MiLife-Victoria Annual Report - 2020-2021

MiLife Victoria Your Goal Our Mission

Leaders in Disability Support

ANNUAL REPORT

2020 - 2021 Leaders in Disability Support

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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Acknowledgements In the spirit of reconciliation MiLife-Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Custodians

of country throughout Australia and their connections to the land, sea and community.

We pay our respect to their elders, past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We’d like to thank

the clients and families who have shared their stories with us, and thank those who have made contributions throughout this Annual Report.

Our Vision To live in a world where all people are valued and respected for their individuality.

Our Mission MiLife-Victoria exists to: Support people to reach their goals

Protect, uphold and advocate all people’s human rights

Provide high quality services to the right person at the right time, every time.

Our Values • Diversity • Respect • Choice

• Inclusivity

• Collaboration • Partnerships

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Table of Contents CEO’s Report...........................................................................................04 - 05 President’s Report...................................................................................06 - 07 Programs of Support...............................................................................08 - 09 Individual Support...................................................................................10 - 11 ACFE.......................................................................................................12 - 13 Support Coordination..............................................................................14 - 16 Transport........................................................................................................ 17 Social Enterprise.....................................................................................18 - 21 Human Resources...................................................................................22 - 23 MiLife-Victoria Board Members..............................................................24 - 25 Financial Report......................................................................................26 - 27 Donations and Thank you.......................................................................28 - 29 In Memory Of.................................................................................................. 30 Locations........................................................................................................ 31

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CEO’s Report Welcome to MiLife-Victoria’s 29th Annual Report, and my first as CEO of this wonderful organisation.

I started my journey with MiLife-Victoria in May this year, and since then I’ve enjoyed meeting all our fabulous staff, clients and families and learning more about the important work our team does and the amazing clients who we support.

I would like to start by acknowledging and celebrating the work of MiLife-Victoria’s exceptional inaugural CEO Terri Carroll. Terri led the organisation from its inception in 1992 for nearly 30 years. I sincerely thank Terri for all of her work and achievements, not only for this organisation, but also as an advocate in the disability sector for many years.

We wish Terri well in her retirement, and hope that she is able to travel and enjoy life with her husband and family in the near future.

The last 12 months has been probably the toughest that many of us experienced in our lives. As an organisation, we have had to adapt and make constant changes to many aspects of our services. For clients and families, it has been immeasurably challenging to experience our services differently and, in some cases, not at all.

The global pandemic has certainly impacted the way we do things, with many of our staff working from home, connecting through Zoom, clients remaining at home during lockdown periods, masks, Personal Protective Equipment and constant hand sanitisation.

To say it’s been tough is an understatement. However, it is great to see the resilience of our staff and clients, and their ability to adapt to new ways of doing things. Thank you all for hanging in there. It’s a long road ahead, but I know that we will get there together.

Towards the end of 2020 MiLife-Victoria introduced a new Programs of Support titled ‘MiLife Reimagined.’ This saw a complete change in the timetable and offerings to our clients, providing day service clients with many more choices in the programs they could enjoy during their day. This change was huge for the organisation as well as our clients and families and we have certainly learned a lot. The team has spent the latter part of 2020/21 evaluating the program’s success by getting feedback from our clients and families and looking at lots and lots of data. This is an ongoing process and we want to continue working closely with our clients and families to ensure that we are providing what clients want and need.

This year has seen the introduction of a new side of the business, with MiLife-Victoria investing in Social Enterprises. On 30 November 2020, MiLife-Victoria purchased Designs for Hair, a well-established hairdressing salon in Seaford. Around the same time, MiLife-

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Victoria was asked to manage Coffee Potts Café and a salon within the new Langwarrin Community Aged Care complex.

Social Enterprises’ purpose is to create successful businesses, whose profits are reinvested to enhance MiLife-Victoria’s disability services. At the same time, these businesses provide training and work experience opportunities to National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants. As we know, disability activities continue to be woefully under-funded and the organisation needs to subsidise the NDIS income to ensure that we provide the highest quality support.

So much has changed in 12 months and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the journey with us. Thank you also to the MiLife-Victoria staff and Board of Management for making the transition to new leadership smooth and for bearing with me while I ask 1,001 questions. I have loved every minute of it.

It is a privilege to work with such talented, caring and dedicated people and I look forward to working with each and every staff member to continue to grow our organisation and do what we do best: support our fantastic and aweinspiring clients to continue to flourish and reach their goals.

Please take the time to read over the rest of the report to find out more about the wonderful achievements we’ve had, and enjoy the successes of the last year.

Amanda Youngs CEO, MiLife-Victoria.

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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President’s Report Once again, we have experienced another extremely challenging year. If we have learned anything over the last two years it is that we cannot stand still, we must adapt to the situation at hand and run with it.

I’m very proud of the way the Board, Management Team and staff have been able to overcome some of the biggest challenges we have ever had to deal with. Being flexible in the way we operate, and easily adapting to change has seen the organisation continue to provide quality services to clients despite environmental circumstances.

Throughout the pandemic the Board has continued to focus on imparting guidance to the organisation while looking for new opportunities for clients.

The Board has provided strategic direction to the Management Team while keeping clients and the organisation’s core purpose at the centre of all decisions.

In the midst of the pandemic we’ve sadly said goodbye to MiLife-Victoria’s founding CEO, Terri Carroll. Terri led the organisation for nearly 30 years, from its early days at PAST (Peninsula Access Support and Training) to become the organisation it is today.

On behalf of the Board I’d like to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude to our inaugural CEO, Terri Carroll, for her leadership, dedication and passion over the years. We wish her the all very best in her retirement.

During the last year we also farewelled Chief Financial Officer, Ross Mackay, and Chief Operations Officer, Kath Moodie. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank both of these people for their work and dedication over the years to continue to improve the organisation and deliver valuable opportunities to the clients.

In May we welcomed a new Chief Executive Officer, Amanda Youngs, to take the reins.

Amanda comes to the organisation after commencing her career in disability services in 2004. Her law degree, coupled with her vast experience across various government and non-government organisations, has led her in good stead to providing valuable leadership as MiLife-Victoria’s second CEO. The organisation also welcomed Marisol Gormaz as Chief Financial Officer. Marisol has many years of experience in similar roles across a variety of sectors and is a huge asset, assisting the organisation to maintain strong financial stability.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Board Members for their dedication and commitment. I’d also like to give thanks to all of the staff members, past and present, for their resilience, flexibility and hard work throughout the year. Finally, thank you to our clients and their families, who we do all of this for, making your goal, our mission.

Mark Packiyanathan President, MiLife-Victoria Board

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Programs of Support At MiLife-Victoria we provide a wide range of day programs at our Cranbourne and Langwarrin Centres. These programs provide clients with hands-on experiences where they can learn new skills while having fun with their friends.

In July 2020, Victoria went into its second lockdown lasting for a number of months.

During this time the organisation was able to adapt its programs and provided an online timetable with many programs for clients to join in from home.

It was a huge change for both staff and clients, and it was wonderful to see the smiling faces from clients as they were able to catch up with their friends online during a period of such isolation.

Unfortunately, lockdowns have plagued us for more than 12 months and each time most clients have needed to stay at home, while those considered vulnerable could attend onsite.

In November 2020, as the state was emerging from its second lockdown, the organisation launched ‘MiLife Reimagined.’ The introduction to the Programs of Support model was a huge change to the organisation providing a plethora of activities to choose from within a 12-week timetable and giving clients with more choice and control over what they want to do during their day.

Clients were welcomed back to the sites for on-site and community-based programs in early January and after such 08

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

a long time away from staff and friends they were so excited to be back.

Throughout the first part of the year clients have enjoyed learning how to paint, make rock art and items using mosaic tiles. They’ve developed their basketball skills, and created some amazing designs using Lego. Some have gone fishing and have caught Carp and Red Fin, while others have learnt computer skills like how to create posters.

The Virtual Reality trial has been a huge hit with clients and has been a great way for them to explore different worlds and learn new skills.

Changing to the Programs of Support Model has provided clients with a set 12week timetable of activities, giving them some stability in an ever-changing world.

This model also provides MiLife with more financial stability, which is beneficial for the organisation in such uncertain times.

Kim’s Story Kim is a friendly, happy, kind and compassionate person who is much loved by her family, friends and the staff at MiLife-Victoria.

She enjoys making cups of tea and coffee for her friends at MiLife and for her family at home where she lives with her Mum and Dad, her dog O.B.One and her cat Tiger Lily.

“She’s always helpful around the house

and will hang out the washing, get the dog a biscuit and get things ready for breakfast in the morning,” tells Kim’s Mum, Brenda.

When Kim was younger she had a lovely bond with her siblings, in particular her older brother Tony. “They had their own language,” Brenda reminisces. “Tony would communicate for Kim and he’d tell us what she wanted.”

Kim with Amanda and Michael displaying their mosaic mirrors

Since starting with MiLife-Victoria in 2013, Kim has grown in confidence. Brenda describes her as being much happier and has come out of her shell a lot more over the last eight years.

“Graeme picks me up on the bus,” tells Kim who travels on the MiLife bus into the Langwarrin site five days a week where she enjoys cooking, art and craft, walking group, singing and dancing and gardening.

During the year Kim has created a mosaic pot and has planted carrots, potatoes, parsley and lavender in the garden at Langwarrin.

She is always helpful around the centre and is always considerate of others. If there is a job that needs doing, Kim will be there to lend a hand. Kim is very independent and happy to participate in tasks like packing the dishwasher, folding towels, even handy work around the site.

During her time with MiLife-Victoria, Kim has made lots of friends in particular Jessica and Kiely. She loves coming in and spending time with her friends and the staff, and most of all having fun while learning new skills.

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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Individual Support Throughout the last year MiLife-Victoria has supported 26 Individual Support clients, 19 of whom are provided with individual support only in the home or in the community, with the other seven clients receiving individual support on-site within group settings.

For some of these clients, MiLife staff have been the only people they have face to face contact with during the week.

The essential services which we provide has kept them connected and supported during a time of uncertainty.

There are 28 staff who provide a total of 298 hours of Individual Support to clients per week. 166.5 hours are pure Individual Support, while 131.5 hours are 1:1 support within groups.

Individual Support involves staff providing services such as personal care, cleaning, cooking within the clients’ home, or assisting with food shopping and other tasks within the community. Other ISP activities such as community access outings, which may include going out for lunch or visiting places of interest, have been limited due to the restraints of the pandemic.

Individual Support has had its challenges throughout the year with the main impact being as a result of COVID-19.

During lockdowns many clients were uncomfortable having staff in their homes, as such, these services were suspended and staff were furloughed.

For those clients who were considered vulnerable, we have been able to continue to provide Individual Support on site at Langwarrin during lockdowns, and have continued to support four clients in their home.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Aiden learning how to cook

Rhys is supported at home

Kevin playing the drums

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ACFE Throughout the 2020-2021 financial year MiLife-Victoria delivered nine preaccredited Adult and Community Funded Education (ACFE) courses, with 40 students attending on-site, on location or online each week.

All courses have a work-based learning approach, with approximately 50% of these courses being run within an operating business, providing clients with real life work experience.

Working in a Car Detailing and Working in Retail operate within Frankston Mitsubishi and Bunnings in Hastings respectively.

The Working in Administration course is held at the MiLife Head Office, and the Working with Horses course is located at The Meadows Farm in Balnarring. These courses give students the opportunity work alongside employees and gain skills and knowledge about the industry and what’s expected of them in a work environment.

MiLife-Victoria is thankful for the opportunity to continue to work with these community partners as well as Benton’s Rise and Mum’s Supporting Families in Need. Without the continued relationships with these businesses we would not be in a position to provide such valuable opportunities to our ACFE students.

As with MiLife-Victoria as a whole, ACFE faced challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, having to cease on-site and on location learning and move to online. The online courses looked a 12

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

little bit different, however, they continued to keep students engaged and learning about many different industries and about the employability skills required for each.

During this time there was a focus on friendship as well as regulation skills to help with anxiety. The teachers, Sandra, Paula and Andrew provided many health and wellbeing checks, with weekly or twice weekly phone calls to students who were unable to access the online programs.

Many positives came out of the year with students learning new skills and building resilience. For some students in particular, their communication skills improved when they were online, they were more engaged and enjoyed talking to one another. This confidence was also evident when students were able to return to businesses, there was a significant improvement in the way they engaged and interacted in person with employees.

The employers are also becoming more confident with students’ abilities, providing them with more challenging tasks and giving them a greater variety of things to do when they come into work each week.

As a result of these courses we’ve already seen some students go on to enter the workforce, and we hope to see others do the same as they continue to grow, learn and develop valuable workplace skills.

Brent has developed his communication skills while participating in ACFE online

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Support Coordination The past year has seen some big changes to the Support Coordination team with the team growing from three part-time staff members to two full-time and two parttime. This growth has been in response to an increased client demand, with team members collectively supporting over 100 Support Coordination clients. Client growth is generally from word of mouth referrals, and via NDIS referrals.

additional support, including respite, during the lockdown periods. The Support Coordinators have noticed that many of the clients have felt less motivated and sad at times as they have found it difficult to understand why they’re unable to attend their regular programs.

Support Coordination Clients by Age 4

Prior to this financial year the team was only able to support clients aged over 18, however, the organisation is now able to extend these services to support NDIS clients as young as seven years.

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Support Coordination Clients

by Gender

AGE

60

67 60 FEMALE FEMALE

FEMALE

MALE

MALE

The COVID-19 pandemic has created some challenges for the team with numerous lockdowns in Victoria creating an influx in demand from clients needing 14

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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3 14

23

23

34

7 to 18 7 to 18 19 to 25 19 to 25 26 to 35 26 to 35 36 to 45 36 to 45 46 to 55 46 to56 66+ 55to 65 56 to 65

67 60

67

AGE

4

21 14

34

The team supports a total of 137 clients, 67 males and 60 females. Clients ages range from eight years to 68 years with half of the clients aged between 36 to 55 years.

3

MALE

66+

The complexities of the NDIS has created challenges for Support Coordinators with changes to rules and conflicting information the system can be very difficult to navigate. It can be hard to get the correct information which can lead to frustration and confusion. There have also been delays in getting equipment to effectively support clients. This is across the board, and not only an issue for MiLife-Victoria, but for all Support Coordinators throughout Australia.

The Support Coordination team itself has faced its own challenges having to work from home, with new team members

joining the organisation while the state was enduring months of lockdown in 2020. Many team meetings and client meetings have been conducted over the phone or online, without the ability to have face-to-face meetings. This in itself can be challenging in forming relationships and having the ability to work as a team, collaborate and share ideas and information.

Despite the challenges, the team has had some very rewarding experiences which should be celebrated. There have been great wins in finding supported independent living for clients who have desperately needed to change their living circumstances. The positives that have come from these outcomes have led to increased happiness, improved mental health, learning new skills and capacity building.

There have also been clients who, as a result of the support they’re now receiving, are able to access allied health professionals such as Occupational Therapist, Speech Pathologists and Physiotherapy leading to massive improvements.

Corey enjoys coming to MiLife and participating in different activities

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Corey’s Story Corey loves getting in the taxi every day to come into MiLife-Victoria’s Langwarrin site. Over the last year or so, Corey’s quality of life has improved immensely since starting some new medication.

His Mum, Christine has reported that he has been able to interact with people better, he is more alert and is having less seizures.

With a love of being outdoors, Corey enjoys the ‘Walk and Talk’ program at Langwarrin, where groups go for a walk around the local area whilst discussing topics of interest.

going out with the group to Zone Bowling where he will play two games of bowling with his friends. After bowling they’ll have some lunch and maybe a bit of shopping at Karingal Hub before heading back to Langwarrin.

The Audio Books program has also been a hit with Corey. His favourite story is ‘The Railway Children’ by Edith Nesbit.

The classic novel, which is also a film, is Corey’s favourite, he loves the book and the movie and knows the story off by heart.

Corey’s family is supported by MiLifeVictoria’s Support Coordinator, Rhonda Pagonis.

“Rhonda is my ‘go to’ lady,” tells Christine. “She is a wonderful support for our whole family.” “Rhonda helps me to work out Corey’s needs, and I feel fortunate that I can call her any time for support. She is very approachable, she listens to me and always has Corey’s best interests at heart.”

He has also really enjoyed the Virtual Reality program which was introduced earlier in the year as a pilot program.

It’s a chance for Corey to put on the VR goggles and immerse himself in a completely different world. Depending on the program he could be racing cars, flying an aeroplane or exploring an underwater shipwreck.

Corey really loves getting out into the local community when he can and loves 16

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While some of Corey’s at-home therapies have been impacted as a result of COVID-19, the family are grateful that Corey has been able to continue to attend MiLife-Victoria even during the lockdown periods. The family really appreciate the support MiLife-Victoria staff have provided to their family and the positive impact the programs are having on Corey.

Transport MiLife-Victoria offers six bus runs every morning and afternoon, transporting approximately 30 clients into the day programs at Langwarrin and Cranbourne.

Buses travel as far east as Pakenham and Beaconsfield, up to Aspendale Gardens in the north and down to Rosebud and Mornington in the south.

MiLife owns six buses and leases five new buses. The leased busses are used for the daily bus runs, while the owned buses are generally used throughout the day to transport clients to community-based activities.

Six bus drivers are employed by MiLifeVictoria to complete the morning and afternoon bus runs. This year we have employed another driver allowing us two relief drivers to fill in when the bus drivers are unwell or on leave. This has alleviated issues that have been faced previously when the regular bus drivers have been unavailable.

As with all other aspects of the business, COVID-19 had a significant impact on the bus runs. In some instances, transport was unable to be provided at all, while other times of the year social distancing within the buses had to be adhered to.

This resulted in limiting the numbers of clients who can travel on the buses from 60 people at full capacity to 30 people, five clients per bus maximum.

During last year, bus drivers started using the AYLO app to track the number of kilometres travelled. From July 2020 to June 2021, the buses travelled a total of 281,389 kilometres. The tracking app assists the finance team to work out clients’ transport charges, as well as other features that improve on the administrative side of transport.

It is hoped that during the next year buses will be able to get back to full capacity again and clients can enjoy the full benefit of the transport program.

Viktor keeping the MiLife bus clean MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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Social Enterprise Coffee Potts Café Coffee Potts Café is a new social enterprise which MiLife-Victoria manages for the Langwarrin Community Aged Care.

thriving hub, with coffees and Lisa’s homemade scones being the most popular items on the menu.

A Memorandum of Understanding was established between MiLife and the Aged Care facility which enables MiLife to operate the café as a social enterprise, while providing hospitality training to people with disability.

The café is as new as the facility, and as such it has all new equipment such as a coffee machine, cake display fridge, drinks fridge as well as a simple Point of Sale system which helps to keep track of stock and sales.

The café opened soon after Langwarrin Community Aged Care opened its doors to residents in November 2020. The first few months saw a number of challenges with regards to staffing and management of the café. Changes in management at both MiLife and the Aged Care facility added to those challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly impacted on the café, especially since it is based within an Aged Care facility, meaning tighter restrictions than other cafés. While the café has been able to remain open during the lockdowns, staff have had to wear extra Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and some have had reduced hours or have been furloughed for a period of time.

Lisa Hazelman was appointed as the Manager of the café in March 2021, and since that time has worked to increase the number of menu items available, and has also been building relationships with staff, residents and their families.

The café currently has three staff members, Lisa is full-time with two part-time staff. The café is expecting to welcome more staff and MiLife clients who will be able to benefit from hands on work experience, gaining important skills in the industry.

The facility itself is nearly at capacity, with close to 140 residents and approximately 140 staff. When families are able to visit the residents, the café can become a 18

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Lockdowns also mean no visitors for the residents, which has led to less traffic and sales in the café. This is a tough time for the residents who suffer from not seeing their families. During these times the café and facility staff become ‘surrogate families’ to those residents, as they continue to visit the café for a cuppa and a chat.

It is hoped that over the next financial year the café can continue to see growth, with weekend opening hours, more staff, and training opportunities for people with disability, and an increased range of food offerings and services.

Selection of goodies on sale at Coffee Potts Café

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Designs for Hair In November 2020, MiLife-Victoria purchased Designs for Hair, a hairdressing salon in Seaford. This well-established business located in Ti-Tree Place, has provided hairdressing services to the Seaford community for over 35 years.

Since purchasing the salon and taking over its day to day management, MiLifeVictoria has introduced two programs of support which NDIS clients have been able to get involved with.

The Hair and Personal Care course which runs at the salon on Monday’s teaches clients how to take care of their own hair. Clients have learned skills such as washing hair and how much shampoo and conditioner to use. They have learned to blow wave, straighten and curl their own hair and their friends’ hair.

The Skills for Work Course provides a work-based learning experience where one of our clients has been able to come into the salon a few days a week and learn skills such as customer service, cleaning, making tea and coffee, and communication skills.

The impact of COVID-19 and constant lockdowns has caused a number of challenges for the salon, forcing it to close its doors to clients on multiple occasions.

There have also been multiple challenges when the salon has been open, including the impact of the one-square metre rule, capacity limits, touch point cleaning and ensuring there’s enough time between clients to clean thoroughly.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

The lockdowns have also affected the courses which support MiLife-Victoria clients, and have not been able to run during those times.

The salon has experienced challenges in finding qualified hairdressing staff.

The industry is currently experiencing a shortage which has impacted on the salons’ ability to attract new staff.

Staff at Designs for Hair have enjoyed the opportunities to undertake learning and development within the disability industry, having had to undertake training as MiLife-Victoria employees. Staff feel they have developed their understanding and knowledge of the industry which will help to improve the everyday running of the salon.

Salon staff have also expanded their services to Langwarrin Community Aged Care, as part of a Memorandum of Understanding between MiLife-Victoria and the Aged Care facility. Designs for Hair provides hairdressing services to residents within the aged care facility one day a week, with the option to further expand these services in future.

Prisha participating in the Skills for Work Course at Designs for Hair

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Human Resources The last year has proved to be a massive challenge for the organisation in recruiting and managing staff, with lockdowns hugely affecting frontline direct care staff.

During 2020 some staff were redeployed to other organisations, while others have had to be furloughed for a period. With lockdowns continuing into 2021, the Management Team has had to make some tough decisions around who will continue to work and who will have to be furloughed.

Up until the end of March 2021, the Federal Government’s Job Keeper initiative greatly assisted our operations.

It enabled all staff to continue to receive a wage, during a time where many staff were furloughed for months on end.

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behaviours of concern. That said, we’ve managed to recruit some wonderful, dedicated new staff.

Employees by Gender

FEMALE FEMALE

FEMALE

MALE

MALE

The pandemic’s consequences have immensely impacted staff. Those staff who were able to continue to work with clients were issued with work permits, there have been daily temperature checks, and more recently, QR code check ins, declarations to be made within the staff AYLO app, not to mention the use of Personal Protective Equipment, hand sanitising and adhering to social distancing recommendations.

Since the introduction of the social enterprise side of the business, the organisation has had to seek employees for the hairdressing salon and the café at Langwarrin Community Aged Care.

Shortages of qualified and experienced hairdressers, and challenges in getting a café manager when the café first opened caused some delays in becoming operational. In addition, as of 1 February 2021, the NDIS required all disability staff to be NDIS safety screened before commencing work. This impacted recruitment immensely, causing delays of up to 12 weeks to start new staff.

During this time, MiLife-Victoria saw 38 staff members resign, and welcomed 39 new staff members. Recruitment has been difficult over the last 12 months with challenges finding staff who had experience working with clients with

The lockdowns have been beneficial in some respects, providing opportunities to hold online staff training sessions.

During this time staff have been able to use their working hours to become familiar with policies and procedures, they

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

MALE

have enhanced the preparation of quality journal notes, and have been able to undertake training earlier in the year.

During the year, staff induction moved to an online process, creating an easy to use, step by step training process, and eliminating the previous paper-based induction. There are plans to improve the induction process even further over the coming year.

Glenn catching carp as part of the fishing program

Employees by Job Type

JOB TITLE JOB TITLE

Executive Team (2) Executive Team (2) Management Team (11) Management Team (11) Support Coordinator (4)

Support Coordinator (4)

Support Worker (24)

Support Worker (24)

Instructor (38)

Instructor (38)

Driver (8)

Driver (8)

Personal Care Attendant (1)

Care Attendant (1) ACFEPersonal (2) (2) (2) SocialACFE Enterprise Social Enterprise (2)

Vikki learning new skills on the computer MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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MiLife-Victoria Board The members of MiLife-Victoria’s board are busy people, they work full time, look after families, and volunteer their time to provide governance and assistance for the betterment of our organisation.

Mark Pakiyanathan President

After working with large companies across the Financial Service and Retail sectors, Mark now focuses his time in helping organisations globally to achieve the fundamental balance between customer service and business efficiencies.

Taking all the valuable experiences from GE Capital, ANZ Bank and Coles Supermarkets, Mark has now developed a number of programs/initiatives to help organisations unlock millions of dollars worth of efficiencies whilst enhancing the customer experience. Mark has a Bachelor of Commence (Accounting and Finance) from Monash University and a post-graduate MBA from Deakin University. Mark is passionate about the role he plays at MiLife-Victoria and values the opportunity he has been given to volunteer his time on the Board.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Alix Holston

General Member Alix Holston is an experienced Investor Relations and Corporate Communications professional, with a background in Finance (Equity Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions). Alix has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) / Bachelor of Science from The University of Melbourne with majors in Finance and Psychology. She is also a Graduate of the Company Directors Course (Order of Merit) by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Alix has a brother with a disability who is registered with the NDIS and has high care needs. A keen philanthropist, Alix is passionate about her role with MiLife-Victoria.

Genevieve Irving General Member

Genevieve is a qualified CPA and a partner in a local accounting practice.

She has a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and a Diploma of Financial Planning. Prior experience includes banking and finance.

Kelly Johnson

General Member Kelly Johnson is the Manager of the Bentons Square Community Centre where she coordinates programs and activities for the community, supporting the local neighbourhood, encouraging participation in social, affordable and inclusive programs for all ages, disadvantaged and minority groups in the community. Kelly is currently studying her Advanced Diploma of Community Sector Management.

Previously, Kelly worked as a registered BAS Agent in the financial sector. Kelly has a daughter with a disability who is registered with the NDIS and has high support needs.

Matthew Ziedin General Member

Matthew joined MiLife-Victoria in 2019.

Matthew has a Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing from Macquarie University and a Masters of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School. He has experience in Government, Healthcare and Infrastructure sectors.

Darlene Neu

General Member,

(retired in October 2021)

Darlene joined MiLife-Victoria in 2011.

Darlene has a Masters of Business Deakin University, majoring in ‘Strategy and Planning’ and ‘Leadership and Communication’. She has experience in the banking sector, sales management, senior operational management and quality assurance management.

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Financial Report The last 12 months have been challenging because of the impact of the Victorian Government directions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Government-imposed lockdowns and density limits meant that some services operated at reduced capacity or were suspended completely. This had a negative impact on MiLife-Victoria’s ability to generate income in certain areas of the organisation.

The year-end operational surplus of $201,494 (2020 $511k) was a positive result considering the continuous interruption to services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, income reduced by 8.9% from the previous year with the major impact being on NDIS income. The JobKeeper subsidy continued to provide financial relief and was a significant contributor to the bottom line. Expenses were tightly monitored and this resulted in a 4% expenditure reduction compared with the previous year.

The impact of COVID-19 is ongoing and will continue to impact financial results into the future. How this will influence our results is not yet known and is dependent on the virus’ evolution and the government’s response to it. Measures such as physical distancing requirements, quarantine and any further economic stimulus all have potential impacts on the organisation and its service delivery. Mandates and directives in the Aged Care Facilities sector will also directly impact Social Enterprises operations.

The focus for 2021-2022 will be to continue to monitor and mitigate any further COVID-19 impact on the organisations’ services and its clients. We will look at further developing and streamlining the services on offer, together with the development of new services and opportunities for clients. We will review each program and business unit and implement initiatives to ensure the organisation maintains strong financial stability.

Marisol Gormaz CPA, Chief Financial Officer.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Summary of Balance Sheet – as at 30 June 2021

2020 - 2021

2019 - 2020

Total Current Assets (cash, receivables, other) Total Non-Current Assets TOTAL ASSETS

2,452,393 7,415,495 9,867,888

2,174,659 7,472,877 9,647,536

Total Current Liabilities Total Non-Current Liabilities TOTAL LIABILITIES

1,311,262 805,219 2,116,481

1,125,390 972,233 2,097,623

NET ASSETS

7,751,407

7,549,913

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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Donations and Thank You Would you like to make a difference in the lives of people living with disability? You can.

MiLife-Victoria gratefully acknowledges the financial support of many families, friends, relatives, staff and businesses. All donations are welcome and can be made at any time throughout the year.

Thank you to the following people for their generous support.

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Pat Scown

$275

Bob Bree

$75

Vicki Charles

$75

Trish Mitchell

$275

Jenni Solis

$200

Royden D’Souza

$100

Betty Whitehead

$8

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

HOW YOU CAN HELP

MiLife-Victoria is grateful for donations, sponsorships and bequests from corporates, small business, families and friends. However large or small, financial or otherwise, every little bit helps to enhance the lives of people in our community who are living with a disability.

Donations and gifts will help MiLife-Victoria to: •

Provide opportunities for people with disabilities to reach their potential, learn life skills, access the community and be supported in their endeavours.

•

Advocate at all levels of government to ensure that people with disabilities are well cared for and well provided for now and into the future.

SPONSOR

BEQUEST

Make a Donation

Become a Sponsor

Leave a Bequest

You can find a ‘Donate’ button on the MiLifeVictoria website at milifevictoria.org.au. Show your support by clicking the link and making a financial donation.

Alternatively, you can send a cheque or donate over the phone. Donations of goods or services is also welcome. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

A mutually beneficial partnership can create a great opportunity for both MiLife-Victoria and another organisation. You can provide sponsorship or develop a fundraiser.

How would you like your business to get involved?

Leaving a gift to MiLifeVictoria is a practical and lasting way to show the value you place on the services we provide to people in our community who are living with disability. If you intend to leave a bequest gift to MiLife-Victoria, or you have included us in your Will already, please let us know. We would like to personally thank you and discuss ideas about how you would like to see your gift used.

DONATE

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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In Memory of Those we love Can never be more than a Thought away For as long as there’s a Memory They live in our Heart to stay Les Malseed – Former Board Member Elaine Malseed – Former Board Member Ayesha Annetts – Individual Support and Support Coordination Stephen Johnstone – Day Service and Support Coordination Linda Gardner – Support Coordination Charmaine Jones – Support Coordination Rowan Ferguson – Support Coordination Cameron Mitchell – Support Coordination Barry Lane – Support Coordination We would like to take this opportunity to thank the families and their loved ones who welcomed us into their homes and who allowed us the privilege of being a part of their lives, to support and share their journey with them. They will forever live in our hearts and memories.

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MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

Locations

1. HEAD OFFICE

3. FRANKSTON

66 Victoria Street, Hastings VIC 3915 Ph: 9775 7333 Fax: 9770 6825 National Relay Service: 1300 555 727 E-Mail: milife@milife-victoria.org.au www.milife-victoria.org.au Reg No. A0025487A

LEARNING CENTRE

2. LANGWARRIN

4. CRANBOURNE

100A Aqueduct Road, Langwarrin VIC 3910

36 Lyall Street, Cranbourne VIC 3977

LEARNING CENTRE

Suite 1, Level 1 108 - 120 Young Street, Frankston VIC 3915

LEARNING CENTRE

MiLife-Victoria, Annual Report 2020-2021

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MiLife Victoria Your Goal Our Mission

Leaders in Disability Support

ANNUAL REPORT

2020 - 2021 www.milife-victoria.org.au

Disability Provider | Reg No. A0025487A NDIS | Reg No. 4050004061

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