BUSHkids Annual Report 2015-16

CEO

The year ahead As we look to 2017, we will continue the work – built on the foundations of our first 80 years – in rural, remote and regional communities to give children the best chance of success. We will do this in a funding environment which is changing dramatically and we will be working to ensure that BUSHkids is a sustainable organisation that will be there for Bush children and families for another 80 years. We will continue to develop our services in line with current best practice, responsive to the unique needs in our communities. We will continue to seek to grow our funding base and explore a range of options to ensure that identified gaps in services for these communities can be met. Acknowledgements We could not do what we do without the solid backing of our funders, donors, volunteers and supporters: we truly appreciate your assistance, interest and involvement across the regions. Members of the FoBk committees, your engagement with BUSHkids has brought renewed energy to our regional Centres and their communities: thank you. To the many volunteers who come into our offices, we appreciate the gift of your skills, and commitment to the organisation; it confirms for us the community’s trust in the work BUSHkids does. This includes the volunteers who have shouldered the responsibility of governance of our organisation: Council members, thank you for your dedication and involvement. Thank you to Dr Neil Bartels, for you and your family’s ongoing commitment to BUSHkids: I have personally benefited from your support and guidance. Deputy Chair Gloria Ryan, thank you for keeping us safe legally, you deliver your sound advice gently but firmly. Allison McLean, I’m inspired by your service to BUSHkids and value the many additional hours you invest attending various functions for BUSHkids. Your eagle eye and frugal sense when it comes to our solid financial health is noted by all. Carolyn Searle, for your sound advice on recruitment and property matters, I appreciate you being available to support me. Gail, Julian and David, you will read elsewhere my appreciation for the many projects in which you are involved; thank you once again. Karolyn Harcourt, you were one of the first Council members inspiring me to start the changes required to our model of care; with appreciation and sadness I say thank you and good bye. Thank you to all the volunteers and staff involved in the production of BUSHIES . I would like to single out two of them – Adrian Harrison for his research and writing with our history book over the last two years; Matt Tesch, I appreciate your focused dedication to seeing this through to its brilliant completion. Thanks also to the consultants and contractors who have supported us over the last year. I thank all staff members and volunteers who have left us to pursue their dreams over the last 12 months and take this opportunity to welcome all new staff members who have joined us. Last but not least, thank you to all the teams I work with, thanks for your commitment and dedication – this has become much more evident over recent months, showing that our organisation structure and the interconnection between teams works so well. Carlton Meyn

INCIDENTS / RISKASSESSMENTS (Data for November to November calendar year) 2016

2015

Incidents/accidents Reported

4 4

4 4

Resolved

Risk assessments Completed

32 31

12

Approved

12

RACQ presented a Driver Safety Workshop to new staff at this year’s Conference in July. The workshop focused on how to drive safely on country roads, explained the correct braking distances to use, how to safely overtake a truck or caravan, and how best to deal with wildlife on, or near, the road. The information is particularly useful for our new staff who may be leaving the city and moving to a country town where they are encountering some of these hazards for the very first time. GPS tracking devices have been installed into several of our BUSHkids vehicles for safety reasons. The vehicles can be viewed remotely to monitor staff whereabouts while out on the roads, allowing us to observe if staff have arrived at their destinations or not, also to monitor driving behaviours and to help with fatigue management. Our aim is to install a GPS unit into every BUSHkids vehicle as funding permits. I would like to acknowledge and thank Maintenance & Safety Coordinator Brett Wall, and Council member David Ham for the magnificent job you are doing in keeping our volunteers, staff members, clients and organisation safe; this is a crucial role for an organisation as regionally spread as BUSHkids.

BUSHKIDS ONTHE ROAD

2016

DISTANCES TRAVELLED

2015

CENTRE

km

km

6,751

BUNDABERG

4,376

12,641

DALBY

3,885

11,418

EMERALD

16,104

27,865

INGLEWOOD

15,969

1,689

MOUNT ISA

1,728

10,810

WARWICK

8,252

38,257

BRISBANE - CEO

25,770

3,606

BRISBANE - CSM

3,830

13,233

BRISBANE - UTE*

21,220

15,678

DSS Team Leader

–

5,431

DSS AgnesWater

–

9,856

DSS Kingaroy

–

4,760

DSS Stanthorpe

–

TOTALS

161,995

101,134

*Previously M&SC vehicle, now available for use by all volunteers and staff for BUSHkids work purposes.

15 15