ANNUAL REPORT 2005-2006 Diocese Of Wollongong Centacare Catholic Family Welfare Services 2005 Club oF the Year Proudly supporting the Macarthur Community for over 40 years. 4625 0000 www.cathclub.com.au For the information of members and guests By saving into an Incentive Plus account with the CDF you can assist Centacare, while earning a TOP RATE OF INTEREST. For further details contact the Catholic Development Fund, Diocese of Wollongong 86-88 Market Street Wollongong 1800 047 703 www.cdfwollongong.org.au Contents Our Mission, Our Values, Our Services, Future Directions ......4 Director’s Report ..............................................................5 Bishop’s Report ...............................................................6 Chairman’s Report ...........................................................7 Organisational Chart .......................................................8 Leadership .....................................................................9 Fundraising Events .........................................................10 Reading the Signs of the Times ........................................11 Our Programs Family Services ...........................................................12 Counselling Marriage and Relationship Education Family Skills Training Children’s Contact Service ..........................................13 Aged Services .........................................................14 Community Aged Care Packages Community Visitors Scheme Volunteer Support Disability Services ......................................................15 Flexible Options Program Career Counselling & Support Disability Advocate Children’s Out of Home Care Services .........................16 Foster Care Access Services School Student and Family Program ............................16 Personal Support Program .........................................17 Chaplaincy ..............................................................17 Corporate Services ...................................................18 Income & Expenditure .................................................19 Our Mission On behalf of the Catholic Church, Centacare provides a range of human services and endeavours to be a prophetic voice in the community to alleviate injustice and disadvantage. We are committed to working together to make a difference in people’s lives through service and advocacy. Our Values Catholic social principles will be evident in our lives and work by: • respecting the dignity of each person • protecting human dignity in the community • actively seeking conditions which enhance the common good • enabling clients and fellow workers to participate in the community • providing preferential access to the most vulnerable clients • demonstrating responsible stewardship in the quality and professionalism of our individual and collective work • acting with integrity and fairness Future Directions Our Services Centacare is dedicated to advocating and being proactive for the people society Family Services marginalises and devalues in the Diocese of • Counselling (Family and Relationship; Grief) Wollongong. • Marriage and Relationship Education The welfare sector is growing and changing rapidly and Centacare must be well prepared • Family Skills Training Program to meet current and changing circumstances. Children’s Contact Service We are reaching the end of our Strategic Plan for 2003-2006, which has led to the Aged Services development of systems that better allow us • Community Aged Care Packages to proactively identify and respond to special needs and social issues in our community. The • Community Visitors Scheme current Strategic Plan has driven a process Office of Disability and Disability Services of continuous improvement in the delivery of all our programs and services through the School Student and Family Program implementation of a quality approach across our operations. This has been enhanced Children’s Out of Home Care Services by staff development and support, the use • Foster Care of technology as an essential tool in quality service delivery and key collaborative • Children’s Access Services partnerships. Chaplaincy within Juvenile Justice Other key objectives that have been achieved include the establishment of Outreaches in the Community Support Program Macarthur and Shoalhaven areas. Corporate Services We are now developing a Strategic Plan for 2006-2009 that will reflect how we will meet the challenges of providing welfare services in the second half of this decade. At a time when Australian government, business and However, I would particularly society and the Diocese of community, whilst also asking like to acknowledge that the Wollongong appear to be them to recognise the realities Diocese has provided funding going through fundamental of poverty and disadvantage. for two years for a Disability change, Centacare faces a This year saw the first Advocate to go out into the major challenge to remain true encyclical of the Holy Father, parishes and help people with to its mission and values. Pope Benedict XVI, which disabilities and their carers. Everywhere around us we see confirmed the importance of Special thanks to Diocesan evidence that Australians are the very challenges we are personnel who over the past living individualistic lives and facing. The Pope reaffirmed twelve months have worked are less inclined to reach out the centrality of the charitable with Centacare to develop our to their fellow human beings. mission of the Church and new Mandate & Constitution The most dangerous aspect his challenge is clear. We which has been approved of today’s Australia is the shift must by nature, serve those by Bishop Peter Ingham. We in public discourse towards a most in need. We must, by especially acknowledge Fr Director’s Report more individualistic, consumer our nature, give voice to their Peter Comensoli and Sr Moya driven society and away from concerns and we must, as a Hanlon for their commitment a shared notion of building the matter of necessity, organise and to Dr Rodger Austin for his common good for the benefit our resources wisely to achieve assistance in this matter. We must, as a of all. This trend sees the most these objectives. Centacare, the major welfare vulnerable, disadvantaged ministry of the Diocese, does matter of necessity, Leadership in difficult times members of society blamed for In the past year we have not work in isolation and, as organise our resources their own circumstances. restructured our management always, there are many people Many parts of our community team to help us meet the to thank for another successful wisely to achieve reap the benefits of a record challenges we face in year of service. these objectives. budget record surplus, low remaining true to our Mission Bishop Peter has been a unemployment and low inflation and continuing to preserve the tower of strength and pastoral - but people on benefits, and dignity of the individuals who support for us and we have other low income earners suffer need our services. also benefited greatly from the as interest rates increase and Importantly, we have renamed work of many priests and lay the cost of food and petrol it the Leadership Team to people across the Diocese. rises. reflect the importance we Our fund-raising committee Our Mission states: On place on sound and inspiring has again done another behalf of the Catholic Church, leadership to retain a sense of outstanding job, coordinating Centacare provides a range of identity and purpose among wonderful social occasions and human services and endeavours our staff and energize them successful fund-raisers. to be a prophetic voice in to meet the challenges they I am eternally gratefully to the the community to alleviate face in their demanding jobs. commitment and wisdom of injustice and disadvantage. This is essential if we are to the Centacare Board members We are committed to working achieve our goals in the face for their guidance throughout together to make a difference of seemingly ever-increasing the year. With the introduction in people’s lives through service bureaucratic demands from of the Centacare Constitution and advocacy. funding, accreditation and and Mandate, a new Advisory Clearly, it is our duty to both auditing bodies that can often Council has been formed. My provide services to needy distract out staff from their deepest thanks to outgoing people in our community core roles - providing best members, Barry Wood, John and speak out against practice services to people Logue, Dr Di Sansom, Margaret injustice and disadvantage. who need them and joining Bartley and Tony Abela for the However, we are confronted them in making changes to their generosity of their time, solid with many challenges in the lives. Our Leadership Team is commitment and unwavering provision of social and welfare introduced on page 8. support to the mission of services. Changes in the way Centacare as Board members. government services are funded Highlights for 2005-2006 They are the foundation on and managed and changes Centacare seeks to meet which Centacare will grow into in community attitudes towards the needs of people in our the future. people in need indicate that community irrespective of Thanks also to our many new solutions are required if religious affiliation, cultural sponsors and supporters, we are to continue to serve the background, ethnicity, gender notably the Campbelltown most in need. or age. Centacare’s services Catholic Club. The task for the year ahead continue