Annual Report 2017
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Caroline Chisholm Society Annual Report 2016–2017 Contents Our Vision, Mission and Values 1 Locations: Vision 1 1 Darebin Place, Caroline Springs 3023 Mission 1 (Registered Office) Values 1 977 Mount Alexander Road, Our Approach 1 Essendon 3040 Our Theoretical Frameworks 1 15A St Andrews Road, Shepparton 3630 Objectives 1 Established: 1969 Our President and CEO’s Report 10 Life Members Mrs E Brennan, the Hon Christine Our Organisation 13 Campbell, Mrs P Coffey OAM, Ms M D’Elia, Ms L Doolan, Mrs T Fogarty, Tradition 13 Mrs L Gibson, Mr B Guinane, Caroline Chisholm (1808–1871) 13 Mrs M Howes, Mrs W Hunt, The Society 13 Dr P Joshua, Mrs L Joy, Mrs M McGarvie, Strategy 13 Miss M Napolitano, Mrs B Noonan, Mrs H Pearson (dec), Ms M Reilley, Effective Services 13 Mrs A Ronchi, Mrs E Semmell, Strong Finances and Administration 13 Sr M Sexton, Mr F Smit, Mrs L Tainton, Sound Governance and Management 13 Mrs M Taverner, Mrs P Way Engagement 14 Board of Directors Services 14 President and Director: Paul Webster Pregnancy Counselling and Welfare Appointments Program 14 Vice President and Director: Family Support Program 14 Dr Michael Christie New and Pre-loved Goods Program 14 Company Secretary and Director: Structures 15 Phil Gatens, GAICD Governance 15 Assistant Company Secretary and Director: Frank Smit Organisational 16 Treasurer and Director: Stephen Mullins Our Programs 18 Directors: Tess Fogarty, Phil Gatens, Wendy Hunt, Stuart Rowland, Kate Pregnancy Counselling and Welfare Appointments 18 Rowswell, Gavin Kempin, Sarah Notaro Family Support 19 Staff New and Pre-loved Goods 22 Chief Executive Officer: Helen Cooney, Our Clients 28 BA, MGov & CommLaw Manager, Pregnancy and Family Services: Spotlight on Our Clients in Goulburn Valley 34 Mo Connolly, RN RM MHM Spotlight on Our Clients in Melton – Manager, Corporate Services: Implementing the Vulnerability Framework 36 Marie Panzera, BB (Business) Spotlight on Our Clients in Moonee Valley 38 Project and Compliance Officer: Sylvana Romagnano Our People, Neighbourhoods and Finances 39 Supervisory and Senior Practitioners: • Tania Belen Liawang, MSW, BA Our Year and Our Future 43 • Audrey Ciappara, BSW, BPsych • Nida Kazmi, GradDipPsych, BB (Fin Plan) Our Financial Report 44 • Amanda Walles, BA (Sociology) Spotlight On: Employed staff including: Carmel Ibic; Daya Adelan; Diane Gulbis; Fumiko Head; • A New Home in Moonee Valley 2 Georgina Ormiston; Jeanette Monteith; • Serving Melbourne’s Outer West from Caroline Springs 4 Lisa Autelitano; Liz Meloury; Lynette • Our Community in Goulburn Valley 8 Burns; Maree Chin; Narelle Trewin; Natalie • Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Perinatal Services 12 Chong; Natalie El Fahel; Rema Dahal, Rosie Dymus; Sandra Walker; Shabnam Daliri; • Quality Information for Pregnant and New Mothers 17 Tabitha Benjamin and Valerie Wegel • Responding to a Rapidly Changing Environment 23 A dedicated team of volunteers • Mothers in Mind to Children and Mothers in Mind 26 Caroline Chisholm Society Our Vision, Mission and Values Vision Our Approach To support pregnancy, children Our service will utilise approaches that are characterised by the following: and families. • Positive pregnancy support • Child focused and family centred Mission • Connecting families with communities To deliver a range of pregnancy and • Flexibility and responsiveness family support services that respond • Promoting safety to the needs of families and support • Acknowledging the expertise of families them to achieve and maintain a safe and nurturing environment. Our Theoretical Frameworks Values We are focused on the best interests of children, while highlighting families strengths, and working to ensure mothers, babies or toddlers and their families We will develop services that are can have a good attachment. underpinned by the principles of: • Strengths-based practice: We help you to identify and build on the strengths, • Respect for life abilities and assets that you already have. This approach leads to better, more • Compassion and caring sustainable changes in your life, and allows you and your family to work • Social justice together for a safer and more nurturing environment for your children. • Empowerment • Attachment Theory: Strong and secure attachment is vital to your baby’s • Recognition of diversity development. You can build attachment by learning to read your baby’s signals and knowing how to best respond to your baby’s needs. • Accountable best practice • Best interests case practice model: Our case practice model is designed to achieve a common basis for professionals working with you and your local communities and services to meet your child’s need for safety, stability and development. Objectives • To operate a Pregnancy Support Service • To provide a service of counselling and practical support to meet the physical, psychological and social welfare needs of pregnant women, parents and young children and their families. • To provide a comprehensive service of care and support that will free women from feeling compelled by physical, psychological or social pressures to choose the termination of a pregnancy. • To help alleviate poverty and distress through the provision of financial support, material aid and shelter. • To provide programs of health education. • To develop a greater awareness and understanding of the welfare rights and needs of all people, including the unborn child. • To assist those who seek and use the services of the Society to function independently. Annual Report 2016–2017 1 A New Home in Moonee Valley 41 Park Street, Moonee Ponds 12 Shuter Street, Moonee Ponds 977 Mt Alexander Road, Essendon 2 Caroline Chisholm Society Official Opening Next Steps On 4 March 2017, the Caroline Chisholm Society – Moonee Valley was You can see on page 38 some officially opened by The Hon. James Merlino MP, Deputy Premier of Victoria information about some of the with the assistance of Life Members of the Caroline Chisholm Society services we’ve already provided to and pregnant mothers and their families. families from the new site. We look forward to the possibilities of more The building was made possible by contributions from the Victorian services being offered so close to Government, Noel & Carmel O’Brien Family Foundation, the Noonan public transport. Our CEO, Helen Family, the Beck and Fox Families, Essendon Fields, Strathmore Community Cooney, has been appointed to a Branch Bendigo Bank, Australian Lions Foundation, Lions Club of Doutta Portfolio Advisory Committee for the Galla (Quilt – Esprit de Corps Project), Schiavello Group, Nelson Alexander Moonee Valley City Council. Chaired Charitable Foundation, Chisholm House – Loyola College Watsonia, Essendon by Cr. Jim Cusack, the Community Branch of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria Inc. and community Wellbeing Committee that Helen fundraising by volunteers. has been appointed to will support It would not have been possible without support from the Moonee Valley thriving and resilient neighbourhoods City Council, the Rotary Club of Essendon and volunteers and members of including issues such as family the Society. For over 40 years, the Caroline Chisholm Society was located violence, gender equity and safety. at 41 Park Street, Moonee Ponds. Check out more photos online at: We hope our building plays a part www.caroline.org.au/moonee-valley/moonee-valley-official-opening in achieving that. Annual Report 2016–2017 3 Serving Melbourne’s Outer West from Caroline Springs Thanks to the support of been able to make the most of the site by offering parenting and play groups, a partnership between a pamper day, a children’s week the Caroline Chisholm party and support for kindergarten and the City of Melton, participation by vulnerable children through the Vulnerability Tool Kit Darebin Place has become project and our Partnership with a hub for community ECMS in an outreach support project. support with outreach The site has grown into an to local families. invaluable resource for families in the high growth areas of Melton and Caroline Chisholm Society owns and Wyndham and the large population operates from 1 Darebin Place, which in Brimbank. started life as Delfin Display home. It has also been a tutor house for the then Mowbray College and a gym for the Western Jets football team. Caroline Chisholm Society has been calling it home for over 5 years. Melton Council owns, and offers Caroline Chisholm Society use of, the former Wirrigirri Preschool. We’ve Brimbank and Melton Local Government Areas Mallee Goulburn Valley Upper Hume Wimmera North Central Central Hume Hume Moreland North East Lower Hume Brimbank Outer East Central Highlands Wellington East Gippsland Melton Inner Metro East Western South West LaTrobe & Baw Baw Barwon Colac-Otway, South East Corangamite South Coast Mallee Bayside Melton Civic Centre Djerriwarrh HealthPeninsula (incl. Maternal and Services (Bacchus Child Health) Marsh Hospital) Brimbank Customer Goulburn Valley Service Centre at Upper Hume Sydenham Library Caroline Springs Civic Centre Wimmera North Central Melton and Library (incl. Maternal and Child Health) Central Hume Hume Brimbank Moreland North East Lower Hume Darebin Place, Brimbank Outer East 977 Mt Alexander Central Highlands Wellington East Gippsland Melton Caroline Springs Joan Kirner Western Road, Essendon Inner Women’s and Metro East Children’s Hospital Western South West LaTrobe & Brimbank Baw Baw Barwon Community and Colac-Otway, South East Civic Centre (incl. Corangamite South Maternal and Royal Children’s Coast