The Salvation Army Tasmania Division 2015

Community Report

The Salvation Army in Tasmania continues to operate in a sluggish economic environment as the state slowly recovers from the GFC and governments of all persuasions are seeking ways to contain expenditure and balance budgets. Pressure is being applied to all not-for-profit organisations to deliver more for the funds available. The Salvation Army has subsequently been required to review a number of our programs, yet we continue to deliver services at the highest standard and in a sustainable manner. We have continued to

develop integrated service hubs for all our services and are determined to pursue the ‘best’ for those we help.

In the last two years we have achieved Quality Accreditation and are now progressing our quality improvement work plan. We have also introduced new integrity check standards for staff and volunteers. The safety of all people engaged with The Salvation Army has also been a focus with the introduction of SP3 — Safe People, Safe Programs and Safe Places — a safety management system that ensures everything we can do to create a ‘safe’ environment for everyone, particularly the young and vulnerable, is implemented.

Our Advisory Board has been revitalised with new members and the introduction of subcommittees that focus on the Red Shield Appeal, governance and property. The Board and its committees provide wide-ranging and valuable guidance and advice.

Our people are our most valuable resource and the introduction of LaMP (our internal leadership and development program) has been a significant investment in their personal skills, complementing clinical and other professional training provided.

We remain committed to providing services of the best quality to the most marginalised in our community. This mission has been delivered for over 100 years in Tasmania, a testament to the successful partnerships we forge with so many in this state. We are determined to continue our contribution through our Christian faith in action — a framework that enables us to meet community expectations.

Major Ritchie WatsonDivisional Commander

Divisional Commander

Major Ritchie Watson

The Salvation Army in Tasmania has a wide range of programs across the state. Our 300 staff and officers, along with our valued volunteers, are helping people to overcome addictions; put food on the table; prepare themselves for work; understand the value of positive interactions with their children; see hope for having their children returned from child protection; find housing and learn how to keep it; be valued for who they are in the twilight of their life in an aged care centre; navigate a path through their financial burdens; or find shelter from an abusive partner for themselves and their children.

These are just a few of the practical ways that Salvation Army people help others every day in many corners of our beautiful state. We witness first-hand the damage that these issues inflict on individuals, families and the future of their children.

At the core of our efforts is helping people to find hope for their future, while also understanding how their circumstances affect their attitudes and actions. The Salvation Army has adopted the Bridges Out of Poverty philosophy as a way to train and prepare our staff to work in very challenging environments.

Our aim is to continue with our emphasis on compassion while delivering services that meet the high professional standards that we are setting for ourselves.

It has been pleasing to see an increased awareness in our community, through the parliament and the media, on the issue of family violence. There needs to be a zero tolerance approach to this issue — and men need to be actively campaigning against family violence in our homes and in our community.

It would be wonderful if The Salvation Army were not needed to serve the community as we do now. In the meantime, as we work towards this goal, we appreciate the support of the community around us.

Stuart FosterDivisional Social Program Secretary

Social Programs

Stuart Foster

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The Salvation Army is blessed by the contributions of many Tasmanians — in time, guidance and financially. This generosity demonstrates the value and regard the people of Tasmania have for our work. We value that support immensely.

Hundreds of people help us each day as volunteers in our services and enterprises; key people provide guidance and advice through boards, committees and local support teams. Then there are the thousands that support us through their generous giving to the Red Shield Appeal and our Christmas Appeal. This is both humbling and a challenge to ensure the wisest use of all these gifts.

Many of our key services to the homeless, those impacted by domestic violence, unemployment, crisis events such as bushfires, and the unexpected events of life may not be possible but for this generosity.

We always aim to provide practical support with an aim to build each individual’s capacity to achieve a sustainable and positive life. Thank you, as you partner with us, in achieving this.

Public Relations

Government 66%

Investment Income 1%

Fees and Charges 16%

Red Shield Appeal 9%excluding specified donations

Red Shield Appeal 2%including specified donations and specific emergency donations

Other Income 6%trading revenue, overheads and cost recoveries

Aged Care 32%Barrington Lodge, New Town (77 beds), assistance programs for the aged in Hobart and Ulverstone

Alcohol/Drugs 12%Bridge programs in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie

Housing 6%independent and supported housing in Greater Hobart and Burnie

Homelessness 11%McCombe House and street outreach work in Hobart

Emergency Relief 10%Doorways centres statewide

Family Support 5%Doorways to Parenting, financial counselling, Positive Lifestyle programs statewide

Other 6%XCell and Reintegration programs in Hobart; children’s programs; social programs operational management costs; Family Tracing

Youth Therapeutic Residential Care Service 18%four residential units in Greater Hobart

Funding 2013–14

Expenditure

Income

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As my term as Chairman of the Tasmanian Advisory Board draws to a close, I wish to record how proud I am to have been associated with The Salvation Army. In my experience over many years, the commitment to care for the marginalised in our society is second to none from this remarkable institution, whose members give ‘service before self ’ at all times.

In a state where one in three people receives some form of Australian Government benefit, Tasmania is indeed a state of need for assistance; this from a community that has real difficulty in funding the programs needed to provide the basic needs of shelter, food and security for its people.

Like all not-for-profits, The Salvation Army is suffering from a reduction in government funding and demand for ‘more services at less cost’. In addition, the capacity for private funding is heavily contested by all charitable groups, so there is a real fear, as the economy slows, that vulnerable people will slip through the cracks. The capacity of our donors to give is more vital than ever.

The Advisory Board has seen many changes to its membership this year, with the retirement of several long-term members. They have all given generously of their time and skills over many years and we thank them for their service to The Salvation Army — it is much appreciated.

The Board’s future is looking healthy, with the appointment of several energetic new members who have professional skills and experience I am sure will be invaluable for the Tasmanian Division to draw upon. I wish them every success in the future.

Mr Ian Wells Chairman of the Tasmanian Advisory Board

Advisory Board

Mr Ian Wells

Advisory Board MembersCommunity MembersIan G Wells* (Chair)

David Benbow (Joined 2015)

Michael Foster* (Deputy Chair)

Alexandra Garrott* (Joined 2014)

Wendy Sawford (Joined 2014)

Damon Thomas Glenn Appleyard (Retired 2014)Martine Haley (Retired 2015)Peter Maloney (Retired 2014)Scott Jenkins (Retired 2014)John Stubley (Retired 2014)

Salvation Army MembersMajor Ritchie Watson

Major Gail Watson

Major Christine Wright

Stuart Foster

Captain Craig Wood (until January 2015)

Helen Smith (Minutes Secretary)

* Effective 30 June 2015 Ian Wells will retire from the Chair and Board after 19 years. Effective 1 July 2015 Michael Foster will assume the role of Chair and Alexandra Garrott Deputy Chair.

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When a bushfire devastated large areas of the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas in January 2013, it did more than destroy homes and local businesses. It left a deep wound that the intervening time has done only so much to heal. Once the fire had gone and the media moved on, those impacted by the fire began to assess the damage and start to recover.

The Salvation Army (which had provided over 19,000 meals to the people involved) was aware that recovery from a terror like this would take time, and the journey would be different for everyone. For some it would mean rebuilding; for many, it was the start of an emotional roller coaster ride. For a few, the chances of full recovery would look bleak.

Thanks to the generosity of many supporters, The Salvation Army in Tasmania was able to engage a staff person, Shelley Hyland, to travel this journey with those bushfire affected. In the first two years Shelley distributed over $285,000 of direct support and a further $225,000 of indirect support. Donations were used to buy gift cards for everyday living expenses; it paid for portable toilets, axes, blockbusters and chainsaws; it helped with rebuilding expenses — wherever it was needed, The Salvation Army contributed.

In working with over 300 families and individuals, Shelley has also been a support for people with more than just physical needs. She has been privileged to work alongside many other supporting agencies to help those people rebuild their lives.

An example of the crossover between the physical and emotional was the support The Salvation Army was able to provide for Out of the Ashes.

Dunalley has a small regional art group, Out on a Limb, some of whose members lost homes, studios and equipment to the bushfire. They decided to encourage local people to produce photos and artworks reflecting their recovery. The many results came together in an exhibition titled Out of the Ashes. A huge success, it inspired even more local people to engage with art as part of their recovery. The exhibition then went on the road, travelling around the state with Janine Sutton as volunteer curator.

Bushfire Recovery

When 70-year-old Neville* returned to his house after the fires it was completely destroyed. He had nothing. We were there for him with a chainsaw, food and clothing. As Neville put it: “Really practical stuff which I didn’t have any way of getting...”

And after setting himself up again, he said “The only way I could have possibly gotten to this stage is through the assistance of The Salvation Army. From the bottom of my heart I’d like to thank the people who give to the Salvos. Words just can’t express how grateful I am. It’s just so overwhelming.”

Neville’s Story

Salvos in for the long haul

*Name has been changed to protect privacy. Neville is not pictured below.

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You no doubt have a home; and when you think of ‘homeless people’, a definite picture comes into your mind.

And yet the line between you and a homeless person is a thin one. A retired person in a rental property who finds that they can no longer afford the rent may be just a week or two away from having nowhere to go; a week or two away from being homeless at a time of life when they are especially vulnerable.

These are the people that Assistance with Care and Housing for the Aged (ACHA) sets out to protect and support: those who are already homeless, or are in danger of losing their homes. We help them to live in the community where they want to live. We do this by providing housing that suits their needs and that they can afford; and, if they need it, extra help and support.

ACHA is funded by the Australian Government.

Assistance for the Aged

*Name has been changed to protect privacy. Lynette is not pictured above.

Lynette* was referred to ACHA through the Doorways emergency relief program. Her chronic health conditions meant frequent trips to hospital for medical appointments. Lynette and her outreach support worker developed a plan that included moving from her unsuitable rental to an area closer to the hospital. ACHA helped her to successfully apply for housing with a local not-for-profit housing provider. We helped her to move, and gave her some furniture and household items from Salvos Stores. Lynette now has a new GP, she is looking into local exercise classes, and she has become a volunteer with the local Salvation Army corps. In short, she has become a contributing member of her community.

Lynette’s Story

ACHA aims to support clients to remain in the community of their choice

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There are many reasons, apart from just getting older, why people need extra support in the home — and many types of support. They may be short of money; they may have trouble fitting in with others; they may have emotional or psychological problems; there may be a physical reason; or they may be at a loss spiritually.

This is where The Salvation Army’s Community Home Care South program comes in. We have been helping Tasmanians with all these problems for the last 15 years, and will continue to do so. If a person is on (or beyond) the fringes of society, or if society has left them behind and they feel alone and friendless, they still have a friend.

And it’s a friend who does not judge or preach. We are flexible enough to give the help needed, and do so in a respectful and personal way.

Community Home Care South is the name of the program, but it also describes a complete set of resources a client may need, and can get, from The Salvation Army: Red Shield Housing, emergency relief, alcohol or drug rehabilitation, court support, prison support, household goods, food and chaplaincy.

Before the start of their journey with the Salvos, a client may feel that the outlook is utterly bleak — that it’s a struggle just to survive. And yet, because we engage with each person individually, and find out what they like and enjoy (or maybe just what they have always wanted to do), they can do a lot more than just survive. They may find themselves swimming, dancing, taking a wilderness trip, making new friends, shopping or going for walks, as a part of our Strength’n’Energy program.

It’s up to the client. We don’t pressure, but we do encourage. Strength’n’Energy is a free program that’s been going since 2012, and is jointly funded by The Salvation Army and The Cane Trust.

Examples of how personal our services can be include a lady who can now get into her garden in her electric wheelchair on a deck we built for her; other people who can once again enjoy gardening because we have put in raised garden beds or patio gardens for them; and a range of people who now enjoy Tai Chi classes.

For further information please call Community Home Care South on 03 6278 3256.

Community Home Care South It’s all a part of Community. And Home. And Care.

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Burnie Doorways is one of three Salvation Army Doorways centres on the north-west coast of Tasmania. They generally operate independently but cooperate when the need arises.

Doorways has two main service objectives: emergency relief and case management. Emergency relief provides food or financial assistance to tide clients over a short period of difficulty. Case management includes working with them on their budgets, advocating for them with agencies or creditors, and providing referrals to other internal or external services for specific needs.

A client who deals with Doorways will find that they can also access several other services in the same building. Since 2012 Doorways has been next door to the Burnie Salvation Army Church. In the same building are Oakleigh Accommodation Service, the Bridge Drug and Alcohol Service, Employment Plus, a financial counsellor and the Burnie corps officers.

People come to Doorways for many reasons. They may have lost their jobs, or suffered a family breakdown, or may just be struggling financially for any number of reasons. They are not always unemployed, but they are having trouble making ends meet. We help them in the short and longer-term, and our ultimate goal is that they will no longer need us.

The challenge for the next few years is to maintain services with diminishing resources. With the closure of one of the other emergency relief providers in the Burnie area, the demand for Doorways services is steadily increasing.

For further information please call Burnie Doorways on 03 6431 8722.

Peter,* a 57-year-old New Zealander, was on a working holiday around Australia, picking up some casual work and camping out each night.

One day while hitch-hiking from Smithton to Burnie, he was picked up by two youths who bashed and robbed him, leaving him unconscious. They stole all his belongings, including his wallet. A local family took him to emergency in a serious condition.

NWRH contacted The Salvation Army’s Oakleigh Accommodation Service to assist with Peter’s recovery. His caseworker reassured him that we would take care of him until he had healed and was ready to resume his travels.

Over the next five weeks, Doorways provided accommodation and meals for Peter as his injuries healed and his confidence slowly returned. We also gave him gift cards and vouchers for clothes and food, along with other camping essentials such as a sleeping bag and a gas cooker.

Doorways was able to refer Peter to Employment Plus for seasonal work so he could continue to fund the rest of his trip around Tasmania.

Peter was a quite overwhelmed by the support he had received from The Salvation Army!

Peter’s Story

Burnie Doorways We always work with clients in a non-threatening and respectful way

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.

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The Salvation Army cares for people at every stage of their lives, and the historic Barrington Lodge, in Swanston Street, New Town, is our residential aged care facility in Tasmania. The word ‘home’ sometimes conjures up an unfortunate picture when applied to aged care, but Barrington Lodge has a truly homely atmosphere. Every one of the 77 residents has a single room with ensuite and a garden view.

Residents can spend their time as they wish — chatting with others, reading, being by themselves, or taking part in a wide range of activities both inside and outside their home. There is always something going on, from cards to classes, from scenic drives to shopping trips, but never any compulsion to take part. Everyone likes to be independent, and we encourage it.

Last year, one resident grew enough potatoes and tomatoes to supply our needs, even allowing us to sell the surplus. Gardening is even more popular as a result!

If residents need help, it is always available. There are leisure and lifestyle staff who look after activities and excursions; there are about half a dozen carers available; there are always three qualified nurses on duty; three or four people work in the kitchen; there is a dedicated laundry person; cleaners work all the time; we have a small administration team; and our chaplain looks after both spiritual and personal needs. All of these people take a lively personal interest in the residents, and no one has a problem for long before help (or just a listener) is at hand.

We have an individual care plan for each resident. As part of this, we cater for the aches and pains that often accompany age by providing a pain management program that includes massage and hydrotherapy. If the residents can’t get to allied care specialists — like podiatrists or optometrists

— the specialists come regularly to them.

The values of The Salvation Army — human dignity, justice, hope, compassion and community — are integral to the care provided at Barrington Lodge, regardless of a resident’s social, financial or medical background.

For further information please call Barrington Lodge on 03 6228 2164.

Barrington LodgeWe feel privileged to meet the needs of those in our care

One of the youngest residents of Barrington Lodge at 63 years old, Jenny* had lived in various places (and had difficulty in many of them) since being diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 30. The parameters of Barrington Lodge were stretched a little to accommodate Jenny because she had nowhere else to go. Now, with her condition under control, she is a happy resident who brings happiness to others.

One of a family of 14 children, Jenny has worked since the age of 12, and is a former fruit picker, hospital cleaner and bricklayer (having worked on the Cenotaph, among other projects). Although Jenny had lost contact with her family, the staff at Barrington Lodge were recently able to reunite her with a brother whom she had not seen for eight years.

A very independent spirit, she takes part in every activity she can, goes shopping by herself, loves a chat with the other residents, and is nicknamed ‘Speedy’ for the way she gets around with her walker.

“I love it here,” she says. “It’s just like your own home. The staff are beautiful. They’re all down to earth and happy to have a joke with you. Even the food is wonderful — it’s not the same thing all the time. It’s a wonderful place.”

Jenny’s Story

*Name has been changed to protect privacy. Jenny is not pictured above.

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Today, more than ever, young people are overwhelmed by the world around them and the pressures to fit in. When a young person has the chance to give back, to contribute to the welfare of another, it provides value and meaning that cannot always be measured.

Sarah Davidson recently started as our Schools and Community Development Representative. Sarah is passionate about all things youth-related. She has been busy helping schools achieve their curriculum objectives through students being aware of, and engaged in, the social justice arena.

What is social justice? Social justice is about equality and fairness between human beings. It works on the universal principles that guide people in knowing what is right and what is wrong. This is also about keeping a balance between groups of people in a society or a community. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability. (Source: United Nations)

Salvos’ School Programs has a range of programs suitable for primary and high schools that deliver

relevant and interactive workshops and activities to educate, equip and empower students to tackle social injustice in their communities. It focuses on three key areas: Awareness, Engagement and Action. It aligns with the curriculum to engage students at a high level of learning, decision-making and personal growth.

For further information please call Sarah at Salvos’ School Programs on 03 6228 8414.

Sarah Davidson

The Couch ProjectNew to Tasmania in September 2015 is the Couch Project. This aims to rebuild lives through raising awareness and funds for young people struggling with homelessness. When a young person thinks that their home is no longer a safe place, they tend to go and stay at a mate’s place. While it’s a little less scary than sleeping rough on the streets, eventually they will end up on the couches of friends of friends, dealers or even worse. It’s hidden homelessness and it’s a downward spiral of instability.

The Couch Project is your opportunity to take action and help us raise awareness of youth homelessness and rebuild young lives. You can pledge to spend a sponsored night sleeping on your own couch or get together with friends for a combined sleep over.

Salvos’ School ProgramsAwareness, Engagement and Action

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In January 2012 The Salvation Army employed a Primary Homelessness Support Worker to help the growing number of people sleeping rough in the Greater Hobart area. Street to Home (S2H) is the only program in southern Tasmania working in this way.

S2H helps people who would not otherwise use mainstream services — or may have been barred from them — for reasons including mental health issues, problematic substance use, and physical or intellectual disabilities. As well as searching out the homeless wherever they are living, our worker, Ebony, frequents places where they may go, for example No Bucks (soup kitchen), food vans or drop-in centres.

For the past three years S2H has developed a broad network of collaborators in the Homelessness Response Group (HRG). The group has a wide variety of services, from housing to psychology and everything in between. The HRG focuses on a number of homeless clients with multiple and complex needs, and we work together to create a case plan and act on it for each individual.

S2H has developed close working relationships with community partners — the kind of people who will often see people sleeping rough. After having completed a training course with us, a Hobart City Council worker, or a gardener, might see a person who obviously has nowhere to go, and then let us know about them.

Ebony also works closely with Tasmania Police, who now understand that there are services that they can refer people to. They often contact her about rough sleepers.

S2H has a strong relationship with Rotary Tasmania, who have continually made donations to buy swags and sleeping bags so that a person with no home at least has some small comfort.

For further information please call Street to Home on 03 6278 2817.

Sleeping out for the SalvosYou can find out, in a small way, exactly what a homeless person is going through. All you have to do is ‘sleep rough’ for one night on the forecourt of the Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, which is our partner in this challenge. Whether you’re an individual, a CEO, a politician or a community leader, it’s a way to lie down and be counted while raising vital funds through sponsorship to keep the Street to Home program alive. It’s happening in August, so to find out more speak to Peter Atkinson, The Salvation Army’s Philanthropic Representative, on 03 6228 8425.

Street to Home

When we first encountered Jim* he was living in a shelter he had built out of an old tarp and some sticks. He had been there for eight months, with just the clothes he was wearing, a blanket and a pot.

Previously Jim had found himself living in a world of drug and alcohol abuse, committing thefts and burglaries to fund his habit. This led to a prison sentence. A rehabilitation program only provided short-term relief, so he built his shelter in bushland to remove temptation and get himself off drugs.

It took a long time to build a trusting relationship with Jim. One day he would be happy to see us, the next it would be impossible to converse with him. Eventually he started to open up about his life, including the abuse and neglect he suffered as a foster child. He had been living on the streets, using illicit drugs, since age 13.

We worked hard with Jim to address his multiple, complex issues. Through medication and counselling he is managing his mental health; he has gained some casual employment enabling him to pay off his debts; and after completing a housing program he found himself a private rental where he has been living for six months.

The last time we saw Jim, he told us that this is the first time in his life he has ever felt safe.

Jim’s Story

Peter Atkinson

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.

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Significant SupportersABC Giving TreeAllport TrustAurora EnergyBruce Wall TrustBudget Rent a CarCalvary Health Care (Tas)Cane Charitable TrustClarendon TrustColin Bisdee TrustCommonwealth Government of AustraliaConstruction 3Elphinstone Pty LtdGlasser & ParkerGrote Reber Foundation

Hartzview Vineyard

Heritage Cheese Factory

Hills Transplants

Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart

Huon Aquaculture

IGA Tasmania

Jessica Lord Foundation

Kleenheat Gas

Kmart

Launceston Country Club

Metro

Motorcycle Riders Association Tas

Motors Foundation

R.V. Fitzgerald Family Holdings

Scene Change

Shannons Car Insurance

Spring Hill Pastoral

State Government of Tasmania

Sypkes Group of Companies

Tasmanian Alkaloids

Tasmanian Community Fund

Telstra

The Examiner Newspaper

W.D. Booth Charitable Trust

Westpac Banking Corporation

Woolworths

Our VisionThe Salvation Army — a growing, loving community of people dynamically living God’s mission in a broken world.

Our MissionThe Salvation Army — raised up by God for the work of:

■ Transforming Lives ■ Caring for People ■ Making Disciples ■ Reforming Society

Our ValuesRecognising that God is always at work in the world, we value:

■ Human Dignity ■ Justice ■ Hope ■ Compassion ■ Community

The Salvation Army Tasmania Division 27 Pirie Street (PO Box 50), New Town, TAS 7008 Phone 03 6228 8400 salvationarmy.org.au/tasmania

Photography by Simon Birch