2019/20 annual report
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2020/21 annual report
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our organisation
our purpose
(why we exist)
our values
(how we act)
our mission
(how we deliver)
We inspire possibility by giving people access to support in their chosen community
Integrity, Cooperation, Empowerment, Respect, Excellence
Connecting capable passionate and caring locals with those who need support
Dr Peter Mangles
President
President's message
The 2020/21 year was one of incredible adaptation, change and transformation. In what could only be described as a consequential year for all of us, organisations and individuals alike were impacted and accordingly the year for LiveBetter was both memorable and forgettable.
Managing Director
& CEO's report
As I reflect on the past year, I am immensely proud of how everyone at LiveBetter has risen to the enormous challenge of COVID-19 in support of our communities... I want to thank all of our staff for their dedication and resilience during this time.
Natalie Forsyth-Stock
Managing Director & CEO
our customers
more customer stories:
ladies of Monto support the girls
Monto Neighbourhood Centre, Monto QLD
The ladies of Monto came together to celebrate International Women’s Day in March 2021 with 63 ladies participating in the Support the Girls Event held at LiveBetter’s Monto Neighbourhood Centre.
Click on a story below to read.
our people
Benny Coghlan
NDIS Business Support Officer, Orange
Hi, my name is Benny Coghlan. Nice to meet you.
Currently I am working in an awesome team in the Disability Services Business Support Unit. I also manage the ins and outs of one of LiveBetter’s Customer Management Systems, CTARS.
Life in short has been a very interesting ride for me and I am grateful for where I have landed.
more staff stories:
Click on a story below to read.
our work
LiveBetter is a provider of customer-focused aged, child & family and disability services in regional Australia, centred on support in the home and connections to the community.
Delivering over 80 programs from offices, homes and centres in more than 45 communities across regional NSW and Central Queensland, LiveBetter takes a person-centred approach, ensuring services provide practical assistance to help people live the life they want.
Our big-hearted team promises to provide customer-directed disability, family and aged care services of value by listening to our customers, empowering our people to respond, and doing what we say we will.
aged care
LiveBetter Aged Care services achieved improved quality of life and care outcomes for more than 8,000 customers across regional NSW and central Queensland during 2020/21. In what could only be described as challenging times with COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, we continued delivering services safely through the pandemic, with stringent infection control measures in place, to our customers who were happy for us to do so.
carer gateway
Carer Gateway had its first full year of supporting carers across Australia. LiveBetter manages the delivery of Carer Gateway across Western NSW, Murrumbidgee and South Eastern NSW. We work with our service delivery partners, The Benevolent Society and Mission Australia in the South Eastern parts of NSW to ensure carers receive the support they need.
Carer Gateway aims to make carers’ lives easier. We do this by offering information and assistance in navigating systems such as My Aged Care (online) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). We also help with practical supports including links to respite, counselling and facilitating social connections.
It was another challenging year with COVID-19 lockdowns, restrictions and limited community engagement opportunities. Despite this, public awareness of Carer Gateway increased with more carers making contact for information and support.
The 2020/21 year also saw the Carer Gateway expanded to employ Young Carer Planners dedicated to supporting young carers. These planners work with children as young as eight years old that have a significant role in supporting a family member. The planners have helped such carers access individualised supports, including tutoring, educational equipment and support to undertake their hobbies. Young carers’ camps will be held in 2021/22.
disability
Commitment, compassion, challenges and COVID-19 are the words that spring to mind when considering the past 12 months.
Our commitment to our customers’ safety and wellbeing has been unwavering, with teams adapting quickly and collaborating in response to the challenges the pandemic presented. We tackled those issues with a strong organisational response, pandemic planning and our COVID response teams. With the already dynamic landscape that is the NDIS, the pandemic added another layer of complexity and the need to revise and refine plans in accordance with health guidelines.
child & family
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect our early childhood education services. However, all services continued to operate in one way or another despite the shutdown. Our teachers and educators were highly creative in devising and running an early childhood program via Zoom and sending education packs to families’ homes. Our students were still able to learn, do craft, listen to stories, play and engage with each other and with our dedicated staff during these unusual times.
transport
2020/21 was exceptional on many levels, with customer connection strengthened despite the pandemic. As an essential service, our transportation allowed our customers to attend their medical appointments, do essential shopping, and engage socially during this difficult time, all safely and compliant with public health orders. The pandemic did mean we completed almost 20% fewer trips due to social distancing requirements.
home modifications and maintenance
LiveBetter Home Modifications and Maintenance saw an increase in jobs completed on the previous financial year – from 1,795 to a substantial 3,728.
We were able to continue delivering services through the pandemic in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people choosing to live as independently as possible in their own homes.
The Safe and Supported at Home (SASH) package was reinstated with substantial take up, along with the allocation of growth funding in the Riverina Murray region which helped provide extra Home Modifications for people in a more timely manner without a wait list.
The increase can also be attributed to the introduction of a lawn mowing voucher system which allowed us to provide services to more people.
our corporate supports
people & culture
LiveBetter’s People & Culture Team introduced some amazing changes and programs to support our valuable staff during an incredibly busy 2020/21.
The Recruitment Team carried out more than 270 recruitment campaigns, considered 3,253 candidates, plus hired more than 600 people. We also provided internal career opportunities to more than 45 employees.
governance & legal
The Quality, Governance and Risk Team continued to elevate LiveBetter’s compliance outcomes to an industry-leading position in 2019/20. Organisational safeguards were increased and developed to enhance participants’ choice and control, while protecting them from abuse and neglect, and ensuring we’re customer-focused in our decision making.
finance
