RDNS 2008 Annual Report - Royal District Nursing Service

Of particular importance this past 12 months has been the
development of our Customer Service Centre (CSC) which
provides an improved and consistent response to the ever growing
requests for RDNS’ services. The full implementation of the CSC,
achieved during this year, is an important milestone in re-shaping
our organisation for the future. The pathway leading to that
achievement has, at times, not been an easy one for our staff or
for our clients and referrers. We are grateful for the willingness
shown by so many people both across and beyond RDNS to
assist in ensuring that the quality of care and support provided
to our clients in their homes and communities across Melbourne
remained paramount.
A mid-year customer satisfaction survey gave us confidence
about these changes. With a high response rate, the survey
results identified exceptional results overall, exceeding industry
benchmarks and demonstrating great satisfaction with client
care, dealings with our field staff and with staff at the Customer
Service Centre.
In New Zealand we have built strong relationships with service
planners, service providers and many others associated with
community-based care and by year’s end had appointed our first
New Zealand manager, established an office in Wellington and
were well advanced in the development of a strategic alliance
with a local service provider.
The Royal District Nursing Service Helen Macpherson Smith
Institute of Community Health plays a central role in the
pursuit of many of these new directions, ensuring a solid base
for our delivery of clinical care and ensuring new levels of
excellence in research and training across the community care
sector. We are committed to further enhancing our relationships
with universities and continue to develop collaborative initiatives
and new opportunities.
Our financial position remains strong and healthy and our
financial management reporting and monitoring systems have
been further developed and enhanced this year, ensuring that
board directors receive timely and accurate information to
fulfil their governance role.
As is often remarked, it is the people at RDNS who make the
organisation what it is – who make the difference – pursuing
exceptional care for our clients and ensuring our systems operate
efficiently and smoothly. We are privileged to work alongside such
a wonderful group. But we also recognise the existence of growing
workforce shortages, particularly in nursing. Our challenge is to
continue to recognise and celebrate the diverse work of each and
every individual, to provide the environment in which everyone at
RDNS has the opportunity, desire, encouragement and support to
contribute to our work, and to maintain our success in recruiting
and retaining the best possible staff.
An extensive number of our donors and supporters are specifically
noted later in this report. Such supporters are many and varied,
from large philanthropic and community organisations, to
individuals who contribute a few dollars each year. We receive
support from large and small businesses, and from individuals
including our own staff. We want to draw attention to the
important difference their support makes to what we can achieve.
Whether it be funds to enable us to purchase expensive leg ulcer
dressings for clients who would otherwise be unable to afford
them; or tens of thousands of dollars to support a major research
initiative; or support for a research master class, funds to assist us
to purchase a car or provide food and nutrition for the homeless,
donations to enable us to employ more nurses; or Christmas
hampers for some of our needy clients, every donation to RDNS
makes a difference, is truly appreciated and we sincerely thank you.
After 17 years of strongly supporting RDNS, the directors of the
RDNS Foundation this year decided to wind up the Foundation’s
operations and hand its assets to RDNS. The directors of both
companies see this decision as reflecting changing corporate
structures and needs, and particularly as being in the best
interests of RDNS clients. Within RDNS a Charitable Trust has
been established to ensure that the underpinning philosophy
of the Foundation – to protect the philanthropic capital built up
during over 120 years of RDNS charitable operations – continues.
We thank current and past directors of the Foundation for their
careful stewardship of this responsibility over the years.
From our respective leadership roles, we also similarly express
our gratitude to our board directors and our staff, many of whom
have been engaged with RDNS for many years. In our meetings
with staff across the organisation we are so frequently aware of
the strong sense of dedication, caring and compassion of our
staff. Our directors devote many hours each month to RDNS’
work, and we acknowledge their significant contribution to
making RDNS what it is today.
As will be evident in reading this year’s report, we celebrate
and showcase diversity: the diversity of our clients, our staff, the
services we offer and the skills we apply, the diversity of those
who support us in a multitude of ways, whether through referral
of people to us for care, through contracting with us for services,
or by donations or voluntary support.
RDNS symbolises the very essence of our diverse
society – its richness and its depth, its caring and its
sense of community.
Jillian Pappas
Chairman
Dan Romanis
Chief Executive Officer
6 RDNS Annual Report 2008 Chairman’s and Chief Executive Officer’s report