the ascent group home prospectus

8/3/2019 The Ascent Group Home Prospectus

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High Care Home~ Armidale ~

PROSPECTUS


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Contents

Project Vision & Executive Summary

High Care Home Specifications

About Our Clients

The Ascent Group

Project Team

Budget & Confirmed Support Additional Information

Disability is a matter of perception.If you can do just one thing well,

youre needed by someone.~ Martina Navratilova ~


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Project Vision The Ascent Group is creating a purpose-built leading-edge High

Care Home to provide quality care & living for five Armidale

community members who have complex disability needs.

Sixty percent of the required $879,000 budget has been secured.The DA is approved & construction is commencing on 1 May 2010.

Partners & Supporters are now sought to bring this vision to reality.

Armidale's High Care Home will establish an important newbenchmark by integrating best practice design for disability needs,services & living plus environmentally sustainable principles. Suchleadership is especially important given the doubling of people

living with severe disabilities in the last two decades.

The Armidale community's High Care Home is thenext step for The Ascent Group's 55 year mission;providing quality care & living for some of the most

vulnerable members of our community.


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Executive SummaryThe Armidale High Care Home will accommodatefive Armidale community members who live withcomplex disability needs. On site around the clockprofessional staffing will service & meet theircontinuous needs.

All five people are existing clients of The AscentGroup & are eagerly anticipating the move intotheir new Home.

This will be their first ever purpose-built homewith features able to provide for their complex

therapeutic needs, skill training activities, plussafe & comfortable indoor & outdoorenvironments.

The Home will provide clients with the room tomove with a degree of privacy through use of aninnovative duplex design with three bedrooms onone side & two bedrooms on the other effectively

operating as two joined units.With in-built suitability & flexibility the Home'sdesign is durable for both demanding usage & ableto accommodate further likely increases in thecomplexity of the client's needs as they age.

The integration of environmental sustainabilityprinciples further enhances the quality of life

provided such as passive solar design for warmththrough New England winters.

Operating costs will be lower via energy efficiency,wear resistant materials & a lighter environmentalfootprint by using solar heating, hot water & powerplus a grey water system.

Providing accommodation & disability services hasbeen the core business for The Ascent Group since1955. The Ascent Group currently serves 31 clientsin a range of community housing models.

$515,000 of the required $879,000 budget for theHome has been raised, with a target of $364,000now remaining.

The Ascent Group is now seeking communitypartners & supporters to build the Armidale HighCare Home & establish a new benchmark for high

quality facilities, care & lifestyle for people livingwith disabilities.


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Design SnapshotThe Armidale High Care Home hasbeen designed to meet the particular& specialised accommodation needs

of the five community members &their disability needs. For instance,autism benefits from having goodspace to move, & epilepsy requires asafe, low risk non-injuriousenvironment with impact absorbantfloors & rounded edges on all

furniture & fittings.

The floor plan is necessarily spacious to allow for movement insafety & comfort, particularly for three of the clients who havesevere physical disabilities. Good access is required forwheelchairs & manual handling of equipment.

A hydrotherapy bath is included to assist each of the clients inmaintaining their physical flexibility & health while alsoproviding a valuable source of relaxation & calming.

Flexibility is key to the Home's design to meet increasinglycomplex needs that will come with ageing: ceiling tracking

systems for mobility aids & railing in widened corridors tosupport walking & maintaining mobility for as long as possible.


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Our Clients

The Armidale High Care Home will accommodate five existing clients of The Ascent Group. Each client hashigh level disability needs including autism, epilepsy & severe physical disabilities. Round the clockassistance is required to perform everyday activities such as self care (bathing, eating), mobility (gettingin/out of bed) & general communication (understanding & being understood by others).

The clients with autism are quite active, which the new Home will much better support than their currentaccommodation, while the low impact design will be much safer for those who have epilepsy.

Brams physical challenges have not preventedhim from enjoying his life a high point beingable to walk & carry the 2000 Olympic Torch.

The High Care Home will allow easier movementfor Bram's wheelchair, safe access to the kitchen& gardens (Bram loves growing & cooking hisown food!) & the hydrotherapy bath will helpmaintain his limited mobility.

Bram will also be able to have his own pet dog,

fulfilling one of his lifelong ambitions!

Bram Maddison is anengaging man with akeen interest in people &

their pets. Bram has beenpart of The Ascent Groupsince 1994.

David (not his real name) joinedThe Ascent Group in 1999 afterspending many years living in a

childrens institution which hadprovided substandard care. At thetime David was malnourished & hisquality of life had been extremelypoor.

David has brain damage which has

resulted in a profound intellectualdisability & uncontrolled epilepsy,though David has learnt how tomove unrestricted around his unit.

The High Care Home will enable David to safely watchstaff prepare food in the kitchen which he enjoys - &have outdoor access to enjoy the garden & natural

environment.


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The Ascent GroupThe history of The Ascent Group in manyways reflects the broader social changes forpeople living with disabilities, which began

during the 1950s in Australia a time whenthe perception, treatment & care of peoplewith developmental disabilities wascharacterised by feelings of shame & guiltleading to isolation & exclusion of bothpeople living with disabilities & theirfamilies and communities.

In 1955 a pioneering group of Armidaleparents created a school for children withdevelopment disabilities, under theleadership of the Armidale & DistrictHandicapped Children's Centre Committee.

Since these foundations the organisation hasbeen known as The Armidale and District

Handicapped Children's Centre (19551983),The Armidale & Regional ShelteredWorkshop (19811983), The Sub-NormalChildren's Welfare Association ArmidaleBranch (19831984), Challenge Foundationof NSW Armidale Branch (19831993),Challenge Armidale (19932007) & now The

Ascent Group.

Today, The Ascent Group specialises in high qualitycommunity, disability & employment services for rural &regional communities, delivered by dedicated communitycare professionals who live & work in the communities.Thetwo key streams of this work are:

1. Excellence in service: improving quality of life & options,promoting individuality & respecting rights, & assistingwith service access services to meet client needs whileremaining within their community; and,

2. Excellence in business: through a culture of continuousquality improvement, strategic alliances & partnerships,valuing staff & volunteers' contributions while

maintaining organisational growth & development toachieve sustainability.


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Proven ExperienceThe Ascent Group has a demonstrated trackrecord in building & managing purpose-builtcommunity & disability facilities.

The Group's first accommodation services werefounded in June 1961 with a hostel for tenchildren, later followed by a new purpose builtfacility known as Rusden House Hostelaccommodating 20 children.

Leone's Place, the day services centre (picturedbelow), was completed in 2002. The fundingmodel for Leone's Place was similar to that for theArmidale High Care Home with funds coming fromThe Ascent Group ($280k), the NSW Departmentof Human Services Ageing, Disability & HomeCare ($200k) & the Armidale communitycontributing $200k in cash & in-kind donations.


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Project Team

Kevin Mead, CEO

Kevin has 38 years experience in thedisability services sector, with 25 years insenior management roles. Kevin began workwith The Ascent Group in 1999.

Kevin holds several leadership roles indisability services in Australia: Inaugural

Chair of Disability Professionals NSW(DPNSW) & National Convenor of DisabilityProfessionals Australasia (DPA). Theseindustry bodies were supported by theAustralian Government's Reframing theFuture initiative to professionalise theDisability & Community Care Sectors across

Australia for the benefit of service users,carers, staff, volunteers & communities.

MahalathHalperinArchitect

Michael BarryMedical Care

Planner

Michael holds qualifications in GeneralNursing & Respiratory Intensive Care

with 35 years experience in education,clinical care, management & communitycare. Since 1993 Michael has specialisedin Aged Care Administration, with specialinterests in teaching & occupationalhealth & safety. Michael joined TheAscent Group in 2008.

Mahalath has over 18 years of specialistexperience in ecologically sustainabledevelopment with a string of industry &community awards.

Mahalath frequently conducts seminars

and workshops on related issues & isactively involved in various aspects of theenvironmental movement: Vice President,International Solar Energy Society;Director, Climate Action NetworkAustralia; representative of the AustraliaNew Zealand Solar Energy Society; &,

Deputy Chair of NSW Country Division ofthe Australian Institute of Architects.


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A New BenchmarkThe construction of the Armidale High CareHome, & the residential disability serviceprovided, will meet all NSW Government

Standards to enhanced levels (such ashealth care procedures, behaviourintervention & support programs(measured by decrease in challengingbehaviours) through the IntegratedMonitoring Framework (IMF) accreditationprocess.

The Home will have an accredited 5 StarRating for expected heating & coolingloads (exceeding the required standardrequired by Armidale Dumaresq Council'sof 3 stars). Energy use recording &monitoring will occur annually to validate

the 5 Star Rating.

A further measure of performance will bethe selection & usage of Armidale's HighCare Home for study & education tours asa demonstration of best practice (suchas participation in the Sustainable Living

Tour, Sustainable Living Expo).

Sustainability & energy efficiency Heating & cooling (sub floor) Solar passive design Safety glass Solar power system Full fire detection & alarm system Fire retardant materials Water collection, utilising rain water tanks Grey water diversion for garden drip system Solar hot water (with booster) Quiet environment acoustically Hard wearing building materials & flooring Low maintenance grounds

Garden areas for wandering & private spaces Secure fencing discreetly disguised by plantings


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Budget & Confirmed SupportThe Armidale High Care Home will establish a new benchmark in best practice for sustainable residentialaccommodation & services for people living with complex disabilities.

The capital investment of $879,000 required to achieve this vision is greater than provided for in current

government grant models. The construction cost averages $1,500/m2

compared to the existing industrybenchmark for our region of approximately $1,100/m2.

Experience has shown that this investment will generate significant returns from improved client safety &wellbeing, reduced client risk, product longevity (reduced maintenance), reduced energy & water costs.

Recurrent funding for all ongoing operations, services & support for the clients, maintenance & repairs ofthe Home, are secured with NSW Department of Human Services Ageing, Disability & Home Care.

The NSW Department of Human Services Ageing, Disability & Home Care is the major

funding partner & will take an active role indisseminating the knowledge gained from thisinnovative application of best practicedisability design & sustainability principles.

$500,000

$15,000 for kitchen

Funding Goal $364,000 41%

Funding Received $515,000 59%

Funding StatusTotal Budget $879,000


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Growing Community Need

~ the true measure of a civilised society is its willingness to assist its disadvantaged ~

The level of innovation & leadership embodied in the Armidale High Care Home becomes especiallyimportant when consideration is taken of the growing community need for high quality disability care.

In NSW more than 400,000 people have a severe or profound disability & nationally the number of people

more than doubled to 1.2 million over the twenty year period to 2003.The potential for increased demand for disability services is likely. The number of people of all ages with amoderate, severe or profound disability is increasing at a rate faster than the general population, partlydue to the ageing of the population. Additionally, people with disabilities are generally living longer. At thesame time social changes in family structures & work-life arrangements are resulting in fewer people withthe opportunity & capacity to provide informal care in the wider community.

For these reasons community based service providers like The Ascent Group perform a significant role.More than 70% of NSW government funding for services & supports is delivered through such organisations.


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Further Information

Kevin Mead, CEO

t (02) 6774-8977

m 0418 221 167e [email protected]

The Ascent Group Organisational Details

Australian Company Number 059 901 512

Australian Business Number 54 059 901 512

Deductible Gift Recipient Yes

Authority to Fundraise CFN12215

Registered Office 13 Myrtle Drive, Armidale NSW 2350

Postal Address PO Box 18, Armidale NSW 2350

Supporting documents are available including current AnnualReports, Audited Financial Statements, Architectural Plans &Project Budgets.

All Ascent Group policies & procedures for accommodation servicesmeet the requirements of NSW Department of Human Services Ageing, Disability & Home Care.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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the ascent group home prospectus

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