UnitingSA Annual Report 2017-18

ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18

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CONTENTS 2 OUR VISION, MISSION AND VALUES 3 OUR ANNUAL SNAPSHOT 4 OUR SERVICE MAP 6 CHAIR’S REPORT 8 CEO’S REPORT 10 SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY 40 MEET OUR BOARD 42 OUR ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 46 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 49 THANK YOU

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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OUR VISION

A compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish.

OUR MISSION

UnitingSA is an influential and vibrant organisation providing services to the community and empowering people.

OUR VALUES

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OUR ANNUAL SNAPSHOT

16,007

13,259

people supported across UnitingSA

people provided community services

2,748

6,893

people supported across aged care

occasions of emergency assistance

117

986

volunteers

employees ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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Elizabeth

Paralowie Salisbury Outer Harbor

Bolivar

NORTH

North Haven

Golden Grove

Taperoo Parafield Largs Bay Semaphore

Modbury

Pooraka

Port Adelaide

Semaphore Park

Tea Tree Gully

St Agnes Valley View

Gepps Cross Regency Park

Alberton

Seaton

Croydon

Woodville

Campbelltown

Prospect

Tennyson

Newton Walkerville

Findon

Payneham

Grange

Hindmarsh Thebarton

Henley Beach

Highbury

Northfield Holden Hill

WEST

West Lakes

OUR SERVICE MAP

Para Hills

Mawson Lakes

Fulham

North Adelaide Norwood

Mile End Eastwood

Dulwich

Wayville Goodwood Hyde Park

West Beach

Magill

Stepney

ADELAIDE

Skye Stonyfell Burnside Greenhill Glen Osmond Waterfall Gully

Plympton Glenelg

SOUTH Panorama St Marys

Springfield

EAST

Mitcham Belair

Marion

Brighton

Sturt

Blackwood

Seacliff Darlington Marino O’Halloran Hill Aberfoyle Park Hallett Cove

Woodcroft Reynella Lonsdale

Christies Beach Morphett Vale Noarlunga Centre

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METRO SA

Montacute

Quorn

Port Augusta

Wilmington

Peterborough

Whyalla

REGIONAL SA

Port Pirie

Burra

Cowell Clare Kadina

Morgan Kapunda

Port Wakefield

Renmark

Waikerie

Berri

Tanunda

Gawler

Loxton

Minlaton

Port Lincoln

Murray Bridge Tailem Bend Cape Jervis Kingscote

Goolwa

Victor Harbor

Penneshaw

Meningie Tintinara Keith Bordertown

Darwin

Padthaway Kingston SE A

U

S

T

R

A

L

I

Naracoorte

A Brisbane

South Australia Perth

Robe Sydney Canberra

Adelaide

Melbourne



REGIONAL SA

WEST

EAST

SOUTH

NORTH

Hobart



          

Penola Beachport

Millicent

OUR SERVICE AREAS Use this chart to search our services by region. Select a service, reference the regions it provides assistance and refer to the map to find the nearest office location.

Aged Care: Residential care, transitional care packages, home care, and retirement living services for older people.

Employment and Training: Intensive employment, training and education support for people living with a disability, members of long-term jobless families and Aboriginal people from remote communities.

Ethnic Link Services: In-home support for older people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Homelessness: Early intervention, intensive tenancy, housing and accommodation support, case management and counselling, emergency and outreach assistance, and life skills advice for people who are homeless or experiencing a housing crisis.

    

Mental Health: Holistic recovery services, psychosocial rehabilitation support, housing and social support, life skills advice, counselling and case management for people living with a mental illness.

           

Portway Housing: Affordable and appropriate accommodation for low income families, young people, refugees and people with mental health related disabilities.

Wesley Social Enterprises: Employment opportunities for people living with a disability.

Child, Youth and Family: Emergency and financial assistance, counselling and case management, educational courses, and support programs for individuals, families, children and young people.

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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This year we marked the beginning of a new chapter in our story. We made the transition from UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide to UnitingSA. Our new name is a better reflection of the communities we support right across South Australia.

UnitingSA maintains our heritage and ongoing connection with the Uniting Church, while positioning us for the future.

It is only the second change of its kind since we began as the Port Adelaide Central Mission in 1919.

As part of the transition, we altered our legal structure to a Company Limited by Guarantee, which took effect in January. This does not change our position as a values based, not-for-profit organisation, however it supports us to cooperate more effectively with governments at all levels to pursue positive

CHAIR’S REPORT change for our community. An important part of this process was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UnitingSA and the Synod of the Uniting Church.

This clearly underlines our joint commitment to the same values and services in the community, as we work to enrich lives and improve wellbeing.

In our current working environment, this shared vision and the pursuit of social justice is more important than ever. When the Methodist Church formed our organisation almost 100 years ago, it was a direct response to a need for material assistance for people in financial hardship. That demand has changed and grown

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over the years and today the gap between rich and poor is widening.

We see this at a service level, where people are coming to us in increasing numbers and with more complex needs.

Front of mind is our response to housing unaffordability and its impact on homelessness.

This year we put significant time into developing strategies to improve our capacity to help those who need affordable housing. It was the first year our UnitingSA Board Members took the role as Board for Portway Housing Association, strengthening our relationship and allowing us to increase our housing focus. In June, we signed off on plans for Portway Housing to become UnitingSA Housing Ltd. This will occur late in 2018 and will allow us to strengthen tenant support and referral pathways, as well as increase our supply of safe, affordable housing.

This year the Board signed off on a new Housing Action Plan and Housing Business Plan. These will guide our work creating more housing opportunities for people on low incomes now and into the future.

In the area of mental health, this year was challenging as the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) created uncertainty

for many of the people we support. While many clients in our disability support programs made the transition to the NDIS with positive outcomes, those in our mental health programs struggled with the lack of clarity around future funding. We joined with other agencies across the UnitingCare network to advocate on behalf of clients who are not eligible for the NDIS. This is an area we will continue to prioritise over the coming months to ensure mental health clients get the services they need to support inclusion, independence and wellbeing.

Aged care is another priority area for us, as we respond to the need for increased services for the growing ageing population. We are committed to providing a seamless continuum of care for older people, from home care and retirement living through to residential aged care. The number of people we supported with home care increased significantly this year.

Residential aged care is a particularly challenging area as the cost of providing services is increasing, while government funding is not keeping pace with community needs. We continue to advocate for investment to ensure a sustainable system based on equal access, consumer choice and high quality care.

Our Strategic Plan review this year reinforced our commitment to revitalise and build aged care infrastructure that meets and exceeds customer expectations.

To this end, we signed off on a Master Plan for a new development

in West Lakes, which will be our biggest ever capital project.

UnitingSA West Lakes is a mixed-use development incorporating three storeys of residential aged care, a memory support unit and top level of retirement living apartments.

It will also feature ground floor retail and services, which will be open to the public. This is an important design element to create a two-way relationship between those living in aged care and the surrounding community.

Developing ways to respond to community need and to create meaningful lives for people, no matter their age, is at the heart of our work at UnitingSA. Our values of respect, compassion, courage and integrity are crucial to our role supporting people against the challenging backdrop in which we operate.

On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Helen Fulcher, who we farewelled in December after six years of invaluable service as a Board Member. I would like to welcome Sandy Rix, who joined our Board this year. He brings a wealth of experience in creating thriving communities through project planning and urban design.

GAEL FRASER Board Chair

Above all, I would like to thank the UnitingSA executive team, CEO Libby Craft, and all of our staff and volunteers for your continued dedication to delivering positive outcomes for people across South Australia. You all work incredibly hard to uphold our vision for a compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish. Thank you.

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Together we can. It is a simple statement but so true of our work at UnitingSA. This was evident when we gathered at an event in November to unveil our new name publicly. It was a wonderful chance to come together and celebrate with people from across the sector, but what made it truly special were the two people who took to the stage to share their stories.

A man who had been supported by our Homelessness Services spoke about the help he received to secure housing after he found himself with nowhere safe to sleep at night.

The other was a woman who had come full circle in her mental health recovery and, following much support, was helping others going through a similar experience.

CEO’S REPORT They answered questions and revealed the crucial role UnitingSA had played in helping them to transform their lives.

They had each received the right support at the right time, and that’s what really counts.

Hearing them speak was an incredible moment and one which made me feel truly privileged to be part of the UnitingSA family. It was a real life demonstration of our promise in practise – Together we can.

In the past year, our workforce of more than 1000 staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to pursue

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positive outcomes for more than 16,000 people across South Australia.

Some people came to us when they reached crisis point and needed immediate assistance with food, finances, warmth or shelter.

We provided almost 7000 occasions of emergency assistance, which was an increase on the previous year and a reflection of the hardship faced by people struggling with the rising cost of living.

Other people were part of a longer journey with us, allowing our staff to walk alongside and support them to participate and flourish.

Whether it is with mental health, aged care, employment, housing, education, youth services, disability support or another area of assistance, we always strive to provide services of the highest standard to support our community.

This was formally recognised when we completed an internationally accredited quality improvement audit in March and achieved compliance against both Certificate and Award levels of the Australian Service Excellence Standards.

The Auditor commended us for putting our clients at the centre of everything we do and for

always working towards our vision, mission and values.

We also maintained accreditation across all of our aged care sites this year, while pursuing a raft of innovative projects.

These included the development of new pet companion rooms at Regency Green Multicultural Aged Care, an expansion of Hawksbury Gardens, a revamp of our memory support unit at Westminster Village, and new development plans for West Lakes.

There was also much innovation in our community services teams this year.

We became the first organisation in the country to be recognised for implementing the Mental Health Coalition of SA’s Lived Experience Workforce Standards and Guidelines.

We understand how valuable it is to have workers with lived experience, who are able to support others with a mental illness from a place of understanding.

Our Youth Services expanded considerably, especially in the southern suburbs where we started providing a program for young people who have been completely disengaged from school. Within a few months our staff were reporting incredible results, with young people who struggled to leave the house becoming engaged in activities and meaningful conversations about reconnecting.

We expanded our employment programs across new regions,

built affordable housing in the western suburbs, and diversified the skills of our Wesley Social Enterprises supported employees.

We also launched a project to support people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

All of these advances were for the same reason – to realise our vision for a compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish.

This year we farewelled our Executive Manager Community Services Meredith Perry after 10 years in the role. We appreciated the way Meredith embraced our values as she provided leadership across our community services teams. We welcomed Margie Fahy to the role in June and look forward to working with her as she leads this important area of our work into the future.

I would like to thank our dedicated staff, volunteers, leadership team and Board of Directors, who each play a crucial role in helping us improve people’s wellbeing, independence and inclusion.

Your commitment, integrity and genuine compassion for those in the community we support is truly inspiring.

LIBBY CRAFT Chief Executive Officer

I am incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished in our first year as UnitingSA and am excited by what we can achieve for our community in the year ahead.

Together we can.

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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9,074

people supported through Child, Youth and Family Services

6,893

occasions of emergency assistance provided

1,342 609 1,575 10

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people from 41 countries accessed programs funded by our Communities for Children initiative people received financial counselling people were assisted through our Employment & Training Support programs

HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OVERCOME CHALLENGES AND EMBRACE LIFE At UnitingSA, we offer services to help children thrive, families connect and people engage with education and employment. In times of crisis, we are there to provide essentials such as food, clothing and financial assistance. For the longer journey, we have teams dedicated to helping people along the pathway to work and training. We understand life can be challenging and are committed to helping people to meet their individual needs.

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Our Child, Youth & Family Services offer a diverse range of programs to support people’s development and community connection. Our focus is on early childhood initiatives, educational pathways, support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and programs tailored for parents.

THIS YEAR: yy Our Youth Services in the south expanded rapidly from one employee at the start of the year to eight youth workers based in Christies Beach. The majority of the growth was in our Flexible Learning Options (FLO) program, where we developed strong relationships with local schools and supported an extra 70 students to re-engage with learning. yy We supported 1342 people from 41 countries, including 925 children,

CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES through programs funded by our Communities for Children (CfC) initiative. CfC programs assist the health and early development needs of young children and their parents. A Social Return on Investment study released in October found that for every dollar invested in CfC, the north-west Adelaide community received an average benefit of $3.28. yy We were involved in collective impacts – the Western Integrated Intensive Family Support System, Inner West Collective Impact and Impact Inner North – to better support children and families through collaboration with other agencies. yy We were selected by Unley Council on behalf of the Cities of Unley, Burnside and Prospect to deliver social support and group

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activities for people living in Supported Residential Facilities (SRFs) across the three council areas. The expansion of our SRF program creates an exciting opportunity to bring together people who are often socially isolated. yy Funding to support our Connected Families program was extended for two years by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. This allowed us to continue to engage Aboriginal children in school and to help their parents support learning. We also introduced a school drop-off service, where we collect children from home and take them to schools in the western suburbs to encourage participation. yy Our Family Centre in Port Adelaide was refurbished to make it more child-friendly to better support families who come to the centre for playgroups, literacy programs and events. yy Communities for Children (CfC) received a Children’s Week Play Award for a collaborative project developing the Children’s Voices Calendar with other CfC providers. yy Taperoo Community Centre continued to expand its classes in response to community need. Significant work went into developing new partnerships to engage Aboriginal and multicultural communities. We also began planning to create men-friendly groups in collaboration with our Men and Family Relationships Program. yy The Department of Human Services awarded new three-year contracts to our UrbanYouth initiative, Strengthening Families program and Taperoo Community Centre. Taperoo was also successful in securing funding to continue to provide the Adult Community Education (ACE) program for three years, which is having an incredible impact improving people’s skills and confidence.

Danielle’s story Danielle has faced many challenges in her life but nothing could prepare her for parenthood.

When her daughter Estelle entered the world, it was the start of three months of continuous screaming from the newborn.

While medical professionals struggled to identify the cause of Estelle’s distress, Danielle and her husband Daniel lived off less than three hours’ sleep a night.

“We used to rock her for two hours and she would fall asleep for five minutes,” Danielle recalls.

“There was no enjoyment, there were no smiles, she was just so distressed.

“I’m pretty tough but it was so overwhelming and we were running on empty.”

Danielle was referred to the Western Perinatal Support Group, which provides assistance to women suffering post-natal depression.

Funded by our Communities for Children program, Danielle says the group was the turning point for her family.

“Just hearing other people were going through the same thing was really reassuring.”

“Every week I was feeling different and they had the right thing I needed each time – whether it was a one-on-one chat with a psychologist or a session on sleep or anxiety.

“The group was a place to go where it was okay not to be okay.”

Through the 10-week program, Danielle received crucial support and created friendships with other mums going through a similarly difficult time.

Estelle’s condition – believed to be related to milk and soy allergies – also started to improve, meaning Danielle was able to get some sleep, which greatly improved her mental health.

She then took part in a 10-week Circle of Security parenting course, while Daniel took part in a support group for fathers.

“The whole package helped our family,” Danielle says.

“I was so emotional on the last day because I knew how terrible I had been when I first walked in there and by the end I was feeling so amazing.

“It was the right support at the right time.”

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Speaking Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, Alan works tirelessly to ensure Aboriginal people are consulted in their own language about major decisions that affect their lives.

Whether it is a police interrogation, a discussion about a hospital procedure, or a judge’s decision over bail conditions, Alan wants an interpreter engaged as the first step every time.

“It’s every human’s right to have access to an interpreter when they don’t have an understanding of English,” Alan says.

“People are making decisions without having the full story or the person having the basic right to know what is going on.”

“Equality – that’s all I want.”

Alan says EEH has been crucial to his journey.

As well as providing housing, he benefits from having a support worker, Elana, to speak with if he needs help.

Alan’s story When Alan received a phone call from his sister asking him to move from regional South Australia to Adelaide, he had one condition.

“I said I would move down with her and help provide stability but she needed to go to university,” Alan says.

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That’s where our Employment and Education Housing (EEH) program came in.

The program provides housing to allow people from remote communities to move to metropolitan Adelaide to pursue education and employment.

Through EEH, the siblings were provided a fully furnished rental property, which allowed Kelli to go to university and Alan to set up his own business, APY Interpreting and Cultural Advisory.

“If Alan is having a bad day he will call and we may spend an hour on the phone and just chat and talk things through,” Elana says.

“The support is always there for him and he knows he can rely on our service to try and help him.”

Alan says even more importantly, EEH has helped the broader Aboriginal community.

“By supporting me to live in Adelaide and run my business, it’s helped my Anangu people because now their human rights are being upheld.”

Our Employment and Training Support team works closely with people to help them gain and retain meaningful employment.

Parents, people with a disability and those who are experiencing long-term unemployment are just some of the people our programs support.

THIS YEAR: yy We supported 1575 people across regional and metropolitan areas to connect with employment, education and training. yy The Federal Government selected us to deliver an expanded ParentsNext program to help parents with young children join or re-enter the workforce by the time their youngest child starts school.

It followed a successful two-year

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SUPPORT pilot in which we helped more than 900 parents in the City of Playford.

The new three-year contract enables us to deliver the program to parents across Adelaide’s North and the Murray Mallee. yy Our Employment and Education Housing program had great success in supporting Aboriginal people to move from remote communities into regional centres or Adelaide for work and training.

The majority of tenants in our 17 houses are now studying at university, TAFE or have jobs. yy Our Building Family Opportunities program supported 476 people from long-term jobless families on their pathway to meaningful employment. We opened an office in Murray Bridge to service the

Murray Mallee region, and expanded the program to families in the Limestone Coast. yy We launched Pathways to Employment to support disengaged people across the Limestone Coast and Murray Mallee regions.

The short-term project uses an intensive case management model to assist 40 people to connect with employment, training or education. yy The Department of Human Services consulted our Employment and Education Housing team about the best models of support for Aboriginal housing. The consultation will help shape an independent living project in Adelaide and is testament to the expertise within our workforce. yy We began delivering Adult Community Education (ACE) in Adelaide’s North and partnered with Barkuma to run two new training programs in the region. Moving Forward helps improve people’s skills to increase their employment options, while ACE Pathways to Employment assists people to become job-ready.

Both programs are based on a foundation of improving people’s learning, reading, writing, numeracy and oral communication. yy Our service in Bordertown continued to grow and rebranded from Tatiara Employment Support to UnitingSA. The team supported existing clients to transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and gained new clients as a result of the NDIS opening up consumer choice. The service offers support to help people live independently, develop new skills, participate in activities, and link with training and employment. The growth is testament to our long-standing position as a trusted service provider in the region.

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Our Emergency and Financial Assistance team responds to people’s immediate needs during times of financial hardship.

We are also on hand to connect people with longer-term support to help them address barriers and overcome life challenges.

THIS YEAR: yy We provided Emergency Assistance including food, clothing, sleeping bags and swags to people in need on 6,893 occasions. The service expanded to support people from the northern and southern suburbs, as well as our traditional western suburbs base. We also provided Emergency Assistance in Bordertown. yy More than 3700 supermarket vouchers and almost 1000 food

EMERGENCY AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE parcels were given to families in need. Vouchers to assist people to buy prescription medication were also in demand, as the rising cost of living made it increasingly difficult for people on low incomes. yy Our No Interest Loan Scheme increased significantly from 30 recipients a month to more than 100 by the end of the financial year. We are now one of only two loan managers in South Australia and are also managing loans in the Northern Territory. Good Shepherd Microfinance awarded us the tender following our success running the scheme in recent years. yy We provided financial counselling to 609 people needing a diverse range of support including with

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debt and loan repayments, concession applications, negotiating with creditors, bankruptcies, and assistance to avoid losing their home through mortgage repossession. In total, our service helped relieve debt burden by negotiating to have almost $200,000 in debt waived for clients. yy Our financial counsellors collaborated with Housing SA to provide a home-visit service to Aboriginal women after discovering barriers to their attendance at our community financial workshops. This was an important step to ensuring people’s needs were met in a way that best suited their circumstances. yy We were successful in obtaining a grant through the Department of Social Services to run financial workshops for the supported employees at Wesley Social Enterprises. The sessions helped people improve their personal finances and set goals. Many of our supported employees had a limited understanding of their finances prior to the workshops, which we held across our metropolitan and regional sites. yy Money raised through our involvement in the UnitingCare SA Pancake Day in March allowed us to provide back to school packs for families who otherwise would not be able to afford the educational necessities. The packs contain a bag, lunchbox, drink bottle and stationery to ensure children have everything they need to go to school. We also used the funds raised to provide supermarket vouchers to assist people on bridging visas.

Christmas Appeal At Christmas we were able to help more than 550 families put food on the table and provide gifts for their children, thanks to the community’s support of our Christmas Appeal.

More than 50 businesses, community groups, churches and schools hosted toy collections for UnitingSA.

Others in the community donated gifts at the Fulham Gardens, West Lakes and Whyalla Target stores.

In total more than 1800 gifts were donated to our organisation, which we distributed to families in the week leading up to Christmas.

Almost $20,000 was also raised locally as part of the UnitingCare Christmas Appeal.

Our CEO Libby Craft says it is a wonderful demonstration of the power of community giving.

“Each toy donated brings a smile to the face of a child on Christmas morning and all funds raised help us provide emergency relief to people over the Christmas period.

“By coming together as a community, we really can make a positive difference in people’s lives.”

“Christmas can be a stressful time for some people in our community who may not be able to afford things that many take for granted,” she says.

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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709

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people were provided housing in 373 Portway Housing properties

1,780

people were supported through Homelessness Services

458

Homelessness Services clients were aged under 18

39%

of Homelessness Services clients experienced mental health issues

373

people were helped into emergency accommodation

HELP PEOPLE FIND SAFE AND SECURE ACCOMMODATION We know that a house is more than just a roof over someone’s head. Having a place to call home is crucial for people’s sense of security, belonging and connection to community. It helps people maintain employment, pursue an education, and plan for their future. At UnitingSA, we are committed to providing homelessness support and increasing access to safe and affordable housing.

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Our Western Adelaide Homelessness Services assist people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The dedicated team provides support, advice and advocacy to help people overcome barriers to finding and maintaining secure accommodation.

We operate the Generic Homelessness Service and Youth Homelessness Service.

THIS YEAR: yy Our Generic Homelessness Service provided 20,594 services to people in need, which was a 42 per cent increase on the previous year. Services ranged from referrals for mental health support and employment assistance, through to finding someone accommodation. Most clients require multiple services to properly address their needs and the complexity of their situations.

HOMELESSNESS SERVICES yy Our Youth Homelessness Service provided 10,419 services to young people, which was a 23 per cent increase on the previous year.

Housing crisis was the main presenting issue of the young people seeking assistance. yy We helped 373 people into emergency accommodation, found 292 people transitional housing and secured long-term housing for 257 people. yy We supported a further 490 people who were at risk of eviction to maintain their tenancy. yy Every person who came to us for assistance was allocated a support worker, who worked one-on-one with them to establish a case management plan and work towards agreed goals.

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yy The number of people exiting from our service into homelessness decreased from 18 per cent to 7 per cent. This included those who exited into secondary homelessness, such as overcrowded accommodation.

The improvement in outcomes came despite an increase in people coming to us for support. yy We found accommodation for every child who came through our doors. yy We chaired the Western Adelaide Homelessness Collaboration, which represents more than 30 organisations, to advocate for improved policy development and service delivery across the homelessness sector. We were involved in more than 20 additional collaborations including the Youth Homelessness Strategic Group, Generic Homelessness Services Network and the state-wide Homelessness Strategic Group. yy Our clients with mental health issues benefited from a new partnership with Partners in Recovery. Support workers from Partners in Recovery co-located with us every fortnight to assist our clients to navigate the mental health system and improve their health and wellbeing. With almost 40 per cent of our clients experiencing mental health issues, this is an area of significant need. yy We established a private rental club to assist clients to gain access to rental properties. Every fortnight, we provided computers and staff assistance to help clients search for properties online, create references and fill out applications. This is an increasingly important service due to the decline in public housing and our reliance on private rental to fill the gap.

Tina’s story Trust does not come easily for Tina, who has endured more hardship in her life than most.

But she found it at Western Adelaide Homelessness Services.

When Tina, 60, first walked in to the centre in Port Adelaide she was slipping further and further into debt.

After more than 25 years working, she was unemployed and after paying rent had just $10 a fortnight left for food and bills.

“I’d be six feet under if I hadn’t come in here,” Tina says.

“I was getting to that stage where I just couldn’t do it anymore.

“All my pay from Newstart was going to rent – I had no money for food.

“I don’t know how I found this place but if I hadn’t met Brendon, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Brendon is a coordinator at Western Adelaide Homelessness Services and he spent six months working to secure Tina a Housing SA property.

Compared with a private rental, Tina now has enough money left each fortnight to buy food, pay bills and slowly reduce her debts.

Brendon also helped Tina access UnitingSA’s financial counselling and legal aid, to help her through a difficult divorce.

It was the last in a series of abusive marriages that slowly eroded her confidence and trust.

She says the security of her new home has been transformative and she is looking for a new job as a screen printer or in a second-hand shop.

However, in a testament to Tina’s strength, she is now looking forward and is hopeful for the first time in years.

Through it all, she knows she has the team at Western Adelaide Homelessness Services to turn to whenever she needs support.

“This is where you can put your trust in and they will really listen.

If sharing my story can help someone else, I will be happy.”

“I feel very comfortable here and would tell others to come,” she says.

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Natasha’s story Natasha and her 13-year-old daughter, Jade, were the first tenants in Portway Housing’s newest development in Kidman Park.

The duo moved into the complex in June as the finishing touches were being put on the six modern townhouses.

They love the open living area, spacious three bedrooms and views from the balcony.

However, it is the convenience of the location that has really been transformative for them.

The home’s close proximity to Jade’s high school means they save an hour in driving time each day.

As a result, Natasha can work longer hours, Jade can have friends over more easily and the pair can

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become more entrenched in their local community.

“We looked at getting a private rental in this area but we just couldn’t afford it,” Natasha says.

“Then I found out they were building properties at Kidman Park and I put my name down and they offered it to me.

“Now we are literally around the corner from school. It’s awesome – we love it.”

Natasha says it is the second time Portway Housing has helped to change her life for the better.

The first was nine years ago, when she was struggling to afford her private rental property.

She put her name on Portway’s waiting list and was offered a house in Osborne.

She gratefully accepted and turned the house into a home, which they lived in throughout Jade’s primary school years.

It was only when Jade started high school half an hour from home that Natasha realised something needed to change.

She says she is relieved she has been able to stay with Portway Housing through the move.

“It’s the security that Portway provides that I really love,” Natasha says.

“With a private rental you constantly have to move when the lease runs out.

“I’m not in a financial position to own my own home but this gives me long-term security.”

Our team at Portway Housing Association provides affordable accommodation options for people on low incomes. Tenant outcomes are at the centre of what we do.

THIS YEAR: yy Portway Housing provided accommodation for 709 people across 373 properties. Of those, 490 tenants were adults and 219 were children. yy Our team completed two significant projects, creating a further 14 properties. In Pennington, we converted a row of eight rundown townhouses into modern, three-bedroom dwellings.

In Kidman Park, we replaced two outdated units with six quality three-bedroom townhouses.

PORTWAY HOUSING The Kidman Park development was the first project delivered by a Tier 2 Community Housing Provider under Renewal SA’s Community Housing Asset Renewal Program.

Minister for Human Services, the Hon Michelle Lensink MLC, helped launch both projects. yy Eligibility criteria for Portway properties was expanded, meaning people aged 65 and over are now able to access our accommodation. This is a significant step in ensuring we can assist the increasing number of older people in our community needing housing.

yy Several tenants moved on to home ownership, including one who was able to purchase her Portway property after being a tenant for more than 10 years.

This demonstrates the importance of affordable housing in helping people transition from a place of limited financial means through to realising their property goals.

With recent changes to government policy, we anticipate being able to sell more properties to tenants in the future, with proceeds reinvested to create more affordable housing. yy We ran a variety of events to engage tenants throughout the year. Residents came together for our Christmas barbecue in Port Adelaide, which included donated door prizes such as food hampers and second-hand computers. Many tenants attended the farewell of Portway’s General Manager Tony Puskaric in April, with some of them presenting him gifts for his support over more than 20 years. yy We advocated on behalf of our tenants and held meetings to ensure their voices were heard.

At one meeting, families raised concerns about safety when crossing the road to access a playground in Pennington. We collaborated with Unity Housing, Westside Housing and the City of Charles Sturt to have a pedestrian crossing installed.

This is just one example of tenant engagement shaping our work.

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1,021

people were supported through our Mental Health Services

315

Mental Health Services clients were from regional areas

560

people accessed our Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service

112

people were provided supported employment at Wesley Social Enterprises

73 24

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people were assisted under the National Disability Insurance Scheme

IMPROVE PEOPLE’S WELLBEING, INDEPENDENCE AND INCLUSION At UnitingSA, we are passionate about providing high quality disability support and mental health services across the community. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is transforming the way we operate but it does not change our reason for being. Our priority is to ensure people can receive the support they need to live their best life, now and into the future.

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Wesley Social Enterprises (WSE) provides meaningful employment for people with a disability. Our teams of supported employees offer quality services for businesses, government, councils and individuals.

THIS YEAR: yy We provided employment to 112 people with a disability, supporting them to carry out a diverse range of work across regional and metropolitan areas. yy Playford and Tea Tree Gully councils extended their contracts with WSE, recognising the

WESLEY SOCIAL ENTERPRISES quality gardening, horticulture and cleaning services our team provides. We conducted home assist work across both councils to help older people to remain living in their own homes. In Playford, we also maintained several wetlands and significant sites such as the Aquadome and John McVeity Centre. yy We supported 35 employees to successfully transition to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), including our entire team in Kingston in the South-East. The support of

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WSE supervisors and the close relationships in each of the teams was instrumental in ensuring people felt secure during a period of significant change. yy We increased our services to internal customers across UnitingSA including extra cleaning contracts in aged care, gardening at community housing properties, and the expansion of WSE’s indoor plant hire business. The extra opportunities allowed us to further develop and diversify the skills of supported employees. yy We carried out a graffiti removal contract with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) along the Outer Harbor, Grange and Northern Adelaide railway lines.

Following its success, we began discussions to expand our work along the railway network. DPTI also engaged us to conduct garden maintenance along the Munno Para to Gawler rail corridor. yy We were employed by Whyalla City Council to clean up illegal dumping and also carried out horticulture work in the region. yy We worked to support Trees for Life’s operations by packing, labelling and sealing fertiliser for their planting projects.

The heartbeat of a country community Ask anyone in the South-East town of Kingston the way to Wesley Social Enterprises (WSE), their face will likely light up as they reel off directions.

They know that behind the unassuming shopfront, WSE provides meaningful employment and activities for people with a disability and the dedicated staff who support them.

The Lawn Rangers, Grandma’s Pantry and Day Options are the main operations for the team, who seem more like family than employees.

The Lawn Rangers mow sites around town including several prominent council parks, while Grandma’s

Pantry creates condiments, cookies and other goodies for sale in the community.

“There’s no other supported employment in Kingston so it’s imperative that we operate our service here,” WSE program manager Sue Chester says.

“I know Kingston appreciates us for what we provide and the community is very supportive.

“Working with these guys is a highlight in my life.”

Matty has been with WSE for 28 years and is known as one of the ‘originals’.

He spends three days a week working for the social enterprises and two days in the Day Options program, taking part in activities and developing new skills.

Aaron has been with WSE ever since leaving school at age 18.

“I like going on the ride on mower,” Aaron grins.

“If it’s wet I don’t mind going in the kitchen but otherwise I like being outside and mowing more.”

Samantha joined the team in the middle of 2017 and says it was life changing.

“Before coming here I had tried to get work in open employment and didn’t have any luck,” she says.

“Wesley Social Enterprises gave me the opportunity to work and it makes me feel needed and wanted.”

“The focus for Matty is on independent living,” Sue explains.

“We are focusing on his cooking skills, budgeting and shopping.”

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Adam’s story When Adam was put in touch with our Mental Health Services, he didn’t even like leaving his house.

He had battled schizophrenia for almost a decade but was only diagnosed in 2016 following a psychotic episode.

Adam was referred to our Partners in Recovery program, which connects people with complex mental health issues to a variety of services to improve health and wellbeing.

From there, he started receiving support through our Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service (IPRSS) and has never looked back.

Adam admits in the beginning he would often make excuses as to why he couldn’t meet his support worker, Arvinder.

“I was hardly leaving the house and I was deeply depressed,” Adam recalls.

“I was having no contact with anybody so at first I didn’t want the help.

“It took about four months for Arvinder to break the ice and for us to build a rapport.”

Persistence paid off and in mid-2017 the pair turned a corner, with Adam starting to really look forward to their meetings.

Most weeks, they would walk around Adam’s neighbourhood and along the beach nearby.

As well as exercise, the walks were a chance to talk about life and set goals.

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Adam went from barely responding to questions, to initiating conversation himself.

Adam now meets Arvinder and one of our lived experience workers, Ross, on alternate weeks, gaining insight and support from each as he goes from strength to strength.

His life today is much fuller than when we first met him – he is volunteering in an op-shop, has rekindled some friendships, and is working towards securing paid employment.

His advice for others is this: “Being in a situation where you are unwell, you don’t know what’s best for you. People need to know there are professionals in the industry and they are willing to help. Don’t be ashamed to ask for support and accept it.”

Our Mental Health Services team works to improve people’s health and wellbeing by walking alongside them on their recovery journey. We understand no individual’s needs are the same and tailor support to help people handle life’s obstacles, form positive relationships and work towards goals.

THIS YEAR: yy We were proud to become the first organisation in Australia formally recognised for our commitment to support and grow our workforce of people with a lived experience of mental illness. We achieved our Lived Experience Workforce Standards and Guidelines Accreditation in March, following our involvement in the Mental Health Coalition of SA’s Lived Experience Workforce project.

Lived experience workers are an

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES invaluable part of our team, using skills developed from their own recovery journey to help others from a place of true understanding. yy Our Individual Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Support Service (IPRSS) helped 560 people, making us the largest provider of IPRSS in the state. This important service allows us to work one-on-one with people to enable them to live independently in the community and improve their quality of life. yy Our State funded programs were extended for another 12 months, allowing us to continue providing vital support to people through IPRSS, Avalon and GP Access.

yy Our clients experienced significant outcomes in different areas of their life as a result of our mental health programs. This included more than 100 people who were able to find housing or maintain a tenancy, 122 people who successfully started daytime activities, and 107 people who began education and training. yy In the northern country region, our services diversified as a result of new clients approaching us for support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

This reflects our team’s ability to offer flexible services to suit individual needs. yy We provided support to existing clients and their families transitioning to the NDIS to ensure they could understand and navigate the changes. We also advocated on behalf of those accessing our Commonwealth funded programs who may not be eligible for the NDIS to ensure other supports are in place for them moving forward. yy We ran regular NDIS workshops in Whyalla and Port Pirie with guest speakers to provide key information for clients about the transition process. Our team provided one-onone support to clients in our Day to Day Living program in the north-west to ensure they were fully supported through the changes. yy We returned to Light Square in October to help stage the annual Festival of Now – Australia’s only festival celebrating Mental Health Week. The event, which UnitingSA started six years ago, has grown into a community collaboration and celebration of positive mental health and wellbeing.

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2,748

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people received aged care services

809

people in residential aged care

150

people in retirement living units

235

people received home and transitional care

1,554

people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds were supported by Ethnic Link Services

SUPPORT PEOPLE THROUGH EVERY STAGE OF THE AGEING JOURNEY At UnitingSA, we provide older people with lifestyle choices, companionship and care to ensure they can live a meaningful life, no matter their age. Whether someone is looking to downsize for retirement, needs support to remain independent at home, or requires full time assistance with their care, we work collaboratively to meet their needs. We provide support in a variety of languages to ensure people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds are able to access the services they need in the community.

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Ethnic Link Services provides support to older people from 45 different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Our staff speak a variety of languages to meaningfully engage with people and link them with services to help them live independently and connect with their community.

THIS YEAR: yy Ethnic Link Services provided support for 1026 people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. This included 14,021 hours of social group support and 9,175 hours of one-to-one support.

A further 528 people living in regional areas had their needs assessed using our bilingual and bicultural workforce. yy We were successful in obtaining a $258,000 NDIS Readiness

ETHNIC LINK SERVICES Grant to roll out the 12-month Pathways to Multicultural Access and Participation project. The initiative aims to ensure culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers are able to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It includes a NDIS Advisory Committee, which we lead, drawing together experts from across the sector. yy We opened a new office in Renmark, where we provide support to more than 250 people from CALD backgrounds. It is the first time Ethnic Link Services has operated from a stand-alone site in the region and cements our place as a leading provider of crosscultural support for older people in the Riverland.

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yy We played a pivotal role in a Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) project, vetting a variety of Commonwealth resources to ensure their cultural suitability.

Our staff tested the resources, including fact sheets, brochures and videos, within our networks and provided feedback to shape their development. yy Our bilingual, bicultural workers were contracted by other community service providers to improve their clients’ access to culturally appropriate support.

The arrangement was a significant recognition of the expertise within our service. yy We conducted a workforce review to better align with service delivery needs and growth opportunities.

As part of the resulting restructure, we closed our Hampstead office and merged all metropolitan staff into our Alberton site to improve communication and opportunities to collaborate. yy Through a collaboration with Lefevre Uniting Church, we developed the Positively Ageing in the Lefevre Peninsula project to better understand the needs of older people living in the area.

Significant work took place to coordinate the initiative during the year, with formal community consultation to occur in late 2018. The project was funded by the Uniting Church’s Ageing and Wellness Grant.

Our Shared Table The culinary traditions of multicultural communities and their importance in shaping Australia’s food culture were central to a special Ethnic Link Services project this year.

The ‘Our Shared Table’ Exhibition and Harmony Day Food Gala – a collaboration with the Migration Museum – brought together the migration stories of nine culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.

The exhibition explored the deeper value of food through the life journeys of older migrants from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bosnia, Russia, Egypt, India, Latvia and Uruguay.

More than 200 people attended the launch event at the Migration Museum in March, enjoying cultural performances, cooking demonstrations, food sampling and poignant stories of families and settlement.

The exhibition went on to tour across a number of councils, including Port Adelaide Enfield, and will continue to travel to various events in 2019.

“Migrants and refugees have come to Australia from all corners of the world, bringing with them their rich culinary traditions,” Ethnic Link Services Manager Shona Dudley-Martin says.

“These food practices have contributed significantly to Australian food culture and our sense of pride and identity as a multicultural nation.”

“They have also provided a sense of comfort, community and cultural preservation during times of uncertainty as new arrivals strive to adjust to their new surroundings and way of life.”

Karanastasis says there is a strong desire among CALD communities to document and celebrate the life experiences and contributions of their older members.

As part of the project, Ethnic Link Services’ bilingual, bicultural staff supported older CALD community members to record and capture their stories, which will be housed at the State Library.

“Our Shared Table provides the means through which older people from diverse cultural backgrounds can share their stories and food practices with the wider community, ensuring they are preserved for future generations.”

Ethnic Link Services Program Development Manager Tina

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Joyleen’s story Joyleen Mills credits our Home Care staff for helping her through one of the most difficult times in her life.

In 2017, she suffered spinal cord damage when a bone marrow biopsy went wrong, setting in motion a series of health complications that affect her to this day.

She initially received help through our 12-week intensive Transitional Care Program, and then our staff helped her secure Commonwealth funding for interim support.

Joyleen, who lives in Taperoo with her dog Milo and cat Leelou, now has staff assist her with cleaning, shopping, physiotherapy and any other appointments that come up.

In February, Joyleen’s Home Care Package came through and she says it has been life changing.

“It’s not only that, it also gives you a little bit more security,” she says.

“When I came out of hospital I don’t know what I would have done without the staff here,” she says.

“I think every day I had one of the support workers coming through and it was just amazing.

“My family don’t live close by and so I really rely on these guys.”

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“If something happens, I know I don’t need to go into panic mode anymore… I just ring up and they sort it out for me.”

“It’s the best thing ever – it really is.”

We are committed to helping people live independently for as long as possible, with the right support in place. Our Home Care and Retirement Living options allow people to tailor support to suit their needs, while remaining in a home of their own.

IN HOME CARE THIS YEAR:

IN RETIREMENT LIVING THIS YEAR:

yy Our dedicated team supported 149 people to live in their own homes and maintain their quality of life.

Support included assistance with housework, personal care, nursing and allied health, meal preparation, shopping and social connections.

yy Our independent living units provided a welcoming home and sense of community for 150 people. Social groups started at several of the sites, further enhancing the activities on offer.

yy We reached a significant milestone in February when for the first time we had 100 people receiving home care services at once.

HOME CARE & RETIREMENT LIVING The increase in recipients followed the deregulation of services in early 2017, which allowed people to choose their own provider.

The growth largely came through referrals from existing recipients, based on the quality of our service. yy Our in-home rehabilitation model helped 86 transitional care clients get back on their feet sooner after being discharged from hospital. yy Service delivery hours across home care and transitional care increased 15% to 20,320.

yy We welcomed the introduction of a new Retirement Villages Act to provide greater transparency across the sector. yy We took pride in continuing to exceed industry standards by guaranteeing to pay exit entitlements within six months of a resident leaving one of our independent living units. In most cases, we returned entitlements within three weeks of a resident’s departure. This is well ahead of the 18-month maximum wait time, as regulated across the sector. yy We rebranded West Lakes United Parish to become McCutcheon Grove West to better align with the neighbouring McCutcheon Grove.

The stronger relationship is helping to build resident connections between the retirement living sites. yy Residents at our 12-bedroom Faggotter Grove Neighbourhood Group Home enjoyed regular outings with support from a passionate team of volunteers. yy We developed an expanded newsletter to enhance communication with residents.

This was supported with regular site meetings to ensure residents had a variety of ways of being informed and providing feedback.

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Our six residential aged care sites provide a welcoming home for people wanting the comfort and security of around-the-clock support. In line with our strategic direction, we continue to invest in existing and new sites to cater for the increasing needs of older people.

THIS YEAR: yy We unveiled plans for a new fivestorey aged care development in West Lakes, which will incorporate residential care, retirement living, retail and office space. It will be located on 6,600sqm of land fronting West Lakes Boulevard and forms part of the transformation of Football Park. Plans were lodged with Charles Sturt Council and work is anticipated to begin in 2019. yy Wesley House Aged Care received the Innovation in Development

RESIDENTIAL AGED CARE Award at the Urban Development Institute of Australia’s (UDIA) SA Awards for Excellence in November. We worked with Kennett Builders and architects Walter Brooke & Associates on the three-year project, which created 168 private bedrooms, large activity spaces, a secure memory unit, cafe and landscaped gardens.

Judges praised the $40 million transformation of the Semaphore Park home for its innovative design and environmental features. yy Our pet-friendly initiatives at Regency Green Multicultural Aged Care continued to expand, with another room converted to cater for residents with pets. The room helped alleviate the distress of a 73-year-old woman, who was able to be reunited with her two cats following the renovation.

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yy We continued to expand lifestyle activities across our sites in response to residents’ interests. Pet therapy, art classes, beer brewing and gardening workshops were just some of the activities on offer to engage residents. yy The memory support unit at Westminster Village underwent a transformation to increase activities and interaction for people with dementia. The unit was refurbished to include a variety of colours and textures, an outdoor sitting area and activity spaces for residents to participate in everyday pursuits from their past. yy Our Aged Care conference in November brought together staff from across all sites to share innovations and learn from each other. It is an important annual event to promote innovation and high quality care. yy Refurbishments at Seaton Aged Care and St Teresa Aged Care added extra comfort and improved visitor experience at the sites. yy Activities teams at each of our aged care sites celebrated the diversity of our residents’ cultures with a calendar of events throughout the year. Croatian Independence Day, Ukrainian Independence Day and Chinese New Year were among the festivities celebrated. yy Two Aboriginal artists created a mural at Regency Green Multicultural Aged Care, which was unveiled at a special NAIDOC Week event in July. yy In recognition of our commitment to support services and grow our aged care offerings, we created three new senior positions. The Hotel Services Manager, Clinical Quality and Education Manager and Senior Manager Residential Aged Care appointments will help us to continue to enhance services and provide a seamless continuum of care.

Mealtimes transformed for residents Residents at Hawksbury Gardens Aged Care started enjoying meals cooked fresh on-site this year, following the completion of their new kitchen.

Previously external caterers cooked the meals and only basic preparation occurred at Hawksbury Gardens, but the site now has chefs to prepare food from scratch.

New chef manager Damien Obst says the feedback on the menu and quality of food has been wonderful since the first meal was served in June.

“It’s good to be able to evolve the residents’ tastebuds and they are really enjoying the variety,” Damien says.

“Our deep fried fish is always a winner and we are converting residents’ opinions of casseroles too.”

The new kitchen was part of a broader redevelopment of the site, which includes 26 new bedrooms with en-suites, new sitting areas, a staff room, laundry and dining room.

Gunther, 88, was the first resident to move in to one of the new rooms in May. “This is a very nice place – the service is good and the room is perfect,” he says.

“There’s plenty of room for my clothes and I have my own bathroom too.”

Sue Porter started as a volunteer at Hawksbury Gardens 15 years ago, and now works three days a week as an enrolled nurse.

and staff alike have warmly welcomed the new development.

She has loved watching the site evolve over time and says residents

“The residents just love it – it’s got such a warm feel,” she says.

“They are so impressed with the food and the fact that they’ve got a chef now.”

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

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986

employees from 67 countries

117 volunteers 36 9 8,258

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service locations

Board members hours spent on training and development

PROVIDE MEANINGFUL LEADERSHIP, EMPLOYMENT AND VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES At UnitingSA, we provide jobs with a purpose beyond pay. Our staff and volunteers work in diverse roles across South Australia to make a positive difference in the lives of others. They embody our values – respect, compassion, courage and integrity – and share our vision for a compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish.

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MEET OUR BOARD

BRUCE TREBILCOCK Deputy Chair (Commenced 2014) FCPA, FAICD, FGIA, MBA. Bruce is an experienced non-executive Director. During his career, he has been successful in general managerial and financial roles with large corporate organisations.

Bruce shares over 5 years’ experience as Director of a major South Australian aged and community care provider.

He is a member of the Uniting Church, chairs the Finance and Audit Committee and is a member of the Governance Committee.

GAEL FRASER Board Chair (Commenced 2015) BA, Dip Lib, MRUP Gael has worked as a senior executive in the public sector and as a senior political advisor to Government. In these roles she has contributed to significant policy development in education and children’s services, further education, employment and training, social housing, workers compensation and personnel management and development. Also, as a private consultant for over 10 years, Gael has assisted many government and community organisations with strategic planning, managing change, social policy development and governance arrangements.

She has held a number of Board positions and is a former Chair of the South Australian Council of Social Service.

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KAREN HUNT Board Director (Commenced 2014) B BehSci, Cert.Min., GAICD Karen has extensive experience in the higher education and health sectors, including a number of years in senior roles at the University of South Australia where she is currently Deputy Director: Student Engagement.

She brings expertise in stakeholder management, policy, sponsorship, communication, mental health and community engagement and is a member of the Risk Committee.

PAUL KILVERT

GARY WILSON

GLORIA PARKER

Board Secretary (Commenced 2010) BA (Hons), Dip Ed, PhD, FAICD, FACEL

Board Director (Commenced 2000) BSc, BSoc.Admin.

Paul possesses senior leadership experience gained through executive roles in government including Chief Executive of the SACE Board of South Australia, Executive Director for Policy, Planning and Performance in the Department of Education and Children’s Services, and Principal of Unley High School. He is a member of the Governance Committee and Chair of the Risk Committee.

Gary has experience in social work, human resource management, advocacy and governance in both Government and Non-Government sectors. Previously the Executive Director of Shelter SA, Gary is a member of the South Australian Council of Social Service, Secretary of Justice for Refugees SA and was a Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Housing, Urban and Regional Planning. He is a member of the Risk Committee and Property Committee.

Board Director (Commenced 2011) BSc, MBA, DipT(Sec), Grad Dip Ab Studies, CPM

KATE IRELAND

SANDY RIX

HELEN FULCHER

Board Director (Commenced 2017) GAICD, Dip MP, B Ec.

Board Director, Commenced 2018 BA (Planning), MSc.

Board Director (2012-2017) BA (Hons), BEd, MA

Kate has many years’ experience working in the health, community, disability and housing sectors, including more than 10 years in board positions. She brings expertise in finance, risk management and governance and is a member of the Risk Committee.

Sandy is an acknowledged leader and innovator in major project planning, urban design, feasibility and project management. He shares over 20 years of private sector consultant experience with success as Project Director for design and implementation of the initial stage of the North Terrace Boulevard, Director of the Bowden Village Project, General Manager with Renewal SA and Director of the initial Northern Economic Plan. He is a member of the Property Committee.

Helen brings leadership experience at senior levels of local government, housing and environment protection, including Chief Executive roles of Housing New Zealand Corporation and South Australia’s Environment Protection Authority. Helen held responsibility for services across the SA Housing Trust for 14 years and is a member of the Urban Renewal Authority Board.

Gloria has lengthy experience in Uniting Church administration and governance and has been a consultant in strategic management, marketing and general management in both the profit and not-for-profit sectors for over 20 years. She is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee and the Property Committee.

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OUR ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE UNITINGSA BOARD

LIBBY CRAFT Chief Executive Officer (Commenced 2006)

ANDREW ZEUNER Executive Manager Business Services

DEBORAH BURTON Executive Manager Aged Care

MEREDITH PERRY Executive Manager Community Services

MARGIE FAHY Executive Manager Community Services

(Commenced 2001)

(Commenced 2004)

(2008-2018)

(Commenced 2018)

STUART BOYD Executive Manager Strategy and Service Improvement

CLAIRE HOGARTH Executive Manager People and Culture

MARK HAYWARD Executive Manager Property and Housing

REV DR LES UNDERWOOD Minister

(Commenced 2015)

(Commenced 2017)

(Commenced 2007)

(Commenced 2017)

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CELEBRATING OUR NEW CHAPTER We made history in July when we unveiled our new UnitingSA brand to the largest ever gathering of our workforce over two days. Almost 900 staff and volunteers travelled from across the state to learn about the transition and enjoy the opportunity to network with others from across all of our services.

After a gradual brand rollout in the following months, we officially celebrated our new name publicly at a special event at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in November. It was a chance to reflect on our organisation’s impact over the years, from the Port Adelaide Central Mission in 1919 until today.

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We are proud to have a workforce of more than 1000 employees and volunteers who are dedicated to improving people’s lives across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

THIS YEAR: yy We recognised the incredible passion and dedication of our volunteers with a special lunch during National Volunteer Week in May. Volunteers were each given a certificate of appreciation, volunteer t-shirt and badge, in recognition of their skills, generosity and ongoing

WORKING WITH A PURPOSE commitment to supporting people in need. yy Following a successful trial, we implemented Recruitment Assessment Centres to centralise the recruiting process for aged care. The new model streamlined the process, improved efficiencies and, importantly, allowed us to fill roles across our aged care sites. As well as skills testing, the model allows for assessment of behavioural fit to ensure successful candidates align with our values based, customer-focussed delivery of care.

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yy We undertook extensive work revitalising our Reconciliation Action Plan 2018-2021 to provide greater support, training and employment opportunities for people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds. yy We ran an awareness campaign in response to data showing a trend of heightened aggression in the lead-up to Christmas.

The campaign recognised the festive season could be a particularly stressful time for some residents and clients, but reinforced the right for all staff to feel safe and supported in the workplace. yy We held a recognition lunch in June to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of more than 100 people who reached a milestone year working at UnitingSA. Among them, nine people were recognised for reaching their 20-year milestone, three people were given special thanks for 25 years of service, and three people were recognised for an incredible 30 years’ contribution to our organisation.

Kim’s story Kim is among the generous volunteers who make it possible for thousands of people to receive the support they desperately need each year.

She is part of the team working at 58 Dale St, Port Adelaide, providing emergency assistance to people doing it tough.

From food parcels to supermarket vouchers, clothing to swags, and referrals to other supports, the team makes sure everyone who steps inside the centre is heard – and helped.

“We deal with the immediate problem and then go onto the more serious problems,” Kim says.

“We get people come in who are homeless or on the verge of being homeless so we try to give them as much physical assistance as we can with food, clothing, sleeping bags – and then we also refer them to Western Adelaide Homelessness Services.

“If families are in situations with domestic violence we refer them to the Strengthening Families program.

“If someone is having trouble paying a bill we can refer them to our financial counsellors.”

Kim became a volunteer almost three years ago, after 20 years working in aged care took its toll on her back and left her unable to continue.

She says the role has given her purpose and a feeling of achievement.

“You feel a sense of accomplishment and wellbeing being able to be of assistance to people who are in quite dire circumstances,” she says.

“I think everybody that’s got the time or they are able to do volunteering work to give back to the community should give it a go.”

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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION – AS AT 30 JUNE 2018 2018 $

2017 $

20,446,814 2,592,808 23,529,435 379,341 46,948,398

21,304,302 2,208,255 18,754,153 151,311 42,418,021

101,159,943 135,332,408 1,570,256 238,062,607 285,011,005

– 117,530,409 1,706,104 119,236,513 161,654,534

7,249,619 1,179,281 54,738,327 8,022,162 71,189,389

5,521,130 – 48,145,994 7,159,293 60,826,417

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Borrowings Provisions TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES TOTAL LIABILITIES NET ASSETS

790,031 1,081,021 1,871,052 73,060,441 211,950,564

– 1,074,749 1,074,749 61,901,166 99,753,368

EQUITY Reserves Retained earnings TOTAL EQUITY

65,842,769 146,107,795 211,950,564

50,535,179 49,218,189 99,753,368

ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents Accounts receivable and other debtors Financial assets Other current assets TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Investment properties Property, plant and equipment Intangibles TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS TOTAL ASSETS LIABILITIES CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable and other payables Borrowings Other financial liabilities – non-interest bearing Provisions TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME – FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2018 2018 $

2017 $

155,509,999 (56,431,233) (5,853,160) (7,087,431) (230,058) (5,188,886) 80,719,231

74,795,216 (52,501,027) (5,454,488) (4,785,592) (57,098) (5,779,993) 6,217,018

Depreciation and amortisation expense Income tax expense Current year surplus

(4,937,784) Nil 75,781,447

(4,653,721) Nil 1,563,297

Other comprehensive income Items that will be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss when specific conditions are met: Net gain on revaluation of land and buildings through asset revaluation reserve Adjustments to asset revaluation reserve on disposal of buildings Net gain on revaluation of available for sale financial assets Other comprehensive income for the year Total comprehensive income attributable to members of the entity

13,094,909 – 838,493 13,933,402 89,714,849

– (52,997) 980,006 927,009 2,490,306

Revenue Employee benefits expense Program, activities and resident costs Property expenses Finance costs Management, administration and other expenses Profit before depreciation, amortisation and income tax expense

The summarised financial statements have been derived from the Company’s full financial report for the financial year.

Other information included in the summarised financial statements is consistent with the Company’s full financial report.

The summarised financial statements cannot be expected to provide as detailed an understanding of the financial performance and financial position of the Company as the full financial report.

The summarised financial statements have been prepared

on an accruals basis, are based on historical costs and presented in Australian Dollars.

A full description of the accounting policies adopted by the Company may be found in the Company’s full financial report.

ANNUAL REPORT 2017–2018

47

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT AUDITOR ON THE SUMMARY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE MEMBERS OF UNITINGSA LTD AND CONTROLLED ENTITIES Opinion The summary financial statements, which comprises the summary consolidated statement of financial position as at 30 June 2018, the summary consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, for the year then ended, and related notes, are derived from the audited financial report of UnitingSA Ltd and Controlled Entities (“the Company”) for the year ended 30 June 2018.

In our opinion, the accompanying summary financial statements are consistent, in all material respects, with the audited financial report, on the basis described in Note 1.

Summary Financial Statements The summary financial statements do not contain all the disclosures required by Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Disclosure Requirements and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012. Reading the summary financial statements, and the auditor’s report thereon, therefore, is not a substitute for reading the audited financial report and the auditor’s report thereon.

The Audited Financial Report and Our Report Thereon We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the audited financial report in our report dated 18 October 2018.

Board of Management’s Responsibility for the Summary Financial Statements The Board of Management is responsible for the preparation of the summary financial statements in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards – Reduced Disclosure Requirement and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012.

Auditor’s Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on whether the summary financial statements are consistent, in all material respects, with the audited financial report based on our procedures, which were conducted in accordance with Auditing Standard ASA 810 Engagements to Report on Summary Financial Statements.

Nexia Edwards Marshall Chartered Accountants

Damien Pozza Partner Adelaide South Australia 18 October 2018

L3 153 Flinders Street Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 2163 Adelaide SA 5001 p +61 8 8139 1111 w nexiaem.com.au

48

UNITINGSA

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Nexia Edwards Marshall is an independent firm of Chartered Accountants. It is affiliated with, but independent from, Nexia Australia Pty Ltd, which is a member of Nexia International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and consulting firms. Neither Nexia International nor Nexia Australia Pty Ltd deliver services in its own name or otherwise. Nexia International Limited and the member firms of the Nexia International network (including those members which trade under a name which includes the word NEXIA) are not part of a worldwide partnership.

The trademarks NEXIA INTERNATIONAL, NEXIA and the NEXIA logo are owned by Nexia International Limited and used under licence.

THANK YOU Our work at UnitingSA would not be possible without the ongoing support of our donors, sponsors and funding bodies, Board of Directors, staff and volunteers.

Thank you all for helping to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Together, we can create a compassionate, respectful and just community in which all people participate and flourish.

70 Dale Street • PO Box 3032, Port Adelaide, SA 5015 P. (08) 8440 2200  E. unitingsa@unitingsa.com.au W. unitingsa.com.au @unitingsa @unitingsa