Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Annual Report
12/13
Contents 03
About Spectrum
24
Our People
Our Mission
26
Our Board
04
Our History
28
Our Supporters
06
Chair’s Report
29
Get involved with Spectrum
07
CEO’s Report
30
2012-13 Financial Statement
08
The year at a glance
31
Other Disclosures
09
Our 2013-16 Strategic Plan
10
Settlement and Family Services
16
Training and Education
18
Aged and Disability Services
2
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Contact us
About Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre For more than 30 years, the Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre has supported generations of migrants and refugees to successfully settle and reach their full potential in Australia.
education and vocational training, and assisting older migrants and those with a disability to participate in an active and independent life at home and in their communities.
Our aim is to build more inclusive communities by working with our clients to build the skills, competencies and abilities they need to participate fully in Australian society.
We also advocate on behalf of migrant communities, bringing their voices to Governments and nonGovernment organisations to help inform and shape policy and service delivery.
We do this by providing a range of innovative and holistic services to newly arrived and established migrants: from settlement and family services to
Spectrum operates in Melbourne’s North and West metropolitan region, an area with a rich history of cultural diversity. Today, the North and West region is one of the most culturally diverse in Australia.
Our Mission Our mission is to work with migrants and refugees to help them successfully settle and participate in all aspects of community life. We do this by: ❚ Influencing society to build more inclusive communities;
❚ Delivering culturally appropriate and responsive settlement and family services;
❚ Empowering communities to identify and address settlement challenges;
❚ Providing culturally-tailored, hands-on and job-focused training that will lead to employment pathways; and
❚ Assisting ageing migrants and people with a disability to participate in life at home and in the community.
2012-2013 Annual Report
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Our History 1995 1980
Preston Reservoir Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) established.
2013
1984
Preston Reservoir MRC is incorporated.
A 40m mural is painted on the side of Spectrum’s Sunshine office by a group of seven young Brimbank people, as part of the B-creative Street Art mural project by City of Brimbank to engage youth through street art.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
1993
Preston Reservoir MRC becomes North Eastern Region MRC.
2012
Spectrum’s CEO, Rosemary Kelada, is one of the 2012 Telstra Victorian Business Women’s finalists in the Community and Government Award Category.
The innovative Il Luogo d’Incontro program for Italians with dementia is launched.
The organisation moves to Preston.
2011
Spectrum’s Sunshine office is officially launched to service migrant communities in the West.
Real People. Real Solutions. presenting the real life experiences of five migrants and practical solutions to real problems, is launched.
2007 2006 1998
Multicultural Home Support Service is established to provide home and community care for the growing ageing population.
2002
Parenting in a New Culture program is launched.
SkillFill is established to support skilled migrants who were falling through the employment system. Awarded a Job Network employment program contract.
2009 2010
Launch of the documentary You Can Do. I Can Do. showcasing Spectrum’s innovative multicultural and disability care approach.
The Creative Cultures Exhibition opens in Melbourne, showcasing the work of migrant artists, among them painter Abdul Hamid Abdullah, finalist in the 2011 Archibald Prize.
Former Spectrum employee and Board Member, Dr. Abdirahaman Mohamed Farole, becomes President of the Somali Region of Puntland. Spectrum celebrates its 25th anniversary at Government House.
The Ethnic Youth Council is established to give young refugees the platform to voice and action issues important to them. North Eastern Region MRC becomes Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre. Spectrum Immigration Services (SIS) is launched to assist those who don’t qualify for free legal advice. Spectrum Education and Training (SET) is established.
2008
Parenting in a New Culture program extended to newly arrived Liberian, Sierra Leonean, Congolese and Burundian communities.
Spectrum Education & Training (SET) is awarded the 2010 Hume City Council Business Awards for Most Innovative Provider of Education & Training Programs and the 2010 Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year Award.
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Chair’s Report I was delighted to be appointed as Chair of the Spectrum Board in December 2012, replacing outgoing Chair Sarah Hayton, and I’m pleased to say that my first six months have been busy and fulfilling. Being an election year, we have seen a number of key policy changes that have affected our sector and have prompted us to review our service offerings and strengthen the capacity of our business to succeed in a changing environment. There has been ongoing public debate surrounding the way in which individuals and families enter the country, with key policy changes introduced by the Federal Government affecting those seeking asylum in Australia. In response, the Spectrum Board took the strategic decision to expand our services to deliver much needed support to these vulnerable people. Spectrum continues to have an important presence in the aged care and disability services sectors. With Australia’s ageing population and the creation of the Federal Government’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), delivered through Disability Care Australia, demand for services in these areas will continue to increase. This is another growth area for Spectrum, and in response we have been working hard to improve our governance and capabilities in our Aged and Disability Unit. We are now one year into our 2012-16 Strategic Plan. Under the leadership of CEO Rosemary Kelada, the team has made considerable progress over the last 12 months against each of our seven Key Performance Indicators. The Spectrum management team has taken steps to improve the way the organisation operates and to strengthen their ability to deliver quality service and support to migrant communities by ensuring compliance with key regulations governing the sector. This is absolutely vital: without it, Spectrum’s ability to access essential funding is severely diminished. To facilitate this work, the Board approved several key management appointments this financial year.
In March, Howard Morey joined the executive team in the newly created position of Chief Financial Officer, charged with improving Spectrum’s financial management and reporting capabilities. Diana Mottram was appointed to another new executive role, General Manager People and Organisation Capability, in December, to guide the creation of a highly skilled and engaged workforce that is supported to deliver innovative services where they are most needed. Robyn Shilton also joined us in January as General Manager of our Registered Training Organisation. The Board has a sub-committee working with Robyn to develop a stronger compliance approach to the Spectrum Education and Training work to ensure we meet all the compliance expectations and responsibilities. Lastly, the Board also approved the position of Policy and Research Manager. This new role will focus on improving the way in which Spectrum advocates on behalf of the communities we serve and influencing policy regarding service delivery to meet the needs of migrant communities. The year has also seen a number of changes to our Board. We have welcomed two new Board members: Hayley Underwood and Georgia Prattis. Collectively, their contribution to the Board reflects a shift in our focus towards greater accountability and financial strength. We were also delighted to have Gabriel Edwards back on the Spectrum Board after a term of absence. During the year, we also farewelled Durkhanai Ayubi, Lyndal Turner Guy and Sonia Vignjevic. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank each of them for their contribution. Importantly, I would like to thank my predecessor Sarah Hayton. Sarah had served on the Spectrum Board since 2006, and was appointed Chair in 2012. In recent times, Sarah led the Board through the process of developing our 2012-16 Strategic Plan, which will see Spectrum become a more disciplined, focused and effective organisation for the benefit of all our stakeholders. I would personally like to thank Sarah for her contribution to Spectrum and on behalf of the Board, I’d like to wish her all the best in her future endeavours. Finally, I would like to recognise the fantastic work of our CEO Rosemary Kelada and the Spectrum team throughout the year. Their passion and dedication to improving the lives of migrants in Australia is truly inspiring. Anthea Green
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CEO’s Report Australia really is the lucky country. As you read the stories of the people featured in this year’s Annual Report, it is abundantly clear that the work we do at Spectrum has a profound impact in helping migrants settle and reach their full potential. Whether it’s helping reunite families, connecting people to essential services, or simply providing a sympathetic ear, Spectrum provides people with the support, tools and guidance they need to make the most of their new lives in Australia. Spectrum is in the fortunate position of operating across a number of key growth sectors: migrant settlement, aged and disability care, education and employment. This past year has been all about strengthening the capacity of our employees and our organisation so that we can continue to lend a strong voice and a supportive hand to migrants and refugees. Ensuring our compliance with the numerous regulations governing our sector has been a key area of focus, essential to assuring our ability to secure funding into the future. We have also consolidated the number of services we offer, allowing us to focus on building our capability to deliver in the areas where services are most needed. We are well established in Settlement and Aged Care, where we have a reputation for delivering innovative and culturally appropriate services. We want to leverage this reputation to further develop our existing services into areas such as Family Services and Disability Care. In recognition of the need to support families on the specific issues they face during their settlement journey, we have recently appointed a team leader and are now proactively looking for opportunities to partner with other organisations to deliver high quality services to migrant and refugee families.
With the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), more Australians are able to access disability support services. However, for migrants – particularly newly arrived migrants – awareness of these services and the ability to navigate the system is very limited. With our bilingual care workers, Spectrum is in a unique position to help connect migrants and refugees with disabilities with mainstream support and services. Another key area of focus has been advocacy. Our ability to advocate for migrants and refugees in these key growth areas is absolutely essential to our ongoing success. We have taken steps to further build on our capability in this area by creating a new Policy and Research Manager position, dedicated to further developing our advocacy capability. We have also expanded the capacity of the Research and Evaluation Officer position to support this important work. The wider-reaching unit focused on people and organisational capability, and the grant writing position has been aligned alongside the business operations reach. From an employee perspective, we have also invested in developing the professional skills of our people, supporting them to gain accreditation in the provision of migration advice and guidance and training and assessment services. We have also worked to ensure ongoing accreditation for our Multicultural Home Support Service (MHSS) workers. More broadly, we have had an organisation-wide focus on occupational health and safety and on embedding a culture of continuous improvement. We’ve also worked to build management and leadership skills. Together, these changes allow us to focus on delivering high quality, sustainable growth that responds to the changing environment and the needs of migrant communities. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of our Board, our partners, and the incredible efforts of our employees and volunteers. Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support and commitment. Rosemary Kelada
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The year at a glance Over the period July 2012 to June 2013, Australia welcomed 137,185 people from diverse cultures and nationalities.
12,209 arrived on
humanitarian visas
48,519 arrived on
family visas
55,685 arrived on
skilled working visas
Of those entering Australia on humanitarian visas in that period, the top ten countries of birth were:
➐United States of America United Kingdom
➎
Of those entering Australia on family visas in that period, the top ten countries of birth were:
➊People’s Republic of China
Thailand ➏ ➐Nepal ➊ ❸Burma ➏➍Vietnam ➒EgyptAfghanistan ➎ ➑Pakistan ➌Philippines ➋ India Malaysia ➍Iran ➑➋Sri Lanka ➓Sri➓Lanka ➒Indonesia Bhutan Iraq Pakistan
Source: DIAC Settlement Reporting Facility
Spectrum operates within the North and West metropolitan suburbs of Melbourne, a rich melting pot of cultures. It is one of the most culturally diverse regions in Australia. The North and West metropolitan region has a higher number of migrants who entered Australia on humanitarian visas than the Victorian average:
15.1%
35.4%
29.8%
of new arrivals in the North and West metropolitan region entered Australia on
of residents were born overseas compared to
were born in a non-English speaking country compared to
27.7% of residents
20.9% for Victoria overall
humanitarian visas
12.3%
compared to for Victoria overall.
in Victoria overall
37.8%
15.1%
speak a language other than English at home
have low levels of proficiency in English compared to
compared to 24.2% for Victoria overall
3.1% for Victoria overall
Source: DIAC - 2012 Local government area profiles North and West Metropolitan Region.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Our 2013-16 Strategic Plan
2012-2013 Annual Report
9
Settlement and Family Services Starting a new life in a new country can be stressful at the best of times, but when you don’t speak the language or are unfamiliar with local customs even the simplest tasks are difficult. This is the case for the majority of our clients. Then there are those clients who have much more complex needs. Those entering the country on humanitarian visas often require more specialised support. Our Settlement and Family Services unit aims to help new migrants and refugees develop the skills and knowledge and provide support to begin to build their lives as part of the Australian community.
Settlement support A migrant’s first days in Australia are crucial to ensuring they settle successfully. As part of the Humanitarian Settlement Services program (HSS), a Spectrum case manager is assigned to people arriving in Australia on a humanitarian visa. The case manager provides early practical support to new settlers. The case manager’s work begins before the client arrives in Australia, ensuring that there is someone at the airport to greet the new arrivals and take them to their accommodation. Once they arrive, Spectrum’s case manager visits the client to discuss their short term needs and helps connect them to all the services they require, from finding appropriate housing to applying for a tax file number, registering with Centrelink, accessing dental care and if necessary, enrolling children in school. Spectrum helped more than 500 people to settle in Australia as part of the HSS program in the past year in partnership with AMES. Casework picks up from where the HSS program leaves off. Through casework, Spectrum provides clients with ongoing support for up to five years. This might include support in finding employment, connecting to family counselling services or legal services. When casework can’t provide direct assistance, clients are referred to another Spectrum service or externally to other organisations. Spectrum assisted more than 1600 new migrants in the last year through casework.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
For clients with exceptional needs, we provide Complex Case Management. This is specialised and intensive support offered to people who have special needs that make the settlement process more difficult. These can include homelessness, chronic medical conditions, disability, mental health issues, family conflict or domestic violence. Our case managers work with clients to build their skills and reduce isolation, provide education and encourage participation in the broader community. The program emphasises people’s own strengths and is tailored to meet each client’s individual needs. Throughout the year, we provided Complex Case Management to 20 clients, some of whom were family groups. Four of these cases arose out of crisis interventions, and these clients were provided with immediate assistance. While two of the 20 clients were offered crisis intervention support for a two-week period, the rest required intensive case management for up to six months. When people are settling into their new life in Australia, there is a lot of information to take in. We take every opportunity to reinforce information clients hear in those early days. One way is through our Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). This program is delivered in partnership with the Northern AMEP, a consortium operating specifically in northern Melbourne. While clients are learning to understand and speak English, they are offered orientation sessions in their community language. The topics covered in the information sessions are similar to those provided to individuals through casework and
This was the case with the newly arrived Chin community. Case workers noticed that the men were having difficulty completing their Centrelink paperwork and consequently were missing their payments.
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Sometimes our case workers notice an issue that is appearing consistently across a particular migrant group and step in to provide assistance.
Spectrum’s Settlement and Family Services worked with Centrelink to run an information session for the Chin community. Centrelink’s Community Liaison Officer explained how the forms needed to be completed and provided other helpful information such as the danger and consequences of undertaking “cash in hand” work. Settlement and Family Services ran just under 100 information sessions like this, on a variety of topics, for almost 2000 clients throughout the year.
aim to provide migrants with practical skills to settle in by reminding them of the services and systems available in Australia. Spectrum delivered five bilingual courses such as these throughout the year, helping 125 students. Reuniting families is one of the most important aspects of our Settlement services. Our registered migration agents provide many migrants with advice in bringing their families over to Australia. To assist in this, last year Spectrum was able to offer the microfinance initiative No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) to partially fund the visa application fee. NILS is intended for newly arrived families who are settling in Australia. The funding is provided through Good Shepherd and the National Australia Bank and allocated by authorised organisations, such as Spectrum. People can borrow up to $1,000. Spectrum’s Settlement & Family Services issued 65 No Interest Loans to the total of $33,564 in 2012-13, with nine of those loans being used to fund visa applications.
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Ongoing Settlement support Once migrants have settled in to life in Australia – finding a home, enrolling children in school, gaining employment - their support needs change. The focus shifts to helping them to live within societal and cultural norms and participate fully in their relationships with each other and the wider Australian community. Spectrum runs a range of programs that work to empower migrant communities by giving them the support, skills and tools they need.
Empowering migrant communities The Refugee Action Program (RAP) is an initiative of the Office for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship. Based on an innovative community development model, RAP identifies local solutions to address local issues, working in partnership with service providers and refugee communities. Spectrum MRC is one of the key providers for the North West area along with the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Ecumenical Migration Centre. In the last year, RAP ran a range of activities including: • supporting community members with job applications; • facilitating community information sessions to junior doctors and allied professionals to ensure they have basic knowledge/skills to deliver health workshops to RAP groups; • referring community members to parenting sessions and to family service support and counselling programs; and • providing referrals to leadership courses. Groups consulted through RAP include the Kurdish Women’s Group, the Bhutanese Community, the Turkmen Community, the Somali Communities (Somali Action Group, Somali Association of Victoria, Somali Youth Organisation), the Oromo Association & Oromo Women’s Group, the Asylum Seeker Group and Whittlesea Community Connections.
for employment, it also means being able to go shopping or to take children to school, sport and social activities with ease. We often take this for granted, but for someone recently relocated, being able to drive could represent the key to a successful settlement outcome. Drive to Thrive is a driving program specifically designed for newly arrived refugees. Participants are assigned a buddy from a pool of volunteers, who provide driving lessons. Drive to Thrive is funded jointly by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.
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Driving skills are key to helping many refugees and newly arrived migrants settle successfully in Australia. Being able to drive not only increases the opportunities
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A Faili Kurd, the mother arrived in Australia by boat in 2011 with her family and was granted an 866 Protection visa. However, her son remained behind, having escaped from Iran to Turkey due to concerns about his own personal safety and security.
Without her son, the mother had become anxious and depressed, making her transition to a new life in Australia all the more difficult.
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To celebrate Refugee Week 2013, RAP produced a series of stories told by individuals who are passionate about their communities.
Two years after arriving in Australia with her husband and young daughter after escaping Iran, a mother was finally reunited with her 17 year old son with the help of Spectrum’s migration agents.
Eager to be reunited with their son, the family came to Spectrum seeking assistance to bring him to Australia. They were seen by one of our migration agents, who worked with the family through the visa application process. In July 2013, a Child visa was granted for their son and Spectrum worked with the family to organise his travel from Turkey to Australia. The boy arrived in Australia and was united with his family in Melbourne.
Twelve newly arrived migrants participated in the Drive to Thrive program last year. The majority of these were under the age of 35 and were pursuing a driving license to help them gain employment. For almost all participants, the program provided their sole avenue of support in learning to drive. Happily, most of the 12 participants obtained their license and just under a third secured employment as a result.
Supporting strong and healthy family relationships One of the most difficult aspects of resettling in a new country is adjusting to different sets of laws and cultural norms governing family relationships. While parenting is never an easy job, doing it in a context where cultural and social values can be very different from those from the country of origin can add a new level of difficulty to the task. Spectrum’s Parenting in a New Culture program engages community leaders and provides hands-on assistance to strengthen and support parents in developing positive parenting skills. Almost 380 parents from the Burundi, Sierra Leonean, Liberian and Congolese communities took part in the program over the last year. The discrepancy in cultural and social values between Australia and the country of origin is also one of the issues underlining relationship conflicts in migrant families. Spectrum’s Healthy Relationships in a New Culture program promotes change in attitudes and behaviour among communities from diverse
backgrounds in relation to violence against women. The program is designed to meet the specific needs of different cultural groups. Focus groups are held to understand the issues and the information gathered is used to develop a tailored training package. Community representatives are then invited to attend four training sessions to become Community Ambassadors and, in turn, commit to deliver three information sessions in their community and present a theatre forum, developed in collaboration with an artistic director. Almost 300 members of the Indian and South Sudanese communities attended one of 36 theatre forums in the last year, and a further 11 community presentations were held. The program has since been extended to the Somali and Iraqi (Arabic and Kurdish speaking) communities based in metropolitan Melbourne. The Men’s Family Relationship Support Program offers Iraqi, Sudanese, Kurdish, Somali and the Arabic speaking Kurdish and Sudanese men a forum where they can meet and discuss common issues related to family relationships. The program is structured through information sessions that cover topics such as family relationships, parenting in the new culture, intergenerational conflict, family breakdown, youth issues, and family system transformation. During the 2012-2013 financial year, 57 community education sessions were run and a further 106 social support sessions were held to enhance social connectedness and strengthen networks.
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Supporting migrant children to thrive in Australia Adolescence is difficult at the best of times, but is all the more difficult for young people settling in a new country. Working in partnership with local councils, English language schools, local schools, service providers and TAFE colleges, Spectrum offers a range of programs designed to help young people aged 12 to 25 from migrant and refugee backgrounds thrive in Australia. Sport has a prominent place in Australian culture. Participating in sport can help young migrants and their families to better connect to their local communities. Through our Sports and School Holiday Programs, young people are given the opportunity to socialise and make friends while receiving mentoring support. For youth from newly arrived communities, the Sports and School Holiday Programs represent often the first contact with organised sport.
The programs stretch young people beyond the physical demands of the sport: they learn the importance of arriving on time for a training session, how to use public transport to reach the sporting facilities and to interact with people from different faiths and cultures. The Sports and School Holiday Programs, supported by the Victoria Police and Local Governments, include sport tournaments, summer camps, weekly soccer, volleyball and basketball sessions as well as visits to swimming pool, camps, attending sports events and social outings. From the many years in which we have been involved with migrant and refugee communities, two issues consistently emerge: a desire to have a voice and the need for ethnic-youth friendly social activities. Spectrum’s Ethnic Youth Council (EYC) consists of young people aged 15 to 25 years who are passionate about becoming leaders in their communities. The members of the EYC meet regularly and represent their peers in addressing issues faced by young Australians, particularly those from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Every year the EYC plays an active part in the celebration of Harmony Day with specific youth events. Other activities undertaken on a regular basis by the EYC include an annual Youth Leadership Camp and activities during Refugee Week.
Supporting those who cannot access subsidised services Spectrum established fee-charging immigration services in 2007 to provide a valid alternative for those migrants who, for a number of reasons, are not eligible for any kind of free support, and to support those coming to Australia on skilled migrant visas. In the 2012-13 financial year, 281 clients sought our feecharging immigration advice. More than half came from Africa and the Middle East, with a further 18% coming from Asia.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
One of the stories presented in the ‘Stories of the World’ film is that of Khangendra Acharya. Khangendra was two years old when his parents, forced to leave Bhutan because of their ethnic and religious background, took whatever they could carry and fled. He and his four year old sister were carried on their parents’ backs as they crossed a vast rainforest to reach security before settling in a refugee camp in Nepal. It is there that Khangendra was going to spend the following twenty years of his life, with no health or educational facilities, amidst overcrowding, substance abuse and general lack of infrastructure. Khangentra’s parent’s application as humanitarian refugees was eventually accepted and Khangendra and his family arrived in Australia three years ago. Coming to Australia after spending his entire life in a refugee camp was a huge cultural shock for Khangendra, but he is now a confident young man who just completed his year 12 VCE and is studying to become a nurse, his dream being to gain more professional skills to help and support other refugees. The involvement with Spectrum’s EYC program has given Khangendra the opportunity to learn important leadership skills that he is now using to support his community.
Homework is another aspect of life that presents challenges for young people and their parents. Although often fluent in many languages, migrants may not arrive in Australia with a good knowledge of English. Other issues, such as lack of access to schooling in the country of origin or disrupted education due to conflict and war, make it particularly difficult for parents to support their children with the homework and to take active role in school activities. Run entirely by volunteers, the Homework Support Program offers students weekly support with their homework and where needed, language, literacy and numeracy skills. In 2012 the program expanded to include a parent support program, offering literacy, numeracy and computer skills so that parents can better support their children while becoming active members of their school communities.
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To celebrate Refugee Week 2013, EYC created and screened ‘Stories of the World’ a short film about the refugee experience of young refugees who came to Australia from Bhutan, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan. The film explores the implications of being a refugee in Australia today. The youth featured in Stories of the World live in the Hume areas of Broadmeadows, Meadow Heights, Lalor and Glenroy. According to the 2011 Census, Hume is an area of increasing multiculturalism, with 32% of the Hume population born overseas, a 25% increase compared to the 2006 data.
Over the last year, the program supported 146 students from schools in the Melbourne’s North through the commitment of 50 volunteer tutors. The average participation was about 55 students from primary and secondary classes for every session. Participants in the parent support program reported that they were able to use the extra time they have available while waiting for their children in the homework club to “get help sending emails, learning typing, catching up on the news and learning to use the computer”. They were able to use these skills to communicate with family and friends as well. Highlights of the past year include five of our Year 12 students being accepted into university, one parent becoming a member of their children’s School Council, and two former students returning to the Homework Support Program as tutors.
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Training and Education One of the ways in which we support our communities to reach their full potential is by providing training services specifically designed to address the needs of the communities while achieving sustainable employment outcomes. Since 2008, the Registered Training Organisation, Spectrum Education and Training (SET), has provided opportunities that are industry recognised and that can lead to jobs in areas of high demand. Every student arrives at SET with a different story: young adults who dropped out from mainstream high schools, parents who return to work after having been away from the workforce for many years, older people who, for different reasons, are seeking to re-enter the job market and feel inadequate to do so. We strive to ensure that every student has a positive experience, that everyone is treated with respect and honoured for the experience that he or she brings to the learning environment. Our courses are delivered through a combination of intensive classroom activity and a supportive training team to give each student the foundation to enter their practical placement with confidence. We are proud of the number of SET graduates who find ongoing employment with the practical placement host employer. All of our courses are designed to help participants find sustainable employment. In the 2012-2013 year we focused our training programs on industry areas where there is a great demand for workers: children’s services, services for the aged and services for people with disabilities. SET delivered Certificate III in Children’s Services, Diploma in Children’s Services, Certificate III in Aged Care, Certificate III in Home and Community Care, and Certificate IV in Disability in response to industry and community demand.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
A significant number of our students also gained the Certificate II in General Education for Adults, a course to develop literacy, numeracy and education skills while preparing the students to participate in further study and employment. Certificate II in General Education provides support for those returning to the classroom after a break. All of our accredited courses have a practical placement component where students get the opportunity to put into practice the theory that they have learned in class. Today’s workers are increasingly expected to have qualifications and high level knowledge of regulations pertaining to specialised industries. Our students are among the thousands of Australians who are striving to improve their chance of securing sustainable and satisfying work. SET students tend to be from areas of low education and high unemployment. For example, a large number of our students come from the Hume local government area, where education levels are significantly lower than the average for the greater Melbourne area, and where almost 7% of the population is unemployed. The Future Pathways program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Human Services under the better Futures Local Solutions initiative and is specifically aimed at Hume residents. Forty students attended the program with 33 successfully completing their training in either Certificate III in Children’s Services or Certificate III in Aged Care. Nineteen of the Future Pathways graduates went onto further study or employment immediately after course completion.
459 1329 60%
Data refer to the 2012-2013 financial year
Students received training delivered by SET, together with other partner training organisations
More than 60% of students described themselves as unemployed seeking full-time work and had achieved a year 12 education or lower
female
Our students were predominantly female
588
Students came from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, including 588 Australian-born
Leyla came to SET after many years away from study. She was in her forties with older adolescent children and English is not her mother tongue. Leyla was eager to gain training that would lead to a rewarding career. Leyla graduated in 2012 and is now working in an Aged Care Facility. “I came with my family to Australia from Turkey when I was 16 but I had never worked or studied before. When I enrolled at SET I wasn’t even able to fill in the application form. I was sitting there and I was shaking, almost crying. I was telling to myself: Leyla, what are you doing here? You can’t do this, you are not smart enough, your English is not good enough. But then I knew that I needed to try, so I wrote my name and asked the trainer to give me a chance, that I couldn’t fill in the application form but I knew I could do the course.
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Certificates awarded with many students continuing their studies into the new financial year
During the course I learnt so many things: not just the subjects we
studied but life experience. It was hard. Now sometimes it’s difficult for me to believe how much I have achieved. I look at myself
and I think, where did this Leyla come from? Has she always been
inside me? Every time I go to work I am so happy and proud. For me it
doesn’t feel like a job, it feels more like going to a party and every day I work I meet my friend, and we talk and laugh and we share stories. I feel so happy and blessed with my work. I have become a different person.”
2012-2013 Annual Report
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Aged and Disability Services Starting a new life in another country presents different challenges for different age groups. For the elderly and people with a disability, migrating to Australia can often bring isolation due to poor English language skills, the absence of familiar networks and, for the aged in particular, a change in the status accorded to elders in their land of birth. Spectrum’s Aged and Disability Services works to overcome these challenges, assisting older migrants, people with a disability and their carers so they can fully participate in life at home and their community, helping them reach their full potential as active members of society. All our Aged and Disability programs are tailored to the specific cultural needs of the clients, bringing the solace of having the support of someone who knows the culture and speaks the same language. People are generally happier in their own homes. In recognition of this, our Multicultural Home Support Service (MHSS) provides in-home assistance to elderly and migrants with a disability, helping them to live socially active and independent lives.
Perhaps most importantly, our MHSS support workers offer companionship; someone with whom their client can exchange small talk, read the newspaper, laugh at an old joke or simply hold hands while reminiscing about the past.
We understand how important it is for the elderly and for people with a disability in particular to be able to express themselves in their own language and interact with others who understand their culture. For this reason, we employ people who know the language and culture of the person in their care.
The team also support the primary carers, providing much needed respite and time away from their responsibilities.
Our MHSS support workers prepare meals, do chores around the house, help with personal care and grooming, and accompany their clients to appointments, providing practical support that makes a real difference in the person’s ability to remain independent for a longer time.
The program operates across Melbourne’s North and West metropolitan region. In the North, we tend to have clients from Italian, Macedonian, Greek, Arabic and Turkish backgrounds, while in the West clients are more likely to be Croatian, Spanish-speakers, Macedonian and Vietnamese. There are also a number of new and emerging communities in the West who are beginning to require aged care support such as communities from India and Burma.
Predominantly: Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Macedonian, Spanish, Latin American, Turkish, Mandarin, Maltese, Cantonese, Arabic, Croatian, Tagalog (Filipino).
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
However, as she came to trust her Spectrum ACHA worker, she revealed that she had in fact been a silent victim of domestic violence, something she had never been able to discuss before, not even with her family doctor. The first action was to refer Ishtar to a female Persian speaking doctor and to put her in contact with In Touch, a centre specialising in supporting women of migrant backgrounds who experience domestic violence. During her next contact with us, Ishtar revealed that her husband and daughter had left, leaving her unable to cover the expenses for her rental accommodation. Facing eviction, Ishtar needed help to obtain transitional housing and to split her public housing application from that of her husband and her daughter.
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Ishtar*, an older Iranian woman, was referred to Spectrum’s Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) to help her apply for public housing. Ishtar, who lived with her husband and their 26 old daughter, initially claimed she needed housing that provided her with her own bedroom as her husband snored very loudly at night.
When Ishtar left her house, we helped her find a place to store her furniture. After a period of ‘couch-surfing’ between different houses, we were able to help Ishtar to secure transitional housing, although more practical support was needed when she was asked to remove the furniture she had stored with her friends. Ishtar also required legal support to initiate divorce proceedings against her husband and to obtain an intervention order. She also needed help applying for a Centrelink pension.
During this time, the Spectrum ACHA worker was at her side, providing emotional and practical support, advocating for her and linking her to the appropriate services. Today, Ishtar lives independently and happily in her public housing and with further support she has mended the relationship with her daughter, who now visits her regularly. *not her real name
Providing opportunities to socialise outside of the home is an important part of helping to minimise loneliness and social isolation often felt by the elderly. Spectrum runs a number of programs to help improve the quality of life for our elderly clients and support them to maintain the skills needed for everyday living. Our Planned Activity Groups (PAG) provide opportunities for members of specific migrant communities to come together once a week at a community centre to enjoy group activities such as basic English classes, gentle exercise, information sessions on topics of interest and culturally-specific activities. Outings to art galleries and museums, and celebrations of culturally relevant anniversaries, are also organised. In the last year, clients visited the Botanical Garden, the Immigration Museum, Parliament House, Werribee Mansion, Melbourne Aquarium, Puffing Billy and Ballarat Mansion, among other places.
We run two PAG programs: •
PAG High, for frail, older people aged over 65 who live in Darebin, Whittlesea, Banyule, and Moreland. In the last year, 78 clients from Italian, Polish and Macedonian communities took part in the PAG High program.
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PAG Core for people over 55 who are socially isolated and disadvantaged who live in Darebin, Whittlesea, Banyule, Moreland and Hume. Over the last year, 63 Macedonian and 220 Chinese clients, as well as clients from new and emerging communities, represented by 15 Somali, 15 Sri Lankan, 20 Assyrian Chaldean, 22 Punjabi and 22 Bhutanese clients.
Both PAG programs are funded by Home and Community Care (HACC) through the Department of Health.
Photo by Alzheimer’s Australia VIC
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The same philosophy behind these programs underpins the activities offered at Spectrum’s respite centres: the Clifton Respite Cottage and the Whittlesea Respite Centre. Our respite centres provide onsite respite seven days per week to frail, older migrants with employed carers or carers wanting to return to the workforce. The service helps the carer to balance their employment with their caring role. The respite centres are seen as a home away from home by participants and incorporate bilingual staff, culturally appropriate activities, home-style ethnic meals prepared on site by cooks and transport to and from home. In the past financial year the Clifton Respite Cottage has offered respite opportunities to 105 clients from the Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and Macedonian communities for a total of 20,597 hours. The newly opened Whittlesea Respite Centre caters for 33 clients from the Filipino and Chinese communities. Spectrum also provides respite to carers of migrants through our National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP). The NRCP is designed to support and assist Primary Carers of people who are unable to care for themselves because of frailty or disability. The NRCP offers up to four hours a week of respite to carers of frail aged people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. We consult with both care recipients and carers to develop an individual plan which is then carried out by our support workers that share the same cultural and linguistic background as the clients. The program is offered in the Northern Region of Yarra, Darebin, Hume, Moreland, Banyule, Whittlesea and Nillumbik. The NRCP is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.
Between 2006 and 2011, the rate of homelessness in Australia has risen 8%, according to the 2011 Census. Taking into account the increase in population that occurred between the two censuses, the actual number of homeless people has increased by 17%. Homelessness is not a choice and often arises as a consequence of domestic violence, unemployment, mental illness, family breakdown and substance abuse. Homelessness is one of the main causes of disadvantage and social exclusion. The Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) program was created to support older people to secure or maintain housing and care in order to effectively live in the community. The program is designed to support those who are frail, on a low income, in insecure rental housing or homeless, and who are from a migrant background. Clients receive assistance and support with care and housing and where appropriate, are linked to existing community care services. ACHA is funded federally by the Department of Health and Ageing for people who live in Whittlesea, Darebin, Banyule and Yarra and is offered by Spectrum to Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Spanish, Mauritian, Somali, Sudanese, Filipino, Indian, Egyptian, Macedonian, Iranian, Afghanistan, Iraq, Maltese, Greek and Sir Lankan communities. In the last year, Spectrum offered direct support to 135 older clients and to an additional 38 people who were dependants or cohabiting with older migrants eligible for the service. Social isolation, financial disadvantage, lack of knowledge and confidence can impact older people or migrants with a disability from accessing services.
In the past financial year we have assisted 84 carers, with the majority of clients coming from Italian, Greek, English, Macedonian and Vietnamese backgrounds.
New and emerging communities. Photo by Alzheimer’s Australia VIC
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
For those eligible for Home and Community Care (HACC) support, Spectrum offers additional support through the Access and Support program. In the last year, our bilingual support workers provided 568 hours of direct client support, visiting clients in their homes, assessing their needs and referring them internally to other services provided by Spectrum or, where required,
The Access and Support program is funded by the Department of Health and is offered by Spectrum in the north and inner west areas of Melbourne.
Well before the digital era, social clubs gave migrant communities the opportunity to socialise in the new country and build much needed networks. The Northern Federation of Ethnic Senior Citizens was created by Spectrum in 1998 to give the representatives of ethnic social clubs located in the North East a forum to meet monthly to discuss issues of interest, share experiences and learn from each other. Executive representatives from 72 ethnic social clubs representing around 3000 members from the Italian, Greek, Vietnamese, Maltese, Filipino, Macedonian, Spanish, Mauritian, Indian and East African communities meet monthly at Spectrum to discuss common concerns, suggest new ways in which Spectrum can support them and also to learn important living skills. The Federation represents another way in which we fulfill our vision of supporting generations of migrants and refugees reaching their full potential.
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referring them to external services. The Access and Support worker also takes on an advocacy role as the worker is sometimes the clients’ only voice.
The calendar of topics presented monthly are discussed and agreed on with Spectrum’s Federation Coordinator who facilitates the meetings and sources relevant guest speakers and materials to support the discussion. Topics presented in the past year include computer training, assistance to fill in forms to apply for grants and community education. One highlight was the delivery of a first aid training session (organised with VicHealth funding) to show club leaders basic first aid techniques, a valuable skill to support members in emergency situations. This program receives funding from Home and Community Care (HACC) Program while the grant to run the sessions is provided by the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).
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New and emerging communities Migrating communities change over time. Established communities are those which have been present in Australia for some time, and have developed strong networks and are generally well integrated within the general population. For those in new and emerging communities such as the Bhutanese, the Chin and the Sudanese, that support network is not available and is exacerbated by poor English language skills and a lack of awareness and links to existing services and systems. These elements can all contribute to a sense of isolation and can translate in real disadvantage, preventing communities from realising their potential. Spectrum’s Small and Emerging Communities programs are designed to provide information and support, raising awareness of existing aged care services so that the communities can fully take advantage of those services. There are different streams of funding available to support small and emerging communities. One of these is provided by the Department of Health and Ageing
Through ACSIHAG, Spectrum is supporting the Bhutanese, Iranian, Burmese (Chin), Punjabi and Sudanese communities living in the cities of Hume, Moreland, Yarra, Brimbank and Moonee Valley. In the past year, we have worked with more than 80 representatives of each community, helping them connect to mainstream services in the aged care, health, education and transport systems. Another program designed specifically for these groups is the Small & Emerging Communities (SEEC) program. Similar to the Planned Activity Groups, this program is funded by the Department of Health (with the Bhutanese activity group funded by the Aged Persons Welfare Foundation) and is offered to those aged over 55 in Darebin, Whittlesea, Banyule, Moreland and Hume and who are experiencing social isolation. Around 80 clients have participated in onsite activities and social outings throughout the year, covering the Assyrian, Punjabi, Sri Lankan, Somali and Bhutanese communities.
Funding specific, innovative programs using mainstream sources can be difficult, especially when the programs take an approach that is different from existing services and therefore present only preliminary anecdotal evidence. But innovation is at the earth of Spectrum’s vision and when our efforts are recognised (in 2007 with the Award for Innovation and Excellence in Primary Health for MHSS and in 2010 in the Hume City Council Business Awards for Most Innovative Provider of Education & Training Programs), we know that we are on the right path. Our Il Luogo d’Incontro (The Meeting Place) is one such program. Made possible by a generous donation from a Northcote businessman, Il Luogo d’Incontro is a program for elderly Italians with moderate to high levels of dementia. Over the last year, ten Italian men and women have been meeting weekly. Time spent together reduces social isolation, alleviates depression and improves self-esteem.
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(DOHA) under the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Project (ACSIHAG).
They occupy themselves with familiar activities, such as preparing homemade pasta, bottling olives, repairing tools or visiting the local hardware store. The sessions are always accompanied by a delicious meal prepared by Italian cooks. The program gives us the opportunity to offer a specialised and tailored service to a community which is still underrepresented when accessing services.
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Supporting people with disabilities Spectrum offers a number of services to address the specific needs of those with a disability and their carers within migrant communities. People from migrant backgrounds are underrepresented when it comes to using available services to help those with disabilities to live a more comfortable and active life. Our 200 bilingual support workers together speak more than 50 languages, allowing us to match the clients according to interest and personality as well as language and culture. We provide in-home support to facilitate access to services in the local community, as well running activities such as cooking groups, swimming at the local pool, or taking part in social games nights. Sports also plays an important part with regular visits to games during the AFL season.
The benefits are mutual. The students gain an understanding of dementia, while the weekly activity provides the older migrants with an opportunity to reminisce about the past while engaging in something that is familiar and meaningful. Cultural Connections - Gardening Across the Seasons is funded by the Department of Health and Ageing. Similar to The Cultural Connections, the Preston Market Project is based on an innovative care approach that offers culturally appropriate activities to the clients, while providing respite to their carers. The project is as simple as its name and involves taking three carers and their care recipients on weekly outings to the Preston Market for a two hour period. Our support worker stays with the clients while their carers are able to do their weekly shopping. If we were to single out one element able to bring generations of people together and to overcome geographical, historical and cultural divides, that would be music!
Over the last year, we provided more than 13,500 hours of service to 66 clients with a diverse range of backgrounds and disabilities, including autism, intellectual and physical disability, Down syndrome, hearing and vision impairments, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, bipolar disorder, multiple sclerosis, neurological disorders and epilepsy.
We have recognised this with the creation of the Spectrum Multicultural Choir in 2006. The choir brings together more than 50 participants from Assyrian, Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese backgrounds. Their average age is 60 and their oldest member, aged 85, still sings loud and clear.
The aim is to inspire our clients to find a way to pursue their passions and interests while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and learning new skills. We help clients and their families to identify new possibilities and support their independence, making sure they are always safe.
The choir meets monthly to rehearse a repertoire that includes traditional songs in several languages, church hymns as well as pop tunes. Last year, the choir undertook six performances, including an appearance at the Darebin Arts and Entertainment centre for the HACC Dementia Alliance Expo.
Special interest groups Spectrum runs a number of innovative programs that provide older people from migrant communities an opportunity to socialise and form bonds with others in the community. Cultural Connections – Gardening across the Seasons started as a pilot in 2011, bringing together students from Parade College, the Sacred Heart Church Presbytery and three groups of nine people with low level dementia from the Filipino, Macedonian and Vietnamese communities. Sacred Heart Church donated a part of their courtyard, and over the course of the last two years, the older people and the students have collaborated to create a villagestyle community garden planted with herbs, vegetables and fruits.
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Our People Spectrum is proud of its unique approach in ensuring that our employee profile reflects the diverse client base that we serve. Our multicultural home support service strives to ensure that, not only do we provide clients with support workers who speak the same language as them; we go that extra mile to try and match the regional dialect as well. As a result, ours is a truly global workforce. Our 406 employees represent 63 different nationalities - from Albania to Zimbabwe and everything in between – and speak 45 different languages. Our frontline employees are employed across a broad range of disciplines including drivers, cooks, activity group leaders, program coordinators, case managers, aged and disability care respite workers, trainers, teachers, receptionists, admin support workers, migration agents, project officers. They are supported by a team of professionals providing services in HR, Finance, IT, Communications & Marketing, Grants and Tenders applications, Policy & Research, Business Development support and Quality & Compliance. Many of our employees either began as volunteers with Spectrum and subsequently transitioned into paid employment or joined us as recent migrants looking to establish themselves in their first job in Australia.
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These new appointments, together with our existing management team, will ensure we have the skills and expertise needed to take the organisation forward. We are committed to providing our staff with the tools, skills and knowledge that they need to deliver exceptional services to our clients. To this end we have supported individual employees to gain accreditation in the following disciplines: • Occupational Health & Safety; • Migration advice and guidance; • Training and assessment; and • Leadership and management. In addition, we have also commenced work on reviewing and improving our IT infrastructure and business systems and processes to make it easier for our people to provide an even higher standard of quality services to our clients.
The one element that unites our staff and makes them stand out is the passion they put into their work. We do our best to provide quality, personal support to each of our clients and, in return, our clients give us the joy of witnessing the positive impact our work has on their lives. Joanne Muscat had been a stay-at-home mum for 12 years, caring for her two children, one of whom is autistic. Three years ago, she joined Spectrum as a MHSS support worker working with the aged and people with disability in the Maltese community. And she hasn’t looked back.
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In line with our 2013-16 strategic plan, Spectrum has made a significant investment in its senior executive team. Two new posts have been created - Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, People and Organisation Capability - and we have appointed a new General Manager to our Registered Training Organisation.
“Working at Spectrum has given me the confidence to get out into the world and to earn a living, and to do this by doing what I had always wanted to do: working with the elderly.
I enjoy meeting every single client and every time I am assigned someone I have not met before, I look forward to getting to know their story, because every person has a story to tell, something that makes them special. But what really makes me smile with joy, is the time spent helping my clients with the personal care, indulging in the vanity of choosing together an outfit or grooming the hair before attending an appointment. The look of incredulity in their eyes when they see themselves in the mirror, this is for me the best satisfaction.”
Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Bogdana was a finalist for Case Worker of the Year, as part of the 2013 Migration and Settlement Awards. The Awards recognise the work of organisations and individuals that assist new migrants and refugees to settle, to feel included and to fully participate in life in Australia.
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On 18 March 2013 at the Great Hall, Parliament House in Canberra and in the company of high profile figures such as the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott, CEO Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour and AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou, one of our long standing employees Bogdana Poljak was recognised for her contribution to the migrant communities.
While Bogdana didn’t win that night, all of us at Spectrum were immensely proud to see the dedication and loyalty that she has shown to her clients over the years recognised in such a respected and high profile forum. Bogdana was not alone in being recognised for her contribution. A number of other Spectrum employees were also nominated for awards: Dragica Arbutina was nominated for Case Worker of the Year, Essan Dileri and Samuel Sakama were nominated for an Innovative Settlement Program Award for the Homework Support Group. There are many people in Australia today whose life has been enriched by the service all of our people provide. Our clients are truly fortunate to have the support of people like Bogdana, Dragica, Essan and Samuel during their settlement journey in Australia. We are proud of every one of you.
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Our Board Anthea Green – Chairperson
Sumith Perera - Treasurer
With more than 25 years’ experience as a CEO in the health and disability sectors and over 13 years’ experience on Boards, as well as extensive experience in government negotiations and funding of social service policies, Anthea Green brings a wealth of knowledge to Spectrum.
Sumith Perera is the Chief Operating Officer at Hall & Wilcox Lawyers. He is a Chartered Accountant with a broad commercial background having worked in many industries directly or in a consulting capacity. This is Sumith’s second stint on the Spectrum Board.
“When I was approached by Spectrum to join their Board as Chairperson, I was very enthusiastic. I believe Spectrum to be a very significant, respected and established organisation and I was – and still am – attracted to the kind of work they do. “I am impressed by the very strong sense of purpose and mission Spectrum staff and my fellow Board Directors demonstrate in their work. “The sector is quite complicated when it comes to Policy agendas and funding models. I’d like for Spectrum to grow its revenue base and be a significant contributor to the services delivered to the migrants and refugees who seek help and assistance. I would also like to see Spectrum be a significant voice and advocate on behalf of the clients it services.”
Tam Pham – Vice Chairperson Tam Pham is the Senior IT Manager for Cricket Australia. He has more than 17 years’ experience in working with leaders, executives and committees locally and abroad on all operational, strategic governance aspects of IT. “With my background in technology, I want to help shape Spectrum’s technology and future as it continues to evolve with communities’ demand and services. Technology influences the way we choose to be informed but more importantly, it helps remove physical barriers and distance and therefore facilitates social inclusion. “As a former refugee who settled to Australia in the mid-80s, I am attracted to Spectrum’s vision, strategy, purpose and values. “Being part of Spectrum’s Board, it is important to strike the right balance between all the things that we’d like to do and the limited resources available, choosing what is best for our communities and focusing on the quality of the services delivered.”
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
“My background in a commercial environment has helped me understand the challenges of a notfor-profit organisation, including ensuring the decisions the Board takes drive sustainable outcomes so that Spectrum can continue to be a real voice and opinion leader for migrants and asylum seekers. “I have a strong affinity with helping others to achieve and enjoy success in Australia. As a migrant myself, I can relate to and understand the challenges faced by people who arrive in Australia with little more than their personal capabilities, ambition and drive.”
Gabriel Edwards - Secretary A former corporate and public sector executive with more than 20 years’ experience in organisational development and corporate affairs, Gabriel Edwards is Managing Director of Engaging People and is a highly sought after executive advisor, coach, counsellor, public speaker and facilitator for Boards, CEOs and executives. “The sectors that Spectrum operates within are experiencing considerable change. As a Board Member, I’m committed to providing genuine leadership and support for the CEO and her team during this time. “I grew up in a very large family with parents committed to the values of diversity, equal opportunity and social justice. Despite their own financial disadvantage, they were committed to supporting and speaking up for people less fortunate than themselves. This has been a theme throughout my life and career. “I love Spectrum’s focus on community engagement and empowering its clients to reach their full potential. I couldn’t think of a more satisfying way to volunteer my time and expertise than to support Spectrum and I’m continually humbled by the skills and dedication demonstrated by Spectrum employees.”
Georgia Prattis
Hayley Underwood
Georgia Prattis is a senior partner at Myriad Consultants, specialising in access and equity related research and evaluation, organisational change programs and strategic planning. She possesses extensive policy reform experience in the field of diversity, and has worked across the public sector in a range of federal, state and local government bodies, NGOs and with communities from immigrant and refugee backgrounds.
(appointed June 2013)
“As the child of post-war migrants to Australia, I understand first-hand the many challenges that confront vulnerable communities in navigating unfamiliar and sometimes complex environments. It’s for this reason that I’m personally committed to supporting any efforts that help our migrant communities to achieve their full potential. “I believe that the Spectrum Education and Training function offers a plethora of opportunities for harnessing the cultural capital that exists in the community. With extensive experience in the management of Registered Training Organisations and compliance and adult education and training, I am excited about exploring potential innovations in this area.”
Hayley Underwood is a Partner of Moore Stephens accounting firm. She is a Chartered Accountant and Registered Company auditor with particular expertise in the education and not-for-profit sectors. “Working as a finance professional, I realise the impact the global financial and economic crisis has had on many people all over the world and the knock-on effect this has had on social injustice and integration. “Spectrum has a long standing history of providing settlement services for migrants and refugees and I see this work as a major contribution towards correcting the social justice imbalance. “I use my accounting experience to assist Spectrum’s Board make informed and effective decisions with all their financial resources. Having a strong financial base means that Spectrum can continue to grow and offer an even broader range of services to help our clients successfully settle in Australia and be involved all aspects of community life.”
Gerri Christie Gerri is a former corporate and company executive with more than 20 years’ experience in managing private and not-for-profit companies including six years as the CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Victoria. She has extensive experience in the areas of advancement and development of organisations, particularly those in the not-for-profit sector. “I’m proud of being part of an organisation that changes people’s lives and proud of the passion with which the team at Spectrum work to give migrants and refugees the very best start in their new lives in Australia. “I hope that my contribution will one day support the establishment of a foundation. There are only a certain number of initiatives that can be covered through Government funding, and there are so many ideas and projects we could implement that would be really beneficial for our migrant communities.”
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Our Supporters The work we do at Spectrum would not be possible if not for the funding we receive from Federal and State Governments and our philanthropic and corporate supporters; the partnerships we form with Local Governments and consortium partners; and the efforts of our wonderful volunteers. On behalf of Melbourne’s migrant and refugee communities in the North and West, we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank our supporters for their incredible contributions throughout 2012-13. Local Government, Community and Consortium Partners
Spectrum Volunteers
Gretta Jones
Natasha Burns
Haley Sageman
Nessim Morcos
Xiaohua Di
Hany Hoang Tran
Nicholas Metherall
Alzheimer’s Australia VIC
Adam Curry
Hugo Holliday
Nick Manuelpillai
AMES HSS Consortium
Ahmed Hafsa
Isaiah Muchoki
Nirliah Ishadi
Albert Yew
James Lord
Norina Hamada
Alice Reed
Janice Kho
Norma McGregor
Alison Weedon
Jill Thompson
Oliver Ku
Anna Buchanan
Jo Allan
Rachel Lee
Anna Giannone
John Pinniger
Raheleh Abdian
Annette Reeves
Joo-Cheong Tham
Reema Dadwal
Cameo Memorials
Athena Rogers
Josif Janeski
Reza Mohseni
Victorian State Government
CarerLinks North
Bai Ying Kong
Juana Pascuzzi
Rosalba Houghtoh
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
City of Yarra
Barb Taylor
Julian Lowndes
Roshni Chhetri
City of Whittlesea
Bawi Phun Kul
Julian Rex
Said Rhora
Department of Health
Darebin City Council
Bawi Zahrin
Julin Lee
Saliah Siryon
Hume City Council
Ben Barett
Ka Kin Ko
Sally O'Keefe
Ben Fulton
Kara Miller
Saloney Shah
Celeste Fouache
Kate Jackson
Sarah Jane Blunt
Chris Stabb
Kim Pickburn
Sharni Burgess
Cinzia Curini
Koula Bouras
Shemiran Khananishoo
Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service
Claire Fraser
Kristy Taylor
Simon Winkler
Clare Lord
Larissa Curcio
Sonja Rolevska
Dadhi Ram Adhikari
Le Hanh
Stephen Tran
Aged Persons Welfare Foundation
Greensborough Family Relationship Centre
Danny Ablahad
Lincoln Hoye
Sunil Rao
Australian Unity Foundation
Helping Hoops
Deborah Thomas
Lory Trimboli
Tamara Preuss
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
La Trobe University
Dilan Celtin
Luz Lastimosa
Tatyana Ristevska
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust
Merri Community Health Services
Dorothy Sofa
Madeleine McCormack
Tegan Perry
Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation
Metropolitan Fire Brigade
Eloise Molan
Madeline Colquhoun
Toby Burrows
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT)
Elysia Annetell
Mairead McGowen
Tom Cobban
Emil Altoe
Mairead O'Sullivan
Trevor Jones
Northern AMEP Consortium
Emily Wyckoff
Maria Franco
Uma Rani
Parade College
Erin Oliver
Mary Bolitho
Jagan Mohan
Fiona Harney
Mary Giordano
Van Thanh Tran
Francesco Faraci
Mary Militsis
Yanoula Fouras
Gabriel Mabior
Matthew Lorenzon
The Salvation Army
Gale English
Merna Hijazi
The Water Well Project
GiannaTardio
Michael Finger
VICSEG New Futures
Grace Olaka
Mohammad Shoghian
Whittlesea Community Connections
Graham Young
Mohsen Zamani
Yarra Plenty Regional Library
Grazia Guerrisi
My Khanh Kha
Federal Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Department of Health and Ageing Department of Human Services Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Department of Human Services Office for Youth Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship Victorian Multicultural Commission
Philanthropic and Corporate Supporters
LUCRF Community Partnership Trust Maurice Blackburn Lawyers Newsboys Foundation Optus RACV Community Foundation The Ian Potter Foundation
Banyule City Council Banyule Community Health Broadmeadows Family Relationship Centre Brotherhood of St Laurence
Drive National Training Epping Secondary College Good Shepherd Microfinance
Relationships Australia Rotary Club of Melbourne
Nasim Marquis
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Do you want to support our work with migrant and refugee communities? There are many ways in which you can get involved.
Join in
Volunteer
You can join in one of the many great events we run throughout the year such as the annual Let the Cultures Unite dinner for women or the celebration of the Indian and the Macedonian independence days. Just keep an eye on our website and social media for the full calendar of events.
You can volunteer your time and expertise to assist in the delivery of our services. Volunteering provides you with an opportunity to offer skills and expertise for the benefit of others. For example, an accountant could assist a newly formed community group to prepare a financial report, or a teacher could offer to teach English We believe in the power of to people who cannot access English classes. collaboration and are always open to If you are interested in offering your opportunities to support or partner with services, contact our volunteer others to deliver value to our migrant coordinator at communities. It can be as simple as sharing volunteering@spectrumvic existing networks or working together to .org.au. help connect our clients to your services. If while reading this Annual Report you identify an opportunity to work together, contact us on (03) 9496 0200.
Collaborate
Converse
Another way to get involved is by joining the conversation and spreading the word about the work we do to support migrant communities. Follow us on social media.
Donate We are also open to receive philanthropic donations, linking them to specific projects that you want to support. Contact us on (03) 9496 0200.
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2012 -13 Financial Statement New funding grants for 2012-13
Revenue Total Other 23%
20 successful grant and tender submissions. This resulted in $1,094,044 in new funding to support the provision of new and existing programs, including:
$237,500 From the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship to fund the Refugee Action Program over 2½ years.
Federal 30% State 47%
$200,000 From the Department of Health and Ageing to fund the Spectrum Respite Centre over 15 months.
$150,000 From the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to fund Groupwise over six months.
Revenue by Service
$91,818 From the Local Solutions Fund, Settlement 24%
Training 20%
Aged Services 53%
Other 3%
Department of Human Services to fund Future Pathways over 12 months.
$45,909 From the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations to fund the Supported Work Placement Project over three months.
$40,236 Additional funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to fund the Settlement Grants Program over 12 months.
Expenditure
$35,667 In recurrent funding from the Other 19% Aged Services 45%
Department of Health to fund the Planned Activity Group – Banyule.
$24,350 From the Australian Unity Foundation to fund Il Luogo d’Incontro (The Meeting Place) over 12 months.
Settlement 20%
$9,019 From the RACV Community Foundation to fund the Drive to Thrive program over 12 months.
Training 16%
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Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre
Other Disclosures The Carers Recognition Act 2012 promotes and values the role of people in care relationships and formally recognises the contribution that carers and people in care relationships make to the social and economic fabric of the Victorian community. Spectrum has taken all practicable measures to comply with its obligations under the Act. Spectrum has promoted the principles of the Act to people in care relationships who receive our services and to the wider community by distributing printed material about the Act at community events or service points. We have also taken all practicable measures to ensure our employees are aware of and understand the care relationship principles set out in the Act. Spectrum developed and implemented an employee awareness
strategy about the principles of the Act and what they mean for employees, which included distributing printed material about the Act at employee meetings and discussing the implications for carers we provide services to. Lastly, Spectrum has taken all practicable measures to consider the carer relationships principles set out in the Act when setting policies and providing services by reviewing our employment policies such as flexible working arrangements and leave provisions to ensure that these comply with the statement of principles in the Act.
Contact Us Spectrum MRC Preston Office
Spectrum Education & Training (SET)
251 High Street Preston 3072 Tel.: (03) 9496 0200 Fax: (03) 9484 7942 Email: preston@spectrumvic.org.au
61 Riggall Street Dallas 3047 Tel.: (03) 9301 0400 Fax: (03) 9302 4048 Email: dallas@spectrumvic.org.au
Spectrum MRC Sunshine Office
Clifton Respite Cottage Multicultural respite for carers
161 Harvester Road Sunshine 3020 Tel.: (03) 9300 8600 Fax: (03) 9300 8650 Email: sunshine@spectrumvic.org.au Spectrum MRC Broadmeadows Office 1/1100 Pascoe Vale Road Broadmeadows 3047 Tel.: (03) 9301 7400 Fax: (03) 9302 4048 Email: broadmeadows@spectrumvic.org.au
7 Clifton Grove Preston 3072 Tel.: (03) 9480 2877 Email: info@spectrumvic.org.au
Website www.spectrumvic.org.au
2012-2013 Annual Report
31
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www.spectrumvic.org.au