Annual Report 2005 - UnitingCare Ageing

Chairperson’s ReportOverviewThe mandate of the Board of UnitingCare Ageing is theoverall leadership, governance and strategic developmentof the Uniting Church’s residential and community agedcare services across NSW and the ACT. During the pastyear our Board has guided more than 200 residential andcommunity aged care facilities, which, following are-structure, have been grouped into eight Regions. Ourwork is complemented by strong and dynamic RegionalBoards, which play a pivotal role in directing serviceprovision within their local communities.Strategic DirectionsIn its first year the UnitingCare Ageing Board has beenbusy overseeing and reviewing systems associated withbringing 52 separate Boards of managements intoRegions and a Head Office structure. The Board has beenpleased with the progress made and expresses thanks toeveryone who has been involved in this challengingprocess. By year end the Board had become morefocused on strategic issues that will enable us to capturemore clearly the essence of the diversity of servicesprovided across the UnitingCare Ageing network.In 2004 the Board developed a 2004-2007 Strategic Planfor UnitingCare Ageing, which provides a solid platformto consolidate and extend our services. Equally importantwill be the ongoing appraisal of the Strategic Plan withinthe context of industry and government influences andchanging community attitudes about the nature andavailability of aged care services.Our focus is on sustainable growth, anappropriate mix of residential and communityservices and supporting our staff throughappropriate development programs.We are keen to broaden our engagement withcommunity, industry and government stakeholders toensure that their needs and requirements are integratedwithin our planning for new services. We are cognisant ofa shift in community sentiment away from largeinstitutions in favour of more flexible and communityhousing solutions for aged care services and theoverwhelming preference for community care.BoardI would like to thank all Board members for their hardwork and support over the past 12 months. In particular, Iwish to pay special tribute to my predecessor, Dr JanHerbert, who ably led the Board for most of the year. TheBoard appreciated Jan’s insight, vision and consideredapproach, and we deeply regret that ill health led to herresignation as Chairperson and also as a Board member.We trust that a less hectic lifestyle may assist Jan toreturn to better health.Regional BoardsThe Board recognises the value and importance of theeight Regional Boards and we are keen to work in closepartnership to achieve the strategic objectives ofUnitingCare Ageing. Having greater clarity about ourGovernance Charter and the roles and responsibilities ofall parts of the organisation will be a priority for us as wemove to the next stage of the Governance review. Early inthe new financial year we will be releasing a draftdocument that discusses and hopefully provides moreclarity to these important relationships and sets strategicdirections for the future. Above all, we want to avoidduplication, increase and enhance internal communicationand ensure that UnitingCare Ageing is best positioned torespond to the rapidly changing aged care sector.Government RelationsOur relations with all tiers of government have continuedto strengthen. We were pleased to welcome the FederalMinister for Ageing, the Hon Julie Bishop to severalevents. We also acknowledge and thank the Hon TonyAbbot, Minister for Health, for his interest in UnitingCareAgeing. Each Region has also built closer relationshipswith local, state and federal government representatives.ExecutiveIn February 2005 Bruce Alcorn, the foundation Director ofUnitingCare Ageing, resigned. I wish to thank Bruce forhis leadership during the development of new processesand systems associated with the establishment of theRegional structure. The Board wishes Bruce well in hisnew endeavours.The Board conducted a rigorous selection process acrossAustralia for Bruce’s successor and was delighted toappoint Gillian McFee as new Director in June 2005.Previously the Regional Director of the Ku-ring-gaiRegion, Gillian has been appointed at another criticalphase in the growth of UnitingCare Ageing across NSWand the ACT. We were delighted that an internalcandidate demonstrated the capabilities, qualities andvision, and we are confident that Gillian’s fresh perspectivewill provide new momentum for our organisation.StaffI wish to acknowledge and thank our staff who numbermore than 5,600. Their work, each day, is the foundationof the philosophy of UnitingCare Ageing. The Board willbe reviewing policies to ensure that we attract and retainthe very best staff. Similarly, I wish to thank our loyal andexpanding volunteer network, whose selfless work ismuch appreciated by residents, clients and our staff.VisionQuality care is at the heart of what we do – and moreimportantly our Christian beliefs inspire the care andservices we provide to older people. Through our aim ofproviding the highest quality and innovative care toolder people, we are focused on sustainable growth, anappropriate mix of residential and community servicesand supporting our staff through appropriatedevelopment programs.Our Christian perspective is both a guiding force and adifferentiator in a sector increasingly dominated by forprofitproviders. We are confident that UnitingCareAgeing holds a special place in the aged care sector byoffering a Christian values-based paradigm. Unlike manycompetitors our surplus is re-invested directly into newservices, innovative programs and in achieving widersocial policy objectives. Over the next 12 months we willincreasingly focus on the balance between accountablefinancial performance and our social policy objectives toprovide new models of care, especially to people on lowincome and other areas of special need.On behalf of the Board, staff and volunteers, I thank theNSW Synod and UnitingCare NSW.ACT for the trust theyplace in us. We are confident of setting new industrybenchmarks in the delivery of community and residentialaged care services.Bruce Rathie0 UnitingCare Ageing Annual Repor t 2005 0