The Supporter is a quarterly magazine providing a collection of stories from across the AnglicareSA community.
SMART TECH HOMES SUPPORTER Autumn 2020
HELPING FIRE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES NEW DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
This year will see AnglicareSA invest in many building and upgrade projects as we seek to improve the lives of South Australians. These ‘bricks and mortar’ projects support the work we do every day in building strong and thriving individuals, families and communities. In January, we turned the first sod on a 10-year affordable and social housing development program. The first nine of 152 new homes will be complete by the end of June this year. We have officially opened three new smart homes for up to six disability customers as part of our Bridgeview disability accommodation service. The combination of smart technology and high quality face-to-face care will enable our customers to be more independent and gain greater control over their lives. Upgrades and renovations continue across our aged care sites, creating beautiful shared spaces and upgraded facilities to enhance the lives of our customers. We have been heartened by the early success of our Safe Kids, Families Together pilot program. With an 80 per cent success rate in keeping children safely in the care of their families, the program is a clear demonstration that with the right supports in place, families can flourish and safely remain together. Where children and young people cannot stay with their families, our foster carers do an amazing job. We were delighted to welcome another 69 carers at our recent foster carer graduation ceremony.
Unfortunately, there continues to be a growing need for foster carers and I urge anyone interested to get in touch with AnglicareSA to find out what is involved. The bushfire season has been terrible for many South Australians and the impact of so much loss will be felt for a long time. As people rebuild their lives, we have been providing immediate support with brand new clothing through our Thread Together service. Thread Together relies on our amazing volunteers and is funded through donations. We need your support in order to continue to meet the needs of the many South Australians impacted by the fires. Please give what you can through our Autumn Appeal. Thank you to those who supported our Christmas Appeal and hamper collection. More than $80,000 was raised for our emergency services and more than 1,100 hampers delivered to people in need. Your support has made, and continues to make, a big difference to the lives of so many South Australians doing it tough. Thank you for your continued support of AnglicareSA. Together we change lives.
Message from the CEO
Peter Sandeman Chief Executive Officer AnglicareSA
Cover photo: Disability services customer George is thrilled with his new smart home at Bridgeview.
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Smart tech homes for those living with disability
“Whether it’s dimming the lights, regulating room temperatures or checking who’s knocking at the door, it’s all possible with the touch of a button. “Conversely, this technology allows our qualified support staff to remain available to our customers without being intrusive.”
Integrating innovative, smart technologies with high quality face-to-face care is at the heart of AnglicareSA’s new disability accommodation in Adelaide’s north.
Through the tablet, staff can communicate directly with
Minister for Human Services, Michelle Lensink, formally launched AnglicareSA’s new Bridgeview development in late February. It features three brand new homes to accommodate up to six new customers. Initially opened in 2015, Bridgeview has successfully supported those living with disability to live as independently as possible, as well as empowering them to contribute to their local community. Gardening with gratitude
AnglicareSA CEO Peter Sandeman said the use of smart technology provided an important opportunity to modernise care in the disability space and provide increased independence for customers. “Through the integration of this new technology, via their smartphones and tablets, we’re giving our customers the tools they need to live as independently as possible and access flexible care, as they require it,” he said.
customers, respond to any alerts, access and lock doors or blinds, as well as monitor alarms. “It provides a great blend of technological innovation and face-to-face care and support,” Mr Sandeman said. “Combined with individually tailored, high-quality onsite support services, we can care for our customers in a way that reflects their preferences and matches their needs.”
More than 40 people from corporate partner Lumary, along with disability customers and staff, volunteered their time and skills to green the outdoor areas at the new Bridgeview disability accommodation. In only eight hours, the team transformed the dirt and rubble of the building site into a beautiful garden setting complete with garden beds, grass and places to sit and relax. Thank you and well done to everyone involved. The gardens look terrific.
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Welcome to the foster family AnglicareSA provides support
Late last year, AnglicareSA proudly welcomed 69 new foster carers at its annual Foster Carer Graduation Ceremony. The ceremony recognised the completion of an intensive training and assessment journey, and provided carers with the opportunity to meet and socialise with each other. Increasing numbers of children in state care means that help is always needed to provide a safe home and nurturing environment. Becoming a foster carer is an intense process imparting people with an abundance of both knowledge and responsibility.
We’re always overwhelmed by the generosity and commitment of our carers and their aspiration to love, nurture, support and assist children and young people entrusted into our care. All aspiring foster carers are required to undertake the Department of Education and Child Development assessment process. The process, which can take up to 12 months, includes screening checks, in-home interviews and completion of a training course.
throughout the process to ensure all participants have the right information and advice tailored to their situation. AnglicareSA’s 2019 graduates join a group of more than 380 AnglicareSA foster carers across South Australia providing care to more than 600 children. Just like any parent, they can look forward to experiencing highs, along with some tough times, but most importantly, the special moments that really matter.
If you would like to know more about becoming a foster carer, please call 8131 3456 or visit www.anglicaresa.com.au
Community celebrations At the end of 2019, AnglicareSA tenants in Adelaide’s north and west joined our staff and partner organisations to celebrate a year of working together to build safe, vibrant communities.
The family fun afternoons were a terrific way to engage with our tenants, hear what they have enjoyed from the past year and discuss what they would like to see in their communities in the year ahead. Through our Better Places, Stronger Communities tenancy program in the north and Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs in the west, AnglicareSA’s community development teams work with tenants to address social isolation, increase opportunities for tenants to be involved in the community, develop skills and create vibrant, inclusive communities.
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Peter’s Big Issue AnglicareSA CEO Peter Sandeman was one of a small group of South Australian executives who donned the fluoro vest and sold The Big Issue magazine to celebrate International Vendor Week in early February. More than 70 CEOs and leaders across Australia sold the magazine to help celebrate and raise awareness for the more than 9,000 street paper vendors all over the world. Mr Sandeman said the initiative was a great opportunity for leaders from diverse industries and backgrounds to come together in support of those who need it most. “I was eager to hit the streets to support all South Australians working hard to overcome homelessness, disadvantage and marginalisation,” he said.
“At AnglicareSA, our homelessness and housing services are often stretched beyond capacity – we see and understand the challenges and inequalities facing people in our very own backyard. “As a proud partner of The Big Issue and its Homes for Homes initiative, we know the fantastic work they do in empowering people to regain
their sense of belonging and have meaningful participation in the community.” Homes for Homes is an initiative of The Big Issue , which sees individuals register to donate 0.1 per cent of their property’s sale price when it sells. Money raised goes to creating social and affordable housing.
Helping fire-affected communities Our Thread Together van has spent several weeks in the Adelaide Hills. Through this service, as well as our North Adelaide Thread Together Hub, we have clothed more than 150 In response to the devastating bushfires across South Australia this summer, AnglicareSA has focussed its immediate response on providing brand new clothes to those who lost so much.
people impacted by the fires. We plan to broaden our Thread
Together service in other fire-affected communities and continue to work with bushfire recovery centres to provide ongoing support for those in need.
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New decade of development Construction is underway on the
In partnership with the State Government, AnglicareSA will invest $43.7 million in Adelaide’s west and $10.3 million in the north, over 10 years, to develop more affordable and social housing. Once these properties are developed, AnglicareSA will work with individuals and families to enjoy positive,
constructive tenancies and, in turn, create strong, safe and sustainable communities. There is no doubt that access to appropriate, modern housing options is a crucial issue facing many South Australians. The construction of these 152 homes will have a huge impact on these communities.
first of 152 new social and affordable homes for South Australians doing it tough. Nine homes across four sites in Adelaide’s north and west will be complete by the end of June 2020, as part of a $54 million 10-year development plan. Following the State Government’s Renewing our Streets and Suburbs and Better Places, Stronger Communities housing transfers to AnglicareSA, these two programs will see the replacement of 55 existing homes, along with the addition of 97 affordable houses over the next 10 years. It is a crucial investment in Adelaide’s Woodville and Elizabeth Grove communities. When Catherine had a fall and badly injured her leg, it immediately changed her life. While the initial pain was excruciating, she did not anticipate the agony of potentially losing her independence and the ability to live in her own home. Rediscovering independence
Following hospital and rehabilitation, Catherine returned home to her husband Barrie with no support services. As a result, Barrie, dealing with back and hip problems of his own, had to take on a significant caring role. AnglicareSA’s Aged Care Advocate, Jo Carter Jones, stepped in to help the couple. “When I first met Catherine, she couldn’t get off the bed,” Jo said. “Showering and getting to the bathroom were extremely difficult without Barrie’s help.” Jo works side-by-side with people like Catherine and Barrie to navigate the aged care system and find help. “I left the hospital not knowing how to use a walking frame, so Jo organised a physio to come out and help me,” Catherine said.
“Now I can go for a walk down the street, go down to the shops and to the doctors.” More than 12 months on, Catherine still carries the impact of her fall. However, with the right supports in place – domestic cleaning, showering assistance, fortnightly shopping trips and a new ramp at their back door – the couple are able to enjoy life in the comfort of their own home. “I feel really safe now,” Catherine said. “The ramp has really made a difference, and they [care workers and domestic staff] are also wonderful – friendly, down-to-earth people. You can truly see they want to help you. “If I didn’t have the right people to push me along, I wouldn’t be where I am today – there’s no way I’d still be living at home.”
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a national ASELCC research project led by Griffith University and supported by AnglicareSA. Designed to support health professionals to work with children who are minimally verbal, the guides incorporate best available evidence and outcomes from focus groups with speech pathologists across Australia. As a leader in the provision of evidence-based autism services, AnglicareSA maintains its expertise by partnering with others to undertake vital research to inform program design. AnglicareSA provides support, education and opportunities for people living with autism, as well as families, through our outreach therapy supports, NDIS accommodation and individualised support services, and our own early learning and care centre based in Prospect.
Latest research to help autism services
Grace Frost from Anglicare SA’s Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre (ASELCC) presented the workshop alongside autism experts Dr Madonna Tucker and Joanne Stephen. The workshop invited health and education professionals from around Adelaide to learn about four new clinical guides developed from
AnglicareSA and the AEIOU Foundation for Children with Autism recently partnered to present a workshop on the latest research into supporting children who are minimally verbal.
Five years of suicide prevention
Suicide is the leading cause of death for South Australians aged 15 to 44. For every death by suicide it is predicted that there are 15 attempts. The Suicide Prevention Service provides specialised support to individuals who have attempted suicide or have strong suicidal ideation. The free service offers intensive support for three months, helping people with strategies to prevent further attempts. It works alongside mental health services to provide psycho-social supports and assist in connecting people into community supports. It also supports families of those who have attempted suicide. While the service predominantly receives referrals from hospitals, GPs and allied health professionals, individuals and families are welcome to self-refer to the service. To access the Suicide Prevention Service, please call 1300 067 798 or email sps@anglicaresa.com.au
In the five years since it began, AnglicareSA’s Suicide Prevention Service has grown in size, impact and reputation, supporting more than 850 families and individuals following a suicide attempt. One of Australia’s longest running after care services, it originally started as a pilot program funded by AnglicareSA with money raised at the Cathedral Banquet in May 2014. In February 2015, it started taking referrals in the southern suburbs of Adelaide and the following year obtained funding from the Adelaide
Primary Health Network to deliver the program right across metropolitan Adelaide. By 2018, the service had gained accreditation in the National Standards for Mental Health Services and expanded into the Adelaide Hills and Fleurieu Peninsula with funding from the CountrySA Primary Health Network. With five full-time positions, the service is a leader in the field and staff regularly present their work and outcomes at state and national forums.
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Quickest warmth The Quickest Warmth project began with a donation of seven quilts to the Department of Child Protection for children going into foster care. Five years later, the project has more than 200 contributors who make, access or purchase items needed by individuals and families experiencing difficult times. Started by AnglicareSA Employee Support Chaplain Prue O’Donovan and volunteer Gail Hardy, the Quickest Warmth supplies requested items to AnglicareSA programs, as well as to the Department for Child Protection, Aboriginal support programs, schools and hospitals. Requested items are listed in a monthly newsletter, with requests filled by a network of more than 200 South Australians. These clever and generous people, who are so vital to the project, are of all ages and come from all walks of life including aged care residents, church groups and a private men’s shed.
More than 30 AnglicareSA programs and services regularly receive items from the Quickest Warmth, including humanitarian settlement, homelessness, Aboriginal services, foster care and disability support. The project has recently commenced a monthly pop-up shop in the café at Elizabeth Mission. Our thanks to all of the very talented and generous volunteers for your ongoing support and service. For further information about the Quickest Warmth project, contact Prue O’Donovan at prudy@internode.on.net Our customers are from varied backgrounds and have different reasons for arriving in South Australia as refugees. Often, they arrive with little or nothing in terms of personal belongings, so the generous donation of toys from Big W put huge smiles on the faces of children and parents alike. The program is the sole service provider in South Australia of welcome and accommodation services to new arrivals under the Federal Government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program. These services are provided in conjunction with AMES Australia.
The project provides handmade and purchased bedding, clothing, toys, toiletry packs, school supplies, cleaning supplies – anything people may need as they are supported through difficult times. Volunteers collect, sort, bundle and deliver the goods.
A welcome gift We were thrilled at Christmas time
when Big W chose AnglicareSA as its charity of choice, donating four carloads of toys to our Settlement Services program. The program provides support to newly arrived individuals and families, starting from the moment the customer arrives at the airport. It continues with AnglicareSA providing a fully furnished home upon arrival, help to find long-term private rental accommodation and ongoing tenancy support for up to 18 months. In 2019, we welcomed 1,121 new arrivals to South Australia.
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Trott Park upgrades
Residents of our residential aged care site at Trott Park have been enjoying their beautifully upgraded garden and outdoor space.
The flexible and accessible outdoor area, with views across to the hills, includes raised garden beds where residents have been planting flowers, herbs and vegetables. The outdoor upgrade is part of site-wide renovations that will see the reception area upgraded and all resident rooms refurbished by the end of April 2020.
Keeping families together By the end of 2019, the program had engaged 15 families with 54 children – with an 80 per cent success rate of keeping children safely in the care of their families. If this success rate is maintained over Based on current progress, the expected results for the full two years of the program could deliver savings of $26 million. In less than six months, AnglicareSA’s intensive pilot program for those at risk of having their children removed has enabled 43 children to remain safely with their families.
to manage complex issues, and hopefully keep their family together. Specialist support staff give families intensive, face-to-face, in-home contact, and build on existing international evidence-based services, such as HomeBuilders in the US, which demonstrates high outcomes of children staying safely with their families 12 months after intervention. There is then a lower intensity six- month period of follow up. AnglicareSA, the Department for Child Protection and the Early Intervention Research Directorate work collaboratively to deliver the program.
The pilot is working well and is clearly demonstrating that given the opportunity, families can make changes, find their own solutions and flourish. The families we work with love and want the best for their children. If children can remain safely with their birth family, then that is by far the best place for them. The program, co-designed with key experts, ensures vulnerable families have the right supports in place
12 months, savings of $10 million could flow to the State Government and the South Australian economy. The outcomes for families will be immeasurable. Funded by the State Government, the $3 million Safe Kids, Families Together program commenced in August 2019 and will engage 46 families and around 138 children annually for two years.
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Angel Day Anglican schools make a positive contribution to AnglicareSA through fundraising, volunteering and in-kind support. Each year, one primary school is selected to be an ambassador for AnglicareSA through our Angel Day program. The main role of the AnglicareSA Angel School is to assist us in our much-needed fundraising efforts. In February, a special ceremony was held for St Peters College, our 2019 Angel School, to hand over to St Columba College for 2020. Through 2020 we hope to increase engagement and grow our relationships with schools by looking for new and innovative ways to combine learning with supporting our community.
We will work with the schools to develop opportunities for students to visit programs and learn more about the vital social services that AnglicareSA provides to our local communities. Supporting young people
AnglicareSA once again partnered with the Rymill House Foundation during the recent Adelaide 500 to raise funds to support young people when they leave care. The Youth Footprints program aims to strengthen a young person’s independent living skills through mentoring, education, employment opportunities and community connections. The 500 Rymill House event ran from 20 to 23 February, with guests enjoying hospitality and motor racing from the grounds of Rymill House Estate. Special thanks to all of the wonderful individuals and organisations that supported the event. We couldn’t do it without you.
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The recent bushfires that have ravaged the country resulted in many Australians losing everything; their homes, livestock, businesses and personal possessions. Help deliver new threads to those affected by bushfires
Will you help us deliver brand new clothes to those affected by the bushfires by making a donation today? Across our beautiful country, Australians are banding together to help the many families that have been left devastated by the bushfires. Right now, our Thread Together ‘mobile wardrobe’ vans, along with our dedicated staff and volunteers, are out in the bushfire-affected areas of South Australia restoring hope and dignity to those who need our support the most. Past support has brought the Thread Together program to life, ensuring we were able to provide brand new, end of line clothes that would ordinarily be headed for landfill, to
those in our community who were struggling financially. Through this unique program, we were ready and able to mobilise support immediately on the ground in Lobethal by early January and are now investigating options to visit other bushfire-affected areas. Please help us to meet the increased demand for our service – to give new clothes and a new start to those South Australians affected by the devastating bushfires. The devastation from these fires will be felt for many months – and perhaps even years – to come. We have access to plenty of clothes, but as the need continues to rise, we ask for your help to ensure our vans are fuelled and ready to hit the road.
Please donate today and help keep our vans on the road.
prepares our vans to be ready to immediately visit a bushfire-affected area (no matter how far!) $400
ensures multiple visits to locally affected areas $200
will clothe approximately five families left devastated by the fires $100
provides parents with the business clothes they need to return to their jobs and put food on the table $30
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Thank you Thank you to everyone who so generously donated time, money and goods to help others at Christmas Our Christmas Appeal raised more than $80,000 for our emergency assistance services, which will allow us to provide emergency services through the year, including short-term accommodation and nutritious meals. With the help of staff, volunteers and partner organisations, we distributed more than 1,100 Christmas hampers. Special thanks to CMI Toyota for once again generously loaning us the vans that make the hamper drive possible. Thank you for your care and support. Together we change lives.
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