May 2015 Bulletin DONWOOD BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE The Board of Management has appointed a builder SJ Higgins. We have had builders on site busily preparing for the start of the project. It is anticipated that the first sign of action will an interruption to the driveway that runs down the side of the facility so that the builders can access the plumbing services. We will keep you posted on future developments and any interruption to access we may incur. Accreditation The Aged Care Quality Agency are due here on 19 th and 20 th May to conduct our audit. Three auditors from Australian Aged Care Quality Agency will visit the facility and conduct an audit of all our policy and procedures during their 2 day visit. We are currently working hard reviewing all our policies and procedures in readiness for the audit. If you feel you would like to speak to the auditors during this time please speak to one of our Care Managers/Care Coordinators and they will make a time that is suitable. News from the Auxiliary Our auxiliary have just donated 6 IPads to the facility for residents use. Our Lifestyle and Leisure staff are currently in the planning stage of setting up a program regarding the use of the IPads for all our residents. We look forward to getting our residents connected to the internet and working with some great applications. The great fund raising effort by the auxiliary allows us to expand our activity program and enhance the resident s lifestyle. A big thank you to everyone for your support with buying raffle tickets, etc.
Lifestyle Program As part of our Century year of the ANZACs we held a service for all residents, family members and staff on Friday 24 April 2015. The service was very well attended and we had participation from residents in the Nursing Home and Lodge. Thank you to all who attended this moving service. A big thank you to our Lifestyle staff for all your organisation. We had a visit from Le Pine who bought 2 horses from the movie Gallipoli. Residents were encouraged to pat the horses and feed them carrots. The enjoyment and expression on resident s faces with these beautiful gentle animals was priceless. The month of April has also seen some of the Lodge resident go the Ringwood Lake for morning tea and a picnic lunch. We have had many Easter activities in the facility and lots of chocolate was consumed by all. The Nursing Home invited all grandchildren, great grandchildren to come in prior to Easter for an Easter egg hunt. The children had a great time but the residents enjoyed helping the children search the facility for the eggs. Acacia continue to enjoy their music program with several entertainers visiting the facility to entertain the residents. Upcoming Events We are holding the biggest afternoon tea to raise funds to help beat cancer. Please see attached flyer regarding this event. Donwood Strategic Plan As stakeholders of Donwood pleased find below a copy of the 2014-2020 Strategic Plan that has been approved by the Board of Management.
Reviewed and updated 5 March 2015 Authorised by Board of Management 30 March 2015 Strategic Plan 2014-2020
INTRODUCTION Donwood's Community Aged Care Services Inc. Strategic Plan 2014-2020 This Strategic Plan is the result of a Strategic Planning Day held on 4/3/2014 to assist the Board of Directors in charting a course for Donwood until the year 2020 and beyond. Facilitated by Dr Ian Alsop of Melbourne Business School, the Strategic Planning Day involved participation and input from members of the Board, senior administrative and clinical care personnel as well as other team members. The Strategic Planning Day resulted in the formulation of a strategic Plan 2014-2020 which was approved by the Board on 28 April 2014. That document has now been revised and updated to reflect progress and changes in legislation and circumstances since that date. BACKGROUND Donwood Community Aged Care Services Inc. ( Donwood ) is a not-for-profit, community based, association registered on 13 April 1988. Members of the Association have vested the management of the Association in a Board of Management of between 6 and 12 members, including a President, Vice- President, Secretary and Treasurer, in accordance with Donwood s Rules. Donwood s Rules state: The purposes of the Association are: (1) primarily to operate aged care facilities, day care centres, independent living units, community care services and any other appropriate aged care facilities in the City of Maroondah and its environs, with priority of admission to, or service from, the above facilities to be given to: (a) (b) (c) (d) persons assessed as being most in need; persons requiring respite care; persons of low income; and citizens of the City of Maroondah and its environs, and/or their relatives. (2) to purchase or acquire any real and/or personal property and/or to construct or purchase homes and other buildings to be used to further its primary purpose. (3) to raise funds for its primary purpose and to do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects. Donwood built and opened a 30 bed high care Nursing Home and a Day Centre in 1991. A low care hostel was built, initially of 44 beds in 1998 and with a further 16 beds added in 2004. These 60 hostel beds now allow Ageing in Place. Six Independent Living Units (ILU s) were constructed in 2008. Today Donwood comprises: Donwood Nursing Home (with 30 nursing home beds configured in ten double and ten single rooms, each with an ensuite bathroom),
Diana Street Lodge (with 60 low care beds, configured in 60 single rooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, of which 30 beds are dementia specific beds), Day Care Centre catering for 12-15 clients per day, 5 days per week and Independent Living Units (6). Of Donwood s 90 beds, three are used as respite beds. Since the advent of the Australian Government s Living Longer Living Better reforms introduced on 1 July 2014 there is no longer a distinction between High Care beds and Low Care beds. Donwood is located in a residential locality on the boundary of Ringwood and Croydon with its main entrance at 1-5 Mt Dandenong Road Croydon with an additional frontage to 17 Diana Street Croydon. Zoning is Neighbourhood Residential 2 zone under Maroondah Planning Scheme. Donwood s original site fronting 1-5 Mt Dandenong Road Croydon, donated to it by the Victorian State Government, comprised an area of 1.3144 hectares. Over the years Donwood, from its own resources, has purchased 10 properties abutting its eastern boundary and fronting Diana Street (odd street numbers 3 to 21) Croydon and a further property abutting its western boundary at 163 Mt Dandenong Road Ringwood East. Today Donwood controls a site of 2.2237 hectares. In 2013 the Board approved in principle renovations and extensions to the Nursing Home to eliminate all double rooms, build 25 new single rooms with ensuites (thereby increasing the capacity of the nursing home to 45 single rooms and the entire Donwood facility to 105 beds), a new entry off Diana Street, new staff offices, new kitchen, new day centre and new resident and staff facilities. Planning permission has been granted and builder selection is at an advanced stage. Bed licences for the additional 15 beds have been approved by the relevant Commonwealth Department. These works will be funded by internal resources without recourse to external borrowings. Donwood has about 140 permanent and casual staff. Day to day management is undertaken by a Chief Executive Officer with clinical and nursing care undertaken by a Care Services Manager who reports to the CEO. Donwood holds fully compliant Commonwealth Aged Care and Victorian Government HACC (Day Care) accreditation. Occupancy levels have historically been between 98% and 100%. Donwood has had a long history of strong profitability and positive cash flow, although this is continually under pressure from potential cost blow-outs, and has no external debt. Clinical /nursing care is overseen by Care Services Director (CSD), reporting to CEO. Care Managers oversee each unit and report to CSD. In January 2015, Donwood s long-standing CEO (the position formerly designated as Director of Nursing / Manager) submitted her notice of intention to retire to the Board. A new CEO is in the process of being selected and appointed. WHAT DRIVES DONWOOD? Donwood is conscious of its role as a community based, not for profit, provider of residential aged care and associated services and as such exists to serve its community, particularly those citizens who would otherwise not be able to access such services. Therefore, all Donwood s actions should conform to its Vision, Mission Statement, its Values and its Goals.
VISION STATEMENT Donwood s Vision Statement is as follows: To be regarded by our Residents, Clients, their families and the general community as an organisation that offers innovation and excellence in aged care to the people of our local community. MISSION STATEMENT Donwood's Mission Statement is as follows: To assist our residents and Day Care Centre clients to live a secure, dignified and rewarding life through the provision of high quality aged care and accommodation. Donwood s Values include: Care: Integrity: Excellence: Innovation: Communication: We care for everybody at Donwood with dignity and respect. We are ethical, honest and trustworthy in our activities. We embrace best practice and an evidence based approach to our work. We embrace innovation and knowledge to achieve quality services. We are inclusive and consultative in our communications. These are all encapsulated in the following goals: 1. To maintain aged care accreditation at the highest possible level. 2. To provide residential aged care services for residents and clients on a long term, economically sustainable, basis. 3. To provide excellent services to, and a quality lifestyle for, all our residents and clients and to continually improve those services. 4. To provide a safe, secure and happy environment for our residents, clients and staff. 5. To increase the number of beds at Donwood and to provide further aged care services to residents and clients to meet current and emerging needs. Consequently, this Strategic Plan draws on eight strategies: Strategic Plan Governance strategies Govern Donwood to achieve its Mission, Values and Goals by: 1. adopting and encouraging best practices in every aspect of Donwood operations; 2. developing annual business plans and budgets to manage and measure the Donwood business and report on and monitor its ongoing performance; 3. ensuring that Donwood policies and practices are compliant with Commonwealth and State Government funding and all other lawful requirements; 4. reviewing services regularly to determine the best mix of future service delivery;
5. investigating and adopting new technologies and skills to improve Donwood; and 6. maintaining and communicating the high quality and integrity of Donwood s reputation internally and in the outside world. Delivery of Client Services Deliver aged care services through residential care, day care and ILU's which ensure that access is available to any class of person in need. Continue to reinvest surplus funds in the provision of Donwood services progressively to improve the quality of life of residents and staff. Excellence in Service Delivery Deliver excellent aged care services to residents and other clients by: 1. continuing to reflect best practice in the aged care sector; 2. continually monitoring and improving the effectiveness of Donwood care services; 3. supporting, training and encouraging high quality staff and volunteers; 4. supporting and responding to client needs and aspirations in a timely fashion. Excellence in workforce delivery and engagement Maintain and improve Donwood aged care services at sustainable levels by: 1. recruiting and retaining high quality professional staff and volunteers; 2. providing a quality work environment for all staff and volunteers; 3. providing training and development opportunities for staff; and 4. acquiring suitable economic and efficient technologies and train staff in the use of those technologies. Thriving in a competive enviroment Maintain Donwood s position in a competitive market by: 1. promoting Donwood to the local community and potential residents and their families; 2. maintaining Donwood as an excellent and desirable place to work and reside; 3. increasing Donwood membership by recruiting capable persons from within the local community; and 4. supporting the Donwood Auxiliary in its activities and fundraising efforts. Strengthening Donwood s Financial Viability Maintain and improve a financially strong and independent Donwood by: 1. ensuring revenues exceed expenditure over time with a surplus available for upgrading and expanding our assets and services; 2. maximising revenue, bond levels and periodic payments while maintaining access to Donwood for all potential residents; 3. closely managing and controlling costs and debts across all Donwood activities; 4. maintaining bed occupancy in each area of Donwood at near 100% levels;
5. maintaining current cash reserves of a minimum of two months operating expenses or 20% of outstanding accommodation bond liabilities, whichever is the greater; and 6. except for short temporary periods, remaining debt free, other than for bond liabilities. Master Planning, Infrastructure Development and Property Strategy Maintain, develop and improve the physical assets of Donwood by: 1. reviewing and improving all buildings and equipment to meet current and future Government standards and resident and staff needs; 2. updating the current Master Site Plan to maximize the potential value of the site in line with the nature of and demand for future services. 3. investigating and determining the feasibility of owning and/or operating additional aged care beds, ILUs, ALUs, Community Packages and other specialist aged care services, such as in rehabilitation or dementia day care. 4. Acquire the remaining west-side Diana St properties adjacent to Donwood. 5. Continually upgrade Donwood buildings and management systems and equipment to permit the provision of new technology appropriate for Donwood, its staff and residents. 6. Refurbish existing Donwood properties at least every 20 years. 7. Acquire other aged care facility sites which can be managed from current Donwood offices. Strategic Growth in a Changing Market for Aged Care Services Remain independent for the foreseeable future, growing 1. organically or by acquisition, or amalgamation with a not-for-profit facility. 2. to no more than 120 residential beds on the Croydon site; and 3. to at least 20 ILUs on the Croydon site. Specific Strategic Objectives 1. Donwood Value Offering Strategic Outcome 1:1 That Donwood become the Aged Care provider of choice in the Outer Eastern Suburbs with an emphasis on the friendly and high quality care being offered. Occupancy level. Resident pipeline and waiting list. Accreditation and compliance. Positive press and No negative press. No validated complaints. Gaining of best practice awards and industry recognition. Reaccreditation is due 19 & 20 May 2015 with preparatory work well underway. Board of Management is supportive of extra resources should they be needed to achieve Reaccreditation. Appointment of Admissions Manager to service and maintain resident pipeline and waiting list and conduct inspections with prospective residents and families. Occupancy level measured by bed days lost calculated monthly and reported to Board.
Marketing brief will encompass positive market outreach. Refer Strategic Outcome 2.1. Continuous Improvement in systems and staff training continuously emphasising the need to obviate any cause for complaints by residents and families. Strategic Outcome 1:2 To achieve this Donwood needs to be widely affirmed as the not for profit community based residential care provider at the highest level of quality and care. Reports of Donwood provided by community feedback through networks, local Council members and staff, press, and community organisations. This will be encompassed in the marketing brief. Refer Strategic outcome 2.1 2. Market and Marketing under Living Longer Living Better Strategic Outcome 2:1 That an actively pursued marketing program of Donwood s Value Offering be pursued and commenced by 19 May 2014. Achievement of the measurements of the Strategic Objective 1:1. Website has been updated to record information required by Living Longer Living Better to be on Donwood s website and at myagedcare.gov.au. A holistic assessment of Donwood s marketing needs both strategic and operational, to be undertaken as a matter of urgency by the new CEO for recommendation to, and consideration by, the Board. This item remains a key priority for action. Strategic Outcome 2:2 That an improved dynamic and interactive Donwood website be developed as an integral aspect of the increased marketing thrust provided by Donwood. That this web presence is up and online by 31 December 2014. That there is a significant increase in the number of web hits and marketing enquiries and responses from web searches. That an increased number of people remark on the quality and effectiveness of the website. Refer to 2.1 above. Strategic Outcome: 2:3 That a dedicated marketing person be employed to undertake 1 or more of the following: To conduct an overall (holistic) marketing review, develop a strategic marketing program that identifies specific market niches, optimum mix of channels to reach such niches, and communication strategies that enable increased response and the maximising of bed/infrastructure use;
To be responsible for the Donwood website and its updating; To be primarily responsible for conducting Donwood site tours for prospective residents and their families; To be responsible for the community outreach programmes; To be primarily responsible for fundraising. Development of a position description by 30 June 2014. Ascertainment of the cost/benefits of the proposed position by 31 July 2014. Appointment of a marketing person as soon as possible thereafter. Presentation of a comprehensive marketing strategy by 31 December 2014. An Admissions Manager has been appointed. Refer to 1.1. The balance of this item remains a key priority for action by the new CEO. Strategic Outcome 2:4 That supportive marketing printed materials be designed, written and published to support the overall marketing campaign. Initial materials to be available by 1 July 2014. Further materials to be available as determined by the marketing person as an integral aspect of the marketing program. Some marketing material has been updated in response to Living Longer Living Better. The balance of this remains a key priority for action by the new CEO and the Admissions Manager. Strategic Outcome 2:5 That the marketing of the new Donwood extension for occupancy to commence as soon as the decision to build is made. The occupancy level being 100% 3 months after building completion date. This item remains a key priority for action by the new CEO and the Admissions Manager. Strategic Outcome 2:6 That the marketing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) be developed in consultation with the person appointed to the marketing position. KPI s for the Marketing person that are measurable and agreed. This item remains a key priority for action by the Board, in consultation with the new CEO. 3. Finance Strategic outcome 3:1
That the Board monitor the viability of, and financing of new building/refurbishment so that a decision to build can be made by 31 December 2014. Planning completed by 31 December 2014 with completion date determined. Board decision on or before January 2015 Board meeting. Further financial examination and analysis by the board has confirmed the Board s commitment to the project. On 23 February 2015 the Board resolved: That, having received and evaluated budget estimates from S J Higgins Pty Ltd, Cobild Pty Ltd and Renew Constructions Pty Ltd, having received and considered reports from CKA Group, Architects, and from Rodney Vapp and Associates, quantity surveyors and building cost consultants, having met with and having inspected examples of recent work of the prospective builders and after careful consideration, it is RESOLVED that Donwood, through its architects and quantity surveyors, enter into further and exclusive discussions with S J Higgins Pty Ltd with the intention of finalising a building tender on contract terms and at a sum acceptable to Donwood. Initial meetings have been held with S J Higgins as preferred builder and an early works package is being developed for implementation by the builder. Strategic outcome 3:2 That new service offerings and revenue streams less dependent on Government funding be identified and tested for financial viability and that action is taken to implement where possible. Proposals for further service offerings being presented to the Board by the new CEO for consideration and implementation after completion of the new building. A new economically viable service offering being implemented within 3 months of completion of the new extension. Further new service offerings are investigated on an annual basis through to 2020. The increase in profitability from the new diverse service offerings. This item remains on the Board agenda as it researches opportunities for growth in service delivery as a result of Living Longer Living Better and changes in the marketplace for the provision of aged care services. Strategic Outcome 3:3 That a professional review of Donwood management and accounting systems be conducted as required. That a review of Donwood administration and marketing systems be conducted by 30 December 2014. That further reviews be commissioned of aspects of the Donwood business as required. On 27 August 2014 the Board commissioned Donna Orchard of Orchard Consulting to undertake such a review. Orchard Consulting submitted its report in December 2014. The report was adopted in principle by the Board on 28 January 2015 and forms the basis upon which reforms to Donwood s management and accounting systems will be framed.
This item is under continued implementation and review. 4. Property Strategic Outcome 4:1 That in relation to the Nursing Home refurbishment and 15 bed extension: planning permission be obtained by 31 August 2014; detailed drawings of the redevelopment be finished by 31 December 2014; construction is commenced by 1 March 2015; and development is completed by 30 December 2016. Planning permission was received from Maroondah City Council on 18 June 2014. Design and Development planning is continued with consultants. Agreement in principle to employ S J Higgins as preferred builder agreed in February 2015. Discussions are ongoing with the builder in relation to price and conditions. The builder intends to be on site by 13 April 2015 to commence early works. Strategic outcome 4:2 That a review of future property requirements to maintain optimum opportunity regarding site development including the openness to purchase of further property adjacent to current site, be conducted. Regular property intelligence reports to the Board regarding possible acquisitions. Under active consideration with approaches to be made to owners of 2 properties in Mt Dandenong Road. 5. Human Resources and Training Strategic Outcome 5:1 That the Board and management place a priority on the training of Donwood staff onsite with the provision of needed facilities and equipment. Establishment of an onsite, adequately equipped, training centre for staff by end of 2014, if possible. Board approved 7 Diana Street as Day Centre with potential additional use as a training centre either long term or pending construction of the new facility. A further training needs analysis, in terms of staff requirements and equipment needs to be conducted by the new CEO. Strategic Outcome 5:2 The establishment of a structured training and development program for Donwood staff (and possibly external persons) appropriate for their functional specialty and Donwood s needs.
Planning beginning immediately with a program fully established by end 2014. This item is under continued implementation and review. Strategic Outcome 5:3 That a program of career development for staff and succession planning for senior staff be developed and implemented. Planning by 1 September 2014 and fully developed for implementation in 2015 onwards. A Chief Executive Officer succession policy is to be incorporated into new policies and procedure manual. Development of a career development program for staff, and succession planning, be undertaken by the new CEO. Strategic outcome 5:4 That a more efficient system process be developed to manage ACFI processes and revenue enhancement. System developed no later than 30 September 2014. Action completed and positive improvement in ACFI income is evidence of success. Needs permanent ongoing attention. Conclusion: Whilst much has been achieved in implementing the Strategic Plan since its adoption in April 2014, particularly in respect of the progressing of the planned extension and in obtaining and adopting the systems review by Orchard Consulting, much needs to be yet achieved. Prominent in this is the need for Donwood to thoroughly upgrade all facets of its marketing and to prepare its workforce for the challenge of change that will occur in coming years in service delivery both as a result of, and despite, Donwood s expansion.