Wesley Community Services
“There is nothing more rewarding than leading a team of dedicated, professional staff who are involved in the daily transformation of lives.”
Wayne
As we have gathered information for this report I have again been amazed by some of the statistics: 19,509 meals served to homeless people; more than 50,000 longterm unemployed people assisted towards employment; 7,200 family counselling services provided; 2,397 respite places provided to children with a disability. I am reminded that behind each one of these numbers is an individual, somebody’s son, daughter, mother, father and often a tragic story. I am proud to lead a staff team that values the worth of every individual. Our staff provide individualised, compassionate and professional service to every person who enters our Centres.
Wayne Koivu
Community Services General Manager
Wesley Dalmar Child and Family Care
Wesley Dalmar provides services to families, children and young people in need. Dalmar focuses on preventing family breakdown, supporting children and families when the family does break down or when it is no longer safe to stay at home, and educating communities to ensure improvement in community responses to children and families in need.
Wesley Dalmar employs approximately 130 people who are located across 16 centres offering a diverse range of services including: emergency and medium-term accommodation, independent living skills programs, counselling, group work, information, advocacy and referral, family casework, Out-of-Home Care, street outreach and LifeForce Suicide Prevention.
These services are offered through four program strands:
- Out-of-Home Care
- Family and Youth Services
- Accommodation Services
- LifeForce
“Reuniting this family was something I felt a deep sense of fulfilment from.”
Julie
Four year old Susan and three year old Josh had not had contact with their parents for three months when they joined the Keeping Connected Program. They were timid and withdrawn and had become extremely anxious about visits to their parents, who had become unable to care for them.
Julie, a case worker from Central Coast Out-of-Home Care, was trained to build a positive relationship with four year old Susan and three year old Josh.
“During the first few visits Josh became so anxious that he vomited,” Julie said. Julie’s job was to transport the children to contact visits and to help them to stay calm. Her aim was to re-establish contact between these anxious children and their parents.
“Over 12 months the family went from having no contact, to meeting in parks and playgrounds, to meeting safely and happily in the parents’ home,” Julie said.
Susan and Josh’s parents became actively involved in planning visits, ensuring they were fun and safe for the children.
Julie felt a sense of joy and fulfilment when the children returned to live with their parents knowing she had achieved the major goal of the Keeping Connected program.
Keeping Connected is a program run by Central Coast Out-of-Home Care, part of Wesley Dalmar Child & Family Care. It assists children in out of home care to stay in touch with their families, providing a structured process for supervised family visits.
Out-of-Home Care
Out-of-Home Care services provide assistance to children and young people who are unable to live with their families for a variety of reasons, such as family breakdown, illness, or exposure to abuse or neglect. The programs aim to ensure that children have a safe and nurturing living environment. Wherever possible, they support families to stay together, either by providing respite care or by promoting restoration of children to their birth families. Where this cannot happen, Out-of-Home Care provides placements with caring foster families. The program ensures that all children in their care have the opportunity to maintain positive contact with their birth families and have the opportunity to develop their potential.
Out-of-Home Care services expanded in 2003–2004 with the addition of an Aboriginal Respite Program in the Penrith area, Carlisle Residential Cottage and the growth of the Keeping Connected program. Foster care programs also experienced a steady increase in demand.
SERVICES
Out-of-Home Care services include:
- Foster Care services in Castle Hill, Penrith and the Central Coast, which experienced 30% growth in 2003- 2004 and offer short-term, long-term and respite placements. About 150 foster carer families are involved in delivering these programs.
- Keeping Connected services in Castle Hill and the Central Coast, which provide supervised access visits, keeping children in care connected with their birth families. This service has dramatically expanded and provides about 1,000 hours of supervised contact each month.
- Gateway Residential Cottage provides short-term emergency accommodation for up to six children at a time.
- Carlisle Residential Cottage, a new program in June 2004 offering intensive support and assessment for young people aged 10–16 years.
- Aboriginal Respite Program where Aboriginal foster carers provide respite to Aboriginal children and their families to reduce the risk of family breakdown.
| Out-of-Home Care | Penrith | Castle Hill | Central Coast | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of children in care | 154 | 98 | 72 | 324 |
| No. of foster carers supervised and supported | 47 | 60 | 36 | 143 |
| No. of new foster carers recruited and trained | 11 | 6 | 5 | 22 |
Family and Youth Services
Family and Youth Services focus on working in partnership with families to prevent family breakdown including a diverse range of early intervention services, such as counselling, family work, group work, community education, information and advocacy.
Family and Youth Services expanded in 2003–2004 with the establishment of the Nepean Adolescent and Family Service, the Pacific Education Resource X-change (PERX) and the Riverstone/Schofields Community Hub.
Established services continued to expand into their local communities. The StreetSmart Day Outreach program began in Mount Druitt in November 2003. The Equip Youth Mentoring program, funded by Sydney Rotary, started through the Hills Family Centre. Quakers Hill recently secured funding for the “Inside Out: Breaking the Chains, Forging New Links” program, providing support to families of prisoners. The Hills Family Centre won the 2004 Small Business Award for Community Contribution.
SERVICES
Family and Youth Services comprise:
- The Hills Family Centre, which delivers services in the Baulkham Hills local government area.
- The Quakers Hill Family Centre, which provides services in the Blacktown local government area.
- The Dungog Family Work Program.
- The Westlakes Family Work Program.
- Nepean Adolescent and Family Counselling that provides services in the Penrith, Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains areas.
- The Pacific Education Resource X-Change that supplies services to families from Pacific Island backgrounds in the Canterbury/Bankstown area.
- The Mount Druitt Integrated Youth Service.
| Quakers Hill Family Centre | The Hills Family Centre | Hunter Child and Family Services | Total | |
| No. of referrals provided to the centres | 558 | 616 | 209 | 1,383 |
| No. of counselling services provided | 6,443 | 226 | 432 | 7,101 |
| No. of families assisted | 1,082 | 65 | 202 | 1,349 |
| No. of children assisted | 1,063 | 69 | 250 | 1,382 |
Accommodation Services
Wesley Dalmar Accommodation Services provides safe and secure, short to medium-term accommodation in conjunction with support services to families and young people in crisis to assist them to achieve success and to live independently.
Two Independent Living programs for young people aged 16 to 22 years provide a structured program, including a series of steps towards personal independence based on semi-supported accommodation, training, mentoring, exit planning and aftercare.
The Short-Term Unit program provides accommodation to homeless families through four homes. This is one of the few programs that can accommodate men and large families. The program was extended to include a flat for smaller families, making effective use of available property at Carlingford, and three exit houses to support families as they move to long-term independent accommodation.
SERVICES
The Central Coast Independent Living program provides long-term semi-supported accommodation for up to two years. This year the program accommodated 18 young people across its eight properties.
The Ashfield Independent Living program operates three youth services in the west of Sydney: the Independent Living Program, the Street Outreach Program and the Early Intervention Program, accommodating “first-time out” youth at risk in a safe home with house parents.
The Short-Term Units in Carlingford housed 25 families during the year, including 87 children. In 2003–2004, 36% of the families who came into care were from a culturally and linguistically disadvantaged background, including refugee and Aboriginal families.
| Wesley Independent Living Program | Short Term Family Accommodation | |
| Individual persons accommodated | 69 | 99 |
| No. of families accommodated | 2 | 25 |
| No. of people turned away due to lack of available placements | 124 | 147 |
| Average length of stay | 360 days | 90 days |
| Young people accommodated at Early Intervention House | 6 |
|---|
| Street Outreach Program | |
|---|---|
| No. of contacts made with youth at risk | 1,856 |
| No. of scholarships provided to disadvantaged young people | 35 |
LifeForce Suicide — Sandra: “Are you going to take your life?” Father Williams’ intuition told him that a young woman from his church named Sandra was distraught and distracted.
When Sandra revealed that she had taken a lethal dose of pills, Father Williams drew on the lessons and strategies he had learnt just hours earlier at a Wesley Mission LifeForce Suicide Prevention Workshop. He drove Sandra to hospital where she was rushed into casualty and treated for an overdose. Sandra survived her ordeal thanks to the lessons that Father Williams had learnt from LifeForce, especially the boldness to ask direct questions. Sandra is now receiving counselling for severe depression.
“I would not have thought to ask Sandra whether she was willing to end her life if it were not for the training I had received from LifeForce that very morning,” he said. “I have no doubts that the LifeForce Workshop saved Sandra’s life.”
LifeForce workshops teach participants how to encourage suicidal people to seek long-term help. They also empower people to ask the hard questions of others who may be thinking about suicide as well as helping communities draw upon their own resources and expertise. Through this training, participants recognise the warning signs and learn where to turn for qualified help. The workshops have been a positive force in reducing the high rate of suicide in Australia.
LifeForce
LifeForce delivers an educational suicide prevention program in the form of community seminars, public and workplace workshops and other community development services throughout NSW and interstate. During 2003–2004, LifeForce revamped workshop resources to create a new and highly effective presentation and implemented a new database to assess their effectiveness in creating community awareness of suicide and skilling people to respond effectively to those in need.
LifeForce’s ability to continue to educate and promote suicide awareness has been greatly enhanced by the public support of Network Ten news presenter Jessica Rowe. During 2004, LifeForce was consulted by the Federal Government on community capacity-building strategies.
SERVICES
Based at Carlingford in Sydney, LifeForce provides services to communities throughout NSW, predominantly in rural and remote areas. During 2003–2004, LifeForce successfully delivered these programs with just two full-time workers. One full-time and one part-time worker have recently been employed to extend the program’s capacity into more communities.
| No. of suicide prevention workshops and seminars conducted | 96 |
|---|---|
| No. of workshop & seminar participants | 2,540 |
“The simple act of listening probably saved Chelsea’s life that night.”
Michael
Michael found Chelsea sobbing in the gutter. Chelsea felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and at just 12 years old she wanted to end her life. Michael, a StreetSmart youth worker with Newcastle City Mission, sat patiently with her on the side of the road and helped restore her will to live.
“Chelsea and her younger brother had been sexually abused by their own father for many years. Now he wanted custody of his children,” said Michael from Newcastle City Mission, a part of Wesley Mission.
With the abuse she suffered, Chelsea had become very aggressive towards her mother.
“Jenny, Chelsea’s mum, had no idea what her former husband had done and was in shock when she found out,” said Michael.
Offering the family intensive counselling through Newcastle City Mission’s Counselling Service, StreetSmart helped Jenny learn how to care for her children in the face of a crisis, and referred her for legal assistance.
“Helping Jenny meant she could also help her daughter,” Michael said.
Becoming part of Wesley Mission in 1999, Newcastle City Mission has been active in addressing needs in the Hunter region.
StreetSmart connects with local troubled, homeless and at-risk youth through van outreach, accommodation referral, and linking with other services such as counselling and emergency relief.
“We probably saved Chelsea’s life that night,” Michael said.
Newcastle City Mission
Newcastle City Mission (NCM) completed its 63rd year of service to the Hunter Region with 31 highly trained staff and 195 volunteers. Local volunteers contributed 101,400 hours of service: a major indicator of their passion and commitment.
Newcastle City Mission further enhanced its counselling services in conjunction with local clubs and provided a comprehensive program for problem gamblers. A fee-for-service Employment Assistance Program was also developed.
In partnership with the Department of Education, mentoring was provided to young people in schools. The Leader of the Opposition Mark Latham, commented, “the time for mentoring young people has come.” Newcastle City Mission is at the forefront of this movement.
The McKenzie Centre is recognised as an essential link in the support of homeless men, women and children in the Hunter region. No other local service is able to provide such a comprehensive approach to homelessness.
SERVICES
NCM regional services stretch from Wyong in the south to Singleton and Dungog in the northern Hunter region. Newcastle City Mission delivers:
- Various counselling programs in the Hunter and Central Coast regions.
- A Community Visitors’ Scheme reaching elderly nursing home residents.
- Youth mentoring and StreetSmart Youth Services.
- McKenzie Day Centre, support for homeless people.
- Accommodation services.
- Families First – a program which assists families with young children.
- Emergency relief for people who are hungry or are in financial distress.
- Carelink, a referral service for the assistance of the aged.
- Mission Markets.
| Emergency Relief | |
|---|---|
| No. of clients assisted with food | 450 |
| Counselling Services (inc. Gambling Recovery) | |
|---|---|
| No. of face-to-face counselling sessions | 225 |
| McKenzie Centre | |
|---|---|
| No. of clients who received lunch | 385 |
| StreetSmart | |
|---|---|
| No. of young people assisted | 245 |
| Community Housing | |
|---|---|
| No. of bedsits | 30 |
| Occupancy rate | 92% |
| Personal Support Program | |
|---|---|
| No. of unemployed people assisted | 315 |
| Commonwealth Carelink Centre | |
|---|---|
| No. of aged and/or disabled persons assisted | 568 |
Wesley Disability Services
Wesley Disability Support Services
Wesley Disability Support Services (WDSS) continues to ensure that people with a disability are valued and accepted. WDSS help their service users develop skills and maintain an active role in the community.
WDSS is funded by NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Homecare and provides a range of services to meet the needs of people with a disability.
| WDSS service user trends | 97/98 | 98/99 | 99/00 | 00/01 | 01/02 | 02/03 | 03/04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total service users | 152 | 199 | 197 | 222 | 347 | 291 | 259 |
Wesley Accommodation Services
Wesley Accommodation Services provides residential support for people with a disability in a group home environment. Their aim is to support people to gain the skills they need to live as independently as possible in the community. An Individual Plan identifies specific outcomes for each person with goals being achieved through self-education, the development of interpersonal relationships, by participation in the community and skills training programs.
SERVICES
A committed team of more than 80 staff continue to ensure that each individual receives a service that meets their needs in the least restrictive way.
Service users are supported to participate in the community and helped to develop and maintain skills. Family, friendship and carer networks are assisted and all stakeholders are encouraged to take part in decisions about the service they receive.
| No. of Group Homes managed | 9 |
|---|---|
| No. of service users accommodated* | 27 |
* These service users receive a 7 day per week, 24 hr per day service.
Breakaway Respite Services
Breakaway Respite Services supports families/carers of people with a disability by providing regular awayfrom- home and emergency care. People receiving respite care are encouraged to develop and maintain social and life skills that allow them to participate in the community. A range of recreational and leisure activities meet individual needs, goals and abilities.
SERVICES
The two respite centres — Northmead and Minto — provided over 170 families with support in 2003/2004. At Northmead, the children’s respite service supported up to five people at any one time. At Minto, six people, 12 years and over, were supported at any given time.
Breakaway employ 10 staff who continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting the relationship between someone with a disability and their family/carer, enhancing quality of life through education, open communication, advocacy and role modeling.
| Respite placements provided | 2,397 |
|---|---|
| Families identified with unmet need | 41 |
“Finding somewhere safe for Greg was my priority and then we worked on giving him some independence and life skills.”
Anthony
Greg had moved out of his family home and into a boarding house due to abuse, but continued to be maltreated by residents at the boarding house. He desperately needed somewhere safe to live.
Greg was desperately looking for somewhere to live when he met Anthony, a caseworker with Wesley Community Living Program.
Greg had epilepsy and a mild intellectual disability and had been referred to Wesley Community Living Program by staff at Wesley Business Services where he was employed.
“We were very concerned for Greg’s safety and his need for support,” Anthony said.
Wesley Community Living Program provides “dropin” support for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. It aims to provide education, training and skills development in order to help clients live as independently as possible in their own homes, and to play an active role in the community.
Anthony and other staff at Wesley Business Services joined forces to help Greg find a Department of Housing unit.
Wesley Disability Support Services circulated an email among the centres seeking help with much needed furniture and other essential items to furnish Greg’s unit.
The Community Living Program began its drop-in service to Greg twice a week as he established his new home.
“Greg is visited twice a week so he can continue to live independently,” Anthony said.
“He now has a safe, secure, fully furnished unit and is receiving the education, training and skills development he needs to live a full and independent life.”
Wesley Community Living Program
Wesley Community Living Program provides “drop-in” support for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. The program provides education, training and skill development to support service users so they can live as independently as possible in their own homes and play an active role in the community.
SERVICES
Five staff at the Community Living Program provide up to 15 hours a week drop-in support for 30 people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. Changes in individuals include the acquisition of new skills and the development of existing ones; the achievement of greater levels of independence and self-reliance; the enhancement of the individual’s quality of life; the maintenance of relationships with family and friends; the acceptance of responsibility in decisionmaking and choices; the increased access to, and participation in, activities in the local community.
| Program participants | 30 |
|---|
Life Skills Adult Training, Learning And Support (ATLAS)
Life Skills Adult Training, Learning And Support (ATLAS) provides day program support services to assist young people with a disability. This program helps people make the transition to employment and access vocational education and training as well as other forms of community participation.
Service users are encouraged to achieve greater levels of independence by participating in a range of programs and services. An Individual Program Plan identifies specific outcomes for each person to enhance their skills, opportunities and knowledge.
SERVICES
The team of 30 staff provides services in eight locations and is committed to helping individuals achieve their goals. Services are provided in a flexible and innovative way and include vocational and social opportunities such as skills training, (travel training, TAFE courses, literacy and numeracy); work experience, (business services, supported employment and open employment), leisure and recreation programs (cooking, hydrotherapy, music therapy) and community activities (library community access, gym and sports).
| ATLAS Program participants | 80 |
|---|
Wesley Business Services
Wesley Business Services operates business activities that provide employment opportunities for people with an intellectual disability.
David Morgan Enterprises
David Morgan Enterprises (DME) was established in February 1973 at its current Rydalmere site. The land was donated to the then Methodist Central Mission by David Morgan, a local business identity. Although retired, David Morgan visits the operations occasionally and goes to their Christmas celebrations.
David Morgan Enterprises complies with a number of quality standards which includes the enhanced ISO 9001.2000 and Therapeutic Goods Association standards.
SERVICES
David Morgan Enterprises employs 70 supported employees who are managed by 26 staff. One of the highlights of their working week is the weekly chapel service and information session held every Friday morning. DME has built a strong reputation for providing a responsive and proactive service to their customers and continues to push hard along the road of improvement, while at the same time running a lean operation.
During 2004, David Morgan Enterprises concluded a major pharmaceutical contract valued at more than $250,000.
| Supported workers employed | 70 |
|---|---|
| No. of current customers maintained | 86 |
| New customers generated | 25 |
| Total jobs undertaken | 350 |
| Net income contribution | $1,082,472 |
Goodwill Laundry Service
Goodwill Laundry Service turns soiled linen into clean and pristine linen for customers every working day of the year. The industrial laundry has a host of clients from a range of industries: aged-care facilities, restaurants, surgeries and party-hire businesses.
SERVICES
Goodwill Laundry Service is a small plant that operates a range of machinery including a laundry that churns through more than 40,000 items each month. There are 15 supported employees all of whom are kept busy keeping up with the high production level at the Five Dock site. Employees keenly watch the monthly production results and love to break production records.
| Supported workers employed | 15 |
|---|---|
| No. of current customers maintained | 65 |
| New customers generated | 12 |
| Total jobs undertaken | 500,000 items |
| Net income contribution | $447,855 |
Wesley Garden and Landscaping Services
Wesley Garden and Landscaping Services, based at Rydalmere, provides ground and garden maintenance and landscaping services to an ever-increasing client base.
SERVICES
Twelve supported employees work at Wesley Garden and Landscaping Services, some with qualifications in horticulture.
| Supported workers employed | 12 |
|---|---|
| No. of current customers maintained | 77 |
| New customers generated | 20 |
| Total jobs undertaken | 940 |
| Net income contribution | $230,368 |
Wesley Cleaning Services
Wesley Cleaning Services provides first-class contract cleaning, mainly for offices.
SERVICES
Wesley Cleaning Services, also based at Rydalmere, provides employment for two very dedicated supported employees.
Wesley Furniture Warehouse
Wesley Furniture Warehouse turns collected donated furniture into saleable items while providing employment to participants in Wesley Rehabilitation Service. This is a great example of one service at Wesley Mission supporting another.
SERVICES
Wesley Furniture Warehouse based at Cartwright and Leumeah, sells donated furniture and bric-a-brac. The business has a dual purpose: to be commercially viable and to support participants in the rehabilitation service through work experience and volunteering. This service is a true recycling entity by recycling furniture and mending lives broken by addiction.
| No. of rehabilitation clients employed | 65 participants/volunteers |
|---|---|
| Net income contribution | $217,956 |
“When the team won the contract it was a win for the entire community. Spirits rose and there was a new found pride.”
Nambucca
It was a dream to build a green team to help protect and save the rainforests, waterways and native land of the Nambucca Valley: the result was fulltime work for 14 Aboriginal trainees and contracts worth almost $300,000.
Tourism, land degradation and imported noxious weeds had taken their toll on the environment, casting doubt on the sustainability of the local environment – a fact not lost on the Nambucca Valley Shire Council which was keen to promote eco-tourism.
Enter Terrence Hudson, Community Services Officer, North Coast Catchment Management Authority, local Elder, Uncle Larry Kelly from the Nambucca Heads Aboriginal Land Council and Nambucca Head’s Wesley Uniting Employment’s (WUE) Aboriginal Services staff.
Kevin Bird, Karen Ella-Bird and the WUE team had been assisting long-term unemployed Aboriginal people through a range of programs, while Aboriginal communities, the local Council and State Government departments had been keen to ensure that land, waterways and rainforests were protected.
Erosion had taken a huge toll on tidal waterways while the imported Madiera Vine had choked and collapsed the upper canopies of pristine local rainforests.
Immediate action was needed and the Goori Green Team was born in February 2004.
The team included 14 Aboriginal trainees who had completed a Conservation and Land Management course and who had been working in a Community Development Employment Program (CDEP). These men together represented more than 1,000 weeks of total unemployment.
Tendering for environmental work was highly competitive but Kelly, Hudson and Nambucca Head’s WUE staff were undeterred: the Green Team would openly compete for conservation and land management work.
Success was almost instant: the Goori Green Team gained contracts from the Nambucca Shire Council, the North Coast Weeds Advisory Service, Nambucca Valley Landcare, Macleay Valley Stream Care and the NSW Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources.
The impact on local Aboriginal communities was significant: “When the team won a contract it was a win for the entire community. Spirits rose and there was a new found pride,” said Karen Ella-Bird. The lands and waters of the area have a high cultural use and significance to the Gumbayinggirr People.
Wesley Uniting Employment
Wesley Uniting Employment (WUE) provides individually tailored job related services to help people overcome any barriers to gaining long-term employment. These services include:
- Job Network Provider under contract to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
- Work for the Dole and Transition to Work, with funding from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
- The Personal Support Program funded by the Department of Family and Community Services.
- The Mature Workers’ Program funded by the NSW Department of Education and Training.
The Work for the Dole program continues to give access to meaningful work experience, skills development, training and motivation to thousands of job seekers, while providing valuable community services, such as providing refurbished computers for not-for-profit organisations.
The Personal Support Program, Transition to Work and Mature Workers’ Program offer support to those often excluded from employment assistance, such as mature-aged job seekers, parents, carers returning to the workforce and people with a disability.
Due to Wesley Uniting Employment’s high performance in delivering Job Network contracts a large portion of these contracts were renewed and increased. Because of this growth they have relocated and expanded many existing offices helping many more unemployed people. WUE employs excellent staff from each of the local areas. These dedicated and professional team members have helped thousands of people access training, gain work experience and employment and improve their own personal circumstances.
SERVICES
Northern NSW region
In far northern NSW, Wesley Uniting Employment operates in 10 locations: Kempsey, Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Yamba, Casino, Kyogle, Lismore, Ballina and Byron Bay. Each WUE centre in this region is very highly ranked in service provision when compared with its competitors. The managers and staff of these key regional offices can be proud of their achievements.
Hunter and Mid North Coast region
Wesley Uniting Employment operates from nine sites on the mid-north coast: Maitland, Cessnock, Kurri Kurri, Dungog, Taree, Gloucester, Tuncurry, Port Macquarie and Wauchope. Demand for WUE services during the past year reached such a level that all offices were relocated to bigger premises. Around 80 people – double the number of February 2000 – now work from these centres.
Lower Hunter and Windsor region
WUE centres in Newcastle, Wallsend, Charlestown, Raymond Terrace and Windsor deliver a highly effective Job Network service. The centres also manage and provide both the Work for the Dole and Transition to Work programs throughout the Lower Hunter. The Mature Workers’ Program functions from the Charlestown site, servicing the Lake Macquarie local government area. The Personal Support Program, based at the Newcastle site, also supports many job seekers from across the Lower Hunter.
Sydney and Western NSW region
The Sydney operations provide four main services. Community projects are undertaken through the Work for the Dole contract; assistance is provided to carers and parents who are keen to re-enter the workforce via the Transition to Work program; counselling and practical support is undertaken through the Personal Support Program and job placement services for Mature Aged people are carried out through the Mature Workers’ Program.
These programs are run in Airds, Campbelltown, Canley Vale, Cabramatta, St Marys, South Windsor, Hornsby, Chatswood, North Sydney, Gosford, Manly, Ashfield, Concord, Newtown and Parramatta.
In western NSW, the Transition to Work and Personal Support Program contracts are delivered from centres at Broken Hill and Dubbo, with outreaches to regional towns and cities such as Wellington, Orange, Coonamble and Gilgandra.
Southern NSW region
Wesley Uniting Employment in southern NSW operates from nine sites: Batemans Bay, Narooma, Moruya, Dapto, Campbelltown, Nowra, Ulladulla, Wagga Wagga and Queanbeyan.
Wesley Uniting Employment in the Southern NSW region increased its number of staff to 50, ensuring continued improvement in the delivery of quality services. Staff operate co-operatively both within WUE and with other key stakeholders to ensure Wesley Uniting Employment is highly regarded as a contributor to local communities.
| No. of employment centres | 49 |
|---|---|
| Personal Support Program (PSP) clients | 1,667 |
| Transition to Work (TTW) clients | 2,175 |
| Work for the Dole participants | 2,514 |
| Total Job Placements | 5,910 |
| Customised Assistance (CA) clients | 18,744 |
| New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) clients | 180 |
| Mature Workers Program (MWP) clients | 1,640 |
| Job Search clients | 31,499 |
Edward Eagar Lodge — Warwick: Warwick’s family was terrified of his violent outbursts. Seeking urgent help, the family received assistance from social workers. For Warwick, it meant a restraining order, criminal charges and estrangement from his family. Warwick found it difficult to deal with his anger, especially when it was directed at those he loved. He soon found himself homeless and on the steps of Wesley Mission’s Edward Eagar Lodge (EEL), situated in Sydney’s inner city.
EEL provides short-term crisis accommodation and support for men and women who have found themselves homeless. “Clients have underlying issues which need to be addressed as part of the support given,” said Danny, a staff member at EEL. “Warwick showed considerable anger and much of this was projected towards staff and some other clients. He responded to difficult social situations with violent outbursts.”
With patience and toleration, Danny gradually won Warwick’s confidence and supported him over many weeks. Danny spent a considerable amount of time over and above his normal hours helping Warwick become part of a supportive local church. He also found Warwick placement in a half-way house and helped him find employment. EEL’s pastoral worker, Greg, spent many hours with Warwick, and by showing genuine Christian compassion and care, Warwick made a commitment to the Christian faith. It’s been a tough path but Warwick has learnt to control his anger. He has new friends and a new hope and faith in Christ. Although not living back with the family, he has been able to renew contact. Warwick’s wife said, “We see such a marvellous change in him”.
Homeless Persons’ Services
Edward Eagar Lodge
Edward Eagar Lodge is a short-term crisis hostel, providing supported accommodation for homeless men and women. The hostel also operates a Day Centre for needy people and the Church of the Homeless. During 2004, Edward Eagar Lodge marked 25 years as the flagship of Wesley Mission’s work among the homeless.
Edward Eagar Lodge continues the rich history of ministry to homeless people, stretching back 192 years to the start of Wesley Mission.
SERVICES
Edward Eagar Lodge is conveniently located in the Surry Hills/Darlinghurst area of inner-Sydney and includes a multi-level accommodation tower built over the 1847 heritage-listed Bourke Street Methodist Church. Accommodation is provided for 76 homeless women and men, each in their own single room.
Welfare workers are on duty 24 hours/seven days a week to offer support and assistance to clients and to oversee the operations of the centre. Considerable networking and liaison with other government and nongovernment agencies including NSW Police, NSW Health Department, NSW Department of Housing, Centrelink and other service providers takes place. Quality meal services make a big contribution to clients’ nutritional health. Recreational and social activities and small group discussions contribute to self-esteem, interaction skills and also to individual spiritual and social development. Edward Eagar Lodge is partially funded by the Federal and NSW Governments.
| Edward Eagar Lodge | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distinct individuals accommodated at EEL | 698 | 129 | 827 |
| Average length of stay of clients | 32 days | 35 days | 34 days |
| Total no. of days of accommodation provided | 22,456 days | 4,597 days | 27,053 days |
| Homeless turned away (no beds available) | 1,109 | 497 | 1,606 |
| Assessments for Wesley Community Housing | 116 | 63 | 179 |
| Day Centre lunches provided | 19,509 |
Wesley Rehabilitation Services
Wesley Rehabilitation Services (WRS) offers a variety of programs to assist homeless men and women to recover from alcohol addiction, drug abuse and problem gambling. Wesley Rehabilitation Services is a Therapeutic Community Model that promotes a caring and sharing substitute family environment where all members share responsibilities. WRS provides accommodation and outreach programs that are designed to encourage changes in lifestyle, values and living skills. The programs aim to provide comprehensive educational, vocational, social and psychological rehabilitation services that allow their clients to move into independent living and become productive members of society.
The residential program includes self-help and therapy groups, counselling, case management, Bible studies, social and recreational activities, vocational experience, living skills training, attendance at a weekly chapel service, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.
The Breaking the Cycle outreach program provides groups, case management and counselling to assist homeless problem gamblers and their families and friends in the south west Sydney area.
SERVICES
The Grace Manor program features a block of four, three-bedroom units and accommodation for up to 12 homeless women.
The Turnaround program has two blocks of bedsitters; one block of 10 units at Cartwright, accommodating 10 men; one block of 16 units at Ashcroft accommodating 15 men, with one unit used as an office and group room.
Breaking the Cycle has a group counselling room and counselling office at Cartwright. Wesley Rehabilitation Services has two full-time and two part-time staff and received no external funding for this year. Breaking the Cycle has two part-time staff and is funded by the NSW Casino Community Benefit Fund.
Throughout the year, they were blessed with eight regular volunteers a month and nine students on placement.
| Wesley Rehabilitation Services | Grace Manor | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation clients | 30 | 79 |
| Average length of stay | 126 days | 145 days |
| Occupancy rate | 75% | 95% |
| Clients overcoming addiction | 7 | 23 |
| Clients securing employment | 3 | 6 |
| Clients moving to independent living | 13 | 27 |
Community Housing
Community Housing provides a wide range of supported accommodation for homeless persons over 18. These clients generally have drug, alcohol, gambling and/or mental health issues. A number of short-term properties also accommodate families. Support is provided for up to two years to enable clients to move successfully into independent living at the end of this period.
Through a case management process, clients are assisted in developing a Personal Futures Plan which meets their needs. Dedicated Christian staff develop caring relationships and provide innovative, holistic services of quality care and support, which empower clients to achieve their full potential. Community Housing receive government funding through the SAAP (Supported Accommodation Assistance Program).
SERVICES
Wesley Mission’s Community Housing program embraces nine SAAP-funded, case managed properties at Woolloomooloo, Erskineville, Canterbury, Earlwood, Bardwell Park, Smithfield, Bossley Park, Wetherill Park and Roselands. There are also three private rental properties at Bankstown, Fairfield and Campbelltown. During the year, the NSW Department of Housing provided 13 short-term properties to accommodate families.
Community Housing developed working relationships with housing providers, such as Department of Housing, St George Community Housing, Ryde-Hunters Hill Community Housing and Wesley Dalmar.
Community Housing has a senior co-ordinator, a bed sit project co-ordinator, seven support workers and an assessment worker.
| No. of properties | 28 |
|---|---|
| Occupancy rate | 67% |
| No. of distinct individuals accommodated | 230 |
| Clients attending training courses | 44 |
| Clients moving to independent living | 38 |
| No. of beds | 145 |
| Average length of stay | 22 weeks |
| Total days of accommodation provided | 35,359 days |
| Clients securing employment | 60 |
| Families accommodated | 9 |
The Noreen Towers’ Community
The Noreen Towers’ Community is a residential program that will provide transitional housing for 14 homeless families for a period of up to nine months. Families began moving into the residential program in mid June, 2004. The operational funding for The Noreen Towers’ Community is provided by the New South Wales Department of Community Services under the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP).
The Noreen Towers Community is so named in honour of Rev Noreen Towers OAM who will retire at the end of this year after 40 years of service in caring for and championing the cause of the homeless of Sydney.
The Family Makeover Project is an innovative project that will support the families in residence with multiple resources to address the areas of disadvantage being experienced by each family. The Family Makeover Project has received funding for 12 months from the Federal Government under the auspices of the Department of Family and Community Services.