Relationships Australia NSW Annual Report | 2021-2022 by Relationships Australia NSW

Relationships Australia NSW Annual Report 2021–2022

Together in Relationship

Relationships Australia NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters on which we live and work. We acknowledge their Ancestors who first walked on this land and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future, for they carry the cultural wisdom, the stories, the traditions and dreaming. With a commitment to Reconciliation, we acknowledge the enduring impact of past policies and practices, and commit our endeavours to creating a just society and sector that celebrates the ongoing resilience and self-determination of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Contents

03 Who We Are 05 Supporting NSW 17 Moving Forward 19 Our Impact 27 Our Work 31 Case Studies 51 Future Focus 53 Words From Our Staff 57 Financials 58 Supporters, Funders + Partners

Who We Are

WE REL ARE Relationships are at the core of who we are and the heart of how we live – both in our personal lives, and at work. Our ability to develop meaningful relationships in life is what makes us human. The way we relate to those around us has the power to fundamentally impact our mental health, our physical health, and almost every other aspect of our wellbeing. Relationships shape, shift and enrich our lives, and are the threads that connect us together.

Relationships Australia NSW is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing relationship quality, supporting relationship wellbeing, and improving our individual and collective sense of belonging. We’ve been a leading provider of relationship support since 1948, and offer services to individuals, couples, families, communities and workplaces across NSW from 21 locations. We see clients face-to-face, via phone and online. We’re here for people of all cultural backgrounds, genders, ages, sexual orientations, and family structures, and offer a number of culturally adapted services in other languages. We’re also committed to building our support for families who are in greatest need, facing complex issues and have limited access to resources and services. Relationships Australia NSW is part of a federated network of Relationships Australia organisations across every state and territory in Australia.

L AT I O N S H I P PEOPLE Our Vision Strong relationships, strong communities.

Our Values Central to our work is a values-based commitment to be: RESPECTFUL

We’re a judgement free service and act with integrity. EXCELLENT

We’re committed to continuous improvement and staff development. COLLABORATIVE

We build relevance through effective networks and solid partnerships. COURAGEOUS

We offer leadership on important social issues and speak up against injustice, discrimination, and harm. SAFE

We provide a safe environment for people who are experiencing vulnerability and inequality. 04

Supporting NSW

492

TEAM MEMBERS

LOCATIONS INCLUDING 9 OUTREACH CENTRES

30+

33,675

PROGRAMS + SERVICES ACROSS NSW

GROUP PROGRAMS OR WORKSHOPS

PEOPLE ASSISTED

With centres and outreach locations throughout metropolitan, regional and rural NSW, we have supported people in their relationships through counselling, mediation, casework and group programs. We assisted tens of thousands more through relationship resources and articles, and broader community, school-based, online and telephone support.

Hunter/Central Coast NEWCASTLE (BROADMEADOW) GOSFORD* BERKELEY VALE* TORONTO* MAITLAND*

Western BATHURST ORANGE* FORBES* COWRA* LITHGOW*

Sydney Metro BLACKTOWN NORTHERN BEACHES (DEE WHY) MACQUARIE PARK (HEAD OFFICE) PARRAMATTA PENRITH SYDNEY CITY HARRIS PARK (WATTLE PLACE) WEST RYDE

Sydney South ILLAWARRA (WOLLONGONG)

South Coast MOSS VALE*

*OUTREACH CENTRE

Relationships

FORM

Despite the fact that no two years are ever the same, one thing remains a constant – the human continuum and story. From the minute we are born, we are in relationship. With our loved ones, the communities we spend time with, and the places we belong – relationships tie us to every facet of our lives, and are vital to wellbeing at every age. 07

G R OW

This year saw the update of the most comprehensive collection of demographic, social and economic data from all people in Australia. The 2021 Census captured a picture of our nation, reflecting who we are and how we live. The increasingly rich diversity of cultures, relationships, families and households it signalled across NSW, are who we are here to support. 08

CHALLENGE

The unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, a highly spreadable new variant, and the isolation, disconnection and fear that came with it, were reflected in the Census as divorce rates hit a decade-long high. Our lives were upturned, and our workplaces, schools, homes and routines disrupted anew, exerting sustained pressure on relationships and pushing many to their limits. 09

CHANGE

Despite these challenging times, we have shown remarkable resilience, and it is often our relationships that have carried us through. Relationships play a pivotal role in our capacity to sustain physical and mental health. They are essential to our sense of connectedness, and ability to build resilience in the face of challenge or change. For this reason our commitment to relationship education has never been stronger. 10

HURT

While relationships can create some of our greatest highs – they can also contribute to some of our greatest lows, and for many, this past year presented significant hardship. Tension with partners, challenges with children, disconnection with family and friends, or complexity in the workplace, left many feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope. Having an independent source of relationship support became key. 11

BREAK

Relationships go through struggles and triumphs. They can get stuck or become strained. They can be built or broken. For those experiencing communication breakdown, separation or divorce, our mediation and support services continued to provide a source of comfort and clarity amidst the confusion and turmoil, to help find a way forward. 12

HELP

Exacerbating a prolonged pandemic, the past year brought with it devastating floods causing widespread destruction and forcing many to flee their homes. The local response amidst this chaos was generous, swift and effective, self organising to mount complex rescue efforts and coordinate disaster relief, highlighting with great poignancy, the essential role community cohesion plays in resilient societies. 13

HEAL

Relationships have the power to transform lives. Our relationships reflect who we are in the world and shape our sense of purpose and identity. Our extensive service offering has continued to empower people from a diversity of experiences to build and sustain strong relationships and enhance relationship quality in their lives by healing past trauma, resolving disputes, improving communication or moving through change. 14

SUSTAIN

Being reunited with loved ones was a highlight of the year for many. A return to faceto-face gatherings and life in person saw us reconnecting with family and friends who we had been abruptly separated from – in many cases for years. Coming back together after our largely virtual existence became a heartening reminder of all that we may have taken for granted previously. 15

Relationships

M AT T E R

These challenging years have created a legacy we will hopefully not quickly forget. We have been reminded like never before, that what matters most is human connection, our loved ones, and the freedom to enjoy all the richness of our relationships as we live our lives together. 16

Moving Forward Relationships have never been more important for the communities of NSW. The way we relate to those around us greatly impacts our mental and physical health, and almost every other aspect of our wellbeing. This is particularly true in times of crisis, and the collective community trauma of the past few years has taken its toll on many. Drought, bushfires, floods, and COVID-19 have touched everyone in our community in different ways. People are feeling disoriented, powerless, distressed, isolated, and less able to deal with stress in their usual ways. At Relationships Australia NSW, we exist to support people and communities across the state, and those communities are incredibly diverse in their cultural DNA. No matter where we are operating or who we are supporting, our aim is always to provide services that are respectful and safe. Whether that be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, different ages and genders, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with a disability – and more. As we navigate these extraordinary times, we continue to thrive as an organisation, allowing us to innovate in our approach to service delivery to ensure we can best support the diverse communities we serve. Whilst we exceeded our target in total revenue growth, this did not sufficiently enable us to respond to the enormous increase in demand for our counselling services. We continue to advocate for our core services, which provide the foundation for many other funding initiatives to be better resourced.

We have laid strong foundations in capturing the voice and experience of our diverse customer base, improving our understanding of their needs, their preferences and the impact we have on their relationship wellbeing. This includes establishing a Customer Insights Hub and a User Experts Panel to strengthen our customer research and co-design opportunities. Meanwhile, the move to online and virtual service delivery has exceeded our expectations; enabling connection, improved accessibility and greater choice for our clients. While this has been a considerable investment for us, our customers report a much-improved experience, and waiting times have been reduced. Such investments have included a significant upgrade to our Call Centre which reduced the number of abandoned calls by 8 percent and call waiting times by over a minute in the first month of operation alone, and in our digital infrastructure to enable and empower staff to focus on their greatest passion – our clients. Our profile and relationships with government stakeholders at both State and Federal levels have strengthened significantly. The work we have done to grow our profile as thought leaders – particularly in the areas of domestic and family violence, family separation, trauma, our work with older Australians, children, mental health and relationship wellbeing – has been highly visible through conference presentations, participation in community consultations (National Mental Health Commission), submissions to parliamentary policy debates (Coercive Control legislation) and membership of influential advisory bodies (such as the DVNSW Sector Development Member Advisory Committee, Ageing and Disability Commission Expert Reference Group, NSW Committee on Adoption and Permanent Care and the Board of the Alliance for Forgotten Australians, Department of Communities and Justice Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Sector Group).

Of course, our focus also remains at the community level. One noteworthy initiative in response to the current challenges has been to provide trauma-informed resilience and recovery programs for disaster affected communities in 17 LGAs across the Hunter New England and Central Coast areas. This program helped local leaders to understand the social, mental health and relationship impacts of disaster experiences, in order to support their broader community in capacity-building in resilience, preparedness and self-care. Another highlight was opening the doors of our brand new, purpose-built centre in Blacktown City Council, which will help us support the local community with safe, inclusive services in a range of languages. Youth Insearch and Council On The Ageing NSW have joined us in our new premises and we look forward to the continued consolidation of these partnerships. Finally, we believe the cultural representation in our workplace can, and should, reflect that of the wider community. This year’s focus on recruitment and employment opportunities for people from underrepresented communities has improved gender and diversity outcomes. Our Bronze status at the annual Australian Pride in Health + Wellbeing Awards, is a reflection of this. In February we endorsed our second Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which outlines our vision and aspirations in this area, alongside our Diversity & Inclusion Plan.

Our Board have continued to provide their valued governance and support. The Directors are committed to ensuring that Relationships Australia NSW is best placed to support our clients at their time and place of need. As we look ahead to 2025, in collaboration with the Executive team, they have committed to accelerating our shift to customer-centricity in our service design and business decisions, so that we can deliver contemporary, relevant, inclusive services, wherever and whatever way they are most needed. We will do this by building on the diversity, strengths, skills and capability of our people; as well as continuing to demonstrate the positive impact we have on people’s lives. We are proud to present our highlights and achievements from FY22. They are a strong testament to the fact that we have delivered our 2019-2022 Strategic Plan, as well as meeting our purpose of connecting people and communities through the work we do in supporting and strengthening relationships.

Elisabeth Shaw CEO

Chris Bertinshaw Chair

Our Impact Our Clients:

90,006 SESSIONS PROVIDED

19,050

14,625

33,675

CLIENTS

COMMUNITY MEMBERS

PEOPLE ASSISTED

44%

12%

25%

are presenting with domestic violence

are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People

have lived experience of disability

are migrants from diverse cultures

are children

Our Outcomes:

86% 91% of people report they were listened to and understood

of people report they were satisfied with the services they received

72% of people report they were able to deal with their issues better

We Have Provided: 1,100+

hours of support to employees in 91 organisations through our Employee Assistance Program, including a 146% increase in professional coaching

$114,390 83.3%

in pro bono services to our clients

of our services delivered online

500+

26,000+

interviews and articles, exploring the many sides and challenges of relationships across print, radio, digital and TV

people with resources and tools within our online social media community across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

Most Common Issues: 01. MANAGING CONFLICT 02. FAMILY COMPLEXITY 03. CHALLENGING BEHAVIOURS 04. LIVING WITH MENTAL ILL HEALTH 05. EFFECTIVE PARENTING

48 NPS* 89%

compared to the Australian Healthcare 2022 benchmark of 38

* A Net Promoter Score is a client satisfaction benchmark between -100 and 100 which measures how likely it is that clients would recommend an organisation. The primary aim of a NPS is to predict client loyalty (Reichheld & Markey, 2011).

of people report they felt safe with their practitioner

Welcoming

Journey Towards Healing for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Understanding the Needs of Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Communities

We are passionate about building sustained and meaningful relationships and partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and the broader community. Our Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan, developed and endorsed throughout the year, challenges us to acknowledge the past in order to create a safe and healthy present and future. This means always being culturally relevant, inclusive, and innovative in the services and programs we deliver to our communities.

Over the past year we have worked to better understand challenges faced by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. Internal research uncovered their needs and the services they are most likely to access. This is an important step in addressing gaps, as well as enhancing cultural fitness in service delivery. We also sponsored an anti-racism survey which will help set our future priorities.

This year we were proud to launch a cultural engagement guide, which helps our people to interact appropriately, effectively, and respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples – whether that be in the workplace, or in the community. Another highlight in this area was the appointment of a senior Aboriginal leader – Aunty Julie Wilson – to guide our staff development through a new cultural fitness program as well as culturally safe service delivery.

Our staff CALD Action Group has been proactive in helping us acknowledge CALD days of significance. One highlight was our Migrants Day video, with staff recounting lived experiences, followed by a month of anti-racism sessions where we explored issues and shared resources around racism and its impacts. We have also partnered with other CALD service providers to deliver services such as those around dowry abuse with the Indian Crisis Support Agency and our partnership with Settlement Services International to deliver Men’s Behaviour Change Programs to migrants and refugees from specific cultural communities in their own language. We still have a way to go, but are genuine in our desire to listen, respond, and act on feedback about the needs of our CALD clients and staff.

L I N

O N

Inclusivity & Belonging

Ensuring Improved Accessibility

We strive to offer a safe space for people of all genders and sexual orientations, as well as anyone who identifies as from the LGBTQIA+ communities. During the year we conducted an internal focus group to help improve how we do this. Our centres display the Pride flag, have actively participated in events such as Mardi Gras, and are part of the Welcome Here initiative which supports organisations to promote environments that are visibly inclusive. These symbols of support ensure all members of the community feel welcome, as well as enhancing cultural fitness amongst our people.

It is important to us that everyone has the same opportunities to participate in the community to the best of their abilities and desires. Through our services funded under the Disability Royal Commission, our suite of group programs has grown to assist more people with diverse accessibility needs, focusing on key life issues such as dating, sex and sexuality, and forming new relationships. There have also been services offered to the professional community, such as lawyers, to advance their understanding of working with people with a disability.

Meanwhile, our staff Gender, Sex and Sexually Diverse Action Group has been active in promoting health and wellbeing measures, such as safer and easier access to counselling and support services.

We must ensure that the same mindset is true of our staff, and that our office environments are fit for purpose. Therefore, we conducted an Accessibility Focus Group early in the year to ensure that staff and clients of all ability levels are safe and comfortable when visiting us. We gained valuable insight into considerations such as parking, lifts, ramp access, adjustments for prospective job candidates and disabled car spaces. Another important outcome was the ongoing need for online sessions for clients, and flexible work options for staff.

Finally, we were honoured to receive another Bronze award in the Health + Wellbeing Equality Index (HWEI) for our work as an inclusive service provider, building on the success of the previous year, as well as being named a Diversity Council of Australia Inclusive Employer for diversity and inclusion in our workforce.

Listening

Responding to Client Needs With Online Program Delivery

Hearing Our Communities on Neighbour Day

Relationship education programs are one of our most popular services, alongside counselling and mediation. In 2022 we delivered more than 30 different program options face-to-face and online, offering an ideal solution for anyone looking to build their relationship skills in a safe, supportive and collaborative group environment. Our expert facilitators covered a wide range of topics, including parenting techniques, communication skills and developing mental health and wellbeing practices.

This year we celebrated the 20th anniversary of Neighbour Day – Relationships Australia’s annual social connection campaign that encourages people to reach out and make meaningful connections with those around them. It was an opportunity for communities around NSW to join together, forge new connections and address loneliness.

Following strong demand from our clients, this year we established an online delivery team and a centralised intake and assessment model to ensure that our most popular groups are more accessible to everyone around the state. This means a much-improved experience for our clients, with the journey from intake to assessment reduced from more than 100 days to just 14. Our teams are agile and flexible as a result of the change, with Centre staff now able to increase their focus on meeting local needs and broadening community partnerships. 23

More than 100 public Neighbour Day events took place nationally, many of those in NSW. We hosted our own events at five centres across the state – Northern Beaches, Wollongong, Penrith, Macquarie Park and Harris Park. Each of these was a valuable opportunity to hear from members of our local communities, and spread awareness of the importance of social connection and neighbourly actions. We also took the opportunity to connect with our online communities, with a series of conversations across social media. We were particularly inspired by the stories of community and connection from around the state in the Tell Us Your Story competition.

Building Family Resilience During Lockdown

Providing On-Demand Services for Couples & Families

The lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 were an incredibly challenging time for many across NSW. Families with young children tended to find this period particularly difficult, with many of our clients struggling to balance the demands of working from home, home schooling, managing screen time and keeping kids entertained and healthy.

With our clients calling for better access to online service delivery, in 2022 we launched two new digital products. These have been designed to support anyone who wants to develop essential relationship skills in their own time and at their own pace.

Our Community Builders team, which works with children and their families in the Northern Sydney region to build resilience and wellbeing, saw this need and moved quickly to publish The Where-To Guide For Families. Produced in collaboration with the NSLHD Child Youth & Family Health Service, the guide offered comprehensive information about online activities, events, classes and resources to keep the family entertained, educated, happy and healthy during lockdown. It was circulated to parents of primary and high-school students across the state, with an overwhelmingly positive response. We are incredibly proud of this example of working together with our partners to deliver timely and meaningful support where it is most needed.

The first of these, CONNECT, is an online course to help couples repair, strengthen and improve their relationships. It contains common scenarios and tailored activities to enhance skills in four main areas – managing emotions, having better conversations, managing differences and fostering closeness. The second, Kids in Focus, is a practical course developed for separating parents who are entering Family Dispute Resolution. It provides tips to help them focus on what is best for their children. Both have been incredibly successful, with positive feedback from our clients and close to 900 individuals engaging with the platforms since their inception.

Influencing

Expanding Our Presence in Western Sydney

Helping Young People Make Courageous, Ethical Decisions

This year we opened the doors of our new purpose-built centre in Blacktown, one of Western Sydney’s most vibrant and diverse cultural hubs. While we have been part of this community since 2007, and a key source of support for its unique needs, the last three years have seen a staggering 3,433 percent increase in demand for our services in the area.

Our Moral Courage Pilot Program was developed in partnership with The Ethics Centre to help young people build practical skills to deal with difficult, ‘real-world’ ethical challenges.

This new facility, along with continued funding, will help us provide safe and inclusive services to the fast-growing community in a range of languages. Additionally, we embrace our ongoing partnerships with Youth Insearch Foundation and Council of the Ageing New South Wales (COTA), who join us in the new premises. This ensures even broader and more convenient support for the community. Finally, we were privileged to be invited to a roundtable event hosted by Stephen Bali MP, Member for Blacktown, which was attended by a number of local MPs and senior politicians. We welcomed the opportunity to give our input on the challenges and opportunities facing the local community. 25

The program focuses on building six key skills and capabilities. Together these provide the foundations for young people to be confident in making courageous decisions in challenging social situations, ranging from raising concerns about the mental health and wellbeing of friends and peers; through to having difficult conversations. Participants are equipped with the knowledge to understand the ethical considerations and challenges in those unstructured moments and armed with the ability to make better choices and remain socially connected. This year we ran the pilot program in five schools, and it was received enthusiastically at each. We are now discussing feasibility and plans for a broader roll-out.

Fostering Open Dialogue Principles in Service Delivery

Building Awareness in the Australian Community

This year we launched The Open Dialogue Centre, which helps health and community services become more person-centred, family/carer inclusive and holistic. Widely influential in Europe and the UK and backed by positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes, we are looking forward to its growth in Australia.

Our work with the media is a powerful way of reaching millions of Australians and making them aware of who we are, and how we can help them, as well as supporting them through their relationship challenges. In 2022 we provided more than 550 interviews or opinions to a range of outlets spanning TV, radio, print, online and podcasts. Some highlights included interviews with ABC Radio National and Triple J, as well as major print outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald, Teen Vogue and various Sunday newspapers. We continued our fortnightly contributions to Body + Soul on a range of topics related to relationships and families.

The approach stems from a foundation of genuine respect, compassion and listening – to each person, voice and lived experience. While many mental health support-models focus on the individual and their therapist, Open Dialogue brings in key people and involves them in the care plan – helping to strengthen relationships and expedite healing. A joint venture partnership with Grant Family Philanthropy, the centre offers implementation support and training to organisations working in the mental health, community and education sectors. The model also embeds robust research to ensure continued evidence-building in the Australian context. With Open Dialogue, we are elevating trust, addressing concern and shifting unconscious power structures so that new pathways towards mental health and wellbeing can be discovered.

We also helped to shape the public conversation through our presence and speaking engagements at peak industry events and educational forums. This included the FRSA and AIFS annual conferences, Women in Leadership, Mentoring Men Open Forum and a host of other engagements throughout the year.

Our Work

Our Focus

COUNSELLING

MEDIATION

INDIVIDUAL, COUPLES + FAMILY

POST-SEPARATION DISPUTE RESOLUTION, PARENTING EDUCATION + SUPPORT

ELDERS

INDIGENOUS

EARLY INTERVENTION, MEDIATION + COMMUNITY CONNECTION PROGRAMS

COMMUNITY SERVICES, GROUP PROGRAMS + CASEWORK

FAMILY

COMMUNITY

RESILIENCE + EDUCATION PROGRAMS

RESILIENCE, ENGAGEMENT + EDUCATION PROGRAMS

We offer a breadth of services online and in person to individuals, couples, families, communities, and workplaces to ensure our offering is relevant and meaningful to many.

TRAUMA COUNSELLING, CASEWORK, REFERRALS + GROUP PROGRAMS FOR VULNERABLE + DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS

LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY SERVICES + GROUP PROGRAMS

DOMESTIC + FAMILY VIOLENCE BEHAVIOUR-CHANGE + SUPPORT PROGRAMS

CULTURALLY + LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITY SERVICES + GROUP PROGRAMS

WORKPLACE

TRAINING

WELLBEING SERVICES

PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY-BUILDING

Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in demand for our services, largely driven by the impacts and stressors of the pandemic.

Domestic Violence

Psychological and physical safety are a human right. Coercion, intimidation, demeaning, threatening, and frightening behaviour is unacceptable and has no place in a relationship. Domestic and family violence occurs across all social, community and religious groups, in urban and regional settings, and at all life stages. Tactics of abuse and violence do not change on their own.

There has been a dramatic increase in demand for many of our services over the past two years, as families and individuals across NSW continue to weather the economic and social impacts of the pandemic. Over this period we have seen an astounding 2,200 percent increase in waitlisted clients for counselling services; as well as an ongoing upward trend in demand for Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) support services. Across all services we provided in FY22, 44 percent of clients reported experiencing DFV. During the same time period, we provided specialised DFV services to 4,546 people across the state. To meet this demand, we are proud to provide the widest range of DFV services in the state. This includes specialist support for women and children who have lived with violence, Men’s Behaviour Change Programs (MBCPs), services to mitigate elder abuse, support for male victims of violence, and services at court for people where DFV is involved. Our aim is to be available to as many people as possible with inclusive and wide-reaching services, with the goal of maximising the safety of families.

Our approach encompasses both prevention and early intervention initiatives, often in partnerships with other services and departments, as well as therapeutic intervention. One example of this approach is our DFV Local Link Coordination and Primary Care Training Pilot. We worked with selected general practitioners and their medical centres in the Central Coast and Penrith/Hawkesbury regions to help them integrate primary care into the existing DFV service system and play a visible and deliberate role around DFV. Using the Recognise, Respond, Refer training model, the pilot also included case consultation and building referral pathways. Meanwhile, we offered several culturally safe MBCPs, tailored to the needs of specific communities. This is a critical factor as it is often the case that if women leave their abuser, they may also need to leave their cultural community to remain safe. This can result in significant social isolation for women and any children involved.

The first of these programs, Building Stronger Families, supports migrants and refugees from the Arabic, Tamil and Dari/Farsi speaking communities. We collaborated with cultural leaders and the community to co-design the program in partnership with Settlement Services International, which is focused on improving family safety and building on cultural strengths. It also takes settlement issues into account. Finally, BAD V – Brothers Against Domestic Violence was delivered in partnership with the Illawarra Koori Men’s Support Group to respond to the needs of local Aboriginal communities. The co-designed program is grounded in local culture, dreaming, history, values, community ties and relationships, and is informed by an understanding of historical trauma, its impact on identity and the importance of healing.

Safety

Supporting Families During Lockdown Lana’s partner, Nick, had always been quite controlling, but after their children were born, things began to get worse. During the pandemic, Lana found herself locked down with two small children, and with Nick becoming more violent. When her son told a childcare educator that his dad had hurt his mum, they reported their concerns to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. As a result, Lana was referred to Relationships Australia NSW for counselling and support. Lana’s counsellor helped her understand that Nick’s behaviour was domestic violence, and together they prepared a package of support to help meet her goals. Lana has undertaken regular counselling over the course of the year, as well as completing the Circle of Security parenting program and other parenting courses. She has also taken part in our Family Violence Survivors’ Group. We were also able to work with her now-former partner, Nick. Nick was referred through to our Men’s Behaviour Change program and has also entered into a mediation process with Lana to agree how he can be safely involved in co-parenting their children with her. Names and images changed to protect privacy.

“ The best thing about Relationships Australia NSW is that there are multiple services which are interlinked. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am. If I hadn’t escaped domestic violence with the support of my counsellor, I might say maybe I wouldn’t be here anymore.” Lana

Trauma

Natural disasters and extreme weather events are happening more frequently, without warning and at greater cost to our community. The floods of early 2022 along Australia’s east coast caused an estimated $2.5 billion worth of damage in NSW alone, only to be followed by more devastating flooding across parts of the state a few months later. Meanwhile, the heavy losses of the 2019-20 bushfire season are still fresh in many people’s minds.

Through funding from the Hunter New England & Central Coast PHN we are providing ongoing trauma-informed recovery programs to help communities build resilience in the aftermath of these ongoing disaster events. Our work seeks to educate and guide them to build capacity from within, to support their own unique recovery and resilience needs to face future events as a stronger, more connected community. Our focus is on delivering a community-informed and community-led program to help members of these disasteraffected communities make sense of the social, mental health and relationship impacts of these experiences and to support one another.

We aim to build capacity and skills in understanding the recovery journey as well as teaching resilience, preparedness, and self-care; at the individual, family and community level.

Throughout the year we rolled out the Bushfire Resilience Program across towns in the Hunter, Central and Mid-Coast and New England that were particularly hard-hit by the bushfires and subsequent disasters. We trained local leaders in disaster-affected areas to help them build resilience in their communities, and to understand how to support each other throughout these challenging times. Many of these trained Resilience Leaders then went on to deliver community events to build relationships and skills in the community. They were provided support through mentorship, learning circles, networking and grant opportunities, and access to resources. Over the course of the program, we trained 120 ‘Resilience Leaders’ – nearly double our target. It was inspiring to see the diversity in the group, with 32 coming from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities, 11 farmers, 14 older Australians and six young people.

The Resilience Leaders have also delivered their own diverse community projects that include photography projects, development and distribution of disaster-preparedness kits, a teen-led Blue Tree Project event to raise mental health awareness and eliminate stigma, and several workshops on the impacts of disaster on emotional and social wellbeing. We estimate that over 1,000 community members have been impacted through this training and subsequent community events, including 132 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The program has been incredibly well received, with exceptional feedback from both the community and the PHN. As a result, we were asked to develop a proposal for a similar program in response to the recent floods. We’re pleased that this proposal was approved, with funding received to commence our Disaster Resilience Leadership program on 1 July 2022. We have also received multiple requests for delivery of the program in other parts of the state.

“ It has been a hard journey since the fires, but by learning about disaster and the way it impacts communities I have been able to help many people. With the right information, people can become stronger and as a community, we can work together to recover.” Jack

Resilience

Supporting Survivors of Natural Disasters Jack is a teacher and volunteer firefighter who lives in one of the communities that was severely impacted by the 2019/20 Black Summer Fires. Through his work as both a volunteer and as a teacher, he saw first-hand that the state’s disaster relief programs were not meeting the needs of his local community. In particular, tailored support for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community had fallen short. Many from this community felt disproportionately affected by the bushfires. Jack had also heard several reports of racism and unfair treatment during the response to the crisis. Jack volunteered to participate in our Bushfire Resilience Program. He is now qualified as a Resilience Leader and has since gone on to design and deliver programs for children in schools. He has helped more than 80 people in the community to process and understand their trauma from the event, as well as build local skills for future emergencies. Names and images changed to protect privacy.

Mental Health

When relationships are under stress or break down, there are far-reaching consequences for the mental health of individuals and communities as a whole. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Australia reports that 46 percent of Australians will be diagnosed with a mental illness during their lifetime. This figure is likely to climb as we navigate the current period of increasing economic stress on households, as well as the ongoing impact of the pandemic. FY22 presented a number of challenges, however our counselling program continued to provide services at high numbers. Over the course of the year, we delivered more than 20,000 counselling sessions to 7,300 clients. We supported families, couples and individuals, as well as people affected by the Disability Royal Commission and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples through our Caber-ra Nanga Engage program.

Importantly, these services were delivered to an extremely high standard, thanks to our ongoing investment in customer experience. This is reflected in our Net Promoter Score for counselling of 65 in FY22, which is significantly higher than the average for Australian counselling providers.

We remain focused on finding new and innovative ways to improve the client experience and tailoring and developing our work in response to community demand. We are taking part in a deep-dive Customer Experience research project to understand their journey from the moment they engage with our services.

The findings of this project will be delivered next financial year. We are looking forward to using those unique insights direct from our customers and staff to inform continual service improvement and make it easier for people to get the help they need at what can be a very painful time of their lives.

Other areas in which we continued to build our collective skillset in FY22 were Child Inclusive Practice, Emotionally Focused Therapy (in particular, working with infidelity and attachment wounds), as well as providing counselling to separated families in both an individual and group setting.

Responding to the client need for access to services in a variety of formats, this year our counsellors continued to build their skills in providing counselling face-to-face, online and over the phone, where appropriate. A number of counsellors were also trained to provide a Single Session Thinking framework and integrate this approach into every client session. Single Session Thinking is tailored to clients who require short-term counselling support, for example over high-stress periods such as the holiday season. The aim is to provide more immediate support for people who may have been waiting a long time for services. Clients and counsellors partner actively to set their overall counselling goals and to decide where to focus to make the most of every session.

Despite the challenging year, we are proud of the resilience demonstrated by both our clients and our committed staff in the face of ongoing adversity.

This framework has been an incredibly successful and innovative solution as we strive to support more clients as demand rises. For many people, it was the valuable and immediate support they needed to tackle shorter-term challenges. 40

Support “ The counsellor really listened to each of us. She helped us to appreciate one another again and to learn how to listen and effectively communicate our needs. We are incredibly grateful for the help she gave us to rebuild our relationship. It’s better now than it has been in years.” Jaya

Providing Support in Challenging Times Jaya contacted us for couples counselling with her husband Parvan, as she had concerns about the breakdown of communication between them and the impact that was having on her mental health. Their conversations were often ending up in yelling matches, name calling, dismissal or contempt, and she felt they were not only unproductive, but harmful and over time, eroding the fabric of their relationship. Jaya and Parvan had eight counselling sessions face-to-face with a practitioner, before transitioning to online counselling when Sydney went back into COVID lockdown. Despite the new process, they thrived with the transition thanks to the rapport they had built with their counsellor. After six months of counselling, Jaya and Parvan felt they were able to communicate more clearly and kindly with one another, talk through the issues impacting them, and listen more effectively, using the skills they learned during their sessions. They were able to stop counselling, confident that they had reached their goals of reconnecting with one another, despite thinking the relationship had run its course when they started the process. Names and images changed to protect privacy.

Older Australians

Our work encourages healthy conversations among family members, supports older Australians to plan for their future and helps them to make decisions that protect their rights and safety. Over the past year we have seen the continued impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable older people. Many have had to deal with restricted movement and limited access to care provisions which protect their health and wellbeing. Those unable to use technology or connect socially online found themselves further isolated. In many homes, pandemic-related financial setbacks caused shifts in living arrangements – in some cases family members moved into the home of elderly parents, in others, couples faced lengthy confinement together without relief or support. We saw a worrying escalation in reports of elder abuse – be it financial, psychological, physical, social, sexual or neglect.

Our Let’s Talk Elder Mediation & Support Service provided an opportunity throughout the year for older people and their families/carers to come together in a safe, respectful and confidential environment. Supported by practitioners trained in Elder Mediation and Counselling, this targeted and effective intervention supports them to have mediated conversations on issues ranging from intergenerational relationship challenges and safety concerns to future care, living arrangements and end-of-life planning. Since its launch in June 2019, we have supported over 393 families across 10 regions throughout NSW. It is the only early intervention family mediation and counselling service for older people and their families in NSW which supports older people and their families/carers to manage conflict and mitigate elder abuse. Our bi-cultural staff have delivered this service in Mandarin, Cantonese, Italian and Portuguese.

Having been established through generous funding from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice Domestic and Family Violence Innovation Fund, ongoing funding remains uncertain, and we are actively working with the NSW and Federal governments for this valuable program to continue into the future. Reconnect was another program which supported our older Australians throughout the year. A oneyear initiative funded by the Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (PHN), it was designed to support older people who were isolated from social activities and supports as a result of the pandemic. The service delivered individualised and targeted case management using a person-centred multidisciplinary approach. Working in collaboration with the Older Persons Mental Health Hospital and Outreach Teams, Allied Health Professionals, GPs and other services, Reconnect offered client-focused, high-quality and personalised support and service referrals to help older Australians feel more connected and empowered following the impacts of lockdown and the pandemic.

Throughout the year, we also worked closely with the NSW Ageing & Disability Commission (ADC). We developed strong referral pathways with Seniors Rights and the Legal Aid Elder Abuse Project in Gosford. A collaborative pilot between RANSW and Carers NSW, Exsitu and Autonomy First is working to develop a best practice model for supported decision-making for older people. As key contributors and members of Elder Abuse Collaboratives in both Sydney and the Bathurst region, we also assisted the creation of Elder Abuse awareness videos and information collateral in multiple languages thanks to regional grants from the ADC. Our work continues to raise awareness of the challenges faced by older Australians and those who love and care for them.

Respect

“ Let’s Talk mediation was the first time in many years that we’ve been able to speak openly as a family about what we were feeling and what we could have done better. We are all more aware of the impacts of our own behaviour and have been able to express our love for each other in a healthy way.” Silvia

Supporting Families With Mediation Silvia and Peter are an older couple whose relationship with their adult daughter, Janice, had broken down over a number of years. Visits with Janice often ended in arguments and neighbours calling the police. Silvia and Peter were frightened for their safety and the impact these arguments were having on the family. The couple approached Let’s Talk for mediation with Janice to help repair the relationship. In a mediated and respectful discussion, both were able to acknowledge their own struggles. Janice was able to share her feelings about her upbringing and hurt with her parents. Meanwhile, her parents were able to share their experiences of bringing up their children as very young parents with no financial assistance or family support. Ultimately, the strength of the family’s connection – and ability to hear, acknowledge and accept their actions in context – created the opportunity to move forward differently. They all agreed to enter ongoing family relationship counselling together to further strengthen their relationship. Names and images changed to protect privacy.

Workplace Support

The average Australian spends one-third of their life at work, so it’s no surprise that how we feel in the workplace has a significant impact on our overall quality of life. We are committed to helping people develop and maintain successful relationships in all aspects of their lives, whether that be at home or in the workplace.

We know that factors such as the social impacts of the pandemic and recent financial stress on Australian households have driven an increased demand for counselling and support. This was also reflected in the uptake of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services over the course of FY22. Relationships Australia NSW’s EAP takes a unique relationship ecosystem approach to address not just the issue presented, but the context of relationships around it. Whether directly or indirectly, we bring our personal life to work, and the workplace permeates other areas of our lives. Our relationship styles and experiences can be shaping our behaviour, our capacity to connect, and our ability to thrive. Our approach honours the whole person, the interconnectedness of their relationships and how they impact wellbeing. This helps drive the best outcomes for an organisation’s staff, and those closest to them.

During the year, we provided more than 1,100 EAP counselling sessions across 91 organisations. Relationship issues – whether personal or professional – were the underpinning factor for more than half of these sessions. Clients report that they have positive improvements in their relationships at work and at home, their mental wellbeing, and a greater sense of belonging. Meanwhile HR staff reported the benefits in supporting better culture, demonstrating their care for their staff as well as a mentally healthy workforce who can participate wholly at work.

In FY22 there was also a sharp increase in demand for Executive and Manager Coaching services, which reflects the broader trend towards empathetic, values-based leadership in the workplace. Our coaching sessions are designed for supervisors, managers and senior executives to help them effectively relate to and manage employees, deal with workplace issues and support the organisation to achieve goals. We provided 64 sessions over the year, nearly three times more than in the previous year. In addition, due to the breadth of Relationships Australia NSW’s offering and our broad range of practitioner disciplines, we were also able to offer other unique support including mediation, training, workshops and webinars. We look forward to growing this service in the coming year.

Progress

“ After experiencing an extremely traumatic event and ongoing relationship issues, I was really struggling at home and at work. I found myself looking forward to sessions with my EAP counsellor. I was able to vent and work through things with an unbiased, professional counsellor - and I never felt judged.” Yasmin

Promoting Independence & Wellbeing Yasmin was experiencing an incredibly difficult time in her personal life. Her long-term relationship was in trouble, resulting in frequent arguments with her partner. On top of that, Yasmin also witnessed a traumatic accident while she was on holiday. On her return to work, her manager realised Yasmin needed some professional support to process the turmoil and trauma she was experiencing. Her manager connected Yasmin to the company’s EAP services, which are provided by RANSW. After an initial intake assessment to find the right counsellor for her situation, Yasmin accessed three free sessions with Saanvi one of our specialists in trauma and grief counselling. Yasmin and Saanvi worked together over the three initial sessions to get to know each other and identify the areas in which Yasmin needed immediate support. They also built a plan outlining high-level counselling goals, and practised some techniques for managing the anxiety attacks she was experiencing. Yasmin found the EAP support so useful that she has signed up for ongoing counselling sessions. She is coming to terms with her situation and making positive progress in both her personal and professional life. Names and images changed to protect privacy.

Future Focus

Our 2019-2022 Strategic Plan has succeeded in transforming our organisation. We embraced omnichannel service delivery, are more customer-centric in our service design, have more actively pursued government and diversified funding, and our large infrastructure projects are well advanced. These achievements are particularly significant given the continued disruptions of COVID-19. This has positioned us well in the planning for our 2022-2025 Strategy and continuing to deliver on our purpose in a post-pandemic world. Our future focus is captured in the four Strategic Goals of Customer Impact, Growth & Innovation, Connected People, and Business Transformation in our new 2025 Strategic Plan. While our aspirations are significant, funding remains a perennial challenge. We will continue to demonstrate the value we add to society; our strong alignment with the government agenda; our positive positioning around public policy developments; and our effective collaboration with others to achieve outcomes for people in need.

Relationship wellbeing is often undervalued in mental health service provision and in parts of the welfare sector. We will continue to raise awareness of the critical importance of relationship wellbeing and its centrality to good mental health. This means bringing our thought leadership, skills, and innovation to the fore, as well as leveraging key partnerships and joint ventures such as The Open Dialogue Centre. Many of our core services are still grounded in traditional models of service delivery. While we are proud to be known as a safe pair of hands, investment in customer experience is key to achieving our ambitious vision for service provision. To do this we must continue to demonstrate our achievements in responsive, flexible and adaptable services at the leading edge of change for our sector. A focus on customer insight generation will help us anticipate and meet our customer needs. We are assessing further investment to automate processes, to make access to services more streamlined, and provide self-service options where valuable.

We have built a number of digital products which round out our service offering, and look forward to building on this portfolio. We have learnt a great deal from this process, and will continue to be responsive and smart in our investment and the commercial opportunities this might generate. We aspire to be the sector leader in relation to employment, training and innovation, so we are building our employment proposition around learning and development and career pathways. Finalising a fit-for-purpose organisational structure, with easy-to-navigate customer centric and professional service processes, is inextricably linked to our employment experience. In line with offering strong employment pathways, we’re also pleased to be placing continued efforts into our Graduate Diploma programs in Relationship Counselling and Family Dispute Resolution. Not only will they serve to build the workforce capability of Relationships Australia NSW, but also the health and community sector more broadly.

Finally, in FY22 the changes we are making are coming together for our external stakeholders, as we evolve our brand and narrative to make it more dynamic and inviting in order to deepen connection with our audiences. This is coming to life initially through our new website and social media strategy. This new online hub and living resource centre will reflect community need and serve to build resilience and empowerment through the resources we produce in innovative new ways. Our 2019-22 Strategic Plan has prepared us well to move quickly and in lockstep with the community. Now, we are confident our 2025 Strategic Plan will prepare us for whatever lies ahead for the remainder of the decade and beyond.

What Have You Learnt About Relationships Over the Last Year? Marina Pliatsikas, Digital Marketing Lead

Catalina Bautista, Lead Experience Designer

“ That they do take work and initiative sometimes, but it’s always worth it for the value and happiness they bring to my life.”

“ Sometimes the best way to support someone going through a relationship crisis is to start by asking ‘What does support look like for you right now?’”

Emma Moore, GM Operations

Charu Nair, People & Culture Coordinator

“ I no longer take for granted Centre visits as being able to connect in with others has been so much harder – really enjoying being able to work with others in person again! ”

“ To never miss an opportunity to talk, hug, hold hands of your loved ones and do things that you often take for granted as one realised little things matter the most.”

Yvette Evans, Head of Operations

Danny Saunders, EAP Account Manager

“ Meaningful, deep, positive and energising relationships are key to ensuring I stay healthy and happy. I’m immensely grateful that I experience these in all aspects of my life.”

“ I have learned that strong relationships still work well even if you don’t meet regularly.”

Sukhdeep Singh Gahla, ICT System Engineer

Melissa Zhao, Accountant

“ Love and family both are important in our life. Good communication, understanding and honesty plays a very vital role in relationships.”

“ Sometimes comfortable distance can fertilize your relationships with your family members.”

Shazneen Packeer, Project Management Coordinator & Support

Miguel Lane-Mullins, Northern Sydney Centre Manager

“ I have learned that one could certainly outgrow from a relationship.”

“ I appreciate the moments I get to share in person with people I care about more than ever before.”

Brent Wallace, Business Development Manager

Robyn Mason, Training Coordinator

“ Relationships are the foundation of life itself – they motivate, challenge and drive us to be the best version of ourselves, while giving us the strength and support to rise to our challenges.”

“ Like gardens, relationships require hard work, thoughtful planning, and careful pruning. If you do the work, they can be things of beauty, places of peace and refuge, and provide sustenance and joy.”

Kathy Wood, Head of Strategy, Planning & Projects

Sarah Munro, Head of Brand, Marketing & Communications

“ Nothing beats the real-life touch of a grandchild.”

“ That parenting teenagers is a wild ride but there’s magic, good chats, and bigger hugs to be found in this special space before adulthood.” 54

What Have You Learnt About Relationships Over the Last Year? Shannon Harvey, Head of Research & Impact

Vanessa Le, Marketing Coordinator

“ I’ve always done everything for everyone else, but living with increasing disability this year, I’ve learnt the power and joy of accepting care from people who love me.”

“ With our lives constantly moving in flux and hardships thrown our way, it’s the relationships we maintain that shape, mould and sustain us.”

John Kolotas, People & Culture

Mikey Barker, Client Services Officer

“ For me, the extended lockdown reinforced the importance of proactively connecting with the people I love, and not letting “busy” detract from spending quality time with them.”

“ The past year has taught me that relationships are super important and that we are not able to do a lot of things on our own.”

Emily Dufton, Content Specialist

Sneha Subramaniam, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Manager

“ To make peace with the fact that I can’t always control the constantly evolving nature of my relationships – but that I can find joy in them, whatever shape they take.”

“ A healthy relationship is a judgement-free space where both people feel valued, respected and heard. A place of comfort and safety, even when you don’t agree with each other.”

Sonia Milner, Head of Finance

Carol Han, Management Accountant

“ I’ve learned the importance of self-reflecting, and asking yourself: ‘Am I projecting onto others and leaving them feeling disconnected from me?’”

“ It’s reminded me of the need to always try and understand others from a different point of view.”

Sandra Martel-Acworth, Practice Specialist – Counselling

Stephanie Bolton-Huttlestone, Internal Communication & Events Lead

“ Relationships are mixed, carrying with them caring, worrying, hurting, healing and comfort. For me they are essential.”

“ Good relationships take commitment, compromise, forgiveness and most of all effort! Post COVID I’ve had to work harder on my relationships as the demands of real life often get in the way.”

Sallie Bennett, EA to CEO

Elisabeth Shaw, CEO

“ How important my network of family and friends are, and on the back of the pandemic, how important it is to keep these connections, as they bring me peace of mind in times of stress.”

“ Good relationships are essential when life throws us curveballs. Relationships can also be the curveball!”

Monique Rappell, GM Customer Experience

Stacy Gershberg, GM People & Culture

“ My dad died last year which unsettled the balance in my family. I learnt, you can reset how a family works, changing the roles and the boundaries so everyone can overcome loss and also grow.”

“ That the relationship with yourself is the most important. Starting from a place of self care and self love is such a big contributor to maintaining good mental health.” 56

Financials In this financial year, Relationships Australia NSW achieved a loss of $2,733,976 compared to surplus of $3,724,986 the previous year. $2,721,319 was expended on strategic initiatives to improve systems during the FY22 year. We received funding of $36.6M from various government sources including the Department of Social Services, Attorney-General’s Department, NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Primary Health Networks and Legal Aid NSW. Additional Financial Report details are available on our website.

REVENUE

EXPENDITURE

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GRANTS

67.6%

STAFF

85.3%

STATE GOVERNMENT GRANTS

21.4%

PROPERTY

1.7%

OTHER GOVERNMENT GRANTS

4.1%

DEPRECIATION

6.0%

JOBKEEPER

1.4%

BROKERAGE

1.1%

FEES

4.1%

ADMIN, IT & PROMOTION

1.2%

EDUCATION REVENUE

0.9%

NATIONAL LEVY AFFILIATION

0.6%

OTHER INCOME

0.5%

OTHER

4.1%

Governance Relationships Australia NSW is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated in Australia and governed by a Board of Directors. We are grateful to our Board of Directors for their guidance and support. Directors who served during the year include: • V ICE CHAIR: STEVE RUST

• ANDREA CHRISTIE-DAVID

• KATIE MOORE

• C HAIR: CHRIS BERTINSHAW 57

• DR STEPHEN HOLLINGS • SANJAY SRIDHER (JOINED FEB 2022)

• KATHRYN GREINER AO

• CAMERON O’REILLY

Thank You to Our Valued Supporters, Funders & Partners We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to those who have supported us during the challenges of the past 12 months, whether that be financially or through other means. It has been another difficult year for many in our community, as the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and extreme weather events continued to put a strain on families and relationships. We would not be able to provide the breadth of service to our clients and the community without your ongoing contributions.

Funders Federal Department of Social Services Federal Attorney General’s Department Legal Aid NSW NSW Department of Communities and Justice Sydney North Primary Health Network Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network Grant Family Philanthropy Partners Settlement Services International Youth InSearch The Ethics Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia In addition, we’d like to acknowledge the extensive range of community organisations who collaborate with us to provide responsive and accessible services across NSW.

Once again, this year has highlighted how pivotal relationships are to our wellbeing and resilience – individually and together.

Quality relationships are the fabric of full and meaningful lives, resonant partnerships, connected families, vibrant cultures, thriving organisations and healthy societies.

E E IN

REL

They connect us to ourselves, and each other, and to the world we all shape and share.

L AT I O N S H I P

Relationship support for individuals, couples, families, communities and workplaces. Contact us today. relationshipsnsw.org.au

1300 364 277