Issue 110
30 June 2008
Over 70 applications have been received in total for the 5 categories of the inaugural Business Service Excellence Awards. Applications for the awards have now closed. A panel consisting of departmental, industry and union representatives will judge the applications in early July.
The awards will be presented by the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, on 21 July 2008 at the National Disability Services Employment Conference in Brisbane.
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FaHCSIA has contracted the Social Policy Research Centre to undertake preliminary research into retirement issues for people with disability working in business services. The research will examine the expected projection of ageing in the business services workforce. The research will scope the social and economic issues, opportunities and challenges for people in the cohort. The research methodology includes a literature review; interviews of workers in government agencies, business services and peak bodies; and interviews with families and workers in business services who are close to retirement or who have already retired. It is expected the research findings will be available by late 2008
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The Quality Strategy Toolkit was sent to disability employment and rehabilitation services providers early last week. All outlets of Australian Government funded employment services as well as accredited certifying bodies, targeted support providers, and peak bodies, have been forwarded a copy.
It is expected that PDF versions of the toolkit will be available on the FaHCSIA Website within the next week, with the HTML versions currently being finalised as a priority and will be available in coming weeks.
Due to limited availability of the Toolkits it will not be possible for the Department to respond to requests to provide additional copies. Extra copies can be printed from the CDrom that has been included in the front of each Toolkit, or downloaded from the website.
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A system error in FOFMS has enabled Business Service staff to backdate clients’ exits. This issue is being rectified, and cases that have had their exit dates backdated have been identified and overpayments will be recovered.
Business Services will be advised if they have incurred overpayments as a result of backdating exits outside the agreed timeframes.
FaHCSIA will closely monitor exits and suspensions to identify incorrect application of the procedures and regular FOFMS data reports will be generated to determine if Business Services are in breach of the Terms and Conditions of their funding agreements.
FaHCSIA Audit and Compliance teams will also use a range of audit and compliance activities to ensure that Business Services are complying with the Program procedures around exits and suspensions.
If you require further information about this matter, please contact Jan-Marie Baker, Audit and Compliance on (07) 3004 4675.
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Provided below are a few important facts to remember when completing an Intake Assessment for your supported employees.
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You can exceed your outlet capacity to assist a supported employee returning from suspension or an exit by utilising stretch capacity. Stretch capacity is a 10 per cent allowance on top of your outlet capacity.
Stretch capacity places are utilised when your organisation has no vacancies and a supported employee who has previously been suspended or exited from your service wishes to return to work.
To access stretch capacity your business service outlet must be at full capacity and you must return a supported employee’s case from ‘suspended’ or ‘exited’ status within 12 months from when the supported employee was ‘suspended’ or ‘exited’.
If the supported employee exited your service to trial open employment then the period for return to your business services has been extended to two years. You will need to contact the Case Based Funding Helpdesk for assistance with returning these cases.
Stretch capacity places cannot be used for new supported employees who have not previously been supported by your service.
If you have any further queries regarding your outlet’s stretch capacity please contact the CBF Helpdesk on 1800 034 887.
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Case Managers are able to change the status of an old or incorrect client address on the client’s record in FOFMS, to ‘inactive’. Follow the steps provided below to ensure it is entered and saved correctly.
If you have any further queries about changing old or incorrect client address details for supported employees to ‘inactive’, please contact the Case Based Funding Helpdesk on 1800 034 887 or helpdesk.cbf@fahcsia.gov.au
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For more than four decades, House With No Steps has been supporting children and adults who have a physical, intellectual or psychiatric disability to live, learn, work and connect in the community. They provide a range of accommodation, training, leisure and employment programs operate from more than 100 sites throughout NSW and QLD supporting more than 2,000 people each week.
Founder, Lionel Watts, was passionate about enabling people with disability to live with independence and dignity. Lionel was a visionary who dreamt of pathways that would make the most of people’s abilities so they could be as independent as possible.
House With No Steps has grown into a diverse and highly effective organisation that today employs more than 560 people with disability. The business services include:
| Engineering | The engineering business fabricates metal products for the mining, construction and manufacturing industries. The engineering product range is broad and the business excels at providing high quality, customised solutions to specific customer requirements. Thousands of tonnes of clothesline wire are produced each year. |
| Aussie Biscuits Bakery | Forbes is the home of the famous Aussie Biscuits Bakery, producing 100 per cent Australian-made biscuits to motels, the business community and many loyal fans of great tasting biscuits. |
| Conference and Event Facilities | Sunshine House is set amongst natural bushland on the Sunshine Coast at Doonan, near Noosa. During the year attendees totalled over 2,300 guests to 22 camps and 5 high profile functions. |
| Landscape Maintenance | Growing Care provides maintenance services to the M2, M7 and M5 East Motorways and other main road interchanges. Growing Care are service the property development market and provide gardening and landscaping services for commercial business, government, industrial and residential sites. |
| Packaging and Contract Services | Investment in modern equipment and technology enables competitively-priced, high quality services and products to our valued customers. |
| Recycling Plant | The recycling division collects, sorts and recycles over 150 tonnes of paper and cardboard each month. The plant also provides an excellent confidential document destruction service. |
| Catering | UpperCrust Food and Catering caters for all types of events; corporate or private, large or small, formal or casual in the Sydney region. Sunshine House Event and Function Centre on the Sunshine Coast prepared 16,000 meals for different functions throughout the year. |
| Restaurants | HWNS operates cafes and restaurants in 4 locations: Belrose Head Office, UpperCrust Café in Normanhurst, Sorlies Restaurant at Glen Street Theatre, Belrose and the Turning Point Café in Alstonville. The cafes and restaurants offer a variety of menu options and a wide range of quality dining experiences. |
| Commercial Laundries | We have two successful commercial laundry operations in Newcastle and Port Stephens. Our laundries process over 165 tonnes each month for many of the Hunter Valley's major hospitality outlets, resorts and motels. |
| Therapeutic Goods Manufacture | Our Medi-Redi business produces a wide range of procedure packs and medical kits (including surgical procedure, home dialysis and DNA kits) to the private and public health systems and emergency services across Australia. The state of the art facility also provides a secondary packaging service. |
| Farming | Summerland House is a working farm with over 6,000 macadamia trees and 2,500 avocado trees, supported by local wholesale and retail nursery operations. |
| Fruit Grading, Dehusking and Packaging | Summerland House has developed into a central hub for farmers with the largest fruit packing facility in the region. Each year over 200,000 trays of fruit are packed and dehusked and more than 60 million macadamia nuts are sorted. |
| Vocational Education and Training | As a Registered Training Organisation, a range of nationally accredited courses are offered to staff, supported employees and the wider community. |
House With No Steps also provides a range of community services including accommodation, independent living programs, flexible respite options and day program services to enhance skill development and improved quality of life for people with disability.
For further information on any of the services provided by House With No Steps please contact:
HWNS Sydney Region & Head Office
49 Blackbutts Road Belrose NSW 2085
Telephone: (02) 9451 1511 Fax: (02) 9452 5932
Email Head Office: enquires@hwns.com.au
Website: www.hwns.com.au
Regional offices are located in Alstonville in Northern NSW, Burleigh Heads in Queensland, Newcastle in the Hunter Region, Wollongong in Southern NSW, Forbes in Western NSW and in Sydney.
Email: Hunter Region: hunter@hwns.com.au
Email: Northern NSW Region: northernnsw@hwns.com.au
Email: Queensland Region: queensland@hwns.com.au
Email: Southern NSW Region: southernnsw@hwns.com.au
Email: Sydney Region: sydney@hwns.com.au
Email: Western NSW Region: westernnsw@hwns.com.au
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