2008 connections unitingcare annual report

www.connections.org.au

ANNUAL REPORT2008

Respect l Equity l Responsiveness l Relationship l Learning

CONNECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2008

» find emergency accommodation for homeless families, working with them to overcome their crisis;

» work with parents and kindergarten teachers of children aged three to four to address a child’s extreme social and behavioural problems so that they are not expelled from their kinder;

» provide intense family support, including counselling, to families (with children) who are in crisis due to difficulties including

poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, experience of family violence;

» provide adoption facilitation for infants relinquished by their parents and support permanent care placements for young children unable to be cared for by their ‘birth parents’ due to issues such as addiction to alcohol and other drugs, mental illness as well as poverty;

» help our clients to overcome social isolation and gain self-confidence and

a sense of worth – research shows that these are important in fostering well-being and resilience among those who experience vulnerability and disadvantage;

» address juvenile justice early intervention and prevention through diversionary programs that offer young people an opportunity to channel their energy, providing a real second chance for those who have already come into contact with the Juvenile Justice system.

Connections UnitingCare 31 Hardner Road Mount Waverley Victoria 3149 Australia T 03 9271 0800 F 03 9271 0888 [email protected] www.connections.org.au

ABN: 90 676 577 035

Edited by Matt Clear, Communications and Fundraising Manager, Kirrilee Torney, Public Relations Officer, Connections and Louise Bloxham Proofreading Services.

Designed by Studio Binocular. Photos by Shane Bell.

Published by Connections in October 2008.

Connections aims to reduce our impact on the environment. This Connections publication is printed on Monza Satin Recycled by Finsbury Green, Australia’s first Carbon Neutral printer. Printed using vegetable based inks, no isopropyl alcohol and world’s best practice ISO 14001 Environmental and ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems.

VALUES

RESpEct

We recognise the value and unique worth of every person. We listen to people and honour difference.

EqUity

We strive to address social injustice by promoting reconciliation, hope and change through empowerment and advocacy.

RELAtionShip

We work with people collaboratively and in partnership to create strong, honest and trusting connections based upon open communication and shared understanding.

RESponSiVEnESS

We are open, amenable, inclusive, accessible, flexible and tenacious in answer to need.

LEARning

We believe in and are committed to the growth and development of people. We model best practice, reflect on our performance, acknowledge and learn from mistakes and embrace change.

Who ARE WE?

CONNECTIONS PROVIDE A RANGE OF INNOVATIVE AND EARLy INTERVENTION PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT VULNERABLE CHILDREN, yOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES GIVING THEM A BETTER CHANCE IN LIFE NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. CONNECTIONS USES ITS SUITE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO:

contEntS

03 Who Are We?03 Connections Values05 Chairperson’s Report07 Chief Executive Officer’s Report 08 Organisational Structure

11 Family Services14 Early Childhood Services16 youth Services19 Housing Support

20 Corporate Services22 Organisational Development24 Human Resources

25 Practice Research27 Agency Minister

29 Finance Committee Report30 Financial Statements31 Financial Report32 Auditor’s Report

34 Supporters37 Honouring Our History – Forging Our Future38 Get Involved

At the conclusion of every Connections UnitingCare board meeting I offer a short piece of prose for the board to consider. These pieces are an attempt to offer a profound base against which the board can reflect on the work just completed.

One such piece of prose that deeply moved board members is the following parable. It concerns a banquet where a king is yet to take his place at the table. A dishevelled man walks into the banquet hall and takes a place in the king’s seat. The prime minister, incensed, asks who the dishevelled man thinks he is. To questions of whether he is a cabinet minister or king the man says ‘No. Higher.’

‘Are you then God?’ asks the prime minister.

‘No. Higher,’ says the man.

‘That is impossible,’ says the prime minister, ‘nobody is higher than God.’

‘That nobody,’ says the man, ‘is me.’

This parable is from the Sufi tradition but resonates readily with the Christian value of radical inclusion. I think it so moved the board because it resonates with the individual’s desire (longing) to be valued as we are (to be). In other words it captures the importance of belonging.

Belonging is both about

1) expanding the circle so that those beyond it can be within it and

2) creating a flow to the centre of the circle at regular intervals, for those on the outer extremities.

Whatever else we say about ourselves, Connections UnitingCare primarily exists to expand the circle and create the flow. And the board exists to review our life as an agency against that primary aim and to imagine how we might go deeper in living towards that aim.

chAiRpERSon’S REpoRt

... THE WORLD SEEMS AWASH WITH ExCITING INNOVATIONS FOR INTEGRATION, CONVERSATION AND CONNECTION. OUR MOST IMPORTANT ROLE AS A BOARD IS TO KEEP OUR EyES ON THOSE POSSIBILITIES, AS MUCH AS ON THE DETAILS OF CURRENT REALITy.

ADRIAN PYLE

I am energised by the story this annual report tells. It is the story of magnificent commitment from a passionate Chief Executive Officer, passionate staff and passionate volunteers – passionate about creating connections that bring about belonging!

As we have discerned and deliberated on matters of the agency this year, I believe the board has effectively given that aim its deserved significance. So while we provide a range of programs on behalf of various levels of government, we equally voice concerns and take action when government funding decisions or policy initiatives seemingly undermine our primary aim. While we are an agency of the Uniting Church in Australia, we speak with commitment into that church, when its institutional agendas overshadow the creation of belonging. The institutional church is not immune to asking things of its agency that distract it from the work of inclusion.

But neither are Connections UnitingCare – and the board – immune from the possibility of losing focus. The world demands accountability as ‘plans adhered to’, ‘targets met’ and ‘risks mitigated.’ But governance is only about these things to the extent that they service our higher aim – building belonging. Just now, the world seems awash with exciting innovations for integration, conversation and connection. Our most important role as a board is to keep our eyes on those possibilities, as much as on the details of current reality.

Board of GovernanceFrom left, back: David Rush, Adrian Pyle Bronwyn Wellings; from left middle: Annette Bennet, Michael Olijnyk, Ian Pollerd; front: Angela Forbes (CEO); Insert: Andrew Morris.

Join Us… Have you thought about contributing at a governance level to an agency like Connections? We are very fortunate to have had some wonderful talent contributing to the life of Connections over the years. Departing from the board in this reporting period is Rev Alison Whish – thank you Alison for your valuable contribution. New to the board is Bronwyn Wellings and Ian Pollerd – welcome Bronwyn and Ian, we look forward to your involvement and valuable insight. If you are interested in discussing involvement in the Connections Board Email Imelda Cribbin, Executive Assistant to the CEO [email protected]

PAGE 05 CONNECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2008

CONNECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2008 PAGE 07 CONNECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2008

As you can see from the detailed elements of the report Connections has wide coverage throughout the eastern and southern metropolitan regions of Melbourne providing services across a continuum including innovative and early intervention programs that support vulnerable children, young people and their families. Core to this service provision is that of partnerships with other service providers and our funders.

Our Family Services work to prevent the need for more intrusive intervention and provide a broad range of approaches. We operate in four separate partnerships/alliances across the Inner and Outer South and Inner and Outer East.

Our work in the growth corridors continues. Through the South East Family Services (SEFS) Alliance, Connections operates the largest Child FIRST(community based intake) site in Victoria covering Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong and we are about to establish another at Blackburn covering the Inner East.

Connections welcomes the Victorian Government’s changes in August of 2007 to bring together early childhood services and school education through the creation

of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. Our work and services in Early years recognises what has been identified through these reforms – that early childhood years are the foundation stage for learning and development.

Our commitment to young people continues through such programs as Clean Slate, a pre-court and post-court diversionary program for young people in the juvenile justice system and Finding Solutions another prevention and diversion program for young people reported to Child Protection.

In April 2008 the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, Christine Nixon, was on hand to launch Operation Newstart Casey, a new initiative between Connections, Victoria Police and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Our housing support program SHIFT aims to break the cycle of homelessness particularly for parents and their children. The level of homelessness and poverty in this population is deeply concerning.

Our foundations to the Uniting Church, particularly through the UnitingCare network continues to inform our work. Through the

support of our Agency Minister the Connections Social Justice Committee and the impressive and inclusive Veggie Patch Project which now operates from two sites.

Our Annual WJ Craig Lecture honours the philanthropic legacy of William John Craig (1839–1899). In September 2007 the Honourable Alastair Nicholson, former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and a former justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria delivered and impressive lecture on “Social Justice: What is the Future in Australia.”

As Connections grows we’ve needed to prioritise how we service the needs of our clients and our staff. In this last year we’ve invested in new systems (accounting and human resources) and commenced developing organisation wide management systems focused on Quality Management, Target Management and Client Feedback and have undertaken our first Registration Self Assessment as a step to accreditation under the new legislation.

I would like to thank the Board of Governance for their discernment and deliberation; our volunteers from all walks of life including the Uniting Church, who provide valuable community connectedness and lastly to the 450 staff and management team whose skills and commitment to meeting the challenges of the organisation and to the people we serve are exemplary.

chiEf ExEcUtiVE officER’S REpoRt

OUR FAMILy SERVICES WORK TO PREVENT THE NEED FOR MORE INTRUSIVE INTERVENTION AND PROVIDE A BROAD RANGE OF APPROACHES. WE OPERATE IN FOUR SEPARATE PARTNERSHIPS/ALLIANCES ACROSS THE INNER AND OUTER SOUTH AND INNER AND OUTER EAST.

ANGELA FORBES

I’m very pleased to be providing a report on the activities of Connections UnitingCare for 2007– 2008. This has been a stage of rapid growth and development of Connections and we are now one of the 5 largest child and family welfare agencies in Victoria.

Executive Management TeamFrom left, back: Kimberley Flanagan, Greg Brady, Remberto Rivera; from left, front: Mary O’Callaghan, Angela Forbes, Trish Chapman. Insert: Jane Broadhead.


oRgAniSAtionAL StRUctURE<

<

<Agency Minister

Rev. Sue Barber

Practice Research

Dr. Gaye Mitchell

Chief Executive Officer

Angela Forbes

boARd of goVERnAncE Adrian Pyle, David Rush, Bronwyn Wellings, Annette Bennet, Michael Olijnyk, Ian Pollerd, Andrew Morris.

Director Corporate Services

Remberto Rivera

» Finance» Communications

and Fundraising» Information Technology» Property and Contract

Management» Fleet and Purchasing

Management

Director Human Resources

Mary O’Callaghan

» Recruitment» Payroll» Industrial Relations» Occupational Health & Safety» Training and Development» Volunteers

Organisational Development Manager

Greg Brady

» Client Feedback» Program Evaluation

Director Eastern Family Services

Trish Chapman

» Blackburn Family Services» Croydon Family Services» Low Cost Counselling Service» Group Work Program» Parenting Assessment

and Skills Development Service (PASDS)

» Families First» Child Assessment

and Therapy Service» Supporting Homeless

Individuals and Families in Transition (SHIFT)

Director Eastern Early Childhood & Community Services

Caroline Lovell

» Starting Out» Working Together (Eastern)» Preschool Field Officer

Service (Eastern)» Family and Community

Services» Kinder Inclusion

Support Service» Cluster Management» Music Together

Director Outer South

Kimberley Flanagan

» South East Family Services (SEFS)

» Child FIRST» Families First» Adolescent Community

Placement (ACP)» Finding Solutions» Reconnect» Clean Slate» Learning for Life» Southern Chances» School Focused youth

Services» Doveton Secondary

School Program» youthlinx» Burremah Education Unit

Director Inner South

Jane Broadhead

» Family Support» Financial Counselling» Alliance Family Counselling» Permanent Care,

Adoption and Adoption Information Service

» Working Together (Southern)

» Preschool Field Officer Service (Southern)

» Alcohol and Other Drugs Parenting Support


Over one hundred parents and children were supported through Connections’ Family Services program in the inner and middle southern suburbs of Melbourne. As a result of additional funding provided by the Department of Human Services (DHS) in 2007– 2008, the focus has been increasingly on helping families earlier in order to prevent the need for more intrusive Child Protection intervention, thereby reducing notifications and re-notification rates to Child Protection. Funding arrangements have meant our team has grown by three casework positions and a team leader, enabling longer term interventions for families who need this support.

Connections’ Family Services are now delivered on the basis of formal partnerships with eight other agencies funded by DHS to provide these services, including Family Life, Jewish Care, the Cities of Port Phillip and Kingston, Bentleigh Bayside Community Health Service, Bayside Community Information and Support Service (BayCISS) and Dingley Village Community Advice Bureau. There are also two specialist service providers – Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and New Hope Refugee and Migrant Service – who provide consultancy and other resources to ensure effective and responsive service delivery to Aboriginal families and those from migrant or refugee backgrounds.

A community-based intake team has been established to screen, provide initial assessment and prioritise all referrals to the Partner agencies. This has resulted in new place-based assessment and priority setting processes being established across the inner and middle south catchment of five local government areas – Bayside, Kingston, Glen Eira, City of Port Phillip and Stonnington. Protective Services provides a staff member who works closely with the community-based intake team and family services staff to provide consultation about the most effective service response, and assist with assessments and engagement with families.

The overarching aim is to establish streamlined entry to Family Services, coordinated and planned service delivery with a focus on children and families where there are significant concerns about their wellbeing.

In the final year of funding for a pilot program focussed on parents recovering from dependence on alcohol and other drugs, the Alcohol and Other Drugs Parenting Support Service, two staff designed and ran four workshops. Called `Parenting with Purpose’, the workshops focussed on participants learning practical skills, obtaining peer support and discussing issues such as self esteem and positive thinking, changing drug use behaviour and relapse prevention, communication skills, problem solving and goal setting.

Connections is the lead agency in the South East Family Services (SEFS) Alliance and operates the largest Child FIRST site in Victoria covering Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong. The SEFS Alliance is made of up seven funded family services and the Department of Human Services. Child FIRST provides information, referral and support for families referred where there are concerns regarding child wellbeing.

The families referred to Child FIRST have significant and ongoing issues that impact upon the wellbeing of children in their family. This often requires case workers to provide support in a proactive manner over long periods of time. For these families, Child FIRST supports engagement with ongoing case workers involved in the SEFS Alliance. This enables service coordination and integrated responses for vulnerable children, youth and families living in the catchment.

Family Services provides a range of practice approaches including case work, group work, client brokerage, in-home support, parenting skill development, service coordination, mediation and advocacy. The interventions used are determined by an assessment of need and development of a family service plan (care plan). Clients are referred into family services through Child FIRST.

fAmiLy SERVicES

FAMILy SERVICES PROVIDES A RANGE OF PRACTICE APPROACHES INCLUDING CASE WORK, GROUP WORK, CLIENT BROKERAGE, IN-HOME SUPPORT, PARENTING SKILL DEVELOPMENT, SERVICE COORDINATION, MEDIATION AND ADVOCACy.

Financial Counselling Connections is committed to helping people who are financially disadvantaged. 232 people on low incomes were provided with financial counselling services by Connections in 2007–2008. In addition to offering financial counselling to people living in the Cities of Port Phillip, Stonnington and Glen Eira, Connections is developing a No Interest Loans Scheme for clients of our Agency who are on low incomes so they can purchase essential household goods. The National Australia Bank has offered Connections $120,000 as loans capital for this scheme.

Family Violence ServicesThe Victorian Government has introduced the ‘Integrated Family Violence Service System’ as part of its strategy to reduce the incidence of family violence. This approach aims to have community services, police, courts and government working together in a more integrated way. Connections is part of the Inner and Middle South Integrated Family Violence Service System, funded to provide counselling to women and children affected by violence. In 2007– 2008, a second project funded through the Local Answers program of the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing,

Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) enabled staff to extend the counselling available to women and children and to undertake extensive community education on family violence. We held fifteen public events to help inform women and young people about the effects of violence and the support services available to them. Staff also trained four women who have been affected by family violence to be mentors for other women still experiencing the effects of violence and abuse.

innER SoUth oUtER SoUth


The key programs are as follows:

Outer East Family Services Family Services in the Outer East catchment area are delivered in partnership between Connections and Anglicare Victoria.

Inner East Family Services Connections is the lead agency in the Inner East catchment area, whilst working in partnership with four other agencies, Camcare, Anglicare, Doncare and UnitingCare East Burwood.

» Significant expansion of the family services program has occurred throughout 2008 necessitating the development of a larger facility in Blackburn and the opening of an office in Mount Waverley to accommodate the growth of the EFS staffing structure and the commencement of the Inner East Child FIRST service which is due to commence on 1 October 2008 providing the integrated centralised intake and assessment service for the Inner East Catchment area.

» A key development has been the co-location of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency at the Blackburn office to provide support for the delivery of services to the aboriginal community throughout the Eastern Region.

» The Chinese Community Development Program which is funded through the City of Monash has delivered culturally sensitive and linguistically targeted community education, parenting and play groups for Chinese residents in the City of Monash. This program provides a referral conduit into the family services program where a culturally appropriate service is provided by Chinese speaking social workers employed by Connections.

Family Services provides a range of targeted services for children and families with particular needs. For families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Connections works closely with the South East Migrant Resource Centre and Springvale Indo-Chinese Mutual Assistance Association (SICMAA). We are also partnering with Foundation House to support a community led initiative for Afghani families.

Connections recognises the need for a broad range of partnerships and co-facilitates a number of group programs including: a group for parents with adolescents who are violent in partnership with Southern Health; groups in a range of schools where a child has experienced grief and loss; and parenting groups with local councils. We also provide groups for young mothers, grandparents and socially isolated parents.

Connections also provides targeted programs to prevent children being placed away from their parents where there are significant risk issues or where children are being reunified with their family following previous removal by DHS from the family home. This program, Families First, provides an intensive short term response for families with the aims of placement prevention or reunification.

EAStERn fAmiLy SERVicES

Eastern Family Services (EFS) provides a suite of services for families and children living in the Eastern Metropolitan Region.

The Integrated Counselling Service (ICS) provides counselling and assessment for children and adolescents. Clinical services are also provided to couples and individuals with children in their care, including family and couple therapy. Redevelopment of the ICS has provided a more robust capacity to provide assessment and therapeutic service to children and young people who have experienced a range of traumatic experiences.

The Group Work Program provides a range of parenting programs, school based programs and specialist focused groups, including a post natal depression group (joint initiative with the counselling service).

PAGE 12 CONNECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2008


Connections welcomes this broader approach to learning and development across the early years, and particularly supports the Blueprint target to ‘Reduce the proportion of children entering school with emotional and behavioural problems’ as this has been identified as a major service gap.

Connections Working Together – Early Childhood Services specifically focuses

on this target group and despite prolonged uncertainty about the future funding of the program, we were fortunate to secure another twelve months funding from the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) this year.This program targets children (two to six years) who have significant social, emotional or behavioural issues that impact on their experience in child care or

kindergarten, and their transition to school. These children are often at risk of exclusion from universal services because of their emotional or behavioural problems. The holistic approach of Working Together provides support to staff in child care or preschool settings, as well as in-home support to parents, and a group program for parents and children focused on social skills development and improving self regulation.

EARLy chiLdhood SERVicES

CONNECTIONS’ RANGE OF EARLy CHILDHOOD SERVICES PROVIDES A GREAT OPPORTUNITy TO ENGAGE IN EARLy INTERVENTION AND PREVENTATIVE APPROACHES TO WORKING WITH FAMILIES WHO HAVE yOUNG CHILDREN. THE PROVISION OF UNIVERSAL EARLy CHILDHOOD SERVICES PLACES THE AGENCy IN A GOOD POSITION TO IDENTIFy NEEDS EARLy, AND REDUCE THE CALL ON SECONDARy AND TERTIARy SERVICES.

In August 2007 the Victorian Government made a decision to bring together early childhood services and school education through the creation of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD). This change signalled new opportunities to improve the health, wellbeing, learning and development for Victorian children. In April 2008 the Victorian Government released the Blueprint for Early Childhood Development and School Reform as the basis for a reform agenda to guide integration and improvements in early childhood services and the school system over the next five years. The Blueprint report reflects a lifecycle approach to learning and development, specifically recognising the early childhood years (0 to eight) as the foundation stage for learning and development.

Connections Program Age Range

Universal services are for the whole population and aim to provide help to all who need it, without regard to their ability to pay.

Cluster Management of eleven Uniting Church kindergartens and childcare centres

0 – 6

Music Together program 0 – 6

Secondary services for people with an identified early stage problem or risk factor. These services include early childhood intervention to support children with a disability or developmental delay, as well as support and parenting services for families with the aim of reducing the risk or managing the problem.

Preschool Field Officer program 4 – 6

Kindergarten Inclusion Support Service 4 – 6

Working Together 2 – 6

Starting Out Pregnant – 6

Tertiary services for people with needs that require intensive and often ongoing intervention. These services include child protection and placement services.

Adoption & Permanent Care 0 – 12

Parenting Assessment & Skills Development Service (PASDS)

0 – 2

Adoption and Permanent Care

There were fourteen permanent care placements and four adoption placements made in 2007– 2008. The Adoption Information Service responded to seventy-five enquiries from adopted persons, adult children of adopted persons, birth relatives, and adoptive parents. This involved the provision of counselling interviews, release of records, making links through searching and outreaching on behalf of a number of applicants through letter exchanges and, sometimes, acting as an intermediary to facilitate contact between applicants and other parties.

Parenting Assessment and Skills Development Service (PASDS)

The PASDS service provides assessment and skill development for parents with infants between the ages of birth and two years who are considered by child protection to be at high risk of abuse or neglect.

Preschool Field Officer Program

750 children and families were referred to the program and received services from the Preschool Field Officers (PSFOs) in 2007– 2008.

The Preschool Field Officer Program has high demand for services in the inner and middle southern suburbs of Frankston and Mornington Peninsula. Thirty two children and their parents participated in group work sessions in 2007– 2008 focussing on parent education, social skill development in children and promoting attachment between parents and children benefiting children, parents and preschool teachers.


The youth Services programs in Connections have a variety of funding bodies including the Commonwealth and the State Government philanthropic trusts and fundraising. These programs have operated in the service silos, often influenced by funding accountabilities, program guidelines and competing government policy agendas.

Connections has embarked on a refocus and redevelopment of its educational and youth services in the Outer South region. This redevelopment is seeking to better link, coordinate and support all services with a youth focus. It is expected that this will provide better assessment processes and “joined up” service responses that are superior to those that would occur in programmatic isolation.

Our youth Services span the range of early intervention, secondary support and tertiary services to ensure that children, youth and families receive an integrated response when they need to access services.

The Connections youth Services programs include:

» Clean Slate is a pre-court and post-court diversionary program for young people in the youth Justice system, and for young people whose offending is related to the use of drugs or alcohol.

» Burremah Educational Unit is for young people unable to be maintained within their current mainstream school environment.

» Reconnect program is for young people at risk of homelessness and disengagement from educational and vocational settings.

» Finding Solutions is a prevention and diversion program for young people reported to Child Protection.

» Doveton Secondary College has an out-posted social worker to provide family, student and group counselling support.

» School Focused Youth Services enables schools in the Outer South to build and strengthen their relationships with secondary services in order to assist vulnerable young people.

» Scholarship Programs includes The Southern Chances program which provides individually tailored scholarships for young people who have untapped potential. The Smith Family Learning For Life educational program provides financial supplements for economically disadvantaged students.

» Adolescent Community Placement for young people in out-of-home care.

» Youthlinx provides a range of group based early intervention activities focused on youth activities. This program was restructured in June 2007 and is still developing program models.

yoUth SERVicES

OUR yOUTH SERVICES SPAN THE RANGE OF EARLy INTERVENTION, SECONDARy SUPPORT AND TERTIARy SERVICES TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN, yOUTH AND FAMILIES RECEIVE AN INTEGRATED RESPONSE...

Connections provide a range of services to young people living in the southern metropolitan region. Our programs recognise that not all young people have an equal start in life, but have the potential to set and achieve goals and make changes in their life. Connections Youth Services works to empower young people to make these changes and respects and values their capacity for change.

“We have learnt so much, I feel I understand him better and setting limits has made him have more respect for me... this program has been the way forward for us. The support has been fantastic and we now have a more peaceful if not still challenging, but happier son”.

Client Feedback


Accompanying children of clients experiencing homelessness are among the most disadvantaged in society. In addition to experiencing transience and disruption to their education, their needs are often compounded by exposure to issues facing their parents such as serious physical or mental illness or substance abuse. Many of these children have also witnessed or suffered abuse, their lives are often chaotic and crisis-driven and they are likely to suffer the insecurity and distress of not having a place to call home. In an endeavour to prevent generational homelessness, SHIFT has a strong focus on meeting the needs of accompanying children.

A survey conducted on Tuesday, 17 June 2008 indicated that SHIFT was supporting fifty-four adult clients. In addition there were fifty-six accompanying children, twenty-five of whom were under the age of four, including

five newborns. It is of great concern that so many children are being born into homelessness or are experiencing homelessness at such a young age.

Flexible service models and extended support when required are imperative in sustaining successful outcomes. The exit stage of case management is perhaps the most crucial of the entire support period. Through the case-management process individuals and families may make significant progress in addressing their needs, however if they obtain permanent housing in an area that is unfamiliar, they may risk losing supports and face social isolation. In ensuring that the progress achieved is maintained, it is critical that extended support is provided to assist the client to link into services and integrate into the community. Failure to do so is likely to result in relapse or return to homelessness.

hoUSing SUppoRt

... JUNE 2008... SHIFT WAS SUPPORTING FIFTy-FOUR ADULT CLIENTS [WITH] FIFTy-SIx ACCOMPANyING CHILDREN, TWENTy-FIVE OF WHOM WERE UNDER THE AGE OF FOUR, INCLUDING FIVE NEWBORNS.

Shift (SUppoRting homELESS indiVidUALS And fAmiLiES in tRAnSition)

“When I was with SHIFT I felt confident and safe to be able to call my worker re any problems and great peace of mind to have problems solved or on the ways to solving any problems, issues whatever they are A to Z. I have one child of nine years of age, and he can now stay over for weekend visits. As I’m not homeless or just as bad, boarding houses where there is violence, drugs that is not fit for children at all”.

Individual client, reflecting on engagement with SHIFT.

SHIFT consists of a team of six, with individual workers bringing experience from various fields including mental health, family violence and child protection. In its aim to break the cycle of homelessness, the service has traditionally provided comprehensive case-management to address identified client need. In recognising that positive sustainable outcomes can only be achieved with a holistic response, through creative use of limited resources, SHIFT endeavours to provide the intensive and sometimes extended support required for clients with multiple and complex needs.


Having obtained Board of Governance Support the previous financial year for the purchase of Technology One Financials, the Finance Unit was particularly busy this year, as the project entailed working closely with the TechOne consultants in developing a Business Research Study (Project Plan) that detailed our accounting, management reporting and stakeholder needs for the configuration of the new system.Implementation commenced in October 2007, testing occurred in the ensuing months and “go live” was achieved on 1st April 2008. The process has been arduous but the result is that the organisation has a new accounting system that is flexible, efficient, and capable of serving the accounting and reporting needs of an organisation of our size.

Our Property, Contracts and Purchasing Unit was also extremely busy this year, as we finalised negotiations with The Avenue Uniting Church in Blackburn for us to move

our Blackburn team into the building that had been “The Avenue Community House”. This was a good result for the Agency, as we not only strengthened our relationship with this congregation, but also secured a long term lease on a property with good potential to provide excellent and expanding services to our client base in the inner east part of Melbourne. Although the building had good potential, it needed to be refurbished in order to accommodate our staff, and staff from the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) who have joined Connections in this location to provide enhanced services to our clients.

In November the organisation, in partnership with Camcare, Doncare, Anglicare and UnitingCare East Burwood. was successful in tendering for the provision of Innovations Inner East with the Department of Human Services (DHS).This brought with it the need for us to have an office in the City

of Monash. Therefore our Board and the Executive made the decision to take this opportunity to relocate our head office to this proposed new location. At the end of the financial year and after a very challenging search, a building in Mount Waverley has been identified with the capacity of housing our head office, Inner East Innovations Program and SHIFT (Supporting Homeless Individuals and Families in Transition).

In the reporting period the Communications and Fundraising Unit structurally moved to be with Corporate Services. We have big plans for this Unit as we can see the benefits that a successful Communications and Fundraising Unit will have across the whole agency and the potential for lifting the Connections profile and building a strong fundraising base is very strong.

A great thank you must go to all team members of the Corporate Services Directorate who have worked tirelessly these last twelve months to achieve the business objectives of the organisation; but not only that, they have also supported all our front line staff to deliver high quality services to our most important stakeholders – our clients.

coRpoRAtE SERVicES

... [WE] HAVE ALSO SUPPORTED ALL OUR FRONT LINE STAFF TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITy SERVICES TO OUR MOST IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDERS – OUR CLIENTS.

Corporate Services is a responsive and proactive team providing excellent quality support services to the staff, volunteers and Board of Connections. Our mission is “to enhance the organisation’s capacity to achieve its Vision and Mission”. In line with our mission statement last financial year, we delivered a broad range of high quality back office services to all our stakeholders.

Gillian Williams Program Manager Inner South Directorate has co-authored a book published in August 2008 with a colleague from the University of Melbourne, Professor Glenda MacNaughton, titled Techniques for Teaching young Children. Choices for Theory and Practice, published by Pearson Education Australia.


qUALity mAnAgEmEnt

Our focus in this area has been our first self-assessment against the Registration Standards for Community Service Organisations, under the Children, youth and Families Act 2005. The requirement to engage in this self-assessment process was seen by the Agency as an opportunity to develop an annual self-assessment methodology for Family Services and Out of Home Care that could later be extended to embrace all of our program areas. It has been seen as a step in the evolution of a unitary approach to Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement within the Agency. It is anticipated that Connections will extend the system to all program areas over the period 2008 – 2009 and 2009/2010. The aim in so doing, is to give us the capacity to formally monitor, evaluate and manage Service Quality across the whole agency in a way that meets all regulatory requirements, and minimises duplication of quality processes across programs, sites and directorates

tARgEt mAnAgEmEnt SyStEm

Through December 2007 and January 2008 an internal Target Management System was developed and implemented giving Connections’ program and the executive management the tools to monitor and manage monthly program, directorate and organisational performance in terms of service delivery targets. The system is currently under review and will be further developed in 2008/2009.

cLiEnt fEEdbAck SyStEm

Connections has, since its inception, had a deep commitment to active client involvement in our planning and review process. During 2005/2006 funds were allocated to discover how to effectively be in that dialogue with our clients, a dialogue that would provide consistent, timely, valid and reliable information about their needs, expectations, satisfaction and achievements. During that year feedback processes were designed and piloted in four different locations involving clients from a representative sample of programs. Based on what we learnt in those pilots, the organisation has committed significant resources to establish, trial, then implement, an organisational wide client feedback system in 2007– 2008.

The trial commenced in January and is well underway with the introduction of systems for both client initiated (1800 number, email and comment cards) and organisation initiated (mail and telephone survey) feedback processes. The roll-out to all programs will continue throughout 2008 – 2009 and is expected to be completed and fully sustainable by July 2009.

oRgAniSAtionAL dEVELopmEnt

CONNECTIONS HAS, SINCE ITS INCEPTION, HAD A DEEP COMMITMENT TO ACTIVE CLIENT INVOLVEMENT IN OUR PLANNING AND REVIEW PROCESS.

Organisational Development has been focussed this year on the development and implementation of three organisational wide management systems focused on Quality Management, Target Management and Client Feedback.


Practice research argues that, for our assistance to clients to be as effective as possible, we have to:

» deepen our knowledge of clients, their needs and their difficulties;

» keep testing the accuracy of that knowledge;

» evaluate programs and practices; » use the knowledge gained through

research to improve services;» employ research processes that use,

and further build, the knowledge, confidence and competence of our staff.

Practice research is research into practice, about practice and uses knowledge of practitioners. Connections staff have shown consistent commitment to participate in research, to develop knowledge and to find

more effective ways to assist their clients. Their contribution strengthens the quality of research which provides a secure foundation for practice development, program design, and advocacy for clients. At Connections, practice research has regularly provided the best available data for input into policy at state and federal levels.

The main activity during the last twelve months has been completion of the evaluation of South East Family Services (SEFS). The finalised Research Report: Comprehending complexity, fighting exclusion, found that the SEFS program model and the SEFS staff were able to achieve outstanding outcomes for many client families. It also found that there was a specific group of families who had the most complex, long-term, entrenched,

serious and multiple problems. Case studies illustrated excellent casework practice, but suggested that the program models of family services are not tailored to meet the needs of this group of most vulnerable and marginalised families. The evaluation provided the basis for a range of recommendations.

The practice researcher has also linked Connections to the wider research network, through association as honorary research fellow with The University of Melbourne and the Alfred Felton Research Program: Promoting the Safety and Well-Being of Children and Families, participation on the Alfred Felton Research Program Reference Group, and through research and evaluation networks.

Human Resources has undergone significant structural change in the past twelve months, and going forward is focussed on providing a proactive and supportive service to our employees. We employ approximately 450 employees who are geographically located across the South Eastern Region. The recent structural changes to Human Resources provide a gateway for the delivery of strategic advice to support the Agencies business goals, directions and growth plans.

Key Human Resources initiatives include:

» Developing a culture that works towards identifying Connections as an employer of choice in the Industry;

» Provision of specialist Human Resource and Industrial Relations advice and support;

» Partnering with Executive managers, Program managers and team leaders in attracting, retaining and developing our people;

» Developing and building capability through strategic Learning and Development initiatives and programs;

» Designing and developing HR/IR systems and processes to support the strategic and operational plans of the Agency;

» Attraction and retention of our Volunteer workforce.

Our focus is to ensure our volunteer workforce feels valued and understand that they are an integral part of the successful delivery of support and services to our clients in the community.

Through fostering and cultivating a positive, inclusive, learning culture, our Human Resources team aims to support the Agencies employed and volunteer workforce in their passionate pursuit of excellent client support.

hUmAn RESoURcES pRActicE RESEARch

HUMAN RESOURCES… WORKS TOWARDS IDENTIFyING CONNECTIONS AS AN EMPLOyER OF CHOICE…

CONNECTIONS STAFF HAVE SHOWN CONSISTENT COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH, TO DEVELOP KNOWLEDGE AND TO FIND MORE EFFECTIVE WAyS TO ASSIST THEIR CLIENTS.

DR GAYE MITCHELL

As Connections has grown and developed, it has been increasingly important to integrate a high-quality, skilled, professional Human Resource Management function as a business partner. The key initiatives for Human Resources are providing high quality Employee and Industrial Relations advice, service and support across the Agency.

Practice research is a key element of a professional learning culture that aims for continual improvement in direct service to client families. Practice research is directed to answering the questions: Do our programs and services achieve what we want them to achieve? Can we help clients in a better or quicker way?


Our passionate new Enviro Team looks at the footprint of Connections and has initiated many creative opportunities that reduce our impact, such as Directorate Environmental Management plans, tip sheets, awareness raising events and displays.

The Connections Social Justice Committee continues to offer a well supported forum for debate and discussion on issues topical to Connections. Our theme is ‘Breaking the Cycle of Poverty’, concentrating on the Australian context but embracing the global call to combat poverty. Some of our major projects include, Poverty Week, the Women’s Co-operative Livelihood Project, Philippines, with breakfasts and promotion of their paper based products and the VPP.

The VPP now has two sites and we celebrated the official opening on the 4th December 2007, with Adrian Pyle Chairperson of Connections Board, Angela Forbes CEO, Boyd Fellowes Volunteer Co-ordinator, Rod Woodcock of CityWide, Connections Staff and our other

sponsors launching the project. Unfortunately this summer, the VPP was hit hard by the drought, but we now have full rain water tanks, a great winter harvest and hope as we move into our spring planting. A successful workshop was run by the Horticultural Therapy Association of Victoria for VPP participants on composting, propagating and seed-raising. We are looking forward to more art projects and the development of a contemplative garden.

The Covenanting program was launched officially at the Maroondah Presbytery on the 5th of September 2007 with the signing of a covenantal agreement between six Uniting Church of Australia (UCA) Outreach Ministries. This covenant between the Outreach Ministries governs the covenantal program initiated with UCA congregations. Covenanting is about creating sustainable relationships and resourcing a joint mission between Connections, other Outreach Ministries and local congregations aiming at building stronger communities.

Connections presented at forums held by the Maroondah Presbytery with UnitingCare agencies and UCA Outreach Ministries, exploring how do we maintain our Christian identity in today’s political and funding climate, and how does being a faith based agency affect what we do and how we do it. These forums provided informed and ongoing discussions for the wider church and agencies.

There is paramount urgency to respond to the devastation humans cause; those of us in positions of choice can no longer turn our back upon these responsibilities. In God’s Ministry at Connections we have been implementing new initiatives and developing new visions to lighten our footprint.

AgEncy miniStER

EVERy FOOTSTEP ECHOES ACROSS THE WORLD, EACH FOOTPRINT WE MAKE LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION ON CREATION, IMPACTING MOST ON ALL THAT IS VULNERABLE AND POWERLESS.

REV SUE BARBER

Swooping past us, as we sat enjoying a cuppa and home-made cake, was ‘Maggie’ coming to share in afternoon tea with the Veggie Patch Project (VPP) team as usual. She perched on the fence, her feathers now such a crisp black and white, and began to chortle with delight as her new mate flew in to meet us. We are intricately connected to God’s creation and we have a profound responsibility to care and protect our environment. Every footstep echoes across the world, each footprint we make leaves a lasting impression on creation, impacting most on all that is vulnerable and powerless.


Our financial position was further enhanced by the fact that at the peak of the financial market, a decision was made to cash out $496,583 of our Growth Funds to repay part of our borrowings, reducing our mid-term loans from $1.6 to $1.1 million. This meant that we capitalised on our growth funds before the downturn in the economy and reduced our debt levels. Although this treasury transaction was timely and profitable for the organisation, we have by no means escaped the turbulence of the global markets as our Available for Sale Financial Assets were re-valued downwards by $853,520.

Nevertheless, in an environment where community needs and the needs of the disadvantaged are ever increasing, our Agency’s Total Revenue has increased from $17.4 to 19.4 million representing a growth of 11.5% compared to the previous financial year, allowing us to meet some of the extra

demands for services the community has placed on us. Following previous years’ trend our biggest funding source was State Government Grants of $15.1 million (77.8% of total revenue); this contrasted with last year when this funding source represented 82% of our total revenue. Our second biggest funding source was fees from clients with an amount of $1.4 million or 7.2% of total revenue. We received Commonwealth Government Grants of $1.04 million which were down 6.6% compared to previous year, nevertheless still our third largest funder.

As our core activity is providing Child youth and Family Services, most of our expenses are represented by employee entitlements. This year this item of expenditure reached $13.1 million of total expenses and represented 70.7% of Agency’s expenditure, making it our largest expenditure item. The second largest item of expenditure was payment

to subcontractors at $1.4 million or 7.2% of total expenses. This amount represents payments made to partner agencies providing services to our clients on our behalf. Our third biggest item of expenditure, same as last year, was client costs with a total of $868 thousand representing 4.7% of the organisation’s expenditure.

On the whole this year has been both challenging and satisfying, as we have achieved our financial objective of eliminating the accumulated deficit the Agency has been carrying for the last eight years. Moreover we have further strengthened our balance sheet by reducing debt and have grown our revenue streams which have allowed us to provide more services to our reason for being, our clients.

Andrew Morris AC Chairperson, Finance Committee

finAncE committEE REpoRt

Connections UnitingCare’s (Connections) Income Statement for the financial year ended 30 June 2008 discloses a surplus of $813,115, representing 4.1% of total revenue. This surplus has helped to eradicate the Agency accumulated deficit of $271,496 and has provided an Accumulated Surplus on our Balance Sheet of $541,619. The Board of Governance is very pleased with this result as turning around our accumulated deficit position has been one of the Board’s objectives for the last eight years. Fulfilling this objective has further strengthened our financial position as evidenced by the organisation’s balance sheet.


ASSETS Current Assets

Cash Assets 644,559 509,640

Receivables 303,584 433,232

Prepayments 162,596 152,555

Current Financial Assets 12,385,444 11,937,687

Total Current Assets 13,496,183 13,033,114

Non-Current Assets

Land 5,400,196 5,358,143

Plant and Equipment 265,874 361,681

Motor Vehicles 1,170,600 1,245,348

Software 44,472 0

Total Non-Current Assets 6,881,142 6,965,172

TOTAL ASSETS 20,377,325 19,998,286

LIABILITIES

Current Liabilities

Payables 1,411,513 1,243,790

Unexpended Grants 1,932,627 1,351,737

Provision for Employee Entitlements 1,160,039 998,587

Total Current Liabilities 4,504,179 3,594,114

Non-Current Liabilities

Provision for Employee Entitlements 434,701 428,739

Borrowings 1,114,771 1,611,354

Total Non-Current Liabilities 1,549,472 2,040,093

TOTAL LIABILITIES 6,053,651 5,634,207

NET ASSETS 14,323,674 14,364,079

EQUITY

Contributed Equity 983,768 983,768

Reserves 12,798,287 13,651,807

Retained Earnings 541,619 -271,496

TOTAL EQUITY 14,323,674 14,364,079

INCOME DHS Grants – State Government 15,116,131 13,142,443

Commenwealth Government Grants 1,046,155 1,120,085

Local Government Grants 140,274 75,874

Other Grants 316,125 295,111

Fees 1,394,455 1,549,501

Donations and Bequets 157,873 227,659

Fundraising 58,853 67,287

Interest 696,287 600,067

Distribution from WJ Craig Trust 200,004 204,996

Other Income 235,384 102,779

Goodwill Store Revenue 0

Discount on Adquisition of Childcare business 0

Total Income 19,361,541 17,385,802

EXPENDITURE

Employee Entitlements 13,118,386 11,923,118

Clients Costs 868,254 826,764

Property Costs 627,729 703,989

Motor Vehicles Expenditure 408,321 393,885

Administrative Expenses 791,652 747,865

Subcontractors Costs 1,393,512 877,529

Other Expenditure 686,635 646,505

Depreciation and Amortisation 653,937 635,351

Total Expenses 18,548,426 16,755,006

Operating Surplus for the year 813,115 630,796

Transfer to Reserves – 220,346

ACCUMULATED SURPLUS at the end of financial Year 813,115 410,450

StAtEmEnt of finAnciAL poSition

incomE StAtEmEnt

SPECIAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE yEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

SPECIAL PURPOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE yEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

This is a summarised statement of financial performance which is consistent with fully externally audited financial statements which are available by calling 03 9271 0800

2008 ($) 2007 ($) 2008 ($) 2007 ($)

Amount %

State Government 15,086,132 78%

Federal Government 565,824 3%

Other Grants 456,400 2%

Kindergarten and Childcare Centres 1,816,260 9%

Connections 1,423,751 7%

19,348,367 100%

Amount %

State Government $12,724 73%

Federal Government $569 3%

Other Grants $166 1%

Kindergarten and Childcare Centres $2,646 15%

Connections $1,281 7%

$17,386 100%

SoURcE of incomE 2007/08 SoURcE of incomE 2006/07

Notes to the Summarised Financial Report For the Year Ended 30 June 2008

Note 1: Statement of Significant Accounting Policies

The Summarised financial report has been derived from the full financial report of Connections for the year ended 30 June 2008. A copy of the full financial report and auditor’s report will be sent to any member upon request.

All amounts are presented in Australian dollars. A full description of the accounting policies adopted by the Agency is provided in Note 2 of the 2008 financial statements which form part of the full financial report.

SUmmARiSEd finAnciAL REpoRt

State Government 78%

Connections 7%

Kindergarten and Childcare Centres 10%

Other Grants 2%

Federal Government 3%


Connections 8%


Other Grants 1%



Connections 7%


Other Grants 2%



Connections 8%


Other Grants 1%



We have audited the accompanying summarised financial report of Connections, comprising the summary balance sheet as at 30 June 2008 and the summary income statement for the year then ended, and related notes, which was derived from the financial report, being a special purpose financial report, of Connections for the year ended 30 June 2008.

The Responsibility of the Board of Governance for the Summarised Financial Report

The Board of Governance of the agency is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the summarised financial report in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Board of Governance. This responsibility includes establishing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the summarised financial report; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.

Auditor’s Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the summarised financial report based on our audit which was conducted in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. These Auditing Standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the summarised financial report is free of material misstatement.

We conducted an independent audit of the financial report of Connections for the year ended 30 June 2008 prepared in accordance with the reporting requirements of the Board of Governance. Our auditor’s report on that financial report was signed on 25 September 2008 and was not subject to any modification. Our audit procedures in respect of the summarised financial report included testing that the information in the summarised financial report is derived from, and is consistent with, the financial report for the year.

The summarised financial report has been prepared for distribution to the Board of Governance for the purpose of fulfilling the Board of Governance’s financial reporting requirements. We disclaim any assumption of responsibility for any reliance on this auditor’s report or on the summarised financial report to which it relates to any person other than the Board of Governance, or for any purpose other than that for which it was prepared.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Auditor’s Independence Declaration

In conducting our audit, we have complied with the independence requirements of the Australian professional accounting bodies.

Auditor’s Opinion

In our opinion, the information disclosed in the summarised financial report of Connections for the year ended 30 June 2008 is consistent, in all material respects, with the financial report from which it was derived.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Robert D D Collie, Partner Chartered Accountants Melbourne, 25 September 2008

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Board of Governance of Connections

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu ABN 74 490 121 060

180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000 GPO Box 78 Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia

Dx: 111 Tel: +61 (0) 3 9208 7000 Fax: +61 (0) 3 9208 7001 www.deloite.com.au


Government

» Department of Education, Employment and Work Place Relations (DEEWR)

» Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)

» Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare

» City of Cardinia » City of Casey» City of Glen Eira» City of Greater Dandenong» City of Maroondah » City of Port Phillip» City of Stonnington » City of Whitehorse» City of yarra» City of Monash» Community Link Australia» Consumer Affairs Victoria» Shire of yarra Ranges» Victorian Department of Education and

Early Childhood Development (DEECD)» Victorian Department of Education,

Employment and Training (DEET)» Victorian Department of Human

Services (DHS)» Victorian Department of Justice» Victorian Department of Planning

and Community Development

Corporate

» Cast Creative Graphic Design » CHN Herold Ross Pty Ltd & Staff» CityWide Service Solutions » Croydon Library » Donnellons Body Works» GlobalTalk Pty Ltd» Hydralifta» IGA Heathmont» IGA Ringwood East» Jeffries’ IGA» Maroondah Credit Union» Medicare Australia» Mercury Executive Health Recruitment» Ringwood Magistrates Court» Ritchies’ Stores Pty Ltd» Roller City Bayswater» Target Australia » Telstra» The Reject Shop and Staff» Thos H White & Co» Trumble Master Printers» Zagami’s IGA

Uniting Church

» Berwick St Andrew’s Uniting Church» Boronia Road Uniting Church» Carnegie Uniting Church» Coatsville Uniting Church» Cranbourne Uniting Church» Croydon Uniting Church » Doveton Uniting Church» Drouin Uniting Church» East Malvern Uniting Church» Elsternwick Uniting Church» Endeavour Hills Uniting Church» Ewing Memorial Uniting Church » Frankston Uniting Church» Glen Waverley Uniting Church» Hampton Park Uniting Church» Leongatha Uniting Church» Mornington Uniting Church» Mt Pleasant Uniting Church» Mulgrave Uniting Church» Noble Park St Columba’s Uniting Church» North Ringwood Uniting Church» Ringwood Uniting Church» Rowville Uniting Church» St Columba’s Uniting Church» St David’s Uniting Church» St James Uniting Church» St John’s Uniting Church« St Luke’s Uniting Church» The Avenue Uniting Church» Toorak Uniting Church» Trinity Brighton Uniting Church» Warrandyte Uniting Church

Partners

» Anglicare» Bayside Community Information

and Support Service (BayCISS) » Bentleigh Bayside Community

Health Service» Big Brothers Big Sisters» Camcare» Centacare» Dandenong Aboriginal Co-Operative» Dingley Village Community

Advice Bureau» Doncare» Family Life» Good Beginnings Australia» Inner South Community Health » Jewish Care» Melbourne City Mission» New Hope Refugee and

Migrant Service » Shire of Cardinia youth Services» Southern Health» South East Migrant Resource Centre» Springvale Indo-Chinese Mutual

Assistance Association (SICMAA)» The Salvation Army» The Smith Family» UnitingCare East Burwood Centre» Victorian Aboriginal Child

Care Agency » Victoria Police» Windermere

Collaborators

» Berry Street Victoria» Bethany Community Support» Broadmeadows UnitingCare» CentreCare» Children’s Protection Society» Glastonbury Child and Family Services» Harrison Community Services» McKillop Family Services» Orana Family Services» Ozchild» Prahran Mission» St Luke’s Anglicare» UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide» Wesley Mission Melbourne

Grants, Estates and Bequests

» Bell Charitable Fund» Clemenger» Collier Charitable Fund» David Taylor Galt Estate» Edith May Catherine Stayte Estate» Flack Trust» Fred J Cato Charitable Fund» George Haley Estate» Guille Memorial» Harry Halliwell Estate» Jack Brockhoff Foundation» Jen Matheson Memorial Trust» John Reid Trust Fund» Joseph Thornton Tweddle Trust» National Australia Bank» SHARE Appeal» South East Local Learning

and Employment Network» The DANKS Trust» The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust Fund» William Angliss Charitable Fund

Donors

» Birthday Blessings Donors» Caulfield East Opportunity Shop» Individual Donors» Masonic Lodge» Service Organisations» Staff contributions» St John’s Ambulance Mornington

Platinum Donors

» Alpha Magnetics Pty Ltd» Dr B Sawyer» Ms C Harris» Mr and Mrs N Pollock» NH Architects

Schools

» Dandenong North Primary School» Doveton Secondary College» Ruskin Park Primary School» Wesley College

SUppoRtERS


Our commitment to children and families in need reflects the ongoing legacy of our ‘founding’ organisations. Connections was established through the merger in May 2000 of Copelen (incorporating Grassmere Youth Services), Canterbury Family Centre and Wheeler’s Hill Family Centre.

Copelen and the Canterbury Family Centre began life as the Methodist and Presbyterian Babies’ Homes respectively. Through them, Connections has played a part in the life of the Church for more than eighty years. Grassmere youth Services was one of the first community based support services for young offenders in Victoria and Wheeler’s Hill Family Centre was developed by the Mulgrave and Wheelers Hill Uniting Church congregations in response to their local community needs.

The Annual WJ Craig Lecture honours Connections’ history and the philanthropic legacy of William John Craig (1839–1899) and his family that endures in the work of Connections to this day. With the altruism of philanthropists such as WJ Craig and our current supporters and partners who donate according to their means, tens of thousands of children and their families have been aided over the past eighty years and their contributions ensure Connections can continue our vital work today.

Today, Connections UnitingCare is a progressive and innovative leader in the family services sector. We provide a range of innovative and early intervention programs and services and confidently challenge decision makers when funding or policy settings do not meet the high standards our clients need. Hand in hand with our supporters and the community we are forging the future for child youth and family services.

honoURing oUR hiStoRy – foRging oUR fUtURE

“It has been a very rewarding, and at times humbling experience being able to work with families children and young people who have welcomed me into their homes and personal lives. As a family case worker I have been able to see firsthand that linking families into appropriate services, and responding to their needs earlier is a very powerful partnership for individuals, enabling them to be able to become confident and capable parents who are making life changing decisions for their children.”

Zoe Tomlin Family Casework Inner South Integrated Family Services

You know that Connections provides a range of innovative and early intervention programs that support vulnerable children, young people and their families giving them a better chance in life now and in the future, but we can’t do it without you. Would you like to get involved? Here are some options...

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Post this coupon to Communications and Fundraising PO Box 2240 Mount Waverley Victoria 3149

Fax this coupon to 03 9271 0888

Email this coupon to [email protected]

Or you can CALL 03 9271 0800 and ask to speak to the Communications and Fundraising Unit of Connections to discuss options.

Thank you for your support.Complete the Connect with Connections form or go to www.connections.org.au for more options.

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PRIVACy POLICy: Connections acknowledges and respects the privacy of all individuals. The agency will comply with the Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 (Commonwealth), the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). you can ask to see our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions call 03 9271 0800 and ask to speak to the Communications and Fundraising Unit of Connections.

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening at Connections and child, youth and family services. you have the choice of signing up to receive our seasonal hard-copy Connections Newsletter or be placed on our Email list to receive the Connections E-News.

Make a donation in support of the work of Connections. Complete the attached form to make your donation or visit our website to find out more and donate online.

connEctionS nEWSLEttER oR E-nEWS

donAtE noW

LIKE WHAT yOU’VE READ? HAVE yOU BEEN INSPIRED By THE WORK OF CONNECTIONS – THE STORIES OF yOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES BUT ARE BUILDING ON THEIR STRENGTHS AND WORKING TO OVERCOME THEIR ISSUES?

MAKE A CONNECTION WITH US. WE’RE HAPPy TO PLACE yOU ON OUR HARD-COPy OR EMAIL BASED LISTS TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON THE WORK OF CONNECTIONS OR yOU CAN MAKE A DONATION HELPING US PROVIDE A RANGE OF INNOVATIVE AND EARLy INTERVENTION PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT VULNERABLE CHILDREN, yOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.

connEct With connEctionSgEt inVoLVEd

www.connections.org.au

Respect l Equity l Responsiveness l Relationship l Learning

Connections UnitingCare 31 Hardner Road Mount Waverley Victoria 3149 Australia T 03 9271 0800 F 03 9271 0888 [email protected]

2008 connections unitingcare annual report

Documents

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trusting connections

connections publication

connections annual report

young people

development of people

young children unable

alcohol addiction