A year of recovery in many respects as the ravages of COVID are finally, if not entirely, put behind us or at least reduced to a relatively minor inconvenience.
Day Programs have returned to normal though client attendance continues to struggle to reach pre-COVID strength. Some of that reflects the opportunities presented by NDIS to explore new opportunities or to enjoy a range of part-time activities. Our own service offerings have diversified this year with the provision of new activity streams at Middle Crescent and Nepean Highway as well as a range of community placements. We have been disappointed that construction delays have meant that Bayley Arts did not quite get there this year, but it is very close, and next year will see this remarkable addition to our services rapidly making its mark.
Home & Living has had a strong year. Short stay has picked up significantly across the 12 months and new demand for short and medium stay services is growing. Our In Home Support Service has been well received by families and feedback has been particularly positive. The main challenge is workforce; as it is for much of the disability sector presently, but our partnership with Hireup is proving an advantage in this area. Residential services have performed well with increased staffing stability contributing to excellent client outcomes.
Importantly, after years of struggling to find a means to successfully expand our supported accommodation options, we have formed a relationship with Housing Association, BlueCHP, which will enable us to offer more residential support for clients who presently do not have the opportunity to live away from family, as well as new and purpose-built housing for the residents we presently support. BlueCHP is a not-for profit association with great experience and reputation, and this option will provide certainty for many clients and families in future years.
Hidden Disabilities has really turned the corner this year. When we started this initiative three years ago we knew it required an investment of time, energy and money before it started to get traction; and this year we got that traction with the signing of numerous major businesses. The support for thousands of people with intellectual disability which this concept leverages, as well as the recognition factor for Bayley House cannot be overestimated as we anticipate exponential growth in coming years.
Back of house; as ever we strive to do more with less. This year has seen continued investment in ICT systems, rationalisation of corporate structure and a major focus on client intake. The NDIS Review offers a chance to reset the scheme in a way which recognises its inherent client focus whilst hopefully bringing it back within budgetary forecasts. Bayley House has contributed to the review directly and also via National Disability Services (NDS).
As ever, Bayley House is a community which thrives as a result of every person making their particular contribution. Staff, families, volunteers, leadership team, Board; thank you for all that you have done and said to make Bayley House a better place this year and for constantly striving to find new opportunities for our amazing clients.
This work providing long term accommodation, short stay and in home support services brings us into very close contact with the clients and families we serve. We take great satisfaction in supporting our clients to achieve their best quality of life and independence within the security and care our Home and Living Team provide. We are inspired by our Bayley House families and the partnership we build together.
Kapil Bhatia, Supported Independent Living Operations Manager and Astra Balzan our Short Term Accommodation and In Home Support Service Operations Manager.
We know we have the ability to provide 24-hour care and support to our clients. However, for some years now we have not had any new long-term housing. In January 2023, after lengthy consideration, the Board decided to stimulate more SDA housing by collaborating with BlueCHP. They are one of Australia’s largest non-profit provider of SDA housing having already provided SDA housing to over 400 eligible NDIS participants.
BlueCHP will provide the permanent SDA homes and our team will provide the 24-hour care as we have always done.
Our collaboration kicked off with an SDA Forum in March.
We had 60 family representatives in attendance. Families were excited to hear that BlueCHP would co-design the homes with input from families and Bayley House. BlueCHP offers eligible SDA clients up to 60-year leases with rents and property standards operated under NDIS regulations. The properties include offices and accommodation for our 24-hour on-site staff.
We have already supported three groups of families to link in with BlueCHP. The first block of land was recently purchased in Mentone to house a group of five Bayley House clients who have established their SDA eligibility. BlueCHP and the families are co-designing a duplex style development with a 3 bedroom ‘Improved Liveability’ dwelling, 2 bedroom ‘Fully Accessible’ dwelling with overnight staff accommodation and office (OOA). We hope that our clients will be able to move into their new permanent home within two years.
As part of supporting the journey of leaving the family home, we can offer short term accommodation stays, possibly with other people you will be sharing with or alternatively in home support to build up skills and independence. We aim to make the transition to your new home as comfortable as possible for clients and family alike. Our In Home Support Service continued to grow during 2022/23 financial year. This service is expected to expand significantly in 2023/2024 with the extension of Anna Dunlevie’s role to full time and our partnership with HireUp providing a workforce pipeline that will allow us to offer services beyond the Bayside suburbs.
Our Short Term Accommodation (STA) service has spent the year working hard to expand the client base by widening the range of activities offered to clients during their stay.
Bookings at Asling house now include groups of friends wanting to experience independent living, people wanting to attend sports events, the theatre, museums, art exhibitions and of course traditional respite has continued to be offered at our Lonsdale house STA. The new financial year will see STA undertake a number of major projects including a partnership with Medistays, sector repositioning and a number of sector Open House meet and greet opportunities.
A key focus over the past year was on the reactivation of the full variety of Day Program activities both onsite and community based.
This saw the ceasing of zones, which enabled clients to engage with friends, varied staff and select a timetable of activities from a complete range of program options. Community partnerships were re-engaged which included the recommencement of our supported volunteer job placements.
This transition saw the return of clients who had experienced long term absence from Day Programs because of Covid. The return to full group-based services proved challenging for some individuals and families which required significant support from staff and management. It was wonderful to see, hear and feel the energy generated by the reconnection of the Bayley House community.
A review occurred which identified the four key pillar areas of the Pathways to Employment program. The skills outlined in each of the four key pillars was established in such a way as to compliment the overall skill development of the person:
Ongoing learning and development through participating in Certificate courses.
Work skills exposure through our supported community volunteer job placement program.
Learning task completion and problem solving, achieved through processing & job packing of Hidden Disability products.
Gaining independence to travel within the local community through the travel training program.
Introduced new NDIS pricing model.
NDIS introduced a new pricing structure for all group-based services.
An hourly rate is now applied by Bayley House for the provision of staff support that is divided (apportioned) between the number of people utilising the support of that staff member.
The NDIA introduced 2 new billing items, in addition to the hourly rate for direct support
The 2 new billable items are Centre Capital Costs and Non-Face-to-Face supports, all of which are shown as individual line items within invoicing.
Previously providers would bill against a ratio of support whereas now providers are billing using a new apportioned pricing model. Group based providers were mandated to move to the new pricing model. Bayley House commenced the new pricing model from 13th April 2023 (Term 2).
Connection with Local Schools
A priority within Day Programs, was the active reconnection with local schools, supporting school leavers to transition to Bayley House.
A key requirement for ongoing growth of the service is the development of trusting relationships and opportunities for people to visit and try service offerings to determine suitability of placement.
It was wonderful to re-establish relationships with the following six schools – Port Phillip Specialist School, Yarrabah, Southern Autistic School, Bayside SDS, Katandra Berendale Special School, and Glenallen School.
The opening of Bayley House’s new Arts facility – Bayley Arts – is a custom built and fully accessible community arts facility. To support the growth of high quality art programs, we have created a new arts practice team leader role.
The growth and expansion of Bayley House’s Day Programs under the pillars of Live, Learn, Health & Wellbeing and Pathways to Employment.
Partnership with La Trobe University’s Living with a Disability Research Centre.
The expansion of outside hour activities across service sites.
The growth of Bayley House’s supported community volunteer job placements.
Our staff initiatives this year are centred around bringing our core values to life, enhancing our organisational effectiveness, and creating a great workplace culture at Bayley House.
We welcomed our new People & Culture Manager, Shalimar Abago to support the delivery of our exciting People and Culture Goals. The team’s mission is to “Create great experiences for our people”.
We launched the BH Connect Leadership Development Program aimed at enhancing our leadership capabilities to facilitate meaningful conversations, connection, and collaboration across all levels of the organisation.
We also launched the BH Thrive Leadership Development program aimed at enhancing the capabilities of our Senior Leaders in leading change, building connection, and fostering service innovation.
We have formed the “BH Culture Squad”; a self-organised group of volunteer staff with the goal to bring our culture, mission, and values to life through events, recognition, and communications.
We launched the “Embracing Change Program” aimed at providing our staff with the skills to thrive during constant change in the industry.
We also launched an exciting employee benefits in collaboration with ELMO, Flare, and WhereFit to help our people lead a happier, healthier, and quality life.
We ran impactful wellbeing sessions facilitated by our very own Penny Scott, GM Bayley Arts & Day Programs, to support the achievement of our people’s overall wellbeing goals.
We are also honing in on our Health and Safety focus with the support of our newly onboarded People and OHS Advisor.
We have a Diversity and Inclusion calendar with various sets of activities that will support us to celebrate diversity and build a more inclusive and respectful workplace.
Start embedding inclusive practices in our Talent Management Practices from recruitment to advancement.
Bayley House participated in the 2023 Melbourne Connection. There were 200+ stalls from a wide range of disability service providers. Even more exciting, the event included a gala dinner which honoured excellence in disability support provision through a number of award categories.
We were thrilled that a number of Bayley House staff were nominated for awards (as well as Bayley House itself for the team award) and that eight of our staff were in attendance on the night to witness our very own Caroline Glass win Support Worker of the year!
New Performance Review Framework launch. An exciting initiative which we be rolled out to staff across the organisation in the next financial year.
Enhancing employee experience and retention through key impactful and date informed actions from the engagement survey rolled out at the start of the financial year.
Partnership with La Trobe University’s Living with a Disability Research Centre.
A calendar event with the goal of celebrating, recognizing, and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging at Bayley House.
Connect with us on LinkedIn
This year we are launching the “Show You C.A.R.E” award to recognise and celebrate our team members.
This year fundraising played a significant role in ensuring that Bayley House could continue to strive towards our goal of a full and enriched life for people with intellectual disability. To establish Bayley Arts we were heavily reliant on the generosity of long term supporters of Bayley House and philanthropic Trusts and Foundations.
Whether you supported one of our appeals throughout the year, partnered with us through our corporate partnership program, attended our charity lunch or provided a grant for one of our projects, we are very appreciative of your support.
The Christmas Appeal was focused on raising funds to purchase equipment and supplies for Bayley Arts. The Bayley House community rallied behind this and achieved our goal, raising $32,500 through this appeal.
With our second appeal for the year, we were successful in raising over $180,000. These funds will continue to ensure our clients have access to skill-based training and other specialised training, the tools they need for their workplace along with the confidence to do their best.
Whilst these two appeals are public in nature, we have had many supporters contribute to Bayley House over the past twelve months behind the scenes.
We were delighted with the attendance of over 380 people at the annual Charity Lunch, held at the RACV Club in Melbourne. Supported by a significant number of volunteers, businesses and individuals, this event raised approximately $160,000 for Bayley House.
Another key contributor to this fundraising total, are the funds from the Bayley House Foundation. Led by a generous volunteer board, the Foundation contributed strongly again in 2022 to enable Bayley House to increase our capacity across the fundraising department.
Bayley House has also generated significant funding from a range of Trusts and Foundations in the form of grants specifically for Bayley Arts, which will be launched in August 2023.
As we continue to operate in the NDIS landscape, the importance of fundraising and philanthropy grows each year. We know that, by design, the NDIS funding is designed to support a ‘reasonable and necessary life’ for people with disability. The only way that we can change this, and to enable a ‘full and enriched life’ is through the contributions of our community.
At Bayley House where the hustle and bustle of daily life with our clients often takes centre stage, there are individuals who quietly work behind the scenes, tirelessly devoting their time and energy to make a difference in the lives of our clients.
Meet Hilda Glotzer-Rozenfeld of the Residential Raisers, a remarkable fundraiser for Bayley House whose unwavering dedication has spanned over two decades, leaving an incredible impact on our organisation through her unwavering dedication to raising funds from raffle prizes through to events.
Hilda’s journey as a fundraiser began over twenty years ago, when her son, Avi, first attended Bayley House. She noticed that there was an opportunity for her to raise much needed funds. She was inspired and took the initiative to organise her first event, a modest client and staff photo fundraiser. Through the event, funds were raised in support of our accommodation services. Little did Hilda know that this humble start would blossom into a lifelong commitment to philanthropy.
Over the years, Hilda honed her fundraising skills seeking out innovative ways to engage supporters. Raffles quickly became her trademark along with garage sales, car boot sales, craft and market stalls, cabaret dinners and money boxes. She understood that fundraising was not just about collecting funds but also building connections. One such connection is with Les Clefs d’Or Australia, funds raised at their annual dinner dance are donated to Bayley House via the Residential Raisers.
As Bayley House reflects on Hilda’s twenty year journey we are filled with gratitude for the incredible support of Hilda’s fundraising community and the impact they have collectively made. Hilda’s legacy is a testament to her fundraising prowess and her enduring spirit of generosity. As a fundraiser, Hilda reminds us all, that the path to making a difference begins with a single step, a single raffle ticket and whole lot of heart.
For anyone interested in learning more about how you can make an impact and support Bayley House, please visit Get Involved - Bayley House or contact fundraise@bayleyhouse.org.au
We are pleased to report an overall surplus of $1,015,420 for the 2022/23 financial year. This surplus comprises an operating deficit of $335,012 and philanthropic and investment income of $1,350,432. As always, we are grateful for the continued support from the Bayley House giving community with philanthropic donations totalling $675,772. These donations are important as they allow us to provide clients and families with the level of care and support expected by the Bayley House community and to grow and improve the services we provide.
During this year, we also benefited from the financial markets regaining some of the losses experienced in the previous financial year. We had established a strong defensive position within our portfolio, after close monitoring and sound investment advice sought throughout this financial year.
Our challenge continues to ensure that our operating businesses within the NDIS framework become at least breakeven. While we have now opened our wonderful new facility, Bayley Arts, COVID-19 related delays to the construction period and, the associated cost of construction, have had a negative impact on our results. In addition, new NDIS pricing arrangements for support provided to our clients within our houses and Day Service programs continue to have an impact in what remains a challenging environment. Furthermore, we now receive reduced funding from the NDIS in relation to COVID-19 outbreaks within some of our SIL houses during the first half of the financial year. Despite these challenges, we continue to strategically review the services and support we provide to Bayley House clients and the community and our partnership with BlueChip CHP in relation to houses, reimagining the short and medium term accommodation needs of our clients and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program are great examples of areas that had had or will have a positive impact on our financial position.
I would like to thank the outgoing CEO, Warwick Cavanagh, and his finance team for their outstanding support through the year and members of the Finance and Risk Committee for their dedication in keeping Bayley House in a strong financial position. Further financial information can be found on our website.
The entire Bayley House community brings passion and commitment to disability advocacy, skill development, independence, and self-determination.
Bayley House is proud to be the official partner and distributor for Hidden Disabilities Sunflower across Australia and New Zealand. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower supports people who are living with a non-visible or hidden disability to receive the support they require, when and where they require it.
Each week, many Bayley House clients support the delivery of customer orders through packing and fulfilment. Skill building tasks include sorting and collating, stock management, packing, labelling, the Sunflower products to ensure they are received by customers correctly and on time.
This past year saw many business and organisations across Australia and New Zealand join the initiative and become Sunflower friendly. To find out more about how you can create sunflower friendly spaces, please head to the Hidden Disabilities website.
There are many ways you can be part of Bayley House.
Are you wondering how to take that first step in your journey of living independently? Get in touch with our Home & Living team to find out about our Short Term Accomodation.
Wer have a variety of programs to support you develop new skills in a safe, fun environment. Get in touch with our Day Programs team to find out more.
Want to support Bayley House but you aren’t sure how? Get in touch with our Philanthropy team to see how you can be part of the Bayley House story.
Thank you to everyone in the Bayley House community for the support you have shown over the past year.
