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ANNUAL REPORT 2016
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016
VISION
Equity for deaf people
PURPOSE
‘Deaf life: Your way, your language’. We work with deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people.
We work to break down barriers, create choice and support you to reach your goals.
Highlights of the Year ...............................................................................................................................3
Message from the Chair ...........................................................................................................................4
Overview from the Chief Executive Officer ...........................................................................................5
Our People .................................................................................................................................................6
Our Strategy - how we performed .......................................................................................................... 7
Treasurer’s Report ................................................................................................................................... 13
Financial Report ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Membership & Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... 19
PATRONS
PATRON His Excellency General The
Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d)
Governor of NSW
VICE PATRON Nola Colefax OAM
CONTENTS
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 3
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
Leadership in Community Accessibility Award
In November 2015, the Deaf
Society and NSW Rural Fire Service
were recognised for Leadership in
Community Accessibility at the
NSW Disability Industry Innovation
Awards. The award was in recognition
of the innovative Get Ready project.
Meeting with international deaf role model
We were delighted to meet America’s
Next Top Model winner, Nyle
DiMarco when he visited Australia
late last year. Nyle has since gone on
to win America’s Dancing with the
Stars and continues to demonstrate
that deaf people ‘can!’
Deaf Festival!
The 2015 Deaf Festival
was a standout event for
the year with memorable
performances including
the Sydney Philharmonia
Signing Choir’s preview
performance.
Wiggle learns Auslan
Yellow Wiggle, Emma Watkins studied Auslan with us this year. It was lovely to
learn about Emma’s inclusive approach to her role as a Wiggle and wanting to
connect with children who are deaf or use sign language.
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 20164
It is with mixed feelings I write the
Chairperson’s report – I feel strange
that Alastair McEwin is not writing the
Chairperson’s report. Alastair has been a
fantastic President and Chairperson for
the Deaf Society, leading the Board and
organisation through the transition of the
Chief Executive Officer role and through the
new changes that the National Disability
Insurance Scheme (NDIS) brings to the
organisation.
However, I am very pleased with Alastair’s
appointment as our first deaf Australian
Disability Discrimination Commissioner,
even though this meant that Alastair
had to step down from his President and
Chairperson role. On behalf of the Deaf
Society and the Board, I would like to wish
Alastair the very best with his new role in
the Australian Human Rights Commission.
This year is the first “full” year that our
first deaf Chief Executive Officer, Leonie
Jackson, has led the Deaf Society. Leonie
has implemented several changes in the
structure of the organisation, making sure
that the organisation has a customer-
centric focus. This is an important cultural
shift which will align with the NDIS, which
has expanded over the year to include the
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and,
at the end of the financial year, the Blue
Mountains region. The NDIS will continue
rolling out to other regions in Australia
over the next few years, opening new
opportunities for the Deaf Society and for
the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Organisational change can be painful
for some people, either impacting or
changing their role in the organisation.
The Board would like to acknowledge and
note our appreciation to the Deaf Society
staff for supporting these changes, and
understanding why these changes are
necessary to remain relevant to the deaf
and hard of hearing community.
As a deaf person, I am proud to see a strong
organisation with deaf leaders providing
a positive service to the community. I am
excited to see the opportunities that the
future will bring to the organisation.
The Board has strengthened its governance
and leadership by changing our constitution
to reduce the number of roles on the Board
and combining the ceremonial role of the
President with the Board leadership role of
the Chairperson (which was achieved at our
EGM on 6 September 2016). This will make
the Board more focused and disciplined
with its governance, however the Board
will continue needing support from other
advisory groups and committees.
The Board has recently established the
Advisory Council as a committee, which
is composed of members of the deaf and
hard of hearing community. It is envisioned
that this Council will provide us with the
opportunity to develop future deaf and hard
of hearing Board Directors and provide the
Board with a strong succession plan. I am
looking forward to seeing the first ‘graduate’
from the Advisory Council joining the Deaf
Society Board.
I would like to thank the Board – David
Atkinson, Ken Deacon, Brian Halse, Alastair
McEwin, Frank Peterson, Vivek Prabhu, Sue
Rae, Julie Tait, and Elizabeth Wee. These
Board Directors have volunteered their
time and energy to ensure that the Deaf
Society remains an important asset to the
community, and that it continues to strive
to achieve Equity for Deaf People.
Finally, I would like to thank Leonie Jackson
and her team of dedicated, wonderful staff
for their dedication to the organisation, and
for serving and supporting the deaf and
hard of hearing community.
Todd Wright
Chairperson
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 5
It is with great pleasure that I present
this year’s report to our members and
supporters. I hope you will enjoy learning
about our highlights and work supporting
deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind people and
their families.
The past 12 months have been a time of
significant change while the Deaf Society
prepares for the full rollout of the National
Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in NSW
and ACT. The team and I have been learning
a lot from our customers and supporters
about how the NDIS has positively impacted
their lives. We are also excited about the
possibilities that NDIS will bring to deaf,
hard of hearing, deafblind people and their
families and carers in the near future.
As the organisation was going through
changes, I came across this quote from
Barack Obama while he was a senator in
2008 which sums up the past 12 months:
“Change will not come if we wait for some
other person or some other time. We are
the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the
change that we seek.”
This resonated with me and became my
mantra during this time of change. I could
not have done this without the
support from the board and leadership
team. They have given me an important
mandate to ensure that we at the Deaf
Society become customer-centric
organisation that provides high quality
customer-focused services and supports.
With the support and feedback from our
customers, members, consultants and the
community, the Deaf Society have developed
and implemented three key strategies:
1. Growth Strategy – this five year strategic
plan is the organisation’s blueprint to
develop new services and supports that
are financially sustainable under the new
NDIS funding model.
2. IT Audit and Strategy – the organisation
has recruited a senior IT Business
Analyst to review the organisation’s IT
OVERVIEW FROM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
infrastructure and develop an IT strategy
including new infrastructure to ensure
that the organisation’s customers find it
easy to book, pay and use our services.
3. Customer Strategy – this strategy is
developed to ensure that every employee
who works for the Deaf Society is 100%
focused on our customers.
We have implemented many changes and
there is still a lot of work to do. We rely
on our customers and members to give us
feedback. After all, you are the reason why I
am making the changes – you have told me
either directly or indirectly that you want
things to change.
In conclusion, I would like to thank a
number of people. First of all, I would like
to thank the immediate past Chair and
President, Alastair McEwin for his loyalty,
guidance and support during my first
full year as the CEO of this wonderful
organisation. Todd Wright and Brian Halse
have stepped into Alastair’s shoes and have
also been wonderful support to me and
the leadership team since Alastair stepped
down to take up his new role as Australia’s
Disability Discrimination Commissioner. The
Deaf Society’s board have been my brain
trust and I cannot thank them enough for
their support and guidance during a year of
significant changes.
Secondly, I would like to thank my
management team. Sharon Nann, David
McQuiggin, Andrew Wiltshire, John
O’Neill, Ivana Krunes, Rosalie Kassulke,
Kate Matairavula, Gerry Healy, Michelle
Pogoni and Sharon Xabregas all have been
a wonderful support to me and the team
at the Deaf Society. Each one of them are
strongly committed to making the Deaf
Society an organisation that provides high
quality service and support to deaf, hard
of hearing and deafblind people and their
families, friends and employers.
Thirdly I would like to thank the whole Deaf
Society team across NSW and ACT for
reminding me every day that the work we
do is life changing for our customers. The
team is a constant source of inspiration
to me as I can see how much they care
for our customers. Every day, they
come to work with a 100% focus and
determination.
Lastly I would like to thank our members,
donors and supporters. Without you, we
cannot achieve equity for deaf people.
I look forward to continuing the Deaf
Society’s vision and work to ensure that
together, we achieve equity for everyone.
Leonie Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 20166
We aim to lead by example, our workplace is bi-lingual
and bi-cultural where both Auslan and English are used
and valued. We celebrate our diverse employees including
those engaged on a casual basis and value the passion and
skill they bring as we work toward equity for deaf people.
Our staff work with our partners including not-for-profit,
corporate and government organisations to achieve
greater impact. Most importantly, our staff support our
customers to ensure they have access to all areas of life on
an equal basis with others.
Genevieve Roberts
Get Ready Project Officer
Genevieve was
instrumental in the
success of the Get
Ready project which
prepared the Deaf
Community for
emergencies like fire,
flood and storm.
Her experience and
passion were vital in
the development of
the nine Deaf Liaison
Officers and training
of over 200 deaf
people in emergency
preparedness.
Leah Brown
Booking Coordinator
Leah is passionate
about ensuring our
customer’s request for
an interpreter is fulfilled
91% of the time. With
a limited supply of
interpreters and an in
increase in demand for
interpreting services,
sometimes a lot of
creativity is needed to
ensure we can meet our
customers’ needs. Leah
sources interpreters and
providers for customers
from all over NSW and
the ACT.
Jenny Rozsa
Support Coordinator
Jenny works closely
with customers to
prepare them for their
NDIS planning meeting.
She is open and willing
to listen to customers
and always strives for
the best outcome for
them. When requested,
Jenny attends their
planning meetings with
them to provide moral
support for them. She
encourages them to
speak for themselves
during these meetings.
Customers like her
warm and friendly
persona.
Simon Mahony
Auslan Trainer
With over 12 years
teaching experience,
Simon has been
instrumental in
establishing and
maintaining courses
in the Northern Rivers
region and surrounds.
Simon has been a key
mentor for the local
Auslan trainers and
students in the region.
Along with his teaching
capacity, Simon
brings a wealth of
community knowledge,
professionalism, and
most importantly – fun!
Nicholas Kassulke
Support Worker
Nicholas is committed
to the provision of
strong supports and
customer satisfaction
in all the work that
he does. He is always
willing to go the extra
mile for customers and
works with colleagues
at any level to ensure
the best outcomes
are achieved for our
customers.
STAFF PROFILES
OUR PEOPLE
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 7
OUR STRATEGY - HOW WE PERFORMED
To work effectively towards our vision of
equity for deaf people, we set ourselves five
strategic directions for 2015-2018:
1. Improve and expand services for deaf,
deafblind and hard of hearing people
2. Create opportunities in the workforce
3. Build community capacity
4. Build a customer-centred Deaf Society
5. Strengthen partnerships and support
other agencies
The following pages (pages 7-12) contain
a summary of outcomes against the five
strategic priorities during the 2016 year.
In 2016, we continued to support deaf,
deafblind and hard of hearing people and
their families across a range of service areas
including; independent living, information
provision, interpreting, education and training,
and employment and workplace support.
We have worked to develop the
community’s awareness of our employment
service through a range of marketing
strategies. This has led to an increase in
deaf and hard of hearing people joining
our employment service in Parramatta,
Wollongong and Gosford. We have seen
an increase in sustainable job placements
in the Central Coast region due to
the commitment of staff in providing
exceptional customer service to job seekers
and employers.
The Education and Training team were
successful in renewing our Registered
Training Organisation (RTO 91243) status
for another seven years until May 2023. This
ensures that we can continue to provide a
range of courses to deaf and hard of hearing
people and continue to grow the number of
students that we support.
The RTO renewal was the ‘icing on the cake’
for the education area which experienced
its largest student intake with 556
enrolments. This included expansion of our
course delivery to the ACT under the ACT
Government Skills Capital funding program
and regional NSW including Broken Hill
and Bathurst under the NSW Governments
Smart and Skilled Program.
IMPROVE AND EXPAND SERVICES FOR DEAF, DEAFBLIND AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE
15,500+ hours ofAuslan/English Interpreting
333 tactile smokealarms installed
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 20168
Sally Smid was part of the Parent to Parent Support
Program in 2016. She shares her experience of the
program and the valuable support her family received;
My family and I are now regular attendees at deaf
events, we have made several friends in the Deaf
community and we are learning Auslan through the
Deaf Society. We are a happy, confident, proud and
strong family and we are certain that Kathy’s support
has helped us get here. She has truly been a unique
blessing to our family and I will forever be grateful
for her support and guidance and I know I’ve made a
lifelong friend out of the Parent-to-Parent Program.
A warm welcome to the Deaf Community
Kathy (mentor) has been an enormous blessing to
me and my family and we are so thankful for her
support, kindness, time and now friendship! Before
I met Kathy, I didn’t know any deaf people, I didn’t
know Auslan and I didn’t know much about hearing
loss or sign language. It was important to me to
access all of these so my son James could grow up as
part of the Deaf Community and build a strong and
happy confidence in his identity- not as a person with
hearing “loss” or “impairment” but as a person with
“Deaf gain”
Kathy introduced my family to people in the Deaf
Community, including her beautiful family, pointed
me in the direction of classes, courses, services and
resources and we talked about a whole bunch of
other random stuff that could only be covered
over cups of coffee or in late night chats
on the phone- usually accompanied by
tears and laughter.
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 9
CREATE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKFORCE
With an increasing number of people
enrolling in Auslan courses and families of
deaf children requesting Auslan tutoring in
the home, we realised the need to upskill
more deaf people with the Certificate IV in
TAE10 (Training and Assessment) required
for teaching. An expression of interest was
advertised and we now have 29 students
enrolled in the TAE10.
The great majority of the teachers of the
Auslan courses are deaf and fluent in Auslan
so we decided to deliver the Certificate
IV in TAE10 in Auslan. This makes the
training fully accessible and means that
everyone can participate comfortably in
discussions. We are also working with The
Parramatta College to unpack the TAE40110
qualification and ensure written resources
are provided in plain English.
In earlier years, we have identified an
increase in demand for interpreters. To
better meet this demand, we delivered
the Diploma of Interpreting this year with
eight students achieving their NAATI
accreditation and joining the workforce.
Thanks to funding from the Champions
of the West program, we were also able
to deliver a voluntary internship program.
The program supported four deaf people
to gain valuable work experience at the
Deaf Society. In April, we welcomed three
high school students for a week of work
experience and a deaf adult for a month of
work experience. The program was not only
an opportunity to gain skills but also to learn
about best practice in a deaf workplace. They
are now better equipped to self-advocate
for communication access and assistive
equipment in their future workplaces.
Charlotte O’Connor is a customer of our
employment service. She was long term
unemployed, applying for countless jobs but
always unsuccessful. Many employers are still
unwilling to employ a deaf person. In April,
Charlotte was invited for a job interview with
Peter Canisius House and was successful in
gaining the full-time position of Kitchenhand.
Since her employment, Charlotte has learned
new skills and gained confidence in herself,
and her abilities. The employer has also
been very supportive and willing to adapt to
make it easier for Charlotte to participate in
the workplace and fulfil her responsibilities.
She is now also receiving training from the
housekeeping department so that she can
work in both areas of the business.
Most recently Charlotte was awarded
‘Employee of the Year’ by the local Rotary
Club in recognition of her exceptional
customer service skills. Charlotte’s story is
just one example of the positive influence
of employment and why we continue to
support deaf people to gain and maintain
meaningful employment.
The journey to employment
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 201610
BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY
372 people attend NDIS information sessions
271 community membersattended Get Ready workshops
In 2016, we delivered two significant
community capacity building projects;
National Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS) Information Sessions and the Get
Ready Project.
In 2015, the NSW Government announces
that the NDIS would rollout to eight
regions of NSW from 1 July 2016. To ensure
that deaf people understood the scheme,
application process and the potential of the
NDIS to create greater equity in their lives,
we organised 13 information sessions across
Greater Sydney and the ACT.
In total 372 people attended the Auslan
information sessions to gain a better
understanding of the NDIS. Following on
from the workshops, we have supported
57 people to prepare for their first
meeting with an NDIS planner and have
appointments to support dozens more.
With the final phase of the NDIS rollout
commencing on 1 July 2017, we look
forward to delivering our NDIS information
sessions in the eight new regions and
supporting more deaf people to realise the
potential of the NDIS.
The Get Ready project is a partnership
involving The Deaf Society, NSW State
Emergency Service (SES), Fire & Rescue
NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), Red
Cross, University of Sydney and the Deaf
Community. It was funded by the Office
of Emergency Management through the
Community Resilience Innovation Program
(CRIP). The focus of the project was
preparing the Deaf Community for natural
disasters like fire, flood and storms.
The project involved:
• The recruitment and emergency
preparedness training of nine Deaf Liaison
Officers (DLOs) in six regions including
Illawarra, Macarthur, Blue Mountains,
Metro Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter.
• The delivery of nine Deaf Awareness
Training (DAT) sessions for emergency
services personnel with 295 emergency
services personnel attending and learning
about the best way to communicate with
deaf and hard of hearing people in the case
of an emergency.
• The production of seven Auslan emergency
preparedness videos based on the Red
Cross RediPlan.
• The delivery of 10 Emergency
Preparedness Workshops by DLOs to
their local community with 263 deaf
people in attendance including eight
deafblind people.
The success of Get Ready is due to the
holistic capacity building approach taken;
injecting knowledge and skills into both the
Deaf Community and emergency services.
DAT sessions place deaf cultural knowledge
into emergency services and DLO training
placed emergency preparedness knowledge
into the Deaf Community.
From the commencement of Get Ready,
the focus was shifted from a passive rescue
mentality to an empowered model of
shared responsibility. For a traditionally
vulnerable community, such empowerment
was enthusiastically embraced and enabled
deaf leadership to flourish. The recruitment,
training and activity of the DLOs has been
the single most effective resource to effect
change to date. The DLOs act as champions
and leaders within their communities and
bridge the gap between deaf people and
emergency services in this important area
of emergency preparedness.
The project was awarded the NSW
Disability Industry Innovation Award for
Leadership in Community Accessibility in
2015. Due to the success and impact of the
project, we are exploring ways to expand
and sustain the project into the future.
This year we embarked on an organisation
re-structure to ensure that we are more
customer-centred. We recognised that
our customers had a range of support
needs and were being referred to different
departments for different services. This
meant that the customer had multiple
points of contact which can be confusing
and their supports were fragmented rather
than holistic.
To improve the customer’s experience
of our service, we established two new
teams; the Support Coordination Team and
the Customer Service Team. The Support
Coordination Team was established in April.
The team is responsible for supporting
customers to identify their goals and the
supports they need to achieve those goals.
This includes supporting people to access
the NDIS and prepare for their meeting with
a NDIA planner who often will have no lived
experience of their disability.
Since the establishment of the team,
the response from customers has been
overwhelmingly positive. After meeting
with a Support Coordinator, customers
have expressed that they have a better
understanding of the supports and services
available which can improve their access
and community participation.
The Customer Service Team was created at
the same time as the Supports Coordination
Team. The team’s main responsibility is
responding to enquiries and requests such
as booking interpreters, enrolling students
and assigning support workers. They have
been busy learning new functions, getting
to know how each other’s area of work and
improving processes, and procedures.
BUILD A CUSTOMER-CENTRED DEAF SOCIETY
Successful changes include full time staffing
in the interpreter bookings team which
has led to increased staff satisfaction and
therefore more satisfied customers. The
consistency and the full time oversight
has improved our service significantly.
We also now have full time oversight of
our reception area with an experienced
customer service officer which has led to
an increase in positive responses from staff
and customers.
This year we welcomed Gerry Healy to the
team in the position of Senior IT Business
Analyst. His role is to evaluate and improve
our IT systems so that they support us in
being more customer-focused.
A significant project that Gerry
commenced this year is the development
of a mobile web application (app) for NDIS
customers. The app is designed to make it
easier for deaf people to book interpreters
using a smartphone.
He has also been focussed on implementing
an organisation-wide customer relationship
management (CRM) system that combines
key customer information in a single system
enabling the Customer Service Team to
provide a positive customer experience
across all Deaf Society services.
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 201612
We recognise that through partnerships
and productive relationships we can better
support our customers and the Deaf
Community, and extend the reach of our
services. In the past year, we have continued
to develop relationships to the benefit of
the Deaf Community including;
• Becoming a partner of the Break the Sound
Barrier campaign which aims to put the
health and well-being of deaf, deafblind
and hard of hearing people on the national
political agenda.
• Working with Australian Hearing to
increase the reach of our Smoke Alarm
Subsidy Scheme in regional areas and
with hard of hearing people.
• Working with Able Australia to increase
awareness and understanding of
deafblindness among staff.
• NSW State Emergency Services, NSW
Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW,
Red Cross, University of Sydney have
been valuable and committed partners
to the Get Ready project.
We have also continued to be part of an
interagency meeting group including
ASLIA NSW, Deaf Australia (NSW), The
Shepherd Centre, Royal Institute of Deaf
and Blind Children, Deaf Sports Australia,
Accessible Arts, Ephpheta Centre, Hear
for You and Deafness Forum. Interagency
meetings are an opportunity to share
information, experiences and seek
opportunities for collaboration.
STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS AND SUPPORT OTHER AGENCIES
This year, we have established an ongoing
session called the ‘Lismore Q&A’ as part
of our ongoing community engagement
strategy. The community and local Deaf
Society staff met on a quarterly basis to
exchange information, consult on the
community’s objectives and satisfaction
with service provision.
The notes from each session are turned
into an action plan, which is then acted
upon by staff and an update provide at the
following community meeting. This rolling
consultation has significantly improved
engagement with the local community and
given us a better framework for decision-
making when planning services.
Another positive outcome this year was
the organisation of a range of activities
for National Week of Deaf People.
The Lismore Deaf Community put on a
fantastic local event celebrating deaf
culture, Auslan and everything that makes
the Deaf Community unique. There were
some great jokes and stories too.
Working with the Lismore Community
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 13
In what has been a year of transition for The
Deaf Society as we navigate the progression
of the National Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS), I would like to congratulate the
management team and staff of the Deaf
Society for delivering a commendable
financial result for 2016.
This year the Society incurred a deficit of
$146,619 (2015: $10,859 surplus). Total
comprehensive income (after including the
change in market value of investments held)
for the year was a deficit of $634,184 (2015:
$167,340 surplus) with revenue continuing
to grow this year to $6,798,631 (2014:
$6,113,236). At the end of the financial year,
the Society had net assets of $15,839,716
(2015: $16,473,900). I would sincerely like
to thank our supporters and commend
the efforts of our Directors and staff that
made these results possible. I would also
like to acknowledge the financial assistance
received from the Commonwealth and New
South Wales Governments, on which the
Society heavily relies.
The net income from fundraising initiatives
this year was $39,865 (2015: $32,517). I
would like to thank those individuals and
organisations who chose to support the
Society in this way.
The 2016 financial year marks the fourth
full year since the Society appointed its
investment advisors (Deutsche Bank and JB
Were). During the year, income generated
from investments totalled $686,700 (2015:
$833,488), with the value of investments
held declining by $487,565 (2015: $156,481
increase), supplemented by realised gains
of $244,391 (2015: $221,270) on the
sale of some investments. In what was a
challenging environment for investment
returns, the return (including franking
credits) on the Society’s externally managed
investment portfolio for the year, was
approximately 2.3%, below the CPI+5%
(6.0%) objective set out in the Investment
Policy. This was an acceptable result in the
context of a low interest rate environment,
in which the Reserve Bank of Australia
reduced the official cash rate twice over
the course of the financial year from 2.0%
to 1.5% (2015: reduced from 2.5% to 2.0%)
and follows three consecutive years in
which the investment return objectives
were exceeded.
This year’s total comprehensive income
of a $634,184 deficit (2015: $167,340
surplus) is reflective of the investment
the Society has made in readying itself for
an NDIS environment, to ensure it’s in a
position to continue providing services to
the Deaf Community into the future.
Along with the Society’s participation
in the NDIS NSW trial sites, the Board
continues to manage the Society’s response
to the transition in government funding
from a block funded model to a person
centred approach to funding under NDIS.
To enhance the Society’s growth and
capacity under the NDIS model, the Board
will continue to invest in strategies critical
to achieving sustainable growth and a
customer-centred approach.
Vivek Prabhu
Chair, Finance and Audit Committee
CHAIR, FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE'S REPORT
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 201614
CORPORATE INFORMATION
ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016
ABN 21 952 195 236
Directors
David Atkinson
Kenneth Deacon
Alastair McEwin
Vivek Prabhu
Susanne Alexandra Rae
Julie Tait
Todd James Wright
Evan Kidd
Elizabeth Wee
Brian Peter Halse
Frank Lawrence Peterson
Company Secretary
Louise Hicks
Registered Office and Principal Place
of Business
Suite 401 Level 4
69 Phillip Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
Bankers
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
90-92 Audley Road
Petersham NSW 2049
Investment Managers
JB Were
Level 42, Governor Phillip Tower
1 Farrar Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Deutsche Bank AG
Deutsche Bank Place
Level 16
Corner Phillip and Hunter Streets
Sydney NSW 2000
Auditor
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Eclipse Tower
Level 17
60 Station Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited Page 8
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu ABN 74 490 121 060 Eclipse Tower Level 17 60 Station Street Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box 38 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia Tel: +61 (0) 2 9840 7000 Fax: +61 (0) 2 9840 7001 www.deloitte.com.au
12 October 2016 Dear Board Members
The Deaf Society In accordance with Subdivision 60-C of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012, I am pleased to provide the following declaration of independence to the directors of The Deaf Society. As lead audit partner for the audit of the financial statements of The Deaf Society for the financial year ended 30 June 2016, I declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, there have been no contraventions of:
(i) the auditor independence requirements as set out in the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 in relation to the audit; and
(ii) any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit. Yours sincerely
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU
David Black Partner Chartered Accountants
The Board of Directors The Deaf Society Level 4 69 Philip Street Parramatta NSW 2150
For the detailed financial report, visit our website www.deafsocietynsw.org.au.
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 15
2016 2015
$ $
Revenue 6,798,631 6,113,236
Investment gain 244,391 221,270
Employee benefits expense (4,868,683) (4,267,506)
Depreciation expense (52,235) (68,842)
Administrative expenses (450,442) (433,666)
Occupancy expenses (338,378) (379,695)
Consulting and marketing expenses (1,023, 937) (733,782)
Other expenses (455,966) (440,156)
(Deficit)/surplus for the year (146,619) 10,859
Other comprehensive income:
Items that may reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:
Fair value (loss)/gain on available-for-sale assets (487,565) 156,481
Total comprehensive (deficit)/surplus income for the year (634,184) 167,340
STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016
2016 2015
$ $
Current assets
Cash and bank balances 327,472 2,033,630
Trade and other receivables 846,774 514,684
Other financial assets 532,197 -
Other assets 174,441 112,737
Total current assets 1,880,884 2,661,051
Non-current assets
Other financial assets 15,875,400 15,836,625
Property, plant and equipment 132,681 234,305
Total non-current asset 16,008,081 16,070,930
Total assets 17,888,965 18,731,981
Current liabilities
Trade and other payables 1,546,375 1,793,276
Provisions 408,081 295,847
Total current liabilities 1,954,456 2,089,123
Non-current liabilities
Provisions 94,793 168,958
Total non-current liabilities 94,793 168,958
Total liabilities 2,049,249 2,258,081
Net assets 15,839,716 16,473,900
Equity
Reserves 6,593,350 7,080,915
Accumulated surplus 9,246,366 9,392,985
Total equity 15,839,716 16,473,900
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 30 JUNE 2016
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 201616
Fundraising income excludes bequests, as it is not considered to represent income from active fundraising. There were no fundraising activities conducted jointly with traders.
Declaration by the President in respect of fundraising appealsI, Todd James Wright, Chair of The Deaf Society (previously known as The Deaf Society of NSW) declare, that in my opinion: (a) The accounts give a true and fair view of all income and expenditure of The Deaf Society with respect to fundraising appeals;(b) The statement of financial position gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs with respect to fundraising appeals;(c) The provision of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) and the regulations under the Act have been complied with;(d) The conditions attached to the authority have been complied with; and(e) The internal controls exercised by The Deaf Society are appropriate and effective in accounting for all income received and applied by the
Society from any of its fundraising appeals.
Todd James WrightChairSydney, 12 October 2016
DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2016
The directors declare that:(a) in the directors’ opinion, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debt as and when they become
due and payable; and(b) in the directors’ opinion, the attached financial statements and notes thereto are in accordance with the Australian Charities and Non-
for-profits Commission Act 2012 and the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) including compliance with accounting standards and giving a true and fair view of the financial position and performance of the company.
Signed in accordance with a resolution of the directors made pursuant to s.60.15 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Regulation 2013.
On behalf of the directors
Todd James Wright Vivek PrabhuChair Chair of Finance and Audit CommitteeSydney, 12 October 2016
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDRAISING APPEALS FOR THE YEAR 30 JUNE 2016
2016 2015
$ $
Income
Annual mail appeal - 1,678
Donations 39,965 30,838
Merchandise Sales 249 527
Total fundraising income 40,214 33,043
Expenditure
Postage, printing, stationary 2,245 2,578
Total cost of fundraising 2,245 2,578
Net Surplus 37,969 30,465
The surplus for the year is used to ameliorate the deficits incurred by the society in providing vital services, in particular support for members of the Deaf Community and their families in rural and regional areas. In 2016 year, the deficit amounted to $405,588 (2015: $210,411).
% %
Total cost of fundraising on fundraising income 6 8
Net surplus on fundraising income 94 92
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 17
Independent Auditor’s Report to the members of The Deaf Society
We have audited the accompanying financial report of The Deaf Society, which comprises the statement of financial position as at 30 June
2016, the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, the statement of cash flows and the statement of changes in equity
for the year ended on that date, notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information, and the
directors’ declaration as set out on pages 9 to 33. In addition, we have audited The Deaf Society’s compliance with specific requirements of
the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 for the year ended 30 June 2016.
Directors’ Responsibility for the Financial Report and for Compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991
The directors of the company are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view in accordance with
Australian Accounting Standards and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 and for compliance with the Charitable
Fundraising Act 1991. The directors are also responsible for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable compliance
with requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view and is free
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Auditor’s Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991
and the financial report based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Those 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 entity has complied with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the financial
report is free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the company’s compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable
Fundraising Act 1991 and amounts and disclosures in the financial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgement, including
the assessment of the risks of non-compliance with specific requirements of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and material misstatement
of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control, relevant to the
company’s compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and preparation of the financial report that gives a true and fair view, 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 control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of
accounting estimates made by the directors, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial report.
Inherent Limitations
Because of the inherent limitations of any compliance procedure, it is possible that fraud, error, or noncompliance with the Charitable
Fundraising Act 1991 may occur and not be detected. An audit is not designed to detect all weaknesses in The Deaf Society’s compliance with the
Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 as an audit is not performed continuously throughout the period and the tests are performed on a sample basis.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu A.B.N. 74 490 121 060
Eclipse Tower Level 17 60 Station Street Parramatta NSW 2150 PO Box 38 Parramatta NSW 2124 Australia
Tel: +61 2 9840 7000 Fax: +61 2 9322 7001 www.deloitte.com.au
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 201618
Any projection of the evaluation of compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 to future periods is subject to the risk that the
procedures, may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with them may deteriorate.
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 Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act
2012.
Opinion
In our opinion:
(a) financial report of The Deaf Society is in accordance with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act
2012, including:
a. giving a true and fair view of the company’s financial position as at 30 June 2016 and of its performance and cash flows for the
year ended on that date; and
b. complying with Australian Accounting Standards and with Division 60 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Regulation
2013;
(b) the financial report agrees to the underlying financial records of The Deaf Society, that have been maintained, in all material respects,
in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and its regulations for the year ended 30 June 2016; and
(c) monies received by The Deaf Society, as a result of fundraising appeals conducted during the year ended 30 June 2016, have been
accounted for and applied, in all material respects, in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and its regulations.
DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU
David Black
Partner
Chartered Accountants
Sydney, 18 October 2016
T H E D E A F SO CI E T Y A N N UA L R EP O RT 2016 19
$1,000 AND OVER $500 AND OVER $200 AND OVER $100 AND OVERJ Church I H Campbell E Ash Anatolian CateringGoogle C Grace O Bolliger V BearL Jackson P Hunt V Caradus B BeaverNational Relay Service J Smith E Collings B BoyesSamsung J K Smith S Everson V CaradusL Wang Thrill Event P M Griffin N Colefax
J Wiseman E Hart R GallawayR J Howson M GatesR Jacobs B W GlockemanD Johnston J GouldC Maher H E GrantM R Parker J HarlandV Phillips C A HarrisK Prigram C V HoodQuota International of Quirindi F HorsleyA Rowell L G JohnsonSt Drogo's Café Lawson Women's Bowling ClubG E Wall I Mensdorff-PouillyWhelan Project Co Pty Ltd R MewburnC R Wilhelm Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy CollegeLN & LM Wilcox F Muecke
J PhillipeJ PutlandD RouvrayR Taplin
LIFE MEMBERS REGULAR MEMBERS Elizabeth Wee Kristen WhitelyA M Houen AM Adelaide Evan Kidd Louise HicksAdam Salzer Alastair McEwin Evelyn Christie Margaret DaleAlexandra Hynes Alex Jones Frances Whitley Margaret DayAnthony Gorringe OAM Alison Toft Frank L Peterson Margaret DrabschBarry Duggan Andrew Lucas George Krams Martin BuddBrian Surtees Andrew Wiltshire Gregory Faulks Mary CookBridget Carty Anne Woods Helen Nicholson Megan HannonColin Allen Anne M Smith Helen Trendos Michelle NorberryEthel Goff Anthony McKrodt Inge Jahn Megan HannonGeorge Barbouttis Arthur Liberale Jacqueline Endicott Michelle NorberryHarry Roberts Barbara Stathis Jennifer Lazarus Norma GiuffreMichael Hedley Betty O'Brien Jennifer Hannan Patricia MuttonNola Colefax OAM Bradley Trudgett Jitka Navratil Peter HannanPeter Miller Brendan McQuiggin John Gould Ron NicholsonRay Todd Brian Halse John Grant Rosalie KassulkeRay Whitten Brian Johnston John O'Neill Roy GoldringRon Bryant Bruce Drabsch Jordanna Smith Sharon NannSharon Everson Carol Tiley Judith Watson Sue RaeSteven Turner Charlene Grace Judy Clews Thomas Robson V D Bear Christian James Julie Tait Todd Wright
David Atkinson Kathy Wright Toni Rose RobsonDavid London Ken Deacon Vivek PrabhuDavid McQuiggin Kerry Priem Young-Joo ByunDennis Johnston Kevin Mitchell
MAJOR DONATIONS AND SPONSORS
MEMEBERS AS AT 30 JUNE 2016
The generosity of our present and past supporters has made our work possible. We place on record our sincere thanks and appreciation to
the many, many people who make our work possible.
Level 4, 69 Phillip Street Parramatta NSW 2150
Phone: (02) 8833 3600
SMS: 0427 741 420
Email: [email protected]
Skype: deafsocietyofnsw
Website: www.deafsocietynsw.org.au