technology – no doubt to help calculate percentages!! We will introduce and feature our other very talented teams in subsequent editions. So to the year that has been 2015. The merger aside, it has been a very busy year all round. Liviende emerged from a protracted and particularly challenging period of Administration to pursue the merger with Veranto. The resilience and commitment of the Board, management, supporters and employees of Liviende have been acknowledged across the sector. The 2014-15 Annual Report should now be with all members. Please contact Valda at the office if you are yet to receive your copy. It will also be available on-line shortly. Veranto continued to develop services in the NDIS market as well as establishing Continued Page 30
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Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
Rachael’s work ex per ience Hi my name is Rachael Swindon. I have just finished year 12 at St Michael’s Collegiate School. During my last year of school, I have been doing some work experience at Dogs Business. I have Angela to support me at Dogs Business and my boss is named Leslie. Every Wednesday I go out with Angela to do some work experience at the place and I always have to ask Leslie what she wants me to do. At the start of my work experience, Angela and I had a tour by Leslie. She took us around the place and then I had to listen to April while she is explaining how to wash a dog properly and the technique to dry a dog with a blow dryer. The first couple of weeks, I have been helping April to wash a dog, dry a dog with a towel then blow dry the dog. After I got the hang of it, I started to blow dry a dog all by myself. I have really enjoyed the work experience at Dogs business. Submitted by Rachael Swindon
Rachael keeping the workplace safe
Rachael grooming at Dogs Business
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Crafty Christmas trees a big hit
The Christmas trees produced by some crafty people at the Cottage sold out so quickly that orders are now being taken for next year. The trees were sold for $15 each, making a lovely gift that could be decorated for someone special. Those involved in the project will decide how the money raised will be reinvested in the Cottage. Anyone who would like to place an order for next year is asked to contact Ann Burns on 0428 363 295. Submitted by Ann Burns
Luci and Georgia with their medals
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Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
P o t t e r y R o a d B o w l i n g Tr i p A Special Olympics bowling trip to Devonport was lots of fun for Georgia and Luci,and even saw them awarded with medals for their top class efforts. The ladies got off to an early start for the bus trip up North and on arrival at the centre they got straight into the first of six games. That night they went to dinner at the Devonport Football Club. Everyone had a great time, enjoying food, dancing and friendship. The next morning was another early start, with everyone playing three games before the awards ceremony. Georgia was awarded a second place medal in 4th division and Luci getting a 1st place medal in the 2nd division partners match. The ladies had a very successful weekend and were able to make new friendships as well as renew some old ones. They are already looking forward to participating again next year. Submitted by Kate Rumney
Devonport here we come, ready or not.
Luci and Georgia having fun
Bowling into medal contention
Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
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North meets South On December 3rd 2015 a group met at the Northern office to head off for an overnight road trip and to celebrate the launch of LiviendeVeranto. We were all dressed in our finery for the big occasion. We set off in convoy in 1 van and 3 cars and lots of chat and singing in each of the vehicles occurred. At Campbell Town we decided it was time for lunch and so Zeps was the place and a variety of food was ordered and enjoyed with many stories and laughter to be had. Car swapping occurred especially at Campbell Town and Jimmy and Phillip became good car buddies chatting all the way and singing Christmas carols as they travelled to Hobart. We set of on the final leg of the journey and checked into our rooms at the Balmoral Motor Inn at Glenorchy to unpack bags and freshen up. Off we went to find the conference venue and using the trusty GPS on the phone Tanya lead the way. The GPS was correct but if you miss the turn it does take you to some interesting places! We all arrived at the venue just as the Veranto AGM had finished but thanks goodness there was some delicious afternoon tea to enjoy.
lovely surprise for us by the owners of the Balmoral. We were joined by the people who live at Tolosa and southern management. It was also Marks birthday so the restaurant sang Happy Birthday much to Marks delight. All slept well and Friday was time to have a big breakfast over which it was arranged for a shopping trip to Big W as we don’t have this fabulous store in Launceston. Jimmy bought a pair of pj’s and star wars items, Phillip bought a new pair of boots, Debbie bought jewellery, Bev bought a large glamorous necklace, Debbie a delightful minion to share her life and Peter and Jane bought dvds to watch together at home. Another stop at Zeps at Campbell Town on the way home for lunch and ice-cream. All arrived home tired but very happy and asking when the next road trip was. Thanks to everyone involved for your time and company it was a great roadtrip.
At the venue Mama Rosa was enjoyed by all as she prepared freshly made pasta and we all had a laugh at the antics. At the cocktail party everyone socialised and had a glass of wine or three and a few beers. Jimmy in particular enjoyed a beer and a conversation with the minister for human services and board members of the new organisation. Following the cocktail party a group of us gathered at the Balmoral for a delicious 2 course meal starting with nibbles and wine with the Liviende label on it which was a
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Bev gives approval to one of our new banners
Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
Debbie had a delightful road trip to Hobart
All articles on Pages 6 & 7 subm Christine Gordon and
I am sailing
We l c o m e t o Currawong Jillienne
Debbie, Arron and Jan welcomed Jillienne to share their home at Currawong, Riverside on the 27th November this year. Jillienne has settled in very quickly and has formed a great relationship with everyone especially with Debbie. Mr Puss, who is looking his best at the present moment due to having his winter coat shorn for summer, has welcomed Jillienne as if she has always been there. It has been lovely to have Jillienne move in as the room has been vacant since December 2014 from the sad passing of Rachel. Four people have been to visit the home over the year and it has been wonderful meeting Jillienne and her Mum and Dad and the feeling of being right at home was instant. We wish Jillienne a long and happy life in her new home.
Enjoying the side benefits of the road trip.
mitted by Tanya Petrie, Iris Hawkins
Community Access North have been attending the Launceston Aquatic Centre this year and has had some significant improvements from earlier in the year. Some of the attendees who would only dip a toe in the water are now moving more freely and confidently in the water. Jan has some significant health issues and she looks forward to her pool days, she now lays on the noodles on her back and relaxes and is attempting more and more things since she began this year. Sailability leaves from the Seaport and depending on the Tamar river tides the activity is every fortnight. Simon enjoys this activity and looks very relaxed sailing along the Tamar River. On one occasion this year Simons wheelchair took a dip in the Tamar river with his footplate not being retrieved for a few weeks very muddy but intact!! Thanks to Garry and Vanessa for all their hard work in getting these programs and activities together and enabling the participation of the Community Access participants.
Simon looking very relaxed
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A Directors Ref lection It is with very mixed feelings that I write this piece. It is a great privilege to contribute to the first edition of Liviende Veranto news, the first edition since the recent successful merger between the two organisations. It is also my last official duty as a member of the Board as my term expires at the AGM and I will not be seeking re-election. It has been almost 7 years since I first joined the Board over what was then known as Oakdale Services Tasmania, and my recollection from my initial contact with the organisation is of how quickly and strongly the sense of family, commitment to quality and focus on the people we support became evident. For me, that first meeting with Paul and members of the Board, which concluded with a tour of Oakdale Lodge, confirmed for me that this was an organisation that I really wanted to be involved in because we shared similar values and I was excited to work with people so passionate about and committed to their work. From that initial discussion, I was fortunate enough to be offered a position as a Director and from that time in January 2009, I have been continually impressed with all aspects of the operation. My time on the Board has coincided with a period of extended and significant change both for the organisation and the sector. The first major step was the rebranding of our organisation from Oakdale Services Tasmania to Veranto. This was a major change for all of us and while we recognised the long history of Oakdale Services and all that it stood for we were also very aware of the need to position the organisation for the challenges that we knew were coming. From there, we considered an earlier merger proposal but ultimately chose not to proceed, in large part due to our focus on maintaining the culture and values of Veranto and also to ensure that we were focussed on the changes that were
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occurring around us and able to balance the competing pressures of limited funding and growing demand for our services. For much of my time on the Board, the issue of funding has been a constant challenge for Veranto. With government funding always limited, in recent years we have felt this more acutely as we have endured increases in costs across the organisations – many of which were beyond our control, seen a change in the needs of the people we support as they move to retirement and in some cases suffer illness and injury that requires more intensive support. On top of all of this, the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has changed the way services are funded and provided and we have been striving to adapt our services, processes and business model to meet future requirements and position ourselves to offer a greater range of services to a wider cohort than has previously been the case. All of these changes have put significant pressure on the organisation, our staff and Board members at various times and I am proud of the way that we have so ably embraced these challenges, moving to stay at the forefront of the sector while still ensuring we do our core business well – providing the highest levels of service to the people we support. The most recent change has been the merger with Liviende which was completed in early November and has seen us again transition to be part of the larger organisation Liviende Veranto. This has been a significant step for both organisations and all of those involved. The decision to merge was not taken lightly by either Board but instead based on extensive research, discussion and analysis that highlighted a strong alignment in the values of both organisations, particularly in relation to a commitment to quality and the way we deliver our services. There are plenty of organisations providing disability
Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
support services, with more and more providers entering the market under the NDIS model, however for both Liviende and Veranto the decision to merge was not about the size of the organisation or its budget, but about combining our resources and working together to ensure that we can deliver quality, personalised services across the state from a basis of shared values. The completion of the merger is the culmination of a lot of work on the part of Directors, senior managers and staff across the two organisations and on behalf of the Board I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this achievement. This marks the beginning of the next exciting chapter in our organisation’s history and development and I am confident that Liviende Veranto will become a leader in the sector and continue to go from strength to strength. In reflecting on my time on the Board it is easy to think that there is no part of the organisation that remains the same as it did back in 2008 when I first applied to be a Director. Our name and brand have changed, our services have grown and diversified, our office has moved, we have implemented many new processes and systems, almost the entire Board has changed with only Ginna Webster who joined at the same time
as me having been there at the beginning of my term, and most recently become part of a larger organisation. On a closer look, though these changes are largely cosmetic and the things that truly make Liviende Veranto what it is remain unchanged. The commitment and passion of the people – at all levels of the organisation – is undoubtedly one of our greatest assets, the focus on people we support being at the centre of everything we do has never wavered as the reason for our existence and our commitment to quality has gone from strength to strength. These are the things that truly define who we are and what we do and I am incredibly proud to have made even a small contribution to these achievements throughout my term on the Board. I wish the new Liviende Veranto organisation all the best for the future and am confident that with the current Board the future looks very positive. I hope to continue to be involved as part of the Liviende Veranto family, albeit in a different capacity, and look forward to seeing the organisation continue to succeed in future. Submitted by Jennifer Lee
Veranto’s last Board meeting and Jen’s farewell
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W h a t ’s h a p p e n i n g i n H R ? With the exciting announcement of a merged entity effective on the 4th of November 2015, this report is written to capture an update for now over 300 employees who dedicate their working life to the provision of quality support services for Liviende Veranto.
Milestones
Since the September issue of news articles and in the lead up to the 4th of November Liviende Veranto employed over 30 new staff to its operation. We welcome you all to our Organisation.
We also look forward to celebrating Debra Williams’ 10 years of service in December. Congratulations Debra.
HR Projects Work has continued on fine tuning the payroll and timesheet system and the work that had preceded the merge around a specialised ISP induction, streamlining of the selection process, staff development and the concept of “staff match” will continue to evolve as we look at the integration of the pre-merged HR systems. The HR team met on the 19th of November to discuss what the merged entities HR priorities might be. Out of this meeting we identified the following key areas for early consideration:
• Integration of the payroll systems leading to staff training and interface; • Recruitment, induction and on-boarding practices; • Counselling and Disciplinary Policies and Procedures, including our approach to incident investigation; and
Congratulations to Janine King who celebrated 20 years of service in September. Congratulations also to Geoffrey Harper who celebrated 10 years of service in October.
Many thanks to Craig McCarthy for his hard work and commitment as Acting Coordinator whilst Anthony was on leave, and thanks to Lyn Crosswell for being Acting Team Leader at SUnlea. Welcome back to Anthony Ozols in September from leave following the birth of his son and congratulations to the other new parents, Jessica Smith (girl) and Ellie Lucas (boy). Staff appointments • Congratulations to Kellie Caynes on her appointment as Program Leader (ISP) • Congratulations to Amanda Reynolds on her appointment as Acting Team Leader • Congratulations to Shannen Strong on her appointment as Team Leader for VLO • Congratulations to Emma Bates – appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer. Welcome to Liviende Veranto. • Congratulations to the following new appointments for Liviende Veranto;
• Performance development practices. It was further resolved that the HR team would ordinarily meet on a monthly basis except during the merging phase when it would meet fortnightly. Our next meeting is scheduled for the 11th December 2015.
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Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
o Janette Martin Deputy Chief Executive Officer o Tanya Petrie Services Manager o Natalie Rose Manager Advocacy and Engagement o Kathy Tauber
Manager Quality and Compliance
Tr u s t t h e key for rock climbing
o Rachel Jansen Manager Human Resources o Bonita Morgan Human Resource Officer o Ian Hopkins Manager Information Technology o Sharon Grice Administration Officer o Alexandra Kemp Projects Officer Personal Development We attended the Gearing Up expo in Hobart and Get with the Program expo in Huonville with great success. Staff whom work with individuals who exhibit behaviours of concern attended a one day training session with Matthew Spicer from Positive Behaviour Change Solutions looking at ‘Understanding and Positively Managing Challenging Behaviour’. The day sessions were very informative and staff felt like they gained many tools to equip them in minimising and supporting people who exhibit behaviours of concern.
Atilla and Sam smile for the camera before planning next move.
Submitted by Rachel Jansen and HR Team
Merge requires audit A recertification audit will be conducted in March next year following Veranto’s merge with Liviende. While both organisations are certified to ISO:9001, now that they are one, the quality systems must be aligned. As a result of the merger, Kathy Tauber has also changed positions and she is now Manager of Quality and Compliance.
Atilla and Sam had a great time at indoor rock wall climbing. There were some challenging moments, especially when it came to negotiating the overhangs and tricky foot and hand placements. Trusting the others on the belay was also a difficult thing to overcome, but it was a great way to learn to trust in each other. Submitted by Mostyn Young
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My Story I have always looked after Colin, he is like my brother. We lived in the same house years ago. I’ll never forget the time I saved his life in a fire. We were in the garden mowing the lawns where we worked. Colin was on the other side of the fence and I was on the other. We started the lawnmower and all of a sudden I seen smoke coming from over the fence and wondered what it was?. The smoke was going up in the air like a steam train and I thought the shed was on fire. One of the staff came over and told me that one of the boys was on fire. I thought it might have been Colin?. A couple of cars came and stopped and told me that too. I took off as fast as I could go. The others said they had never seen me move so fast ever!. I see wood on fire with ash in it. I also seen one of the boys holding Colin’s hands up pretty tight and another boy holding Colin’s legs together. His backside, underpants, shirt and singlet were burnt. Colin was on top of the fire!. I pulled him out and got the hose and put water all over him. I thought he was going to burn to death. When I went to help I didn’t know it was Colin on fire!. The firemen came with a fire truck and also the Police with their sirens. Colin had to go to the hospital and they looked at his burns. The doctor told Colin he had to put cream on his toes, back and legs every day for a fortnight. Lots of people came and asked me what had happened to Colin. I didn’t know because I was working on the other side of the fence. I tell this story often to people I know. The story of how I saved Colin’s life. I look after him like my brother. Submitted by Les Brown
Best mates Colin and Les in the front garden of The Cottage
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Liviende Veranto News Issue 1 December 2015
First cast luck The fish were certainly biting during Robert’s recent fishing trip to Midway Point. On the first cast he caught a Flathead. It was undersize so he put it back. He caught another three undersize Flathead and then on the last cast his luck changed. It was clear he had something big on the line and with some effort he managed to pull up a Cocky Salmon. It fought hard, but Robert still managed to land it! Submitted by Philip Atherton
Operation Christmas Challenge
Two boxes of toys are on their way to children in need around the world as part of Operation Christmas Challenge. The operation aims to bring joy and hope to children around the world in desperate situations. The toys were collected following Nic Stephens’ plea on Facebook, with people bringing in toys and other items for boys aged 5-7 years. Everyone at the Cottage was proud to be involved in such a simple fantastic way to give to children who have little. Submitted by Ann Burns
Robert with his Flattie. The guys at VSLO enjoying the joy of giving
Richard checks on his furry f r i e n d s Richard has become a member of Bonorong Wildlife Park so he can visit his furry friends as often as he likes.
He understands the needs of the animals and with his membership he can visit the park whenever he likes to monitor the joeys and ensure they are being properly fed. Submitted by Martina Doran.
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Acorn dates for the diar y Two dates have already been set for 2016 for the ever-popular fundraising events held by the Acorn Branch. On Sunday February 28, 2016 the Acorn Branch will host a pirate-themed barbecue at Oakdale Lodge. Julie and Tim will once again provide the musical entertainment and the cost will be $10 per person. The event starts at 12pm.
Thank-you to all our supporters who once again packed out the venue
On Wednesday April 20, 2016 the Acorn Branch will hold its first morning tea for the year. The function will be at Oakdale Lodge and the entertainment has been billed as ‘holiday hi-jinks’! The Acorn Branch had a very successful 2015 with more than a hundred guests packing the dining area at Oakdale Lodge for a morning tea. They were entertained by the Acorn players in an amusing performance of The Humble Gardener.
Orchid Sprout, Lady Sprout, Mr Syde and Herbie
The year’s successful fundraising has allowed the branch to make several donations. A defibrillator was purchased for Oakdale Lodge, a donation made to assist with the upgrade of the barbecue area and funds have been allocated for the Christmas Party for all people we support and guests. For more information about the Acorn Branch or its activities please phone Maureen McDonald on 62 477915
The new defibrillator
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Herbie and Mr Syde
The Humble Gardener Cast and Crew
Ahoy there, my hearties!
Come along and join us for a pirate barbecue at Oakdale Lodge (7 Acorn Drive Warrane) on Sunday, 28th February 2016 commencing at 12pm. Cost: $10 Musical entertainment will be provided by Julie and Tim. This event is being organised by Acorn Branch, Liviende Veranto. Please contact Maureen McDonald (62 477915 or 0419 668 950) with numbers attending by Thursday, February 25th 2016.Â
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Anniversar y trip to Melbourne
D i a n n e’s garden makeover
To celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary Anne and Simon enjoyed a few days shopping, theatre going and sightseeing in Melbourne.
Dianne and support staff have been working hard to freshen up the garden at Sunlea. Dianne has been shopping at markets and tip shops for plants and garden ornaments. She has been weeding, putting things in bins and watering. There are lots of solar lights so the garden looks great at night too.
There was a very emotional reunion with Simon’s brother, Gerard, when he came to the hotel. He and Simon spent the rest of the day together and had lunch and went to a movie. Gerard also joined them for dinner on Thursday evening.
Submitted by Sarah Robins
The pair also went out to dinner with Anne’s niece Kristen and her family. Anne and Simon went to Dracula’s to see the show. They had a great time as the theme of the show was ‘the seventies’ which happened to be the music that they both loved. They also went to the theatre to see a performance of The Lion King. They were absolutely enthralled with the costumes and the whole performance. After four nights away they returned home very tired but very happy. Submitted by Karin Mucci
Sunlea’s garden looking very colouful
Simon & Anne ready for The Lion King
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Big changes in Finance The Finance team has doubled in size since the Liviende Veranto merger and the new team is off to a flying start. The team is headed by new Chief Financial Officer Emma who moved from England to take up the post. She was only in the country for a week before starting work and embarking on the merger. Betty, from the former Liviende, was appointed as the Northern finance officer, while Sue and Simone moved offices from Melville St to Lampton Ave. Krystal continues in her valuable role as finance assistant. Already the team is discovering many things in common, with Simone, Krystal & Betty all having young children of a similar age. Sue & Betty both having twin girls! Simone & Emma’s love of getting out and about, fine foods, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones has spread throughout the whole team. Having a presence in both the north and south of the State creates some challenges, however the team now has the facilities to communicate via video link. This allows the sharing of work papers while talking face to face. A few trips up and down the highway are also to be expected, hopefully without the dramas of the first trip when Sue ‘lost’ Emma and Simone on the way! Aligning processes will be a mammoth task for the Finance team and so far all is going well. It’s an exciting and busy time for the team as they continue to make inroads in the postmerger requirements as well as improving reporting. The NDIS environment is changing the way things work and it will be imperative to get to get the systems right, but the cohesive team says, “bring it on”. Submitted by Emma Bates
Emma, Sue, Simone, Betty and Krystal ‘geeking it up’ at the Liviende Veranto AGM\Launch
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TA F E s t u d e n t f u n a t Oakdale Lodge TAFE Aged and Community Care students recently visited the Clarence campus of Veranto to conduct a special event for the residents of Oakdale Lodge.
competition,” Peter said.
The “Aussie Spring” event featured a range of activities for people to enjoy including; personal pampering and makeup, a footy handball activity, lucky door prizes, fishing game, a shared lunch and a visit from the Fairy Flossie ice cream van.
Staff joined in the fun, helping prepare the lunch and ensuring everyone was able to eat the food they most enjoyed.
“This is almost as good as winning the grand final when I was a young ‘un” Rodney said.
The cool morning didn’t dampen the residents’ enthusiasm for participating to the full.
With full tummies and lucky door prizes in hand, the residents and students filed into the car park after lunch to line up at the lime green ice cream van for a soft serve cone as the final element of sharing an Aussie Spring, TAFE-and-Liviende Veranto-style!
“What a great time we had with the handball
Submitted by Karen Grower Bradley
Mary and her ‘horse’ friend
The handball champions
Zombies bring a smile A trip into town to watch the annual zombie march had Scott grinning recently. While waiting for the zombies to march through the mall from Franklin Square, Scott enjoyed great company and watched a young musician perform his own written songs. Scott’s face lit up when the zombies marched past. It was certainly a day to remember. Submitted by Laura Dart
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Minion Zombie and Scott get aquainted
F unk y space for young ones Liviende Veranto’s young adults will soon be getting a very cool hang-out space, ‘The Zone’, thanks to Hobart reality TV celebrities Cassie Allan and Matt Smith who are back in the renovation game after competing in national TV show House Rules. The creative pair has partnered with Liviende Veranto to create an innovative and engaging zone for young adults to spend time throughout the day. “We’re excited to put everything we learnt on the show into practice for such a great organisation, “ Ms Allan said “To give something back to the community is really important for both Matt and I.” For Mr Smith, who plans to retrain as a builder, the Liviende Veranto renovation offers plenty of scope for creativity. “We are thinking of all sorts of ideas for these guys,” he said, “Chill out zones, some wall art, gaming area and maybe even a bowling lane.” “What we know about the people at Liviende Veranto is that they are up for almost anything, so stay tuned!” Liviende Veranto Operations Manager, Nicole Cumine, says the new space will meet the expectations of the young age group currently trialling the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Tasmania. “In creating services for young people, we often forget that the physical space is as important as the actual program,” Ms Cumine said. “This project - combined with Matt and Cassie’s dynamism – will not only deliver us a funky new recreation space for our new Community Access program but will also be lots of fun!”
Time to take some measurements
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Time for meaningf ul market ing and communications Marketing and communications has recently become more important to the newly-merged Liviende Veranto organisation and Joanna Rosewell from the marketing team examines the reasons why: There are two answers, I think. One is that we have entered the brave new world of NDIS, a more competitive, market driven environment where the people we support choose how their needs can be met. It is truly empowering as people living with disability are now consumers in a very real sense. With choice also comes a shift in business practice for disability providers. I use the word “business” deliberately as all disability organisations must think about ways to gain consumer interest, just as any business does. The whole sector has even adopted a whole new language. We talk about markets, customers and products. It seems strange, in a world that is essentially about people. Is it a good thing? I don’t know, but I do believe that Marketing and Communications – I should say meaningful Marketing and Communications that really captures the essence of what we do and who we are – is essential for us to compete on what could become quite an aggressive playing field. The second answer is really quite simple. At the risk of sounding a little arrogant, we are truly quite fantastic at what we do. So long the quiet achievers of the disability sector, it may be that it is time to show the world that we are truly person-centred, and delivering great service to the people we support.
Annual Report (now available), redesigning the colours and organising the launch of the newly merged organisation, promoting the new day support program for young adults at Warrane and promoting ourselves at an expo in the Huon (thank you Paul Dolzan). More importantly, a great deal of work has gone into devising a strategy to raise the profile of Liviende Veranto. You’ll be seeing much more us in the news, in advertising and on the grapevine as we celebrate all that is terrific about our organisation. Submitted by Joanna Rosewell
Bountiful har vest at Alicia Road
Alicia Rd now boasts a veggie, herb and flower garden thanks to four busy gardeners. Kayleen, Hartmuth, Robert and Maxine (pictured) are very proud to have cultivated the garden. It has also been landscaped with pavers so access is safe, high and dry. Some of their produce has been harvested, cooked, eaten and enjoyed by those at Alicia Rd. What will be planted next? Perhaps some salad greens, tomatoes or flowers? Submitted by Michael Lonergan
It’s is this thinking that lies behind current activities in the Marketing and Communications space at Liviende Veranto. We have been working on the 23rd Veranto
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Maxine getting into the garden
J u l i e’s S w a n s e a h o l i d a y Julie relived some fond childhood memories on a recent stay in Swansea. She enjoyed walking along the water’s edge, spending time in the park, browsing in the shops and strolling down to the jetty. She spent her two nights at the Swansea Beach Chalets which had a beautiful view of the water and were just a short walk from the beach. Lunch at Kate’s Berry Farm was a highlight, as was a trip to the museum to learn about the history of Swansea and look at the old tools, newsletters and photos. She also got to see where she used to stay with her mum and dad when they went to Swansea for their holidays.
Julie enjoying the water views
The last morning was cold and wet so Julie had a look around the Old Bark Mill Museum before heading back to Hobart. Submitted by Julie & Caitlin
Show Day Dianne had a wonderful day at the Hobart Show. She had a ride on dodgem cars, played the clown face and fishing game, won some toys and saw some animals. She purchased a ring, a dagwood dog and of course a show bag. It was a very exciting day. Submitted by Martina Doran
Prizes and fun to be had at this years Royal Hobart Show for Dianne
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Redbanks trip a big hit Archery, sling shots and target shooting made for a fun-filled day at Redbanks for some Oakdale Lodge and Sylvan residents. It was the first visit to Redbanks for Atilla but is was the second for Cleve, Peter Harvey, Peter Stephenson, Russell, Andrew and Sam. Peter Stephenson even took his own marbles to use for the slingshots, which impressed centre owner Lindsay. The day started with archery and then moved on to the sling shots. It was the target shooting that was the real drawcard for the group. They started in the air riffle section and shot moving plastic targets. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was impressive to see how skilful everyone was at shooting a moving target. It was a still target for the longer distance shooting and once again everyone was very skilful. Atilla and Russell even shot the target in 4 out of 5 shots! Finally they moved onto shooting at moving clay targets. This was the hardest one yet and with some expert advice from Lindsay everyone did well and had a great time. Submitted by Kate Rumney
Staff step out in support of Cerebral Palsy Staff members raised funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance when they took a minimum of 10,000 steps each day during September. The 20 staff formed five teams and raised more than $1500. Oakdale Lodge worker Kathy Tainsh raised a massive $701 on her own!
Chambers, Jenny Smith, Michelle Branagan, Caitlyn Jenkins, Hallie-Rose Estcourt. Submitted by Kerrilyn Packer
It was fantastic to see so much support not only by the staff participating in the event but also from people giving lots of encouragement every day to ensure participants made it to the end. As well as raising awareness for the cause, participants also reported weight loss and energy gains. Participants were: Kerrilyn Packer, Joanna Brown, James Taubman, Leeanne Dillon, Marissa Sorenson, Elizabeth Warn, Paul Dolzan, Jane McKenzie, Melissa-Jane Moore, Simone Hart, Janine King, Kathy Tainsh, Amy Dalton, Cory Benjamin, Catherine Plunkett, Michelle
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Huonv ille sights a delight for D i a n n e A winter’s night in Huonville was a cold but enjoyable get away for Diane in August.
She took the long way there, with a stop at the Kettering chocolate factory to get some munchies to keep her going. A bag of delicious freckles in hand she continued on the journey to Cygnet where she stopped to look at the local shops before continuing on. After arriving at Huonville she unpacked her bag before heading off to explore the town and get some lunch. An enchanted wood shop, a market in the main street and a Vinnies with lots of great jewellery all proved a hit.
Getting to know the band The annual Tasmanian Pipe Band Competition at Campbell Town provided some surprise entertainment for the crew heading back home after the Speak Out conference. Hartmuth, Maxine and Robert from Alicia Rd stopped for lunch on their way back from Launceston when they happened upon the competition. There were many bands playing pipes and snare drums and there was lots going on. They asked the Police Pipe Band to pose with them for a photo, which they were very happy to do. Submitted by Philip Atherton
On the way back to the hotel, she enjoyed a cider at Franks and checked out the museum. After dinner at the hotel she headed to Geeveston for a fundraiser and warmed her hands by the fire after eating ice cream. She had a great time away and enjoyed a hot chocolate and a stop at the bee museum on the way home the next day. Submitted by Sarah Robins
Maxine, Robert and Hartmuth enjoyed meeting the Tasmanian Police Pipe band
Dianne enjoying a cider
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Action-packed Gold Coast holiday Friends Peter and Elizabeth enjoyed a week in sunny Queensland for their holiday this year. After checking in to the Mantra Sun City apartments they had a bit of chilling and relaxing time before dinner out at a restaurant. Elizabeth enjoyed her favourite – barramundi fish and garlic potatoes. The next day was Movie World day. Peter and Elizabeth spent the whole day walking around, watching Looney Tune shows and meeting the characters. They had photos taken with quite a few of them. They saw Batman in the bat mobile and watched Cat Woman dance. Both also enjoyed watching different rides including the rollercoaster, flume ride and the nerve-racking space shot. On the way home they went shopping for supplies and picked up a new watch and a new phone for Elizabeth. In the evening, Peter met up with his brother and sister-in-law for dinner at a stylish restaurant. He had a great time catching up and chatting with them. Before going home for the night, Peter was invited by his brother for dinner again later in the week. He was thankful and very excited to visit their home.
his mates about for weeks after. Day four was the day to get into the water. Peter enjoyed his most favourite ride on the Gold Coast, the Aqua Duck. It’s a bus that goes both on land and water. He bought a captain hat on board and said he will wear it when sailing with his own boat back home. Elizabeth chose to do some shopping and went to Pacific Fair where she bought some clothes and jewellery. She met up with Peter after his exciting boat ride and he bought a new watch and a custom made t-shirt with his name on it as souvenir. In the evening, Elizabeth chose to stay in and catch up with some of her favourite tv shows while Peter went to his brother’s home for a family catch up. Peter thoroughly enjoyed his family’s company and had a lovely dinner. Friday morning was spent packing up. Peter and Elizabeth left Gold Coast bound for Brisbane to catch a flight home. They both did a lot of chatting, reflecting on the busy but exciting and enjoyable week in sunny Queensland. Submitted by Melissa Moore and Marlon Esguerra
On their third day, they visited Sea World. Peter and Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed watching the dolphin show and both had a good laugh watching the comic seal show and seeing different sea animals. Elizabeth tried her hand at one of the carnival games where she threw three balls into a bucket and there was much cheering when she won and chose a fish as her prize. The purple fish now keeps Elmo company. The highlight of the day for Peter was a helicopter flight over the Gold Coast which he very much enjoyed and has been telling
Elizabeth, Peter and Marlon with their new friends
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To p o f t h e town view On a beautiful sunny day, John took a ride around town on the Red Decker Bus
Richard enjoying his environment
He was very eager and excited to get aboard, despite being a bit hesitant to ride on the upper level.
Richard at Primrose Sands soaking up the sun and exploring the beach, and also at Wellington Park enjoying the challenging bushwalking tracks.
Once seated he held on very tightly and enjoyed the views and the sightseeing.
Submitted by Jordan Goss
Submitted by Tameka Allen
Richard enjoys getting out and exploring the world
John enjoying the red double decker with Tameka
T i m’s C P R awareness Tim’s personal plan wish to complete a first aid course came to fruition during Seniors Week recently. He was very excited to participate in the CPR Awareness course which was offered through Royal Life Saving Tasmania in Lindisfarne. He was already quite knowledgeable on CPR. When the session opened with a discussion on when and why to perform CPR he was keen to answer and got a lot of the questions correct.
He is very proud of it and had it framed for his bedroom. Submitted by Janine King
He then practiced on a mannequin and performed compressions and breaths. He got the general idea about using a defibrillator machine and was able to listen to the instructions on the machine and follow them with a little prompting. Tim received a certificate of participation.
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Tim with his certificate
Va l e Ian Rayner
Mummy makes MONA visit
It is with great sadness that we say farewell to our friend, Ian Rayner. Ian passed away unexpectedly on November 7, 2015. Ian was a long term resident at Oakdale Lodge and was a part of the Lodge family for 37 years.
A ferry ride and lunch at the Granada Tavern made for an enjoyable day out to MONA for Stanley.
Ian had lots of wonderful qualities; he was kind, generous, and passionate about sport and enjoyed helping other people out. Ian also had a touch of cheekiness about him and liked to have a laugh and play a joke or two. Ian took a keen interest in many sports including the AFL, NRL, Cricket & Ten Pin bowling. Ian was a very passionate Collingwood supporter. Ian is going to be sadly missed by the Oakdale Lodge family. The memories we have will live on forever and we will take comfort reminiscing and remembering the good times we have shared with Ian.
The view during the ferry ride included two bridges, the Nystar zinc works and Incat. We spent time looking through all the floors of the museum and saw coffins, a fat car and plenty of mummies. Stanley’s favourite exhibit was the death chamber where we carefully walked across the suspended tiles surrounded by water to the centre to the mummy and the MRI scanned version. For lunch we took a walk to the Granada and had a counter meal, then Stanley indulged in a cake for afternoon tea as we returned on the ferry to Hobart. Submitted by Melissa Moore
Farewell Ian. Submitted by Tracey Percival-Ingram
Stanley at MONA
Richard in Wellington Park
Ian in his much loved Collinwood jersey
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Changes, charity and fun in the VLO Oakdale Lodge residents are embracing a change in programming style which has afforded them greater choice and control over how they spend their time.
a big thank you to Joy Weston for making some knitted goods to be included in the boxes and staff who brought along items for inclusion.
The new style of planning for Veranto Lifestyle Options (VLO) ensures every participant is actively involved in deciding how they can be supported to participate in meaningful activities and be a part of the community they live in
Bandanna Day in October saw VLO host a BBQ at Oakdale Lodge to raise awareness and support for Canteen. VLO managed to raise $225.90 for this worthy cause.
The changes are in line with the way Veranto Seniors Lifestyle Options (VSLO) are successfully run at New Norfolk and have been implemented with Sonya Fisher’s guidance. Over the past few months, VLO participants have continued to show their generosity and support to different charities they have chosen to support. These have included Operation Christmas Child, Bandanna Day and donations to both the cats and dogs shelters. Operation Christmas Child saw Robyn, Mary, Julie and Sandra, with Jenny’s assistance, fill six boxes to be sent to under privileged children in other countries. These ladies did a wonderful job, including making some handmade skirts and marble bags. Also
Dogs and Cats Shelters recently benefitted from an upgrade of towels at Oakdale Lodge. Some of the VLO participants decided they would like to divide the towels up and donate them to dogs and cats in need. It was also a good reason to drop into the shelters for a visit and make a few new furry friends . Participants in VLO continue to have lots of fun and enjoy either their retirement or semi-retirement. Some of these activities have included sailing, Red Decker bus tour, Redbanks, Music and Mirth, line dancing, gardening, tours, visiting the police museum, African drumming and hosting Friends students and TasTAFE community engagement days. Finally, we would like to congratulate Shannen Strong on her appointment in October as the new VLO Team Leader. We would also like to thank Caitlin Jenkins who has been working as the Acting Team Leader mainly in VLO but also at Oakdale Lodge for the 12 months prior to Shannen’s appointment. Submitted by Melissa
Bandana Day with VLO at Oakdale Lodge
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Dancing and Harley rides at the Speakout Conference A fun time was had by all at the annual Speak Out conference at The Tramsheds in Launceston. Peter, Nikolas and Sandra spent three days in Launceston for the conference and enjoyed plenty of socialising and activities as well as the informative sessions.The trio checked into Grindelwald for the three-night stay and was greeted by the resident wallabies and ducks ahead of the conference starting the next morning. The theme this year was ‘Nothing is going to stop us now’. They heard lots of inspirational stories about fellow Tasmanians with disabilities and what they had been achieving throughout the last 12 months. One young lady aged 19 has just got her learner’s licence and is enjoying the benefits of what the NDIS has to offer. They heard lots of information about the benefits of the NDIS providing choice for people with disabilities and allows them to Speak Out about what they want. A social gathering at City Park with a BBQ dinner capped off the first day of the conference and then it was back for a relaxing swim and spa at Grindelwald. Day two was the Annual General Meeting and the new Speak Out president was announced. During the afternoon, conference participants enjoyed different workshops including Harley trike rides for Peter and Sandra while Nick thoroughly loved the dancing workshop and rehearsed for a performance on stage later in the day. The final night was a dinner dance where everyone dressed up and danced the night away. It was back to Hobart the next morning, with the journey broken with a stop at Oatlands for lunch. Submitted by Kerrilyn Packer
Movember Once again, Liviende Veranto has combined its resources and manpower to raise significant funds to go towards Men’s Health during the popular Movember campaign. With fresh faces at the start of the month, 5 residents at Oakdale Lodge and 5 staff throughout our organisation took on the challenge to grow a moustache to raise awareness for Men’s Health. Many of our residents grew fantastic moustache’s but the staff’s MO’s were nothing short of disturbing. With the help of our CEO, Mr Paul Byrne who graciously participated in our campaign, Liviende Veranto were successful in raising over $500. Oakdale Lodge Coordinator, Mr Paul Dolzan donated all the meat for our fundraising BBQ held at Oakdale Lodge on Sunday the 29th of November, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
This was a great BBQ event that included the much anticipated shave off that a majority of the residents assisted in shaving those involved. A great effort from an organisation that continually shows that we pull together as a cohesive unit when needed. Thank you again to all those that gave to a great cause and we are already looking forward to the next campaign”. Submitted by James Taubman
Movember guys
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From the CEO
cont.
the new administrative base at Lampton Avenue. This freed up space at the former office to enable the development of a new community access service for younger people. Details of ‘The Zone’ are featuerd later in this edition. I am being ‘warned’ that the décor will be very un-Paul like … I do trust my team!! The Peter Harvey Employee Excellence Awards continue to recognise the commitment and achievements of our employees. The winners in the last round were Karin Mucci and Craig McCarthy. Congratulations to Karin and Craig for achieving excellence in demonstrating our organisational principles. It is high praise indeed, particularly as nominations are submitted by their colleagues. The awards will continue to recognise excellence throughout Liviende Veranto. Issue 1 of News is jam-packed with photos, stories and articles covering the activities of our people right across the organisation. It is great to see the full lives, the enjoyment, the opportunities taken to give-back to our community and the successes of our people. In closing, I note the sudden passing of our friend and long-time resident of Oakdale Lodge, Ian Rayner. A character, a gentleman and a rusted-on Collingwood supporter who would never conceed that his beloved “Pies’ ever lost a game. Vale Ian.
First meeting of the Liv
Finally, I wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season. Great opportunites await us all in 2016. Submitted by Paul Byrne
First meeting of the Liviende Veranto Board
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Photo
viende Veranto Board
os from the Liviende Veranto AGM ,Launch and southern Christmas party
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BBQ time Christine (pictured below) was all smiles relaxing in the shade while keeping a close eye on housemate Luci who did a wonderful job cooking and helping out with the bbq.
Submitted by Tameka Allen
Again! On a fun day out, we drove past Parliament Park, where we saw the big blue slide. As we got closer to the top Troy got more and more excited. Soon any nervousness disappeared and laughter ensued as we rocketed down to the bottom. Troy had such a great time he couldn’t wait to get back up and do it again. The smile says it all.
Well done Atilla Huge congratulations to Atilla whose hard work during his work placement has earned him a school-based traineeship for 2016. Through Rosny College he has been attending work placement one day a week at Clarence City Council. His work ethic and dedication to the role were what won him the position. Well done Atilla! Submitted by Daniel Howlett
Submitted by Malachi Cloak de
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26 Lampton Ave, Derwent Park 7009 PO Box 1003, Moonah, TAS 7009 Phone 03 6227 5400| Fax 03 6227 5454 Email contactus@veranto.org 7-9 Cameron St, Launceston 7250 Phone 03 6331 2199 Fax 03 6331 3522