Momentum Collective Annual Report 20-21 by momentumcollective

Chairman’s Report

On behalf of the board of Momentum Collective, it is my pleasure to present our annual report for 2021 and advise that, notwithstanding the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have enjoyed another year of successful operation.

Our Focus

The care and wellbeing of our clients and staff remained paramount throughout the year. The ongoing health and economic challenges that we continue to face make the work of Momentum Collective even more important. We are focused on delivering high quality services and supports across the community and continue to invest in the growth and expansion of programs.

Despite the challenges we faced this year with the pandemic continuing to impact our community, I am pleased to report that Momentum Collective experienced growth for the third year in a row, with revenue increasing by 21%.

The board is exceptionally proud of our achievements this year – of which there are many.

Our People

On behalf of the board, I extend my sincere thanks to the leadership team, staff, volunteers and donors for their valued contributions and support during the year.

Midway through the financial year, we farewelled Virginia Walker, CEO of two years and Board Director since 2017. We thank Virginia for her many positive contributions and strong leadership. After an extensive search, we were delighted to welcome Dr Tracey Mackie as our new CEO. Tracey joins us with a proven record in government and community services.

To my fellow directors, thank you for your continued support and dedication to the good governance of Momentum Collective so we can continue to improve our clients’ quality of life.

A special thanks to Terry Watson who retires as a director in November 2021. Terry has been on the Momentum Collective board since 2014. His leadership, wide experience and wise counsel have been invaluable to the board and our organisation.

Andrew Weil Chairman

CEO Report

In my first year as the CEO of Momentum Collective, I have enjoyed meeting the team members, clients, and volunteers across our sites and programs.

It has been both a busy and enlightening six months working with the board and Executive Leadership Team with many changes and challenges which were taken as opportunities to lead and grow. It was a time to reflect and reaffirm our purpose.

I’m pleased to say that we achieved another strong positive financial results this year. Our primary growth came from providing supports to 565 NDIS clients.

I have seen first-hand how our teams live and breathe our values. During my site visits, I noticed that our values are essential to the teams and a real commitment to applying them to our daily work. Our people make a real difference and rewarded with a purposeful career. They genuinely are gracious and work so well together. Thank you also to our volunteers who work with our teams –we appreciate your contribution and dedication.

The Cultural Awareness training was rolled out. This has helped us to understand and appreciate local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The program received excellent reviews from our 135 staff who completed the training sessions. The theme for Reconciliation Week this year was More than a Word: Reconciliation Takes Action.

Significant events were held within our communities in Tweed, Grafton, and Casino to recognise and celebrate Reconciliation. We continue to be committed to promoting Reconciliation in our workplaces and communities.

We recognise the power of partnerships and how essential they are for providing the best support to our clients and families. Our Alliance partnership is a strong example of our commitment to supporting our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities.

We continue to work hard on improving our organisation. Our FY 2022-24 strategic plan was launched at our leadership forum in June. We had the opportunity to meet as a leadership team and explore opportunities to work stronger together and bring our strategy to life through strategic projects.

As part of the new strategic plan, there are five main outcomes to be achieved:

• Grow

• Connect

• Innovate

• Invest

• Amplify

The strategic projects are working to improving our customer-centric service models, adjusting to news ways of working, improving the quality of our services and building our internal capability. Our outlook looks strong as we continue to grow and focus on the fundamentals of our purpose.

Our Supported Independent Living (SIL) program has had an important growth of 29% across our footprint. We continue to meet the need in this area, expanding our outreach and day programs.

The next financial year will be even stronger as we expand our footprint in the South East Queensland region.

I am grateful for the support of the board and Executive Leadership Team, who provided ongoing leadership and governance during a particularly challenging year. I want to thank and acknowledge each and every single employee for their valued contribution, making a significant difference, supporting and empowering people to live better lives. Your dedication, resilience, and commitment are improving the lives of so many.

Tracey Mackie CEO

Our Supported Independent Living (SIL) program has had an important growth of 29% across our footprint…

Messages of Support

Justine Elliot MP

Federal Member for Richmond

I write in support of the outstanding work of Momentum Collective in supporting the local community in my electorate of Richmond.

Momentum Collective is an organisation with a strong focus on creating real social change and inclusive opportunities. It’s been such a tough year for so many in our community. Throughout these challenges we’ve seen particularly seen the important role that organisations like Momentum Collective provide. Through their vision of getting people a roof, a job and to live a better life engaged with the community, Momentum Collective excels in their role as a local service provider.

Momentum Collective’s primary role is vital for women and children escaping domestic and family violence to rebuild their lives in safety. They also provide personalised support and programs for people living with disability and support people with mental health issues.

As the Federal Member for Richmond, I commend Momentum Collective for their service to our community and the vital role in providing services in our community.

Kevin Hogan MP Federal Member for Page

As a community, 2021 has seen us face many challenges. It is important to recognise Momentum Collective for another successful year in our community at such a time.

Momentum Collective continues to support thousands of individuals and families across the Northern Rivers and Far North Coast regions.

Congratulations to the CEO, Tracey, your entire team and all the volunteers for all your hard work. On behalf of my community, I thank you for all your support during these times.

Congratulations to the CEO, Tracey, your entire team and all the volunteers for all your hard work.

Tamara Smith MP State Member for Ballina

It has been yet another year of success at Momentum Collective. I am grateful for the tireless work that Momentum Collective has done for our community.

This year has been challenging for individuals and organisations, we have seen an unprecedented increase in mental illnesses, homelessness and unemployment as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Despite all of these challenges, Momentum has continued to thrive and provide exceptional services to the residents of the Ballina Electorate.

I commend Momentum Collective on their successful delivery of community services in Northern New South Wales. I particularly want to congratulate Momentum collective for the successful opening of the Ballina women’s refuge and the subsequent fundraiser held which I was proud to contribute towards.

Our community is lucky to have such a reputable organisation supporting them in difficult times.

Thank you to the management, staff and volunteers at Momentum Collective for their outstanding service to our community and wish you all the best for a wonderful year ahead.

Geoff Provest MP State Member for Tweed

A year ago, we were very much hoping that we would have seen the back of this awful pandemic by now. We are not there yet, but there is hope. A lot of that hope, for the growing number of people who most need it, is delivered by Momentum Collective.

There has never been a more important time for the myriad of little and not so little things delivered by Momentum Collective to the most disadvantaged citizens in our community.

It is a huge credit to its leadership and to all its people that it is not only surviving this unprecedented crisis, but expanding its services in the midst of it - south to Grafton and north into the Gold Coast.

Momentum Collective also played a key role in ensuring the homeless were counted in the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census227 rough sleepers in the Tweed on Census Night. This is extremely important for me as I go into bat for them at the funding table in government.

Thank you to everyone at Momentum Collective for another year of great service to our local community.

Janelle Saﬃn MP State Member for Lismore

Our local communities in Lismore and across the Northern Rivers face an acute housing crisis with an urgent need to build more affordable and social housing stock. Extremely low residential vacancy rates, which are at an all-time low, are further compounding this issue.

Momentum Collective has a proven track record of taking a direct approach to tackling homelessness and providing people with secure accommodation, from which they can live and thrive.

We have a shared passion for finding practical solutions to homelessness. I have been working closely with Momentum to lobby State and Federal governments to invest more funding in new affordable and social housing.

The message I have been repeating is that the more people we can house, the better for our society, and the better for our local and regional economies.

I commend Momentum Collective on its successful fundraising campaign to keep open the doors at the Women’s and Children’s Refuge in Ballina, providing crucial support for women experiencing domestic violence and coercive behaviour on a daily basis.

I also strongly supported Momentum Collective’s tender to build new affordable and social housing in Lismore under the NSW Government’s Community Housing Innovation Fund.

Momentum Collective’s team has briefed me on their plans to develop land they own in Uralba Street, Lismore, to deliver six new units of accommodation (1x1 bedroom with full disability access and 5x2 bedroom units).

I wish your organisation continued success in the coming year.

I commend Momentum Collective on its successful fundraising campaign to keep open the doors at the Women’s and Children’s Refuge in Ballina…

Vision Purpose Values

Vision

Empowered People, Connected Communities.

Values

Trust & respect

Wellbeing

Innovation

Working well together

Being gracious

Purpose

Momentum is a community collective creating social and inclusive change.

We help people get a roof, a job, live a better life and engage with the community.

Our Board

Andrew Weil

Chairman & Non-Executive

Director of the Board

Member of Strategy Committee

Audit & Finance Committee and Risk Committee

Annette Fale, MNZM

Non-Executive Director

Member of People & Culture Committee

Dr John Sturgeon

Non-Executive Director

Member of Strategy Committee Member of Property Committee

Mark Formaggin

Non-Executive Director, Chair & Member of Property Committee Member of Audit & Finance Committee, Member of Risk Committee and Strategy Committee

Tony Corcoran

Non-Executive Director Chair & Member of Risk Committee, Member of People & Culture Committee

Angela Stavropoulos

Non-Executive Director Chair & Member of Audit & Finance Committee

Terry Watson

Non-Executive Director

Chair & Member of Strategy Committee, Member of Audit & Finance Committee

Beth Barratt-Browne

Non-Executive Director Chair & Member of People & Culture Committee

Our Leadership Team

Dr Tracey Mackie

Chief Executive Officer

Sarah Dybing Service DirectorCommunity Programs

Trevor Shearn Service DirectorMental Health

Mark Edwards DirectorProperty, Housing & Strategy

Brendan Frawley DirectorMarketing & Digital Experience

Maryann Groth DirectorPeople, Culture & Change

Laura Kennedy Service Director DisabilityAssisted Living

Scott Loﬄer DirectorFinance

Fiona Miller

Service ManagerDisability Outreach

Our Impact

4,736 ProgramsCommunity(CP )

Mental Health (MH ) 277

• Empower! launch

• New NDIS Services

520 Community Housing (CH )

• Empower! launch (Hickey St.)

• New Community/Affordable Housing (Centre St.)

• Oaks Centre kitchen renovation

• Short term accommodation site renovations (Hotham St and Churchill St)

• New program Healthy Towns

• Launch Empower! Program

• 2 new Supported Independent Living Sites

• New Tweed Empower!

• Community Housing Capital Work upgrades (Mullumbimby, Tweeds)

TWEED HEADS

Evans Head

• New SDA property (Loganlea)

• Re-opened Women & Children’s Refuge

Lismore:

• 3 new Supported Independent Living sites (Nerang, Robina & Ashmore)

• New Mental Health Supported Independent Living site

• Women Up North Refuge Upgrades

• Community Housing Capital Work upgrades

Key Stats

Community Programs

Over the past twelve months, our community programs teams supported over 4,736 people across northern NSW. We are proud of our teams for their continued support and resilience in navigating the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions while continuing to provide vital support to our local communities.

Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS)

During the 2020-21 financial year, our SHS domestic and family violence services received funding for increased COVID-19 support. This funding provided an opportunity to hire our first technology-based caseworker to support women and children who could not access support outside of their homes. The ability to provide supports via technology was vital during times of stay-at-home and isolation health orders. This additional support ensured we could case manage, safety plan, deliver resources and link with other essential services for women and children who were otherwise unable to access these services.

In keeping with the NSW Premier’s priority to halve rough sleeping by 2025, our SHS case managers supported and participated in the annual rough sleeper count across the district. We also provided case management and wrap-around support through the expanded District Assertive Outreach program and our Tweed Assertive Outreach pilot program. These housing-first programs provide essential skills for people who have experienced many episodes of homelessness and sleeping on the streets, to become better equipped at maintaining successful housing.

During the year, our Ballina women’s refuge launched a campaign to raise much-needed funds. The refuge provides a safe place for over 130 women and children escaping domestic and family violence each year. It requires ongoing funding to deliver accommodation and vital domestic and family violence support services. In a bipartisan show of support, NSW MLC Catherine Cusack and MPs Tamara Smith and Janelle Saffin pitched in to help launch the fundraising campaign.

Local comedian and refuge ambassador Mandy Nolan committed to holding a community fundraising event in October 2021. We recognise and thank all community members, local organisations and businesses for their continued support and fundraising efforts.

Child, Youth and Family

In a year of increased pressure on youth, families and communities, our dedicated team continued to provide innovative solutions to assist families during hardship and lack of access to other services.

Our Brighter Futures program achieved great success in assisting clients to access the NDIS. We worked with NSW Housing to relocate families to more suitable homes and continued to work and reengage with remote Aboriginal communities in our region.

This financial year has seen the delivery and wrap up of a youth program funded as part of the Healthy Towns initiatives in the town of Casino. The project was a joint effort between multiple community services that established a group that delivered four vital and amazing programs in the Richmond Valley. These included youth leadership activities, a youth film festival, health and wellbeing activities, and cultural and reconciliation activities. The connections, cultural spaces created and skills developed for all youth that participated will have lasting positive effects in the community well into the future.

A big congratulations to all the youth group members and young people in the project, it was an amazing journey!

Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) Alliance

Momentum Collective is proud to be a part of a vital SHS Alliance that operates across many communities in the Clarence Valley and Richmond regions.

The partnership is vital to our regions as it offers placed based specialist services for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence, as well as, culturally appropriate and safe services for Aboriginal people and their families.

Our Alliance partners include: Women Up North, Clarence River Domestic and Family Violence Specialist Services Inc., Northern Rivers Community Gateway, Casino Boolangle Local Aboriginal Land Council & Gurehlgam Corporation.

Thank you again for another great year of partnership as we continue to make a difference to the lives of people in our communities.

Orange The World – Eliminating Violence Against Women

To show support of the United Nations 16 Days of Activism campaign, various teams across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast dressed in orange and created an orange workplace. The UN campaign aims to raise awareness about violence against women, challenge discriminatory attitudes, and calls for improved laws and services to end violence against women for good.

This year, we assisted Sam*, a long term Aboriginal Homelessness client, to achieve significant positive changes in his life. Sam lives with an acquired brain injury, sight impairment and has a life-threatening health issue. Our North Coast SHS team worked with Sam’s doctors to gather medical evidence, compile and submit his NDIS Access Request. Following a successful application, Sam engaged Momentum Collective plan management, support coordination and assistance with daily activities. Since accessing the NDIS, Sam’s overall health has improved. He is engaging in his community, increasing his social and economic participation. Most importantly, he has been able to reconnect with his children. Sam’s children have been visiting most weekends and have regular catch-ups after school. Recently, he was able to take them for their first-ever visit to a theme park for the day.

*Name changed for privacy.

Community comes together for renovation of Ballina women and children’s refuge

In December 2020, the beautifully renovated and disability accessible Ballina women and children’s refuge was officially reopened. The refuge team worked tirelessly, alongside many community supporters, to ensure the house offered a safe and welcoming space for women and children escaping domestic and family violence.

The community members and organisation who assisted with the refurbishment of the refuge included, RizeUp, Ballina-on-Richmond Rotary, Carpet Call and a local organic skincare company. We would also like to thank Adrian Wilsem, Manager of the Ballina Salvage Shed, for helping to prepare the refuge for opening in his own time. Local Rotary President Dave Harmon attended the refuge reopening, which collectively raised over $5K on the day among other generous donors. These funds will assist women and children when they transition from the refuge and set up their own new homes.

Community Housing

Every person should have access to a safe and suitable place to stay.

It has been another busy year for our Community Housing team. Amongst the challenges of COVID-19, our team has provided safe and secure housing, often with wrap-around support services, to over 520 housing clients.

It is well documented and accepted that we are now experiencing a social and affordable housing crisis with demand for community housing at record levels. As of June 2020, there were 3,495 people on the community housing wait-list in our region. A chronic shortage of all housing stocks and increased rental pressures are pushing out waiting times further. A recent Northern New South Wales profile reported that Byron had the highest proportion of households in rental stress (17.2%) in the region, the state average being 12.9%.

Momentum Collective supported a whole of community approach to address this problem and is working proactively with private landowners, councils, state & Federal governments and invites all affected communities to rally together to find alternative solutions. It takes a village.

Crisis Accommodation

Homelessness / Domestic and Family Violence

Momentum Collective has completed improvements to several of our refuge spaces, including capital works improvements and make-overs to ensure our properties are as well set-up and welcoming as possible.

• Re-opened Ballina refuge

• Assisted over 100 women escaping domestic and family violence assisted with crisis emergency shelter

• 115 people living with a mental illness provided with urgent accommodation and support

• Funding secured for major capital improvements and upgrades to two existing refuges in Lismore.

Transitional

Houses and Supported accommodation

Our transitional accommodation supports stays of up to 18 months.

• Five households accommodated in our Rent Ready program, which is supported transitional housing for people at risk of homelessness, including women escaping family and domestic violence.

• Eighty single people living with a mental illness and at risk of homelessness assisted.

• $300K of capital works improvements completed to a range of our older properties in Lismore, Tweed Heads and Mullumbimby, resulting in improved quality, safety and comfort of these spaces.

• Secured new funding to deliver supported accommodation for young people in Richmond and Clarence Valley LGAs from 2021 to 2023.

Social Housing

We have invested more than $1M to maintain and improve our housing stock over the last 12 months. This investment ensures living standards are maintained and improved.

• Twenty households were provided with long term social housing, more than half of whom were older people (over 60).

• Place-based initiatives were delivered in medium-density complexes to assist with the overall quality of life for all residents of these properties.

Affordable Housing

Construction commenced on an eight apartment complex located in Centre Street, Casino. The development will include one disability accessible unit. It will benefit key workers and other low-income earners that are contributing to their local communities. Units will be completed in early 2022 and combined with other place-based initiatives to boost community wellbeing and resilience.

Supported Disability Housing

We support our NDIS clients to access suitable living options.

• Six new properties were secured within the private rental market for NDIS clients

• Two of our respite properties used for short stays have been refurbished and updated

• Momentum Collective and ADAPT Housing partnered on a 10-unit SDA complex Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) development in Loganlea.

Other Housing Initiatives

We worked on several SDA partnerships with organisations such as Vera Living, Direct Property Network Casa Capace and Adapt Housing during the year. Access to a broader range of SIL and SDA properties is key to finding suitable housing for our clients. Best practice designs are incorporated to provide a highly modified home to support people living independently within their communities. During the year, we participated in the community housing industry’s cadetship program. Jointly funded by the industry and government, it has enabled us to employ young people to study toward their social housing qualification.

Special thanks

Special thanks to our dedicated CH Team who consistently go above and beyond, but also to all stakeholders including our tenants, private landlords, State and Local Government Departments, MP’s, Mayors and Local Councillors who have made positive contributions in our communities.

The Pathways Connecting Community

When Momentum Collective put out a call across the Northern Rivers region for local Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people to create an original artwork for their upcoming Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) the response was overwhelming.

The winning submission, titled Safe Connections, by Lismore based artist Patricia McGurgan captured the spirit of community and connectedness that Momentum Collective aspires to achieve through a broad range of services and programs to assist people in need at a local level.

“I’m a Ngemba woman from Brewarrina in NSW and I have lived in Bundjalung country since 1972 from a very early age,” Patricia says.

“I have always been an artist but I didn’t continue with my art once I had children to care for.

I joined an Aboriginal Women’s group through the YWCA in Lismore a couple of years ago and that encouraged me to get back into my art.”

Patricia, who is a Momentum Collective Community Housing tenant, says she found out about the art competition from one of the Elders at the YWCA group. “Aunty Jacqui Williams is part of the group and a mentor for me - she let everyone know about the competition. I thought, ‘I can do this’. “I thought, I can do this. I already had a connection with Momentum Collective so I felt like I understood what the organisation stood for,” she says.

“I’ve been with Momentum Collective for a while as a tenant in Lismore. I’ve always had a good rapport with my tenancy manager. I’m working on moving into a new place that is more suitable for my youngest son.

I have been in this house for about eight years; Momentum Collective has always been good to me.”

Patricia called the artwork ‘Safe Connections’ because Momentum Collective assists people to navigate different options and makes sure they stay safe and connected.

“Momentum Collective is the helping hands reaching out in the artwork. They provide different programs in local communities that need their support. It is my visual interpretation of what the organisation does in the community.”

Patricia says she was excited and shocked to hear that she had won the Reconciliation Action Plan artwork competition. “I was blown away when I found out I had won. I enjoyed the process and I was excited to work on a project that was connected to Reconciliation. I don’t recognise colour in people – I am very supportive of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The main thing is to be respectful of each other and treat each other well – that is how I was raised.”

With her artwork gaining recognition, Patricia is keen to continue to work on projects for individuals and community organisations. “I really enjoy the process. Art is a kind of therapy for me. I like to work with a brief – if people tell me what they want it helps. I have created some artwork for Social Futures and for the Far North Regional Land Council. Some of my artwork has also gone overseas. I had an American lady interested in my Bundjalung Dancing Sisters picture – she said it reminded her of her own sisters.”

“I was blown away when I found out I had won.”

~ Patricia

Everybody’s Home

There are more than 116,000 people in Australia, including 800 in the federal electorate of Page, who don’t have a safe, secure place to call home on any given night. The harsh reality is that homelessness is increasing.

Momentum Collective participated in the Everybody’s Home campaign, calling on the government to create more social and affordable housing. Lismore’s state MP Janelle Saffin, and Lismore City council’s Deputy Mayor Darlene Cook, attended a Homelessness Week event hosted by Momentum Collective, and both signed the Everybody’s Home campaign social housing pledge.

The pledge supports the building of 30,000 social housing units over the next four years across the country to help end homelessness. Events were also held in Casino and Tweed, where Tweed Council’s Deputy Mayor Chris Cherry attended and signed the pledge. Tweed Mayor Katie Milne also signed the pledge in support of the campaign as did the Mayor of Richmond Valley Council Robert Mustow, Mayor of Clarence Valley Council Jim Simmons, MP for Richmond Justine Elliot as did Ballina’s Tamara Smith.

The challenges of drought, bushfires, floods and now COVID-19 have certainly reaffirmed the importance of having a home to stay healthy and well.

Tenant Satisfaction Survey

Thank you to all of our Community Housing tenants who participated in the Tenant Satisfaction Survey.

The Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) conduct these surveys every two years. CHIA provides critical feedback about what we are getting right and, significantly, where we can improve.

87% of our tenants are satisfied with the services received (this is an increase from the 83% result in 2018 and above the standard expected of community housing providers).

There has been a vast improvement in the way we manage complaints, increasing from 44% in 2018 to 76% in the latest survey. We are pleased to see this improvement and will continue to improve our complaints management process in the future.

Overall satisfaction with our repairs and maintenance service remains a very high 84%.

Mental Health

The 2020-21 year has resulted in some outstanding outcomes for our clients and employees. Supporting over 428 people with mental health concerns, our teams have continued to deliver quality services and a person-centred approach through what has been a challenging year at times.

A focus for this year has been the opening of a new Supported Independent Living (SIL) property in Tweed Heads for mental health clients. The property offers three residents 24/7 recovery orientated support. Recovery can have a different meaning for different contexts. The NDIA defines it as achieving an optimal state of personal, social and emotional wellbeing, as defined by each individual, whilst living with or recovering from a mental health condition. We have achieved some great results together by supporting our residents to exercise choice and control, set goals, and increase social and economic participation.

This year also saw the expansion of our mental health NDIS in-home support service, supporting over 149 clients to develop and re-establish daily living skills and self-care strategies.

The intensive Community Recovery program in Grafton, Lismore and Tweed, was extended recognising positive client outcomes. We have continued providing this vital service for people requiring low to medium levels of psychosocial support.

During the year, Momentum Collective introduced recovery coaches in Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour. Our recovery coaches support participants with psychosocial disabilities to take greater control of their lives and to manage the complex challenges of day-to-day living better. By collaborating with participants’ families, carers, and other services, recovery coaches design, plan, and implement a recovery plan.

Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE)

We want to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our ADE employees at the Salvage Shed and Recyclers Op Shop this year. Their perseverance and adaptability throughout numerous lockdowns and restrictions meant that the operations could continue employing our 62 ADE employees. Luckily, with lockdowns offering up the opportunity for many community members to dig into home projects and renovations, our op shops remained busy and in demand.

Thank You Seaton Foundation

During the year, our On Track House in Tweed Heads received a $5K donation from the Seaton Foundation, which provided residents of the Residential Rehabilitation service with a new gym and meditation space. Our residential rehabilitation service helped people living with mental health issues to recover and rebuild their lives after being discharged from a hospital by providing accommodation and 24-hour support. The benefits of physical exercise and meditation are known to improve mental health and recovery. The gym was put together by the Momentum Collective team and residents who worked side-by-side to create a positive and accessible space.

Reaching goals at Recyclers

Tony recently celebrated his 12th work anniversary as an ADE employee at Momentum Collective’s Recyclers Op Shop in Tweed Heads. “I started working on a mowing crew about 20 years ago,” Tony says. “It was called Tweed River Valley Fellowship way back then, and I worked there for nine years before starting at the Op Shop.”

Working at the Recyclers Op Shop has given Tony extensive retail experience. He says the job offers lots of variety and flexibility. “I like working on the floor and meeting new people. Today I’ve been out the back pricing bric-a-brac and putting items in the shop for sale. Jenny (Jenny Carlan, CSM) says I have good communications skills, so I also work on the register. I’ve learnt some good skills, and I’ve completed certificates I and II in retail,” he says.

“I also really appreciate the understanding and support I get from Jenny and Brian. Tony says the ADE initiative gives people the chance to learn new skills, socialise and earn some money. “I would recommend it because it’s good for socialising and also for your mental health. You meet new people every day. You also earn some money, and that gives you more independence.”

Art as therapy

Meet Brogan, a proud Kamilaroi man and resident at our mental health supported independent living property in Lismore. Brogan has a strong religious faith, loves footy and his family. “I love my people and the town I come from,” he says.

In addition to this, Brogan is also an artist. He says a lot of his artwork inspiration comes from his pride and connection to the country. Brogan has been engaging in the art for therapy and enjoyment for quite some time now.

Supported by his outreach workers, Brogan has achieved so much and continues to be empowered while working towards reaching his goals.

The gift of music

The donation of an electric guitar to Momentum Collective’s Connections program in Tweed Heads has brightened up the lives of the people who visit the centre to access mental health supports.

Brothers Sid and Zain Constantine donated the guitar after raising funds on the music platform Bandcamp. The donation is in memory of their friend and fellow surfer Ky Farrell who experienced mental health issues and passed away in 2019.

Sid and Zain are members of Aeolian, a hardcore punk band formed in Banora Point in 1995 and performed locally until around 2004. After releasing their new track, they decided that rather than keeping the money from the sales, they would buy a guitar and donate it in honour of Ky.

“My brother Zain worked for Momentum Collective in the Connections Centre team. We wanted to donate to a mental health service in the area, and Zain suggested Connections because he knew they ran a music program,” Sid says.

Clients Gary and Danny visit the Momentum Connections centre for support and to join in with some of the programs on offer. They are excited to have a new guitar in the music room at Connections. “It’s a great guitar and will definitely be part of our weekly jam sessions here at Connections,” Danny said.

Disability

2020-21 has been a year of significant growth for our disability services across northern NSW and southeast QLD. We are proud of our client outcomes and what our teams have achieved as we adapted and pivoted to support over 555 people across a range of NDIS services.

Innovation and adaptability were key attributes to the success of our services this year. We applied a different approach to comply with COVID-19 restrictions whilst continuing to provide necessary supports. We want to extend a big thank you to all of our teams, as their commitment and dedication allowed us to maintain a quality and safe service for our clients.

Disability Assisted Living

This year we expanded our Assisted Living portfolio in southeast QLD with the addition of three new Supported Independent Living (SIL) properties on the Gold Coast and an exciting new partnership with Vera Living for a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) site in Coomera.

Another huge achievement was opening a 10 unit SDA property in Loganlea, built by Adapt Housing. As the chosen supported living provider, Momentum Collective provides customised 24/7 support and care for residents to live their best lives within the community.

Our footprint continues to expand, and we are excited for what’s to come in 2021-22.

Introducing our Empower! Program

In August 2020, we proudly launched a reimagined program of activities for people living with disabilities called Empower!

The Empower! program includes our centre-based services in Casino and Tweed Heads, in-home support services, and short-term accommodation (STA) services. The Empower! program provides a wide range of fun and educational activities focusing on building skills and experience in independence and daily living.

Available individually or in a small group setting, program choices can be delivered in-home, out and about in the community, at one of our Empower! centres or during STA stays. In addition to our two STA properties in Casino, Momentum Collective offers Community STA. We support clients to enjoy a group weekend away in a community setting. The program puts the needs of participants first and tailors activities to the goals and aspirations of individuals.

Our Tweed Heads Empower team moved into their new home at Corporation Circuit, featuring more space for our clients with a kitchen and art therapy area for skill-building activities.

In Casino, the Empower team continued to grow our centre-based services. We increased the variety of our programs and achieved outstanding results for our clients.

Most significantly, we have expanded the reach of our Empower services in Grafton and Southeast QLD, providing in-home support to over 100 new clients. We are excited to continue to grow in these regions.

Support Coordination

Support Coordination has seen significant growth throughout the year, supporting over 288 NDIS participants to access and coordinate services. With the introduction of two new local and highly skilled Support Coordinators in Grafton and Gold Coast, this service continues to build a network of excellent resources and offer our clients a diverse range of options and supports in their local communities.

Lifelong commitment to Learning

Tweed local David recently completed his Certificate II in hospitality at Kingscliff TAFE. David, who lives with a disability and has a lifelong commitment to learning, has been studying at Kingscliff TAFE since 2018. “I enjoy studying. I have done many courses at TAFE. My friends from Empower! (Momentum Collective’s disability support program) Trinity and Deb also did the Certificate II in Hospitality.”

David has an impressive portfolio of certificates from courses he has completed, including hospitality, customer assistance, food preparation and hygiene, serving non-alcoholic drinks, digital media, information technology, and volunteering.

“I would really like to volunteer with the SES or a rural fire service,” David says. “It was terrible to see the bushfires in 2019, and I want to give back to the community and help out. I think I will look into doing my first aid certificate soon.”

David’s support worker, Eilish, has trained as an Assistant in Nursing and will investigate a first aid course and enrol with David to support him with his goal.

“David is interested in the medical profession. He wants to volunteer, so we have talked about doing a first-aid certificate to help him meet that goal,” Eilish says. “My mum is a paramedic, so we are going to organise a visit to the ambulance service where she works. David can see first-hand how things work on the ground.”

David is excited about enrolling in a first aid course and visiting the ambulance station. “I take my hat off to the paramedics – they do an amazing job,” he says. “I hope that I can get involved in volunteering and be part of something good in the community.”

When he’s not attending classes at TAFE, David enjoys visiting cafes with Eilish and enjoying good food. “David enjoys experiencing new foods, so we often find new places to try out. We also regularly go to the Currumbin Sanctuary, and David’s face lights up.”

“I take my hat oﬀ to the paramedics – they do an amazing job. I really hope that I can get involved in volunteering and be part of something good in the community.”

~ David

Empower! STA Camp

During April, our Empower! program held a two day camp for NDIS clients at a fantastic farmhouse in Cawongla, NSW. Participants enjoyed bush walking, roasting marshmallows around the fire, board games, feeding animals, learning about and brushing the horses, and training around animals.

Short Term Accommodation (STA) provides support and accommodation outside of a participant’s usual home. The funding can be used to provide respite to families and carers and also allows participants to experience time away from home and gain independence.

Our Empower! Short Term Accommodation program is continuing to expand, and we look forward to offering more camps in the coming months.

Stay tuned for more adventures.

“I know more about being healthy and am trying to make healthier meals at home for the family.”

~ Deborah

Prioritising Health and Wellbeing

Deborah has been receiving supports from Momentum Collective in Casino, NSW, since 2015. Empower! is a second home for her. Deborah’s favourite part of the program is friendship, visiting the community gardens and going to the gym.

Deborah also loves to cook, and when asked what skills she has developed most, she answers, “I’ve been learning lots of things. Cooking, I’ve been learning what makes a healthy meal, what ingredients to buy and how to cook healthy meals.”

Deborah’s goals include improving her emotional and physical wellbeing. By participating in social activities with peers and building her skills, she aims to contribute more at home with her family.

“I am proud of being healthier, and I have lost weight and am exercising. I know more about being healthy and am trying to make healthier meals at home for the family.”

Momentum Collective support workers have also supported Deborah to develop her money skills, including budgeting for her groceries.

“I’ve been learning money skills like adding up grocery items and how much the whole grocery shop will cost. How much I need to give the cashier and how much change I should get. I’m getting better at knowing which money note to give to cover how much something is going to cost”.

Although COVID-19 restrictions have been challenging at times, Deborah has continued to excel and remains positive as she continues.

Governance

Our objectives and operational structure are built around a rigorous, professional, best practice framework that ensures we maintain:

• a professional and experienced board

• a management team with front-line experience and expertise across our services and programs

• provision of high quality, safe customer-centric care

• flexibility to grow and respond to the changing human services sector

• effective balancing of the needs of customers, funding bodies, regulators and the organisation

• well-embedded Risk Management Framework

• third party accreditation across all service streams

• extensive multidisciplinary allied health and support services network at the national, state and local level

• localised services to meet community and individual customer needs

• rigorous management of clinical risk, quality and customer safety.

We operate in an environment of complete accountability & transparency.

People & Culture

In 2020-21 the People, Culture and Change team focused on instilling a positive culture in the workforce during a time which has certainly had some challenges arising from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

The connection amongst our teams has been essential to ensure our service delivery across our footprint continues and ensure our employee’s sense of purpose. We have seen a change in how our workforce operates and has used technology to maximise our connections.

Wellbeing has been a focus for our workforce, and 2020 saw the introduction of our new Employee Assistance Program - Assure. The Assure program provides a wider range of services for all employees and their families to access support and resources. We want to acknowledge the extra mile our teams have taken. The persistence and the resilience demonstrated has permitted us to continue with services with little impact on service delivery for our clients.

Recognition Awards 2020

2020 had some time for celebrations of achievements for both our employees and clients. The Recognition Awards are held each year to honour and recognise Momentum Collective’s clients and employees who have supported others to achieve goals and demonstrated good citizenship within the organisation and wider community.

In 2020, we held the Recognition Awards Ceremony across Tweed Heads, Lismore and Coffs Harbour. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ceremony was a combination of live-stream and face to face acknowledgement. The success of 2020 was evident with 120 nominations received, and 20 employees and clients were awarded as winners.

Leadership Forum 2021

Momentum Collective’s Leadership Forum was held at Hastings Point on 1-2 June 2021. Employees identified as leaders in the organisation attended the forum. They focused on discussing and sharing ideas, future business strategies, and planning on achieving these goals.

Day 2 focused on providing audience-specific training from the LIFT Program, including budget management, decision-making, and values demonstration as a leadership team.

It was a valuable time to connect and discuss our business plans.

Cultural Awareness Training

Following its launch in 2019, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural training continued to be delivered across our regions. This year we were excited to have designed phase two of our Cultural Training. With permission from elders in the area, employees walk on land and visit a site of significance whilst being accompanied by an elder from the land sharing the stories.

Systems Improvement

Since 2018 Momentum Collective has been using Carelink technology to improve our service delivery for clients and make life easier for our teams. With the introduction of the Carelink Go Phone app, our teams have access to rosters and client information on their phones. With half of our workforce providing outreach services in the community, Carelink saves time and allows teams to view rosters and upload documentation on the go.

The software allows our teams to record and update important information on the care and services they provide to our clients. The app makes it easy for our teams to communicate and document all of the support activities with NDIS clients.

National Volunteer Week

During May 2021, we celebrated National Volunteer Week and acknowledged the fantastic contribution of our volunteers. Our team consists of over 40 volunteers across a variety of different roles.

A special thank you to those who dedicate their time and energy to supporting people in our local communities.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week was held 27 May to 3 June 2021. Local communities gathered together at Momentum Collective events in Tweed Heads and Casino to celebrate and acknowledge National Reconciliation Week. Our teams did a fantastic job of working together in coordinating these inclusive events.

607 Employees

104 Full-Time Employees

287 Part-Time Employees

216 Casual Employees

42 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander employees

94% 64% Female 36% Male

of our employees are engaged and committed in their roles.

11 full time 13 part time 18 casual of employees believe in the values of Momentum Collective.

85% Employees

Financial Summary

Acknowledging and immensely appreciative of the resilience of Momentum Collective’s front line and office-based workforce during what has been another extraordinary and challenging year.

Momentum Collective reports an Operating Surplus before gains / losses on investment properties and funds (out of) / to Sinking fund reserve, for the financial year ended 30 June 2021 of $818K (2020: $1,555K).

Momentum Collective entered the 2020-21 financial year well positioned.

Net Operating Surplus for the year ended 30 June 2021 was $824K (2020: $1,094K).

COVID-19 impacted our service delivery and workforce and brought new challenges and opportunities.

There was a positive boost to Momentum Collective’s results with a one-off time limited COVID-19 funding to support our frontline services working with people experiencing domestic and family violence, plus additional temporary NDIS financial support measures.

We generated strong business income from our social enterprises reflecting the surge in consumer demand for second-hand goods as a result of COVID-19.

We were successful in recommissioning for a further three years our Specialist Homelessness Services with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.

We commenced our Community Housing development project of an eight unit Affordable Housing property in Casino.

We commenced the development of our Strategic initiatives across the five strategic priorities:

Grow

Grow our impact through doing more of what we’re good at, in our current geographies

Connect

Build on our community connections

Innovate

Innovate our delivery of client outcomes

Invest

Enhance our capabilities through investing in our people, systems, and processes

Amplify

Amplify our impact through action, stronger communication, and advocacy.

Statement of Proﬁt or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income

Statement of Financial Position

Thank you

Momentum Collective provides life-changing services to thousands of people thanks to the ongoing support of our partners, providers, employees and volunteers.

We look forward to continuing to collaborate and innovate with these numerous supporters who share our vision for a strong, fair and inclusive community.

• Alstonville Rotary

• Ballina On Richmond Rotary

• Ballina RSL

• Country & Coast Magazine

• Country Women’s Association Ballina

• CS91 Active

• Department of Communities and Justice

• Department of Communities, Disability and Seniors

• Department of Health

• Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet

• Department of Social Services

• Equal Investments