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Report to the Community2011-2012

Association or Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors Inc

Address 286 Beauort Street Perth WA 6000 | Phone 9227 2700 | Fax 9227 2777

Email reception@asetts.org.au | Web www.asetts.org.au | ABN 83 460 231 835

FOREWORD

I am constantly amazed and delighted at the passion and energy 

people commit to those in need. Tose needs arise out o 

some o the worst conditions and circumstances imaginable.

ASeS plays an important role in helping the survivors

o torture and trauma rebuild their lives. We are indeed

ortunate to live in a country where it is possible to do this.

Te scale and scope o the humanitarian needs in the world

at this time can escape those living sae and secure lives. Te

year 2011 was a record year or orced displacements around

the world. According to the UNHCR, 2011 ended with 42.5

million people worldwide as reugees, displaced or seeking

asylum. For most people this is incomprehensible – what

does that look like? What does it eel like? How are people’s

lives changed? No matter the local political complexities or

nuances, my commitment to human rights and that same

commitment rom all the people playing a part at ASeS,

means that we provide meaningul support and services

to those people who have endured a torturous journey.

ASeS has grown in this year, and we have seen

demand or services to those asylum seekers who arrive

on our shores increase markedly. Te nancial positiono ASeS is solid, and provides condence that we

can continue to help people rebuild their lives, even

as the political climate changes and new issues arise.

I trust that you will join me in commending the work done by 

all those who orm a part o 

the abric that is ASeS

– the clients, the sta, the

 volunteers, the Board and

members. I look orward

to seeing the leadership,inclusiveness and respect

or dignity o each client

making a real dierence.

Janet Holmes à Court

Patron

FROM THE CHAIR

As I reect on the past 12 months, I am inspired by the energy 

and commitment o all who contribute to achievement o 

ASeS’ mission o providing holistic services that assist

reugee survivors o torture and trauma. Te challenge is to

ensure the exibility and resources to adapt to the changing

nature o our clients, in a challenging and negative policy 

environment. Providing an excellent service requires secure

nances, which has been achieved by the eorts o the Board

and sta in 2011/12. We can better respond to client needs andund the commitment to low paid workers in the NFP sector.

Strengthening governance also continues to be a priority with a

subcommittee being ormed to complement the work o United

Voices by increasing opportunities or client input and eedback 

In November 2011, a review was commissioned into the culture

and operations o ASeS. Priority areas are alignment o 

budgets, work plans and practice to mission, values and strategic

directions, better alignment o structures and positions with

client and organisational needs, revitalisation o the training

unction, sound nancial processes, improved communicationand strengthened quality assurance. Signicant progress has

been made to improving nancial processes, contract alignment

and contract security as well as the expansion o the detention

services and collaborative relationships with agencies. Te

remaining priorities are in progress.

I extend appreciation to Michael Jones who stepped into the

Acting CEO role on short notice in January. He was subsequently 

appointed to the CEO position in July. Already, Michael has

played a leading role with FASS in negotiating with unding

agencies. I also acknowledge my colleagues or the commitmentand the expertise that they bring to the Board. In particular,

thanks outgoing members Udo Schutze and Dr Lucy Morris

or their signicant contributions. Finally, I thank all sta and

 volunteers or their continuing and invaluable contributions.

Teir ongoing commitment to the values and work o the

Association has contributed signicantly to the high regard in

which ASeS is held by its clients, unding bodies and the

wider community.

Norma Jeffery, Chairperson

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CEO’S REPORT 

Te nancial year 2011/12 has seen ASeS ace the dual

challenge o sta movements and rapid growth in services.

It is a testament to the commitment o the sta o ASeS

that the needs o clients continued to be paramount during

the year and that new sta were able to join the team and be

welcomed. As o 30 June 2012 ASeS employed 53 sta 

(equivalent to 41.6 ull-time); we are becoming less and less a

small organisation. One o the issues o growing is the need

to be exible and adaptable.

Financially ASeS nished the year with income o 

$4,817,665 which generated a surplus o $624,872. Our

retained earnings (less reserves) now amount to $1,218,929.

Tis is equivalent to 2 months o operations plus sta 

entitlements.

As a member o the Forum o Australian Services orSurvivors o orture and rauma (FASS), ASeS has

played a signicant role in initiatives including national data

standards and reerral protocols. I have been involved in

the negotiation o contracts or the provision o services in

detention settings with the Department o Immigration and

Citizenship (DIAC) and other FASS agencies and made

contributions to agreements on the distribution o unding

or the Program o Assistance to Survivors o orture and

rauma (PAS).

On the activity ront we have met the requirements o all o 

our contracts but some challenges continue to arise. Asylumseekers who are in immigration detention centres pose a

particular challenge in that reerral rates or ‘detainees’ are

higher the longer the period in detention. Additionally, as

Australia’s humanitarian intake is capped, the proportion

o humanitarian entrants coming rom “on-shore arrivals

(irregular maritime arrivals)” is now inuencing the

demography o the settlement program overall.

Our mission is to help survivors o torture and trauma who

settle here in Australia rebuild their lives. Tis is not an easy 

task. How this happens, is not necessarily well understood

by the broader community. Te members, the Board andthe sta o ASeS have demonstrated their commitment

and resolve to the rebuilding o lives aected by torture and

trauma and I look orward to working in support o that

mission in the years ahead.

 

Michael Jones,

Chie Executive Ofcer

TREASURER’S REPORT 

In 2011, we projected that 2012 would be a year o substantial growth or ASeS and I am pleased tobe able to report that this projection has been realisedand that ASeS has been able to end the year with a

net surplus o $539,232 ater allocation o reserves or2011/12.

he two key areas o projected growth or the businesswere in realising the ull year impact o the PASContract and in the growth in services to WA basedDetention Centres. hese were projected to provide asurplus this year o $488,941 and we have been able toimprove on this projection in terms o our inal results.

Programme perormance remained steady during theyear with contracted programmes breaking even. Arevision o the PAS agreement in 2010/11 resulted inan increase in contracted unding or activity that hadpreviously come rom ee or service arrangements.

Fee or service income grew during the year as aconsequence o our continued work in the remotedetention centres providing counselling support tothose asylum seekers who have suered the impacts o torture and trauma. he continuing growth in demandor these services as a consequence o boat arrivals hascontributed signiicantly to our perormance this year.

he strong inancial perormance has resulted in astrengthening o ASeS Balance Sheet at the end o the year with Net Assets $623,871 higher than 2011/12.O this increase, $522,611 is additional cash holdingsand the balance a net increase in ongoing debtors andcreditors.

Aware o the short term nature o many o our contracts,ASeS has taken advantage o this year’s strongposition to increase reserve unding available to pay uture redundancies as a contingency should contractlevels all in uture years.

Liquidity remains good with $2.60 ($2.46:2010/11)

o current assets available to und every $1.00 o theAssociation’s short term obligations, marginally betterthan last year and well above an accepted short termliquidity ratio o 1:1.

Cash holdings grew signiicantly over the year with theAssociation ending the year with $1,774,582 held in cashand cash equivalents, $522,611 better than this time lastyear. hese unds continue to be held primarily in a highinterest bank investment account.

he resultant perormance or 2011/12 has again let theagency in a strong inancial position as it moves into the

new inancial year. Kenny Annand (FCIMA)reasurer

Phone:  9227 2700 | Email: reception@asetts.org.au | Web: www.asetts.org.au 

More than 876,000

people submied indi-

vidual claims for asylum

or refugee status in

2011(AmnestyInternaonal)

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 2011/12 IN SUMMARY 

Tis period has seen signicant changes in the patterno work done by the sta o ASeS. Te number o clients has again grown and now exceeds 2,000. Wehave also seen an expansion in the scale o the services

we provide to asylum seekers. New programs have alsocommenced in our community domain. Over the yearthere has also been the need to recruit sta in all areaso the association.

 New and Growing Programs

2011/12 was the rst ull year o the Program o Assistance to Survivors o orture and rauma (PAS)being contracted and managed under the auspiceso the Department o Health and Ageing (DoHA).ASeS had nominated targets or the program orthe year and exceeded all targets (e.g. 772 clientscompared to a target o 680). Growth in the numbero clients participating in groups (rom 66 in 2010/11to 328 in 2011/12), an increase in our reach to outsideorganizations (training provided to 9 organisations in2010/11 to 21 organisations in 2011/12) all contributedto a busy year. Te commitment o the sta o ASeSwas clearly evident in meeting this demand or services.

Te Healthy Relationships or Arican Families (HRAF)program received unding rom both the Departments

o Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and Families,Housing Community Services and Indigenous Aairs(FaHCSIA) and enhanced the ability o our Community Services to deliver relevant programs to our Aricancommunities.

ASeS was also successul in this period in securingunding or 3 years rom the Western Australian State

Government’s Ethic Organisations Fund or a ‘Family Links and Connections (FLAC)’ program which haschildren at its heart and is designed to work acrossother, dierent programs closing gaps and creatinglinkages.

Te year also saw signicant growth in services toasylum seekers. For the year ASeS had 654 asylumseeking clients. Tis saw the growth o our sta working in detention centres grow rom a high o 5 inthe 2010/11 year to a high o 11 in 2011/12.

Client Origins

2011/12 has seen the ow o signicant numbers o clients into the humanitarian settlement programsrom “on-shore processing”, i.e. clients previously inimmigration detention. 2010/11 saw 67 reerrals o thistype and this increased to 276 or 2011/12. Changesin the ethnic prole o these reerrals compared to theoverall prole o our clients will increasingly inuencethe provision o some programs.

Over the year we have seen an increase in the numbero clients rom Iran and a decrease in the numbersrom Myanmar and Sudan. Tis is being driven by the prole o the “irregular maritime arrivals” that goon to “on-shore processing”. Aghanistan dominatesour workload within immigration detention (51% o 

clients).

ASeS continues to provide services to clients andcommunities who have endured more than most peoplecan imagine. Te year has been challenging and theeorts and dedication o the sta who make it happencannot be underestimated.

For more information on ASeTTS:

•www.asetts.org.au

• www.facebook.com/asetts

• www.asetts.org.au/newsletter

• reception@asetts.org.au

 Before the war my life was like a

vase that was then broken whenthe war came, never to be repaired. But 

instead of trying to mend the vase, so

that it looked like it did in the past, it 

can be made into a mosaic, which is still 

beautiful.

C lient describing the efecto counselling

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SERVICES AT ASeTTS 

• Counselling to assist with the eects o torture

and trauma on individuals, couples, amilies,

children and groups• Community support or new and emerging

community groups

• Assistance or amilies in transition

• Assistance or children in transition

• Couples and relationship counselling and support

• Playgroup or newly arrived amilies

• Women’s support group

• Support or youth at risk o homelessness in thenorthern suburbs o Perth

• Food and nutrition advice and support or newly 

arrived amilies

• Volunteer programme (Project Connect) to assist

reugee amilies and individual

• Inormation and education on reugee issues,

particularly around the eects o torture and

trauma

• Support or Arican amilies and communities or

healthy relationships

ASeS is a key member o the International

Rehabilitation Council or Torture (IRCT) and o 

the Forum or Australian Services or Survivors

o Torture and Trauma (FASSTT). Tese networks

provide the guidance and proessional recognition or

the work we do and underpins the holistic approach to

the treatments and services developed.

ASeS operates a continuous improvement process

in order to meet the standards or delivery o FASS

agencies (the FASS standards) and to meet the

National Standards or Mental Health Services 2010

in Australia. Te programme or quality assurance

is an ongoing commitment to service excellence and

underpins the Association’s strategic objectives and

plans.

 ASeTTS’ PARTNERS 

• Commonwealth Department o Health and Ageing

(DoHA)

• Commonwealth Department o Immigration and

Citizenship (DIAC)

• Commonwealth Department o Families, Housing,

Community Services and Indigenous Aairs

(FaHCSIA)

• Western Australian Department o Health (Mental

Health Commission)

• Relationships Australia

• Te Smith Family 

• St John o God rust

• Te May rust

• Te United Nations

• Ofce o Multicultural Interests (WA)

• North Metropolitan Area Health Service

• And the many donors and volunteers who support

our work, without whom, ASeS would struggleto meet the increasing demand or help.

 

 I feel much better. I 

 still have fashbacks but 

have learnt to cope better.

~ Men’s Group Participant

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