He aha te mea nui o te ao, He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Of all our many achievements this year the most significant moments are again personal, human and all about the ‘people’. Earlier this year, I was proud to stand at our Annual Gala Dinner beside Lauren, a young mum who confidently spoke to a crowd of strangers about her journey, proud of her transformation from vulnerability to confidence, proud of her generosity of spirit in donating her creative art works and in her ability to confidently put them up for public auction.

The many personal acknowledgements on the night about her story, including the Mayor of Christchurch, were not necessary to her – I could clearly see the self-respect and esteem was already within.  Interestingly Lauren repeatedly shared how grateful she was of the supports from Community, Youth and Child Services and repeatedly the words back to Lauren was that her achievements were her own; her motivation, her commitment to her daughter, her families support to her but most of all the sheer determination she showed as she worked two jobs and attended Ara, all to ensure that her’s and her daughters future was secure.  This development is also prevalent each time we have an Adventure Therapy graduation. Seeing young people who now have the ability to identify insights about themselves and the tools to move ahead in their development provides us the motivation for our whole service to continue the hard work of making this all possible.

This year our service has delivered upon increasingly complex community need, continuing to improve quality, scope and outcome standards. I am proud to remain the manager of a service that works creatively and collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes for the young people and communities in which we are privileged to work, and we are privileged. In our closest moments of engagement with clients our teams represent a body of supportive knowledge that can change a person’s relationships with those closest to them. Our people can help set a vulnerable young person on a positive and pro-social pathway to growth. We can support a person experiencing mental health challenges to find something constructive inside that gives them a sure footing on the way forward. We also help to forge the most important bond in life in supporting vulnerable young mothers.

These are the moments that matter. We thrive as an organisation when we work in partnership and orient our service in ways that protect our ability to be present with, listen to and support young people.

It is in this spirit in which we entered a collaborative service delivery partnership with Plunket NZ to provide pregnancy and parenting education to Young Parents. In this year we also joined the North Canterbury Children’s Team supporting this important service delivery vehicle, as well as commencing Lead Professional work from our North Canterbury Service Hub in Rangiora.

Our Community Development team and Mental Health and Wellbeing commenced delivery of a collaborative practice model where we can better meet the needs of young people leveraging the skills of both teams. Our Adventure Therapy team established a pilot extension programme fostering a prosocial environment where young people who have offended can continue a positive path.

Our list of important stakeholders who we acknowledge this year has grown too long to meaningfully list. As you are reading this I would sincerely like to thank you for all you have done in your capacity working with us to support young people. Without collaboration and partnerships it is fair to say we couldn’t continue to be able to serve the children, young people, their families and our communities in the very special way that we do.  

Nga mihi,
Sarah

Our model of care ‘My Life ‘ continues to evolve and now drives our service as we empower individuals , teams and our community to support the people we care for and to live a life that exceeds their expectations.

Sam had his own home, job, family and interests. He was active and his life was busy. Due to an unexpected turn of events his life changed overnight and he faced the prospect of living life relying on the care from others. With supportive family and friends he started his road to recovery. Following six months at the Burwood Brain Injury Unit he then came to St John of God Halswell. After two years of trial and error, two years of frustration and success, he has made it home. His rehabilitation and therapy was science based but individually focussed. Sam is one client, on one journey and his story is his own. Our care of Sam was unique for him and this is what makes our model work.

Every day we are inspired by the people we care for. We are privileged to be part of someone’s journey. A journey, where we are expecting someone to start something without knowing when or where the end point is.

We are asking people to trust us and to share part of their life with us. We have no other obligation other than to do our best and then to ask if that was our best and to do it again. Our model of care is asking of ourselves and our caregivers nothing different from what we are asking of our clients.

The last year has seen a number of developments which have impacted positively on the care we provide.

The Ceiling Hoist project at St John of God Halswell has so far seen 34 out of 40 ceiling hoists installed which will mean everyone who currently requires hoisting will soon be using an overhead ceiling track and hoist. This is safer, more efficient and definitely more comfortable for the resident. Staff and residents are unanimously providing positive feedback.

A new Call Bell Response system was installed mid-year throughout Health and Ability Services Southern. A pager system is now the primary alert for when assistance is required and this has lowered the call bell response time significantly and also reduced the amount of noise in each area.

The Grounds team have a new focus around planting edibles that our residents will be able to help grow, harvest and eat. A tunnel house has been erected with the help of the Menzshed and will soon be producing a range of fresh vegetables for staff and residents to enjoy. The Halswell Menzshed continues to grow in size with over 130 active members. They have received donations of engineering equipment valued over $100, 000 and now run a metal workshop, wood work shop and general maintenance. They proactively support the service with individual residents and assisting with a number of our larger projects.

Food Services have expanded and the kitchen now provides a take away meal service and demand is growing  with their menu now including sushi, tofu donuts and our own healthy ‘Friday Fish n Chips’ wrapped in newspaper all being popular choices.

More recently there has been the introduction of a small flexible pool of staff who are available to assist where and when extra help is needed. This allows us to respond to times of high demand and creates more opportunity to promote lifestyle. We are now seeing the benefits of our new Hot Water system which combined with our generator has saved us over 20% on our energy costs.

All of these measures are part of our drive for continuous improvement.

Sadly over the last year we have lost two of our long-term residents, both of whom far exceeded their original life expectancy predictions. We were honoured to have been part of their family over many years and we value the ongoing relationship we have with their families. Our waiting list continues to be full and our demand for placements continues to grow.

The service gained two new contracts during the year from the Ministry of Health. These contracts will support us to transition clients into the community and provide ongoing care. While this is a new area for the service, these contracts acknowledge the capability and dedication we have to a holistic approach and working in partnership with people.

Pampuri House which opened last year has increased the number of rehabilitation and therapy beds available and these have been in demand with 100% occupancy maintained.

As we start a new year we are looking forward to having an interior refurbishment of the corridors at St John of God Halswell, complete the carpark area and landscaping at St John of God Selwyn and construct a new accessible, self-contained apartment at St John of God Addington. Discussions on development of the Halswell site continue as we research options that will be suit the needs of our community and future generations.

We are very grateful for the support that we receive that often goes unnoticed. The residents who help each other by providing a listening ear. The relatives who visit and often assist at meal times or maybe tidying a cupboard. The Volunteers who assist us in delivering our Mission and supporting our residents in all manner of activity. One resident told me that she feels part of something ‘bigger’. She feels that she doesn’t just receive care but that she is also able to offer something. I believe she feels part of our St John of God family and part of a community of care.

na Virginia

As I reflect on my first year in this role, one thing that has struck me has been the conversations with residents and their families. As I hear little vignettes from their lives; history, interests, achievements and what makes them tick I feel humbled to be part of that journey, and honoured that people have entrusted their lives to us. In the busy “task-orientated” world that we sometimes find ourselves in, we constantly remind ourselves that it is the people we are here for.

The Northern Region continues to be well represented by our Karori Facility. Demand for our quality service in residential and respite care has meant continually good occupancy, a reflection on the dedication and work of our caregivers.

We continue to work with our independent living group, providing opportunities and support for residents wanting to manage the tasks of daily life. This year 4 residents started doing their own laundry, and we are investigating options for some resident rooms to have their own washing machine, maximising the independence that they have. We also introduced buffet breakfasts, allowing residents greater freedom to arrange their own meals. Earlier this in 2017 this group also arranged their own road trip to Hawkes Bay to visit a former member of the group who had relocated there, a rewarding experience for all concerned.

We look forward to seeing the workforce impact of the Pay Equity Settlement, as we are now better able to recruit and retain excellent staff, as well as support an increasing level of training and education for the core workforce. The impact of this may take several years to properly settle, but for now we are just thrilled to be able to pay staff a more appropriate wage.

The Rehabilitation and Therapy Team has continued to deliver excellence in the volume and variety of internal and extramural programmes. Some of these activities and links include: Karori Arts and Crafts sessions; students providing music therapy, therapeutic massage, counselling and occupational therapy; swimming, boccia, extra gym sessions and computer literacy.

Our volunteering programme has seen an increase in both resident and community volunteering, which allows us to provide extra support for residents to be able to access community and onsite events and activities. Opportunities for residents to be involved in service delivery has increased with residents as volunteers, trainers and involvement in recruitment.

The seismic strengthening project for the St John of God Karori site continues to progress. This is a complex task, involving significant work in the main building. Residents and caregivers are excited by the possibilities that this project brings.

We continue to seek expansion opportunities, both within the Wellington region and in the wider North Island. Unfortunately the housing crisis has struck us too – with affordable accommodation for our services being difficult to come by. A number of potential properties have been viewed, and preliminary discussions held with the owners of a former rest home in Lower Hutt that may become available in 18-24 months.

The focus as we look ahead remains strengthening: strengthening people, strengthening our presence in the Northern region, and strengthening our Karori facility building.

Kia manawanui,

Stewart Clark

We are an organisation very focused on the quality of care we provide in the present and ensuring excellence into the future. The past has a lot to teach us about who we are and what we are to do in this regard.

This year we have begun to revisit our organisational commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the relationships and expectations of the bi-cultural journey. Adopting the name Pae Ora for this acknowledges that all people in Aotearoa deserve flourishing futures. We want to ensure that Māori clients and their whānau have the opportunity to determine what hauora means for them and how they see us assisting them to achieve this.  We want our caregivers adequately resourced to support whānau self-determination, and confident participants in a multi-cultural society.

Just as the Treaty provides the mandate for this, Catholic Social Justice principles, forged in scripture and tradition and reflection on the signs of the times, provide a compass for Catholic organisations to chart direction on their journey. This year our leadership team has reflected on these principles and worked to ensure that they are embedded in our policies and discernment processes and our models of practice.

Another aspect of valuing our heritage has seen us interviewing some past caregivers and stakeholders. We are grateful that they have been prepared to share their stories with us. Their experiences, memories and reflections on our Mission and Values in action both inspire and challenge us to ensure current and future development are grounded in the spirit of St John of God. Joan Chittister reminds us that our connections to the past make us “stronger as we go, surer as we grow”.

This tradition of manaakitanga and compassionate care only survives because we continue to attract and retain generous men and women who are prepared to embrace our mission and recreate it in their daily interactions with colleagues and clients. It is a privilege to serve people in their vulnerability and in doing so we in turn become more fully human, and the world more peaceful and just.

My grateful thanks to all who have contributed to this Mission this year.

Ngā mihi

Joanne

St John of God Health Care is a leading provider of high quality health care services that include hospitals, home nursing, disability and outreach services throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.

The theme of this year’s Annual Report, ‘it’s in how we respond’ captures the unique way in which we respond to individuals and families in our care but also how we respond to each other, and to our valued partners, which is ultimately what positions us a leader in the delivery of quality health care in Australia.

Responding to each person, and to each other, from a perspective of openness and generosity, to provide a reason for hope and respecting each person’s dignity is at the core of our Mission and is encapsulated in Our Vision. It is lived by our caregivers every day, across all our divisions.

See the abridged St John of God Health Care Annual Report online at annualreport2016.sjog.org.au or download the full report at  www.sjog.org.nz.