FIRSTCHANCE COMMITTEE

GENERAL MEETING

Meeting of the Firstchance Committee

Tuesday 24 March 2009 at 7.00 pm

Conference Room, Special Education Centre

AGENDA

1.  Apologies

2.  Confirmation of Minutes of Previous Meeting

3.  Business Arising

4.  Correspondence In

5.  Business Arising

6.  Treasurer’s Report

7.  Public Officer’s Report

8.  Team Leader’s Reports

·  Executive Manager

·  Team Leader ECIP

·  Team Leader SFSK

9.  Policy Review

Firstchance

·  Organisational Code of Ethics

Strengthening Families

·  Strategic Plan

10.  Executive Manager

11.  Strategic Plan

12.  Budget

·  Administration

·  Professional Development

·  Capital Works

·  Travel

13.  General Business

14.  Next Meeting

Minutes of Firstchance Committee Meeting –10th February 2009

Meeting opened at: 7.12 pm

Present: Rani Dibley Chris Lewis Tina Bubutievski Candy Connors

Sascha Flick Helen Williams Greg McKenna Meghan Hepplewaite

Fiona Nash Danielle Belk

Apologies: Michael Arthur-Kelly Anne Molloy Vicki Doherty

1. Confirmation of Minutes from Previous Meeting

The minutes from December were tabled and accepted.

Moved to accept: Greg McKenna Seconded: Chris Lewis

2. Correspondence In

A record of correspondence received was reviewed by the committee and accepted.

Moved to accept: Candy Connors Seconded: Chris Lewis

3. Business Arising from correspondence

Nil business arising

4. Treasurers Report

Report attached.

End January profit $135,874.00. Overall profit thanks to Indigenous & Babies Programs

E.C.I.P will continue with $200,000 deficit loss each year

Pattern for Firstchance is profit in first half of year and a loss in the second half of the year. Isn’t sustainable.

Moved to accept: Candy Connors Seconded: Greg McKenna

5. Public Officer

Report attached.

Firstchance provides a $100 award for selected Special Education student. 4 outstanding students this year. Can Firstchance support 4 x $100 awards this year?

Motion: The Board supports providing 4 x $100 awards for this year.

Moved to accept: Greg McKenna Seconded: Candy Connors

6. Team Leaders Reports

Executive Manager-Tina Bubutievski

Report attached and accepted

Moved to accept: Chris Lewis Seconded: Greg McKenna

Motion: The Board agrees to seek an Enterprise Agreement and to budget $10,000 for this process in consultation with current staff

Moved to accept: Greg Mckenna Seconded: Chris Lewis

Motion: Current staff are to be given a 12 month contract but all new staff will be given a 6 month contract and this will be reassessed as part of the restructure.

Moved to accept: Chris Lewis Seconded: Candy Connors

The Board need to review the rate of travel reimbursement and the possibility of providing vehicles for some staff in light of this. The Management Team will bring more detailed information about this to the next meeting.

Motion: The Board approves the installation of an EFTPOS Lite facility and to review this in 12 months time.

Moved to accept: Greg McKenna Seconded: Candy Connors

Motion: The Board approves a restructure of ECIP and to create a sub-committee to drive the restructure and to put a timeline in place.

Moved to accept: Candy Connors Seconded: Fiona Nash

Sub-Committee Members: Rani Dibley Sascha Flick Tina Bubutievski Candy Connors Fiona Nash

to meet before end of April 2009

Motion: The Board approves that provisions for leave, interpreter services, and professional development be put in the budget and be funded.

Moved to accept: Candy Connors Seconded: Greg McKenna

ECIP- Rani Dibley

Report attached

Moved to accept: Candy Connors Seconded: Chris Lewis

§  Port Stephens and Belmont programs reduced to 1 day p/wk which means we are now unable to service as many children

§  Babies program is a 0-12mths program but due to less babies in NICU at John Hunter (a good thing!) Rani is looking into extending the program to 0-24mths (as per report)

§  We need to enhance rather than increase programs. We need to look at ways of providing/supporting families on waiting list

§  Greg will return by May meeting with an proposed Information Pack for parents on the waiting list

§  In the restructure of ECIP we need to consider how to support teachers more and be mindful of compassion fatigue. Greg will seek discussions with the Salvo’s about the best way to support our staff – can Salvo’s help? – and report back to the Board about his findings.

Program Leaders Report -SFSK- Sascha Flick

Report attached

Moved to accept: Greg McKenna Seconded: Candy Connors

7. Policy and Procedure

Financial Delegation - “Director” change to “Public Officer Firstchance”

§  No expenditure on anything over $10,000

This policy will be reviewed after we have finished with Cumberland Enterprises

Time In Lieu – ratified

Hours of Work and Leave – ratified

Time Out Days – ratified

Strengthening Families Policies attached to SFSK Report as part of SFSK.

8. Constitution

§  Agree to ‘Board’ instead of ‘Committee’

§  7c – same criteria as for professionals

§  14c – change to ‘acted in way of risk to Firstchance’

§  18a) i Chair

ii Vice Chair

iii Public Officer

iv Secretary

v Treasurer

§  20 k – scrap

§  23 – where the Public Officer is not the secretary hi/her duties are:

§  25d – through Executive Manager

§  28a – 10 times a year

§  33A – at least 14 days

§  34a) - a quorum of 5 and c) – at least 3 members

9. General Business

§  approved Corporate Credit card for Tina to $5000

§  meetings to be held every 4th Tuesday of the month

Next Meeting:

AGM Tuesday 24th February, 2009

7pm

All welcome

Meeting Closed: 9.15pm

Public Officer’s Report March 2009

A big welcome to our new Committee for 2009, and sincere thanks for contributing your time in leading our organisation as we support families and children.

Without doubt, the Capacity Building sessions run by Cumberland Industries have been the highlight of the last month, complemented by ongoing improvements to our processes and procedures, and discussions with the University regarding a written agreement that provides certainty for all parties.

There is much to be done, and many good things in the works: Happy Easter!

kind regards

Michael Arthur-Kelly Public Officer

Executive Manager’s Report

March 2009

Thank you all for your participation and support with Capacity Building – the time we have spent with Cumberland Industries so far has been really valuable for us. As you know, our next day is on 26 March. As for everything else, here is the update:

The Uni

We have met with them and produced a draft licence agreement and MOU, which is now with their legal section. In recognition of our limited resources, I have suggested that we make a contribution of $500 per month in return for security of tenure and all the other things that we currently have. We are still awaiting a response.

The University’s master plan sees the demolition of this building to create a new main entrance to the campus. Facilities advise us that this is a concept plan, and is not a priority – nonetheless, in the licence I have suggested that they must give us 6 months notice of any plan to demolish the building and also offer us suitable alternative accommodation.

The Budget

Joan, Rani & I have met to try and make more sensible allocations in the future, as the new programs have surplus cash while others are struggling. We have been able to move a few things around to make ECIP a bit healthier, and make the expenses more reflective of where the staff actually do the work.

It is time to really rejig the budget so that we can start fresh on 1 July. We need a good clean out of the MYOB system, and also a reconceptualisation in the budget of ‘Firstchance’ rather than ECIP, SFSK, fundraising, donations and all sorts of other buckets. These are all Firstchance funds and the Committee must allocate as is best for the organisation as a whole. We need the Committee to start this process now.

The Committee needs to appoint a Finance Committee to be chaired by the Treasurer, and including the Executive Officer and Finance Officer, to set the budget for 2009-2010.

ECIP restructure

The staff have elected 2 reps for this group and it is ready to run. The first meeting will be in April, chaired by Michael. It’s important that this is done in conjunction with the Strategic Plan and the Budget.

Position Name Changes

DADHC has requested that we change the names of the ECIP and SFSK Team Leaders to Program Managers. It has also been suggested that my position also needs a name change to reflect the fact that the Program Managers do not report to me. DADHC isn’t understanding an Executive Manager who isn’t the CEO.

Staff Leave Balances

In the ups and downs of the last couple of years one staff member has been overpaid $1,124.87, as they were paid for FACS leave to which they were not entitled. An examination of this person’s record shows that she has spent at least $10,500 out of her own pocket during that time, as she has not made travel claims or been reimbursed for equipment she has purchased. The Management Team has agreed not to seek recovery of this debt in light of the circumstances, and we ask that the Committee confirm this decision. All staff leave balances have now been reviewed, and appear to be up to date.

The Committee needs to resolve not to require the staff member involved to repay the overpaid amount, and to tell them so in writing. The person’s FACS leave balance is to be reset to 0.

Merchant Facilities

All coming on line now – the Commonwealth Bank has waived a lot of fees (including the $550 BPay set up fee) to get us started. We will soon have BPay, EFTPOS and a corporate credit card.

The Constitution

I met with the Uni Legal Service on 17 March and they are still working to get the Constitution to both reflect our current structure and operation and give us room to grow. I have supplied our Strategic Plan and the last Minutes. It’s a slow process.

Induction

A draft Board Induction Manual is here for you tonight to have a look at and discuss at the next meeting. I expect that the new members would receive an Induction Pack which would include this, the Constitution, the budget and a Board Policy book with pertinent things like financial delegations, conflict of interest, code of ethics etc.

I have obtained a staff induction manual from my previous place of employment. This was largely written by another staff member with my assistance. I offered $300 for the rights to use the manual, but they would like more – perhaps $1,000. I have explained our financial situation. If I were to try and write one (even using my own templates) it would probably cost Firstchance more than $1,000 in my time, as I have not had to do one for a children’s service before in my consultancy. This one is specifically for children. I would like the Committee to decide how much it is willing to pay.

The Committee needs to decide how much it is willing to pay to source a staff induction manual.

Business Mentoring Program

The Hunter Business Chamber is offering a “Stepping Up” business mentoring program where we can be linked with a local mentor to assist us to grow the business side of Firstchance. We would have 5x2 hour training sessions and 10 hours of mentoring. The program is half funded by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development. They can only take 20 businesses, and it would cost us $600 to be involved. I attended an information session on 16 March and I think it would really build on what we are doing with Cumberland; cement our strategic direction; support our vision; sell Firstchance in the local community; and give us the tools to monitor the performance of Firstchance on an ongoing basis. Sadly, it will also mean me getting up very early one day a fortnight!

The Committee needs to decide whether or not to do the business mentoring program.

Fundraising

We did not make much from the raffle at the Shannon’s Big 3 Car Show, but raised just over $4,000 from our share of the proceeds. We are organising a small media circus for the cheque handover.

We are holding a fundraiser on 29 May at Newcastle Theatre Company for Pygmalion. Drinks and nibbles on arrival, raffles at intermission. $25 per head. We will be charged $14 per head, and have to cover the cost of catering. We should make about $800 and get some publicity. Tell everyone you know and collect money!!! We have about 100 tickets.

Other Income

I met with Mercy Community Services on behalf of Firstchance to contract to re-write their polcy manual. They will pay us $1,320. Danielle will do it under my instruction a. I have also discussed the ability of SFSK to link into their Intensive Behaviour Support Program – where they send a worker into people’s homes at key times to assist them to learn to manage whatever problem they have (eg. getting the kids to school, family violence) as some of our families desperately require this service.

Awards

No news as yet from Employer’s First – lots of questions though. They have done a comparison of all the Awards we are using or could be using, with a view to having a draft Award to us by 27 March.

Teen Time

We have been asked by DADHC to put in an application for a direct allocation of $100,800 to provide OOSH services at Lakeside School for 18 teenagers. This is outside the tenders we have already done. They have flagged that Firstchance has been pre-approved for this, and that they would not be able to give this money to the Consortium we established with Temp Care for this purpose. There is no news yet on the other tenders. We have told DADHC that we are not in a position to do direct service delivery in this area, but we could take responsibility for the project if we are allowed to broker out service delivery to Temp Care. The application is the same as the tender we put in for Newcastle School – which had a budget as follows (this is assuming we do not get approved for Child Care Benefit, but we probably will):