The work of COMMACT Australia member organisations is profiled in this section
ORGANISATION: ON-Q HUMAN RESOURCES
OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATION
MISSION
Our mission is to help people, especially those who are disadvantaged or who have disability, to build valued social roles in their communities through participation in paid work.
VISION
ON-Q’s vision is to build a human services company that:
- Is business-like and values-driven
- Provides contemporary and innovative solutions for our clients and customers
- Enhances careers and opportunities for our people, and
- Makes a positive contribution to our community
Goal 1
To provide high quality, individualised and integrated employment and related services to people who are either classified as disabled, school leavers or in other ways disadvantaged in the labour market.
Goal 2
To provide structured training and support for disadvantaged job seekers in a way that meets the needs of our local employers”
ACTIVITIES AND TARGET GROUP
Provide support to people who have a disability to access mainstream employment.
There are three levels of intervention:
- Disability Employment Network Capped (long term intervention for people with on-going support needs).
- Disability Employment Network Uncapped (2-year time-limited intervention for people who can achieve independence in employment)
- Vocational Rehabilitation Service (short term intervention for people who require short-term intervention to return to work)
Transition to Work program for young people with a significant disability leaving school:
Start Smart – a group training scheme where we sign the training contract for Trainees/Apprentices and place them with host employers. Focuses on young people, mature age workers, indigenous people and people who have a disability.”
HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE ORGANISATION
ON-Q commenced in 1988 as an initiative of the Challenge Foundation (Tweed Branch), to assist some people who had a disability and who were in sheltered employment, to move in to employment in the community. The agency incorporated as an independent in 1991.
It now offers services through 10 offices on the Gold Coast in Queensland and in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales.
RESOURCES
In 2007 ON-Q expect turnover of approximately $8 millions with 120 staff. It is accredited against ISO, National Disability and National Group Training quality standards. It comprises of two State divisions with a General Manager in each, responsible for local administration, compliance and program delivery.
A Corporate Services division supports the operations teams with Managers in Information Technology, Quality, Finance and Human Resources, responsible to an Executive Manager.
WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE AND INNOVATIVE ABOUT ON-Q
A review of the ON-Q Strategic Plan in 2006 led to the formation of the Innovative Project Fund (IPF), as a way of utilising surplus funds to support and develop initiatives not funded by Government.
The most significant of these is the establishment of a relationship with Patan CBR in Kathmandu, Nepal, which provides services for people who have a disability. We have purchased a bus, vocational equipment, funded drivers, administrators and teachers; 30% of our staff make personal contributions with which we recently purchased 12 wheelchairs.
Our most recent grant was to enable Patan CBR to create disability accessibility in the buildings in the community that their clients must use. Another major element is the transfer of skills from ON-Q to Patan CBR.
In September 2007 two ON-Q employees (an administration person and a specialist trainer) were sent to Nepal to work with the staff in the facility. Their role will also be to assess future needs and establish the basis for a sustainable relationship (for example, we may need to provide English language training to allow Patan staff to work directly and effectively with future ON-Q visitors)
ON-Q has also provided support in partnership with the Tweed Shire Council, to Nairobi in Kenya to allow the provision of clean water supplies to people living in the slums. A future element of this project will be to identify disability issues in those communities.
The IPF is also funding a trial of the Employability Skills Profiler to determine its applicability to people who have a disability
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS OF WHICH ON-Q IS PROUD
“Being here and still vibrant after 20 years!!”
CONTACT DETAILS
Contact person: Peter Tanner
Address: PO Box 394, Byron Bay, 2478, NSW, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 6685 5733
Fax: +61 2 6685 8461
Email: Peter.Tanner@onqhr.com.au
Organisational Website: www.onqhr.com.au
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ORGANISATION: SOUTHERN TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT AND PLACEMENT SOLUTIONS LTD (TRADING AS: STEPS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SOLUTIONS)
OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATION
STEPS Employment and Training Solutions’ stated mission is: to alleviate the effects of poverty and disadvantage by seeking and initiating employment, training and community development opportunities, which facilitate and support positive change for jobseekers, employers and communities.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES AND TARGET GROUP
STEPS is active in the fields of employment services, vocational training, social housing and a range of projects providing community development and assistance. We are Tasmania’s largest contracted Job Network provider, with six sites delivering services to a point in time caseload of over 5,000 job seekers. We are also one of Tasmania’s most active Job Placement Organisations.
STEPS is an RTO in the state of Tasmania and provides Australian Apprenticeships to around 350 apprentices at any point in time, as well as the Australian Apprenticeships Access Programme and a range of employment preparation courses for disadvantaged and long-term unemployed. Our Community Housing division is dedicated to building affordable housing for low-income tenants and purchasers, and managing tenancies for that group. Our target is to produce 60 new homes a year in Tasmania.
We also provide project management assistance to community organisations building facilities (eg community centres, etc) and will construct public infrastructure amenities. Our Community Solutions section engages in a range of community projects and either assists other organisations to access funding and wider support, or in some cases, we fund their activities – examples include providing a vehicle for Community Transport of aged and infirm people to medical services; provision of vehicles for extended driver education programs for disadvantaged learners; education and employment awareness programs for primary school students in disadvantaged areas; scholarships for students from rural high schools to attend senior secondary colleges and move on to tertiary/further education; programs to encourage businesses to employ humanitarian entrants.
HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE ORGANISATION
STEPS Employment and Training Solutions started out in 1984 in the Huon Valley in southern Tasmania, as a provider of Government funded labour-market programs including CYSS, SkillShare and New Work Opportunities. In 1999, the organisation had 9 staff and operated from one site; a heritage-listed building in Franklin. From that point, however, we have steadily expanded the range of programs and services we provide, as well as our geographical sphere of operation, so that we now occupy 8 operational sites across southern Tasmania and deliver programs state-wide and beyond – both within Australia and from time to time outside.
RESOURCES
STEPS currently employs around 100 staff to deliver our services from 8 sites. We have recently changed from an Incorporated Association to a Company Limited by Guarantee, retaining the same constitution, Board of Directors, Vision, Mission and Values etc. We have also retained full PBI and DGR status. The organisation is sound financially, with an annual income of around $8 million AUS and net assets of nearly $4 million AUS.
WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE AND INNOVATIVE ABOUT STEPS
STEPS is a genuine example of the new breed of “social enterprise” organisation. We undertake activities that directly achieve our stated mission to alleviate the effects of poverty and disadvantage – and which also yield a surplus which we put to further good use in this direction. At the same time, we are sufficiently enterprising to take on activity that is “for profit”, in order to yield income that further supports our benevolent activity.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS OF WHICH STEPS IS PROUD
1. Our links with the Belta Tres handcrafted furniture group in Los Palos, Timor Leste:
In late 2005 STEPS was approached, through connections of a member of our staff, to support a community self-help initiative in East Timor. The group included rattan furniture makers who were proposing to expand their operation by taking on trainees, and sell their furniture more widely in order to fund the local school of 320 students. Their local area had been badly affected by conflict preceding the gaining of independence, to the extent that the representative who visited us, Cesario, was a village elder at age 26! Their business proposal was sound, and STEPS allocated $10,000 AUS to assist their development. We have maintained contact and support while the group opened a shop in Dili, took on trainees, had the shop burned down in more recent strife, returned to Los Palos to provide emergency aid to their fellow villagers, re-established their enterprise and registered it as a non-profit organisation.
STEPS has successfully appealed to several other members of Jobs Australia in Tasmania and interstate to assist in covering the cost of buying and running a vehicle and maintaining a web site/internet contact. STEPS involvement has persuaded Australian Volunteers International to support the group by placing their initial supporter, Freya Merrick, there as a paid mentor, and the principals of the organisation are increasingly in demand to work with other community groups across Timor Leste to help them establish similar initiatives.
2. Our work in the field of social housing:
STEPS Employment and Training Solutions established a dedicated Community Housing arm in response to growing awareness of a crying shortage of affordable housing for low-income earners in Tasmania. The State developed a new affordable housing strategy in 2005 which would reduce government involvement in public housing provision and instead encourage private and community organisations to become more engaged.
In Tasmania alone, some 22,000 people were estimated to be living in housing stress at the time. STEPS initially established a unit trust to bring together investors, and created an investment model through which a not-for-profit can retain effective control of a “for-profit” investment vehicle. The Trust investors include small superannuation funds, private investors (including our own staff), other not-for-profit organisations and a banking group. The Trust investment of around $1.25 million enabled the trust to borrow a further $1 million at normal mortgage rates, purchase land and construct eleven new 2- and 3-bed dwellings. These have been head-leased to Tasmanian Affordable Housing Ltd (a Government-sponsored Not-for-profit) which on-lets them to tenants at affordable rental. Asset value of the properties to the Trust is substantially more than the cost of construction, so investors are in fact making a return on their benevolent-purpose investment.
The project is a model for partnerships between government, community sector and private sector. It also has produced an investment model which is proving to be of immense interest to NFPs across Australia which are keen to adopt it to fund their construction of additional social housing. For our part, STEPS will produce 60 new dwellings a year in Tasmania, and be happy to assist with similar projects elsewhere.
CONTACT DETAILS
Contact person: Ken Langston, Chief Executive Officer
Address: Level 12, 39 Murray St, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia
Telephone: +61 3 6213 4002
Fax: +61 3 6213 4020
Email: klangston@stepstas.com.au
Organisational Website: www.stepstas.com.au
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ORGANISATION: SMARTCARE LIFESTYLE SOLUTIONS FOUNDATION LTD
OBJECTIVES
SMARTCare is a non-profit organisation founded by a group of families in Brisbane, Australia who are planning for the future welfare, care and independent living arrangements of their sons and daughters with disabilities. Many of the mothers and fathers involved are aging and are therefore particularly anxious to plan for the future welfare and security of their children.
ACTIVITIES AND TARGET GROUP
SMARTCare believes that people with disabilities should be fully integrated within the social, economic and physical infrastructure of society so that they can participate fully and equally in their communities.
SMARTCare aims to establish a new and innovative housing model to support young people with a disability to live independently but in a framework in which their families and the wider community play central roles in their support. It is anticipated that the model can be replicated by other families in other communities. Those involved in SMARTCare has drawn inspiration and learning from the Deohaeko Support Network in Canada.
HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE ORGANISATION
SMARTCare originated in May 2006 when Colin and Susan Ball’s daughter Anna, 20, who has a rare disability, was hospitalized due to a serious medical condition. After three months in hospital she was offered a place at an aged care nursing home for her continuing high care. Rejecting such an unacceptable option, Colin and Susan began to meet with other families whose children had disabilities. Since then SMARTCare has grown to involve approx 30 families who are planning for the future needs of their family members.
SMARTCare has also focused on the development of a framework of community and family supports to ensure the ongoing welfare and quality of life of the young people who are members of SMARTCare. Each family signs up to the values of SMARTCare and to the underlying principles of valuing every citizen in the community and ensuring that young people with disabilities are engaged in, participate in and enhance society as a whole. Activities include monthly events such as Social Youth Group events, family barbeques (both of which promote social capital and enhance the opportunity of increasing wider community networks) and Strategy Planning One Day Workshops.
RESOURCES
SMARTCare is currently run by volunteers. These include the families of the young people with disabilities, supporting members and the Board. However, funding has been sought and it is hoped that by 2008 a first grant may have been approved to enable the appointment of a Project Officer of the organisation.
WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE AND INNOVATIVE ABOUT SMARTCARE?
SMARTCare is involved in the design and development of suitable accommodation to meet the housing needs of people with a disability to live independently within their community of choice, with the people of their choice. For example, a sub-committee of SMARTCare meets regularly to discuss the design and development of SMARTCare’s proposed inaugural site where it is envisaged that 3/4 young people with disabilities will live with other people without disabilities who are unpaid carers (offset against receiving low cost accommodation). In some cases paid carers will be required, but they will be selected not only on their qualifications but also on the basis of their understanding of the principles of a person-centred approach.
ACHIEVEMENTS
In February 2007 SMARTCare was incorporated and on 22 August 2007, the Inaugural SMARTCare Board meeting took place. This was a significant milestone thanks in large part to the work undertaken by one of Brisbane’s major law firms, which did all the necessary legal work on a pro-bono basis. A website has also been constructed which shows the progress and development of the charity. For more information please visit www.smartcarefoundation.com
CONTACT DETAILS
Contact person: Susan Ball
Address: Registered Office: 180 Jubilee Terrace, Bardon, Queensland 4065, Australia
Telephone: +61 7 3254 0024
Email: info@smartcarefoundation.com
Website: www.smartcarefoundation.com
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ORGANISATION: NOOSA COMMUNITY TRAINING CENTRE (NCTC)
OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATION
Noosa Community Training Centre Inc aims to be a leading provider of Training, Labour Support and services for industry in our area of south-east Queensland, Australia.
Our aim is to consistently provide a high level of measurable quality service that attracts customers to us and enables us to meet their needs and provide customer satisfaction.
Noosa Community Training Centre Inc. is committed to the principles and practices entailed in the AS/NZS ISO 9001:2000 Quality System requirements and the Australian Quality Training Framework Standards for Registered Training Organisations (AQTF). Involvement of all staff in the implementation of our quality management system will ensure we have a systematic and consistent approach in conducting our services.
ACTIVITIES AND TARGET GROUP
In 1999 NCTC Inc, established Brite Side Industries – a community environmental project situated at the Noosa Shire Council Eumundi Road Landfill Site. It began as an initiative managed by volunteers and has developed into a self sustaining enterprise which operates 7 days a week and employs 4 full-time and 5 part-time staff. We have worked since its inception to ensure the sustainability of this service and to meet the ever increasing need of the local community to dispose of unwanted goods in an environmentally friendly and socially useful manner.
We have come a long way in 8 years. Brite Side Industries has established a reputation for differentiation in the recycling industry:
- the site is attractive, quality-assured and in good order
- community support is strong, evidenced by the donation of the building from Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club by Noosa Council which has been restored and now operates as a show room and sales area
- the repair work area is fully equipped with state of the art equipment to allow the production of quality merchandise
- the sales area provides easy identification and location of items
- wood work and other repaired items are clean and presented to attract sales
- we were very proud to be nominated for the Sunshine Coast Environmental Awards in 2001 just two years after it’s inception, and in 2003 we won the Sunshine Coast Environmental Awards for best ‘Waste Minimisation Initiative’. In 2007 we have been nominated again for the Sunshine Coast Environment Awards “Best Waste Minimisation Initiative”.
The focus of Brite Side has always been the establishment of a quality self sustaining enterprise which demonstrates the value to economic and community well-being, of sound environmental practices and environmental awareness.
NCTC is an integral part of the Sunshine Coast community, recognised for many years as a fundamental support mechanism for unemployed people assisting them to gain self esteem, training to assist them to find work and supported employment options. Since 1999 NCTC Inc has also been identified as a significant contributor to recycling in the local community.
HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT OF THE ORGANISATION
Noosa Community Training Centre Inc is a non-profit community organisation which has been providing training and support services to the Noosa community for the past 20 years. The services that we provide have evolved over the years to meet the ever changing demands of the community.
Noosa Community Training Centre Inc is managed by a board of Management consisting of 8 members. We employ 16 staff, 9 of these directly at Brite Side Recycling Centre. During a “usual” year we would support approximately 1341 unemployed members of the community through our training programs, employment programs, job search programs and Work for the Dole programs. We serviced in excess of 16,480 customers at Brite Side Recycling last year (2006).
RESOURCES
NCTC Inc is extremely proud of the fact that every staff member at Brite Side has been employed via a Queensland State Government (DEIR) employment initiative or Traineeship program. All staff are committed to recycling and improving our environment. By reducing landfill, providing affordable products to the wider community, being an employment generator, assisting incubator businesses, we are achieving our aim which is to GROW Brite Side Industries to achieve growth by integrating resources and capacity with creativity.
A couple of quotes from the “crew”.
“We have the opportunity at Brite Side to turn Waste around and sell it back to the community at reduced prices creating a “win - win” situation”.
“Working at Brite Side offers me personal satisfaction in knowing I contribute in the day to day process of decreasing the amount of landfill”.
“There is a lot of satisfaction in retrieving an item from being scrapped and selling it to a customer at a good price and seeing how happy they are”.
CONTACT DETAILS
Contact person: Glenda Lane
Address: 26 Eenie Creek Road, Noosaville, QLD, 4566
Telephone: 07 54497700
Fax: 07 5449 9009
Email: glenda@nctc.com.au
Organisational Website: www.nctc.com.au
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