ANNUAL REPORT 2005 BUILDING FUTURES FOR PEOPLE WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND THEIR FAMILIES 2005 ANNUAL REPORT CONTENTS The 58th Annual General Meeting of The Spastic Centre will be held at 4:30 pm on Tuesday, 29 November 2005 at The Spastic Centre’s St Ives Community Access Service, 6 Stanley Street, St Ives. All members are entitled to attend and are cordially invited to do so. Mission Statement & Core Values page 2 They Dared To Dream page 3 President’s Report page 4 Chief Executive Officer’s Report page 6 CP Foundation page 7 Highlights of 2004 – 2005 page 8 Research Projects page 9 Service Statistics page 10 Committee Reports page 12 Fundraising Activities page 16 Marketing Activities page 19 Thank you – Committees and Sponsors & Supporters page 22 Financial Section page 29 ABN 45 000 062 288 REGISTERED OFFICE 189 Allambie Road, Allambie Heights NSW 2100 PO Box 184 Brookvale NSW 2100 T (02) 9451 9022 F (02) 9451 4877 E [email protected] W www.thespasticcentre.com.au CP HELPLINE T 1300 30 29 25 E [email protected] BANKERS Commonwealth Bank of Australia 48 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000 AUDITORS KPMG, The KPMG Centre 10 Shelley Street, Sydney NSW 2000 the spastic centre 1 ANNUAL REPORT 2005 CORE VALUES & MISSION STATEMENT CORE VALUES Respect acknowledging the worth of every INDIVIDUAL Accountability transparent, ETHICAL, responsible practices Independence promoting self-determination Partnership linking and WORKING with others Fairness equitable and accessible services Innovation new and creative SOLUTIONS OUR MISSION Building futures ... for people with cerebral palsy and their families. 2 the spastic centre 2005 ANNUAL REPORT the spastic centre 3 ANNUAL REPORT 2005 PRESIDENT’S REPORT As we celebrate The Spastic Centre’s ■ how the newly launched Cerebral Palsy sixtieth birthday, it is time not only to salute (CP) Foundation can add dimension and our beginnings, reflect on where we have shape to the organisation’s future and come from and honour the past achievements research endeavour, and of our organisation, but it is time to look ■ how existing property holdings at forward to a future in which we can complete Croudace Bay and on the Allambie the vision of our founders. campus can best be managed into the The past twelve months have been future to ensure maximum benefit for our momentous for families of children with clients and their families over the longer cerebral palsy and significant and complex term. needs, especially in rural and regional New South Wales. CONSISTENT BOTTOM LINES … Our aim for the financial year 2004/2005 was RURAL SERVICES IN FOCUS … to achieve a break-even budget whilst at the The year has seen the completion of the same time, extending our network of services network of ten Rural Therapy Service Centres in the face of the increasing gap between with the establishment and full operation of appropriate funding and the cost of wages MARELLE THORNTON, AM centres at Raymond Terrace, Wagga Wagga increases. and Coffs Harbour. The Sargents Kid Quarters President I am pleased to report that we have at Nowra was officially opened and once exceeded our financial targets and at June again, the marvellous Sargents Charitable 30th, recorded an operating surplus of Foundation came forward with a most $1.132 million ($3.124 million: 2003/2004). generous donation, which enabled us to This better-than-expected result allowed a purchase property to give a permanent home transfer of $600,000 to The CP Foundation to our service programs in Moruya. Our and realised a further increase in Spastic “WE HAVE HEIGHTS therapy centre in Canberra was officially Centre Members’ Equity from $18,287,468 opened, premises at Wagga Wagga were to $19,070,187. TO CLIMB, WHICH purchased with the balance of funds from a special purpose Spastic Centre trust account These consistent bottom lines provide surety and Armidale celebrated its first birthday. over our future and provide latitude for the organisation to explore new and important WILL CARRY OUR Our rural “push” has been a real feature of avenues beyond essential service programs the 2004/2005 year and families residing – to extend its reach, effectiveness and outside the Sydney metropolis and immediate WORK BEYOND influence in building futures for our clients Hunter region, are thrilled to have their and their families. essential services close to home. Again, our aim for the financial year EXISTING LEVELS” Our leadership on the national scene has 2005/2006 is to maintain a break-even enabled the CP Register to go Australia wide budget and to build the quantum of funds and the CP Helpline, launched last year in available to The Spastic Centre through the New South Wales, is now a national service income generated by The CP Foundation. and is recording growing numbers of callers from places near and far. The good financial health of our organisation over recent years has been achieved as a KEY AGENDA ITEMS … result of ongoing careful scrutiny and planning Key items on the Board’s agenda during the by our Chief Executive Officer, Rob White and year included: Senior Management in collaboration with the Finance and Audit Committee chaired by ■ how risk is managed in an ever widening Mark Bryant, Vice President of The Spastic geographic spread of service sites and Centre. Mark’s tireless work with Senior staff placements, Management, ready advice and sound ■ how The Spastic Centre develops its image direction deserve our gratitude and I know, and profile in the community through the add valuable dimension to the organisation’s “branding” of service clusters and types, financial management policies and practices. 4 the spastic centre 2005 ANNUAL REPORT As always, The Spastic Centre extends its GOOD GOVERNANCE PRACTICES … and their partnership with Senior Management sincere gratitude to our many loyal and Your Board of Directors demands that a ensure that the business of the Board is generous donors, sponsors, supporters and feature of The Centre’s every endeavour is conducted efficiently and effectively on behalf volunteers. Their gifts and their giving not only ongoing refinement and improvement of of our members and clients. sustain and energise our every effort but give practices and in that, the Board includes itself. I thank and congratulate your Board for their us the discretion to innovate and lead. Throughout the year, members of the Board professionalism, integrity and dedication to To our key funding bodies goes our deep formally evaluated their own effectiveness, the well being and stewardship of this appreciation for their confidence in our ability conduct and processes, as a group and remarkable organisation. Good governance to deliver and our capacity to build, extend individually, using both an objective evaluation does not “just happen”. and enhance service provision in this State. tool as well as facilitated group discussion and HEIGHTS TO CLIMB … In particular we acknowledge the Minister, self-assessment. An improved ‘Charter for the Hon John Della Bosca MLC and the staff Board Members of The Spastic Centre’ resulted. The next chapters to follow the sixty year of the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability As well, during the past twelve months, your story of The Spastic Centre and its people and Home Care as well as the NSW Directors gave over many hundreds of hours begin with The Cerebral Palsy Foundation Department of Education and Training, the of their own time to undertake study with the and all that it will allow as we strive to Commonwealth Departments of Family and Australian Institute of Company Directors to complete the vision of our founders. Community Services and Education and ensure that true value in the execution of their Neil McLeod ends his account of The Training. Together we are making an duties and responsibilities continues to be Spastic Centre’s history (1945-1984) likening inestimable contribution not only to people added to the organisation. Board members cerebral palsy to a mountain range whose with cerebral palsy and their families, but also are cognisant of how critical it is that they foothills had been explored and whose next to the character and confidence of the keep pace with current legislation as it applies pass would hopefully reveal “the clear view community. to company directors and keep abreast of the of the plain beyond”. He spoke thus of the increasing and rapidly changing expectations future, “… we have heights to climb, which EMPLOYER OF CHOICE … of the many and varied stakeholders and will carry our work beyond existing levels.” To achieve the reputation and accolade as compliance bodies to whom Spastic Centre Although it is some twenty years since that an “employer of choice” requires that an Directors are answerable. pronouncement, it holds true today. organisation is smart, fair, innovative and Special mention is made of Mark Bryant, The Spastic Centre has come a long way responsive in its employment practices. Dr Robin Way, Michelle Noort, Peter Whitfield since 1945 and again, we must continue, This goal, as articulated in our Strategic Plan, and Brian Williamson who chair our various intoxicated by the motto “Nothing is has become a reality through the vision and Board Committees. Their attention to detail Impossible!”. skilful management of our Chief Executive Officer, Rob White and his Senior Management team. Their energy and innovative thinking make The Spastic Centre a great place to work and this, in turn, translates into a high level of staff morale, quality service provision and hence, optimal outcomes for our clients and their families. Congratulations and thanks are extended to Rob and his statewide team yet again for another highly successful year! We are indebted as always to our Goodwill Ambassador, The Hon. John Dowd AO QC for his wonderful work on our behalf and to The Hon.