Annual Report 2008 - The Deaf SocietyImplemented the John Ferris Interpreter Internship Project...

Annual Report 2008

The Deaf Society of New South Wales

Where can I learn Auslan?DEN, the education division of the Deaf Society, offers both accredited and non-accredited Auslan courses. Find out more details by phoning (02) 9893 8555 or check our website www.deafsocietynsw.org.au

How do Deaf people communicate?Deaf people communicate using a variety of methods.

Deaf people may use sign language, gestures and visual aids, lip-reading, reading and writing, or a combination of any or all of these.

It is important to allow the Deaf person to choose the method(s) of communication they prefer and respect their choice.

What tips can assist with communication?

Get the Deaf person’s attention before • starting the conversation (use a tap on the shoulder or a wave in the line of vision)Flash overhead lights on and off to gain the • attention of a group of Deaf peopleMaintain eye contact throughout the • conversationSpeak clearly but do not exaggerate lip • movementsUse simple sentences• Avoid messages with double meanings• Use gestures and visual aids relevant to the • topicAsk the Deaf person to repeat back • important messages to check you are being understoodBe patient, relax and enjoy your • conversation

Who are the Deaf Community?People who identify as belonging to the Deaf Community are generally people who:

Use Auslan (Australian Sign Language) • as their primary and preferred means of communicationMay or may not speak or lip-read• Participate and socialise in the Deaf • CommunityLike to be called “Deaf”• Focus on the cultural aspects of their • deafness and do not necessarily want to be able to hear.Feel proud of their language, culture and • community

What is Auslan?Auslan is the sign language used by the Deaf Community in Australia.

The word Auslan stands for AUstralian Sign LANguage. Auslan is a visual-spatial language which consists of manual signs, facial expressions and fi ngerspelling.

What causes Deafness?Deafness can be caused in a number of ways – genetically, through accident or illness or as a result of the ageing process.

How does technology help Deaf people?Some Deaf people rely on technology such as hearing aids to help them communicate. Other forms of technology which assist Deaf people include special text telephones (TTYs), computers, SMS text mobile phones, web cams and video conferencing equipment.

What is the National Relay Service?The National Relay Service provides Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired people with a number of solutions to help them communicate by phone. For further information about the NRS phone the helpdesk on 1800 555 660 (voice) or check the NRS website www.relayservice.com.au

Frequently Asked Questions

Never too young to learn – technology such as webcams, D-Link and Video Remote Interpreting increase access opportunities for Deaf people.

(i)

Auslan is the communication method chosen by the majority of the Deaf Community. Deaf Relay Interpreters are crucial in enabling access

for people who are Deafblind. Margaret uses the “hand-over-hand” communication method to interpret for Kay.

When do Deaf people use Interpreters?Deaf people rely on interpreters to help them access information and participate in a range of situations such as:

Medical appointments• Legal and court situations• Employment interviews• Educational courses and training • opportunitiesSpecial occasions such as weddings, • christenings and funerals

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The Deaf Society of New South Wales ABN 21 952 195 236

The majority of the Society’s members are Deaf people who use Auslan (Australian Sign Language). Membership of the Society is open to anyone who agrees to abide by our Constitution and costs $10.00 per annum. Deaf people do not have to be members to gain access to our services.

A voluntary Board of Directors is elected by members at annual general meetings. Directors hold office for a three year term and can stand for re-election at the end of each term. The Board provides strategic leadership and direction for the organisation. Forty-nine qualified full-time and part-time staff are employed to carry out the Society’s operations.

As a Company Limited by Guarantee, the Society is accountable to our clients, members, donors and supporters, the Commonwealth and State Governments and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

This report, a document of accountability, provides detailed information about our progress in achieving the Society’s goals.

and is committed to ensuring quality outcomes.

The Society provides a range of support services, including services to those who may have additional needs due to visual impairment, cerebral palsy or developmental delay.

The Society’s two major goals are to educate and support members of the Deaf Community to enable them to access relevant services and to educate the wider community on the needs of Deaf people.

The Society provides core services in the traditional areas of need, such as welfare and counselling, community development, information, interpreting provision, advocacy, education and training and employment and workplace support.

Our OperationsThe Deaf Society of NSW is a State-wide non-profit organisation, whose services for Deaf people are funded by government grants, sponsorship and contributions from donors and supporters, income earned from investments and fees charged for services rendered.

Our HistoryThe Deaf Society of New South Wales was founded in 1913 in response to the needs of Deaf people who used sign language as their primary means of communication. The Society was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1922 and is a registered charity.

Our BeliefThe Deaf Society believes that Deaf people should enjoy the same political, civil and human rights as other members of the community and we work with the Deaf Community to secure these rights.

Our WorkThe Deaf Society of NSW is the leading welfare provider for Deaf people and their families in New South Wales. The Society has extensive and proven expertise in the provision of services to the Deaf Community

Vision StatementTo deliver world class services to the Deaf Community of New South Wales.

Mission StatementTo work within the community to ensure that Deaf people achieve their full rights and fulfil their responsibilities as Australian citizens.

ValuesDeaf-friendlyEthicalAccountableFair

Celebrating the Deaf Community Family – the annual Deaf Family Fun Day proved a popular event for all generations.

CONTENTSFrequently Asked Questions (i)

Overview of the Deaf Society 1

Offi ce Bearers 2

At a Glance

Highlights of the Year 2

Results for the Year 2

President’s Report 3

Executive Directors’ Report 4

Signs of Success - Update on the Strategic Plan 2007 – 2010 6

Client and Community Services 8

Interpreting and Advocacy 10

Education and Training 11

Employment and Workplace Support 12

Administration and Human Resources 13

Organisational Chart 15

Employee Information 16

Financial Summaries for the Past Five Years 18

Honorary Treasurer’s Report 20

Directors’ Report 21

Auditor’s Independence Declaration 22

Balance Sheet 22

Statement of Recognised Income and Expenditure 23

Cash Flow Statement 23

Notes to the Financial Statements 24

Directors’ Declaration 30

Independent Audit Report tothe Members 30

Statement of Income and Expenditure 31

Acknowledgements 32

Members 33

Locations and Contact Details 34

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Offi ce Bearers At a Glance

Highlights of the Year

Implemented the John Ferris Interpreter Internship Project ●

Conducted the inaugural Diploma of Auslan ●

Established three additional outreach services in regional areas ●

Successfully tendered for fi ve additional “capped” employment ●places

Established a Deaf Youth Group, in conjunction with Thomas ●Pattison School

Piloted Certifi cate IV in Training and Assessment for DEN ●teachers

Celebrated the Deaf Society / DEN merger with a special function ●for members and supporters from both organisations

Awarded a Silver Award by the Australasian Reporting Awards for ●the 2007 Annual Report

Results for the Year2007/2008 2006/2007 2005/2006 2004/2005 2003/2004

Operating Income $5,686,361 $4,199,612 $2,428,238 $2,688,161 $2,113,287

Operating Expenditure $3,976,197 $3,206,808 $2,177,574 $2,164,447 $1,962,987

Surplus $1,710,164 $992,804 $250,664 $523,714 $150,300

Client & Community Services contacts 15,464 14,368 13,099 14,011 13,318

Regional visits 32 28 24 21 19

Interpreting assignments 4,084 3,711 2,465 2,799 2,411

Education courses 130 146 110 98 37

Employment Service – clients placed 28 28 20 20 27

PatronHer Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, CVOGovernor of New South Wales

Vice PatronKenneth W Tribe, AC, LLB

PresidentPeter Owen Brownlee, MA (Syd), FRHS (UK)

Board of DirectorsPeter Owen Brownlee, MA (Syd), FRHS (UK) – PresidentStewart Anthony McClay, BAcc (University of Glasglow), CA (Scot), CA (Aust), FAICD, – Honorary TreasurerGeorge Michael Barbouttis, OAM, Dip Commerce, FCA, FCPAKenneth Deacon, JP, Grad Cert Management, Cert IV Auslan, Cert IV Assessment and Workplace TrainingAlexandra Anne Lindsay Hynes (resigned February 2008)Jane Innes, BEc, LLB, LLM (Hons)Stephen Matchett, BA (Hons), Grad Dip Marketing, PhD (Sydney)Nicolas Jarvis, BA (Adelaide)

Susanne Alexandra Rae, Dip Ed, BA (Sydney), MA (New York)

Executive StaffSharon Everson, JP, Diploma of Management (Community Management), Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training, Executive Director - CorporateRebecca Ladd, JP, BEd (Hons), Master of Management (Community Management), NAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Executive Director - Services

Honorary SolicitorsPatterson, Houen and Commins

AuditorsBenbow and Pike

Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, AC, CVO, Governor of New South Wales

Alex Nyam (IT Support Offi cer), Glenn Welldon and Ken Deacon (Directors) enjoy this year’s Deafair.

Anthony Alan Gorringe, JP, NIA, Assoc. Dip. Bus. – Deputy ChairmanGlenn Andrew Welldon, Cert IV Business Frontline Management, Cert IV Information Technology, Cert IV Assessment and Workplace TrainingTiffany Fulde

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During the year the Deaf Society of New South Wales continued its vital and essential work in supporting Deaf people as individuals and their families and friends. We also continued to provide a range of services to the wider hearing community, including provision of specialist

Auslan interpreters and further educational opportunities in the Deafness field. This annual report provides highlights of our activities and achievements as well as information on the financial and corporate records of the Society for 2007/2008.

Board of Directors

In line with our Constitution, Directors are required to stand for re-election every three years. Stewart McClay, Nic Jarvis and Jane Innes were re-elected to the Board at the 94th Annual General Meeting held on 24 November 2007. Glenn Welldon, who had been appointed to fill a casual vacancy during the year and Anthony Gorringe, who had previously served on the Board from 1995 to 2005, were also elected at this meeting. We are pleased to welcome Glenn and Anthony and are confident that their contributions to Board deliberations, as representatives of the Deaf Community, will be valuable.

Long time Director, Alexandra Hynes, resigned from the Board in February 2008 due to her relocation to Hong Kong. Alexandra had served on the Board since 1989 with her involvement with the Deaf Community extending over the past three decades. Alexandra’s passion for equity and access for Deaf people resulted in the establishment of the Australian Caption Centre, with her partner, Adam Salzer. Alexandra was appointed a Life Member at the April Board meeting in recognition of her valued contribution to the work of the Deaf Society.

Tiffany Fulde, a fourth year medical student who has a cochlear implant, expressed interest in joining the Society’s Board in February. Appointed to fill the casual vacancy following Alexandra’s resignation, Tiffany will stand for election at the 2008 annual general meeting. We look forward to Tiffany’s involvement in shaping our future direction.

During the year, the Board continued to meet every two months to deal with matters focussing on ensuring responsible financial management and providing strategic direction. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues on the Board for the important role they play in the effective management of the Deaf Society.

Financial Results

This year was the first which required the fair value of investments to be reflected in the annual accounts. In common with many other organisations who hold surplus funds in investment markets, recent market volatility led to a decrease in the value of our investments. While the Society achieved an operating surplus of $1,710,164, due to significant items ($1,139,444 loss on sale of investment and $1,538,691 write down in fair value on investments), we recorded a $941,971 deficit for the year after the receipt of bequests totalling $26,000.

However, it is important to note that our income from investments has increased from just over $500,000 to over $1.85m this financial year. We remain confident that our investment strategy will continue to ensure that we reach our dual objectives of ensuring an increasing level of income and providing capital growth.

The Treasurer’s report on page 20 sets out additional details on how we are funded, revenue by income source and how our funds were spent. Additional information on investment management and financial sustainability will also be found in this report.

Future Directions

During the past year we accomplished many of the goals in the 2007 – 2010 strategic plan. We are particularly proud of the revision of curricula and resources for Auslan community and certificate courses, the delivery of the inaugural Diploma of Auslan and the piloting of Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to both our Deaf and hearing teachers. We also enhanced support for improving the skills of interpreters as well as expanding our employment and workplace support for Deaf clients.

We plan to build on these achievements in service enhancement, particularly in the areas of expanding support in regional areas, the establishment of a national Auslan interpreting booking service and utilising technology to increase our scope and delivery of services, including provision of online enrolment facilities and providing additional webcam technology to clients.

This year saw the establishment of a bi-lingual website utilising both Auslan and written English. This has been an enormous project which will require additional fine tuning over the coming months to ensure information about the Society and its programs are available in the language of the Deaf Community.

We also plan to undertake additional research to not only ensure that current services remain suitable to our clients but also to identify areas which require the development of new programs.

I would like to invite anyone with ideas or suggestions on ways we might improve the work of the Deaf Society to let us know about them.

Acknowledgements

The many successes highlighted throughout this report are the result of a team effort. The contribution made by the Board to the management and strategic development of the Society is enhanced by the expertise and enthusiasm of the Society’s staff, from

the Executive Directors to their team of professional and dedicated service and program staff.

Many people contribute to the Society’s success, either through the donation of time, services or financial assistance. I would like to make particular mention of the valuable assistance provided by Tony Houen, Patterson, Houen and Commins, the Society’s Honorary Solicitors. During the year Tony provided professional advice on a number of complex legal matters and we are grateful for his continuing support. Thanks are also extended to Gerard Abrams of Benbow and Pike, our auditors and Nigel Weaver of Eclipse Asset Management, our investment advisor.

Our key funding bodies are the Commonwealth of Australia and NSW State Governments. We would like to acknowledge our appreciation for their financial support and their confidence in our ability to deliver quality services to Deaf people and their families.

Next year will continue to be challenging for the Deaf Society as we carry out the expansion in services necessary to achieve the goals of the current strategic plan. I am confident that the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the Board, staff and members of the Deaf Community will continue to ensure our success in achieving these goals.

I look forward to reporting on our progress in future reports.

Peter Brownlee

PRESIDENT

25 August 2008.

President’s Report

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The Deaf Society of NSW is the major Deaf-specialist service provider in this State. We offer a diverse range of programs provided throughout both metropolitan and regional areas of NSW. We aim to build on our expertise and knowledge to enhance and expand services to the Deaf Community.Much of our work focuses on three major areas:

Increasing ● access to external services by Deaf peoplePromoting ● awareness of Deaf Culture and LanguageFostering ● acceptance of the Deaf Community by the wider community

ACCESS We provide specialist support and assistance, such as Auslan/English interpreting, to enable Deaf people to access generic community services. We also provide training, support and education to assist the Deaf Community in developing the necessary skills to access community activities. AWARENESS We work within the wider community so that Deaf people can access and realise their rights. We also provide training, information and advocacy for the wider community to promote Deaf culture and language.ACCEPTANCE We believe interaction is the key, with acceptance fostered through the development of links and relationships between Deaf and hearing people.We are pleased to report on how we met our mission during the year. Highlights from various programs are set out in this report. We encourage you to read these reports and to contact us if you would like any additional information on any of our services or programs.

Accessing the Community

The Deaf Society remains committed to ensuring that high quality and professional

Auslan/English interpreting services are available to facilitate effective communication between Deaf and hearing people. This year we implemented the inaugural John Ferris Internship Program, an innovative program which involves pairing two part-time interns with experienced interpreters for a ten month period. This investment in the Auslan interpreting profession mentors newly accredited interpreters through a planned program of practical experience and support with exposure to interpreting in a variety of community settings.During the year, the Deaf Society was chosen as the preferred supplier for Westpac’s pilot Australian Sign Language (Auslan) interpreter service. The arrangement now involves Westpac offering Deaf customers Australia wide access to a free interpreting service by appointment.Westpac also contracted the Deaf Society to provide full time on-site Auslan interpreting services for employees working in Sydney. This has since become a permanent provision with Westpac employing the interpreters directly.

Creating Educational Opportunities

As a Registered Training Organisation with specialist expertise in educational delivery to Deaf adults and students wanting to learn Auslan, the Deaf Society is a leader in course provision.

During the year, a number of courses in both our accredited and non-accredited streams were revised and implemented. These upgrades ensure that the Deaf Society has exciting, up-to-date sign language programs, not only grounded in current research and teaching methodology but with resources designed to engage students.Other highlights included the delivery of the inaugural Diploma of Auslan, the piloting of Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to teachers from within our Education and Training department and the establishment of a network of teachers and co-ordinators of Deaf Adult Basic Education across Australia and New Zealand.

Celebrating Success

As readers of the Deaf Society’s 2007 Annual Report will be aware, Deaf Education Network (DEN) became the education division of the Deaf Society of NSW in early 2007. The de-registration of DEN was finalised by the Department of Fair Trading in November 2007. A merger celebration was held in late 2007 and following a special welcome and toast by the Society’s President; John Ferris, a former long-term employee of the Society shared his memories of the establishment of DEN. Danni Wright, formerly the Vice-President of DEN, and a former employee, also presented background to the merge of the two

organisations. Tony Clews, a Deaf member of the Society’s staff, formerly with DEN, highlighted the value of the two organisations working together resulting in the expansion of educational provision to the benefit of the Deaf Community. Following these presentations, Michael Clancy, the inaugural Director of the Adult Education Centre for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Persons (later renamed DEN) and life member of the organisation, was invited to cut a celebratory cake.The opportunity was also taken to recognise another long term supporter of the Deaf Society of NSW with the DEN training room being named the “Andrew Rogers Education and Training Room”. Andrew Rogers, a Director of the Deaf Society of NSW from 1967 until his death in 1977, was dedicated to supporting and enhancing the Deaf Community.

Technological Advances

The Deaf Society is eager to utilise the latest advances in technology to help us improve access to information for Deaf people.A major goal of the Deaf Society’s 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan was the development of a bilingual website with content available in both Auslan and English. The website went live in April and videos in Auslan have been filmed for the main homepage and for our various departments.Other features planned for the website include an online enrolment system, a visual registry of interpreters and daily updating of vacant employment positions that might be of interest to the Society’s job seeking clients. This is very much a work in progress with new videos and more information added on an ongoing basis.

Research and Development

The Society is keen to remain at the forefront of service provision for its constituents. To this end, a number of research projects have been undertaken during the year.

Executive Directors’ Report

The Management Team.

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Research into the distribution of sign ●language users in NSW by Dr Louisa Willoughby, Monash University, Victoria: This study found that the number of people in NSW indicating they used sign language had increased significantly between 1996 and 2006.Future demand for services: This joint ●initiative between VicDeaf and the Deaf Society of NSW will highlight demand trends for service-provision, provide an assessment of metropolitan and regional/rural service differences and similarities, investigate overseas service delivery funding models and result in a set of recommendations for action which will provide the foundation for the preparation of the next Strategic Plan.Emerging technologies: This study was ●commissioned to examine emerging technologies which may affect the capacity of the Deaf Society to deliver services which will assist us to remain abreast of technological developments of assistance to both Deaf clients and staff.Potential international partnerships: This ●study identified possible collaborations with international organisations which may enhance our service delivery.

We believe that these studies will enable us to review and evaluate existing services, as well as plan and set priorities for future services to meet the changing requirements of the Deaf Community.

Future Outlook

The past two years has seen the Deaf Society experience rapid growth and expansion, due in no small part to our merge with Deaf Education Network (DEN) and hosting of the National Relay Service – Outreach Service. There have been challenges in operating in an environment of rapid growth however this expansion has enabled us to implement many of the new initiatives in our Strategic Plan. We have also taken the opportunity to

review organisational strengths and develop and enhance internal processes, including position descriptions, performance appraisals and to improve our continuous improvement strategy.It is always challenging when trying to meet the dual requirements of responding to complex and immediate issues with a sense of urgency whilst still maintaining focus on our strategic long term goals designed to promote social inclusion and empowerment of Deaf people. In common with other service delivery organisations, we face many competing priorities for attention and funding. For example, the compromise between extending service delivery in regional areas whilst still providing quality core services in the greater-metropolitan areas; and the expansion of early intervention and children’s programs balanced against the needs of the growing number of elderly Deaf and hard-of-hearing people.The past few months have seen unprecedent-ed turmoil in investment markets around the globe. This will have impact on our income

for existing service provision, and may prove an additional barrier to the expansion in services planned as part of the Strategic Plan. We will continue to monitor our financial circumstances and review and amend our budget forecasts where necessary.As an organisation which received almost 50% of our funding from Government sources, it is crucial that we continue to meet agreed outcomes and pass service audits. External audits, carried out by funding bodies, are an important way of measuring our successes against the KPIs of various service plans. We passed all external audits during the period and we will focus on ensuring we remain compliant with the requirements of funding bodies.We have had a very successful year where we managed to meet or exceed many of the goals in our Strategic Plan. In the coming months, we plan to concentrate our efforts in the following areas:

Establish two additional regional offices ●in the Illawarra and Northern Tablelands areas.Enhance the interpreter sponsorship ●program by offering a program of structured support including workshops as well as one-on-one support to four Paraprofessional interpreters to enable them to become accredited at Professional level.Streamline the interpreting service ●through national collaboration between interstate Deaf Societies.Undertake research into the needs of ●Deaf seniors, focussing on residential and support requirements.Expand our employment and workplace ●support service.Establish additional partnerships with ●training bodies in regional areas to assist in tailoring their existing programs for Deaf people.

Complete a catalogued library of ●resources with up-to-date articles, DVDs and books.

It should be noted that the achievements outlined in this Annual Report were made possible by team work. We would like to thank the Board of Directors for their guidance and encouragement and we would particularly like to thank members of the Deaf Community who attended many consultations and provided valuable feedback which assisted with the evaluation of existing services as well as shaping our future service provision.Finally, we would like to place on record our thanks to our team of dedicated and skilled staff who share our vision and values. They each deserve recognition and congratulations.

We were delighted to receive our fi rst Silver Award for the Society’s 2007 Annual Report in the Australasian Reporting Awards.Rebecca Ladd announces the naming of the “Andrew

Rogers Education and Training Room” in honour of the contributions of the late Andrew Rogers.

Sharon EversonEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR -CORPORATE

Rebecca LaddEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SERVICES

24 September, 2008

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1. Develop and provide cutting edge programs and servicesACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007/2008 PLANNED FOR 2008/2009

CLIENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Established reciprocal relationship with Deaf Services Queensland to service Tweed/Gold Coast area.

Continue to seek partnerships with interstate service providers in the Deafness sector.

Held the second Sydney Deaf Family Fun Day as well as the inaugural regional Deaf Family Fun Day on the Central Coast.

Employ a co-ordinator for the Deaf-Friendly Families program to review and evaluate current services and develop new services.

Expanded “Deaf-Friendly Families” to include subsidies for families to attend Auslan classes.

Review curricula for Auslan Heritage School and Signing for Adolescents.

Increased outreach services to Port Macquarie, Tamworth and Wollongong.

Establish additional offices in two regional areas.

Established a youth group in conjunction with Thomas Pattison School which held 11 social and recreational activities.

Evaluate first 12 months operation of the Youth Group and make recommendations for future activities.

Organise a camp for young Deaf people from all over New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT.

Initiated Drop In service on the Central Coast. Review method of outreach service provision in the Hunter and Central Coast region from the Parramatta headquarters.

Partnership with Hume Community Housing established in July 2007 – 2 clients provided with housing.

Investigate further partnerships with community housing providers.

INTERPRETING AND ADVOCACY

Implemented the John Ferris Interpreter Internship program for newly accredited interpreters.

Provide access to a sponsorship program for four Paraprofessional interpreters to upgrade their skills to Professional level accreditation.

Review and refine the pilot internship program and develop a second program for 2008/2009.

Contracted by the Westpac Banking Corporation to provide an on-site Auslan interpreter for Deaf employees to January 2008, with interpreters now employed directly by Westpac.

Preferred supplier for Westpac’s pilot Australian Sign Language (Auslan) interpreter service for customers on a national basis.

Secured contract to provide interpreting for the NSW Department of Community Services funded services.

Continue to seek contract opportunities with agencies to provide Auslan/English Interpreting.

VRI provision extended to three additional clients.

Continue to advertise and promote our VRI service with a view to expansion to rural and regional areas.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Delivered the inaugural Diploma of Auslan. Second Diploma scheduled for Semester 1 2009.

Revised and implemented the Sign Language 1 and 2 curricula and parts of Certificate II and IV in Auslan.

Review and modify Diploma of Auslan curriculum based on evaluation from the pilot course.

Piloted Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to current teachers.

Deliver Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to potential teachers.

Established a network of teachers and co-ordinators of Deaf Adult Basic Education in Australia and New Zealand.

Continue to provide networking and opportunities for information exchange to both interstate and international teachers of the Deaf.

Developed CASWEB: an on-line enrolment system to provide information in Auslan

Trial CASWEB during peak enrolment period Term 1, 2009.

Upgraded training equipment, including installation of electronic whiteboards, new computer hardware and software for DEN students.

Continue to review and upgrade the technological requirements of DEN students to ensure they have access to quality teaching equipment.

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE SUPPORT

Established an outreach employment service in Newcastle/Central Coast.

Evaluate the outreach service with a view to expanding to an additional regional area.

Tendered for and received five additional “capped” employment places.

Tender for additional employment places for hard-of-hearing job seekers.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Implemented the DeafNet project (providing webcam access for regional Deaf Communities).

Expand the existing Anne Mac Rae Technology Scheme (computer loan scheme) administered by TAD to include provision of webcams for clients.

Researched emerging technologies and trialled video calling on mobile phones as well as launching a Facebook pilot project.

Continue to investigate emerging technologies.

Commissioned report into potential international collaboration opportunities.

Continue to evaluate and assess international and national partnership opportunities.

2. Enhance accessibility for Deaf people ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007/2008 PLANNED FOR 2008/2009

CLIENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

Subsidised interpreting costs for a financial counselling provider in Tamworth in response to local need.

Following demonstrated demand, establish a regional office to serve the Northern Tablelands area.

In collaboration with NSW Fire Brigades, organised the provision of 15 smoke alarms for Deaf people residing in two local government areas.

Lobby for the provision of subsidised smoke alarms for all Deaf residents of NSW.

Launched Auslan version of the ILSP policies and procedures.

Continue to provide visual Auslan translations of English information.

The achievements of Year 1 of the 2007 – 2010 Strategic Plan are highlighted on the following pages. The current Strategic Plan focuses on three key result areas – the development and provision of cutting edge programs and services; enhancing accessibility for Deaf people and building a thriving organisation. Priorities this year included improved deafness awareness training in the wider community, better access via technology, access to information in both Auslan and English on our website and additional support for Deaf Communities in regional areas.Having a skilled, dedicated and enthusiastic team, clearly aligned to our values and mission helped us to achieve a myriad of successful outcomes for our clients and their families. We thank all our staff for their enormous dedication and commitment during the year.

Signs Of Success – Update on the Strategic Plan 2007-2010

Celebrating National Week of Deaf People - the Tamworth Deaf Aboriginal Performing Arts Group gave a special performance at Deafair.

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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Delivered Deafness Awareness Training for 37 service providers.

Extend DAT for service providers to regional areas.

Participated in a project with the NRS Outreach Service to provide practical community education workshops to Deaf people focusing on Internet Relay.

Continue to identify Deaf community education opportunities with generic service providers and establish a Deaf Professionals Network.

Initiated Auslan classes for Indigenous Australians in Bourke.

Evaluate the effectiveness of providing Auslan classes for minority communities as well as those in regional areas.

EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE SUPPORT

Lobbied the Federal Government which led to amendments to the Auslan For Employment program resulting in a more flexible program, better able to meet the needs of Deaf jobseekers and new workers.

Continue to lobby and seek improvements to funding opportunities for Deaf and hard-of-hearing jobseekers.

Contributed to two enquiries by the Minister for Employment Participation and the Minister for Human Services regarding how employment services for people with disabilities could be improved.

Continue to monitor and take part in Government enquiries into improvements for employment services jobseekers with special needs.

INTERPRETING AND ADVOCACY

Use of the computerised interpreting booking system increased with over 20% of bookings being made on-line.

Establish a visual registry of interpreters on our website.

Increased partnerships between the DSNSW Interpreting Service and other State Interpreting Services.

Investigate the establishment of a National Auslan Interpreting Service.


Developed new website which enhances access by Deaf people by incorporating Auslan content.

Continue to refine and improve information provided in Auslan on our website.

Contributed to the Access Economics Report – Auslan Interpreter Services in Australia with the findings highlighting demand and supply of Auslan interpreters, including workforce shortages and occupational risks such as overuse syndrome.

Participate in further research which provides demographic information and highlight trends within the Deaf Community.

3. Build a thriving organisationACHIEVEMENTS IN 2007/2008 PLANNED FOR 2008/2009


Commissioned research into the distribution of sign language users in NSW.

Utilise results for future service planning.

Increased collaboration with VicDeaf including commissioning a project investigating the future demand for services.

Utilise results for future service planning.

ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES

Provided a mentoring program to promote skill development, discussion of work-related issues and provision of support with benefits for both Deaf and hearing staff.

Enhance the mentoring program to enable access to external mentoring for both Deaf and hearing staff.

Produced Departmental policies and procedures (including Q&A) in Auslan – work in progress.

Continue to develop and produce policies and procedures in a visual format.

Implemented revised Performance Development Program for appraisal of staff.

Evaluate PDP and apply amendments as required.

Assessed existing Staff Induction Package, and upgraded where required.

Review current employment contracts and amend as required.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Conducted program audits for the Employment Service (x2), Education and Training (x 2), and Attendant Care and Independent Living Skills program, each with a positive outcome with all programs compliant.

Continue to maintain positive program audits for all programs.

Assessed the requirements of students and other stakeholders in accessing resources.

Establish a catalogued library of resources with up to date articles, DVDs, books etc.

Reviewed the Society’s accessibility for Deaf people as well as people with special needs.

Develop and integrate a Disability Action Plan.

MARKETING, AWARENESS AND PROMOTIONS

Created Deafness Awareness campaign for general public (“I’m Deaf – how will you communicate with me?”) for use at public expos/exhibitions/displays.

Develop standards to be used across all programs and departments of the Society that positively reinforce our image.

Held a Deaf Society/DEN Merger celebration following the 2007 AGM: a great success with special guests from both DEN and Deaf Society in attendance.

Schedule one special event per annum to celebrate current successes or recognise past achievements.

Supported a group of Deaf Aboriginal dancers from Tamworth to demonstrate their talents during National Week of Deaf People.

Continue to promote the achievements and talents of Deaf people to both the Deaf Community and the wider community.

Received a Silver Award in the Australasian Reporting Awards for the 2007 Annual Report.

Strive to continue to improve the quality of our publications and information for all stakeholders.

FINANCIAL AND GOVERNANCE Applied successfully for funding for nine non-recurrent projects totalling over $50,000.

Continue to seek both recurrent funding as well as one-off grants for specific programs.

Achieved an operating surplus of $1.7m, with all departments performing better than budget.

Continue to maintain and review expenses, particularly in line with current financial climate.

Secured additional project funding and donation of Microsoft software totalling $30,000.

Continue to seek donations in-kind from the for-profit sector.

Obtained funding for seven Diploma of Auslan students totalling $42,400.

Continue to seek funding for educational opportunities for students of both accredited and non-accredited courses.

Two additional Deaf Directors joined the Deaf Society Board.

Continue to encourage Deaf people to participate in all levels of the Society’s operations.

95% of deaf children are born into hearing families – the Deaf-friendly Families Program encourages Auslan acquisition skills for all family members.

Webcams – a whole new way to communicate. The DeafNet project was expanded into three additional regional areas during the year.

Additional regional outreach support extended to the Central Coast has proven very successful – the turnout for the Central Coast barbecue was tremendous.

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Mission Statement

T ● o ensure Deaf people receive the same opportunities and have equal access to services and activities as do other members of the community.

To provide extensive casework support to ●members of the Deaf Community on an individual or family basis as required.

To ensure services across New South ●Wales are available and accessible to Deaf people and reduce the isolation of Deaf Communities and individuals living in regional and remote areas.

Who We Are

The Manager - Client and Community Services oversees three full-time and two part-time Community Worker as well as the Regional Services Co-ordinator and the Senior Services Development Officer. (Towards the end of the year, the Regional Services Co-ordinator assumed responsibility for regional services statewide in preparation for expansion in 2008/2009 and his position title changed to NSW Regional Services Co-ordinator.) What We Do

Provide a “Drop In” service at six locations ●throughout NSW, offering either direct face-to-face assistance or access via technology, by professional staff fluent in Auslan. (For “Drop In” locations, please refer to the maps on the back cover of this report.)

Provide Deaf people and their families ●with information and support to enable them to participate in and access services.

Develop partnerships and provide ●specialist advice to other agencies and organisations to improve their service delivery and understanding of deafness related issues.

Provide holistic information and support ●to families affected by deafness.

Research and trial innovative methods of ●service delivery and support.

Highlights During 2007/2008

Conducted the second Sydney based Deaf ●Family Fun Day and inaugural regional Deaf Family Fun Day on the Central Coast as part of National Families Week.

Increased outreach services to Port ●Macquarie, Tamworth and Wollongong in response to a greater Deaf Community presence in these regions.

Increased the number of leadership ●courses for Deaf women in the Macarthur region from four to seven.

Expanded ‘Deaf-Friendly Families’ to ●include subsidies for families to attend Auslan classes.

Established a working relationship ●between the Deaf Society of NSW and Deaf Services Queensland to provide Drop In Services for Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast Deaf Community.

Held a regular youth group in conjunction ●with the Thomas Pattison School to increase social and recreational opportunities for young Deaf people.

Key Infl uences and Challenges for 2008/2009

1. Limited availability of life-important information on health, safety and community issues in a format accessible by Deaf people.

2. Lack of Deaf-specific services and accessible generic community services in regional areas.

3. An increase in the number of older Deaf people and Deaf-Blind people requiring assistance with living and support.

4. Prevalence of mental health issues in the Deaf Community.

5. Challenges involved in managing and monitoring service delivery and staff across a range of service provision areas, including regional staff.

Key Strategies 2008/2009

1. Utilise our updated website to provide information about generic services in Auslan.

2. Establish additional regional offices in two more regional areas of the State and expand the “DeafNet” project.

3. Initiate a Deaf Seniors Project with a focus on residential and support areas to determine what services will be required in the future and collaborate with NSW Deaf seniors groups to organise education sessions about in-home support.

4. Utilise the skills of a worker with specialist knowledge in mental health.

5. Implement a centralised contact management system to assist with monitoring service delivery.

Statistical and Financial InformationSupport to clients 2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

Office visits by clients 1,559 856 793 815 796

Home visits to clients 693 479 406 475 323Outside visits (hospitals, community centres etc)

696 504 480 502 496

Telephone/TTY/email/fax 8,282 8,793 7,882 8,322 7,841

Total 11,230 10,632 9,561 10,114 9,456

Visits to regional areas 32 28 24 21 19

Income $611,225 $643,135 $474,824 $734,191 $630,053

Expenditure $998,461 $1,026,245 $643,344 $828,085 $799,459

Surplus/(Defi cit) $(387,236) $(383,110) $(168,520) $(93,894) $(169,406)

Government support totalling $298,192 was received from the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to assist with the operation of client and community services. The NSW Department of Community Services provided funding of $92,836 towards support of children, youth and families. An amount of $38,449 was received from the NSW Department of Community Services Macarthur Area Assistance Scheme towards the operation of the “Unity in Diversity” in the Macarthur region and $31,973 from the Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme assisted with parenting programs. Additional non-recurrent grants were received from the ANZ Bank ($6,282); auDA Foundation ($8,807); the Law and Justice Foundation NSW ($9,812); the Cancer Council of NSW ($4,800); the Commonwealth Department of Ageing and Health ($1,000); the Commonwealth Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology ($7,920); Holroyd City Council ($2,400); Workcover NSW ($2,080); Parramatta City Council ($6,105); the Australian Sports Commission ($2,642). This support helped offset the expenses incurred in many pilot programs, including family services and the webcam technology project.

COMMUNITY ACCESS AND INFORMATION SERVICE

Client and Community Services

Right on target - 11 sporting, recreational and social activities for young Deaf people were held during the year.

9

Mission Statement

To provide support and training on a one-to-one basis to assist Deaf people with disabilities or who require extra assistance to live as independently as possible.

Who We Are

The ILSP team consists of one full-time and four part-time Community Access Workers who report to the Manager - Client and Community Services.

What We Do

Provide specialist support services for ●clients who have additional needs, such as physical disability, health or behavioural problems, language or literacy issues, to improve their access to the wider community.Assist clients to learn a variety of skills, ●including budgeting, cooking, travel training and social behaviour, to enable them to live as independently as possible.Assist clients to identify personal ●goals, identify appropriate training and encourage educational opportunities.Provide access to leisure activities and ●social opportunities for clients.


Launched ILSP Auslan version of plain ●English policies and procedures in DVD format to assist clients with limited English language skills.Co-ordinated five outings for clients ●including a formal Christmas event. Provided living skills assessment services ●to four organisations in both the Sydney and Hunter regions.Successfully assisted the transition of one ●client with additional age related needs to supported accommodation at Mullauna Village and also two clients to a local nursing home in inner west Sydney.

Establish ● ed working relationship with another accommodation organisation and placed two Deaf clients into supported housing.


1. Limited affordable rental accommodation, particularly in metropolitan areas of Sydney.

2. Limited client participation in educational and social activities.

3. Further marketing of our service is required, particularly to younger Deaf people with additional needs.

4. Challenge of continuing to provide support and improve the lives of long-term clients, especially those who may require more complex services in the future.

5. Existing funding levels minimise the opportunity to provide similar services in regional areas.


1. Investigate further partnerships with community housing providers with the aim of providing subsidised housing for disadvantaged clients.

2. Pilot drop-in social and information activities as well as establishing a quarterly program of external social activities.

3. Develop promotional material to market the Independent Living Skills Program more extensively.

4. Continue to liaise with Mullauna Village and other supported accommodation providers to ensure the needs of elderly Deaf clients are being met.

5. Source additional funding opportunities to enable the expansion of services into regional areas.

Statistical and Financial Information

Support to clients 2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

Office visits by clients 668 586 534 618 572

Home visits to clients 866 771 758 794 724

Outside visits (eg hospitals, community centres etc)

427 527 498 573 691

Telephone/TTY/email/fax 2,078 1,852 1,748 1,912 1,868

Total 4,039 3,736 3,538 3,897 3,855

Income $301,755 $292,755 $284,845 $276,680 $265,921

Expenditure $365,278 $343,926 $333,023 $301,030 $284,124

Surplus/(Defi cit) $(63,528) $(51,171) $(48,178) $(24,350) $(18,203)

Government support of $301,755 was received from the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care which assisted with the operation of this project (including $53,603 received to provide services to an individual client).

INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS PROGRAM

The Client and Community Services Team.

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Mission Statement

To provide high-quality Auslan/English interpreting services to the Deaf Community of NSW and ensure services are accessible to Deaf people.

To work with government agencies, other service providers, families and the Deaf Community to promote Auslan and Deaf culture and advocate for change at a systems level.

Who We Are

Our team comprises the Manager, Interpreting and Advocacy, a full-time Co-ordinator and two Interpreting Service Officers. In December 2007, we reviewed our four contract interpreter positions and these were replaced when the pilot interpreter internship program commenced in February 2008. This program employs four interpreters on a part-time basis. We also administer a register of casual interpreters throughout NSW including 95 in metropolitan Sydney, 52 in regional areas of NSW and 14 Sydney-based relay interpreters. In addition, we maintain a register of 5 interpreters based in the ACT.

What We Do

Provide a responsive Auslan/English ●interpreting service to the Deaf Community throughout NSW.

Provide and promote a high standard of ●professional development and support for interpreters.

Liaise with external interpreting agencies ●promoting high quality services in the field.

Advocate, inform and educate service ●providers on their responsibilities to provide access for Deaf people.

Advocate for change at a systems level ●through either direct lobbying or on behalf of individual Deaf people or the Deaf Community as a whole.


The John Ferris Interpreter Internship ●Program commenced in February 2008 with two interns who are supported by two experienced Professional Level interpreters.

Increased number of in-house staff with ●interpreting qualifications from 8 to 18.

Held two consultations with the Deaf ●Community which provided us with valuable feedback.

Conducted six professional development ●workshops including one in partnership with ASLIA (NSW). Two workshops were also provided in Lismore.

Following review, the Auslan For ●Employment Program was expanded to include interpreter provision for job interviews. We also increased internal use of this program.

Usage of our computerised interpreter ●booking system increased with over 20% of bookings being made on-line. This resulted in a positive impact on the administration of requests.

35 interpreters took part in the National ●Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters’ (NAATI) revalidation including 13 accredited at Professional level.

Strengthening of the relationship with ●other interstate Deaf Society Interpreting services.


1. Shortage of appropriately qualified interpreters, particularly at Professional level accreditation.

2. Poor community awareness, particularly by service providers, about the requirement under legislation to provide access to interpreting services for Deaf people.

3. Lack of ongoing funding for interpreting for life important situations, particularly private legal and civil matters.

4. Shortage of Auslan interpreters in rural and regional areas.

5. Increased agency competition in the interpreting field.


R1. eview and refine the pilot intern program and develop a second program for two new interns. Develop and implement a scholarship program for four Paraprofessional interpreters to upgrade their skills to Professional level accreditation.Develop the awareness of service 2. providers regarding their responsibilities

to provide Auslan interpreters and promote awareness to members of the Deaf community about their rights to interpreter provision.

Increase lobbying efforts for interpreting 3. access to private legal appointments.

Review and expand the current use of 4. technology, including Video Remote Interpreting, in the provision of services to rural and regional areas.

Investigate, in conjunction with 5. interstate Deaf Societies, the feasibility of establishing a national interpreter booking service to enhance our competitiveness.

Interpreting and Advocacy

Statistical and Financial InformationInterpreting assignments during the year 2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

Fee for service 3,948 3,598 2,351 2,596 2,255

No fee 136 113 114 203 156

Total 4,084 3,711 2,465 2,799 2,411

Income $789,049 $748,166 $506,878 $438,834 $338,684

Expenditure $709,783 $581,076 $449,486 $395,478 $405,770

Surplus/(Defi cit) $79,266 $167,090 $57,392 $43,356 $(67,086)

Funding from the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care totalling $82,717 assisted with the provision of this program.

The Interpreting Team.

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Mission Statement

To provide community and vocational ●educational opportunities for Deaf and hard of hearing people.To conduct training courses to enhance ●the language skills of people who wish to improve their communication skills with Deaf people or work within the Deaf Community.To increase the awareness of Deaf ●culture and language within the wider community.

Who We Are

DEN, the education division of the Deaf Society, is administered by the Manager - Education and Training. The team includes three full and two part-time Program Supervisors and support staff. Training and educational workshops are facilitated by a number of sessional and casual educators.

What We Do

DEN comprises four areas of core business:

Community education and lifestyle ●courses for Deaf students (eg digital camera operation; TV presentation; health and wellness awareness).Accredited courses (vocational and ●literacy programs) for Deaf students (information technology, literacy and numeracy).Auslan courses (accredited and non- ●accredited programs) for hearing students (Certificate II in Auslan through to Diploma of Auslan; Community Sign Language Programs).Deafness Awareness Training (improving ●awareness about deafness and hearing impairment by employers, government agencies, school students; teaching practical strategies to facilitate communication).


Piloted and successfully completed the ●implementation of the first Diploma of Auslan in NSW.Rolled out our new Sign Language 1 & 2 ●Community Courses in Semester 1 2008.Completed our first full year of delivering ●the new CGEA (Certificate in General Education Adults).Extended our Certificate IV and Diploma ●of Auslan courses to cover three terms. Delivered an upgrade to Certificate IV in ●Training and Assessment to current and future teachers.


1. Shortage of suitably qualified Deaf teachers and presenters.

2. Intensive clerical support required to respond to prospective student enquiries and process enrolments.

3. Existing educational resources require review and cataloguing.

4. Limited ability to offer educational workshops in regional areas.

5. Shortage of training facilities to accommodate additional evening classes.


1. Deliver a further Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to potential Deaf teachers.

2. Design and install on-line enrolment system.

3. Continue to establish partnerships with training bodies in regional areas to assist in tailoring their existing programs for Deaf people.

4. Complete a catalogued library of resources with up-to-date articles, DVD, books and make available for students to borrow resources.

5. Investigate additional training rooms to enable the accommodation of additional evening classes.

Education and Training


2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

DAT Workshops 37 71 93 82 23Community Lifestyle Programs, (previously known as CEP)

15 12 15 14 12

Internet Relay Training Project 10 - - - -Accredited courses for Deaf people 10 13 - - -Accredited courses for hearing people 4 4 - - -Community Auslan Courses 53 44 - - -Heritage School 1 2 2 2 2Total Courses 130 146 110 98 37“Hands On News” published 4 4 4 4 2“Auslan Student Newsletter” published

6 8 - - -

Income $802,216 $444,601 $87,692 $83,149 $76,374Expenditure $802,216 $437,635 $97,000 $91,304 $88,522Result - $6,966 $(9,308) $(8,155) $(12,148)Income totalling $402,516 was received from the NSW Department of Education and Training to assist with the operation of education programs, with an additional $73,486 being received from the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care to assist with the costs incurred by the Community Lifestyle Programs.

The Education and Training Team.

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Mission Statement

To assist Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients to access and maintain suitable employment and participate in vocational training opportunities.

Who We Are

Our team comprises the Manager - Employment and Workplace Support who supervises four full-time Employment Officers and a part-time Employment Assistant.

What We Do

Delive ● r a Specialist Disability Employment Program, funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) which offers free employment assistance to Deaf and hard-of-hearing people who are either unemployed or working less than eight hours per week. Offer pre-employment support ●including skills assessment, career plan development, personal and employment skills development, job seeking assistance, liaison with prospective employers, Auslan interpreting at job

interviews and in the workplace, and induction support.Offer post-employment support including ●monitoring of client progress during induction, OHS support, education of employers and colleagues on deafness issues, as well as the provision of Auslan interpreters.


Assisted ● over one hundred Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients and successfully found employment for 28 job seekers.Maximised funding opportunities and ●reviewed and improved service delivery techniques resulted in financial gains for the year.Obtained a 3.5 star rating under the ●Capped program, and 4 stars (out of 5.0) for the Uncapped program in the Star Rating classification system administered by DEEWR. Successfully completed both DEEWR and ●external Quality Assurance monitoring visits, providing confirmation of our high standards of service.Provided a Job Club on a fortnightly ba ● sis.


1. Amendments to Government guidelines have delayed the tendering process, due to commence in 2008, to 2010 causing a serious delay in the opportunity to obtain more vacancies for service for “capped” clients.

2. A rise in the unemployment rate makes it increasingly difficult to place clients who are perceived as disabled.

3. Many Deaf clients referred to our program come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and are often not literate in English or f luent in Auslan, which creates an additional barrier to gaining employment.

4. Lack of awareness in the community regarding the obligation to provide Auslan interpreting requires advocacy to employers and ongoing lobbying to the government.

5. The challenges involved in servicing an increasing number of clients, particularly those with complex needs, can create additional pressure on program staff.


1. Optimise existing funding opportunities, and maintain a strict monitoring system, to maximise the income generated by the existing funded vacancies.

2. Increase the use of complementary programs such as the Workplace Modification Scheme, Auslan For Employment Program, Wage Subsidy Scheme and Productivity Places as incentives for employers to hire Deaf employees.

3. Encourage clients, particularly newly arrived Deaf migrants, to seek additional support to gain literacy skills to increase their ability to find employment.

4. Continue lobbying government to increase the support available to Deaf job seekers and existing Deaf employees.

5. Monitor the caseloads of staff to ensure they remain manageable and resources are utilised appropriately.


2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

Clients assisted to obtain employment 28 28 20 20 27

Total Clients Assisted 100 56 50 34 45

Income $463,794 $254,606 $144,919 $133,366 $143,285

Expenditure $372,950 $254,606 $164,017 $151,920 $143,285

Surplus/(Defi cit) $90,844 - $(19,098) $(18,554) -

Employment and Workplace Support

Clients are supported to obtain the job of their choice and are provided with post-employment support.

The Employment Team.

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Administration and Human Resources

The Administration and Human Resources team comprises a manager who supervises two information officers, an enrolments officer, two full-time accounts staff and a part-time IT support officer. The team provides high quality administration, financial and human resource support to all service delivery departments.As the Deaf Society’s scope of service delivery grows, there is a corresponding increase in the level of administration support required. This has been highlighted following the DEN merge, with increases in training and educational programs provided as well as an increase in interpreting assignments.We constantly review our existing methods and practices to make sure we have strong systems and processes in place to enable us to deliver a professional and efficient service to both internal and external customers.During the year, a number of human resources systems were reviewed and amended to ensure consistency between DEN and Deaf Society procedures and practices. This review culminated in the establishment

of a new staff induction program, a revised staff performance appraisal system and upgraded position descriptions for all roles which set out measurable KPIs in a number of key performance areas. We will continue to review the administration support requirements and assess the impact of this on our workload. We also plan to assess and install a number of software enhancements which will enable us to streamline our work. We anticipate that the CASWEB on-line enrolment system will cut down on many of the administration tasks currently involved in processing enrolments. Upgrades to the interpreter booking software will also reduce many of the manual tasks involved in allocating assignments, invoicing and payroll processes for casual interpreters.

Staff Training and Development

The Administration and Human Resources Department is responsible for managing human resources across the organisation including induction, appraisals and ongoing professional training and development for all employees.

All staff are encouraged and supported to attend both internal and external training. This year four in-house training seminars were held: How to Deal with Difficult People, Australian Politics – its effect on Deaf People, Background of the World Federation of the Deaf and the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. External training was provided focusing on a number of areas, including youth services, complaints handling, first aid and OHS, sign language certificate courses, train the trainer, accounting and financial management, governance of community colleges and AQTF essentials. Staff were also supported with study leave to attend tertiary courses relevant to their areas of work.

Employment Practices

The Deaf Society of NSW is a bilingual workplace where both Auslan and English are used. Staff are supported to acquire Auslan skills as well as develop written English skills. Auslan interpreters are provided for all meetings and training courses.Deaf people are employed at all levels in our organisation, which reflects the Society’s

equal opportunity and Deaf-friendly employment practices. We will continue to review and improve our employment processes in order to attract, retain, reward and develop staff.The Deaf Society remains committed to recruiting and retaining the best possible candidates for employment vacancies. We want to continue to improve our employment practices to attract and retain staff in order to remain an employer of choice within the Deafness sector. Our employment policies, including Deaf-friendly and family-friendly practices demonstrate the Deaf Society’s support for staff. Due to our Public Benevolent Institution status, we are able to offer salary packaging to all permanent staff. We will be reviewing our method of salary packaging in early 2009.We want to ensure that our staff remain fresh, focused and productive and we are very much aware of the importance of life/work balance. Staff workloads and accumulated hours worked over roster are constantly reviewed to ensure that employees’ focus on outcomes for clients does not lead to an OHS training to help minimise OOS is an important way of protecting our interpreting staff.

The Administration Team.

14

organisation culture of long working hours.The Deaf Society contributes 9% of salaries to superannuation for all eligible employees. The majority of employees choose HESTA as their preferred fund, however we offer staff their choice of provider.During the year Deaf Society staff took part in a number of fundraising ventures to support other charities, including Pink Ribbon Day, fundraising to support interpreters in developing countries and a special event to raise money for the Jane McGrath Foundation.

Industrial and Employment Relations

The Social and Community Services Employees (State) Award covers all Community Workers and Community and Social Educators. Clerical staff are covered by the Clerical and Administrative Employees (State) Award and the Employment Officers are employed under the Community Employment, Training and Support Services Award. Staff involved in the supervision and delivery of education and training courses are employed under the St George and Sutherland Community College Administrative Staff & Site Co-Ordinators’ Certified Agreement 2005. Employees who are not covered by awards have their conditions of employment agreed to by contracts of employment. Industrial and employee relations continued to be harmonious, with no days lost to industrial disputes.

Staff Safety and Support

The Deaf Society of NSW has a strong commitment to occupational health and safety. OHS audits are conducted on a monthly basis. Hazpac reviews also take place bi-annually. Policies addressing risk areas are reviewed and amended as necessary. In 2007/2008 there were 7 injuries which resulted in one or more days of absence. This was one more than in 2006/2007. A number of these claims are due to Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS)

which is a common complaint suffered by Auslan interpreters. During the year an OHS safety session, supported by Workcover NSW, was held which focussed on minimising the risk of OOS. Specialist training in lifting and carrying was also organised during the year. This is particularly important for staff who are required to co-ordinate external displays which may include a variety of equipment.All Deaf Society vehicles are equipped with ABS brakes, cruise control and airbags and policies are in place to cover safety issues dealing with the provision of outreach services, such as long distance travel and fatigue management.This year saw the implementation of the Society’s Mentoring Program, where Deaf and hearing staff members formed a “buddy” partnership designed to improve skills for both parties. Next year we plan to investigate providing opportunities for external mentoring and professional networking opportunities as well as evaluation and improvement of our Employee Assistance Program.

Quality Management

This year we achieved outstanding results against a number of audits. The NSW Department of Education and Training (DET) conducted a desk audit on Deaf Education Network’s Strategic Skills Programs (SSP). Site audits were conducted in the Employment and Workplace Support Department and the Client and Community Services Department. All resulting reports demonstrate the strength of our systems and practices. Well done team.The Society’s Policies and Procedures Manual was reviewed during the period and this document, including appendices, is now available electronically. Producing a more “Deaf-friendly” version has commenced, with a number of policies now available in question and answer format and an additional four policies now available in Auslan. This is a long term project which will require many

Promoting our services is an important way to increase awareness of deafness in the wider community.

specialist resources to complete.During the next twelve months focus will be on developing a Disability Action Plan for the Deaf Society and then integrating this plan across all processes and departments throughout the organisation.

Marketing and Development

The major role of marketing and development is to raise community awareness and acceptance of the language and culture of the Deaf Community.During the year we focussed on improving all departmental publications, including newsletters and information handouts. Templates for designing f lyers were also designed to improve consistency.

This year’s major task was the creation of a new Deaf Society bilingual website, which provides information in both Auslan and English. This has proven to be a huge undertaking requiring a great deal of expertise in a number of areas, including web design, filming and video-editing. Our website is now live, however it will remain a work in progress, as all new information will require translation into Auslan.A review of marketing and publicity material was also undertaken during the year. “Learn to fingerspell” cards and posters were produced and orders have been placed for tea-towels depicting the Auslan alphabet. We envisage these will be available in late 2008.

15

Board of Directors

Executive Director - Services


Education and TrainingInterpreting and Advocacy Administration and Human Resources

Marketing and Development


Executive Director - Corporate

Organisational Chart

Quality Assurance

National Relay Service (NRS) - Outreach Service

Left – Tony Clews, MC, leads the applause as Michael Clancy, inaugural Director of AEC, cuts the merger celebration cake.

Right – Visitors on Open Day helped Sharon celebrate her 30th anniversary.

Above & Left – ILSP clients are provided with a range of recreational opportunities to assist and promote social skills and independence.

Right – Learning through play - Deaf-friendly family activities assist in Auslan language acquisition.

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STAFF AND SUPPORTERSRecruiting and retaining quality staff is often challenging, particularly for a community organisation which requires staff to not only possess formal qualifications in a range of areas, but also to have the necessary linguistic skills to communicate in both English and Auslan.During the year, our staff undertook an extensive range of tasks which enabled positive outcomes to be achieved for our clients. Often staff volunteered their personal time to attend events and assist with a variety of roles, such as Deaf relay interpreting, child-care, teaching and tutoring. The contributions made by staff, whether full-time, part-time or on short-term contracts, are very much appreciated.The Deaf Society is fortunate to have enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who contribute their time, energy and expertise to our cause. Professional management and strategic direction is provided by our voluntary Board of Directors. Anthony Houen, AM, Patterson, Houen and Commins, has been involved with the Deaf Society for almost 50 years. Tony continues his commitment to our work and provided expert advice on a number of complex legal matters during the year.Deaf people volunteered to assist with many community activities and events, including the Auslan Heritage School and DEN Auslan acquisition courses as well as acting as sighted guides for Deafblind outings.We thank all our supporters for their generosity.

Richard Aarden – Marketing and Development ExecutiveDiploma of Performing Arts (Theatre), Diploma of Acting

Roslyn Barnes – InterpreterNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Craig Bishop – NSW Regional Services Co-ordinatorNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Member & Vice President - ASLIAQ• Member - ASLIA NSW• Member - DeafACTion Tamworth•

Paula Bun – InterpreterNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Sandra Campbell - Employment Offi cer *

Sandra Carroll - Senior Services Development Offi cerBA (Welfare Studies), NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Member NSWAD• Member ASLIA (NSW)• Member ATOD•

Alex Chapman – AFDS Policy and Strategy Co-ordinatorBA (Politics), Certificate of European Union, Politics and Integration

Jennifer Clements – Information Offi cerCert III Auslan, Senior First Aid Certificate

Member, DSNSW•

Tony Clews – Program Supervisor – Community Lifestyle Courses*Cert in Auslan Teaching

Registered Tax Help Volunteer• Life Member - Deaf Cricket NSW• Committee Member - Signpost Deaf TV• Internet Relay Tutor•

Margaret Craig - Community Access Worker *Cert IV Auslan Teaching, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Margaret Day – InterpreterNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Sarah Dearlove - InterpreterNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Veronica De Ferrari – Manager - Employment and Workplace SupportBA Psychobiology, BA (Adult) Education, MA (Adult) Education, Cert IV Frontline Management, Cert IV Workplace Leadership

Member - Australian Human Resource Institute•

Thuy Van Do - Community Access Worker *Cert IV Frontline Management

Deafblind Relay Interpreter•

Brooke Duffy – Community Worker, Coffs CoastCert II Auslan

Sharon Everson - Executive Director – CorporateJustice of the Peace, Diploma in Community Management, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Member - Australian Association of Company • DirectorsMember - Australian Institute of Management• Member - Chartered Secretaries Australia•

Nicole Gray – Information Offi cerNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Member - DSNSW• Member – ASLIA (NSW)•

Bader Haouam – Community Worker *

Brendan Harding – Employment Offi cerCerts II, III & IV Auslan

Kerryn Harwood – Interpreting Services Clerk (Maternity Leave)NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Diploma of Interpreting Auslan/English

Karen Jahn – Enrolments Offi cer *Cert Auslan Teaching, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Auslan Teacher - DEN• Member - DSNSW•

Patricia Knight - Community Access Worker *Cert IV in Assessment & Workplace Training

Life Member – Deaf Tennis NSW•

Natalie Kull - John Ferris Interpreter Internship Program InternDiploma of Interpreting (LOTE), Cert IV Training & Assessment, BA (English Literature & Cultural Studies), NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Certs II, III & IV in Auslan

Member - DSNSW• Member - ASLIA NSW• Member - ATOD• Sign Language Teacher - DEN• Presenter - Early Signs•

Rebecca Ladd - Executive Director – ServicesJustice of the Peace, Master of Management (Comm Man), BEd (Hons), Cert IV Training & Assessment, NAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English),

Member - ASLIA NSW•

Katrina Lancaster – Community Worker*Bachelor of Community Welfare (International Social Development), Cert IV Community Services (Welfare), Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Board Member - DA• Sessional Teacher - DEN•

Debra Lawes – Accounts ClerkJustice of the Peace

Annette Lüders – Manager - Administration and Human ResourcesCert II & III in Auslan

Member - ASLIA (NSW)• Member – DSNSW• Member – Chartered Secretaries Australia• Member – Australian Human Resources Institute•

ASLIA (NSW) – Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association (NSW)DA – Deaf Australia DSNSW – The Deaf Society of NSWLOTE – Language other than EnglishNAATI – National Accreditation Authority for Translators and InterpretersNSWAD – NSW Association of the Deaf

None of the achievements highlighted in this report would have been possible without the dedication of our staff.

Organisational Structure and Staff

Staff Members during the Year – Qualifi cations and Additional Contributions

17

Susannah Macready – Program Supervisor - Literacy and ProjectsCerts II & III Auslan, Cert IV Training and Assessment, Diploma of Interpreting (LOTE), NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Graduate Dip of Education, BA (Hons I), PhD

Committee member - ASLIA (NSW)• ASLIA (NSW) Representative to ASLIA National•

Eleanor Maxwell – John Ferris Interpreter Internship Program InternNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Diploma of Auslan English Interpreting, Auslan Bridging Course, Certs II & III Auslan


David McQuiggin – Co-ordinator - Employment ServicesCerts II, III & IV in Auslan, Diploma in Auslan, NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Sessional Teacher - DEN• Member - ASLIA (NSW)•

Rebekah Rose-Mundy – Employment Offi cer*Diploma in Auslan, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training, Cert IV Training & Assessment, Cert IV Auslan Teaching, Cert IV Teacher’s Assistant (Special), Statement of Attainment in Deafblind Relay Interpreting, Cert III Science Laboratory Assistant

Member - ASLIA• Member - Deaf Australia• Member - Deaf Children Australia• Deaf Studies Teacher• Sessional Auslan Teacher• Sessional Deaf Awareness Trainer• Deafblind Relay Interpreter•

Sharon Nann – Quality Assurance Senior AdvisorBachelor of Education (Adult Ed), Cert IV Training & Assessment, NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Member – DSNSW•

Anna Nardi – Program Supervisor, Accredited Auslan CoursesCerts II, III & IV in Auslan, Diploma of Auslan


Kate Nelson – Program Offi cer/Project Coordinator- Accredited Auslan and Law Education Project*Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma Rehabilitation Counselling, Masters in Theatre Studies, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training.

Sessional Teacher - DEN• Board Member - NSWAD•

Stephen Nicholson – Manager – Client and Community Services *Bachelor of Education (Adult Ed), Cert IV Training & Assessment, Cert IV Frontline Management

Member - ASLIA NSW• Sessional Teacher - DEN and TAFE• Member - Deaf Society of NSW• Member - ACE• Deafblind Relay Interpreter•

Paul Nordheim – Community Worker*Diploma in Advanced Business Studies

Alex Nyam - IT Support Offi cer *Cert IV Website Production, Cert IV IT System Admin, Cert IV Website Management, Cert IV Digital Media, Diploma Arch Technology, Mech Engineer

John O’Neill – Manager – Education and TrainingDiploma in Human Resource Management, Cert IV Training & Assessment, Certs I, II, III & IV in Auslan, Cert IV Supervisory Development/Management

Erin Pattison – Interpreting Services ClerkCerts II & III in Auslan, Diploma of Auslan

Jessica Peyton - Community WorkerBachelor Speech and Hearing Sciences, Post Graduate Diploma Rehabilitation Counselling, Cert II in Auslan

Neil Phipps – Interpreting Services ClerkBA, Cert IV Auslan, NAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter Auslan/English

Lizzi Price – Community WorkerBachelor of Science, Graduate Diploma of Arts (Psych), Certs II, III and IV in Auslan, Diploma of Auslan,

Convenor of the LGBTQ network –Amnesty • International Australia

Terri Richardson – Community Worker Coffs CoastCerts I & II Auslan, Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Jasmine Rozsa – Senior Interpreting Services Offi cerNAATI Paraprofessional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Diploma of Interpreting Auslan/English (LOTE)

Member, ASLIA (NSW)•

Jenny Rozsa – Community Access Worker *

Daryl Seibright – Employment AssistantCerts II, III & IV Auslan, Diploma of Auslan, Diploma in Hospitality Management

Gerry Shearim - John Ferris Interpreter Internship Program MentorNAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Post Graduate Diploma Auslan/English Interpreting, Diploma of Interpreting (Auslan/English), Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training

Mary Srbic - AccountantBachelor of Business (Accounting)

Chevoy Sweeney - John Ferris Interpreter Internship Program MentorNAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Post Graduate Diploma in Auslan/ English Interpreting

Committee Member ASLIA (NSW)• Member NSWAD•

Sheena Walters – Manager - Interpreting and AdvocacyNAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English)

Member - DSNSW• President - ASLIA (NSW)• Registered Tax Help Volunteer•

Linda Warby – Project Offi cer *Bachelor of Education (Adult Basic ED/TESOL), Grad Dip (Adult Basic Ed)

Kathy Wright – Co-ordinator – Interpreting NAATI Professional Interpreter (Auslan/English), Cert IV Assessment & Workplace Training, Cert IV Frontline Management

Treasurer - ASLIA (NSW)• Member - DSNSW• Member - NSWAD• Life Member - Australian Theatre of the Deaf•

Susan Wright – Project Offi cer *Cert I Clerical Skills

Member – DA• Member - NSWAD•

* Denotes Deaf staff member

NATIONAL RELAY SERVICE – CALL ANYONE ANYTIMEThe National Relay Service (NRS), an Australian Government initiative, provides a phone solution for people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, by using a variety of technology.Call options provided include internet relay, speak and read, type and listen, type and read and speak and listen. The NRS Outreach Service also offers free training for all these modes of communication as well as free publications designed to assist.In 2006, WestWood Spice, which operates the NRS Outreach Service, sub-contracted the Australian Federation of Deaf Societies (AFDS) to assist with the delivery of this service. The Deaf Society of NSW is proud to be able to play a role in the delivery of this most vital service by providing housing and hosting the following staff during the year: Sandra Brown, Thuvaraka Chandrapavan, Emilie Delcroix, Jane Fitzgerald, Danielle Fried, Sue-Anne Randazzo and Kathleen Tan.

Please call 133 677 (TTY/voice) or 1300 555 727 (Speak and Listen) to access this free service or visit the website www.relayservice.com.au

Table A - Employee Information Summary2007/08 2006/07 2005/06 2004/05 2003/04

F/T P/T F/T P/T F/T P/T F/T P/T F/T P/TExecutive 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 -Administration, Marketing,Quality Assurance 6 3 6 3 3 2 3 1 2 3

Access, Information & Support 7 6 7 5 8 4 8 5 6 11

Interpreting and Advocacy 4 4 3 5 2 3 2 1 1 3Education and Training 4 3 1 8 - 1 1 1 - Employmt & Wkplce Support 5 1 4 0 2 1 2 3 2 2NRS - Outreach 2 2 2 - - - - - - -Total 30 19 25 21 17 11 17 11 14 19Salaries and Wages $2,702,165 $2,033,862 $1,325,872 $1,478,579 $1,245,778Workers’ Compensation $84,874 $96,936 $80,417 $46,410 $52,560Superannuation $244,180 $192,441 $132,565 $123,067 $114,876Total $3,031,219 $2,323,239 $1,538,854 $1,648,056 $1,422,214Total Expenditure $3,976,197 $3,206,808 $2,177,574 $2,164,447 $1,962,987

% Total Expenditure 76% 72% 70% 76% 73%

Number of years service* 20 years + 15 years + 10 years + 5-9 years 2-4 years < 2 year Total Contract Staff

Casual Teachers

Casual Interpreters

* includes transfer of service from DEN 1 2 6 5 15 20 49 10 37 166

18

TABLE I 2007/2008 ANALYSIS OF OPERATING INCOME BY SOURCE AND COST CENTRE

INCOME TOTAL C’WEALTHNSWSTATE

SUNDRYGRANTS

FEES FORSERVICE

FUND-RAISING

INVEST-MENTS SUNDRY

Corporate Services 2,219,618 - - - 21,219 - 2,197,852 547

Fundraising 37,594 - - - - 36,466 - 1,128

Client and Community Services - - - - - - -

Community Access and Information Service 497,329 - 354,195 51,848 90,974 - - 312

Regional Outreach and Community Development 113,896 - 107,256 - 6,640 - - -

Independent Living Skills 301,755 - 301,755 - - - - -

Interpreting and Advocacy 789,049 - 82,717 - 706,332 - - -

Deaf Education Network 802,216 - 687,892 - 104,664 - 9,324 336

Employment and Workplace Support 463,794 435,221 - 28,573 - - - -

National Relay Service - Outreach 461,110 - - - 461,110 - - -

Total 5,686,361 435,221 1,533,815 80,421 1,390,939 36,466 2,207,176 2,323

Percentage 100 8 27 1.5 23 1 39 0.5

TABLE 2 2007/2008 ANALYSIS OF OPERATING EXPENDITURE

EXPENDITURE2007/08

$ %

2006/07 $

% 2005/06

$ %

2004/05 $

% 2003/04

$ %

Corporate Services 253,806 6.5 205,223 7 255,809 12 168,686 8 162,840 8.5

Fundraising 12,593 0.5 13,432 0.5 16,292 1 14,579 0.5 11,065 0.5


Community Access and Information Service 644,786 16.5 846,756 26 546,647 24 512,430 23.5 453,475 23

Regional Outreach and Community Development 353,675 9 179,489 6 199,952 9 146,270 7 87,922 4.5

Independent Living Skills Program 365,278 9 343,926 10 333,023 15.5 301,030 14 284,124 14.5

Out of Home Care - - - - 96,697 4 382,750 18 325,984 16.5

Interpreting and Advocacy 709,783 18 581,076 18 449,486 20.5 395,478 18 405,770 20.5

Deaf Education Network 802,216 20 437,635 13.5 97,000 5 91,304 4 88,522 5

Employment and Workplace Support 372,950 9 254,606 8 164,017 8 151,920 7 143,285 7

National Relay Service-Outreach 461,110 11.5 344,665 11 18,651 1 - - - -

Total 3,976,197 100 3,206,808 100 2,177,574 100 2,164,447 100 1,962,987 100

TABLE 3 2007/2008 SUMMARY OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE AS A PERCENTAGE OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE BY SERVICE AREA

INCOME 2007/08

$ %

2006/07 $

% 2005/06

$ %

2004/05 $

% 2003/04

$ %

SERVICE AREACorporate Services 2,219,618 39 1,429,384 34 761,861 31 817,661 30 581,865 28

Fundraising 37,594 0.5 42,300 1 40,671 2 43,718 2 33,182 2

Client and Community Services 912,980 16 935,890 22 870,677 35 1,245,413 47 1,013,168 47.5

Interpreting and Advocacy 789,049 14 748,166 18 506,878 21 364,854 13 265,413 13

Deaf Education Network 802,216 14.5 444,601 10.5 87,692 4 83,149 3 76,374 3.5


National Relay Service - Outreach 461,110 8 344,665 8.5 15,540 1 - - - -

Total 5,686,361 100 4,199,612 100 2,428,238 100 2,688,161 100 2,113,287 100

EXPENDITURE $ % $ % $ % $ % $ %

SERVICE AREACorporate Services 253,806 6.5 205,223 7 255,809 12 168,686 8 162,840 8.5

Fundraising 12,593 0.5 13,432 0.5 16,292 1 14,579 0.5 11,065 0.5

Client and Community Services 1,363,739 34.5 1,370,171 42 1,176,319 53 1,342,480 62.5 1,151,505 58.5

Interpreting and Advocacy 709,783 18 581,076 18 449,486 20 395,478 18 405,770 20.5



National Relay Service - Outreach 461,110 11.5 344,665 11 18,651 1 - - - -

Total 3,976,197 100 3,206,808 100 2,177,574 100 2,164,447 100 1,962,987 100

Comm Govt

State Govt

Grants

Fees for Service

Fundraising

Investments

Sundries

PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING INCOME BY SOURCE

19

TABLE 4 FINANCIAL SUMMARY FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS

INCOME2007/08

$%

2006/07$

%2005/06

$ %

2004/05$

%2003/04

$ %

Corporate Services 2,219,618 39 1,429,384 34 761,861 31 817,661 30 581,865 28

Fundraising 37,594 0.5 42,300 1 40,671 2 43,718 2 33,182 2


Community Access and Information Service 497,329 8.5 580,688 14 460,602 19 492,516 19 377,340 18

Regional Outreach and Community Development 113,896 2 62,447 1 28,533 1 93,467 3.5 43,923 2

Independent Living Skills Program 301,755 5.5 292,755 7 284,845 11 276,680 10 265,921 12.5

Out of Home Care Respite Program - - - 96,697 4 382,750 14.5 325,984 15

Interpreting and Advocacy 789,049 14 748,166 18 506,878 21 364,854 13 265,413 13

Deaf Education Network 802,216 14.5 444,601 10 87,692 4 83,149 3 76,374 3.5


National Relay Service - Outreach 461,110 8 344,665 9 15,540 1 - - - -

Sub total 5,686,361 100 4,199,612 100 2,428,238 100 2,688,161 100 2,113,287 100

Operating Surplus 1,710,164 992,804 250,664 523,714 150,300

Total 3,976,197 3,206,808 2,177,574 2,164,447 1,962,987

EXPENDITURE2007/08

$%

2006/07$

%2005/06

$%

2004/05$

%2003/04

$%

Corporate Services 253,806 6.5 205,223 7 255,809 12 168,686 8 162,840 8.5

Fundraising 12,593 0.5 13,432 0.5 16,292 1 14,579 0.5 11,065 0.5


Community Access and Information Service 644,786 16.5 846,756 26 546,647 23 512,430 24 453,475 23

Regional Outreach and Community Development 353,675 9 179,489 6 199,952 9 146,270 7 87,922 4.5

Independent Living Skills Program 365,278 9 343,926 10 333,023 16 301,030 14 284,124 14.5

Out of Home Care Respite Program - - - - 96,697 4 382,750 17.5 325,984 16.5

Interpreting and Advocacy 709,783 18 581,076 18 449,486 21 395,478 18 405,770 20.5



National Relay Service - Outreach 461,110 11.5 344,665 11 18,651 1 - - - -

Total 3,976,197 100 3,206,808 100 2,177,574 100 2,164,447 100 1,962,987 100

TABLE 5 USE OF NET DISPOSABLE INCOME BY SERVICE AREA - 2007/2008

NET SURPLUS FROM INCOME GENERATED ACTIVITIES

2007/08 $

%2006/07

$%

2005/06$

%2004/05

$%

2003/04$

%

Corporate Services - Investment Income

1,965,812 90 1,224,161 84 506,052 82 648,976 80 419,030 82

Fundraising Activities 25,001 1 28,868 2 24,379 4 29,139 4 22,117 4

Education and Training Fees - - 6,965 0.5 1,298 1 2,085 0.5 10,659 2Employment and Workplace Support 90,844 4 - - - - - - 63,241 12

Auslan Interpreting Fees 79,266 5 192,442 13.5 81,751 13 125,172 15.5 - -

Total 2,160,923 100 1,452,436 100 613,480 100 805,372 100 515,047 100

LESS OPERATING DEFICITS BY SERVICE AREA

2007/08 $

%2006/07

$%

2005/06$

%2004/05

$%

2003/04$

%

Client and Community Services 420,125 93 434,281 94.5 305,642 84 192,864 68 221,735 60

Community Relations - Advocacy (No Fee) 30,634 7 25,351 5.5 24,359 7 60,000 21 117,894 33

Education and Training - - - - 13,717 4 10,240 3.5 25,118 7

Employment and Workplace Support - - - - 19,098 5 18,554 7.5 - -

Sub total 450,759 100 459,632 100 362,816 100 281,658 100 364,747 100

Operating Surplus 1,710,164 992,804 250,664 523,714 150,300

Total 2,160,923 1,452,436 613,480 805,372 515,047

INCOME GENERATED ACTIVITIES

Corporate Services - Investment Income

Fundraising Ac vi es

Employment and Workplace SupportAuslan Interpre ng Fees

20

Overview

This year saw the Deaf Society of NSW record an historic operating surplus of $1,710,164, with additional income totalling $26,000 received from bequests. However the impact of significant items, being a $1,139,444 loss on sale of investment and

a $1,538,691 write down in fair valuation on investment, resulted in a deficit of $941,971. This is the first accounting year when the significant impairment in the fair value of financial assets has been required to be brought to account, resulting in this deficit. Details on these significant items, a reporting requirement by the Australian Accounting Standards, are highlighted in the audited financial reports which follow.The detailed balance sheet on page 22 reflects the Deaf Society’s sound financial position. As at 30 June 2008 our assets totalled $ 16,089,670 and liabilities $1,314,613 resulting in total equity of $14,775,057. The financial statements set out on pages 22 to 31 provide detailed information about the Society’s finances. These reports are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards and are the subject of an independent external audit by Benbow and Pike, Chartered Accountants. As part of the audit process, financial operating procedures are also reviewed. The Board is satisfied that internal control mechanisms and effective protection procedures are in place for optimal financial risk management. The financial summaries on pages 18 and 19 provide a financial analysis of our operating result for the year.

Investment Performance

The Deaf Society relies heavily on the income generated from our investments to help fund current services as well as finance future needs. Investment income continued to maintain the Deaf Society’s operations this year, with investment income increasing to

$2,207,176 (39% of all income). We also require the level of income produced from investments to rise over the long term to help offset inflation and rising costs. In common with many other organisations which invest surplus funds with the dual objectives of providing adequate income on an annual basis as well as achieving future growth in income, recent market volatility and the ensuing economic downturn have affected the valuation of our investments.No-one likes to report on years when the volatility in investment markets results in the reduction of the value of capital investments, however we believe it is important to weather short-term obstacles, such as the current f luctuation in investment markets, and remain focused on long-term results which will ensure the continuation and expansion of our services. The growth in investment income over the past five years reflects the success of our investment strategy. We will continue to monitor our strategies in conjunction with our professional advisors.

How our services are funded - revenue by funding source

Our operating surplus is a substantial increase (70%) on last year’s figures. As previously noted, income from investments continued to rise from 28% of income in 2003/2004 to 39% this year. Growth in Auslan interpreting assignments and educational courses has seen fee-for-service income increase dramatically over the past five years, from 13.5% to 23% of income. This year these fees totalled $1,300,938.Although the income from grants rose during the past five years, the percentage of income from this source has decreased from 55.5% (2003/04) to 35% (2007/08) reflecting the increase in income from other sources.We would like to place on record our thanks to the various Commonwealth and State Government Departments who fund our work, including the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations; the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care, NSW Department of Education and Training, NSW Board of

Adult Education and Training and the NSW Department of Community Services.A number of small non-recurrent grants were also received this year for specific programs during the year, totalling 1.5% of our total income. Our thanks are extended to the ANZ Bank, the Department of Community Services Macarthur Area Assistance Scheme, auDA Foundation, the Cancer Council of NSW, Workcover NSW, , Commonwealth Department of Ageing and Health, NSW Department of Education, Employment, Science and Technology, the Australian Sports Commission, Western Sydney Area Assistance Scheme, the NSW Law and Justice Foundation, Parramatta City Council and Holroyd City Council for providing this valuable assistance.Income from fundraising has remained at approximately 1 – 2% over the past five years and this year totalled $36,466 (1% of all income). I would like to record the Society’s sincere appreciation to all our supporters - individual donors and corporate sponsors as well as members of women’s bowling clubs throughout the State for their long-time financial support. I would also like to acknowledge the thoughtfulness and generosity of all those people who have named the Deaf Society as a beneficiary in their wills. Income received by way of bequests is treated as significant revenue and is invested, thus providing a constant source of income for the Society’s work. This year we were fortunate to receive bequests totalling $26,000.

How we spend the money – expenditure by service area

The costs of providing specialist services are high, particularly in the area of employment costs. This year employment expenses remained the highest proportion of our expenditure (76% of all expenses). As highlighted in Table 3, 34.5% of expenditure was spent on client and community services, 18% of expenditure was spent on interpreting and advocacy services, 20% of expenditure was spent on educational programs, 9% of expenditure on employment and workplace support and 11.5% of expenditure on the NRS outreach service. A total of $3,709,798 (93% of total

expenditure) was spent on service delivery, with $266,399 (7%) being expended on management of corporate services and fundraising.

Looking ahead

As Honorary Treasurer, I am pleased to report that the Deaf Society continues to enjoy a sound financial position. Our balance sheet remains strong, with equity totalling $14,775,057 as at 30 June 2008, despite the write down on value of investments.

Since the end of June 2007 there has been profound turmoil in financial and investment markets around the world. There is no doubt that there will be negative impact not only in the value of our investments but also in the level of income they provide the Society. In common with virtually all other similar organisations, at this stage we simply do not know what that impact will be.

The Society has been able to build a solid financial base which allows us to maintain our current services as well as plan new initiatives. The Board of Directors understands that financial sustainability is crucial. We will continue to monitor and review the performance of our investments to ensure maximum income and capital growth. This is essential for an organisation which relies heavily on its own income to provide services.

This year’s positive operating surplus reflects the achievements of the Directors, the management team and staff . I would like to thank them all for their contributions in accomplishing this result. I would also like to acknowledge again the assistance provided by funding bodies, sponsors, donors and to our members for their continuing support.

Stewart McClay, BAcc, CA (Scot), CA (Aust) FAICDHONORARY TREASURER

24 September 2008

Honorary Treasurer’s Report

Annual Report 2008The Deaf Society of New South Wales 21

The Deaf Society of New South Wales ABN 21 952 195 236 A Company Limited by GuaranteeDIRECTORS’ REPORTYour directors present their report of The Deaf Society of New South Wales for the fi nancial year ended 30 June 2008

DirectorsThe names of the directors in offi ce at any time during the year and to the date of this report are:George Michael Barbouttis, Peter Owen Brownlee, Kenneth Deacon, Tiffany Fulde (appointed 7 February 2008) Anthony Alan Gorringe (elected 24 November 2007) Alexandra Anne Lindsay Hynes (resigned 12 February 2008), Jane Innes, Nicolas Jarvis, Stephen Matchett, Stewart Anthony McClay, Susanne Alexandra Rae and Glenn Welldon.

Company SecretarySharon Everson acted as company secretary throughout the year and held the position at the end of the year. Ms Everson has worked for The Deaf Society of New South Wales for the past 30 years in accounting and management roles. Ms Everson was appointed company secretary on 25 October 1999.

Principal ActivitiesThe activity of the Society in the course of the fi nancial year was the provision of services to Deaf people and training services for both Deaf and hearing students. There has been no signifi cant change in the nature of this activity during the year.

Operating ResultThe profi t before signifi cant items for the fi nancial year was $1,710,164. The loss after signifi cant items for the fi nancial year was $941,971. The Society is exempt from income tax.

Review of OperationsDuring the year the Society continued to provide counselling and interpreting services, community development, education programs for both the Deaf and hearing communities and independent living skills training for Deaf people, as well as those who have a disability and employment support programs.Funding for all of the above activities came from appeals, donations, investment income, fees for services rendered and grants and subsidies from State and Commonwealth Governments.

As a Registered Training Organisation, the Society continued to offer training services to both Deaf and hearing students. A signifi cant impairment in the fair value of available for sale fi nancial assets held at year end and a loss on the disposal of an available for sale fi nancial asset, as detailed in Note 3 to this report, resulted in a negative impact to the year’s result in the sum of $2,678,135.

Signifi cant Changes in the State of AffairsNo signifi cant change in the state of affairs of the Society occurred during the fi nancial year.

After Balance Date EventsNo matters or circumstances have arisen since the end of the fi nancial year which signifi cantly affected or may signifi cantly affect the operations of the Society, the results of those operations, or the state of affairs of the Society in fi nancial years subsequent to the fi nancial year ended 30 June.

Future DevelopmentsThe Society will continue to maintain current services and programs as part of its proposals for activities to be undertaken in 2008/2009 to ensure that Deaf people achieve their full rights and fulfi l their responsibilities as Australian citizens. The provision of these services will continue to rely on subsidies from the State and Commonwealth Governments, income from investments, fees for services rendered and income from donations, appeals and bequests.The Society, as part of its commitment to ensuring that Deaf people gain access to community based support services, will continue to utilise its resources to undertake community support and development in regional and rural areas of New South Wales.The Society will continue to examine the use of its resources, through research and development, to ensure that it fulfi ls its commitment to the Deaf Community of NSW.

Environmental RegulationsThe Society’s operations are not regulated by any signifi cant environmental regulation under a law of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory.

Directors’ MeetingsDuring the fi nancial year, 6 meetings of directors were held. Attendances were:

Number eligible to

attend

Number attended

George Michael Barbouttis 6 4

Peter Owen Brownlee 6 6

Kenneth Deacon 5 5

Tiffany Fulde 1 1

Anthony Alan Gorringe 4 4

Alexandra Anne Lindsay Hynes 3 -

Jane Innes 6 3

Nicolas Jarvis 6 4

Stephen Matchett 6 4

Stewart Anthony McClay 6 4

Susanne Alexandra Rae 6 3

Glenn Andrew Welldon 5 5

Indemnifying Offi cers or AuditorThe Society has not, during or since the fi nancial year, in respect of any person who is or has been an offi cer or auditor of the Society or a related body indemnifi ed or made any relevant agreement for indemnifying against a liability incurred as an offi cer, including costs and expenses in successfully defending legal proceedings.During or since the fi nancial year the Society has paid premiums to insure each of the following persons against liabilities for costs and expenses incurred by them in defending any legal proceedings arising out of their conduct while acting in the capacity as an offi cer of the Society, other than conduct involving a wilful breach of duty in relation to the Society. The amount of the premium was $182 for each person.G. Barbouttis, P. Brownlee, K. Deacon, T. Fulde, A. Gorringe, A. Hynes, J. Innes, N. Jarvis,S. Matchett, S. McClay, S. Rae, G. Welldon,R. Ladd and S. Everson.

Proceedings on Behalf of CompanyNo person has applied for leave of Court to bring proceedings on behalf of the Society or intervene in any proceedings to which the Society is a party for the purpose of taking responsibility on behalf of the Society for all or any part of those proceedings. The Society was not a party to any such proceedings during the year.

Non-audit ServicesThe board of directors is satisfi ed that the provision of non-audit services during the year is compatible with the general standard of independence for auditors imposed by the Corporations Act 2001. The directors’ are satisfi ed that the services disclosed below did not compromise the external auditor’s independence as the nature of the services provided do not compromise the general principles relating to auditor independence as set out in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and CPA Australia’s Professional Statement F1: Professional Independence.The fees for non-audit services that were paid/payable to the external auditors during the year ended 30 June 2008 are detailed in Note 5 to this report.

Auditor’s Independence ReportThe auditor’s independence declaration for the year ended 30 June 2008 has been received and can be found on page 22 of the fi nancial report.This report is made and signed in accordance with a resolution of the directors.

P. O. Brownlee A. A. GorringeDirector Director Sydney, 25 August 2008

DIRECTOR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

George Michael BarbouttisOAM F.C.A., F.C.P.A., Dip. Commerce

* Chartered Accountant* Member of the Board since November 1982

Peter Owen BrownleeM.A. (Sydney) F.R.H.S. (UK)

* Consultant* Member of the Board since November 1985* Elected Chairman of the Board November 1996

Kenneth Deacon JP Grad Cert ManagementCert IV Auslan, Cert IV Assessment and Workplace Training

* Service Delivery Manager* Member of the Board since August 2006* Certifi ed Mediator and Conciliator and Workplace Training

Tiffany Fulde * Medical Student* Member of the Board since February 2008

Anthony Alan GorringeJP NIA Assoc. Dip. Bus.

* Finance Offi cer, Greater Western Area Health Service* Member of the Board since November 2007* Chairman, Deaf Lawn Bowls NSW* Administrator, Deaf Lawn Bowls Australia* Vice President, International Deaf Lawn Bowls Association

Jane InnesBEc, LLB, LLM (Hons)

* Legal Consultant* Member of the Board since August 2001* Trustee, Lionel Murphy Foundation

Nicolas JarvisBA (Adelaide)

* Public Relations Consultant* Member of the Board since October 2004

Stephen MatchettPhD (Sydney)BA (Hons) Grad. Dip. Marketing

* Journalist* Member of the Board since November 2000* Director, International Grammar School, Sydney

Stewart Anthony McClayCA (Scot), CA (Aust)FAICD BAcc (Glasgow)

* Chartered Accountant* Member of the Board since February 1999* Honorary Treasurer

Susanne Alexandra RaeMA (NY) DipEd, BA (Syd)

* Educational Administrator* Member of the Board since November 2000

Glenn Andrew WelldonCert IV Business Frontline ManagementCert IV Information Technology, Cert IV Assessment and Workplace Training

* Information Resources Offi cer* Member of the Board since October 2007* Secretary, NSW Association of the Deaf


The Deaf Society of New South Wales ABN 21 952 195 236 A Company Limited by Guarantee

INCOME STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

Note2008

$2007

$

Revenues 3 5,686,361 4,204,728

Less:

Employee benefi ts expense 3,031,214 2,360,272

Depreciation expense 76,414 62,242

Fundraising expense 4,117 4,396

Rental expense 233,618 222,866

Other expenses 630,834 562,148

Profi t before signifi cant items 1,710,164 992,804

Signifi cant items 3 (2,652,135) 855,520

Net profi t/(loss) (941,971) 1,848,324

Retained earnings at the beginning of the fi nancial year 10,150,896 8,302,572

Retained earnings at the end of the fi nancial year 9,208,925 10,150,896

AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION

UNDER SECTION 370C OF THE CORPORATIONS ACT 2001TO THE DIRECTORS

I declare that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, during the year ended 30 June, 2008 there have been:(i) no contraventions of the auditor independence requirements as set out in the Corporations Act 2001 in

relation to the audit; and

(ii) no contraventions of any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit.

Benbow & Pike G. J. Abrams Chartered Accountants Partner 13/263 Alfred Street (North) North Sydney NSW 2060 Sydney, 25 August 2008

BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2008

Note2008

$2007

$

Current Assets

Cash and cash equivalentsTrade and other receivables

186

3,661,930618,086

3,561,478569,679

Total Current Assets 4,280,016 4,131,157

Non-Current AssetsTrade and other receivablesFinancial assetsProperty, plant and equipment

678

68,50011,358,322

382,832

191,64713,380,839

315,075

Total Non-Current Assets 11,809,654 13,887,561

Total Assets 16,089,670 18,018,718

Current LiabilitiesTrade and other payablesShort term provisions

910

830,020288,938

755,083245,978

Total Current Liabilities 1,118,958 1,001,061

Non-Current Liabilities

Long term provisions 11 195,655 146,704

Total Non-Current Liabilities 195,655 146,704

Total Liabilities 1,314,613 1,147,765

Net Assets 14,775,057 16,870,953

EquityReservesRetained earnings

12 5,566,1329,208,925

6,720,05710,150,896

Total Equity 14,775,057 16,870,953



CASH FLOW STATEMENTFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

Note2008

$2007

$

Cash Flows From Operating Activities

Receipts from activities 2,145,821 1,585,492

Payments to suppliers and employees (3,626,115) (2,537,066)

Interest, dividends and distributions received 919,234 821,721

Bequests 26,000 46,689

Grants and subsidies received 1,344,476 1,267,336

Net cash provided/(used in) operating activities

18 809,416 1,184,172

Cash Flows From Investing Activities

Payment for property, plant and equipment (324,617) (195,597)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 176,931 1,711,364

Purchase of investments (4,310,629) (555,178)

Proceeds from sale of investments 3,749,351 535,229

Net cash provided/(used in) investing activities

(708,964) 1,495,818

Net (decrease)/increase in cash held 100,452 2,679,990

Cash at the beginning of the fi nancial year

3,561,478 881,488

Cash at the end of the fi nancial year 19 3,661,930 3,561,478

STATEMENT OF RECOGNISED INCOME AND EXPENDITUREFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

Note2008

$2007

$

Retained Earnings

Balance at beginning of year 10,150,896 8,302,572

Profi t/(loss) attributable to the entity (941,971) 1,848,324

Balance at end of year 9,208,925 10,150,896

Capital Profi ts Reserve


Transfer on sale of property - 1,156,850

Balance at end of year 5,524,460 5,524,460

Asset Revaluation Reserve


Increase/(Decrease) in year (Financial Assets) (1,132,425) 538,126

Transfer to Capital Profi ts - (1,156,850)

Balance at end of year - 1,132,425

Service Development Reserve

Balance at beginning of year 63,172 63,172

Movement (21,500) -

Balance at end of year 41,672 63,172



1. Corporate Information

The fi nancial report of The Deaf Society of New South Wales, as an individual entity, for the year ended 30 June 2008 was authorised for issue in accordance with a resolution of directors on 25 August 2008.

The Deaf Society of New South Wales is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated and domiciled in Australia. In the event of the Society being wound up each member guarantees to contribute an amount not exceeding two dollars ($2.00) to the assets of the Society. At 30 June 2008 the number of members was 126.

The nature of operations and principal activity of the Society in the course of the fi nancial year was the provision of services to Deaf people.

2. Summary Of Signifi cant Accounting Policies

Basis of Preparation

The fi nancial report is a general purpose fi nancial report which has been prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards, including Australian Accounting Interpretations other authoritative pronouncements of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, the Corporations Act 2001 and the NSW Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and Regulations.

Australian Accounting Standards set out accounting policies that the AASB has concluded would result in a fi nancial report containing relevant and reliable information about transactions, events and conditions to which they apply. Material accounting policies adopted in the preparation of this fi nancial report are presented below. They have been consistently applied unless otherwise stated.

The fi nancial report has been prepared on an accruals basis and is based on historical costs. It does not take into account changing money values or, except where stated, current valuations of non-current assets. Cost is based on the fair values of the consideration given in exchange for assets.

Revenue

Government grants are recognised in the income statement when it is controlled. When there are conditions attached to grant revenue relating to the use of those grants for specifi c purposes it is recognised in the balance sheet as a liability until such conditions are met or services provided.

Donations and bequests are recognised as revenue when received unless they are designated for a specifi c purpose, where they are carried forward as prepaid income in the balance sheet.

Interest income and distribution income from investments is recognized on a proportional basis taking into account the interest rates applicable to the fi nancial assets.

Revenue from the rendering of a service is recognised upon the delivery of the service to customers.

All revenue is stated net of the amount of goods and services tax (GST).

Property, Plant and Equipment

Each class of property, plant and equipment is carried at cost or fair value less, where applicable, any accumulated depreciation and impairment loss.

Plant and equipment

Furniture and fi ttings, offi ce equipment and motor vehicles are measured on the cost basis.

The carrying amount of plant and equipment is reviewed annually by directors to ensure it is not in excess of the recoverable amount from these assets. The recoverable amount is assessed on the basis of the expected net cash fl ows that will be received from the assets employment and subsequent disposal. The expected net cash fl ows have not been discounted to their present values in determining recoverable amounts.

Plant and equipment that have been contributed at no cost or for nominal cost are valued at the fair value of the asset at the date it is acquired.

Increases in the carrying amount arising on revaluation of land and buildings are credited to revaluation reserve in equity. Decreases that offset previous increases on the same classes of assets are charged against fair value reserves directly in equity; all other decreases are charged to the income statement. Each year the difference between depreciation based on the revalued carrying amount of the asset charged to the income statement and depreciation based on the asset’s original cost is transferred from the revaluation reserve to retained earnings.

The straight line method has been used to calculate depreciation on buildings, furniture and fi ttings, offi ce equipment and motor vehicles so as to write off the original cost of the assets over their estimated useful lives.

The depreciation rates used for each class of depreciable assets are:

Class of fi xed asset Depreciation rate

Furniture and Fittings 10%

Computing equipment 50%

Offi ce equipment 20%

Motor Vehicles 15%

The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed and adjusted if appropriate at each balance sheet date. An asset’s carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater than its estimated recoverable amount.

Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing proceeds with the carrying amount. These gains and losses are included in the income statement. When revalued assets are sold, amounts included in the revaluation reserve relating to that asset are transferred to retained earnings.

Financial Instruments -Recognition and Measurement

Financial instruments, incorporating fi nancial assets and fi nancial liabilities, are recognised when the Society becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. Financial instruments are initially measured at cost on the trade date, which includes transaction costs, when the related contractual rights or obligations exist. Subsequent to initial recognition these instruments are measured as set out below.

Loans and receivables

Loans and receivables are stated at amortised cost us-ing the effective interest rate method.

Held to Maturity Investments

Held to maturity investments are non derivative fi nancial assets that have fi xed maturities and fi xed or determinable payments, and it is the association’s intention to hold these investments to maturity. They are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

Available-for-sale fi nancial assets

Available-for-sale fi nancial assets are non-derivative fi nancial assets that are either designated as such or that are classifi ed in any of the other categories. They comprise investments in the equity of other entities where there is neither a fi xed maturity nor fi xed or determinable payments.

Financial liabilities

Non-derivative fi nancial liabilities are recognised at amortised cost, comprising original debt less principal payments and amortisation.

Fair Value

Fair value is determined based on current bid prices for all quoted investments.

Impairment

Impairment of fi nancial assets is considered to have arisen when a prolonged decline in the value of the instrument is evident. Impairment losses are recognized in the income statement.

Impairment of Assets

At each reporting date, the group reviews the carrying values of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have been impaired. If such an indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset, being the higher of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use, is compared to the asset’s carrying value. Any excess of the asset’s carrying value over its recoverable amount is expensed to the income statement.

Employee Benefi ts

Provision is made for the liability for employee benefi ts arising from services rendered by employees to balance date. Employee benefi ts expected to be settled within one year together with entitlements arising from wages and salaries and annual leave which will be settled after one year, have been measured at the amount expected to be paid when the liability is settled plus related on costs. Other employee benefi ts payable later than one year have been measured at the present value of the estimated future cash outfl ows to be made for those benefi ts.

Contributions are made by the economic entity to employee superannuation funds and are charged as expenses when incurred.

Income Tax

There is no income tax payable by the Society as it is exempt under the current provisions of Australian income tax legislation.

Goods and Services Tax

Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of GST. Receivables and payables in the statement of fi nancial position are shown inclusive of GST. Cash fl ows are presented in the Cash Flow State-ment on a net basis.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008


The Deaf Society of New South Wales ABN 21 952 195 236 A Company Limited by GuaranteeUnexpended Grants

The Society receives grant monies to fund projects either for contracted periods of time or for specifi c projects irrespective of the period of time required to complete these projects. It is the policy of the Society to treat grants monies as unexpended grants in the balance sheet when the Society is contractually obliged to provide the services in a subsequent fi nancial period to when the grant is received or in the case of specifi c project grants where the project has not been completed.

Comparative Figures

Where required by Accounting Standards comparative fi gures have been adjusted to conform with changes in presentation for the current fi nancial year.

Critical Accounting Estimates and Judgements

The directors evaluate estimates and judgements incorporated into the fi nancial report based on histori-cal knowledge and best available current information. Estimates assume a reasonable expectation of future events and are based on current trends and economic data, obtained both externally and internally.

Key estimates – Impairment

The Society assesses impairment at each reporting date by evaluating conditions specifi c to it that may lead to impairment of assets. Where an impairment trigger exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is determined. Fair value less costs to sell or current replacement cost calculations performed in assessing recoverable amounts incorporate a number of key estimates.

Economic Dependence

The Society is dependent on the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care for the majority of its revenue used to operate the business. At the date of this report the Board of Directors has no reason to believe the Department will not continue to support the Society.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

2008$

2007$

3. Profi t From Ordinary Activities

Profi t from ordinary activities has been determined after:

Expenses:

Depreciation - furniture, fi ttings, offi ce equipment & vehicles 76,414 62,242

Loss on sale of property, plant and equipment 3,065 6,285

Rent paid 233,618 222,866

Revenues:

Donations and appeals 36,609 42,248

Fees for service 1,291,167 1,147,488

Grants and subsidies 1,368,204 1,254,586

Interest received or receivable 276,308 164,472

Distributions received 1,704,526 1,065,256

Dividends received 150,464 75,676

Imputation credit refund 75,879 67,636

Rent received - 21,417

Training Income 781,308 338,525

Other 1,896 27,424

5,686,361 4,204,728

Signifi cant revenues/expenses:

Donation – Deaf Education Network - 758,131

Profi t/(Loss) on sale of investments (1,139,444) 50,700

Impairment in fair value of available for sale fi nancial assets

(1,538,691) -

Bequests received 26,000 46,689

(2,652,135) 855,520

4. Remuneration and Retirement Benefi ts

Directors:

No director of the Society receives any remuneration or retirement benefi t except for the payment on their behalf of directors and offi cers liability premiums of $182 each.

The names of directors of the Society who have held offi ce during the year are G. Barbouttis, P. Brownlee, K. Deacon, T. Fulde, A. Gorringe, A. Hynes, J. Innes, N. Jarvis, S. Matchett, S. McClay, S. Rae and G. Welldon.

Executive Offi cers:

The total remuneration paid to S. Everson, Executive Director - Corporate and R. Ladd, Executive Director - Services of the Society including superannuation contributions was in the band $160,000 to $170,000.



2008$

2007$

8. Property, Plant And Equipment

Plant and Equipment

Parramatta Offi ce - at cost 149,898 149,898

Accumulated depreciation (136,154) (133,894)

13,744 16,004

Newcastle Offi ce - at cost 11,431 11,431


- -

Offi ce Equipment - at cost 200,724 200,883


41,891 54,725

Client Management and Website - at cost 38,850 -

Accumulated depreciation (7,991) -

30,859 -

Northern Rivers - at cost 5,162 5,162


465 1,137

Motor Vehicles - at cost 334,073 313,643


295,873 243,209

Total plant and equipment 382,832 315,075

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

2008$

2007$

5. Auditors’ Remuneration

Amounts received or due and receivable by the auditors:

Auditing the accounts 16,500 15,000

Other Services in respect of income tax matters & accounting services. 10,438 13,434

6. Trade And Other Receivables

Current

Debtors and prepayments 623,086 571,779

Less Doubtful Debt Provision (5,000) (2,100)

618,086 569,679

Non Current

Mullauna Village Aged Care Hostel Accommodation units - at cost 88,000 211,147

Less: Provision for non recovery (19,500) (19,500)

68,500 191,647

7. Financial Assets

Available for Sale

Units in listed property trusts at fair value

SPDR Property Fund (Cost $3,565,444; 2007: $2,963,644) 2,686,041 3,641,812

Units in unlisted unit trusts at fair value

Schroder Hybrid Securities Fund State Street Share Fund (Cost $3,932,784; 2007: $ 7,594,813) 3,539,836 3,835,254

- 3,492,780

3,539,836 7,328,034

Shares in listed corporations at fair value(Cost $5,398,785; 2007: $1,689,956) 5,132,445 2,410,993

11,358,322 13,380,839

As at 30 June 2008, the impairment loss to the value of these fi nancial assets in the sum of $1,538,691 is recognized in the income statement.



2008Land and Buildings

Parramatta Offi ce

Offi ce Equipment

Client Management

Northern Rivers

Motor Vehicles

Total

Balance at the beginning of year - 16,004 54,725 - 1,137 243,209 315,075

Additions - - - 38,850 - 285,317 324,167

Disposals - - 159 - - 179,837 179,996

Fair Value Diminution - - - - - - -

Depreciation - 2,260 12,675 7,991 672 52,816 76,414

Carrying amount at the end of year - 13,744 41,891 30,859 465 295,873 382,832

2007Land and Buildings

Parramatta Offi ce

Offi ce Equipment

Client Management

Northern Rivers

Motor Vehicles

Total

Balance at the beginning of year 1,645,000 14,075 17,332 - 2,722 220,240 1,899,369

Additions 4,187 51,763 - 139,647 195,597

Disposals 1,645,000 - - - - 72,649 1,717,649

Fair Value Diminution - - - - - - -

Depreciation - 2,258 14,370 - 1,585 44,029 62,242

Carrying amount at the end of year - 16,004 54,725 - 1,137 243,209 315,075

2008$

2007$

9. Trade And Other Payables

Trade and other creditors 830,020 755,083

10. Short Term Provisions

Employee entitlements – Annual leave 192,138 149,178

Provision for deaf community centre 96,800 96,800

288,938 245,978

11. Long Term Provisions

Employee entitlements – Long service leave 195,655 146,704

Note (a) Aggregate employee benefi ts 387,793 295,883

(b) Number of employees at year end 49 40

12. Reserves

Asset revaluation reserve - 1,132,425

Capital profi ts reserve 5,524,460 5,524,460

Service development reserve 41,672 63,172

5,566,132 6,720,057

13. Leasing Commitments

Operating Lease Commitments:

Non-cancellable operating leases contracted for but not capitalised in the fi nancial statements

Payable:

not later than one year 184,575 189,342

later than one year but not later than fi ve years 17,255 201,830

201,830 391,172

Movements in Carrying Amounts

Movements in the carrying amounts for each class of property, plant and equipment between the beginning and the end of the current fi nancial year, are as follows:


The Deaf Society of New South Wales ABN 21 952 195 236 A Company Limited by Guarantee14. Related Party Transactions

There were no related party transactions in the year.

15. Financial Instruments

(a) Financial risk management – objectives and policies

The Society’s fi nancial instruments comprise cash and cash equivalents and available for sale fi nancial investments. In addition the Society has various fi nancial assets and liabilities including amounts receivable for services rendered and amounts payable to trade and other creditors.

The main risks arising from the Society’s fi nancial instruments are interest rate risk, liquidity risk, credit risk and market price risk. The company does not hold fi nancial instruments denominated in foreign currencies and does not use derivative instruments to manage risks associated with its fi nancial instruments.

The Society’s policies for managing each of these risks are summarised below. The policies are subject to Board approval and are reviewed regularly.

Interest Rate Risk

The Society is exposed to interest rate fl uctuations on its cash at bank and cash on deposit investments. The Society actively monitors interest rates for cash at bank and on deposit to maximize interest income. The Society accepts the risk in relation to fi xed interest securities as they are held to generate income on surplus funds.

Liquidity Risk

The Society manages liquidity risk by monitoring forecast cash fl ows and ensuring that adequate liquid funds are maintained.

Credit Risk

The Society is exposed to credit risk in respect of amounts receivable and in respect of funds deposited with banks and other fi nancial institutions. The majority of amounts receivable are due from government departments and any amounts outstanding beyond the contracted period are followed up. Funds deposited with banks and other fi nancial institutions are approved by the Board. At the reporting date the Society does not have any material credit risk exposures to any single receivable or group of receivables or any bank or fi nancial institution.

Market Price Risk

Market price risk is the risk that the Society’s operations will be adversely affected by a signifi cant adverse fl uctuation on the value of its available for sale investments. The Society has engaged Eclipse Asset Management Pty Limited to advise on the management of its investment portfolio. The Board has approved risk and return parameters for investment in available-for-sale investments and receives reports from management and Eclipse Asset Management Pty Limited on a quarterly basis regarding the performance of the investment portfolio.

(b) Fair values

Carrying amounts of fi nancial assets and liabilities recorded in the fi nancial statements represent their net fair values, as determined in accordance with the accounting policies disclosed in Note 2.

(c) Interest rate risk

The entity’s exposure to interest rate risk, which is the risk that a fi nancial instruments value will fl uctuate as a result of changes in market interest rates and the effective weighted average interest rates on those fi nancial assets and fi nancial liabilities, as per table above:

16. Events After the Balance Date

Since balance date, no matter or circumstance has arisen which signifi cantly affect or may signifi cantly affect the operations of the Society, the results of those operations or the state of the affairs of the Society in the fi nancial years subsequent to the fi nancial year ended 30 June 2008.

17. Entity Details

The registered offi ce and principal place of business of the Society is:

The Deaf Society of New South Wales Suite 401 Level 4 169 Macquarie Street Parramatta NSW 2150

2008 2007

Weighted Average Effective

Interest Rate

Floating Interest Rate

Non Interest Bearing

Total

Weighted Average Effective

Interest Rate

Floating Interest Rate

Non Interest Bearing

Total

Financial Assets

Cash at Bank 0.08 298,930 298,930 0.08 396,126 396,126

Cash on Deposit 8.2 3,361,050 3,361,050 6.14 3,163,722 3,163,722

Cash on Hand 1,950 1,950 1,630 1,630

Trade and Other Receivables 618,086 618,086 569,679 569,679

Investments 11,358,322 11,358,322 13,380,839 13,380,839

3,659,980 11,978,358 15,638,338 3,559,848 13,952,148 17,511,996

Financial Liabilities

Trade and Other Payables 920,864 920,864 755,083 755,083

920,864 920,864 755,083 755,083



2008$

2007$

18. Reconciliation Of Cash Flow From Operations

With Profi t From Ordinary Activities

Profi t/(loss) from ordinary activities after signifi cant items (941,971) 1,848,324

Cash fl ows excluded from profi t from ordinary activities attributable to operating activities

Expenses incurred – Service Development Reserve (21,500) -

Adjustment for non-cash items

Depreciation 76,414 62,242

Provision for doubtful debts 2,900 -

(Profi t)/loss on sale of non-current assets 3,065 6,285

(Profi t)/loss on sale of investments 1,139,467 (50,700)

Distributions re-invested (1,225,736) (574,755)

Impairment in fair value of investments 1,538,691 -

1,534,801 (556,928)

Change in operating assets and liabilities

(Increase)/decrease in debtors 71,240 (269,297)

Increase/(decrease) in payables 74,936 98,202

Increase/(decrease) in provisions 91,910 63,871

238,086 (107,224)

Net cash infl ow/(outfl ow) from operations 809,416 1,184,172

19. Reconciliation Of Cash

For the purposes of the statement of cash fl ows, cash includes cash on hand, cash on deposit, in banks and investments in money market instruments, net of outstanding bank overdrafts. Cash at the end of the fi nancial year as shown in the statement of cash fl ows is reconciled to the related items in the balance sheet as follows:

Cash on hand 1,950 1,630

Cash on deposit 3,361,050 3,163,722

Cash at bank 251,674 301,995

Cash at bank – Donations 47,256 94,131

3,661,930 3,561,478

The surplus for the year is used to ameliorate the defi cits incurred by the Society in providing vital services, in particular support for members of the Deaf Community and their families in rural and regional areas. In the 2008 year, these defi cits totalled $481,393 (2007: $459,632).

% %

Total cost of fundraising on fundraising income 11 11

Net surplus on fundraising income 89 89

Total cost of services on expenditure 93 93

Total cost of services on income 65 71

Note: * Fundraising income excludes bequests, as it is not considered to represent income from active fundraising.

* There were no fundraising activities conducted jointly with traders.

Declaration by the President in respect of fundraising appeals

I, Peter Brownlee, President of The Deaf Society of New South Wales declare, that in my opinion:

(a) the accounts give a true and fair view of all income and expenditure of The Deaf Society of New South Wales with respect to fundraising appeals; and

(b) the statement of fi nancial position gives a true and fair view of the state of affairs with respect to fundraising appeals; and

(c) the provision of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the regulations under that Act and the conditions attached to the authority have been complied with; and

(d) the internal controls exercised by The Deaf Society of New South Wales are appropriate and effective in accounting for all income received and applied by the Society from any of its fundraising appeals.

P. O. Brownlee President25 August 2008

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDRAISING APPEALSFOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

Information and Declarations to Be Furnished Under the Charitable Fundraising ACT, 1991

2008$

2007$

INCOME

Annual mail appeal 28,704 28,763

Donations 7,762 12,405

Merchandise Sales 143 52

Total Fundraising Income 36,609 41,220

EXPENDITURE

Postage, printing, stationery 4,117 4,396

Total Cost of Fundraising 4,117 4,396

NET SURPLUS 32,492 36,824



DIRECTORS’ DECLARATIONThe directors of The Deaf Society of New South Wales declare that:

1. the fi nancial statements and notes, as set out on pages 22-29, are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001 and:

a) comply with Accounting Standards and the Corporations Regulations 2001; and

b) give a true and fair view of the fi nancial position as at 30 June 2008 and of the performance for the year ended on that date of the Society.

2. the Executive Director - Corporate has declared that

a) the fi nancial records of the Society for the fi nancial year have been properly maintained in accordance with Section 286 of the Corporations Act 2001;

b) the fi nancial statements and notes for the fi nancial year comply with the Accounting Standards ; and

c) the fi nancial statements and notes for the fi nancial year give a true and fair view;

3. in the directors’ opinion there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Society will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable.

This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Board of Directors.

P. O. Brownlee A. A. Gorringe

Director Director

Report on the Financial Report

We have audited the fi nancial report of The Deaf Society of New South Wales which comprises the balance sheet as at 30 June 2008 and the income statement, statement of recognised income and expenditure and cash fl ow statement for the year ended 30 June 2008 a summary of signifi cant accounting policies and other explanatory notes and the directors declaration as set out on pages 22 to 30.

Directors Responsibilty

The Society’s directors are responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the fi nancial report in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards (including the Australian Accounting Interpretations) and the Corporations Act 2001. This responsibility includes establishing and maintaining internal controls relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the fi nancial report that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies, and making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.

Auditors Responsibility

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the fi nancial report based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. These Auditing Standards require that we comply with relevant ethical requirements relating to audit engagements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the fi nancial report is free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the fi nancial report. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the fi nancial report, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the fi nancial report in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by the management committee, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the fi nancial report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained

is suffi cient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Independence

In conducting our audit, we have complied with the independence requirements of the Corporations Act 2001.

Audit Opinion

In our opinion the fi nancial report of The Deaf Society of New South Wales is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including:

(i) giving a true and fair view of the Society’s fi nancial position as at 30 June 2008 and of its performance for the year ended on that date; and

(ii) complying with Accounting Standards in Australia and the Corporations Regulations 2001

We also report that:

(a) the fi nancial statements show a true and fair view of the fi nancial result of fundraising appeals conducted during the year

(b) the accounting and associated records have been properly kept during the year in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the Regulations

(c) money received as a result of fundraising appeals conducted during the year has been properly accounted for and applied in accordance with the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the Regulations and;

(d) at the date of this report, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due.

Benbow & Pike G. J. AbramsChartered Accountants Partner13/263 Alfred Street (North)North Sydney NSW 2060

Sydney, 25 August 2008

INDEPENDENT AUDIT REPORT TO THE MEMBERS COMPILATION REPORTScope

On the basis of information provided by the directors of The Deaf Society of New South Wales, we have compiled in accordance with APS 9 ‘Statement on Compilation of Financial Reports’ the special purpose fi nancial report of The Deaf Society of New South Wales for the year ended 30 June 2008 as set out on the following pages.The specifi c purpose for which the special purpose fi nancial report has been prepared is to provide confi dential information to the directors and members. The extent to which Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements have or have not been adopted in the preparation of the special purpose fi nancial report is set out in Note 2.The directors are solely responsible for the information contained in the special purpose fi nancial report and have determined that the accounting policies used are consistent with the fi nancial reporting requirements of The Deaf Society of New South Wales’s constitution and are appropriate to satisfy the requirements of the directors and members.Our procedures use accounting expertise to collect, classify and summarise the fi nancial information, which the directors provided, into a fi nancial report. Our procedures do not include verifi cation or validation procedures. No audit or review has been performed and accordingly no assurance is expressed.To the extent permitted by law, we do not accept liability for any loss or damage which any person, other than the Society, may suffer arising from any negligence on our part. No person should rely on the special purpose fi nancial report without having an audit or review conducted.The special purpose fi nancial report was prepared for the benefi t of the directors and members of The Deaf Society of New South Wales and the purpose identifi ed above. We do not accept responsibility to any other person for the contents of the special purpose fi nancial report.

Benbow & Pike G. J. AbramsChartered Accountants Partner13/263 Alfred Street (North)North Sydney NSW 2060

Sydney, 25 August 2008

G. J. Abrams

G. J. Abrams



STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2008

2008$

2007$

INCOME

Corporate Services

Property income - 21,417

Distributions received 2,088,562 1,208,568

Interest received 109,290 164,472

Management fees 21,219 23,267

Sundry Income 547 11,660

Fundraising

Donations and Appeals 36,466 41,168

Membership fees 985 1,080

Sundry Income 143 52


CAIS Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability & Home Care 190,936 185,097

Unity in Diversity Grant - NSW Dept Comm Services - AAS 38,449 68,697

Detached Family Worker Grant - NSW Dept of Community Services 92,836 109,870

Staff Support & Program Development - Fees for Service 89,273 100,306

Sundry Income - 6,949

Grant - Australian Sports Commission 2,642 258

Grant - ANZ 6,282

Grant - auDA Foundation 8,807 11,193

Grant - Burwood RSL Club - 390

Grant - Cancer Council of NSW 4,800 -

Grant - Department of Commerce - 3,200

Grant - Dept of Ageing and Health 1,000 1,000

Grant - Freehills - 10,000

Grant - Friends of ACE - 14,988

Grant - Holroyd City Council 2,400 -

Grant - Parramatta City Council 6,105 -

Grant - DFEEST Reframing the Future 7,920 -

Grant - Law & Justice Foundation 9,812 -

Grant - WorkCover NSW 2,080 -

2008$

2007$

Grant - Dept of Community Service WSAAS 31,973 11,058

Fees for Service 1,701 973


Regional Outreach and Community Development

Hunter Region - Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability & Home Care 33,693 32,357

Northern River Region - Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability & Home Care 73,563 71,214

Grant - FRRR Rural Education - 3,600

Coffs Coast Region - Fees for Service 6,640 9,547

Independent Living Skills Program

ILSP - Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability & Home Care 248,152 240,864

Attendant Care - Grant NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability & Home Care 53,603 51,891


Auslan Interpreting Service - Fees for Service 706,332 668,730

Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability and Home Care 82,717 79,436

DEN - Education and Training

Vocational Education and Training (VET) Course Fees 105,386 33,728

Community Course Fees 88,163 29,673

Deaf Awareness Training - Fees for Service 11,974 27,295

Heritage School - Fees for Service 4,527 -

Grant - NSW Dept of Education and Training through the Board of Adult & Community Education (BACE) 402,516 186,469

Course Purchases - NSW Dept of Education and Training through it’s Training Services’ Special Skills Program (SSP) 106,504 88,608

SSP - Administration Fees - 6,480

Grant - NSW Dept of Ageing, Disability and Home Care 73,486 71,139

Interest received 9,324 -


2008$

2007$


Grant - Dept of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations 463,794 254,606

National Relay Service - Outreach Service

Fees for Service 461,110 344,665

Total Income 5,686,361 4,199,612

EXPENDITURE

Financial administration, property expenses 253,806 205,223

Appeals expenses 12,593 13,432


CAIS - Metropolitan 354,527 343,116

Unity in Diversity 38,449 68,697

Detached Family Worker 92,836 109,870

Staff Support & Program Development 145,378 150,173

Community Worker Older People 13,596 13,527

Regional Outreach and Community Development

Hunter Region 57,522 53,384

Northern Rivers Region 76,679 90,321

Coffs Coast Region 18,048 17,668

Special Projects 201,426 179,489

Independent Living Skills Program

Independent Living Skills Program 311,675 292,035

Attendant Care 53,603 51,891


Auslan Interpreting Services 596,432 476,289

Community Liaison 113,351 104,787

DEN - Education and Training 802,216 437,635

Employment and Workplace Support 372,950 254,606

National Relay Service - Outreach Service 461,110 344,665

Total Expenditure 3,976,197 3,206,808

Profi t from ordinary activities before signifi cant items 1,710,164 992,804

32

The Deaf Society’s continuing success in providing quality services to the Deaf Community is due, in no small part, to the financial help given by our supporters, who have proven their loyalty and dedication to the Society by their ongoing generosity. This financial assistance helps us to continue our vital work in improving the lives of Deaf people and their families.We would also like to make special mention to the members of women’s bowling clubs throughout New South Wales for their continued support of our work.

MAJOR DONATIONS$100 and overA J Bush and SonsE AshF AspinallD BallJ BaxterD BeaverP BenderJ BonnerN BroadH CadellI CampbellV CaradusCobar Memorial Women’s Bowling ClubE CollingsL & I CollinsR CraigE CrispM CunninghamD Curtin

D DavisF DruceO DunkEsta Investments Pty LtdE FinckhK ForsythFradam Pty LtdM FurnerJ GambrillB GardinerR GarrardB GlockermanW GoranJ GouldC GraceA GrahamM GreenE GreigJ HarlandE HartS HelyD HendersonG HendersonA HertzbergM HillHillscroft Printing ServiceE HollandC HoodD HorleyR HowsonA HynesE JefferisJ JervisP KeastP KinsellaL Johnson

D JohnstonN JonesJ KroneC LittleM MacarthurH McCartneyT McKayR MewburnE MilstonD MitchellM PaulC MaherOne Stop Smash RepairsB & J ParkerJ PetersenV PhillipsK PigramQuota Club of QuirindiM ReddingA ReeveJ RoachJ RosethE RossP RybaG SavageM ScarrD ShultzP T Seymour Pty LtdD SikC SinclairR SmartJ StevensonG ThompsonA TidexTorlee InvestmentsF Vio

J WallR WallisWhelan Investments Pty LtdL WilcoxC WilhelmG Wirrell$500 and overR GledhillP KeastS McClayE MurrayJ SmithRitchies Pty LtdK Tribe$1,000 and overA W Bryne EquityR GledhillTDK Australia Pty LtdTorlee Investments Pty Ltd$2,000 and overS EversonJ Smith

Acknowledgements

Philanthropy in life can benefi t in perpetuityThe Society is indeed fortunate that many benefactors choose to make a bequest to the Deaf Society, after providing for their family and loved ones. This help can make a real difference to Deaf people and their families.

If you are contemplating a bequest to the Deaf Society of NSW and would like advice, please contact the Bequest Liaison Secretary in complete confidence on (02) 9893-8555.

The Society was fortunate to receive legacies from the undermentioned estates during the year.

Bequests and Legacies Estate of the late Violet Marion Ovens

Estate of the late Emily F Richens

Estate of the late Barbara Patricia Webster

Investment income from the generous bequest made by the late Alfred and Elsa Epstein continues to help fund our services and programs.

Our thanks are also extended to the many individuals and groups within the Deaf Community who made donations in memory of the late Dorothy (Doffy) Griffi ths in recognition of her life-long contribution to the Deaf Community. Miss Griffi ths, who passed away on August 2007, aged 93,was a Life Member of the Deaf Society and a well-known and loved member of the Deaf Community.

Members

Richard AardenNiki AnglicasSue AthertonElizabeth BonillaKathleen BouldingPeter BrownleeAlice BullivantJenni ChapmanAnna CheshireEvelyn ChristieJennifer ClementsJudy ClewsMary CookGail CoxAlva CrossMargaret DaleLorraine D’arcyMargaret DayKen DeaconElizabeth DoolanAlan EldridgeMargaret EwingLilian FoxTiffany FuldeWayne GentlesKay GorringeGeorge GoswellJohn GouldCharlene GraceNicole GraySundari GwynneAlana HallHap HannanJenny HannanPeter HannanLyn HartmannKeith Hinton

Pauline HumeJane InnesInge JahnKaren JahnNicolas JarvisDennis JohnstonDavid JonesTherese KassabJohn KeoghGary KiernanPatricia KnightGeorge KramsNatalie KullStephen LawlorMichael LockreyChristine LoizosAnnette LüdersJack LyonsGianluca MaioGeorge MallosGloria MarionSue MartinStephen MatchettStewart McClayAndrew McCredieCarol McGregorKatherine McLarenJohn McNamaraIan MiddletonDaniela MitchellKevin MitchellVicki MitchellPatricia MuttonAndrew MylesSharon NannJitka Navratil

Brittany NicholsonElke NicholsonHelen NicholsonRon NicholsonAlex NyamBetty O’BrienLynda ParryClaire PerryFrank PetersonGianna PetrisAnn PorterJoyce PriceKerry PriemSue RaeLouise RakowskiAnne RhodesTrevor RhodesSteve RipleyRebecca SchultzRuth SegalChristopher SinclairThangaraja SivasangarBarbara StathisValma StebbingsMargaret SteedmanAlan StewartWanda StewartRebecca StokerJohn Trevanion (Jnr)Joyce TullyRebecca WalkerSheena WaltersVivien WareGlenn WelldonKathy WilsonLisa Yorston

Colin AllenGeorge Barbouttis, OAMDr V D Bear, AMRon BryantMichael ClancyNola Colefax, OAMLyell CraneBarry DugganEthel GoffAnthony GorringeMichael Hedley

Anthony Houen, AMAlexandra HynesPeter MillerHarry RobertsAdam Salzer, AMBrian SurteesBen Taylor, OAMRay ToddKenneth Tribe, ACSteven TurnerRay Whitten

Members as at 30 June 2008 Life Members

33

Our Deaf Family Fun Day - activities for all ages.

This Report was presented to members at the Deaf Society’s 95th Annual General Meeting held on 29 November 2008. An electronic copy can be downloaded from our website www.deafsocietynsw.org.au/information/annual_report.htm

Parramatta (Head Office)Suite 401, Level 4, Macquarie House169 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW 2150PO Box 1060, Parramatta NSW 2124Phone: (02) 9893 8555

TTY: (02) 9893 8858

Fax: (02) 9893 8333

Email: [email protected]

The Deaf Society of New South Wales - Locations and Contact Details

Northern NSW OfficeSuite 2, 7 Carrington St, Lismore NSW 2480PO Box 1148, Lismore NSW 2480Phone: (02) 6622 5572

TTY: (02) 6622 4087

Fax: (02) 6622 4087


Hunter OfficeCML Building, Level 3, 108-110 Hunter St, Newcastle NSW 2300

PO Box 1098, Newcastle NSW 2300Phone: 1800 893 855

TTY: 1800 893 885

Fax: 1800 898 333


Coffs Coast Office109 Albany St, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450PO Box 1076, Coffs Harbour NSW 2450Phone: (02) 6651 9692

TTY: (02) 6651 9692

Fax: (02) 6651 3815


Central Coast (Drop In Service)School terms onlyNiagara Park Community Centre, Washington Ave, Niagara Park, Gosford NSW 2250


Contact the Deaf Society to confi rm service times.

w w w . d e a f s o c i e t y n s w . o r g . a u

To contact the Deaf Society from outside Sydney, Phone (Voice): 1800 893 855 TTY: 1800 893 885 Fax: 1800 898 333

Tweed HeadsTweed Centro Shopping CentreCnr Wharf and Bay StreetsTweed Heads3rd Thursday of the month 10 am – 2 pmContact Northern NSW Offi ce for details

Annual Report 2008 - The Deaf SocietyImplemented the John Ferris Interpreter Internship Project...

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