Annual Report 2005 - UnitingCare Ageing

Director’s ReportOverviewI am pleased to have been appointed Director ofUnitingCare Ageing and I thank the Board for itsconfidence in me. UnitingCare Ageing is entering anexciting period of further enhancement of its residentialand community services across NSW and the ACT.Both UnitingCare Ageing and the broader aged caresector have undergone significant change in recentyears. Commonwealth Government policy, for example,has resulted in significant structural change to theindustry with increased emphasis on community careservices and a much stronger emphasis on quality. Wewelcome this focus on providing the highest level of careto residents and clients. UnitingCare Ageing has alsocreated a new unified organisation to make our servicesmore efficient and to gain the benefits of leveraging offbeing the largest single provider of aged and communitycare services in NSW and the ACT.Client expectationsMost older people and their families prefer communitycare in their own homes. Not dissimilar to many agedcare providers, our approach has been largely to buildresidential facilities and endeavour to satisfy client needsthrough this model of care. Increasingly this is changingand now 40 per cent of our services are in communitycare. Debates around separating accommodation fromcare means we need to look at more flexible ways ofdelivering community care into a range of adaptablehousing settings.Increasingly we will focus on outcomes ofhealth, well-being and lifestyle for our clients.Their needs will be at the centre of all we do.New organisational designWe have a new organisation designed around eightRegions. Changes are being made to our head officeenabling it to have a more strategic presence insupporting the UnitingCare Ageing Board in defining,strategy, and setting and monitoring performancetargets across a range of areas.One of our priorities is developing a more cohesiveUnitingCare Ageing, which is able to both initiate newideas and respond better to the needs of our stakeholders,including the increasingly regulated environment inwhich we operate. Competitive factors, also, areinfluencing the positioning of UnitingCare Ageing.Accordingly, we strive to bring together our businessfunctions and to generate information that fosters aspirit of continuous improvement. We will build astronger strategic capacity through new commonmanagement information systems and this will provideaccurate, timely and relevant data about our servicesand trends in care.Some challengesOver the next 12 months some of my priorities will includegrowing a greater sense of unity across UnitingCare Ageingso that we all, in time, relate positively to a “UnitingCareAgeing Way”. We will focus on a values-driven approachto our management, which is shared by all staff through,for example, a common set of values, mission and vision.We will continue to provide excellent residential careservices whilst we further develop and increase ourinvolvement in community care services. In accordancewith the general community move away from institutionalcare, we will offer innovative ways for older people toremain in their own homes and to receive the communitycare support they need.This trend in caring for older people in their homes maygenerate a policy debate as to who pays for this newservice model. UnitingCare Ageing will work withgovernment to move towards an adaptable housingmodel, which is closer to peoples own homes and givethem more choice.Capital WorksUnitingCare Ageing is committed to a major buildingworks program. Our current asset-base is extensive andwell located geographically, but in some areas it is in needof renewal. UnitingCare Ageing has projected that morethan $1.2B in capital enhancements and replacementsmay be required over the next ten years. A large part ofthis is required to meet the Commonwealth Government’s2008 Aged Care Certification processes. However, we alsoneed to implement this in a wider context of changingcommunity expectations. We are committed not only tobringing our entire asset base up to the highest level, butexceeding regulatory requirements.In terms of financial sustainability a Strategic PropertyPlan for NSW and the ACT is being developed. EachRegion has been given an opportunity to submit theirpriorities and preferences for future capital works. We willassess these requests for alignment with our strategyand on the basis of need, sustainability and a resourceallocation policy that reflects the wider social justiceperspective of UnitingCare.QualityWe will strive to develop a consistent way of measuringquality, acknowledging the differences in the type andmeasurement of our residential, community and self careservices. Our people – staff and volunteers – are crucial tothe ongoing work of UnitingCare Ageing. We will capitaliseon our size to develop a UnitingCare Ageing workforcestrategy and introduce innovative projects to attractmore staff including customised learning and developmentprojects. One of our aspirations is for UnitingCare Ageingto become an employer of choice in the aged care sector.Pastoral CarePastoral Care – a core feature of our Christian faith –remains a foundation of our services. From our chaplainsthrough to staff and volunteers we will continue toecho the Gospel messages of care and love for ourneighbours. Increasingly, we will focus on outcomes ofhealth, wellbeing and lifestyle for our clients. Their needswill be at the centre of all we do.FutureAs mentioned in the Chairperson’s Report, the Board willbe releasing a discussion paper on our strategic directionsfor UnitingCare Ageing in early October 2005. We seekfeedback from Regional Boards, staff and other peopleinvolved with UnitingCare, as we lay down a strongfoundation for the expansion of UnitingCare Ageingover the next decade.Gillian McFee12 UnitingCare Ageing Annual Repor t 2005 13