SIDE BY SIDE
ADVOCACY
ANNUAL REPORT
2013-14
Statement of Purpose
Side By Side Advocacy promotes and upholds the rights,
needs and interests of people with intellectual disability to
enable full and meaningful participation in the community.
SIDE BY SIDE ADVOCACY INCORPORATED
ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
CONTENTS
ABOUT US……………………………………
P3
VALUES…………………………………………
P4
OUR ADVOCACY DEFINED………………… P5
VISION STATEMENT ………………………….P5
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT………………….. P6
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT………. P8
EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT………… P10
STAFF……………………………………………. P11
FINANCIAL REPORTS………………………… P12
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………… P19
ABOUT US
Side By Side Advocacy Incorporated is a community-based not-for-profit organisation with the
status of a charity. It provides advocacy and support to people with disability, primarily intellectual
disability. An advocate gives a voice to a person to enable that person’s needs to be met. Issues
requiring advocacy include housing and accommodation, payment of bills, education and medical
procedures.
Side By Side Advocacy originated as Citizen Advocacy Ryde-Hunters Hill (CARHH). A steering
committee was established in 1989 and the association was incorporated in 19991. One of the
driving forces of the steering was John Roarty, a resident of Weemala. He wrote forcefully about
his experience of being institutionalised in his book Captives of Care. The citizen advocacy
movement originated in the USA in the 1970s and follows the principles of social role valorisation
(SRV) enunciated by Wolf Wolfensberger. SRV explicitly brings people with disability into the
general community by recognising their role as valued members of society instead of categorising
them because of their disability. Citizen advocacy finds the most vulnerable members of a
community and matches each person with a caring person from that community who can freely
provide advocacy and encouragement in an unpaid capacity. Such relationships can extend for
many years and are very frequently expressive, that is, provide emotional inclusion and support
and do not merely exist just to undertake the advocacy role. Side By Side Advocacy’s support role
in citizen advocacy is through the professional experience and training of our staff that advise and
assist the citizen advocate directly. In addition we can call on our advocate associates with
particular expertise (e.g. law, pharmacy, housing, nutrition) who donate their time and knowledge
to inform the advocacy. Citizen advocacy is an ongoing relationship between two partiesmembers of the general community- and it is not appropriate for us to intervene in those
relationships except to support the relationship.
Our individual advocacy program involves professional dedicated staff responding directly to a
person with disability requiring assistance. There is no cost to the client. A person may ask us for
individual advocacy assistance whenever it is required. This form of advocacy is more easily
quantified for accounting purposes, although a numerical value does not necessarily reflect the
time spent in and complexity of individual advocacy acts.
We changed our name to Side By Side Advocacy in 2006. The name reflects the structure of
organisation as we have two separate advocacy models running alongside each other. It also
reflects our advocacy style. The Citizen Advocacy Program is offered in the Ryde and Hunter’s Hill
local government areas. Our Individual Advocacy Program is available to people with intellectual
disability who reside in the local government areas of Hornsby, Hunter’s Hill, Manly, Mosman,
North Sydney, Lane Cove, Pittwater, Ryde, Warringah and Willoughby.
STATEMENT OF VALUES
1) Each person’s life is of equal and inherent value
and worth.
2) People with disability have the right to advocacy
and to protection from devaluation, neglect,
abuse and the denial of human rights.
3) People with disability have the right to be treated
as individuals, and not in terms of their disability.
4) All people are entitled to comprehensive and
appropriate support to ensure full inclusion into
the community.
5) All people have the right to make decisions about
their own lives.
6) All people should be treated with dignity and
respect.
7) All people have the right to be safe, valued and
accepted.
8) All people have the potential to grow and
develop and should be provided with
opportunities.
9) All people regardless of gender, age, ethnicity,
sexuality or religion have the same human and
legal rights.
10) People with disability are to be treated in
accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities.
OUR ADVOCACY DEFINED
WHAT IS CITIZEN ADVO CACY?
We seek to meet the fundamental needs of people with intellectual disability by establishing and
supporting freely given relationships of advocacy.
Citizen Advocacy is an international movement that seeks to promote, protect and defend the
rights, interests and dignity of people who are vulnerable. It involves the unique and powerful
response of ordinary citizens, who are unpaid and independent of the human service system. They
choose to enter into relationship with a person with disability for the sole purpose of meeting one
or some of that person’s needs. The citizen advocacy relationship is governed by clearly defined
principles. These include fidelity, persistence, and freedom from conflict of interest, loyalty,
person-centred planning and inclusion.
Although contemporary society continues to look to professionals for answers, citizen advocacy
offers opportunities for neighbours to help neighbours. Ordinary citizens possess a variety of
talents through their experiences in family, work, church and community associations. The
program also enlists the support of skilled and resourced advocate associates who provide
information and support to advocacy relationships and program staff.
WHAT IS INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY?
The rights, needs and interests of a person with disability have primacy in our Individual
Advocacy Program. Our advocates meet with and respond directly to the person to gain the
clearest understanding of their advocacy needs. Our advocacy actions assist not replace the ‘voice’
of that person.
Individual advocacy is provided by our professional advocates who respond to a range of issues
from one to one support of clients (people with intellectual disability). Individual Advocacy focuses
on the interests, rights and needs of an individual and attempts to overcome barriers or injustices
faced by the person with disability in their everyday life.
. Priority is given to the most vulnerable people who are disconnected from family or any
meaningful and significant relationship and who are at risk of harm
Individual Advocacy provides support in meetings with service providers through to assisting in
the lodging of formal complaints, review of guardianship orders and appeals concerning
administrative decisions of government funded services.
If we are not able to provide support to a person with disability due to geographical constraints
or resource issues we will provide the contact details for the Complaints Resolution and Referral
Service in order that they are referred to an appropriate advocacy provider. If the concern is
about a persistent systemic problem, we will ensure that specific peak body and/or specialist
advocacy organisations are made aware of the issue.
Vision Statement
We envisage a world where people with disability are
equal and valued; where diversity is celebrated, needs
are fulfilled and opportunities realised.
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
Side By Side Advocacy has again completed a year in which we worked tirelessly and steadfastly to
promote and uphold the rights, needs and interests of people with disability. We did this by
providing advocacy to our clients and program participants. Side By Side Advocacy runs two
programs of advocacy, being Individual Advocacy and Citizen Advocacy. These programs are by
design distinct from each other, but they have the common theme of addressing the barriers that
people with disability encounter on a daily basis. In spite of the publicity around the NDIS, political
banter, legislative change and popular catch phrases such as “person centered planning”, people
with intellectual disability continue to experience barriers such as discrimination, neglect and
abuse. Through our programs Side By Side Advocacy continues to find ways to address these
barriers as we work toward our vision.
“We envisage a world where people with disability are equal and valued; where diversity is
celebrated, needs are fulfilled and opportunities realized.”
It would be a happy day indeed if we could say our vision has been achieved, and our job is done!
In the meantime there is much to do and the board and staff continue to be busy, dedicated and
productive.
When I wrote this report last year we were in the process of recruiting for a new Individual
Advocate. I am happy to report that we were successful, and that Aida Morden joined our team in
July 2014. It seemed as though our staffing was stable and complete, when Maree Salzano, our
long standing part time Individual Advocate, tendered her resignation in August. The recruitment
process began again while Aida had to very quickly find her feet as the sole Individual Advocate.
After considering a strong field of candidates, we appointed Amanda Chui as part time Individual
Advocate in November. Amanda and Aida have certainly become the “A” team. They are both
passionate about the rights of people with disability, and demonstrate a high level of cooperation
and collegiality, to the ultimate benefit of their clients. They both have a commitment to
professional development and have undertaken extensive training this year. The Individual
Advocacy program continues to run smoothly and efficiently, offering robust advocacy to our
clients across 10 local government areas in the northern region of Greater Sydney.
Our Citizen Advocacy Program operates in the City of Ryde and Hunter’s Hill local government
areas. The efficacy of our Citizen Advocacy Program has been under question for some time. Our
inability to retain a Citizen Advocacy Coordinator meant that the program had stalled. While our
EO acted as care taker to keep it operational, the program lacked the spark and momentum the
right Coordinator could bring to the role. And then along came Deb Maio! In July 13, Deb
presented the Citizen Advocacy review, which gave us a frank and honest picture of the program.
While we had a healthy 14 relationships, Deb took on board one of the comments from a Citizen
Advocate… “lack of contact means lack of support”. Deb has turned things around. She is
enthusiastic, friendly and hardworking and has made three new Citizen Advocacy matches in the
last year. We were able to temporarily increase Deb’s hours, and she has put these to good use,
providing high quality follow along to exiting matches, has undertaken more SRV training, and has
taken on the role of hosting the Citizen Advocacy Network Conference in July. It is with great
pleasure and relief that we can now report that we have a strong, vibrant and effective Citizen
Advocacy Program.
One of the most important things that happened for the organisation this year was our successful
certification against the National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) standards. On 17 th
September 2013 we were certified as “operating a Quality Management System which complies
with the requirements of NDAP: 2012”. Successful certification is not the end of the story however
- it is just the beginning, as part of our funding agreement requires continuous improvement. The
board has been active and diligent in this role, and this has certainly added to the workload and
time commitment of all members. We have established a Continuous Improvement Schedule to
which we faithfully adhere. Some examples of activities include the introduction of working with
children checks for all staff and board members, our monthly review of our policies and
procedures, and the decision to close our satellite office in the northern beaches. Our next
external audit is scheduled for August 2014.
We were delighted to be able to welcome two new board members this year. Ruth Perram joined
the board in July, and Fiona Given joined the board in November. Ruth and Fiona bring diverse
skills, professional expertise and life experiences which we have already put to good use. The
board has undertaken extensive training, some of which happened alongside our members of
staff. Not only did we benefit from new knowledge, but we were able to further consolidate the
positive relationships that have been cultivated between the board and the members of staff. Side
By Side Advocacy is proud of this healthy, open, appropriate and productive relationship between
board and staff.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the board is that of membership. As a community based
organisation, it would be ideal if we had a strong involvement and membership from the
community that we serve. This is not the case. We have a small number of members and continue
to have vacancies on the board. This is an ongoing problem, and one that we have been thus far
unsuccessful in solving. Our profile in the community is positive through our attendance at
community events (e.g. Granny Smith Festival, Moocooboola, Ryde Community Expo), our website,
publication and distribution of our newsletter, and through presentations make to the wider public
by staff and board members. Our annual cocktail party to celebrate International Day of People
with Disability further adds to our positive profile and has provided a successful networking
opportunity. Perhaps we can turn these events into opportunities to address our membership
challenge.
I would like to acknowledge and thank our Executive Officer, Gary Goodship, for his calm and
focused management this year. Gary maintains a very positive workplace and is respectful and
supportive of the staff. He continues to work cooperatively with the board and his dedication to
the organisation is unwavering. Gary’s professional and personal commitment to the rights of
people with disability is unshakable and we are pleased that he continues to say that “he has the
best job in the world”.
Finally I would like to thank my fellow board members for their time and dedication this year. I am
certain that Continuous Improvement also means more work for the board. This has been
undertaken in a generous and thorough way. Two of our board members Michael Slinn and
Michelle Donelly, live great distances from the office, and I thank them for the efforts that they
make to be present at the meetings. A special mentioned also to Steve MacDonald, who in spite of
changed (delightful) circumstances ensures that technology is indeed our friend! Sadly, our
secretary Jan Gorman is not re nominating and we take this opportunity to thank Jan for the
positive energy that she brought to all the activities that she undertook in her time with us. Jan is
now a Citizen Advocate and we are very happy that her relationship with our organisation will
continue in this role.
Coralie Jensen
Chair
A voluntary Committee of Management (the Board) oversees the legal and financial operation of
the program. Management Committee members are elected annually at the Annual General
Meeting and contribute at every level to ensure the ongoing success of the program.
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
CHAIRPERSON– CORALIE JENSEN
Coralie has a background in education and a passion for inclusion and social justice for people
with disability. She has been a member of Side By Side Advocacy for many years. After eleven
years as a volunteer to the organisation, Coralie joined the Committee of Management eight years
ago. She is the Chairperson for a sixth year. Coralie has been deeply involved in the preparation of
our fundraising events, development of policy and procedures respondent to QA needs, strategic
planning, and in promoting and lobbying for the organisation and disability issues in general.
VICE CHAIRPERSON - STEPHEN MACDONALD
Steve is originally from the UK has lived and worked in Australia since 2004. He has 14 years'
experience in various IT roles, including technical support, training and project management, and
now provides IT support in the school system. Steve began volunteering with Side By Side in
February 2008, and became a board member in 2012 and is now a Husband and Father.
TREASURER – MICHAEL SLINN
Michael is a professional accountant. Without Michael and his commitment we would be
poorer in many senses. Michael gives many hours to this organisation and is also active with other
organisations helping towards a better life for disadvantaged people. Michael and his wife live at
Bulla Burra in the Blue Mountains and have two children, two grandchildren, and two foster
grandchildren.
SECRETARY – JAN GORMAN
This is Jan’s fourth year on the Board of Management. She is the mother of four delightful
adults: one daughter and three sons who have blessed her with four grandchildren. The family has
lived in Eastwood for 30 years. Jan has worked in schools for 35 years and has been involved with
dyslexia correction for more than 10 years.
MEMBER – MICHELLE DONELLY
Michelle is one of the founding members of Citizen Advocacy Ryde-Hunters Hill and has been
actively involved in the organisation for over twenty years. Michelle ensures that people with
disability are included as valuable members of society. Michelle has an academic professional as
well as a personal commitment to educating people about disability. Michelle has provided
extensive SRV oriented training and assistance to staff.
MEMBER – RUTH PERRAM
Ruth has a background in psychology and education. 22 years’ experience in the education
sector. Now retired. Has been actively involved in providing support for indigenous school children
in remote areas. Values opportunity to support Side By Side in their endeavours to provide a voice
for people with a disability in our community. Ruth became a board member in July 2013
MEMBER – FIONA GIVEN
Fiona is a part-time community member of the Guardianship Division of the NSW Civil and
Administrative Tribunal. Fiona joined the board in October 2013. She is passionate about
protecting the rights of people with intellectual disability. Fiona joined the board in November
2013
LIFE MEMBER – GEORGE GRAY
George is our only life member having served the Board of Management for ten consecutive
terms. He is a fine speechmaker and a consummate networker and has wide social contacts over
the northern Sydney area. George also provides assistance in recruitment of staff as required.
George lives in the Ryde area.
EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT
Operationally this year has been exceptional in both the challenges to people with disability and
our programs that both support and serve them. We have seen challenges within; with 3rd party
accreditation and new disability advocacy service standards and without; with the new service
models and buzzwords, being presented to our clients and program participants, increasing in
number, and growing in importance to the people they are purported to serve it is becoming more
difficult to evaluate and navigate the options presented. Some of the “service models & schemes”
are titled Person Centred Planning , Asset Based Community Development, Stronger Together ll ,
My Choice Matters, Active Support and of course the National Disability Insurance Scheme . These
initiatives certainly provide a lot of employment to people without disability, who in many cases
seem to be unfit for employment in mainstream industry, but so far not providing one iota of
overall improvement for people with disability. Yes, there are various stories of success for these
initiatives, but equally stories of horror fails. Many of the success stories seem to be the selfserving confection of the minds of those with an agenda for a success. Success appears to be
measured by moving people in Large Scale Residential Housing facilities into smaller segregated
congregate facilities scattered across the state designated by the will of the government and
estranged families without truly supported decision making by the people with disability affected.
There is no will by either side of politics to genuinely improve the lot of people with Intellectual
Disability as they are the truly silent majority, who don’t vote and for the most part has been a sad
secret hidden by family or institution. This is why Advocacy continues to be so important in all its
manifestations. Our organisation’s provision of two seemingly incompatible types of advocacy Citizen (freely given community based) and Individual (issue based professionally served) in our
local area, apparently now are more than ever performing a complementary and at times a
supplementary provision to each other. It is a testament to the foresight of our Board of
Management, at the time, to maintain our Citizen Advocacy program along with our Individual
(then Direct) Advocacy program contrary to the internal and external pressures exerted. Citizen
Advocacy continues to present to our local community a very personal and close to home form of
advocacy that, measured by the number of potential Citizen Advocates applying to the program, is
wanted and valued and is certainly a valuable link into the heart of our community. Our individual
advocacy while issues based is trending to more novel and complex problems and solutions also
having at its core many people with intellectual disability who require ongoing support across the
years with both new developing problems and re-emerging problems that are both endemic and
organic in the person’s life. The needs of some people transcend service provision and even
conventional “Case Management” this is where the hard edge of issues based Individual Advocacy
meets the softer edged community based Citizen Advocacy, this requires extremely professional
talented Advocates to navigate that very fine line without stepping far from the mark. I am proud
to say our Advocacy, from both operational and governance perspectives, continues to be among
the finest and purest in the field with our independence, and strict governance principles over
conflicts of interest, across the organisation. I would like to once again thank the Board of
Management for the ongoing strong level of support that the staff and I receive on a continuing
basis and to our thoroughly professional and passionate staff, at Side By Side, a truly exceptional
place to work. Our clients and program participant while presenting us with problems also
appraise us of solutions and successes so at no time is it a one way process Once again I have to
state “I have the best job in the world” Thank You
Gary Goodship
Executive Officer
STAFF
EXECUTIVE OFFICER – GARY GOODSHIP
Gary Joined Side By Side Advocacy in November of 2008 after a number of years working in
senior roles within service provision for people with a disability, across Greater Sydney. Gary has a
passion for providing social justice to people living with intellectual disability, and certainly enjoys
the variety of roles that he is able to enact on a daily basis within Side By Side Advocacy.
ADVOCATE – AIDA MORDEN
Aida has more than 20 year’s advocacy experience in New South Wales. Aida has a PhD from
the School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales, and has authored a book on the
socio-psychological implications of litigation and social housing in Australia. Aida is a member of
the Institute of Teachers of New South Wales.
ADVOCATE – AMANDA CHUI
Amanda took up the position of Individual Advocate at Side By Side Advocacy in November
2013. She has always been passionate about the protection and promotion of human rights and
she feels excited to be beginning my professional career in a human rights area that is often
overlooked. Amanda values the opportunity to assist individuals with their advocacy needs and to
ensure that their voice is being heard in the community.
COORDINATOR CITIZEN ADVOCACY – DEB MAIO
Deb joined us in May 2013; her background in disability is as a parent, guardian and working in
Individual Advocacy and in Citizen Advocacy. Deb spent many years in the education sector
working to provide equal access to mainstream education for students with disability. Deb values
the opportunity to support advocates to speak up for people with disability and their right to a full
and inclusive life in their community.
ADVOCATE – MAREE SALZANO
In 2007 Maree established our individual advocacy program on the Northern Beaches. Maree
has a deep commitment to social justice. Maree left SBSA in August 2013.
FINANCIAL REPORTS
2013-2014
SIDE BY SIDE ADVOCACY INCORPORATED gratefully acknowledges the support of the
Australian Government though the Department of Social Services (DSS)