connect • transform • enrich annual report 2016€¦ · betty blake diane lack arthur mccutchan...

ANNUAL REPORT2016

connect • transform • enrich

Enabling and encouraging individuals and familiesto take informed control of their own lives,

together enriching community .


together enriching community.



Encircle Annual Report 2016 | 1





Contents

Organisation Details 2

2016 Annual General Meeting Agenda 4

2015 Annual General Meeting Minutes 5

Board and Staff 8

Staff 2015-2016 10

Chairperson’s Report 11

Financial Report 12

CEO Report 13

Committees 14

Statistics 15

Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre 16

Homestay 18

GNB Family Support Services 20

Pine Rivers Community Legal Service 22

Riverstop Café and Garden 24

Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre 25

Our Supporters 29

Encircle Ltd. holds Public Liability Insurance with QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited $50,000,000Donations of over $2 are tax deductible

ANNUAL REPORT2016


2 | Encircle Annual Report 2016





Organisation DetailsMailing Address: Encircle Ltd. PO Box 489, Lawnton Qld 4501

Phone: (07) 3889 0063

Fax: 07) 3285 1531

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.encircle.org.au

BoardChairperson: Richard Haddon Attendance Percentage: 91%

Vice Chairperson: Quentin Nosovich Attendance Percentage: 100%

Treasurer: Mike McFillin Attendance Percentage: 100%

Secretary: Laurelle Muir Attendance Percentage: 100%

Member: Julie Jansen Attendance Percentage: 87.5%

Member: Michelle James Attendance Percentage: 73%

Member: Colin Scobie Attendance Percentage: 73%

Member: Ken Hunt Attendance Percentage: 82%

Member: Allan Dodd Attendance Percentage: 75%

Life MembersBetty Blake

Diane Lack

Arthur McCutchan

Shauna Niland

Richard Haddon

June Ditchburn

Joan Matthews

Ursala Lypko

Julie Brooks

Melinda Fleming

Dr. Patricia Rose

Adrienne Margerison

Sandy Doré

Brian Dyer

Philip Chappel

Judy Thomas

Joyce Duncan

William Schardt

Glenda Vuillermin

Elissa Nelson

Maree Inglis

Tracey Jeans






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2016 Annual General MeetingAgenda 20 October 2016 6.30pm Special General Meeting

7.00pm Welcome by Chairperson – Richard Haddon Presentation by Linda Lavarch

AGM Proceedings

• Apologies

• New members

• Proxy confirmations

• AGM Minutes 19 November 2015

• Annual Reports – Chairperson, Treasurer, CEO

• Vote of thanks to current Board

• Election of Board for 2016/2017

• Chairperson welcomes the new Board

• General Business

• Appointment of Auditor

• Life Membership

Close of formal meeting

Supper







Encircle Limited ABN 879 440 922 71

Minutes of Annual General MeetingHeld at 7.00pm on Thursday 19 November 2015 At Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre

OPENING: The Chairperson, Richard Haddon, opened the meeting at 7.00pm, welcomed all present and acknowledged the Traditional Custodians of the land.

GUEST SPEAKER: Penny Gordon spoke to the meeting about organisational culture and the features that contribute to a positive culture.

APOLOGIES: Keith Conder, Estrella CRDVS, Cecilia Taylor BINC, Phil Chappel, Michelle James, Sheree Jackson, Mel Fleming, Shane King (Member for Kallangur), Peter Dutton, Jan Payne, Senator Chris Ketter, Ann Rutkin, Diane Lack, Nikki Boyd (Member for Pine Rivers), John Daniels .

The motion is: That apologies be accepted.

Moved: Richard Haddon,

Seconded: Julie Brooks;

The motion is carried unanimously.

PRESENT: Twenty-three members and four guests signed the attendance list,

Members: Patrick Bulman, Laurelle Muir, Trish Johnstone, Amanda Mundy, Julie Brooks, Elissa Nelson, Quentin Nosovich, Saretta Sirett, Ally Kelly, Miranda Lipke, Richard Haddon, Gary Yule, June Ditchburn, Glenda Vuillermin, Louise Skidmore, Miriam Barber, Ken Hunt, Jason O’Connor, Julie Jansen, Patricia Rose, William Schardt, Meryl Ehrenberg, Colin Scobie,

Guests: Lisa Rosta, Kelly McGrath, Penny Gordon, Jason Cratson

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS: New Members

Applications for new membership of Encircle Ltd were proposed and seconded:

Jason O’Connor, Jannine Sharrock, Julie Jansen, Janelle Guan, Gwynne Meredith, Marjorie Buchanan, Lucia Nickolson, Donna Bullock, Miriam Barber, Kelly McGrath

The motion is: That applications for membership to Encircle Ltd be accepted.

Moved: Laurelle Muir,

Seconded: Patrick Bulman;


PROXY CONFIRMATIONS: There were two proxy votes: Michelle James appointed Richard Haddon, who accepted and Sheree Jackson appointed Allison Kelly who accepted.

The motion is: That the proxy votes be accepted.

Moved: Richard Haddon

Seconded: Colin Scobie

The motion is carried unanimously

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting held on 16 October 2014 were taken as read, having been circulated in the Annual Report and confirmed as a true and correct record of the meeting. The President (R. Haddon) called for questions on the minutes but none were asked.

The motion is: that the minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting are accepted as a true and accurate record.

Moved: Patricia Rose,

Seconded: Kenneth Hunt.


CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Richard Haddon tabled and spoke to his report and spoke about the year that was. The report was tabled and is available bound in the PRNC 2014-2015 Annual Report for all to read.

The motion is: That the report from the Chairperson.


Seconded: Colin Scobie


TREASURER’S REPORT: Quentin Nosovich presented the Treasurer’s report for the financial year 2014-2015 and spoke to the significant points. He explained that the organisation had experienced a difficult year due to funding delays, etc. The report was tabled and is available bound in the PRNC 2014-2015 Annual Report for all to read.

The motion is: that the Treasurer’s Report and audited financial statements are confirmed as a true and accurate record.

Moved: Quentin Nosovich

Seconded: Julie Brooks


The evening began at 6.30pm with finger food and drinks.






CEO’S REPORT: Patrick Bulman delivered his report and spoke to it. He thanked everyone for their work and support as the new CEO and thanked the previous CEO, Bernie O’Regan for his work. The report was tabled and is available bound in 2014 -2015 Annual Report for all to read.

The motion is: That the Report from the CEO is accepted.

Moved: Patrick Bulman

Seconded: William Schardt


VOTE OF THANKS TO THE CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Patrick Bulman thanked all the Board of Directors for their commitment and dedication over the past year and presented each member with a token of appreciation.

ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS AND BOARD MEMBERS: All positions on the Board of Directors were declared vacant and Richard Haddon thanked the outgoing Directors. William Schardt (past Chairperson) was invited to chair the election of the new Board.

He also thanked the outgoing Board and commended Encircle Ltd on its work. William explained that the Board is made up of nine directors: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary, and five ordinary Directors. One nomination (duly seconded and accepted) for each position had been received by the closing date.

William declared that all those nominated will be the new Board of Directors as follows:

Position Nominee Proposer Seconder

Chairperson Richard Haddon Michelle James Laurelle Muir

Vice-Chairperson Quentin Nosovich Michelle James Kenneth Hunt

Secretary Laurelle Muir Michelle James Richard Haddon

Treasurer Jason O’Connor Amanda Mundy Elissa Nelson

Director Michelle James Laurelle Muir Kenneth Hunt

Director Allan Dodd Amanda Mundy Elissa Nelson

Director Kenneth Hunt Quentin Nosovich Patrick Bulman

Director Julie Jansen Amanda Mundy Elissa Nelson

Director Colin Scobie Amanda Mundy Elissa Nelson

The incoming Chairperson, Richard Haddon, then took the chair.

CHAIRPERSON WELCOMES THE NEW BOARD:The incoming Chairperson thanked those on the Board for volunteering their time to be part of the management of the organisation and thanked William Schardt for chairing the election process and for his words of support. Richard then welcomed the incoming Board for 2015/2016

MOTIONS – CONSTITUTION:The Chairperson tabled proposed amendments to the Constitution of Encircle Ltd and explained that these related to changes to the Term of Director to set a term of 3 years.

This change was to provide some continuity in the make-up of the Board and to ensure turn-around of membership at the completion of that term. The amendment also included a clause that restricted a director from serving more than four terms in total. Richard tabled the amendments.

The motion is: That the Constitution of Encircle Ltd be amended as follows:

1. Clause 15.5 be deleted.

2. Following Clause 16 the following be inserted as Clause 17:

17. Term of director including maximum term

17.1 Any director elected after the date of commencement of the company is elected for a term of three (3) years unless clause 19 applies.

17.2 A director may be elected for a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms.

17.3 Clause 17.2 does not preclude a former director from being nominated to serve as a director of the company after expiration of a period of twelve months from the date their last term concluded.

17.4 Notwithstanding anything in this constitution, no director may serve for more than four (4) terms in total.

3. Subsequent Clauses be renumbered accordingly.

Notes:

1. Clause 15.5 “At each annual general meeting of the company, the directors must retire from office, but are eligible, on nomination, for re-election”

2. New Clause 19 is presently clause 18 “Resignation, removal, or vacation of office of director.”


Seconded: Quentin Nosovich

The motion is carried unanimously with 28 in favour.

APPOINTMENT OF AUDITOR: The motion is: That Skaines, Reeves and Jones (SRJ), be retained as auditor for the 2016 – 2017 financial year.


Seconded: Quentin Nosovich


LIFE MEMBERSHIPRichard Haddon advised that Glenda Vuillermin was proposed as a Life Member in recognition of her long service and contribution to Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Association and Encircle. In speaking to the proposal, Richard explained that Glenda began working for the organisation in December 2004 as a Legal Support Worker. She was appointed to the role of Community and Legal Information Support Worker in 2007. She then put herself through university while working and became a practicing solicitor in 2010.

The Chairperson presented Glenda with a gift to mark the occasion.

The motion is: That Glenda Vuillermin be accepted as a Life Member of Encircle Ltd.


Seconded: Ken Hunt

The motion is carried unanimously







CLOSE OF MEETING: Richard Haddon thanked all for coming and invited them to stay for supper.

There being no further business to discuss, the Annual General Meeting for 2014 was closed at 8.15pm.

Signed as a true and accurate record

of the minutes of the

Annual General Meeting

Held on Thursday 19th November 2015

Chairperson

Date






Board of Directors 2015-2016Richard Haddon Richard has been involved with Encircle and its predecessor Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre since 1998. During this time he has served in the roles of committee member, Vice-president, Secretary and, for the past two years, as Chairperson. Richard has lived in Petrie for over 30 years and has a strong commitment to his community and to the values of Encircle. He is actively involved with the work of the Pine Rivers Care Network and the emergency relief program at his local church. Prior to retirement Richard worked as a special education teacher and as a counsellor in local high schools.

Richard’s long involvement with the organisation provides a historical perspective on the growth and changes that have taken place in the development of Encircle. He has academic qualifications in Community Studies, Education and Counselling which provide a good understanding of the needs of the community and the nature of the work that Encircle undertakes. Richard has the knowledge, skills and experience to enable him to be an effective Chairperson and Director and to contribute to good governance and strategic planning which are the major functions of the Board of Directors of Encircle Ltd.

Quentin NosovichI bring to the Board an extensive work experience in the Queensland Public Sector in various roles, and I have also undertaken volunteer roles in a number of community organisations / clubs over the last 40 years. Since 2008, I have been both a volunteer and member of the Management Committee of Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Association Inc. and a member of the Encircle Ltd. Board of Directors.

As a member of the Board, I have contributed to the policy development process, particularly in the corporate services area and as a volunteer, I have provided advice to management and staff/volunteers on a range of human resource management and organisational development issues. I have held the roles of Secretary and Treasurer and I am currently Vice Chairperson. In fulfilling those roles, I believe I have always acted in a manner which upholds the values of Encircle Ltd. The issues of Integrity and Accountability are fundamental to everything we do and the decisions made by the Board. Our deliberations on issues require empathy and compassion when dealing with all our stakeholders, and our aim is always to empower our communities by increasing their capacity to take control of their own situations.

Laurelle MuirI have been involved with the organisation since 2008 when I became a member of the Management Committee of the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre. I have continued my involvement at that level as a Director of Encircle Ltd and have been Secretary of the Board for the past two years. I have also been asked to Chair the Business Development Committee.

I have lived in Pine Rivers since 1983 and my original involvement with the organisation was motivated by a strong sense of wanting to give something back to the area. In my professional life, I am a social planner. I have worked in local government for thirty years and have managed community development, social planning and community engagement teams. As a Board Member, I am able to apply my knowledge of working with the community sector to support the organisation and decisions made by the Board. I also bring managerial experience, strategic thinking and strong people skills. I have a strong belief in treating people with generosity and compassion. These are values that are at the core of the work that the staff and volunteers of Encircle deliver every day.

Michael McFillinAs an Accountant and auditor I bring a wide range of financial and business experience to the board. I focus on working with people to achieve common goals. I believe I bring a sense of perspective to any given situation.

I wish to be a director of Encircle because for me, it is an effective and meaningful way to give back to the community. My personal values of fair play, honesty and integrity are important parts of any organisational culture. These aspects together with a desire to contribute to the community in a positive way to help others, align my values and goals with that of Encircle

Michelle JamesI am a partner with a national social justice law firm, Maurice Blackburn and became involved with Encircle, in 2012, when I started volunteering as a solicitor at the Community Legal Service. That led to a request that I join what was then the Management Committee, and subsequently the Board. Even during my short time with Encircle I have seen many changes – from the move to the new premises at 865 Gympie Road, Lawnton; a name change and a move to a company structure. It is a credit to our organisation that these changes have been embraced by our staff and volunteers and that our culture has not been negatively impacted.

I have a long history of volunteering with various community organisations and charities both in the UK and in Queensland and I love that I am now able to contribute at a governance level. I bring to the Board a willingness to work hard for the future of the organisation, and some expertise in governance and leadership, together with my legal skills and networks. I am a strong advocate for transparency and diversity in governance.

Kenneth HuntI bring a diverse wealth of knowledge, experience and achievements in the workplace spanning some fifty years both in Australia and overseas, including, civil construction, retail management, security, government and Information and Communications Technology. I have been a volunteer for thirty years working with community organisations to develop positive outcomes through communication, negotiation and leadership always ensuring respect for diversity of opinion.

I first joined the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre in 2007 as a volunteer IT support officer and was invited to join the Management Committee in 2012. I have played a role in the development of the centre over the past nine years and have been a crucial part of the decision making process which has seen some major changes within the organisation, including becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee. I enjoy the challenge and remain committed to the future success of Encircle. Since joining the organisation in 2007 I have gained an understanding of the community sector and understand that the values of this organisation are those I have fostered for all of my life and believe this is where I can do the most good.

Colin ScobieA prominent community supporter, now being on the board of Encircle for 3 years. Plus, being on the boards of Rotary, Men’s Shed, Community Radio and Health Informatics Society, Colin brings the learned knowledge, experience and skills of a University of QLD MBA Alumni to the Board team & mentor strategy to the organisation.

My business acumen from being in major capital equipment/ICT business add to the business experience and enjoy working with working in community projects for Encircle and associated communities.






CEO

Patrick Chief Executive Officer

Elissa Corporate Services

Manager

Dean ICT Coordinator

Tracey Finance Admin

Barb Café Worker

Amanda Executive Services

Manager

Ken Director

Laurelle Secretary

Quentin Vice Chairperson

Richard Chairperson

Colin Director

Michelle Director

Board

Julie Director

Mike Treasurer

Legal

Alison Solicitor

Glenda Solicitor

Miriam G Legal Support

Worker

Miriam B Solicitor

Louise Principal Solicitor

PRNC Communities

Geneive Community Centres

Coordinator

Akin Community

Development Worker

Jodie Information,

Assessment and Referral Coordinator

Homestay

GNB Family Support Services

Redcliffe

Miranda Homestay Manager

Rose Homestay Case Worker

Kelly Homestay Case Worker

Trish Homestay Case Worker

Donna Family Support

Worker

Elly Family Support

Worker

Eileen Counsellor

Andrea Young Parents Worker

Lisa Family Support

Services Manager

Ally Services Manager

Tania Admin Support

Dee DV Counsellor

Malcolm Counsellor

Sheree OPAP Coordinator

Mia Family Support Worker

Jan Adult Literacy Support

Worker

Cheryl Family Therapist

Carol Specialised Family

Violence Counsellor

Ana Homestay Intake Worker

Alex Administration Worker

Chantelle Young Parents

Worker

Pine Rivers Counselling and Therapeutic Response

Naddy

Homestay Intake Worker

MaraSeniors Driver

Cafe

Jessie Young Parents

Worker

Ruth P Café Coordinator

Maggie Café Worker

Shirl Café Worker






Encircle Staff 2015-2016 CEO Patrick Bulman Chief Executive Officer

Amanda Mundy Executive Services Manager

Elissa Nelson Corporate Services Manager

Corporate ServicesDean Muir IT Officer

Tracey Jeans Finance Admin

Ruth Peddler Café Coordinator

Barbara Knights Café Worker

Magdolna Vasarhelyi Café Worker

Shirley Meers Café Worker

Ruth Wilkie Cleaner

PRNC Communities TeamGeneive Maher Community Centres Coordinator

Jan Payne Adult Literacy Support Worker

Akindeji Falaki Community Development Worker

Jodie Cowie Information, Assessment and Referral Coordinator

Pine Rivers Counselling and Therapeutic ResponseCarol Walton Specialised Family Violence

Counsellor

Eileen Clark Generalist Counsellor

Chery Keil Family Therapist

Pine Rivers Community Legal ServiceLouise Skidmore Principal Solicitor

Glenda Vuillermin Solicitor

Miriam Barber Solicitor

Alison McGeachie Solicitor

Miriam Grabec Legal Support Worker

Family Support ServicesLisa Rosta Family Support Services Manager

Donna Bullock Family Support Worker

Elly Emmett Family Support Worker

Jessie McDonald Young Parents Worker

Chantelle Hauser Young Parents Worker

Andrea Mejia Gonzalez Young Parents Worker

Kerrie-Ann Saunders Driver

HomestayMiranda Lipke Homestay Manager

Rose Butler Homestay Case Worker

Kelly McGrath Homestay Case Worker

Trish Johnstone Homestay Case Worker

Ana Sandoval Homestay Intake Worker

Naderlyn Ryan Homestay Intake Worker

Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre

Ally Kelly Services Manager/Family Therapist

Malcolm Cassidy Family Therapist

Dee Dornan Specialised Family Violence Counsellor

Sheree Jackson Seniors Support Worker

Mia Scholes Family Support Worker

Tania Hudson Community Development Worker

Alexandra Stowers Administration Worker

Mara Maloney-Mira Tech Savvy Seniors Driver

Steven Waters Cleaner

Contractors

Patricia Rose

Christine Knight

Sandy Moore

Former Staff Members Saretta Sirett

Kellie Pugh

Alesha Shanahan

Anne Castles

Ina Perkins

Opal Halliday

Lynn Bosel

Kym De Thierry

Christine Kent

Lucy Pearce

Simon Hinch

Val Farmer






Chairperson Report I am pleased to present my second annual report as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Encircle Ltd.

During the past year Encircle has continued to grow and develop as a strong and effective community organisation providing much needed services for people in our region. Managing this development has been both challenging and rewarding for staff, volunteers and the Board of Directors.

The Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation and ensuring that it is governed well in accordance with statutory requirements and good professional practice. Responding to these responsibilities has presented a number of challenges and opportunities which the Board has tackled during the year.

The Board is now in the process of developing a strategic plan to guide the direction of Encircle for the next 3 years. This follows a planning day held in early August when Directors, the CEO and the Leadership Team met with a consultant, Richard Willis, to develop a process for this strategic plan. The plan will focus on the actions required to meet a number of specific goals that will enable Encircle to fulfill its vision and mission. More information on this exciting development will be available soon.

Earlier in the year the Board set up three new committees to advise it on specific aspects of the governance of Encircle. The Governance and Nominations Committee will ensure that Encircle has an appropriate constitution and policies to guide the organisation now that it is a company limited by guarantee. The way in which we recruit directors to the Board and the skills and experience needed to effectively fulfill this role are also important considerations. We are very fortunate to have Michelle James’ legal expertise to guide the work of this committee. The Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee ably led by Mike McFillin has the challenging task of developing a balanced budget and overseeing the financial affairs of the company. A drop in available funds due to the current state of the economy and changes in government grants has necessitated some rethinking of our financial management. This has included some changes in the way in which staffing is organised and an increased focus on developing alternative sources of income. This latter element is the responsibility of the Business Development Committee which is looking at developing social enterprises, business partnerships, and access to philanthropic funds.

It is very pleasing that our senior staff have been gradually taking on more responsibility for the day to day operations of their areas of responsibility and of the organisation as a whole. This will free up our CEO to take on a more strategic role of developing relationships with government, other community organisations and businesses while maintaining an oversight

of the operations at Encircle. The development of these relationships will be aided by the support of our ambassador, Petero Civoniceva, and could open up the alternative sources of funds which we need to enable Encircle to meet the growing needs in our community.

Encircle Ltd is owned by its members who appoint the Board at the AGM to operate the company on their behalf. While the staff and volunteers are the faces and hands of Encircle it is the members who are its heart. In the last few months we have conducted a membership drive which has resulted in a huge growth in our membership base. It is great to see so many people with connections to Encircle showing their support by choosing to become members and thus adding to the strength of our organisation. Thank you for that encouraging and valuable support. Two newsletters have already been emailed to members this year and we plan that this will be a regular way of keeping in touch with our members and supporters.

The effectiveness of the Board is due to the commitment and hard work of our Directors. I wish to express my thanks to the current Directors, and to Allan Dodd and Julie Jansen who left the Board during the year, for their contributions. I am especially grateful for the support of the Executive, Quentin Nosovich (Vice-chairperson), Laurelle Muir (Secretary) and Mike McFillin (Chair of Finance and Risk Management).

We are very fortunate that the Board can safely leave day to day operations in the hands of our CEO, Patrick Bulman, and his very capable and committed staff. I appreciate the very professional and cordial relationship that Patrick and the Leadership Team have with Directors and the way they cooperate with and support the Board. On behalf of the Board I wish to thank all of the staff and volunteers for their hard work and commitment that makes Encircle such an effective and well respected community organisation.

Richard Haddon Chairperson






Financial ReportThe year has been a challenging one for the organisation. We experienced a shortfall in expected funding and an overrun in salary and wage expenses. These areas have now been resolved and we look forward to a more financially successful 2017 financial year.

Encircle Ltd is in a financial position that allows it to meet current and emerging community needs in the environment in which we operate.

We are currently working towards more self-funding as the current government funding model places more financial responsibility on individual providers.

We are committed to operating in an open and accountable manner. I would like to thank the staff, volunteers and Board of Encircle Ltd for their dedication and support.

Mike McFillin Chairperson Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee






CEO ReportI am again privileged to present this report as CEO of Encircle.

It has been a year full of challenges, opportunities and organisational growth. We are fortunate to be blessed with high calibre staff, a strong Leadership Team and an army of volunteers who are an incredible asset to Encircle. One of the outstanding features of the last 12 months has been a resulting culture shift across

all areas of Encircle to one of positivity and optimism, it’s clear that good banter can be heard daily and that humour levels are healthy. Encircle continues to recruit the best in the field, high calibre staff with a natural passion for what they do!

One of the major challenges this year was having to reapply for a number of funding agreements where any loss of funds would have a dramatic and negative impact on the people we service, some of which are our most marginalised, most vulnerable and least resourced to survive any cuts. I am delighted to announce that Encircle across all areas were successful with all funding agreements, it was particularly pleasing to see Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre who had endured a stressful and demanding period come out with flying colours and three successful tenders.

Our relationships with Contract Managers at the Department have also grown – they recognise through our reporting mechanisms, the innovative work we undertake and from their formal meetings with Encircle that we deliver in spades with excellence in service delivery. A common thread we hear from the Department is that Encircle “is a leader in its field” and it is that drive to be the best we can be that motivates our teams.

Another first for the organisation in 2016 was the announcement of Encircle’s Ambassador Petero Civoniceva who despite his current NRL commitments supports our organisation specifically in the areas of homelessness, domestic violence and mentoring positive male role model behaviour. Petero was kind enough to join a broad range of community groups at a recent Sleepout at Encircle Redcliffe grounds to raise awareness to the plight of the homeless – it was great to see people who are and have been homeless, community group representatives and Encircle staff discuss with Petero the daily challenges faced by the homeless and what opportunities exist to influence decision makers in the political sphere.

A new team of Managers have formed the Leadership Team and we are fortunate to have such talented individuals who have “rolled with the waves” during the changes made to better reposition Encircle towards a sustainable future with less reliance on government income. A warm thank you to Elissa, Amanda, Ally, Miranda, Louise and Lisa for your trust, professional companionship and supporting Encircle’s vision with enthusiasm and commitment – I am blessed to have each and every one of you.

A major shift over recent months has been the formation of three committees that sit under the Board, one of these has been the Business Development Committee which is rapidly shifting to position Encircle to attract sponsors, partnerships and donors, even at this early stage we have been able to achieve some runs on the Board however in this current financial year the expectation is that this will gather more momentum and grow these business relationships through to fruition.

For any CEO they need the support of a unified and progressive Board, the Executive of Richard Haddon as Chair, Quentin Nosovich as Vice Chair, Laurelle Muir as Secretary and Mike McFillin as Treasurer have supported the shift in direction to futureproof the organisation against our competitors. This has made the role of CEO a pleasure and I thank the entire Board, past and present for their generous support as we move through exciting times.

Patricia Rose our long standing consultant still has involvement with Encircle and has been involved in a couple of tenders during her Winnebago travels to the extremes of this vast country. I would also like to acknowledge our new Consortium Manager Chris Knight who has already made her mark on what is a very special collaboration of Neighbourhood Centres – we look forward to more of the same over coming months.

Finally I would like to acknowledge the support of both Federal and State members of Parliament, in particular Senator Chris Ketter; Yvette D’Arth, State Member for Redcliffe; Nikki Boyd, State Member for Pine Rivers; Shane King, State Member for Kallangur; Mark Furner, State Member for Ferny Grove; Luke Howarth, Federal Member for Petrie; and Federal Minister for Dickson Peter Dutton.

Patrick Bulman CEO






CommitteesBusiness Development Committee The Encircle Ltd. Board of Directors has established a Business Development Committee to develop a forward Business Development Strategy and to advise the Board on business development initiatives.

The Committee is currently developing a draft Business Development Strategy for the period 2016 – 2020 with a goal to generate a significant portion of non-government revenue for Encircle Ltd. by the year 2020. It is hoped to hold a community festival on Australia Day 2017 to raise funds for much needed services to our communities.

As the business development activities are progressively developed and approved by the Encircle Ltd. Board of Directors, information on activities will be provided.

Finance, Audit and Risk Management CommitteeThis year saw the formation of the Finance, Audit and Risk Management (FARM) Committee. The Committee currently comprises a combination of three Board members being Quentin Nosovich, Ken Hunt and myself together with two employee members being Elissa Nelson (Corporate Services Manager) and Patrick Bulman (CEO).

The purpose of the Committee is to oversee the financial and risk management aspects of Encircle Ltd and report to the Board.

This year, the Committee has been involved with the budget process and is currently reviewing financial processes in the organisation as well as the examination of recurrent and capital expenditure.

This focus will continue into 2017.

Governance and Nominations Committee As part of Encircle’s ongoing commitment to increased discipline in corporate governance, 2015/16 saw the establishment of the Governance and Nominations Committee (‘GAN’) (along with two other committees). The GAN is responsible for overseeing the processes that ensure Encircle has an effective professional Board of Directors, a Chief Executive Officer with appropriate delegations to achieve the vision of the Board, and a skilled and supported team of staff and volunteers. We also ensure that the transparency of governance that Encircle has long enjoyed is maintained.

The Board is elected by the Members of Encircle and is responsible for overseeing the strategy of the organisation and ensuring there is rigorous corporate governance. It is therefore important that the individuals standing as Directors of Encircle demonstrate clear values alignment with those of the organisation together with a commitment to ethics in governance. As a group, the Board needs to ensure there is a mix of skills to allow for proper corporate governance and strategic oversight, and that there is diversity in views together with the right mix of long standing experience and new enthusiasm.

To enable the objectives outlined above, we are proposing some changes to the part of the Constitution dealing with appointment of Directors, to limit the time a Director can serve on the Board, and allow for a new procedure for the vetting of proposed Directors. As is proper, the Constitution can only be amended by way of a special resolution at a special general meeting, and we will be seeking your agreement to make these important changes at the AGM.

For 2016/17, we will be working on reviewing all policies that fall under the GAN’s oversight to ensure they are still relevant to our organisation, together with ensuring that action plans to meet the three goals in the 2020 Strategic Plan which fall under our oversight are complied with. We will also be working on a procedure for ongoing review of Board performance, both at an individual and group level.






Encircle StatisticsPINE RIVERS NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Number of visitors to the centre 7652

Number of phone calls to the centre 9987

Number of adults (2834) and children (2382) supported with a referral for food 5216

Number of participants supported with bills, including advocacy and information 2360

Number of individuals and families supported with furniture 60

Adult Literacy sessions 1360

Adult Literacy participants 30

Number of Multicultural Women’s Group 22

Number of Conversational Groups 32

Number of volunteers 135

Number of regular hirers utilising the Community Centres 146

Number of casual hirers utilising the Community Centres 171

PINE RIVERS COUNSELLING AND THERAPEUTIC SERVICES

Counselling participants 120

Specialised Family Violence participants 72

Family Therapy participants 97

HOMESTAY

Homestay cases 324

Number of referrals 515

Volunteer hours 345

PINE RIVERS COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE

Legal information and referral activities 2726

Legal Advice activities 2508

Duty Lawyer services (from October 2015) 227

Casework 382


Volunteer hours contributed 4500

Volunteer hours by solicitors 1446

REDCLIFFE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

Number of visitors 4119

Number of phone calls 4285


Intake and Response participants 1669

Specialised Family Violence participants 78

Counselling and Family Therapy participants 84

Older Persons Action Program members 230

Older Persons Action Program Flexi-Ride trips 1545

Older Persons Action Program clients 145

Older Persons Action Program number of hours spent supporting clients 720

GREATER NORTH BRISBANE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICE

Pine Rivers

Number of families supported 69

Average percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families supported 9%

Average percentage of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families supported 12%

Number of group work sessions (as part of two cycles of group work offered) 15

Average number of group participants 7

Young Parents Program

Number of families/individuals participated in the service 137

Average percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families supported 19%

Average percentage of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families supported 25%

Number of group work sessions (as part of five cycles of group work offered) 46

Average group participants at each session of Pregnancy Group 10

Average group participants at each session of Young Mum’s Group (parents/children) 16/23






Pine Rivers Neighbourhood CentreResponding to community needs and building community capacity remains a strong focus for the Communities Team at the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre.

Akin, our Community Development Worker, and his volunteer team implemented the Kids Connect to Garden project over 10 weeks to support preschool children and families prepare kids to meet their development milestones in readiness for school. A Multicultural Conversations and Action Program helped connect our diverse community to Encircle services and we commenced the Commonwealth funded Community Leadership Program in partnership with Ethic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ). The Bethlehem Markets cultural event was another avenue we used to work with community groups to promote community participation and access to information about available services at the Neighbourhood Centre. Some other programs and events held included the Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Money Course, community engagement sessions with schools in Undurba and Pine Rivers, Information Sessions on Aged Care and the drug Ice. At the heart of all our achievements was our amazing volunteers and we were honoured to specially celebrate them with a dinner during the national volunteering week.

Our Community Centres Coordinator, Geneive and her wonderful volunteer team ensured that the community centres managed by Encircle on behalf of the Moreton Bay Regional Council continued to be utilised to their fullest potential. Encircle successfully tendered for management of Pendicup Community Centre in Warner, bringing the number of community centres managed by Encircle to an impressive eight. Geneive and her team have done a wonderful job and all the community centres are bursting with casual and permanent hirers.

Within the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre we have more and more opportunities for the community to connect and learn new skills e.g. Mosaics Classes; Create Caring Community; Nia; Playgroups; QuIHN Free Nursing Service. We have also offered our spaces to other community groups to ensure that the services people need are accessible.

Adult Literacy continues to thrive under the steady hand of Jan, our Adult Literacy Support Worker and her team of 25 volunteer tutors. There were 36 students during 2015-16 who continue to come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, such as NESB, young, old, with intellectual disabilities or learning difficulties and have varying needs such as wishing to improve their speaking, reading, writing or numeracy skills. Feedback continues to show very positive outcomes e.g. gaining of employment, improved confidence with English speaking, writing and reading, increased social interaction. We have had guest speakers attend our monthly Tutor Training sessions such as a local Speech Pathologist and the Executive Officer from SPELD.

The Conversational English group at North Lakes Library continues to operate during school terms. An average of 4 to 5 people attend each week with positive feedback about increased confidence in speaking English being reported.

The Multicultural Ladies Group (MLG) continues to meet twice a month, with outings held four times each year. Outings have included trips to Mt Coo-tha Gardens, Redcliffe, Wynnum and Walkabout Creek at The Gap. Mueller College continue to provide their bus and driver free of charge to allow these outings to occur .The group also enjoyed Australia Day celebrations at






Old Petrie Town, a Harmony Day event and Circle Dancing. Other weeks have been very informative with guest speakers from organisations such as Queensland Police, Queensland Ambulance, Diversicare, Carers Queensland and Centrelink. An average of 19 ladies attended each session.

With a focus on developing a consistent approach to the provision of information and referral at the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre, this year the Intake and Response Team, Greeters and Telephone Reception Teams all merged together to form the Information, Assessment and Referral Team. Jodie, our Information, Assessment and Referral Coordinator, led the team of twenty-seven volunteers who together provided telephone reception, greeting in the welcome space, admin support to the organisation, financial counselling, as well as assessment and referral through the centre’s Intake and Response Program. Between them, they supported 7652 contacts through the front door of Encircle Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre and answered 9987 phone calls! Out of these contacts, 5216 were from vulnerable individuals and families experiencing crisis. We continued to work in partnership with the Pine Rivers Care Network to meet this need.

We would sincerely like to thank all of the dedicated volunteers who have contributed to the team throughout the last year. Their diversity, breadth of experience and genuine care and

compassion ensure that the Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre is able to support the many vulnerable individuals and families living in the Pine Rivers community who contact the centre for support, connection and assistance.

Amanda Mundy Executive Services Manager






HomestayHomestay have seen another year of both challenges, and achievements with improved outcomes in the lives of our clients. These outcomes have been achieved through both, Early Intervention to Homelessness and Interim Support for those experiencing homelessness.

In the last 12 months we received 515 referrals, and have provided 324 case support periods. For the first time in the history of the program we needed to “close the books” to allow us to mange the high demand for this service. The Redcliffe and Lawnton site Intake and Response (I&R) volunteer teams have seen approximately 850 homeless presentations. The I&R team Coordinators Jodie and Alex, do an incredible job with their volunteers and the support they provide our program is essential to our service delivery model.

While the lack of affordable housing is a continuing issue, the emerging challenges we have seen this year have been increases in the complexity of people’s lives and the systems that they are required to negotiate to meet their needs. This has been evidenced in the increased average length of time for case support periods and also as a common theme in case support discussions within the team.

We have seen an increase in the numbers of families impacted by Domestic and Family Violence (DF/V), with more clients experiencing financial hardship because of relationship breakdown and the subsequent loss of a partner’s income in the household. For many people on low incomes one of the few solutions left for them is a shared tenancy. This option can be tricky to manage in the best of circumstances, but for

those impacted by DF/V, mental health conditions or other compounding life issues it is not a reasonable one. Despite this, as a team we have continued to explore how we could support clients to manage shared tenancies successfully. The development of strategies and formalised tools will be a focus for us moving into the future.

Increased demand and competition for finite services and resources creates management systems that leave clients with more bureaucratic and complex processes to access them. For many of our clients this has presented further barriers and workers have spent more time assisting and advocating for clients navigating through these systems.

In recent times it has been more important than ever before to notice and celebrate the “little wins”, the many baby steps that clients take to reach their goals and improve their lives. It is the myriad of these small achievements that lead to significant change in people’s lives. This is not to say that small steps are insubstantial, sometimes they can be the most difficult to make.

At a broader level Homestay have continued to co lead the Moreton Bay Housing and Homelessness Network. The Network ran another successful Reconnect event for Homelessness week. With a significant proportion of Australians being only 2 pay cheques away from homelessness, one of the aims of the event is to raise public awareness of homelessness and the available supports and resources in local communities. Service networking at the event also strengthens collaborative relationships across Moreton Bay.






While working from busy Neighborhood Centre hubs means that our program is always at capacity, we also have the advantage of having access to the many valuable internal resources and programs. We would like to acknowledge the expertise and hard work from Encircle’s Family Support Program, Community Legal Service, our Counsellors, the Older Persons Action Program and Gerry, our wonderful Financial Counsellor.

Special thanks to the Life Centre Church for the beautiful Christmas hampers they donate each year, and to Barnardos for supplying children’s Christmas gifts. To our Homestay volunteers, Matthias, Naomi, Deb and Deena, your support has been invaluable. To Estelle and Justine our wonderful students, we wish you all the best in your future professional lives and thank you for your contribution to the Homestay program and the lives of our clients.

Thank you to our clients for allowing us the privilege of walking alongside you through some difficult times and those “little wins”, your courage and perseverance is what keeps us inspired.

Lastly I would like to thank the Homestay team, Ana, Kelly, Rose, Trish and Naddy. The work that they do is challenging and can be very frustrating when there are limited resources and options for people. Yet they do find solutions. They are able to support many people to access and maintain their basic human right to a safe, stable home and in doing so restore their belief in themselves and the own strengths and resilience.

Miranda Lipke Homestay Manager






Greater North Brisbane Family Support ServicesThe Greater North Brisbane (GNB) Family Support team has undergone significant transition and change throughout this year. Of most significance, this year saw the merging of the two programs under one manager and service incorporating both the Young Parents Program and Pine Rivers Family Support Services. A focus in this process involved the aligning of these two services in their delivery of quality services to support vulnerable families in the North Brisbane and Pine Rivers areas.

The team has welcomed a number of new staff this year, bringing new skills, experiences, and vibrancy to the GNB Family Support team. The merging of the two teams has also brought a rich diversity and sharing of knowledge across both program areas, contributing to high quality service provision. The team has persevered through a strategic transition process, with adjustments made to service requirements, model, and delivery in line with changing needs within the sector. This transition has resulted in a strong and resilient team and both programs being well positioned to provide responsive services moving forward.

Pine Rivers Family Support

The Pine Rivers Family Support program was restructured this year to provide an additional worker to meet increasing need for support services in the local community. The inclusion of a second worker has increased the capacity of the program, resulting in more families being able to access the service and receive much needed support. A number of common themes have been identified for families presenting to Family Support this year highlighting the complexity of issues that families have experienced and that impact parenting and family relationships. Some of these themes include historical experiences of trauma and/or child protection involvement, mental health issues, domestic and family violence experiences, and substance use.

In addition to the outreach support provided and in response to identified needs, the Family Support program was also involved in the delivery of two groups this year in collaboration with Encircle’s Generalist Counsellor and Family Therapist. The first group offered was a Parent Group focused on parenting experiences and developing insight in parenting. The second group offered was a Circle of Security Group, a relationship based parenting program supporting parents to build healthy and secure relationships with their children. These groups received positive feedback from participants and extended upon the support provided individually.

Young Parents Program

The Young Parents Program experienced a number of changes throughout the year including staff and service delivery changes. Despite these changes however, YPP delivered three Pregnancy Groups, each of ten weeks duration and two Young Mums Groups, also ten weeks each in duration. In addition to providing new mums with important antenatal education, Pregnancy Group also saw an increase in the involvement






of young dads accessing and engaging in group work for information and support. The Young Mums Group continued to provide peer group support for young mums and their children whilst also providing access to various service providers for additional support. Group work also involved collaboration with other key services including Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre, Women’s Health Queensland Wide, My Midwives, Child Health, and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital to support access and engagement with services. Through support, YPP identified common themes that impact upon young parents including financial hardship, housing instability, domestic violence, social isolation, mental health issues, and historical experiences of trauma.

Transition planning was an important phase this year, with strategic stages put in place to implement a case management model of service delivery to sit alongside the group work element of support offered at YPP. This staged transition was pivotal to the effective implementation of changes and development of the service. The team was able to successfully navigate this transition phase and the service has emerged with a case management approach that incorporates the effective support offered through the group work and extends upon it through the provision of tailored case planning and associated support.

Lisa Rosta Family Support Services Manager






PINE RIVERS COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICEThe Pine Rivers Community Legal Service has had a year of significant growth and change. We have expanded our services to provide the Duty Lawyer Service at the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court for Domestic and Family Violence and for Child Protection. We have provided legal advice and information to almost 5000 people over the last year, a 20 % increase from last year, but we have also been unable to meet the growing need in our community for those disadvantaged in accessing professional and early legal advice in their matters. We have increased our community group legal information and education services in an effort to reach more people whilst we are facing challenging funding limitations.

This year we farewelled our Principal Solicitor, Lynn Bosel. Lynn joined the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service as Principal Solicitor in 2007. Lynn has a great deal of legal knowledge and experience particularly in family law and she led the team through a period of significant growth. Lynn’s empathy and compassion was reflected in her approach to the provision of legal advice. Lynn made such a difference to the lives of the clients who came to see her and her patient, kind, professional and practical approach guided clients through very stressful circumstances. Under Lynn’s guidance the team of staff, volunteers and law students were encouraged to reach their potential and grow in confidence and abilities. We thank Lynn for being so fiercely proud of the legal service and the team- and for her passion for providing access to the legal system for our community.

Louise Skidmore was appointed as the new Principal Solicitor and we welcomed Alison McGeachie to the team-a Solicitor with a particular passion for youth justice.

Not only has the team expanded the range of services which we provide but we have also increased our office space. We now have a larger reception area and conference/training space. Our street address has changed to 4A/481 Gympie Road, Strathpine.

Volunteers are such an important part of the provision of our service. Thank you to all our administrative volunteers, law students and volunteer Solicitors. Gary, Miles, Ofa, Angela and Cynthia have helped to keep the day time service running this last year, and all of our law students contribute both day and night. Special thanks to law students Jody, Tess, Leo, Amy, Carmen, Cindy, Georgia, Pam, Laura, Rhys, Vivian, Candice and Brad for their weekly help. Our daytime volunteer solicitors Mark, Rebecca, Robyn, Shirmie, Wanda and Liz provided a valuable addition to the provision of legal advice as well.

The core service is the provision of legal advice and information by appointment. There is a waiting list of four to five weeks at times which impacts on our ability to provide those in need with access to legal advice early on in a matter in order to help prevent escalation of their problem or dispute.

We retain our essential ‘walk-in’ legal advice service every Thursday evening in order to be available for people who need urgent access to legal advice and supplement the day time service. The demand for the Thursday evening walk-in service is very high and we would not be able to provide this service without the thirty nine (39) loyal Solicitors in private practice who volunteer their valuable time to assist our community. A few of our Solicitors have been volunteering with us for over twenty years - Neil, Michael and Gordon. So many hours!






There are usually four or five Solicitors every Thursday evening as well as law student volunteers. Tony and Miles reliably attend and volunteer almost every week and their support keeps our systems running smoothly.

Legal advice is also provided by our staff Solicitors at various outreach areas. At the Family Relationships Centres at Chermside and Strathpine we provide legal advice to people prior to, during or post mediation on a weekly basis. We also provide legal advice at Picabeen Neighbourhood Centre in Mitchelton, at Bribie Island Neighbourhood Centre in collaboration with the Moreton Bay Regional Community Legal Service and at Encircle Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre.

We have collaborated with more community groups especially in Redcliffe, to provide extensive community legal education and information sessions; our most popular topics being Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorneys, Respectful Relationships and Scams.

In partnership with Griffith University, law students studying Street Law have been placed with the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service to prepare and present community legal education to local schools and community groups. This is a very popular and in-demand service. This past year the students presented on Human Rights-in particular a Children’s Bill of Rights to a local school. They also presented to a community group regarding Scams and online fraud.

QUT law students who signed up for the Clinical Legal Program were placed with the Pine Rivers Community Legal Service to prepare and present community legal education and their topic was domestic violence. For the first time as well, law students were placed especially with the service to attend the Pine Rivers Magistrates Court as support for the Domestic and Family Violence Duty Lawyer.

Professional development remains a priority for our solicitors and they all attended the Queensland Law Society’s Family Law Residential.

Our staff Solicitors- Glenda, Miriam B and Alison have worked very hard to meet the growing need for early legal advice by increasing the number of legal advice and information sessions, expanding the community legal education service, providing the two Duty Lawyer Services, maintaining up to date professional knowledge, and networking – all whilst under threat of funding cuts in July 2017. The Solicitors have been supported by the hard work of the Legal Support Worker, Miriam G who is at the forefront of our client service and who coordinates all of our volunteers.

The Pine Rivers Community Legal Service team strives to place our clients in the best possible position they could be by working on practical legal solutions together - supported by the range of services available at Encircle.

Louise Skidmore Principal Solicitor






CAFE AND GARDENThe Community Garden The social enterprise of the garden at Encircle Pine Rivers Neighbourhood Centre has continued to grow with plants being offered for sale outside the café and near the vegie patch through an honesty system. The Community Garden is looked after by a team of volunteers that maintain, redesign and implement changes to the vegetable gardens to assist with the ‘Garden to Plate’ motto of the Riverstop Café. You are very welcome come down and have a wander through our gardens and talk to the volunteers about the different types of plants that we have either for sale or growing.

Riverstop Cafe - Garden to PlateThe cafe has continued to be a meeting place for local community groups to hold their breakfast meetings as well as team meetings for some of the local projects around the Lawnton area. Over the past year we have worked alongside local schools and been able to offer work experience within a cafe environment with two of these students undertaking School Based Traineeships for the retail sector. Without Ruth and her team of hard working volunteers and staff we would not be able to offer the fantastic service that we provide. The Cafe has made a number of menu changes over the past year in line with the seasons, offering tempting homemade soups and new cakes and slices.

Please drop in and sample some of our fantastic menu options. The Riverstop Cafe is open Monday to Friday 7.30am til 2.00pm.






REDCLIFFE NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Encircle Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre has had a busy year providing high quality service delivery to the community. We were successful in securing three funding submissions in September 2015 which was contributed to the implementing of the new Department of Communities specifications in July 2015.

Our achievements are a reflection of the commitment, loyalty, flexibility, work ethic, skills, energy and wisdom of the volunteers and staff. Encircle Redcliffe values positive relationships with community groups, private and corporate businesses, government and non-government agencies and individuals who share our vision in strengthening, supporting and educating our community for sustainable change.

VolunteeringWe would not be able to provide professional service delivery to members of the community without the help and support of our 52 loyal, passionate and skilled volunteers.

Professional development and peer supervision are important for Encircle Redcliffe as the site continues to upskill and support volunteers in the diverse and integral roles they fulfill within the organisation. Training topics included: self-care; mindfulness practice; managing anxiety; workplace health and safety; manual handling; cultural diversity intelligence; financial literacy; protective behaviours; empowerment versus rescuing; working with aggressive behaviours; stress management; engaging with young people and substance abuse (ICE) training with QPS.

Our counselling team provides regular bi-monthly professional supervision for Redcliffe volunteers aimed to support them in their diverse and challenging roles. Topics explored included: what is supervision; supervision in action; self care and mindful practice; reflective practice; roles and challenges; managing internal conflict; developing emotional intelligence; strengths-based practice; boundaries; managing change and ambivalence; and strengthening team culture.

Over 5,285 phone calls were received this financial year. Encircle Redcliffe have highly skilled Administration and Intake and Response volunteers, who have an enthusiastic and ‘can do’ attitude which supports them to provide advocacy to clients in need. 253 members of the community presented as homeless; 66 people required housing and accommodation support; 10 families were assisted with medical scripts filled; and 98 people were supported with Department of Housing related issues.

This year 4,119 clients’ received support through our Intake and Response service. Families and individuals accessing this service received goods and services that are totally funded by the generosity of our community, including food, clothing, household items, school packs, school equipment, go-cards, blankets, and personal items. We would like to give a special mention to the ‘Textor Family’ who donate every month; ‘Oz Harvest’ ‘GIVIT’ and ‘The Redcliffe Bridge Club’ for providing us the opportunity to top up our pharmacy account. As an organisation, it is humbling to see the community supporting its members as we collectively strive to support vulnerable people to make informed decisions and improve their quality of life.

Community Development Purposeful partnerships continue to strengthen and compliment service delivery at Encircle Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre. A heartfelt thank-you to: Centrelink; Department of Housing; Salvation Army Financial Counselling; ARAFMI; Alcoholics Anonymous; Redcliffe Men’s Shed; Redcliffe City Rotary, Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise, Oz Harvest, Second Bite, Zonta; Soroptimist; Deadlee Mardars; Redcliffe Bridge Club; Kippa-Ring Lionesses Club; Redcliffe Scrabble Club, Red Cross; Dreamtime Kullilla Arts; Aftercare; Partners in Recovery; Churches of Christ; Redcliffe Area Youth Space; Headspace; Probation and Parole; Metro North Health; Steps Employment; local schools and churches; private businesses and individuals. You have all contributed to so many of our successful outcomes this financial year!

During National Volunteer Week Encircle acknowledged our volunteers by hosting an evening of dining and entertainment. Staff volunteered their time to prepare, cook and serve our amazing volunteers. Over 65 volunteers and their partners attended.

A collaborative partnership with SIMNI (lead agent) included the development of a children’s resource. A unique Mandela was designed and incorporated into a children’s resource booklet that was based around the core message “I Believe You” and that “Even Hero’s Need Help”. This was launched at a family fun day event aimed to highlight the importance of healthy lifestyle choices; and the protection of our most vulnerable - our children.

A partnership was fostered with Deadlee Maardars to offer Indigenous centre-based activities to enhance access and connection with our Indigenous community members. This involved the coming together of our Indigenous youth with their elders and supported them to connect with their cultural ties, encouraged healing, and helped young people to find themselves by getting back to family roots.

Redcliffe Community Care Network nominated the Redcliffe Neighbourhood Centre to lead the 2015 Christmas hamper drive. 150 food hampers and gifts for families and individuals affected by financial and/or emotional crisis were distributed across the Redcliffe Peninsula.

Encircle Redcliffe identified a need to support families and individuals with medical scripts which was not possible due to a lack of funding. This resulted in a collaborative partnership with Midway Guardian Pharmacy to develop and fund this much-needed resource.






Supporting individuals and families affected by homelessness is an ongoing challenge in Redcliffe. Having resources on hand when emergency accommodation is not available enables us to provide support, hope, comfort, shelter and safety for people affected by homelessness. Collaborative partnerships with the ‘Breakfast Club; Goodnight Australia; Real Way Realty and Rotary has lead to an ongoing supply of Backpack Beds.

Flexi-ride is a community development transport initiative serviced by volunteers to support local seniors attend social, doctor, specialist appointments or any other trip which is beneficial in reducing social isolation for seniors. Roughly 1296 flexi-ride trips have been provided by the 9 volunteer flexi-ride drivers.

Community Development Awareness - Domestic ViolenceCommunity awareness is a critical part of the work in the field of Domestic and Family Violence. This provides insight into the prevalence of this dehumanizing societal issue, raises community awareness featuring current statistics, and highlights various support services available. Encircle provides a broad range of education including professional development opportunities; community events; information and referral for community members, workers, community groups, schools and local organisations.

Yarn Bombing – Knit for Change project:

This project was undertaken during Domestic and Family Violence (D&FV) month running until the end of November 2015. Our trees were ‘yarn bombed’ as a symbolic reminder of the importance of eliminating violence and to mark this centre as a safe space to access support. This project aimed to reduce social isolation bringing the ‘whole of community’ together to take a united stand against violence.

Thank-you to the Sunrise Lions Club for their kind donation to purchase wool for our projects starter packs. A social group called ‘Crafty Chicks’ was facilitated during this period and continues to this day reducing isolation in our community by fostering community engagement and connection.

Annual Candle Lighting Ceremony May 5th 2016:

A “Candle Lighting Ceremony” event is held annually to acknowledge those lives lost and those left behind due to D&FV. This year we launched a digital resource including a DVD and You-tube clip in partnership with Soroptomist International Moreton North Inc. (SIMNI) to highlight men in our community and their responses to D&FV. The resource highlights ways men can respond to violence by other men, and how they can support and empower women. This year 58 participants attended and the red poppies remain on Encircle’s fence as a reminder the lives lost in the war against D&FV.

Annual White Ribbon Day Event:

Globally, White Ribbon is the world’s largest male-led movement to end men’s violence against women. Redcliffe’s annual White Ribbon Day on November 25th, 2015 gained momentum this year with 115 people attending including 34 men. Key community members and government agencies attended including Queensland Police Service, Headspace, Queensland Health, Aftercare; Anglicare; Soroptomist International (SIMNI); Zonta, Lioness Club; Men Shed, Moreton Bay Regional Council, CADA; Women’s refuge and local residents. During this event, we invited the whole of community to stand together taking a public ‘Oath’ against violence. Feedback from this event resulted in the establishment of a working group of committed members for our 2016 event.






Redcliffe and Pine Rivers Counselling The Counselling team would like to acknowledge Encircle’s management for providing the counselling team with dedicated counselling spaces and the support needed to meet the demands of such unique client groups. Flexibility in payment options for clients is greatly appreciated by all clients, those who are able to pay do so and those who can’t are appreciative of being able to access much needed support, often at a time when they are most vulnerable.

Pine Rivers Specialised Family Violence Service:

SFV counselling services provided counselling support to 72 participants. Two psycho-educational group programs for men, who were current clients of Pine Rivers Probation and Parole, were offered in 2016. The focus of both groups was on Understanding Heathy Relationships with Partners and Children. Although all participants were named as respondents in current Domestic Violence Orders, the focus of the group work was not on behaviour change, but on developing and understanding of healthy and unhealthy relationship dynamics. The majority of clients seeking counselling support were women who had experienced domestic violence within their relationship historically, or had recently escaped a violent relationship. Approximately one third of the clients were children who had witnessed, or personally experienced violence in the home. There has been an increasing need for trauma informed counselling for children over the year, as availability of children’s domestic violence counselling in the Pine Rivers area is scarce. The increasing referrals throughout the year show a high demand and an ongoing need for trauma informed specialised domestic violence counselling support for both women and children.

Pine Rivers Family Therapy Service:

During this financial period 97 clients received therapy, including 206 couple, family and individual sessions. Therapeutic group work was offered based on client presenting needs including two Circle of Security parenting groups. The presenting issues for therapy cover a wide range of difficulties and experiences. Family Therapy enables engaging with the ‘whole family system’ as a functioning unit. The presenting issues ranges from couple difficulties such as communication, intimacy and conflict; parenting issues; developmental transitioning; blended families and single parenting challenges. Family Therapy aims to be inclusive and considerate of the needs of each member of the family and/or other key relationships (systems) in people’s lives and to recognise and build on peoples’ strengths and relational resources.

Pine Rivers Generalist Counselling:

Referrals for Generalist Counselling have been steady this year, with a high uptake and follow through from clients with 120 clients receiving counselling support. Clients presented with ages ranging from 5 to 85, a mix of genders, sexual orientation, individual clients and couples, families and carer/s, cultural variations, and a mix of intellectual capacities. Trends include grief and loss; employment; trauma (current, historical, sexual abuse, D&FV, assault); substance use/misuse; financial; couples counselling; child counselling; parenting; mental health (including assessment and the need for a good working relationship with an ethical psychiatrist who can provide sound support for those clients navigating their way through the mental health system). Every client presents with multiple challenges, never one thing in isolation.

Redcliffe Specialised Family Violence Service:

Within this financial reporting period SFV counselling services provided a service to 111 participants with the majority resulting in positive outcomes in counselling provisions. Therapeutic group work was offered based on client presenting needs, consisting of two ‘Kids Self-Esteem’ groups; one ‘Probation and Parole’ based on what is a healthy relationship; and one ‘Preferred Relationships’ couple course. Trends over the past 12 months show the majority of issues affecting clients include (but are not limited to): domestic violence and related proceedings; contact issues; legal; housing and risk of homelessness; financial hardship; complex mental health; substance misuse; emotional regulation; identity; grief and loss; isolation; relationship conflict; parenting; safety and trauma related issues; and self-harm.

Redcliffe Family Therapy Service:

Clients range from families, couples and individuals with a range of issues. 84 participants were provided with Family Therapy. The number of individual sessions provided from July 2015 to June 2016 was 194. The number of therapeutic group hours for the financial year was 33 direct contact hours across 15 sessions. Therapeutic group work was offered based on client presenting needs consisting of one men’s group; one ‘Expressive Art Therapy’ group; and one anxiety and mindfulness group. The trends over the past 12 months include (but are not limited to) D&FV; contact issues; legal; hoarding; housing/homelessness; blended families; financial hardship; complex mental health; substance abuse/misuse; grief and loss; relationship conflict; parenting; trauma related issues; and life transitions.

Redcliffe Family Support ProgramThis program offers early intervention and prevention support for families with children aged 0-18 currently residing in the family home. The program assists family members to access supports in the community and develop strategies to enhance family functioning and improve relationships. The Family Support worker provides case management support to assist families to reach their goals. In collaboration with other government and non-government agencies the Family Support Program (FSP) works with 10 families at any one time. Over the past 12 months, 49 vulnerable families at risk of entering the Child Protection System were supported and case managed. Information, advice, referral and crisis support has been offered to 868 families which is an increase from last year’s data.






The FSP has welcomed a fourth year social work student from QUT. Under the supervision of the Family Support Coordinator the student works with two primary school students on a ‘life story’ to create a positive narrative to build on their self esteem and children’s social, emotional and cultural connections.

Parenting Course/Routines:

The FSP offers 1-2-3 Magic & Emotional Coaching’ parenting courses to provide families with positive strategies to assist in managing children’s behaviours aged 2-12 years. It has been identified that many families struggle to implement positive behaviours management strategies due to limited education and information on parenting. This program supports the family’s strengths and assist with building a strong attachment to their children to create a safer family environment as a result of trends throughout this financial period. A ‘life story’ workshop for children aged 5-18 years will be offered in conjunction with the parenting course for children of carers/parents attending the course.

An ongoing theme in families is the challenges faced in establishing and maintaining family routine. The Family Support Program assists families to establish routines through age appropriate creative activities.

Playgroup:

In partnership with Playgroup Queensland the FSP supported a community based playgroup for families to build positive relationships and interactions with other adults and children in a safe and supported environment.

Older Persons Action Program Redcliffe’s Older Peoples’ Action Program was one of the first Seniors Programs to operate under the new Department of Communities specifications throughout Queensland. The new Specifications involve two specific areas of support, requiring a pre-determined number of Clients and Client Hours. Level T325 is known internally as Brief Intervention. This is where we share information, which can include sourcing external services, documents or fact sheets, or providing information regarding external and Encircle Programs; it will also involve receiving referrals and referring clients on to other services both external and internal; advocacy and advice along with assistance to complete documentation are all instances that come under this category. A total of 146 hours divided over

146 Clients is required under this grouping over a 12 month period. Level T317 simply put, is working with clients who are requiring long term support – Case Management. This mainly involves those who may need transport to and from hospital/medical appointments; assistance or support with shopping; assisting clients to physically connect with family members or friends who have been separated by distance, death of a spouse, lack or loss of transport or the ability to drive due to illness; assisting or supporting clients to attend legal or professional services which may include actually setting up the appointment, transporting them to and supporting them throughout the appointment. I also try to set Mondays aside when I take no more than 4 clients on small group outings. The whole purpose of this program is to reduce social isolation, so shared outings is a great way for them to get out and mix with others unfamiliar to them. As time has progressed I find more of my time is taken up with more long term support and as client numbers increase, time available to deal with brief interventions decreases. There is a total of 861 hours divided over 54 Clients, required under this grouping, over a 12 month period.

The change from the old specifications to the new has been very challenging but extremely rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy the one on one contact and those I work with really appreciate the time spent with them, whether it is on outings, shopping or attending appointments.

I have retained two volunteers under the old OPAP. Janice (72 yrs.) who plans, organises and facilitates our Monday ‘Coffee ‘N Chats’ and assists with bus and trip bookings, processing OPAP memberships and receipting money. Lilian (85 yrs.) has learned to use Publisher and now researches, plans and produces our quarterly newsletter, organises monthly guest speakers, plans monthly bus trips and the annual OPAP holidays, processes OPAP memberships and maintains the electronic data base. Both Lilian and Janice are invaluable, donating their time with enthusiasm and integrity and are both equally committed to maintaining a healthy and positive OPAP.






Encircle sincerely thanks its Supporters

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services

connect • transform • enrich annual report 2016€¦ · betty blake diane lack arthur mccutchan...

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