2023 2024
Vision Keeping
Our Generations Growing Strong
INTEGRITY
LEADERSHIP
ACCOUNTABILITY
RESPECT
Acknowledgement
Wuchopperen acknowledges the sovereign lands of the peoples of Gimuy (Cairns) and the surrounding lands within and extending to Kuku Yalanji to the north, Ewamiam to the west, and Girrimay to the southern points of our service catchment.
We acknowledge all traditional owners by native title or by Aboriginal knowledge and lore.
We pay our deep respects to Elders the keepers of knowledge, history and culture.
We ground ourselves and our work in this abiding recognition.
Contents
Strategic Plan
Chairperson Report
Board of Directors
CEO Report
Our People
Primary Care In Numbers
Events
Hollistic Health Services
Womens, Child & Maternal Health
Clinical Governance
Allied Health Service
Integrated Support Services
Social & Emotional Wellbeing Services
Child, Youth & Family Services
Australian Family Partnership Program
HIPPY
Quality & Compliance
Finance
Independent Auditors Report
Our Strategic Plan 2019 - 2024
Chairperson Report
On behalf of the Board of Directors I am pleased to present the Wuchopperen 2024 Annual Report to our Company Members and stakeholders.
It has been a year of change, consolidation and connection.
We saw a change of leadership, with new Directors replacing long serving and retiring Directors as well as a baton change of our Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
I want to recognise the support and contributions of my fellow Directors, Sarah Addo, Daniel Rosendale, Tracy McCarthy, Solomon (David) Gela, Yirgjhilya Lawrie, Warren Martens and Yasmin Muller.
It has been a busy year. In addition to 6 board meetings, and induction, Directors have been active across 6 subcommittees with 18 meetings to advance the business of the Company. Subcommittees have since been reduced, from 6 to 4 with the finalisation of the Wuchopperen’s IT Strategy and Research Framework.
We will all remember the devastating impact flooding caused across Far North Queensland, and particularly for our brothers and sisters of Wujal Wujal, many of whom were relocated to Cairns and Cooktown, following Cyclone Jasper just before Christmas. It is encouraging to see that from April 2024 some families were able to return to their homelands, while the Wujal Wujal Community continues to be rebuilt.
Roderick Burke
It is the strong foundations of our organisation, built up over 45 years, combined with the poise and professionalism of outgoing Directors and CEO, and new incoming Directors and CEO that has ensured a seamless transition.
It will come as no surprise that the expectation on Directors, of an organisation of this size and complexity, is significant. We operate in an ecosystem with high levels of regulation. Consequently, it is necessary that we work cooperatively and collaboratively with the CEO, Executive Group, and support team to be across our operating environment, take an active role in ensuring we have the management systems in place to ensure effective oversight of performance.
I have appreciated working closely with the Chief Executive Officer since thelast Annual General Meeting and am proud of what we have achieved
and are set to, by working to serve our community and secure our place and critical role in the regional health system.
I have kept my ear to the ground on the enhanced internal and external communications. Specifically, I recognise the work the team has done this year to address and improve our phone service. I am encouraged by the flow of mostly positive feedback
As a Board we have continued to implement our strategic plan, while positioning ourselves and undertaking the necessary preliminary work to embark on the development phase of our next strategic plan. We will look to build on the pillars of the current strategy and results as we continue to place the community at the centre of what we do. This will be an exciting opportunity for us to engage with Members in its development, as well as our many other stakeholders.
We reset the review and potential update of the Company’s constitution. I am grateful for the honourary contribution Gerry Mier has made in working with us on to this important project. I am confident that the renewed approach we have taken, and the extra Member engagement we have done, combined with a further Member session planned for November 2024 will result in a successful Special General Meeting, later this year. This will ensure continued good governance now and well into the next decade. I had the opportunity to join other Members Services of our state body, Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC), to review its foundation document.
our position and partnerships with our family of community-controlled health organisations and ally organisations to improve the health outcomes of our community.
I want to thank all my fellow Directors, CEO, Joy Savage, Executive Team: Rachael Ham, Deputy Chief Executive and Child Youth and Family Services portfolio, Ben Jesser, Executive Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Nicci Roux, Director of Medical Services and all the staff for their support. I would like to also extend a special thanks to long serving staff member Melissa Martin, who supported the Board, for many years, Jean Wasaga-Thompson, and Sepa Yelland who stepped up for several months to ensure administrative and governance support continued.
On behalf of the Board, I want to thank the Members for your engagement, particularly around the proposed changes to the constitution, support, and the confidence you have placed in us to steward this iconic communitycontrolled health organisation.
It has been my honour and privilege to serve as Chairperson. I look forward to accelerating progress and delivering on our promise to keep our generations growing strong, through quality primary health care and social support services.
The Board has considered the role it can play in climate change and has developed a statement, which is now on our website. Running alongside and yet to be finalised, is a Board risk appetite statement that has been worked up and through Finance, Audit and Risk Subcommittee, ably Chaired by Treasurer, Daniel Rosendale.
As many of you know, Men’s health and wellbeing, is an ongoing interest of mine and it gives me great pride working alongside Director Gela, supported by Uel Bani, with Executive Sponsor, Rachael Ham, to continue to prioritise our approach for men’s and boy’s health across the suite of universal health and wellbeing services. With more than 20 Men’s Groups convened over the year, it is encouraging to see incremental changes.
We are employing more people; delivering more services; and strengthening
Governance In Action
CEO Report
Joy Savage
I am pleased to have rejoined Wuchopperen in November 2023 and delighted to provide this report to highlight the progress being made to implement the Board’s vision of keeping our generations growing strong.
There have been significant national and local events that have punctuated the year. Namely, the October 2023 Referendum, and the flooding that impacted our own community and devastated communities to the north of us, in particular Wujal Wujal, following Cyclone Jasper. We stood alongside the community, through the political winds of the Referendum, and in very practical ways supported families locally and from Wujal Wujal, affected by flooding. We collaborated with our partners including Cape York Partnerships, Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good, Apunipima Cape York Health Council, government departments, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services’ Care Coordination Service Centre, and many others while homes were rebuilt.
I am ever mindful that our first and primary role is to be here for our community and that means in the good times, where we can celebrate together, and in the hard and sad times, where we share our sorrow and pain, and wrap our arms around each other.
Overall, it has been a year of consolidation, reconnecting with other providers who share our values, firming up partnerships and strengthening engagement with our community, through our many and varied programs and services. Wuchopperen injected $25 million into the local economy this year. 70% of this is paid as salaries, to a workforce of over 200 people, 68% of whom are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. At a time of high living costs, approval of our new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) in November 2023 meant there is extra dollars in the pockets of staff and their families, in recognition of their value and contribution to improving the lives, and health outcomes of our culturally diverse community.
I am pleased to share the following highlights. A coup for us this year was to see newly graduated Dentist, Dr Chris Cavanagh, join our Dental Team. Dr Chris, his wife Lyn and their 3 beautiful children (including a future Matilda, if their prowess on the soccer field is anything to go by), are the epitome of blak excellence, at a family level. Strong in their cultural identity, humbly making a tremendous mark in the world.
Nipping at the heels of our doctors, nurses, health workers, dentists and
executives is the future health workforce and leaders. We welcomed, and were inspired by, 6 work experience students from Djarragun College, Tagai State College and Trinity Anglican School.
Your Health – Our Promise
The bedrock of Wuchopperen’s offering is its comprehensive primary health care service and model of care. I am proud of the work we have done to build on the post pandemic reset to engage with those who use the services of Wuchopperen and the community at large. We have done a lot of work to enhance the experience people have of the service, whether as a patient, a client, a visitor, or a supplier.
Our priority will always be to provide high quality clinical care and referral services to ensure our community receives the care they need and should expect. Equally, our focus is also on the overall Wuchopperen experience whether a first-time user, or the many loyal individuals and families who choose Wuchopperen as their primary care provider. Evidence shows that seeing the same healthcare team leads to better health outcomes. The multigenerational experience to health care means that over 45 years 4 generations of the same family have made Wuchopperen their first choice in health care. Since October 2023 alone, almost 2000 patients have voluntarily registered with MyMedicare to formalise their relationship with Wuchopperen’s primary care teams.
from the previous year. There has been an uptick of clients at our Manoora Campus and a steady flow through the Edmonton satellite clinic.
We continued to support Mothers during pregnancy to achieve positive birthing outcomes, including healthy birthweights, and maintained strong child immunisation coverage. Social and emotional wellbeing and mental health services have been enhanced to address and support, through services and prevention strategy, strong, healthy minds.
A quiet yet palpable cultural shift is underway to ensure that every encounter with Wuchopperen is a pleasant one, and where we may not live up to expectations, we strive to do better.
Focus on early years with Connected Beginnings
Wuchopperen was successful in gaining funding to help ensure that children get the best start to life. Commencing this year, we are one of 46 sites around Australia. We serve as a backbone organisation. Connected beginnings aims to provide information, to families, collaborate with key stakeholders particularly in the early education (0 – 5 years) and health sector to ensure families and children have access to and are prepared for school. Elders guide the program, through an advisory group of mostly retired experts from the fields of health and education. The team is working to embed partnerships with a full range of providers through specific service agreements.
New 3-year Child Safety Licence
We have continued to provide walk-in appointments first thing in the morning to make it easy for those who may want a quick visit on your way to work, or if they become unwell overnight and want to see a health worker but know they may not be able to get an appointment straight away. We are expanding our tele-health services for regular patients and looking at ways to support multiple channels to access. For the first time since 2022 we have the highest number of GP registrars working with us. This affirms our role as an educator support site for future leaders in the medical profession.
There are more than 10 programs across the portfolio of complementary services to primary health care. It is also a fast-growing area of the Wuchopperen enterprise. With the incredible hard work of the staff, we have secured our child safety licence for the next 3 years. Wuchopperen is the only Aboriginal and Tores Strait Islander organisation to hold such a licence in Far North Queensland. Supporting the work of our Culturally Appropriate Foster and Kinship Care Service (CAFAKCS) team, this Licence, provides confidence that our systems and work processes are of the highest standard.
We are improving our channels of communication with new software that can identify where there are bottlenecks and pinpoint where improvements can be made. Rest assured we will continue to explore ways we can improve the Wuchopperen experience.
With these, and other customer service improvements, there has been a modest increase in clients and just over 8000 more occasions of care. The primary health care team has completed over 2600 health checks, up 320
Reform through Delegated Authority
A confronting, heavy reality is that our region has some of the highest numbers of children in the child protection system, and in out-of-home care. It is for this reason that the Board, management and staff have carefully worked through the pros and cons of Wuchopperen applying for delegated authority under the Child Protection Act, in the hope of supporting children, and their families to maintain connection, enable family time, and reunite children with
their family or kin. It is early days, however the experience of others, who have been assigned authority, show there are benefits to be realised by being part of the transformative change towards greater self-determination.
Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD)
A RHD nurse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Practitioner are now focused on more than 200 patients with RHD. Collaborating with their colleagues and with other care providers they are ensuring those with RHD are getting the care they need and their regular Bicillin injections. Moreover, they are teaming up with other services to share education and promotion material to increase the knowledge and understanding about RHD.
Hollingsworth Elders Village – Elders Health
In April 2024 we commenced the provision of primary health care services. The Hollingsworth Elders Village, formally known as Dija Meta Aged Care Facility is a partnership with Uniting Care Queensland, Accommodates many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander living treasures.
Mental Health Accreditation
Wuchopperen sought and gained certification under the National Mental Health Quality Standards. This accreditation gives confidence that the systems underpinning the provision of mental health care, is of a consistent standard, as independently assessed.
Deadly Choices
breathe easier
Conclusion
None of what has been achieved is possible without leadership and stewardship of the resources available, including our people and our finances. I acknowledge the managers of services and programs, who carry a significant responsibility. I thank them for looking after our people and ensuring that every dollar is spent to improve health outcomes, the quality of peoples’ lives, and to affirm the unique cultural identity of First Peoples.
Our land and property holdings, continue to contribute to the equity of the Company. With an increase in cash reserves, we are wisely investing for a return of untied funding, to finance activities not specifically funded.
This foundation work sets us up for the next few years. The horizon is bright as we enter the development phase of the Company’s next strategic plan. When the Board, management, and frontline staff work in tandem, the impossible, becomes possible.
I thank Chairperson Rod Burke, his fellow Executive Directors, Sarah Addo, Deputy Chairperson, Daniel Rosendale, Treasurer, Solomon (David) Gela, Secretary, and Directors Tracy McCarthy, Yirgjhilya Lawie, Warren Martens and Yasmin Muller for their confidence in the management team. I look forward to continuing to serve you the Members, the Board, colleagues, staff and importantly the Community.
It is and will always be an honour to play a role in a Company that is by the people and for the people.
The stage has been set for the Deadly Choices Cairns Team to join Wuchopperen from October 2024. This follows several months of negotiations with the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH). The team of enthusiastic and determined young people will settle into their new home at our Edmonton Clinic, maintaining their networks, including with more than 20 local schools. This will be an opportunity for further health activation of young people.
Breathe Easy – major upgrade of clinics
A $2.5M contract with Babinda Electrics marks the commencement of work to improve the air quality in clinics. This major infrastructure upgrade, funded mostly by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, will get underway in August 2024. As a rolling program across several buildings, we expect the project to be completed by June 2025. This significant investment will improve air quality, help to prevent infection, and help staff and patients
202 { STAFF MEMBERS {
133 26 EMPLOYEES
FULL TIME
54 MALE STAFF MEMBERS
34 9
EMPLOYEES PART TIME EMPLOYEES
FIXED TERM EMPLOYEES CASUAL
148
71PEOPLE EMPLOYED STAFF MEMBERS
68%
IDENTIFY AS ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER WITHIN WHOLE WORKFORCE
43%
IDENTIFY AS ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER WITHIN SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
50%
6
IDENTIFY AS ABORIGINAL AND/OR TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER WITHIN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP STAFF COMPLETED FIRST AID TRAINING
81 STAFF COMPLETED CPR TRAINING
7 STAFF COMPLETED MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING
6
STUDENTS COMPLETED SCHOOL/COLLEGE WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT AT WUCHOPPEREN
Developing our workforce
Improve attraction, onboarding and retention of high quality staff
Grow and develop leaders and strengthen succession planning
Maintaining good health, safety and wellbeing of all staff
Since introducing our Strategic Workforce Plan which highlighted 5 key workforce priorities, we have been focused on growing and supporting our workforce and making human resource processes more efficient.
Celebrate organisational diversity and ensure an inclusive, collaborative workplace
Improve organisational capability through the development of an effective learning and development strategy
3,859 CLIENTS ENTERING THE HEALTH CENTRE
45,624
CLIENT CONTACTS INCLUDES HOME VISITS AND EXTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
EDMONTON
21,628
2,561 CLIENTS ENTERING THE HEALTH CENTRE
CLIENT CONTACTS INCLUDES HOME VISITS AND EXTERNAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
JULY 2023
NAIDOC Community Day
AUGUST 2023
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Childrens Day
SEPTEMBER 2023 RUOK Day
by Minister for Child Safety, Charis Mullen
OCTOBER 2023
Breast Cancer Awareness
NOVEMBER 2023
Annual Greeting Meeting
DECEMBER 2023
Tropical Cyclone Impacts
APRIL 2024
Visit by Senator for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy
MAY 2024
Community Conversation with Mick Gooda
JUNE 2024 Mens Day Out
Primary Health Care in action
Edmonton Clinic
The Edmonton Clinic, implemented a dynamic approach involving doctors, health workers, and nurses. This model ensured comprehensive support and tailored treatment plans for each patient, fostering a nurturing environment where multidisciplinary expertise converged to optimise health outcomes. We were pleased to welcome back esteemed specialists post-COVID, including cardiologists, geriatric services, mental health professionals, diabetes educators, and a new endocrinology service. These experts provided tailored care for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Hosting the BreastScreen Queensland mobile van and organising an in-house competition exemplified our commitment to proactive health measures.
Our collaboration with Australia Hearing for hearing services and the appointment of a clinic coordinator highlighted our dedication to improving patient experience and operational efficiency. We added a sexual health nurse and midwife to our team, we were better equipped to provide personalised care across various health and well-being aspects.
In March, we launched a new session featuring our dedicated RHD nurse and health worker. This session offered specialised care and support for individuals affected by RHD, ensuring comprehensive management tailored to our community’s unique needs.
We proudly shared the allocation of 5 registrars across our clinics. This strategic distribution optimised service delivery, enhanced clinical learning experiences, and promoted interdisciplinary collaboration, underscoring our commitment to healthcare excellence.
For our community engagement we hosted a morning yarn and tea with Ochre Strokes to raise awareness about the free shingles vaccine for eligible individuals over 50. Additionally, “Our Kids Count” initiative, part of the 3-year Closing the Registration Gap Strategy, saw our community engagement officer visiting Edmonton to assist adults with applications for birth, marriage, and death certificates.
These achievements marked significant milestones in our journey to provide accessible, inclusive, and high-quality healthcare services, empowering our community to lead healthier lives.
Rainforest Clinic
The Rainforest Chronic and Holistic Primary Health Care Clinic in Manoora excelled in delivering culturally appropriate and comprehensive primary health care, addressing both essential medical services and social and emotional wellbeing. The clinic’s team demonstrated strong collaboration and support, fostering a positive and productive work environment. This year, several small but significant improvements in service delivery were implemented, leading to increased efficiency and better patient outcomes.
Successful recruitment efforts brought in new personnel whose contributions were vital to the clinic’s ongoing success. To ensure the highest standard of care, clinical staff were offered upskilling courses, showcasing the clinic’s unwavering commitment to professional development. This investment in staff education and training resulted in high morale, with team members feeling well-supported and satisfied in their roles.
The clinic’s dedication to serving the community was evident through several positive community engagement initiatives. A notable achievement was the appointment of a sexual health registered nurse to lead health promotion initiatives, enhancing the clinic’s capacity to address specific community health needs. Additionally, the RHD team actively supported various health promotion activities, further extending the clinic’s reach and impact.
The promotion of exercise classes for both male and female clients was another successful initiative, encouraging a healthier lifestyle within the community. The clinic also expanded its services by initiating an outreach General Practitioner service with Hollingsworth Elders Village, ensuring that elderly residents received the necessary medical attention. Furthermore, the establishment of a Youth Clinic marked a significant step towards improving healthcare access for young individuals, addressing their unique health concerns, and promoting overall wellbeing.
Through these comprehensive community and stakeholder engagements, the Rainforest Clinic upheld its mission of providing holistic and inclusive health care, making a substantial difference in the lives of the individuals and families it serves.
Sexual Health
We successfully recruited our sexual health nurse for the position in February 2024. The program became restarted with gusto emphasising training refreshers and upskilling new staff in Point of Care Testing (POCTS).
We completed enhanced syphilis response training, sexual health yarning sessions, and stakeholder collaboration.
In August we initiated a community initiative with Wuchopperen supporting the Barbershop Project, led by sexual health advocate Joshua Janke AHW. This initiative targeted Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander males aged 16-24, aiming to improve access to Cairns Sexual Health Services. By offering three months of free haircuts, the project sought to incentivise attendance and reduce stigma around sexual health screenings.
The popular promotional T-shirts ‘Test 4 Six’ and ‘POCT ask me how’ continued in 2024. With new treatments available for Hepatitis C and HIV, Wuchopperen Health Service worked with Cairns Sexual Health Service to ensure culturally safe access pathways for clients.
Despite workforce retention challenges, training on the Test, Treat and Go Gen X Machine was completed to staff in December. Over the past year, 32 staff members were trained in point of care syphilis testing.
Women’s, Child & Maternal Health (WCMH)
At WCMH, our multi-disciplinary team provided comprehensive healthcare services to our community. Our team included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, General Practitioners (GPs), Registrars, a Child Health Nurse, a Midwife, and Nurses. This multidisciplinary team worked together to deliver high-quality care tailored to the unique needs of our patients.
Our antenatal and postnatal care services significantly improved health outcomes by ensuring that expectant mothers attended their booked appointments and received necessary follow-ups. This proactive approach supported both maternal and infant health, ensuring a strong start for our youngest community members
Our child health nurse increased immunization rates and completion of 715 health checks for children, emphasising the importance of early childhood health. Additionally, we administered Bicillin injections for RHD across all age groups, including adults, to ensure continued heart health.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers played a crucial role in conducting 715 Health Checks, which helped identify risks for illness or chronic conditions. The number of completed Health Checks rose, demonstrating our commitment to preventive care. These annual checks were available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of all ages and were vital in maintaining health and strength within our community
Through the collaborative efforts of our multi-disciplinary team, WCMH enhanced health outcomes and supported the well-being of our community. We were proud of our progress and remained dedicated to providing exceptional care for all.
Clinical Governance
Wuchopperen is committed to excellence in clinical care through strong clinical governance processes.
The primary organisational objectives and delivery dimensions for Clinical Governance are translated into an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled context by four (4) clinical governance values.
The Clinical Reference Group and Clinical Governance Committee have continued to lead the development, research, review and implementation of clinical governance frameworks, clinical policy, clinical procedures, and practices pertinent to our service needs.
Client-centered - we value our clients and the community.
Clinical staff are supported to raise challenges and constructive suggestions relating to clinical performance to improve the quality of healthcare provided, ensuring that the systems are in place to support this. The Clinical Reference Group (CRG) enables this pathway.
• Central to every change in process or protocol is clinical safety, while ensuring this is of benefit for our clients and community. This enables clientcentered care while responding to local priorities.
• The clients and community have demonstrated a need for a walk-in service, the walk-in clinics from 8am to 10am daily were established to help with timely access for clients who are unable to prioritise an appointment in advance. Further work is planned, in collaboration with Primary Healthcare operations, to further improve access to clinic services.
• Performance Culture-Maximise clinical safety and minimise clinical risk. The Clinical Governance team ensures that continuous quality improvements (CQI’s) are lodged, working closely with the Quality and Compliance Team to enhance outcomes in health care and organisational performance.
Improvements in service delivery and quality of care have been achieved through the following clinical governance actions:
• Introduction of Standing Drug Orders.
• A new process for script requests from clients and community pharmacies, including a pathway for clinical staff to action the requests and a dedicated email address to support this process.
- This change will benefit our clients in reducing unnecessary wait times and attendances in clinics while maintaining clinical safety.
• Clarification for non-clinical staff regarding how to safely manage the urgency and ‘triage’ for telephone and walk-in presentations, within scope of practice.
• Revision of Wuchopperen’s Employee Immunisation procedure to streamline processes for onboarding of staff while ensuring an ongoing effective employee immunisation program.
• Consultation with internal stakeholders (clinical and program work areas) is crucial to informing frameworks, clinical policy, clinical procedures, and practice to ensure all areas are coordinate appropriately and relevant to the issue, while encouraging feedback. This functional responsibility has developed through effective communication by the team and enables the successful rollout of processes and systems.
• An example was the October 2023 MyMedicare model introduction from the Australian Government, Department of Health, and Ageing. The Clinical Governance team, including Medicare Claims staff, in coordination with the Primary Health Care (PHC) team supported Wuchopperen in this process.
• Facilitating processes to assist our PHC teams in the registration of eligible patients at Wuchopperen. Great progress has been made towards MyMedicare registration for our clients – we currently have well over 1000 registered with MyMedicare with Wuchopperen.
• Performance excellence is demonstrated by not only the MyMedicare model rollout at Wuchopperen but also the forecasting for Medicare and Practice Incentive Program (PIP) income. Providing clarity of service conditions and confidence in the approach.
• Automated recall text message reminders to clients, were improved.
• The appointment reminder text messages with a text confirmation function was introduced to maximise attendance for booked reviews.
• Refreshed orientation and induction of General Practice Registrars, Medical students and senior General Practitioners.
• Regular Doctors’ meetings, facilitating larger education sessions for all clinical staff with the PHC team continued ensuring regular teaching sessions for Registrars.
The RHD audit is aligned with the commencement of the Wuchopperen RHD program in January 2024, improvements have been made to the audit design, including capturing the critical clinical data within our Electronic Medical Record to measure outcomes more accurately with the support from the Public Health Registrar within the Clinical Governance team.
Research Sub-Committee
Wuchopperen's research initiatives have undergone significant expansion this year, marked by active participation in multiple external projects addressing critical themes such as sexual health, diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, substance misuse, and ethical guidelines in Indigenous health research. This expansion reflects our unwavering commitment to holistic community health and the advancement of knowledge in Indigenous health research.
Since the outset of the Research Sub-Committee (RSC) in late 2023, from early 2024 this committee has undergone important changes to the membership.
Joining the committee are two First Nations staff members, Registered Nurses Amelia Cahill, and Irene Kelly, along with research consultants Professor Malcolm McDonald and Dallas McKeown. This is alongside core members Ben Jesser, Executive Director of Primary Health Care, and Rachael Ham, Deputy Chief Executive Officer. A Wuchopperen Board Director will be invited as a core member of the RSC. This reinvigorated membership will enhance our research portfolio, striving for leading research from within the service in the future.
Wuchopperen is committed to keeping both our staff and community updated on research project developments.
Allied Health
Clinical Psychology
During the 2023-24 financial year, 527 clients attended sessions. Multiple clients were assessed and successfully registered with the NDIS, ensuring they received the necessary support. Additionally, telehealth counselling was well-received, particularly by clients who had not previously engaged in counselling services. This highlights the flexibility and accessibility of the services provided.
Dental
This financial year our practice has shown significant improvements in patient care, treatment efficiency, appointment management, and community engagement, all of which contribute to the overall success and sustainability of our dental practice.
Our Child Dental Preventative Program focused on early detection, regular checkups and developing proactive dental care habits. The program fostered a positive attitude towards oral health.
Our collaboration with the Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) Clinic prepared clients for oral fitness prior to surgery. We addressed dental issues to mitigate potential complications to ensure oral health. Provided a comprehensive approach to examinations, cleanings and personalised treatment plans. This collaboration ensured a better surgical outcomes and holistic wellbeing.
The dental team is proud of its efforts this year with high quality dental care in a welcoming environment that promotes patient comfort and satisfaction.
1147 CLIENTS SEEN
1412 TREATMENTS RECIEVED
108 DENTURE APPOINTMENTS
36 DENTURES DELIVERED
93 EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS
91%
Community Dietician
645 CLINICAL DIETETIC SERVICES DELIVERED
We have provided community dietetic services and education to groups such as the Women’s Yarning Circle, Strong Mob, Playgroup and at events such as NAIDOC Week, and Children’s Day. These sessions included education and cooking demonstrations. These initiatives have led to an increase in dietetic referrals within these groups.
Success Story
Since the beginning of the treatment program, a client has been supported on a weight loss journey to qualify for knee surgery. During this time, the client was also diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent chemotherapy, which temporarily hindered progress. After completing treatment and testing negative for cancer, the client continued the weight loss journey and has lost a total of 27 kilograms.
The orthopaedic surgeon was very impressed with these efforts and has set a final goal of just 3 more kilograms to lose. The client has expressed immense gratitude for the support provided, while their own hard work has been crucial to this success. This is truly a heartwarming success story!
Home visits continue for our most vulnerable clients who are unable to attend the clinic. These visits aim to improve health outcomes, nutritional adequacy, and security within this group. We currently provide nutritional supplements to 70 clients, addressing both overweight and underweight issues, to help them achieve positive health outcomes.
Hearing Health
The Hearing Health Program screened over 400 children between Manoora and Edmonton. During school visits from Trinity Beach down to Gordonvale, an impressive 408 children have been screened, underscoring the reach and impact of the Hearing Health Program.
We supported referral pathways to external services such as Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialists and Hearing Australia, thereby increasing patient referrals to the Edmonton clinic. This collaborative approach ensures that patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their needs.
Patients accessing the Hearing Australia clinics, which are held every two months, have reaped numerous benefits. These include thorough hearing health assessments for further testing, more extensive education around ear health, and access to hearing aids that significantly improve health outcomes.
Feedback from primary schools has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the appreciation and importance of the hearing health program for children’s well-being and academic success.
Community Diabetes Educator
Wuchopperen partnered with Melbourne University for the Flash Project, which compares sensor technology with finger-pricking for Indigenous clients with Type 2 Diabetes on injectables. From Wuchopperen, 51 clients were enrolled, and 44 have completed the project. Across several sites in Australia, a total of 202 clients have enrolled, with a goal of reaching 250 participants.
Over the past 12 months, there have been 1,235 occasions of service for diabetes education.
A 58-year-old gentleman, diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in February 2024, has successfully maintained non-diabetic blood sugar levels for the past 3 months through dietary changes and regular medication. The next goal is to trial managing his condition without medication, with the potential to achieve remission of Type 2 Diabetes.
463
433
763
Success Story
Overcoming Challenges for Perfect Vision
OPTOMETRY CLIENTS
One of our patients had been struggling with developing cataracts and progressing nearsightedness for many years. Despite numerous scheduled ophthalmology specialist appointments, she repeatedly missed them. However, after persistent efforts, we successfully got her to attend her preoperative appointment, and surgery was finally scheduled.
Initially, her first surgery coincided with the arrival of Cyclone Jasper, causing the surgery list to be canceled. Undeterred, we rescheduled the surgery for March. Due to the challenge of contacting her, as she did not have a phone, we enlisted the help of Blue Care and her son to ensure she made it to the surgery.
The left cataract surgery was completed in March as booked, followed by the right cataract surgery later the same month. Special thanks to Dr Todd for providing this service and demonstrating exceptional patience throughout the process.
The outcome was remarkable—our patient now enjoys perfect 6/6 (20/20) vision without the need for spectacles. This story highlights the dedication of our team and partners in overcoming obstacles to provide life-changing care.
Podiatry
We recruited a new podiatrist in February, and have serviced 195 clients in the past 4 months. This was well received by the community. The podiatrist reengaged with our sponsors and doners Footscape, Asics, and Briggate, enhancing our Foot Care Packs and providing shoe samples for upcoming events. Collaborative efforts included monthly meetings with Queensland Health High Risk Foot Service/ Wuchopperen Podiatry to discuss mutual clients and promote Foot Screening training for Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs). We also streamlined the referrals with the RHD and the Skin Clinic.
Community engagement was highlighted by the SEWB Yarning Circle – Women’s ‘Foot Spa’ Day, promoting foot health and self-care.
Future plans involve active participation in NAIDOC and National Aboriginal and Torress Strait Islander Children’s Day events, Elder’s Lunch, in-service training for GPs and nurses, and educational sessions at local primary schools.
Physiotherapy
Wuchopperen Health Service Gym: Women’s and Men’s Group Exercise Classes
Over the past 9 months, the Women’s and Men’s group exercise classes have been running consistently, with a brief break over the Christmas/New Year period. Due to increased demand, an additional women’s group class was trialed over the last two months. Participants have reported improvements in strength, balance, and confidence.
In the same period, more than 15 women and 8 men have attended physiotherapy sessions to join the respective exercise programs. The number of participants in these groups varies weekly. Alongside group classes, one-on-one gym sessions have continued, with a rise in demand since the start of physiotherapy appointments. Over the past year, 966 service occasions were scheduled, with 210 appointments not attended. While non-attendance remains an issue, engagement is improving.
In the next 12 months, we aim to extend our programs to other community members, including youth programs. We also plan to increase our involvement with Elders programs and local community and health promotion events.
Integrated Support Services
Integrated Team Care (ITC)
The ITC Program aims to improve outcomes for chronic conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by enhancing access to primary health care, including culturally appropriate mainstream services. The program offers care coordination and access to brokerage funds (supplementary services) for eligible clients.
This year, the program successfully ensured that clients followed their planned care. By working closely with doctors and with the support of our care coordinator and outreach worker, we provided continuous assistance to our clients throughout their health journey. We connected them to specialist clinics at Wuchopperen Health Service, including Cardiology Outreach, Far North Regional Obstetric and Gynaecological Service Clinic, Liver Clinic, Open Arch Geriatrician Clinic, and Paediatrics Clinic.
1110
CLIENTS HAVE RECEIVED A SERVICE
2194
NEW REFERRALS
1652
COORDINATION SERVICES PROVIDED
SUPPLEMENTARY SERVICES
299 PROVIDED CARE
PURCHASED MEDICAL AIDS
National Community Connector Program
In May, this year the National Community Connector Program (NCCP) have successfully recruited and filled two positions within the program. Our staff have diligently worked to meet our targets, which include:
• Educating the community about the NCCP and raising awareness of the NDIS
• Improving access to the NDIS for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients
• Engaging stakeholders by attending peer support meetings and gatherings
• Identifying service gaps and building relationships
• Monitoring and evaluating our efforts
We assisted clients in successfully connecting with the NDIS, attended weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings with stakeholders, both internally and externally within the community. Provided ongoing support to 49 clients, ensuring eligible individuals receive necessary assistance and guidance.
The NCCP has been instrumental in bridging the gap between the NDIS and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, ensuring that individuals receive the support and services they need. throughout their NDIS journey.
Commonwealth Home Support Program
The Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) team strives to meet each client’s individual needs, providing services to enhance their capacity and quality of life. This year, our efforts have focused on encouraging Elders to be more active and engaged in community activities, fostering social interaction and well-being.
We encouraged Elders to participate in various community activities, significantly increasing social interaction and activity levels. Two major Elders’ gatherings were hosted, with one featuring a yarn with Mick Gooda, former Social Justice Chair.
STRETCHING FOR CONNECTIONS
Our weekly yoga classes for Elders have become a highlight within the community. These sessions have gained tremendous popularity, with Elders eagerly participating in the exercises and activities. The enthusiasm is noticeable as they look forward to attending each week.
This initiative has not only promoted physical health but also fostered a sense of community and well-being among our Elders. Their active engagement and positive feedback are a testament to the success of this program health and relaxation among our Elders.
Social & Emotional Wellbeing Services
The Social Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) team has experienced a successful year marked by significant growth and expansion. Our programs have seen strong engagement and continue to expand their reach. This year, we introduced a new service under SEWB: Culture Care Connect, which focuses on suicide intervention and aftercare support. Over the past 12 months, we have organised a range of community events aimed at enhancing education and awareness on health and wellbeing topics, as well as employment events designed for students and job seekers.
We conducted a review of our Family and Domestic Violence program to incorporate more cultural values such as connection to country and self.
We continued to provide ongoing support to individuals affected by domestic violence, including emotional and practical assistance such as safety planning, housing and legal support. We continued to run our Strong Womens Yarning Circles and Strong Mob Programs. In addition, we hosted medical students from James Cook University to enrich their understanding of holistic health.
We developed our staff by supporting enrolling in a Diploma in Counselling course, to enhance the quality of support to our clients and staff.
The team organised the Sorry Day and the National Apology Day to promote reconciliation and cultural awareness.
Success Stories
A young Aboriginal women overcame long term anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to complete her Higher Education Diploma and pursue a Bachelor of Law with the support of scholarship and Wuchopperen Health Service. Another participant of the Strong Mob Program improved their mental health and worked towards reunifying with their two children through collaborative efforts with Family Wellbeing Services.
Children & Family Centre
The Children and Family Centre (CFC) is dedicated to supporting families with services for early childhood education and care, family and parenting support and child and maternal health and wellbeing to our families.
The Children and Family program seeks to enhance family resilience, improve parenting skills, and create safer and more supportive home environments.
Case Study
A family with young children were supported to access Kindy Connect. The parents both experienced separation anxiety and held concerns regarding how their children would respond in a kindergarten setting. The parents attended Wuchopperen and participated in the Families as First Teachers (FAFT) program facilitated by CFC staff. Whilst parents were engaging in the FAFT program the children were supported by another CFC staff member with Kindy Connect to help build and cultivate resilience. The family was also supported with accessing a Speech Therapist who provided recommendations to the kindy service that enabled the child to be enrolled. The child had an expressive speech delay and was very clingy with Mum. Mum said “She was anxious about her son starting school and felt he would not separate from her.” Mum also worried that her son might be teased because of his speech. Mum suggested she might try home schooling, but with CFC Early Childhood Educators who attended the visits to the Early Learning Centre, the Mum was assisted with the enrolment process, orientation visits and navigating the MyGov system. The child is happily attending kindergarten and is on track to start big school in 2025. Mum is now exploring her study and employment options.
Connected Beginnings
The Connected Beginnings Program is a community focused initiative designed to improve the health, development, and educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait children from birth to school age. This program aims to ensure that our children are ready for school by providing a seamless transition from early
Child Wellbeing Program
Culturally Appropriate Foster and Kinship Care Service (CAFAKCS), is a Licensed Alternative Care Service, which recruits, trains and supports Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander - Foster, Kinship and Respite Carers.
CAFAKCS staff of six, together with 44 current Carer Households – being 29 Kinship Care and 15 Foster Care, support and offer placements for our children and young people. Our placement services, cover the area from Cairns and Yarrabah, south to Tully, west to the Tablelands and north to Mossman. Currently we have 85 of our children/young people placed with our carers.
In May we held our Carers Recognition Dinner at the Hilton Hotel. It was a great evening to acknowledge the work put in by our Foster and Kinship Carers. In May we also started to air on BBM radio to encourage more community members to consider becoming carers. In June we partnered with Life Without Barriers to host a Family Fun Day at Malanda Skate Park. Carers and children and young people in care residing on the Tablelands were invited to enjoy a BBQ lunch and participate in various sporting, cultural, and other fun activities.
FPP is designed to support families to activley engage in the decisions and decisions making process for their children.
The FPP Team of 6, have one staff based in Atherton, the remainder at Cairns, and the service area includes Cairns and Yarrabah, south to Mission Beach, west to the Tablelands and Croydon and north to Mossman.
FPP receive an average of up to 15 referrals per week, requesting support for our families.
In January 2024, an information session on Delegated Authority was held in Cairns, attended by representatives of Wuchopperen. CYFS Leadership supported the event by presenting valuable information to the attendees. In February we had Honourable Charis Mullen (Minister for Child Safety, Minister for Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Multicultural Affairs) visited to introduce herself as the new Minister. The minister expressed interest in learning more about our services and inquired about any service gaps that might require funding.
Youth & Family Wellbeing
The Youth and Family Wellbeing Program has provided case management assistance to 83 young people between the ages 10 – 18 years, with 18 participants being young men and 65, young women. Our approach with our young people has involved further support to evolve their behaviours and thinking through our various activities. These activities include one-on-one mentoring, supporting re-engagement with education, access to better healthcare and health education, life skill learning opportunities, art therapies, and job pathway assistance. Over the course of the year, our committed team has arranged 48 group activities, including after school and school holiday programs.
Youth Mentoring
Despite facing a vacancy for an extended period, the Youth Mentoring program has accomplished a lot this year. Receiving and accepting 38 referrals, and supporting 14 young individuals who have exited the program with reported positive change. 17 participants are still actively engaged and working towards positive change. Our team has worked tirelessly to organize 166 activities throughout the year, engaging over 310 participants. These activities have focused on education, boosting confidence, fostering cultural connections, and encouraging pos relationships.
Family Lead Decision Making Program For Young People
Within our Youth Participation Program, we have had 36 referrals from young individuals interested in engaging in a Family Lead Decision Making process to create a family plan. Despite these challenges we were able to successfully finalise 3 case plans during this period.
Highlight event - Ultimate games
Wuchopperen’s youth team joined forces with Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG) and Create Foundation to host the 3rd Annual Ultimate games night during Youth Week in April. Held at Edmonton PCYC, this event attracted a fantastic turnout of 80 young people, along with their families, siblings, and numerous services. Participants had the option to either form their own teams or join existing ones. The event was packed with excitement, featuring a range of minutes to win it games, team building activities, uplifting music, and positive vibes. To make it even more thrilling, we offered $100 rebel sports gift cards as prizes for the winning team and MVPs. Additionally, we brought along some promotional gear, including basketballs, cards, and basketball arm sleeves, which were a huge hit with the children. We cannot wait to start working on the next event and continue strengthening our bonds with the community.
Australian Family Partnership Program
The Australian Family Partnership Program (AFPP) previously known as The Australian Nurse Family Partnership Program (ANFPP) has since had a name change to acknowledge the vital role of the Family Partnership Workers who work in collaboration with the Nurse Home Visitors within the program. The Australian Family Partnership Program is locally known as the “First Time Mums Program” within Wuchopperen and is a voluntary program that forms part of the Governments Closing the Gap initiative and is coming into its 15 years of service.
The AFPP team had several successes over 15 years of establishment that have helped parents be the best parents they can be. AFPP uses a variety of tools based on the 3 theories of self-efficacy, attachment, and human ecology to assist clients to make healthier lifestyle choices and create independence for themselves and future generations to come.
The AFPP team had a busy year assisting 38 families and completed over 500 home visits. The monthly client activities coordinated by the team provide clients education, resources and tools to support their relationships in positive environment with their baby. This year AFPP had 11 families successfully graduate from the program.
Testimonials
AFPP HELPED ME TO LEARN NEW WAYS OF COMMUNICATING WITH AND TEACHING MY SON AND SUPPORTED MY MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY
WHENEVER I NEEDED”
THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED MY PARENTING JOURNEY BY PROVIDING ME ASSISTANCE WITH MY CHILD’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. IT ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH A SAFE SPACE TO SHARE ANYTHING THAT WAS WORRYING ME.
IT SUPPORTED ME ON ALL LEVELS”
The journey of a first time mum
“Today we graduated from a First Time Mums Program and I couldn’t thank the AFPP team enough for all their support over the last 2 years.
This painting represents my journey. I will miss the program dearly but I will be back to facilitate workshops and craft activities for the new mums to come and to help them along their journeys.”
Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)
HIPPY is committed to building a love of learning based on parent strengths by empowering their confidence, knowledge and skills whilst keeping their community and cultural connections strong. The activities give parents valuable, focused one-on-one time with their child; and, throughout the two-year program, parents learn about their child’s learning style. Parents also receive guidance on child development, how to empower and give their child confidence to learn; and support their child’s transition and engagement with school. Parents are also supported with the opportunity to become a Tutor in the HIPPY program, which offers a paid supported pathway to personal development and employment.
HIPPY North
The North team had 13 families graduate in the age 5 program, we had 100% retention and engagement in 2023 across our age 3 families and welcome 2 new families from Darwin (transfer). Families are linked within Wuchopperen services and programs ensuring our families are connected wholistically and encourage for the entire family to be involved in the wonderful journey of strengthening the foundations in their child’s learning.
HIPPY South
The South team has had a successful year; we have had high retention rates with 20 out of 24 of our 2023 families still engaged in the second year of the program. All 2024 Families have been retained. Families’ engagement at Gatherings has been high. Families have built their capacity and knowledge around supporting their child’s learning through play, and that they are their child’s first and most important teacher.
At the end of November 2023, we had our Age 5 Graduation and Age 3 Celebration with 45 parents and children attending the Fun-e-Farm to celebrate the wonderful achievements of all our Southside families.
Quality & Compliance
The Quality Management System has continued to support operations across all programs and service delivery areas. The prompt risk-based management of inputs such as incident reports, feedback, complaints and internal audit reports has enabled timely, accurate reporting to the Management Review Committee (MRC). The MRC have increased their meeting frequency to quarterly which has strengthened the analysis and management of risk and continues to support meaningful decision making in alignment with Wuchopperen values and strategic objectives.
THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANISATION, THERE IS A ROBUST COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE CARE, CLIENT SATISFACTION, SERVICE EXCELLENCE, AND ONGOING ENHANCEMENT, ALL OF WHICH ALIGN WITH THE ISO 9001:2015 QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARDS.”MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARDS”
ISO 9001:2015 QUALITY
45 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED ALL COMPLAINTS WERE MANAGED WITHIN POLICY
TIMEFRAMES AND GUIDELINES INTERNAL AUDITS CONDUCTED, AND CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS DEVELOPED.
In the last year organisational compliance has been maintained, with over 230 performance, financial and legislative reports submitted to funding bodies and other external agencies. Wuchopperen added to the delivery of accredited services, receiving certification against the National Standards in Mental Health Services (NSMHS) in October 2023. All scheduled external audits were successfully completed this year.
Our Finances
Our Team
The finance team consists of five members, a Director, Manager, Senior Accountant, Senior Finance Officer and Finance Officer.
Our purpose is to:
• Maintain robust and effective financial processes and controls to ensure compliance, optimise resource use and allocation, and safeguard Wuchopperen assets and finances; and
• Provide insightful, accurate and timely analysis and advice to enable and facilitate informed decision making.
We are committed to transparency, integrity and accountability. We partner and collaborate with our stakeholders to add value, mitigate risk and contribute to Wuchopperen’s long-term financial sustainability and growth.
Financial Summary
Net Operating Result
Wuchopperen achieved a surplus of $356,980, compared to a deficit of $972,378 in the prior year. The turnaround in financial performance was driven by:
• An increase in revenue by $2,057,155 comprising an increase in grant income of $1,729,342 and an increase in Medicare and related income of$230,129; and
• An increase in total expenditure by $727,797 comprising an increase in employee expenses of $1,093,335, which was offset by overall reductions in operating and other expenditure categories, including a reduction in grants repaid by $143,709 and a reduction in professional fees by $134,530.
Sources of Revenue
Total revenue for the year was $26,086,789 and comprised grant income of $21,977,574 (84%), Medicare and related income of $3,572,560 (14%) and other income of $536,655 (2%).
Over the last five years, the Company’s total annual revenue and other income has remained stable, with minimal change in its composition.
For the financial year ended 30 June 2024, grant funding of $9,042,576 (39.4%) was received from the Commonwealth Government, $9,729,204 (42.4%) was received from the Queensland Government, $4,125,115 (18.0%) was received from Non-Government Organisations and $43,727 (0.2%) was received from the university sector. Total grant funds received of $22,940,622 is reconciled with grant income reported of $21,977,574 with the net movement (increase) of contract liabilities of $963,048.
Expenditure by Type
Total expenditure for the year was $25,729,809 and comprised employee expenses of $19,031,200 (74%), operating expenses of $4,525,470 (18%), depreciation and amortisation expenses of $1,053,029 (4%), grants repaid of $846,531 (3%) and other expenses of $273,579 (1%).
Financial Sustainability and Growth
Our initiatives to improve the Company’s financial sustainability and to facilitate continued financial growth include:
Proactively identifying and pursuing new grant funding opportunities.
Ensuring compliance with funding arrangements so that current and future funding is not put at risk.
The development and implementation of a strategy to increase overall Medicare and other related income. The strategy includes measures to strengthen clinic and patient management processes to improve capacity and utilisation, recruit additional General Practitioners, roll out structured training on Medicare billing, and capture and analyse data to provide further insight into operational performance and provide opportunities for continuous improvement.
Investigating opportunities to diversify the Company’s current income streams through new programs and activities.
Pursuing and leveraging measures designed to attract and retain talent and improve overall organisational performance through its employee value proposition and measures designed to improve and strengthen workplace culture.
Developing and implementing new and improved systems and processes, to mitigate revenue loss, reduce waste and reduce and eliminate inefficient and redundant processes whilst improving overall service delivery. This includes the implementation of Employment Hero: a HR management and payroll software solution.
Reviewing the Company’s ongoing purchasing and contracting arrangements to identify possible cost savings. Making appropriate investments in the Company’s assets and facilities so that it is well positioned to continue to provide high quality services. This includes the delivery of the Clean Air project, that will upgrade the Company’s HVAC systems in its Coral Cay, Reef and Rainforest clinics to support more effective infection control and improve overall air quality for an amount of $2.375 million. Also known as the ‘Breathe Easy’ project.
Investing funds excess to the Company’s immediate requirements in term deposits to earn interest. For the financial year ended 30 June 2024, $5.9 million was invested with $280,000 expected to be earned from interest, which can be reinvested into operations and services.
Independent Auditor’s Report
To the Members of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited
Independent Auditor’s Report
Opinion
To the Members of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited
We have audited the financial report of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited (the “Company”), which comprises the statement of financial position as at 30 June 2024, and the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of material accounting policies and the Directors’ declaration.
Opinion
In our opinion, the financial report of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited has been prepared in accordance with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (ACNC), including:
Information Other than the Financial Report and Auditor’s Report Thereon
The Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Company’s annual report for the year ended 30 June 2024, but does not include the financial report and our auditor’s report thereon.
Our opinion on the financial report does not cover the other information and accordingly we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the financial report, our responsibility is to read the other information available at the date of this report, and in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial report or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.
If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.
Responsibilities of the Directors for the financial report
a giving a true and fair view of the Company’s financial position as at 30 June 2024 and of its financial performance for the year then ended; and
We have audited the financial report of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited (the “Company”), which comprises the statement of financial position as at 30 June 2024, and the statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of material accounting policies and the Directors’ declaration.
b complying with Australian Accounting Standards AASB 1060 General Purpose Financial StatementsSimplified Disclosures for For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Tier 2 Entities and Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2022
In our opinion, the financial report of Wuchopperen Health Service Limited has been prepared in accordance with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (ACNC), including:
a giving a true and fair view of the Company’s financial position as at 30 June 2024 and of its financial performance for the year then ended; and
Basis for opinion
b complying with Australian Accounting Standards AASB 1060 General Purpose Financial StatementsSimplified Disclosures for For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Tier 2 Entities and Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2022.
The Directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial report in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards – AASB 1060 General Purpose Financial StatementsSimplified Disclosures for For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Tier 2 Entities and the ACNC Act, and for such internal controls as the Directors determine are necessary to enable the preparation of the financial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial report, the Directors are responsible for assessing the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the Directors either intend to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.
The Directors are responsible for overseeing the Company’s financial reporting process.
Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial report
Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including Independence Standards) (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board’s APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including Independence Standards) (the Code) that are relevant to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the Code. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
913 594
Grant Thornton Audit Pty Ltd ACN 130 913 594 a subsidiary or related entity of Grant Thornton Australia Limited ABN 41 127 55 6 389 ACN 127 556 389. ‘Grant Thornton’ refers to the brand under which the Grant Thornton member firms provide assurance, tax and advisory services to their clients and/or refers to one or more member firms, as the context requires. Grant Thornton Australia Lim ited is a member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member firms are not a worldwide partnership. GTIL and each member firm is a separate legal entity. Services are delivered by the member firms. GTIL does not provide services to clients. GTIL and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate one another and are not liable for one another’s acts or omissions. In the Australian context only, the use of the term ‘Grant Thornton’ may refer to Grant Thornton Australia Limited ABN 41 127 556 389 ACN 127 556 389 and its Australian subsidiaries and related entities. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Pr ofessional Standards Legislation.
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Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of this financial report.
As part of an audit in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional scepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal controls.
• Obtain an understanding of internal controls relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by the Directors.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial report, including the disclosures, and whether the financial report represents the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.
Grant Thornton Audit Pty Ltd Chartered Accountants
H A Wilkes Partner – Audit & Assurance
2024
Cairns, 8 October
Manoora
6 Moignard St, Manoora QLD 4870 PO Box 878, Manunda QLD 4870
P (07) 4080 1000
F (07) 4032 4962
E enquiries@wuchopperen.org.au
Edmonton
7 Stokes St, Edmonton QLD 4870 PO Box 486, Edmonton QLD 4870
P (07) 4040 3100
F (07) 4040 3199
E enquiries@wuchopperen.org.au
wuchopperen.org.au
WuchopperenHealthService
Wuchoppern Health Service Ltd
Wuchopperen
