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There’s always something happening at Sunshine. Here’s what we’ve been up to in the recent past and what we’re working towards for the immediate future. Sunshine Newsletter Rays of Sunshine Summer 09: PDF Document (2.1MB) Sunshine Community Network November 2007 SCN News: PDF Document (208KB) 2008 Annual Report 2009 Annual Report Accommodation News Accommodation has been very busy over the past couple of months; with the set up of a new group home in the West region for four new clients. This is a very exciting time for people with a disability as well as being one that can cause some anxiety, much like it is for anyone moving home, so every precaution was taken to ensure that that all plans were in place to help the transition go smoothly. The other area of growth has been the establishment of two new Drop-in Support services; one located on the Central Coast the other one in the Hornsby/Ryde area. The clients Sunshine will be supporting in these services will have different support needs to many of our existing clients. These clients enjoy a greater level of independence and live in their own homes, but require support at very specific times during the day, which is what we will be providing. We are also experiencing growth in our Central Coast group home; with two new clients moving in. Exciting times fro all as we embark on new relationships with new clients and their families. Audit Update All but four authorised Sunshine Accommodation Service houses have now been issued with computers and printers (Lexmark X2630) solely for the purpose of printing forms via the Sunshine Policy & Procedure intranet. Clients, family and advocates can also access Sunshine’s online Policy & Procedures, upon request. Staff are actively encouraged to access Sunshine’s Policy & Procedures online and become aware of their accountabilities in implementing the relevant Sunshine Policy & Procedures. Internal Audits of Sunshine’s Policy & Procedures commenced with Sunshine’s Accommodation Services being audited first in early August. This will be followed by Community Access, Head Office and Respite Services, and we aim to finish with Employment Services by October 2009. The target date of November 2009 still stands as the Quality Department’s goal for ISO/DSSQA Certification Audits by ISC and all staff are working towards achieving that target.Community Partnerships We are grateful to receive Government support in the different areas of service provision, but there still remains a significant portion of operating costs that need to be met, and heres where we are dependent on the community. And in that regard, we are deeply indebted to the many Clubs and Councils who have stepped forward to help so many of our houses and projects this year.
The Ku-ring-gai Council are sponsoring 2 desktop computers for our Pymble and Turramurra Community Access Programme so that clients who are not able to attend computer literacy classes at TAFE are able to gain basic computer skills at Pymble and Turramurra. Ku-ring-gai Council are also sponsoring some items towards the setting up of a Sensory Room at Pymble Community Access Centre which will greatly assist clients with significant disabilities to exercise choice in the recreational and therapeutic activities they engage in.
Dee Why RSL Club has funded support for enhancements to the Sensory Room in Frenchs Forest Flexible Lifestyles without which, the clients with very high support needs would not be able to access the appropriate levels of stimulation that they currently receive.
The Lane Cove Council are helping clients who live in Balfour Road to stay fit and integrate within the community by funding their participation in community recreation facilities.
The Wyong Shire CDSE Local Committee has continued their support for a vital hydrotherapy and physio therapy programme for the residents of our accommodation facility in Bateau Bay.
Hornsby Shire Council are sponsoring a terms worth of art lessons for a client at Studio Artes in Hornsby.
The North Ryde RSL Community Club are helping to alleviate isolation and facilitate integration for our clients living in Ryde by funding visits to the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre. Garden Angels Friends are such an important part of our lives and for us, making friends comes so naturally that we don’t tend to think about what life might be like without them. For people with intellectual disabilities, those opportunities don’t come often or easily and are much appreciated when they do. Malcolm Campbell and his housemates are really happy to have made some new friends recently. On one of their evening drives, they had stopped at the ferry terminal at Putney for a bit of a walk and some young men invited them to have a drink with them. As a result, Brock Moody, Paul Wallace, Travis Smith and Ron Meduro have now become friends of the guys at Charles Street and real friends in need too. Back in July when there was some urgent heavy duty landscaping work that needed to be done at Charles Street, without a second thought, these 4 young men gave up their entire Saturday afternoon to get it done, and even brought some of their own friends along too. They not only gave up their time ( and we all know what a rare commodity that is today ) but also money as they could have been working in the time that they spent helping us out. Just as we are all grateful for our friends, we are really grateful to these 4 young men…not just for helping out at Charles Street, but also for extending vital friendship to Mal and gang at Charles Street, and making them a part of the community.LA at Last In July, Sunshine took 12 clients to LA. The much anticipated trip to LA had been planned for almost a year and was the culmination of many months of telephone calls, emails and visits to the travel agent, but it fulfilled the dreams of twelve of our clients at Sunshine. Needless to say the clients were beside themselves with excitement over the flight and the trip itself. For most, this was just about the longest trip that they’ve ever been on, taking them the furthest away from home they had ever been. They did it all…Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo, Seaworld and Huntington Beach. And of course, no trip to LA be complete unless they’d done the Walk of Fame and Rodeo Drive ! Much credit goes to the 3 staff members, Hazel, Eutropia and Cresencia for all the hard work both before and during the trip. So much forward planning went into ensuring that there was something of interest for everyone and that everyone was managing the pace. Each of the twelve clients had an amazing time and came home with wonderful memories that will most certainly prove to be the most lasting souvenirs from the trip.Long Service Awards: It was a great evening on the 25th Aug 09 when all the recipients 10 employees received the 10 year service award We congratulate all recipients for their continued commitment to Sunshine and wish them all many more fulfilling years ahead. Mental Health Respite The Mental Health Respite service for Sunshine has been operational for nearly 12 months and has successfully supported many people living with a mental illness at its property at Burns Road, Turramurra. Our service provides 24hr support for the client while their carers have a well deserved break from their role. The service also includes people with an intellectual disability or autism independent of any mental illness. The majority of the carers that seek residential respite options for their sons or daughters have a negative preconception of respite services but once they walk into the gorgeous house on Burns Road all their reservations fall away. It’s fulfilling to see that they are excited about their charge coming for a ‘holiday’. It is clear that they are much more comfortable with the idea of respite once they see for themselves that their charges will enjoy their stay. The Service has enjoyed nothing but positive feed back. Every single carer that has accessed the service has applied again for repeated access and attest to the fact that the stay at the house was a fun social experience and something they would like to access regularly. The majority of staff that work within the service are new to Sunshine and have undergone extensive training to equip them with industry standard competency levels. All the respite staff are to be commended on their hard work within the service and flexibility with the ever changing rosters! New staff, new work and new relationships. There have been several changes to the Employment Services staff team. With two audits undertaken, and the introduction of new procedures in line with requirements from funding bodies and internal quality assurance processes, it has been a very productive few months. And it has been equally busy for our supported employees. Despite the difficult economic period, MailPlus has gained several new customers and secured some very large contracts which has seen them had at work re-labeling cans, folding and delivering 48,000 brochures; folding 170,000 product samples; assembling container lids; as well as maintaining their ongoing commitments with regular customers. Whilst these are one off contracts at this stage they are hoping that the quality of their work will lead to repeat business. The employment team has also undertaken a joint support role with the Transition to Work program (TTW) and are currently supporting a clients move to employment.St Ives Community Access Service The newest addition to our community access services is Community Access “St Ives” is located at 21 Memorial Avenue, St Ives where a team of 6 staff support a total of 16 clients. The staff, some recruited from other Sunshine divisions and some new to Sunshine are a great, enthusiastic, motivated group of people. The team leader is Lisa Covey & the Coordinator is Tracey Sherwin, who report to the Group Manager Nicole Ash. Ku-ring-gai Council helps clients put their Hands up Ku-ring-gai Council has lent its support to 2 of Sunshine’s projects. Under Specialised Soft Stimulation, Ku-ring-gai Council has facilitated the purchase of specialised computer software which has been specially designed to enhance computer skills for people with disabilities. SUNSHINE DINNER 08 The date was specially chosen to celebrate the International Day of the Person with a Disability. The lives and challenges of people with disabilities in general and the lives of our clients in particular were acknowledged in a very meaningful manner. 2 of the guests, Ms Anna Learmonth ( one of Sunshine’s newest Directors ) and Mr Steven Gregg shared firsthand experiences, growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability, what life was like for them growing up and what life is like for them today. The other purpose of the dinner was to court new supporters for Sunshine by telling them about the work that we do, our clients and the challenges that we face. Thanks to Lady Joan and Sir James, our delightful hosts for the evening, and our ambassadors among the tables, we believe that we were able to convey our message in language that was clear and close to home. On top of that, which we consider to be a bonus, between the Raffle conducted during the dinner, and the donation component of the price for the dinner, we were able to make $12400.00 for Sunshine on the very night itself. This amount will go a long way towards making some of the projects for 2009 a reality for the clients. Sunshine thanks the following individuals and businesses for their roles in making Dinner ’08 a success – Sir James and Lady Hardy
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