chess annual report 2012-2013

Annual Report

2012-2013

CHESS’ Visual Noise program runs art and music classes. Participants are supported to develop skills in communication, managing attendance and creative expression.

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Integrity - Respect - Empowerment - Excellence

Contents

Vision and Values ............................................................................................................................................................Page 1

President’s Report ...........................................................................................................................................................Page 2

General Manager’s Report ...........................................................................................................................................

Board Members Profi les ...........................................................................................................................................Page 4-5

Disability Employment Services & PHaMs Report ..........................................................................................Page 6-8

Good News Stories ................................................................................................................................................ Page 10-11

Financial Summary .......................................................................................................................................................Page 12

CHESS Vision and Values

‘CHESS Vision Statement’People with disadvantage, mental illness or disability

have the opportunity and support to take control of their lives.

‘About CHESS’Coff s Harbour Employment & Support Services Inc. (CHESS) is a community business delivering a diversifi ed range of services, contracts and programs for those in the community facing disadvantage, mental illness and/or disability. Our major programs are Disability Employment Services (DES), Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) and Partners in Recovery.

DES is delivered through a sub-contract partnership with Job Futures Australia, to assist consumers to choose, obtain and retain employment through individualised support. PHaMs is contracted directly with the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Aff airs (FaHCSIA) and provides community based support to people aged 16 years and over whose functioning has been impacted as a result of mental illness.

In addition, CHESS provides specialised support services including projects that provide a pathway to self-reliance and enhanced wellbeing, with offi ces in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of NSW.

The Partners in Recovery Program is delivered through a consortium with Mission Australia, the lead agency. CHESS provides the service in both the Coff s Harbour and the Clarence local government areas. The program’s objective is to provide specialised assistance to those people with severe mental illness, to access the available services that will address their personal goals and life barriers.

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CHESS President’s Report 2012/2013

On behalf of the Management Committee of CHESS, it is my pleasure to deliver the President’s Report for the 2012–2013 fi nancial year.

This year has been the culmination of a three-year plan to position CHESS as a sustainable quality provider of services for people with disadvantage, mental illness and disability in our community. Models of service delivery continue to be refi ned to enable our consumers the opportunity and support to take control of their lives.

Both Commonwealth and State Governments are changing the way service provision is delivered to consumers. New initiatives such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the Partners in Recovery program are clear examples of the new approach for service delivery with a strong focus on the consumer.

To ensure that CHESS was positioned to take advantage of the opportunities and respond to the challenges of our business environment, the organisation committed to establish a new strategic plan. The strategic planning workshop resulted in three major goals;

- Diversifi cation of business and revenue streams

- Development of strategic alliances to enhance new business capacity

- Alignment of organisational resources with the strategic plan.

These goals are a strong response to the growing competition from national and international organisations working in our sector. The planning process reaffi rmed our commitment to our regional communities and our position as a specialist dedicated to our vision statement:

“People with disadvantage, mental illness or disability have the opportunity and support to take control of their lives.”

To more eff ectively manage the work of the committee, Finance, Executive and Governance sub-committees have been formed. Terms of Reference to guide their function and overall contribution to the organisation have been established. A Management Committee Charter was also formulated and implemented into the committee processes to ensure sound corporate governance.

A skills matrix has been developed which defi nes the desired skills and expertise of committee members and identifi es any gaps in the committee skill set. We are currently seeking expressions of interest for positions on the management committee to add further diversity to the skill mix.

Over the past year, CHESS has been awarded new contracts to provide Disability Employment Services in partnership with Job Futures Australia. CHESS has also accepted an off er to expand and extend the Personal Helpers and Mentors program. Another new contract awarded to CHESS is the Partners in Recovery program as consortium members with Mission Australia.

Adapting to change hasn’t come without challenges. I wish to thank Management and Staff of CHESS for consistently striving to deliver excellence. While we achieved new contracts, some were of reduced size, which meant some roles had to be made redundant. I extend thanks to the former staff of CHESS for their valued contribution and wish them well in their endeavours. I wish to also thank our alliance partners for maintaining their commitment and sharing our values and vision.

I’d like to acknowledge the skills and commitment of my fellow management committee members. Thank you to Therese Sames who joined the management committee during the year but had to resign due to work commitments.

Megan George

President

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General Manager’s Report

The key services provided by CHESS have once again focussed on the objectives of our clients to deliver worthwhile outcomes to help people with disability, mental illness or disadvantage take control of their lives.

The fi nancial year was one of signifi cant change for the Disability Employment Services (DES) industry. The new fi ve year contracts were awarded in November 2012 with 50% of service providers not securing a new contract.

I am pleased to advise that CHESS was successful in partnership with Job Futures Australia securing new contracts through to March 2018, in the Coff s Harbour and Clarence employment services areas. The Personal Helpers and Mentors program, strengths based recovery support for people over 16 years who are experiencing functional problems as a result of mental illness, was also extended until 2016.

In the past, CHESS has supported and invested in social enterprises to provide work experience and training opportunities for our jobseeker clients. These programs have included horticulture, bush regeneration and bicycle recycling training and work. The new DES contracts have signifi cantly changed and do not encourage participation in social enterprises but support the placement of our jobseeker clients straight into open employment. CHESS has responded with a business development division, stronger employer engagement and links to the business community, to fi nd suitable and sustainable employment for our clients.

The Commonwealth Government funding for CHESS’s Innovation Farm ceased on the 30th June 2012 and was the beginning of a new focus of securing open employment for participants of DES. CHESS chose to extend the operations at the Innovation Farm until December 2012 to enable the completion of training programs via an investment of $150,000.

The market competition for job placements remained strong with CHESS investing 9% of income or $444,288 into client training, support and wage subsidies. A new role, Quality Assurance Manager was also implemented to assist implement and drive a new level of compliance and quality.

The new DES contracts resulted in a reduction of 18% in client numbers which had a signifi cant impact on the organisation’s resources. This meant that in the medium term, some positions would be superfl uous and therefore voluntary redundancies were off ered and approved.

However, the new contracts are for a fi ve year period and have given the organisation and its people security and confi dence to continue to invest in best practice for service delivery and the development of our people. The human services sector demands professional organisations capable of delivering value to its stakeholders and communities. I express sincere thanks to our staff for remaining committed to the CHESS vision during a diffi cult period of change and realignment.

CHESS committed signifi cant fi nancial resources to meet the demands of competition and to continue to deliver four and fi ve star contract performance. The board has approved a new strategic plan to diversify our sources of revenue and to strengthen our position in disability services. The board has also implemented a sub-committee structure to ensure adequate oversight of the strategic plan and fi nancial performance.

As the fi nancial year drew to a close, CHESS was successful in the consortium tender application with Mission Australia for the partners in recovery program. This program provides assistance to those people with more severe mental illness, to access the available services to help them with recovery and is a strategic move for CHESS to position itself in the emerging disability care services.

Developing strategic alliances and partnerships is critical to how CHESS will position itself for the delivery of services and contracts. It will allow us to remain focussed on our core strengths and values of service to clients and specialise in our regional area. Our experience and skill in employment services, disability and mental health together with strong fi nancial reserves, places the organisation as an ideal alliance partner in any consortium or contract.

I extend thanks to the Board, Management and Staff of CHESS, the businesses who employ or jobseekers, our business partners and the Federal, State and Local Government representatives in our region.

Paul Kelly

General Manager

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Board Member Profi les

Peter Connie - Treasurer

Peter’s career has primarily been in the drug and alcohol sector and for the past 30 years he has been involved in the management of treatment services and for some year’s policy development for the drug and alcohol sector. Peter has worked as a mental health case manager since moving to the North Coast in 2007. Peter has a long association with the non- Government sector and is strongly committed to NGO’s providing direct community services. He has been involved with CHESS for the past three years.

Anthony McGowan – Secretary

Anthony has over 30 years of experience in ornamental horticulture, landscape design and construction, of which over 20 years has been spent as a TAFE teacher.

Anthony is currently Business Capability Consultant at North Coast TAFE. In this role, Anthony works within the Primary Industries, Tourism and Hospitality Faculties, supporting the Faculty Director and Management Team; assisting staff to build the business capability within their teaching sections, by identifying commercial and revenue generating, educational programs and activities; and forming partnerships with other organisations and industry stakeholders.

Megan George - President

Megan joined the Management Committee of Chess in 2005 and became President in 2009. Megan has a Degree and Post Graduate Certifi cate in Applied Science, Occupational Therapy and has worked in a variety of public and private health care settings. Megan has provided Workplace Rehabilitation services for over 20 years and established MGC, a Consulting business in 2008 to provide training, assessment and rehabilitation services.

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Charles La Coste - Board Member

Charles has a strong interest in the recovery of people with a mental illness. While in Rotary, he organised a very successful Mental Health Forum, where several hundred people attended.

Charles has worked in the insurance industry for over 33 years in various underwriting and marketing roles. Charles moved to Coff s Harbour from Sydney in 2001, and had enjoyed the change in pace. He is a fellow of The Australian and New Zealand Insurance Institute, and currently Manager and Director of Westlawn Insurance Brokers (Coff s Harbour) Pty Ltd.


Board Member Profi les

David Bennetts - Board Member

Director, Royal Life Saving Society NSW 18 years.Sales and Marketing (Retired).Barrister in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Therese Sames – Board Member

Therese has over 26 years’ experience in the accounting industry, with a strong background in both professional services fi rms and commercial enterprises. In 2000 Therese established her own consultancy, specialising in management accounting, business management and bookkeeping. Therese works predominantly with small to medium sized businesses on the Mid North Coast, assisting her clients to develop and implement processes and systems unique to their needs and helping them set a strong framework to create well-managed and profi table operations.

Therese has recently resigned from the CHESS board due to work and family commitments.

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Disability Employment Services and PHaMs 2012/2013

CHESS has experienced another year of signifi cant opportunities and challenges. The previous Disability Employment Service (DES) contract wound down and we were pleased to learn that we had won our tender bid to retain business in the Clarence bolstered by the opening of a new offi ce in Maclean. Our Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) program continues to grow, servicing people from Macksville to Yamba. We were invited to competitively tender for a new PHaMs employment model to complement the existing service and were successful in this bid, extending our footprint to Kempsey with the employment of an Aboriginal case worker to service the area.Our membership of the Job Futures consortium assisted in the tender process and we have settled into a mutually benefi cial relationship. CHESS was awarded a Job Futures excellence award at the annual conference in May 2013. The award cited Excellence with Sustainability for high performance, maximised fi nancial returns and superior contract compliance. Both PHaMs and DES programmes encompass a wraparound service delivery model and we provide in house psychology services and host a NSW Health Cannabis clinic. CHESS membership of the Partners in Recovery Consortium assisting those with severe and persistent mental illness will further this holistic service.CHESS ended the year with a consistent four and fi ve star rating across the majority of sites. These ratings refl ect performance at 20% to 40% above the national average. CHESS also rated as one of Job Futures top performers.Our business development teams continue to raise the CHESS profi le within the community with a resultant increase in meaningful, sustainable, mainstream employment for our jobseekers. 338 people were placed in lasting employment during the year.We seek to increase aboriginal engagement and are in the process of developing a Reconciliation Action Plan. Both PHaMs and DES team members are active members of the Coff s Harbour Aboriginal Interagency network and the inclusion of Aboriginal caseworkers in the PHaMs team is raising our engagement with this community.

Site Highlights

Nambucca Heads

Nambucca Heads (continued)

Even though we remain quite a small site we continue to maintain a strong presence in the community by regularly attending local functions and meetings in order to promote CHESS as an important local organisation. Both our referrals and direct registrations continue to grow as do our employer contacts. We are ever mindful of achieving employment outcomes both for CHESS and our clients and it is hoped that by continuing to provide excellent customer service to our employers this will continue to grow over the coming months.

Julie Gabriel, Site Manager.

Grafton

The Clarence Employment Service Area was successful in winning the tender for new CHESS contract; however, this meant a reduction in caseload and consequently a reduction in staff . Three staff took voluntary redundancy and one staff member resigned. The introduction of the new contract also saw the arrival of a new competitor in Grafton. However Grafton has maintained its DEEWR three star rating.

Our staff continue to have a strong presence in business and industry events, maintaining employer networks with Grafton Chamber of Commerce, Clarence Business Enterprise Advisory Service, TAFE Women in Business and various industry functions. Projects the staff has been involved with include:- NAIDOC Week, Grafton Job Search EXPO, Grafton Chamber and TAFE Careers EXPO and Mental Health Month. Staff members have also participated in community organisations meetings.

Grafton Bike Shop has continued to deliver eight week programs to enable clients to learn and develop new skills with hands on training in a workshop setting.

Grafton Bike Shop was instrumental in the establishment of the Indigenous Bike Mechanics Workshop, a joint project in partnership, with NSW Police, South Grafton Aboriginal Men’s Group and South Grafton High School. The project assists youth by providing a sense of value, respect for property, building self-confi dence and self-esteem.

Roslyn Jones, Site ManagerN b H d

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Woolgoolga

Woolgoolga continues to maintain fi ve star rating. Referrals remain steady both from Centrelink and those choosing to directly register for support. This is not only a direct result of our on going positive reputation but also due to our offi ce being the only DES provider open fi ve days per week and thus being more accessible to jobseekers. The Woolgoolga team are working well together to ensure employer awareness of our services and continuing to build the trust that we will place the right person for the job and provide unwavering support.Jennifer Hill, Site Manager

Yamba and Maclean

The Lower Clarence is now serviced from two sites with Maclean opening on March 1st 2013 to help out her big sister Yamba as the caseload growth rose steadily. The feedback from the Maclean community has been positive and welcoming.The 2013 strategy refl ects the professionalism and dedication of the staff to maintain outcomes for our job seekers, employers and CHESS. The continuous star rating results of four is a direct result of the personal commitment and work attitude of the staff .I congratulate them all and I am honoured to work with such a fantastic team. Judith Macbeth, Site Manager

Bellingen and Dorrigo

CHESS is performing well within the Bellingen community. We are receiving strong support through business owners and community organisations. The regard we are held is demonstrated by CHESS receiving return service from local organisations and referrals from former CHESS clients. CHESS is supporting a Dorrigo local with a complex Job Access claim involving a local and an interstate business. This project is nearing completion, these modifi cations will ensure that this jobseeker will be able maintain on going productive employment doing the work he enjoys. The Dorrigo site has recently relocated. We are sharing a space provided by the Dorrigo Support Centre and we look forward to establishing strong links with this service.Mel Broad, Site Manager

Coff s Harbour

The Coff s Harbour team either met or exceeded team targets for the January to June period 2013, resulting in a fi ve star rating. Despite operating with a signifi cantly lower investment in marketing resources, we have seen genuine placements increase over the past 18 months. As a team we have found that Coff s Harbour continues to be an environment where getting out knocking on more doors and networking face to face is the most eff ective method to developing sustainable business.

C ff H b

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Coff s Harbour (continued)As part of this approach, CHESS has been a signifi cant, creative presence at a number of expos this year including Naidoc Day, Living Well Expo, School Careers expo and a community family day.The DES team has initiated a number of training and employment programs which saw over 20 people placed into work and many more gain qualifi cations in the areas of Retail Operations, Aged Care, Business Administration, Horticulture and Cleaning.We continue to build our reputation in Coff s Harbour as a DES provider that helps people into work. Referrals from Centrelink refl ect this much more than they did 12 months ago where it was clear we were viewed as a support organisation.Finally, we continue to work with groups such as Headspace, Mental Health Unit, PHaMs and other organisations to ensure our Job Seekers are linked not only with training and employment support, but also to health support. We remain a team committed to seeing people gain wellness and independence through the empowerment of employment and education, increasing our understanding of available services and the barriers our Job Seekers face allows us to holistically support Job Seekers into work, increasing the chance of maintaining any form of employment. CHESS consultants continue to generate good news stories through their daily commitment to people fi rst and foremost.I am proud to be part of a team that has so brilliantly managed to balance the needs of Government contracts and fi nancial

viability alongside the needs of our core business…people. Nathan Hardy, Team Leader Coff s Harbour

Personal Helpers and Mentors

The PHaMs program continues to develop and the additional caseworkers in Grafton and Yamba enrich the service allowing us to service more people. We maintain full caseloads of 84 people whose ability to manage their daily activities and to live independently in the community is impacted because of a severe mental illness. The diverse skill of the team has allowed the development of therapeutic groups. The ‘Active’ group for men, a social women’s group, a Barista course, while the inclusion of a Peer Support worker in the team has educated both the team and allowed for more sensitive case work of participants. The recent addition of two specialist employment workers to the team has expanded the PHaMs region to Kempsey and opened new avenues of referral and partnership. The contracted caseload of youth, Aboriginal participants and those from the migrant community is steadily building.Joel Aitken, Team Leader PHaMs

In conclusion I would like to use this opportunity to thank the DES and PHaMs team for maintaining consistently high performance while never losing sight of the people who are our reason for being, DES jobseekers and PHaMs participants.

Amanda Jennings, Executive Manager DES and PHaMs

Celebrations in the Lower

Clarence, as CHESS opens its

Maclean Offi ce on March 1st 2013

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Letter from Job Seeker

To the team at CHESS Employment,

I would like to take this chance to thank everyone at CHESS for helping through a diffi cult time in changing employment.

After driving trucks in Coff s Harbour for years, I had a back injury that was a real set back for my working life, through intensive rehab and enrolling in a TAFE course with the help of the guys at CHESS (Rika, Denise and all who helped me get back to work). I wouldn’t normally do this sort of thing, but I have to let you guys know how much I appreciated the direction, the plan, the execution and the professional manner. I now work at Life Without Barriers here in Coff s and I absolutely love it and thanks to the help and persistence from you all at CHESS. I can not thank you enough, great eff ort and I really appreciate it .

Thank youJob Seeker

Letter from Birrigan Gargle Land Council

To whom it may concern,

I just want to formally acknowledge our partnership with CHESS to build a community garden within the Ngaru Village in Yamba. We envisage a great deal of benefi t to the Ngaru Village and wider community and we are excited about the prospects of working closely with you on this exciting project.

As discussed in the project planning we foresee our involvement as working in close and ongoing consultation and collaborate throughout the projects further development and implementation.

We look forward to the development of the Ngaru Village Community Garden.

SincerelyBirrigan Gargle Land Council

Letter of Support from

Lower Clarence Local AECG

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I am writing in support of CHESS Employment, Vocational and Support Services, Yamba.

I have had the privilege in witnessing Jude and her team (CHESS) involvement and compassion in helping the Yamba Aboriginal community endeavour a vision of improving the engagement of local community members and the wider community.

I show great admiration to a team that supports and wants to build closer relationships with community in need. I will support CHESS in whatever programs that they will provide in a community that I connect in.

Yours sincerely

Andrea BrownTreasurerLower Clarence Local AECG

Letter from CHESS Employment Consultant, Hayley

Vikki (61 years old) was referred via DHS back in February this year. Vikki attended her initial the appointment with her husband Ray.

During that appointment Vikki told me that she had been a family day carer for the past 20 years and that she had recently voluntarily ceased this employment as she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and was forgetting to complete tasks that would ensure the safety of the children i.e. shutting gates and locking doors. Ray had to give up work to look after Vikki.

Vikki had applied for the DSP but had been rejected as her condition was not deemed severe enough. Vikki and Ray were very anxious when they arrived and were struggling to understand how Vikki was supposed to look for a job as she was beginning to be severely impaired with the symptoms of the Alzheimer’s Disease. In addition to trying to cope with the diagnosis, Vikki and Ray were faced with having to navigate the DHS system a system they had never been supported by in their lives.

Vikki and Ray tried submitting medical certifi cates for Vikki to try and get a medical suspension so they could work on getting Vikki the medical assistance she needed. DHS rejected the medical certifi cates as they said that they did not indicate an exacerbation in the condition

and therefore she should be looking for work.

Vikki was then allocated to work with EC Tanya. Tanya met with Ray and Vikki each fortnight providing a friendly smile and bucket loads of understanding and support. Vikki was referred to in house Psychologist Nadia who worked with Vikki conducting a number of assessments in order to provide a report to reapply for DSP. Tanya also assisted by conducting risk assessments for Ray to make sure that he too was coping.

Vikki reapplied for the DSP in June. Tanya requested assistance from Hayley, who then provided service above DES requirements to Vikki and Ray to ensure all documentation and DHS Requirements were met to ensure a successful application this time around. A Claiming DSP exemption was granted and Vikki thought she was well on her way to getting the DSP granted and being able to access the care she needed and get Ray back to work. Unfortunately it wasn’t this straight forward… Vikki had her ESAt appointment rescheduled three times by DHS pushing the date to be assessed out by weeks. Vikki was very upset and her condition was visibly worsening every week, and Ray’s mental Health was heading down hill fast. Even though Vikki was suspended from job search we continued contacting her weekly and arranging support and assistance where needed.

Vikki was granted DSP 27/08/2013 and was advised of this by CHESS not DHS. Vikki had an appointment booked for DHS for 2 weeks in the future, which means they would not have been notifi ed of DSP being granted until then.

Vikki and Ray visited CHESS last week. They came in to thank CHESS for all of the support that they had received. Ray said that he really doesn’t think he could have got through it all without our continuous support.

Ray will now be working with Tanya in the Employment Program of PHaMs to assist Ray return to work and get Vikki the care she needs.

ThanksHayleyEmployment ConsultantCHESS Employment

Good News about CHESS

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Letter from PHaMs Specialist

Employment Worker, Tanya

Jon Seeker was employed in a full time role as a Sheet Metal Fabrication Worker. This is a high stress job that involved working with heavy, expensive machinery that was dangerous and trying to cope with a very demanding boss, whilst living on medication for a Mental Health Diagnosis (Jon lost his Father through bereavement at age 14 and things went very badly for him at this point – he is now 23). Jon is an excellent worker and had been in the job for over 18 months but his relationship had deteriorated with his boss. Jon had already completed a Cert 2 Engineering and made a formal request to his boss to be placed on an Apprenticeship to ensure he had adequate training (he was happy to take a substantial pay cut to do this). Jon also felt disclosing his condition might help his boss to become more understanding but he then found his boss had disclosed his private information to other work colleagues and was discussing Jon’s “need to just get on with it and his diagnosed condition wasn’t even a real illness” (yes you read that correctly).

Jon’s treating Psychologist at the MHU contacted CHESS for some assistance and I was asked to mediate with Jon on his behalf with his employer to try to save Jon’s position in the workplace which had become a ‘Job In Jeopardy’.

It was agreed that Jon would continue in the role at this point but he was on an offi cial warning from his Supervisor. Due to his stress around work, Jon tried to adjust his medication and ended up not coping but still turning up to work each day, to be bullied by the Supervisor who had made incorrect assumptions around Jon’s illness. I booked an appointment with Jon to work on a plan and goals for him as he did not want to cut off his work/cashfl ow but was living in a distressed state.

After discussing in detail with Jon everything that was happening to him in the workplace, he decided he would like to leave the role and get some assistance to change his work environment. Jon and I worked on ensuring Jon could leave amicably, whilst maintaining a good

work reference with the owner of the company. I then discussed the actions of the Supervisor with the owner of the company to ensure they considered some form of supervision and retraining with this person.

Jon then requested he be considered for the PHaMs Employment Program, was assessed and deemed suitable. Jon was connected to CHESS as a Direct Registration and his ESAT/JCA booked. Jon was deemed a 15 hour Benchmark. During Jon’s goal setting appointments with me, he expressed a desire to become a Teacher and we enquired about his options to study a Bachelor of Education. Jon was heavily assisted by EC Hayley and then placed with EC Donna. Jon, assisted by Donna enrolled in the ‘Prepare For Success’ Study course at SCU. He also completed his enrolment for full time studies next year for his Teaching Degree. Jon was then recommended by Donna to be considered for a Pizza Hut position to work 15 hours per week to fi t around his study commitments. Over to EC Jenny who after interviewing Jon and looking over his Resume, deemed him suitable for an interview. Jon blitzed the interview and is a wonderful fi t with the personality of this boss. He has chosen not to disclose his illness, however if the time is right down the track, he may choose to do so.

Jon now religiously attends the Men’s Active Group every Tuesday with Darren and John here at PHaMs and is once again starting to trust the men in his life. Jon has a gentle, kind and compassionate personality and I would be thrilled if he were my child’s Teacher. Jon and I continue to work together on other areas of his goals including his relationship with his partner, his fi nancial goals and his desire to slowly reconnect into the community socially. Jon will be closely monitored by me as he progresses into his studies to ensure he is not overloading, however he will be connected to the “Back on Track” Program at SCU to ensure he is getting the study support he needs for such a demanding degree.

TanyaSpecialist Employment Worker,Personal Helpers and Mentors

Letter from CHESS Employment Consultant, Rika

Nathan,

I just did some reverse marketing with Liquid Assists at the Jetty, the owner Bob also teaches at TAFE and has just completed a course up at Maclean/Yamba with indigenous boys.

Bob’s feedback is that he will only ever use CHESS for any employment needs. Of all the providers up in Maclean/Yamba ESA CHESS staff where the only ones that followed up on their clients at the end of the week to get feedback on how they were doing and if they need any extra assistance.

CHESS were the only organisation that paid the fees for the clients on time. He would like to give a special thank you to Tracey. He found her to be so helpful and in assisting her client to get through this course .

Regards RikaEmployment Consultant, CHESS

How to get a Job if you suff er from

Poor Health

Every now and then CHESS gets the opportunity the help someone when no one else will. This is just one of many stories of our clients gaining practical assistance through CHESS so that they can contribute to our community. This only not benefi ts them directly but also those closest to them.

“Bob (real name withheld for privacy reasons) came to CHESS with over 20 years’ experience in construction. Due to a number of changes in his health, he was unable to work in this industry and found himself unsure of where to turn for employment. CHESS assisted Bob to gain two qualifi cations and supported him into employment to help cover the bills. After two months work, Bob was able to gain employment in the construction industry, in a role he had never considered prior to joining CHESS. He now has a new career, in a role that utilises his skills and experience without compromising his health.”

Get in touch today and see how CHESS

Employment can help YOU!

Good News about CHESS

12



COFFS HARBOUR EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE INC.ABN 91 677 106 763

The Journey

The fi nancial year ended 30th June 2013 has been a signifi cant year for CHESS, achieving fi ve year sub-contracts in March 2103, for the new Disability Employment Services contract and the expansion of the services available in the Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) program.

The success of securing the opportunity to continue to provide these services to our regional communities has come after a three year transition and renewal journey.

The objective of our renewal has been to increase our employment outcomes funding for placing our clients into open employment. The fi nancial table below illustrates the extent of change:

Revenue

2013 2010

Service & Support Fees $2,451,545 $3,719,173

Employment Outcomes $1,902,820 $204,099

Total $4,354,365 $3,923,272

In October 2010, the board and management engaged in a strategic planning workshop to set the direction for sustainability in a changing and highly competitive employment services and disability industry.

The strategic intent was to continue to specialise in employment and disability services in the Coff s Coast and Northern Rivers region, to be a fi ve star provider of disability employment services and to align the business model to a thriving regional community business.

The increase in employment outcomes funding over this period from $204,099 to $1,902,820 clearly shows the diff erence in our contracts and the journey we have chartered over the past three years to get the result our contract now demands.

Some of the highlights of the journey have included:• Transitioning from a strong focus on social enterprise work and training to open employment;• Achieving 4 & 5 star site ratings in the Coff s Harbour employment services area (ESA) and 3 & 4 star ratings in the

Clarence ESA;• Restructuring the operations staff into teams of business development, job preparation and post placement support

with an increase in client to staff ration to 35;• Joining the Job Futures Australia consortium for the delivery of the disability services contract;• Opened new sites in Woolgoolga and Maclean;• Created new role of marketing manager, claims offi cer and quality assurance manager and• Invested in new technology, both software and hardware.

The board and management committed again to strategic planning in March 2013 and formulated a new plan to strengthen our resolve to our vision statement and diversify the range of services and contracts that CHESS delivers.

Some of our traditional support services have ceased, however the contracts we operate still require innovation and support as features of what we do. We are seeking to refresh these services as the investments made of the past three years deliver a sustainable business model.

Balance Sheet Highlights

2013

Assets $3,597,123

Liabilities $816,169

Equity $2,780,954

Paul Kelly

General Manager

chess annual report 2012-2013

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