SIDE BY SIDE ADVOCACYANNUAL REPORT

2013-14

Statement of Purpose

Side By Side Advocacy promotes and upholds the rights,needs and interests of people with intellectual disability toenable full and meaningful participation in the community.

SIDE BY SIDE ADVOCACY INCORPORATED

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

CONTENTS

ABOUT US…………………………………… P3

VALUES………………………………………… P4

OUR ADVOCACY DEFINED………………… P5

VISION STATEMENT ………………………….P5

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT…………………..P6

COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT………. P8

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT………… P10

STAFF……………………………………………. P11

FINANCIAL REPORTS………………………… P12

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………… P19

ABOUT US

Side By Side Advocacy Incorporated is a community-based not-for-profit organisation with the status of a charity. It provides advocacy and support to people with disability, primarily intellectual disability. An advocate gives a voice to a person to enable that person’s needs to be met. Issues requiring advocacy include housing and accommodation, payment of bills, education and medical procedures.

Side By Side Advocacy originated as Citizen Advocacy Ryde-Hunters Hill (CARHH). A steering committee was established in 1989 and the association was incorporated in 19991. One of the driving forces of the steering was John Roarty, a resident of Weemala. He wrote forcefully about his experience of being institutionalised in his book Captives of Care. The citizen advocacy movement originated in the USA in the 1970s and follows the principles of social role valorisation (SRV) enunciated by Wolf Wolfensberger. SRV explicitly brings people with disability into the general community by recognising their role as valued members of society instead of categorising them because of their disability. Citizen advocacy finds the most vulnerable members of a community and matches each person with a caring person from that community who can freely provide advocacy and encouragement in an unpaid capacity. Such relationships can extend for many years and are very frequently expressive, that is, provide emotional inclusion and support and do not merely exist just to undertake the advocacy role. Side By Side Advocacy’s support role in citizen advocacy is through the professional experience and training of our staff that advise and assist the citizen advocate directly. In addition we can call on our advocate associates with particular expertise (e.g. law, pharmacy, housing, nutrition) who donate their time and knowledge to inform the advocacy. Citizen advocacy is an ongoing relationship between two parties- members of the general community- and it is not appropriate for us to intervene in those relationships except to support the relationship.

Our individual advocacy program involves professional dedicated staff responding directly to a person with disability requiring assistance. There is no cost to the client. A person may ask us for individual advocacy assistance whenever it is required. This form of advocacy is more easily quantified for accounting purposes, although a numerical value does not necessarily reflect the time spent in and complexity of individual advocacy acts. We changed our name to Side By Side Advocacy in 2006. The name reflects the structure of organisation as we have two separate advocacy models running alongside each other. It also reflects our advocacy style. The Citizen Advocacy Program is offered in the Ryde and Hunter’s Hill local government areas. Our Individual Advocacy Program is available to people with intellectual disability who reside in the local government areas of Hornsby, Hunter’s Hill, Manly, Mosman, North Sydney, Lane Cove, Pittwater, Ryde, Warringah and Willoughby.

STATEMENT OF VALUES

1)Each person’s life is of equal and inherent value and worth.

2)People with disability have the right to advocacy and to protection from devaluation, neglect, abuse and the denial of human rights.

3)People with disability have the right to be treated as individuals, and not in terms of their disability.

4)All people are entitled to comprehensive and appropriate support to ensure full inclusion into the community.

5)All people have the right to make decisions about their own lives.

6) All people should be treated with dignity and respect.

7) All people have the right to be safe, valued and accepted.

8) All people have the potential to grow and develop and should be provided with opportunities.

9) All people regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality or religion have the same human and legal rights.

10) People with disability are to be treated in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

OUR ADVOCACY DEFINED

WHAT IS CITIZEN ADVOCACY?

We seek to meet the fundamental needs of people with intellectual disability by establishing and supporting freely given relationships of advocacy.

Citizen Advocacy is an international movement that seeks to promote, protect and defend the rights, interests and dignity of people who are vulnerable. It involves the unique and powerful response of ordinary citizens, who are unpaid and independent of the human service system. They choose to enter into relationship with a person with disability for the sole purpose of meeting one or some of that person’s needs. The citizen advocacy relationship is governed by clearly defined principles. These include fidelity, persistence, and freedom from conflict of interest, loyalty, person-centred planning and inclusion.

Although contemporary society continues to look to professionals for answers, citizen advocacy offers opportunities for neighbours to help neighbours. Ordinary citizens possess a variety of talents through their experiences in family, work, church and community associations. The program also enlists the support of skilled and resourced advocate associates who provide information and support to advocacy relationships and program staff.

WHAT IS INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY?

The rights, needs and interests of a person with disability have primacy in our Individual Advocacy Program. Our advocates meet with and respond directly to the person to gain the

clearest understanding of their advocacy needs. Our advocacy actions assist not replace the ‘voice’ of that person.

Individual advocacy is provided by our professional advocates who respond to a range of issues from one to one support of clients (people with intellectual disability). Individual Advocacy focuses on the interests, rights and needs of an individual and attempts to overcome barriers or injustices faced by the person with disability in their everyday life.

. Priority is given to the most vulnerable people who are disconnected from family or any meaningful and significant relationship and who are at risk of harm

Individual Advocacy provides support in meetings with service providers through to assisting in the lodging of formal complaints, review of guardianship orders and appeals concerning administrative decisions of government funded services.

If we are not able to provide support to a person with disability due to geographical constraints or resource issues we will provide the contact details for the Complaints Resolution and Referral Service in order that they are referred to an appropriate advocacy provider. If the concern is about a persistent systemic problem, we will ensure that specific peak body and/or specialist advocacy organisations are made aware of the issue.

Vision StatementWe envisage a world where people with disability are equal and valued; where diversity is celebrated, needs are fulfilled and opportunities realised.

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORTSide By Side Advocacy has again completed a year in which we worked tirelessly and steadfastly to promote and uphold the rights, needs and interests of people with disability. We did this by providing advocacy to our clients and program participants. Side By Side Advocacy runs two programs of advocacy, being Individual Advocacy and Citizen Advocacy. These programs are by design distinct from each other, but they have the common theme of addressing the barriers that people with disability encounter on a daily basis. In spite of the publicity around the NDIS, political banter, legislative change and popular catch phrases such as “person centered planning”, people with intellectual disability continue to experience barriers such as discrimination, neglect and abuse. Through our programs Side By Side Advocacy continues to find ways to address these barriers as we work toward our vision.

“We envisage a world where people with disability are equal and valued; where diversity is celebrated, needs are fulfilled and opportunities realized.”

It would be a happy day indeed if we could say our vision has been achieved, and our job is done! In the meantime there is much to do and the board and staff continue to be busy, dedicated and productive.When I wrote this report last year we were in the process of recruiting for a new Individual Advocate. I am happy to report that we were successful, and that Aida Morden joined our team in July 2014. It seemed as though our staffing was stable and complete, when Maree Salzano, our long standing part time Individual Advocate, tendered her resignation in August. The recruitment process began again while Aida had to very quickly find her feet as the sole Individual Advocate. After considering a strong field of candidates, we appointed Amanda Chui as part time Individual Advocate in November. Amanda and Aida have certainly become the “A” team. They are both passionate about the rights of people with disability, and demonstrate a high level of cooperation and collegiality, to the ultimate benefit of their clients. They both have a commitment to professional development and have undertaken extensive training this year. The Individual Advocacy program continues to run smoothly and efficiently, offering robust advocacy to our clients across 10 local government areas in the northern region of Greater Sydney.Our Citizen Advocacy Program operates in the City of Ryde and Hunter’s Hill local government areas. The efficacy of our Citizen Advocacy Program has been under question for some time. Our inability to retain a Citizen Advocacy Coordinator meant that the program had stalled. While our EO acted as care taker to keep it operational, the program lacked the spark and momentum the right Coordinator could bring to the role. And then along came Deb Maio! In July 13, Deb presented the Citizen Advocacy review, which gave us a frank and honest picture of the program. While we had a healthy 14 relationships, Deb took on board one of the comments from a Citizen Advocate… “lack of contact means lack of support”. Deb has turned things around. She is enthusiastic, friendly and hardworking and has made three new Citizen Advocacy matches in the last year. We were able to temporarily increase Deb’s hours, and she has put these to good use, providing high quality follow along to exiting matches, has undertaken more SRV training, and has taken on the role of hosting the Citizen Advocacy Network Conference in July. It is with great pleasure and relief that we can now report that we have a strong, vibrant and effective Citizen Advocacy Program.One of the most important things that happened for the organisation this year was our successful certification against the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) standards. On 17 th

September 2013 we were certified as “operating a Quality Management System which complies with the requirements of NDAP: 2012”. Successful certification is not the end of the story however - it is just the beginning, as part of our funding agreement requires continuous improvement. The

board has been active and diligent in this role, and this has certainly added to the workload and time commitment of all members. We have established a Continuous Improvement Schedule to which we faithfully adhere. Some examples of activities include the introduction of working with children checks for all staff and board members, our monthly review of our policies and procedures, and the decision to close our satellite office in the northern beaches. Our next external audit is scheduled for August 2014.We were delighted to be able to welcome two new board members this year. Ruth Perram joined the board in July, and Fiona Given joined the board in November. Ruth and Fiona bring diverse skills, professional expertise and life experiences which we have already put to good use. The board has undertaken extensive training, some of which happened alongside our members of staff. Not only did we benefit from new knowledge, but we were able to further consolidate the positive relationships that have been cultivated between the board and the members of staff. Side By Side Advocacy is proud of this healthy, open, appropriate and productive relationship between board and staff.One of the biggest challenges faced by the board is that of membership. As a community based organisation, it would be ideal if we had a strong involvement and membership from the community that we serve. This is not the case. We have a small number of members and continue to have vacancies on the board. This is an ongoing problem, and one that we have been thus far unsuccessful in solving. Our profile in the community is positive through our attendance at community events (e.g. Granny Smith Festival, Moocooboola, Ryde Community Expo), our website, publication and distribution of our newsletter, and through presentations make to the wider public by staff and board members. Our annual cocktail party to celebrate International Day of People with Disability further adds to our positive profile and has provided a successful networking opportunity. Perhaps we can turn these events into opportunities to address our membership challenge.I would like to acknowledge and thank our Executive Officer, Gary Goodship, for his calm and focused management this year. Gary maintains a very positive workplace and is respectful and supportive of the staff. He continues to work cooperatively with the board and his dedication to the organisation is unwavering. Gary’s professional and personal commitment to the rights of people with disability is unshakable and we are pleased that he continues to say that “he has the best job in the world”.Finally I would like to thank my fellow board members for their time and dedication this year. I am certain that Continuous Improvement also means more work for the board. This has been undertaken in a generous and thorough way. Two of our board members Michael Slinn and Michelle Donelly, live great distances from the office, and I thank them for the efforts that they make to be present at the meetings. A special mentioned also to Steve MacDonald, who in spite of changed (delightful) circumstances ensures that technology is indeed our friend! Sadly, our secretary Jan Gorman is not re nominating and we take this opportunity to thank Jan for the positive energy that she brought to all the activities that she undertook in her time with us. Jan is now a Citizen Advocate and we are very happy that her relationship with our organisation will continue in this role.Coralie JensenChair

A voluntary Committee of Management (the Board) oversees the legal and financial operation of the program. Management Committee members are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and contribute at every level to ensure the ongoing success of the program.

COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT

CHAIRPERSON– CORALIE JENSEN

Coralie has a background in education and a passion for inclusion and social justice for people with disability. She has been a member of Side By Side Advocacy for many years. After eleven years as a volunteer to the organisation, Coralie joined the Committee of Management eight years ago. She is the Chairperson for a sixth year. Coralie has been deeply involved in the preparation of our fundraising events, development of policy and procedures respondent to QA needs, strategic planning, and in promoting and lobbying for the organisation and disability issues in general.

VICE CHAIRPERSON - STEPHEN MACDONALD

Steve is originally from the UK has lived and worked in Australia since 2004. He has 14 years' experience in various IT roles, including technical support, training and project management, and now provides IT support in the school system. Steve began volunteering with Side By Side in February 2008, and became a board member in 2012 and is now a Husband and Father.

TREASURER – MICHAEL SLINN

Michael is a professional accountant. Without Michael and his commitment we would be poorer in many senses. Michael gives many hours to this organisation and is also active with other organisations helping towards a better life for disadvantaged people. Michael and his wife live at Bulla Burra in the Blue Mountains and have two children, two grandchildren, and two foster grandchildren.

SECRETARY – JAN GORMAN

This is Jan’s fourth year on the Board of Management. She is the mother of four delightful adults: one daughter and three sons who have blessed her with four grandchildren. The family has lived in Eastwood for 30 years. Jan has worked in schools for 35 years and has been involved with dyslexia correction for more than 10 years.

MEMBER – MICHELLE DONELLY

Michelle is one of the founding members of Citizen Advocacy Ryde-Hunters Hill and has been actively involved in the organisation for over twenty years. Michelle ensures that people with disability are included as valuable members of society. Michelle has an academic professional as well as a personal commitment to educating people about disability. Michelle has provided extensive SRV oriented training and assistance to staff.

MEMBER – RUTH PERRAM

Ruth has a background in psychology and education. 22 years’ experience in the education sector. Now retired. Has been actively involved in providing support for indigenous school children in remote areas. Values opportunity to support Side By Side in their endeavours to provide a voice for people with a disability in our community. Ruth became a board member in July 2013

MEMBER – FIONA GIVEN

Fiona is a part-time community member of the Guardianship Division of the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Fiona joined the board in October 2013. She is passionate about protecting the rights of people with intellectual disability. Fiona joined the board in November 2013

LIFE MEMBER – GEORGE GRAY

George is our only life member having served the Board of Management for ten consecutive terms. He is a fine speechmaker and a consummate networker and has wide social contacts over the northern Sydney area. George also provides assistance in recruitment of staff as required. George lives in the Ryde area.

EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT Operationally this year has been exceptional in both the challenges to people with disability and our programs that both support and serve them. We have seen challenges within; with 3rd party accreditation and new disability advocacy service standards and without; with the new service models and buzzwords, being presented to our clients and program participants, increasing in number, and growing in importance to the people they are purported to serve it is becoming more difficult to evaluate and navigate the options presented. Some of the “service models & schemes” are titled Person Centred Planning , Asset Based Community Development, Stronger Together ll , My Choice Matters, Active Support and of course the National Disability Insurance Scheme . These initiatives certainly provide a lot of employment to people without disability, who in many cases seem to be unfit for employment in mainstream industry, but so far not providing one iota of overall improvement for people with disability. Yes, there are various stories of success for these initiatives, but equally stories of horror fails. Many of the success stories seem to be the self-serving confection of the minds of those with an agenda for a success. Success appears to be measured by moving people in Large Scale Residential Housing facilities into smaller segregated congregate facilities scattered across the state designated by the will of the government and estranged families without truly supported decision making by the people with disability affected. There is no will by either side of politics to genuinely improve the lot of people with Intellectual Disability as they are the truly silent majority, who don’t vote and for the most part has been a sad secret hidden by family or institution. This is why Advocacy continues to be so important in all its manifestations. Our organisation’s provision of two seemingly incompatible types of advocacy - Citizen (freely given community based) and Individual (issue based professionally served) in our local area, apparently now are more than ever performing a complementary and at times a supplementary provision to each other. It is a testament to the foresight of our Board of Management, at the time, to maintain our Citizen Advocacy program along with our Individual (then Direct) Advocacy program contrary to the internal and external pressures exerted. Citizen Advocacy continues to present to our local community a very personal and close to home form of advocacy that, measured by the number of potential Citizen Advocates applying to the program, is wanted and valued and is certainly a valuable link into the heart of our community. Our individual advocacy while issues based is trending to more novel and complex problems and solutions also having at its core many people with intellectual disability who require ongoing support across the years with both new developing problems and re-emerging problems that are both endemic and organic in the person’s life. The needs of some people transcend service provision and even conventional “Case Management” this is where the hard edge of issues based Individual Advocacy meets the softer edged community based Citizen Advocacy, this requires extremely professional talented Advocates to navigate that very fine line without stepping far from the mark. I am proud to say our Advocacy, from both operational and governance perspectives, continues to be among the finest and purest in the field with our independence, and strict governance principles over conflicts of interest, across the organisation. I would like to once again thank the Board of Management for the ongoing strong level of support that the staff and I receive on a continuing basis and to our thoroughly professional and passionate staff, at Side By Side, a truly exceptional place to work. Our clients and program participant while presenting us with problems also appraise us of solutions and successes so at no time is it a one way process Once again I have to state “I have the best job in the world” Thank YouGary GoodshipExecutive Officer

STAFF

EXECUTIVE OFFICER – GARY GOODSHIP

Gary Joined Side By Side Advocacy in November of 2008 after a number of years working in senior roles within service provision for people with a disability, across Greater Sydney. Gary has a passion for providing social justice to people living with intellectual disability, and certainly enjoys the variety of roles that he is able to enact on a daily basis within Side By Side Advocacy.

ADVOCATE – AIDA MORDEN

Aida has more than 20 year’s advocacy experience in New South Wales. Aida has a PhD from the School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, and has authored a book on the socio-psychological implications of litigation and social housing in Australia. Aida is a member of the Institute of Teachers of New South Wales.

ADVOCATE – AMANDA CHUI

Amanda took up the position of Individual Advocate at Side By Side Advocacy in November 2013. She has always been passionate about the protection and promotion of human rights and she feels excited to be beginning my professional career in a human rights area that is often overlooked. Amanda values the opportunity to assist individuals with their advocacy needs and to ensure that their voice is being heard in the community.

COORDINATOR CITIZEN ADVOCACY – DEB MAIO

Deb joined us in May 2013; her background in disability is as a parent, guardian and working in Individual Advocacy and in Citizen Advocacy. Deb spent many years in the education sector working to provide equal access to mainstream education for students with disability. Deb values the opportunity to support advocates to speak up for people with disability and their right to a full and inclusive life in their community.

ADVOCATE – MAREE SALZANO

In 2007 Maree established our individual advocacy program on the Northern Beaches. Maree has a deep commitment to social justice. Maree left SBSA in August 2013.

FINANCIAL REPORTS

2013-2014

SIDE BY SIDE ADVOCACY INCORPORATED gratefully acknowledges the support of the Australian Government though the Department of Social Services (DSS)