The life force of any organisation is its people – staff , carers , volunteers , mentors and our supporters .
Our people - our life force
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The life force of any organisation is its people – staff , carers , volunteers , mentors and our supporters .
We are most fortunate in the calibre , skills and commitment of our staff – the foundation of our ability to provide high quality services .
But this is not something we take for granted . Sustaining a high performing , caring and supportive organisation means that we are continually looking at our organisational culture , how we support our staff to do this complex work , professional development opportunities and where we need to change to improve .
We are also very conscious that the current system does not provide the support our voluntary foster carers need and deserve . With reducing numbers of people prepared to do this critical work , fundamental changes are needed . This is one of our new key strategic priorities .
We honoured : -
• Malcolm Chestney – Life Membership for his 28 years of support .
• David Hall – Deb Kearsey Award for an Outstanding Staff Member and Murrindindi Citizen of the Year .
• Tim and Beth Anderson – Selina Sutherland Award for Outstanding Foster Carers .
• Corey Harrison – Early Career Award for his work with young people in Gippsland .
We also farewelled three special friends of Berry Street : -
• Cate Groufsky – a highly respected Senior Clinician in Take Two .
• Barb Heine , OAM – a passionate advocate for vulnerable children .
• Tony Morrison – a greatly admired UK social care consultant who had worked with Berry Street over a number of years .
Some of the highlights included : -
• Being one of two finalists for overall strategy in the Victorian WorkSafe Awards .
• Being recognised as a Compassionate Employer by the Compassionate Friends Society .
• Feedback from our third Employee Opinion Survey , in which 67 % of staff participated :
o 99.5 % felt we make a difference in the communities in which we work .
o 92 % felt there were opportunities to express their ideas and 87 % believed the organisation was responsive .
o 89 % would recommend Berry Street as a good place to work .
o 84 % said that their training is relevant to their role .
o 82 % said they had a good work / life balance .
• 264 staff completed training on Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Understanding .
• Health checks and monthly forums supported our Victorian Bushfire Case Management Service .
• 107 supervisory staff completed privacy training .
• 48 students were supported through our Placement Unit .
• A ‘ Celebrating Diversity ’ online module was launched on Harmony Day .
• Study Leave ( up to five hours a week ) was taken up by 41 staff .
• 36 Gippsland staff enrolled in the Diploma of Community Services , through a partnership with Holmesglen TAFE .
• 12.3 % of staff and foster carers accessed the Employee and Carer Assessment Program for work or personal issues .