GENERALMANAGERREPORT-AGM2019

TheAnnualGeneralMeetingprovidesanopportunitytoreflectontheprogressREEDhasmadeoverthepastyear,andindeedsincetheservicewaslaunchedbyMinisterMcGurkinMarch2018.

Fromsmallbeginnings,REEDnowhas45staffandisthelegalApprovedProviderforEarlyChildhoodEducationandCareservicesinNarrogin,Pingelly,Wickepin,CorriginandMerredinaswellasBeverleyandDumbleyungthroughourGreatBeginningsFamilyDayCareservice.WithastreamlinedmergerprocessdevelopedandrefinedbytheBoardnowinplace,weexpecttoexpandourreachinthecomingmonthstoincludeanother12services.Thedevelopmentofstandardisedtemplatesisoneofourachievementsbutwenowknowfromexperiencethateveryorganisationisdifferentandcallsfornegotiationonaservicebyservicebasis.We’reproudoftheprogressREEDhasmadewithourdiversityandinclusionstrategy.WewelcomedtheopportunitytopartnerwithMoorditjYouthFoundationAboriginalCorporationwhonowshareourNarroginofficewhichhasbecomeahubofactivity.ThepartnershipisalreadyprovingtobeverypositivewiththeMoorditjteamconnectingwithAboriginalfamiliesinPingelly,NarroginandBrookton.We’reanticipatinganincreaseinthenumberofAboriginalchildrenattendingREEDservicesasanoutcomeofthispartnership.Twoimportantworkshops-BuildingRegionalLeadershipinEarlyChildhoodEducationandCareandInclusionofAboriginalPerspectivesintheEarlyChildhoodCurriculumheldattheBilyaKoortBoodjaCentreinNorthamincreasedparticipants’knowledgeandunderstandingofAboriginalcultureandhistory.WewereveryfortunatetohaveProfessorSimonForrest,ElderinResidenceatCurtinUniversityaspresenteratthefirstworkshop.ProfessorForrestwasinspirationalandhadaprofoundimpactoneveryonewhoattended.TheworkshopsdemonstrateREED’scommitmenttoprovidingprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesforourEducators.OurwebsitewaslaunchedinMarch2019(www.reedwa.org.au).Withthistool,andregulare-newsletter:REEDtheNews,weareabletoreachandstayintouchwithmoreservicesandsupporters.REEDalsojoinedFacebook,andissteadilyincreasingitsfollowerstoover65withinafewmonths.WeanticipatethisnumbertogrowasservicesjointheREEDfamily.WithpublicityaboutREEDgeneratedbymediareleasesfollowingthemergerofCorriginandMerredinservicesreachingintotheGreatSouthern,GoldfieldsandMid-WestRegions,wehavebecomeawarethatECECservicesinsmallcommunitiesinthoseregionsfacethesamechallengesasservicesintheWheatbeltRegion.WithECECclearlyseenasanessentialserviceforchildrenandfamiliesaswellastheeconomicandsocialfabricofcommunitiesinregionalandruralareas,itisforeseeablethatasREEDmatures,ourcatchmentcouldextendtoregionsbeyondtheWheatbelt,increasingourscaleandenhancingoursustainability.

Aswellastherangeofcommunicationstrategies,there’scontinuousdirectcommunicationbetweenourstaffandthestaffandcommitteesofmergingorganisations.REEDstaffworkinginmultiplelocationsaroundthevastWheatbeltregionareabletomaintainregularcontactandshareresourcesthroughthewondersoftechnology.Changestoworkloadsandskillsets,aswellaschangingpersonalcircumstanceshaveresultedinanumberofstaffchangesoverthepastyear.AllofREEDstaff,includingourneweststaffthatrecentlytransitionedtoREED,aretobecommendedfortheircommitmenttoprovidingthebestqualityeducationandcareforchildrenandtheirwillingnesstorespondpositivelytochallenges.Weknowthatinadditiontobenefitsforchildren’ssocial,emotionalandcognitivedevelopment,ECECservicesenableparentstoworkinpositionsthatdirectlycontributesignificantlytothelocalandnationaleconomies,andfoodsecurityathomeandabroad.Weunderstandthattheviabilityofeachserviceiscrucialtotheongoingdevelopmentofthecommunitiesinwhichtheyoperate.Whenfacedwiththeinevitablechallengesthatcomewithalargescalecomplexinitiative,it’simportanttorememberthatthemajorobjectiveofourworkistoensurethecontinuedprovisionofhighquality,sustainableECECservicesthroughouttheWheatbeltRegionofWesternAustralia,particularlyforthebenefitofthechildrenwhoarethefutureoftheregion.

Finally,IwouldliketothankREED’sBoardChairHelenCreedforherunfailingsupportandwisdom,Boardmemberswho’vecontributedsomuchoftheirtimetoensuringREED’ssuccess,ourstaffandtheProjectTeamfortheircommitmentandachievements,despitechallengesalongtheway.ThankyoualsototheShiresthathavebeensosupportiveofourservicesandtothenowextensivenetworkofsupporterswhoshareourvision.Ilookforwardwithconfidencetotheyearaheadasweworktowardsourambitioustargetofbringing20WheatbeltECECservicesintotheREEDfamily.

Ourstaff(asat30thSeptember2019)SENIORMANAGEMENTTEAM:KylieHelgesen-GeneralManagerJoseJoseph–FinanceManagerStevenSizer-ExecutiveAssistantTaniaDarby-Gethin-ClusterManagerEast(replacedBronwynPalmwhomovedtoanewposition)TraceyFoster-ClusterManagerSouthMelissaElliott-ClusterManagerWestNitaAckland-ClusterManagerNarroginIsabelleHibon-A/ManagerGreatBeginningsFamilyDayCareTrishFernihough-AssistantFinanceOfficer

NatalieMalumbres-AdministrationandFinanceOfficerPatriciaJetta–AdminAssistantPhilippaGardener–ProjectManagerandExecutiveSupporttotheBoardREEDCorriginAmandaPritchardLindaLombeTerriWalshVivianLewisBrittanyMayberryREEDMerredinAngelinaWiseDeianiraMcKibbinEmmaRileyErinElliottKaralynWalshKarrie-ShaeWilliamsonKylieHassackPatriciaJossSarahGhirardiSkyeOlcornToshaHarrisREEDNarroginCharlotteWattsElisaCorralesGirlieVicedoHollyMooreHui-WenLiuJessieHorneJieunOhKirstieThommlinsonLibbyCraneMadisonBootheyMegWyllieSarahEvansREEDMobileLiyaMushipiKylieHelgesenGeneralManagerOctober2019