Annual Report
2012-2013
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CHESS’ Visual Noise program runs art and music classes. Participants are supported to develop skills in communication, managing attendance and creative expression.
Contents
Vision and Values ............................................................................................................................................................Page 1
President’s Report...........................................................................................................................................................Page 2
General Manager’s Report ...........................................................................................................................................Page 3
Board Members Profiles ........................................................................................................................................... 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’
Coffs Harbour Employment & Support Services Inc.
(CHESS) is a community business delivering a diversified
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 Affairs
(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 selfreliance and enhanced wellbeing, with offices 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 Coffs 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 financial
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 refined 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;
-
Diversification 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 reaffirmed 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 effectively 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 defines the desired skills and expertise of committee members and identifies 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 offer 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 financial year was one of significant change for the Disability Employment
Services (DES) industry. The new five 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 Coffs 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 significantly 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 find 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 significant impact on the organisation’s
resources. This meant that in the medium term, some positions would be superfluous and therefore voluntary redundancies were
offered and approved.
However, the new contracts are for a five year period and have given the organisation and its people security and confidence 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 difficult period of change and realignment.
CHESS committed significant financial resources to meet the demands of competition and to continue to deliver four and five
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 financial performance.
As the financial 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 financial 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 Profiles
Megan George - President
Megan joined the Management Committee of Chess in 2005 and became
President in 2009. Megan has a Degree and Post Graduate Certificate 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.
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 nonGovernment 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.
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Board Member Profiles
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 Coffs 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 (Coffs Harbour) Pty Ltd.
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 firms 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 profitable 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
Nambucca Heads (continued)
CHESS has experienced another year of significant
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
office 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 beneficial
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 financial 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 five star
rating across the majority of sites. These ratings reflect
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
profile 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
Coffs Harbour Aboriginal Interagency network and the
inclusion of Aboriginal caseworkers in the PHaMs team is
raising our engagement with this community.
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.
Site Highlights
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-confidence and self-esteem.
Nambucca
N
b
Heads
H d
Roslyn Jones, Site Manager
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Disability Employment Services and PHaMs 2012/2013
Woolgoolga
Woolgoolga continues to maintain five 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 office
being the only DES provider open five 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
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 modifications 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
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 reflects 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
C ffs Harbour
H b
Coff
The Coffs Harbour team either met or exceeded team targets
for the January to June period 2013, resulting in a five star
rating. Despite operating with a significantly lower investment
in marketing resources, we have seen genuine placements
increase over the past 18 months. As a team we have found
that Coffs Harbour continues to be an environment where
getting out knocking on more doors and networking face to
face is the most effective method to developing sustainable
business.
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Disability Employment Services and PHaMs 2012/2013
viability alongside the needs of our core business…people.
Nathan Hardy, Team Leader Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour (continued)
As part of this approach, CHESS has been a significant, 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 qualifications in the areas of Retail
Operations, Aged Care, Business Administration, Horticulture
and Cleaning.
We continue to build our reputation in Coffs Harbour as a DES
provider that helps people into work. Referrals from Centrelink
reflect 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 first and foremost.
I am proud to be part of a team that has so brilliantly managed
to balance the needs of Government contracts and financial
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 Office on March 1st 2013
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If you have a disability or mental health issue and are keen
for a career in Accommodation Services... you are wanted!
WANTED
HOUSEKEEPERS
Call now on 6691 9333 and ask Rika about these jobs and many other great roles.
Eligibility criteria applies.
WANTED
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KITCHENHANDS
BARTENDERS
RECEPTIONISTS
employment, vocational & support services
Stage 1: Accommodation Services
Training
Skill Set – Housekeeping
Four weeks
In 2012-2013, the marketing department composed a range of successful advertisements.
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Integrity - Respect - Empowerment - Excellence
Good News about CHESS
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
difficult time in changing employment.
After driving trucks in Coffs 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
Coffs and I absolutely love it and thanks
to the help and persistence from you all
at CHESS. I can not thank you enough,
great effort and I really appreciate it .
Thank you
Job 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 benefit 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.
Sincerely
Birrigan 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 Brown
Treasurer
Lower 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
certificates 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
certificates as they said that they did not
indicate an exacerbation in the condition
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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 notified 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.
Thanks
Hayley
Employment Consultant
CHESS Employment
Good News about CHESS
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
official 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/cashflow 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 fit 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 fit 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
financial 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.
Tanya
Specialist Employment Worker,
Personal Helpers and Mentors
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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 Rika
Employment Consultant, CHESS
How to get a Job if you suffer 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 benefits 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 qualifications 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!
COFFS HARBOUR EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICE INC.
ABN 91 677 106 763
The Journey
The financial year ended 30th June 2013 has been a significant year for CHESS, achieving five 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 financial 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 Coffs Coast and Northern Rivers
region, to be a five 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 difference 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 Coffs 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 officer 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
12
Integrity - Respect - Empowerment - Excellence