2008 Annual Report RIDBC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Contents About RIDBC 4 Section Three – RIDBC People 34 2008 Highlights 5 Recruitment and Retention 35 Report of the President and Learning and Development 35 Chief Executive 6 Occupational Health and Safety 35 Financial Summary 8 Industrial Relations 35 Five Year Record of Enrolments 10 Employee Survey 36 Objectives, Activities, Major Volunteers 36 Achievements and Challenges 12 Qualifications 36 Board of Directors 14 Organisational Chart 37 Corporate Governance 16 Senior Managers 38 Heads of Educational Services 39 Section One – Children’s Services 18 RIDBC Staff in the Community 40 RIDBC Assessment Unit 19 Case Study – Christine Muir 41 Early Childhood 19 Visiting Honorary and Professional Staff Parent Support 20 and Organisations 42 School Programs 20 Years of Service Awards 42 Case Study – Charlie 21 Beyond RIDBC 43 Ancillary Services 22 Case Study – Aly 23 Section Four – Paying the Bills and Program Reviews 24 Those Who Help 44 Continuous Improvement 24 Community Relations and Fundraising 45 RIDBC Teleschool 25 Bequests 46 Resource Production 26 Permanent Funds 46 Of Special Interest 26 Case Study – Sue O’Neill 47 Case Study – Andrew 27 Clubs and Committees 48 Supporters 49 Section Two – RIDBC Renwick Centre 28 Case Study – Monica Glare 51 Professional Development and Sponsors 52 Research Report 29 Case Study – OzViskids 31 History 54 Research, Presentations and Publications 32 Concise Financial Report Supplement 55 Directory 55 You Can Make a Difference 56 Contributors RIDBC wishes to recognise and thank contributors to this annual report including: Graphic Innovators Nomad Photography Fiora Sacco Photography Level 4, 515 Kent St David Jenkins PO Box 266 Sydney NSW 2000 11 Parriwi Rd Annandale NSW 2038 Ph: (02) 9261 3222 Mosman NSW 2088 Ph: 0418 263 125 Ph: 0410 691 867 2 RIDBC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT Aly discusses her news with help from RIDBC Rockie Woofit Preschool director, Julie Kaney. Read more about Aly on page 23. RIDBC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT 3 About RIDBC Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children he Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind In affiliation with the University of Newcastle, Children (RIDBC) is Australia’s major RIDBC conducts a centre for research and T independent special educator. RIDBC’s professional development in the education of primary purpose is to provide high quality children with impaired hearing or vision. educational services to children who have significant hearing and/or vision impairment, RIDBC is one of Australia’s major charities and including children who have additional is incorporated under the Royal Institute for disabilities. Deaf and Blind Children Act 1998. What end result does • We acknowledge that a child’s parents are the major influences and primary educators in the RIDBC want? child’s life, and may need advice, information and support in fulfilling those roles • That the impact of blindness, deafness, or significant vision or hearing impairment be • We understand that educational practice needs minimised so that children with these impairments continuous evaluation and an underpinning become able to participate fully in all aspects of life through research • We know that the effectiveness of staff members Who does RIDBC serve? can be enhanced by professional development • Children with special needs arising because they • We have faith in community support and the are deaf, blind, deafblind or have significant vision concern and generosity of people or hearing impairment RIDBC helps families by: • Their families • Acknowledging them as their child’s primary carers and as essential partners in the • Teachers of children with these sensory educational process impairments and associated professionals • Assisting them to learn more about their child’s How does RIDBC pursue unique needs and how best to meet those needs its aims? RIDBC helps teachers of the deaf or blind and associated professionals to: RIDBC helps children to: • Become effective practitioners • Access the most effective and appropriate early intervention and school education • Undertake research to improve teaching practice • Achieve to their full potential What RIDBC does • Leave school well prepared for independent • We commence the educational process as soon adult life as a diagnosis of significant hearing or vision impairment has been made RIDBC’s values – the “shared understandings” that underpin our work • We provide high quality, innovative education to children with impaired vision and/or hearing • We recognise that all children, irrespective of disability, deserve to receive education and other • We offer choices and options in educational services which will enable them to develop their approaches and settings skills and capabilities and to participate fully in • We support children with special needs in community life mainstream preschools and schools 4 RIDBC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT • We provide children’s audiological services, • We seek the community’s help in order to have including diagnostic audiology sufficient resources to do our work • We assist parents and families in catering to the RIDBC’s programs special needs of their child RIDBC strives to achieve its desired goal through • We train teachers of the deaf and teachers of the implementation of targeted programs which are the blind and provide ongoing professional aligned to clear objectives as outlined on pages development 12 & 13. The remainder of this report provides a • We engage in research and the provision detailed accounting for these endeavours. of information and resources relevant to the education of children with significant vision and/or hearing impairment Highlights of 2008 • Serving more children and • Joshua Sealy the first signing • Helping less developed families than ever before, with student to complete the Higher countries to develop skills in 16 percent growth in early School Certificate through the teaching deaf children and childhood enrolments and Hills Grammar School/RIDBC blind children, with RIDBC 2 percent growth in enrolments partnership program Renwick Centre and Children’s of school children – (see page Services staff involved in Timor 10 for details) • 55 graduates from the RIDBC Leste, Papua New Guinea, Renwick Centre/University Samoa, Fiji, China and India • Included in the above, a of Newcastle postgraduate 66 percent enrolment growth teacher training program • A large investment in IT to 146 children in RIDBC infrastructure for educational Teleschool, reaching regional, • A new partnership between programs, with new video- rural and remote populations RIDBC and TAFE to provide conference installations, specialist courses in deafness intelligent whiteboards and • Completion of building and blindness to childcare software improvements in the RIDBC workers Alice Betteridge and RIDBC • Donations at a record level Thomas Pattison Schools About this Annual Report This report is to be presented to the 148th Annual General Meeting of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children on Tuesday, 19th May 2009. Copies of this report are available online at www.ridbc.org.au and are also available on request in large print or braille. We welcome feedback from readers via [email protected] or on (02) 9871 1233. Louise and Cameron attend an RIDBC Parent Editor: Matthew Smeal, RIDBC Infant Group session with their son Cody. Communications Manager. RIDBC 2008 ANNUAL REPORT 5 Report of the President and Chief Executive ver the last generation, children, blind children and 2008. Notwithstanding this, the much has changed for their families. As expected, only real impact experienced Odeaf children and for overall revenue did not match to date by RIDBC has been blind children, including: the record level of 2007, but it a return to expected levels of is very gratifying to report that revenue after the extraordinary • The quality and effectiveness donations to RIDBC have been highs of 2007. The book value of special technology – such at more generous levels than of RIDBC’s investments has as high powered hearing ever before. also fallen from 2007 highs, aids and cochlear implants, but is expected to recover in Five Year Plan and computers with voice the longer term. (Unrelated to and braille output RIDBC is now three years into the economy, receipts from • The focus on early its Five Year Development bequests also fell from the intervention and early Program. This includes very high level of 2007 to education – contributing plans for the growth and an amount more in line with to much better long-term enhancement of research and previous experience.) The outcomes professional development combined effect was to activities. The RIDBC reduce overall revenue by • More highly trained specialist Renwick Centre, under the 15.3 percent compared with teachers and therapists leadership of Professor Greg 2007. Even so, total revenue Leigh, continues to broaden • Attendance at regular in 2008 was in line with its influence nationally and schools for most students expectations, and sufficient to internationally. Planning ensure that the decline from • A great opening up of for a new RIDBC Renwick 2007 had no negative effect post-school opportunities. Centre building was further upon RIDBC’s services. progressed this year. The new During 2008, this trend has building will accommodate Concerned about economic continued. Importantly, it is the far greater than expected prospects for 2009, the Board happening not only in the enrolment growth which has is comfortable that construction major population centres but occurred since Renwick costs associated with the in regional and rural locations College was conceived and RIDBC Renwick Centre project as well. established. The design of a are now likely to be spread over more than one year. The number of children and new centre has taken longer families enrolled in RIDBC than had been expected, Capital Expenditure in 2008 services at the end of the but the commencement of of $3.33 million was less than school year totalled a record construction is drawing had been planned, while 878. This represented closer and much of it will be planned Capital Expenditure enrolment growth of eight built in 2009.