News

Official Opening of E W Tipping Foundation

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:22:13 +1000

Mr Shorten was joined by Ms Ann Barker, state member for Oakleigh, Ms Kellie O’Dwyer, federal member for Higgins, Laurie Harkin, the Victorian Disability Services Commissioner, Cr Steven Tang, Mayor of City of Glen Eira, representatives from government and the community services sector and people supported by the Foundation.

EW Tipping Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Richard Dent, said, “The Statewide Coordination Centre reflects new directions for EW Tipping Foundation which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2010.”

“By bringing our Melbourne staff together we will combine resources and create efficiencies to help the Foundation provide a broader range of customised and flexible support services to young people, people with a disability, families, children and older people across Victoria,” he said.

E W Tipping Foundation, a non-profit organisation, was established in 1970 as a legacy to Herald journalist EW (Bill) Tipping, a strong advocate for the rights of people with disability. Originally established to provide disability support services, the foundation now provides a range of community services across the state.

Client Satisfaction Survey Report 2008/2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:55:32 +1000

In May, we asked people we support and families in HomeChoices, i-GAIN and Vista to complete a survey about the service they receive from us.

This feedback is important to us because it helps us to make sure we provide the best possible services. Thank you to the people who answered the questions and gave us their feedback.

We have collated the information we gathered from the surveys.

Some of the findings are:

People we support feel they are given the opportunity to make their own choices and decisions, however they would like to make more decisions in certain areas of their life

A high proportion of respondents agreed that they received the support required to keep relationships with family and friends

Access to the community was high and most respondents indicated many community venues they visited and had support to visit. Over 80% of respondents felt they had a good understanding of what was available in the community and felt their staff were supportive of their hobbies and interests

There was some indication from the answers provided that people we support and their families thought our Complaints and Feedback process could be improved

A number of the surveys also indicated that they thought rostering of staff and filling vacancies when support staff are unable to work could be better handled and needed improvement.

We have already made some changes based on this feedback.

We have recently streamlined our complaint and feedback process to make it easier for staff and service users. We have built in an acknowledgement process and have started analyzing our complaints to highlight areas of improvements so we can continually improve service delivery.

We have been working on a number of strategies over the past 6 months to improve our rostering systems including reorganising workloads, implementing customer service processes to service delivery and streamlining processes to clarify job roles. Improvements in this area will continue to be the focus in the coming year.

We will continue to work to improve these areas, and we thank everyone for their feedback.

We have started our survey process for 2010. Due to the growth in the number and diversity of the services we deliver, we will be trialing a staged approach to obtaining feedback in 2010.

We will target groups of people who receive similar services rather than everyone at once.

We also aim to hold discussions with a number of small focus groups as part of the survey process to gather more feedback to assist us with our continuous improvement program.

We hope that this new process will provide us with even more feedback. Feedback can be provided anonymously. We hope that everyone will take the time to give us their feedback about how they feel about their services. This is very important to us.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@tipping.org.au or 03 9564 1000.

Best Practice Award

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:37:44 +1000

Congratuations to Senior Coordinator Jason Vorstenbosch who recently received an award for Best Practice in Out of Home Care Services.

The Department of Human Services Loddon Mallee Region held its first annual Placement and Family Services Awards during Child Protection Week last month. The awards celebrated exceptional managers and practitioners within the region’s funded organisations.

The thirteen Placement and Family Services Award recipients were recognised for their demonstration of best practice and their commitment and leadership in promoting the safety, stability and development of vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Vic Gordon, Regional Director, presented Jason with his award in a ceremony in Bendigo.

Welcome to new board member

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:36:21 +1000

Paul has more than 15 years experience in senior leadership roles in both the community and corporate sectors. Paul’s most recent role was in a senior executive position within the Transport Accident Commission. He has a detailed knowledge of the disability sector and first hand experience of disability.

Paul understands all aspects of service delivery, including income generation, quality assurance, risk management and human resource management.

Paul is currently involved in promoting disability within the media and has established his own independent production house.
We welcome Paul to the Vista board and know that his experience and knowledge of the sector will be of great benefit to Vista

Announcing Vista!

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 14:10:54 +1000

Victorian Person Centred Services – a partner of the EW Tipping Foundation – has announced a new name.

The organisation, which is not-for-profit, will now be known as Vista Community Support.

Chief Executive Officer Richard Dent says the reason for the change is simple. “We needed a name that was easier for people to say and remember!” he said.

“We consulted widely in our communities, and chose the name Vista because it suggests new horizons and a new approach.”

This new approach coincides with the State Government’s shift towards individualised funding and self-direction for people with a disability.

Vista now supports more than 800 people, and dozens more choose it as their service provider every month.

“Individualised funding presents a wonderful opportunity to anyone with a disability to make choices about their support, and how and when it will happen,” said Richard. “It gives people the power to make decisions about their own lives - their dreams and their goals.

“We are passionate about working with people to provide with them with the support they want – that’s why our motto is “live life your way!”. Vista, and our longstanding partner the EW Tipping Foundation, is here to help.”

Vista will continue to offer an expanding range of community support services, including:
• One-on-one support for people at home or out in the community
• Aged care, including support for activities and to maintain independence
• Children’s services, including out-of-home care and crisis support
• Recreational and leisure activities
• Flexible respite at home or in the community.

For more information about Vista, phone (03) 9564 1030 or visit www.vistasupport.org.au.

Earth for everyone.

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:21:21 +1000

A group in Warragul is proving that a clean environment is a concern for everyone in the community – no matter what age or ability.

When 18-year-old Maggie Riddington established her own home-grown environmental movement, Earth to Earthlings, she had no idea it would grow so many partnerships.

Earth to Earthlings is a group of Warragul Regional College students who pick up rubbish every fortnight in public parks around the district. The group also has its own MySpace website addressing issues like climate change.

Maggie’s mother, Keryn, is a Team Leader with Victorian Person Centred Services, a partner organisation of the EW Tipping Foundation supporting people with disabilities, children, the aged and carers.

“We support a lady called Deb, who hates litter,” said Keryn. “I organized for Deb’s support worker to take her to a rubbish collection.

“Deb loved it, her support worker enjoyed it as well, and the kids all enjoyed meeting Deb. It was a real community effort.”

Keryn is looking at expanding the number of people with disabilities involved in the group. “Many of the people we support are interested in doing good things for the environment, and they also love getting out and meeting people,” she said.

For more information about Earth to Earthlings, contact Maggie on 0437 846 259.

Respite Rescue

Thu, 29 May 2008 09:06:16 +1000

A new program is offering hope to older parents looking after a son or daughter with a disability at home.

The “Respite for Older Carers” project, run by Victorian Person Centred Services, offers up to 24 hours of respite each month to give parents a much-needed break.

It operates in metropolitan Melbourne, Western Victoria and Gippsland.

Respite care can take place in the family home, or out and about in the community in the form of activities, recreation or even weekends away.

“Respite often provides a life-saving break for families,” said State Manager Faye Warren. “It gives parents time to do all those things they wouldn’t normally – spend time with other family members, spend time with friends, attend appointments.

“Respite is also great for the person with a disability. It gives them new experiences, skills and chances to meet different people.”

Parents need to be aged 60 and over (50 and over if they are indigenous Australians) and their son or daughter needs to be aged 25 years and over. Parents also need to be receiving the Carer Allowance and their child the Disability Support Pension.

The program co-ordinators are happy to assist families in applying for the Carer Allowance and Disability Support Pension if required.

For more information, contact VPCS on 9564 1030.

Victorian Person Centred Services is a not-for-profit organisation helping people to live life their way. It supports people with disabilities, children, older Victorians and carers.

Casual with meaning

Thu, 01 May 2008 09:22:09 +1000

“Make a difference” is becoming a cliché in not-for-profit jobs. Charles Warren from Victorian Person Centred Services says casual positions in disability support go way beyond making a difference.

The focus on disability support has shifted in recent years from doing things for people, to doing things with people. The industry calls it the “person centred” approach.

“It may sound over the top, but our support workers are part of a worldwide movement for human rights,” said Charles. “It’s all about equality, dignity and participation.”

For casual workers, it means there is now a vast range of tasks in disability support work. They can range from taking someone beach fishing for a few hours a week, to teaching independent living skills like cooking, to the more traditional personal attendant care.

Most employers, like Victorian Person Centred Services, offer the opportunity for training on the job. Certificate 3 in disability services is the next step for anyone wanting a qualification.

Charles says Disability Support Workers can expect to earn somewhere between $17 and $24 per hour, depending on the position and their experience, and there is usually work available close to home. “Right now we have vacancies throughout metropolitan Melbourne, with special programs in Forest Hill, Bayswater, Black Rock and Frankston,” he said.

“Skills are transportable and in high demand, which makes it easy to travel or move interstate or even overseas. And at the end of the day, you go home having contributed to another person living the life they want.”

Universal Disability Insurance

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:24:05 +1000

Amongst the list of big ideas of the 2020 summit was an inexpensive, far-reaching solution to the forthcoming crisis in disability support. The idea is as simple as it is big: a national, universal disability insurance system.

Universal insurance for disability support services (The Age, 12 April) will define Australia's fair-go culture for the 21st century. And it’s a concrete opportunity for Kevin Rudd to adopt a simple, low-cost big idea that will form part of his legacy for current and future generations.

Most Australians significantly underestimate their personal risk of needing disability support services. And most Australians think that somehow their government or their health insurance fund will look after them. However, this is often not the case.

Most Australians think disability is something that happens to other people. And yet every day, more people acquire - or are born with - a disability. Advances in medical technology do not mean a reduction in disability; in fact there is evidence that the reverse is true. Incurable medical conditions, accidental mishaps, unexpected food or drug reactions, or even – as in the case of James Macready-Bryan – criminal assault: we can start the day healthy and unimpaired, and by the end of the day we have been catapulted into a path that leads to isolation, poverty, and distress for ourselves and our families.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 1 in 5 Australians have some form of disability (intellectual, physical, sensory or other forms). The odds of having a "severe or profound" disability are around 1 in 16: almost 20 times more likely than having a fifth-division win in Tattslotto in any week.

And yet surely, in the 21st century, the risk is mitigated by health insurance and/or by Government? Think again. Health insurance will pay to patch you up, but if you need long term support, you'll have to pay for it yourself. Or join a waiting list for Government-funded services. And while you're on that waiting list, you could be unemployed, your partner could be forced to quit their job to look after you, the house payments could become a problem. Suddenly, life is very difficult indeed.

Of Australians with a disability, only around 15% receive professional (paid-for) disability services. As our population ages, so will the incidence of disability and our need to fix the disability crisis before it swamps us. Many need very little support. But there are thousands of people whose experience of societal reaction and government support is tragic.

The type of universal disability insurance scheme being proposed would cost a very small amount. Around $40 per person per year would raise more than $100M in Victoria alone, slashing waiting lists, strengthening families, and allowing countless thousands of family members to make other community contributions: increasing their skills or joining the paid workforce. Having carers back in the workforce increases their wellbeing, reduces the benefits that governments pay, increases taxes paid, increases national productivity, and helps reduce the workforce crisis.

In the 19th century we accepted that universal education defined our progress. In the 20th century we accepted that universal health care defined our progress. Now, in the opening years of the 21st century, let's accept that universal access to disability services defines our progress.

After all, it could be any one of us who find ourselves in need.

And it's well worth a few dollars per year to make this Australian fair go a reality.

Richard Dent is the CEO of the EW Tipping Foundation and Victorian Person Centred Services, community development organisations with a focus on services and inclusion for people with a disability.

Golf time for Terry

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:07:40 +1000

Terry Meade of Ballarat looks forward to Tuesdays with a passion.

It’s the day he gets out to play several hours of golf with his EW Tipping Foundation staff member, James.

Terry receives five hours of support every week from the EW Tipping Foundation as part of its dementia support program.

Terry, 83, was diagnosed with dementia after suffering a stroke nearly two years ago which affected his memory.

Until then, he had been very active, particularly looking after the acreage property that was home for him and his wife Jill.

Jill cannot remember who referred them to the Foundation but blesses the day Terry became involved in its program.

“When Denise Loveless from the Foundation came out here, she told Terry the support hours were for whatever he wanted to do,” she said. “I knew that he really wanted to try and continue to play golf.”

Every Tuesday, Terry and James head out for a round on the golf course, often playing up to 18 holes.

“Being able to continue playing golf gives Terry a sense of normalcy in his daily life; a sense of purpose and meaning, and achievement in completing a round of golf,” said Jill. “It also keeps him physically and mentally alert and provides motivation in his daily life.”

For Terry, it’s also a chance for some male company. “James is very attuned to my way of thinking,” said Terry. “We suit each other really well.”

The golf sessions also gives Jill a break from caring. “I was just beginning to feel like I never had a break,” she said. “The program has been great for both of us.”

The dementia program is funded by the Federal Government’s National Respite for Carers Program and is free of charge.