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Note from Chair |
In my seventh year as Chair I am always impressed with the commitment of my fellow Board members and all at Windermere. Working with over 23,000 consumers each year requires ongoing investment in quality, systems and our staff. With a rolling strategic focus on continuous improvement this year, the Board remained engaged with our Practitioner Coaching Framework commencing the development of an overarching governance framework. We know through existing data that our evidence informed Practitioner Coaching Framework is making a difference in the lives of those we work with, and as we roll it more broadly across our organisation, quality and fidelity remains central to our approach. We view that our commitment to a Practice Governance Framework will not only be of benefit to our practitioners and consumers but will also deepen the Board’s understanding of our true impact.
As a Board this year, we also determined it necessary to invest more directly into our digital infrastructure through the acceptance of Digital Development Strategy. Our new team has commenced with a focus on refreshing our systems, securing our digital architecture and increasing our cyber awareness. Our future aims include the exploration of responsible AI usage and reducing duplication. We are excited by this project with the purpose of ensuring Windermere remains a contemporary place to work, well into the future.
In closing, I would like to thank departing Board Members George Selvanera and Rod Wiedermann for their many years of service. As volunteer roles your commitment and support is and will remain truly appreciated. Additionally, I would also like to note David D’aquino’s elevation to the Board after initially commencing on the Finance & Audit Advisory Committee in the previous year and Emma King, OAM who commenced in April 2025. Both are exciting new additions with their contributions already having a positive impact.
Thank you to everybody for the contributions across this period, we all have much to be proud of.
Gary Castricum
Chair
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Note from CEO |
Wrapping up a whole year into a few short paragraphs is a difficult task. There is no doubt though all achievements come down to a few things; the commitment of the Board, our staff and confidence of stakeholders and consumers. Every year we work with a broad range of individuals and families that present with a need or challenge that requires support. In some cases that might be a safe and fun environment for their child before and after school, or much more extreme needs as a result of an incident directly relating to them, a family member or their community. Our work requires us to remain focused on our consumer needs and build our practice, service delivery and systems through their experience. Our work across 2024-25 has remained centred on these principles, building new self serve enrolment process for our early years service and workforce, the ongoing development of a new CRM to reduce storytelling and duplication, and building the way forward for the creation of data warehousing to support real time reporting process. On our horizon is also the refreshing of our website to enable easy and accessible information for our consumers and referrers and of course we continue to build on our practice approach through our Practitioner Coaching Framework.
This year we were also pleased to achieve two key outcomes relating to our Welcoming and Inclusion Strategy; with the acceptance of our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan and receiving our Rainbow Tick accreditation. It was also our first time participating in the Diversity Council of Australia Inclusive Employer Index Survey (August 2024) providing us with key information regarding the diverse needs of our staff that helps inform our Employee Value Proposition. Our Biennial Staff Engagement Survey (February 2025) also provided some wonderful results with a total 83% favourability score. It’s always wonderful to see how engaged people feel with their work and the organisation.
I truly hope you enjoy reading this year’s Impact Statement and in closing can I extend my sincerer appreciation to all our staff for their collective efforts bringing the best support possible to all our consumers.
Dr Lynette Buoy
Chief Executive Officer
In the 2024-25 financial year we supported
23,015children, families and individuals through our services in the areas of
My worker was always very supportive, understanding, very knowledgeable and never made me feel like just a number.
It's had a fantastic positive impact on my family. Help us through some very hard times emotionally and physically.Thank you.
My children were supported, listened to & respected as much as I was.
I can't believe how much my life has changed in a positive way.
I will always remember the advice and strategies given that we can utilise now and in the future.
Our strategic plan continues to be a cornerstone for our purpose and vision, guiding our strategic direction and operational priorities. We are building on the progress made in 2023, focusing on delivering meaningful outcomes for the individuals and families we support through an evidence-informed approach under the themes of:
Through our work mapping out the NDIS consumer journey, we identified improvements to make it easier for people to access our services by streamlining the intake process. The introduction of our dedicated Plan Management, Support Coordination and Early Intervention & Therapy Services Intake Officers allowed easier and faster access to our services helping more people successfully connect with the support they need.
We streamlined key systems and processes to make our services easier to access and navigate. One of the processes we reviewed and streamlined was the telephony system for NDIS enquiries. Reducing NDIS switchboard options from seven to four ensures a faster response time for our consumers.
We also simplified our group program booking process and digitised forms, reducing barriers and making participation more convenient for our consumers.
Further journey mapping for both Integrated Family Services and NDIS deepened our understanding of our consumer expectations, ensuring every step of the experience is supportive, accessible and aligned with individual needs.
Looking beyond service delivery, our Consumer Consultation Steering Group spent the past 14 months developing a new Consumer Consultation Framework (CCF). Awaiting final approval, our framework sets out how people we support will be able to provide input and be directly involved in shaping decisions about the services they access. This will empower those in our community to have a stronger voice in how their support is designed and delivered, greater influence over outcomes that matter most to them, and a continued building of trust with our organisation.
As someone who is completely blind and has Type 1 diabetes, Melissa Benson faces many challenges in life. She is a strong advocate for herself and relies on NDIS services to live everyday life.
When Melissa received her NDIS plan in 2018, enlisting the services of a NDIS Plan Manager was simply the next step. Her Plan Manager ensures invoices are paid correctly and on time, keeps track of her NDIS funding, provides monthly statements and a range of other financial administration.
“All that is time consuming. That’s precious time that I could be doing something else. I am happy to leave it up to my Plan Manager, who is fantastic,” says Melissa.
When Melissa ran into roadblocks with the NDIS when applying for funding for a pair of contact lenses for her eyes, she turned to her Plan Manager for support.
“Her advice helped move things along. It’s always good to have someone back me up,” says Melissa.
Recently, in preparation for a kidney transplant she reached out to her Plan Manager to understand what is reasonable and necessary and work out availability of funds. It ensured she had the right supports in place for her recovery.
“My Windermere Plan Manager is my angel. She’s able to explain everything inside and out, top to bottom. There’s absolutely no benefit to managing my own plan. In fact, there’s one less benefit, I won’t get to know an amazing person like her!” she says.
This year, we successfully completed the re-registration of our NDIS services ensuring we continue to provide high quality, trusted services to our NDIS participants.
Across Support Coordination and Early Intervention & Therapy Services, we’ve focused on maintaining and improving the outcomes we deliver to those we support through high-quality services and tools.
Within the Support Coordination team, clearer expectations, worker education, and concrete processes have led to greater consistency and quality of service. Importantly, this has meant our consumers experience more effective use of their plans, with reduced overspending and stronger alignment between their needs and outcomes.
Our consumers felt the impact of our focus on service efficiency and reported shorter wait times, quicker responses, and a more consistent experience overall.
The building phase of our new CRM system has commenced in both Support Coordination and Early Intervention & Therapy Service teams. This investment will give our community greater continuity of care, reduce the need to repeat information, and make their interactions with us simpler and more personalised.
Nine year old Samiya simply wanted to be like any other child in the playground. Diagnosed with autism and severe receptive and expressive language delay, Samiya struggled with social interactions and communication. She loved going to the park where she would see other children ride their bikes.
Sadly, a standard children’s bicycle was not suitable for Samiya due to struggles with her balance. At the park, Samiya often tried to go over and take another child’s bike. When her parents tried to stop her, she struggled to control her emotions. In despair, Samiya’s parents felt they could no longer take her to the park.
Keen to help Samiya enjoy going to the park, Samiya’s Support Coordinator Danielle reached out to Samiya’s care team.
“I made the simple suggestion of a three wheeler bike as it would be a more suitable and stable option,” says Danielle.
As a result, Samiya’s Occupational Therapist wrote a recommendation letter to purchase a three wheeler bike through her NDIS plan. The request was approved and Danielle researched suitable options that would meet the criteria outlined in the recommendation.
Today, Samiya is the happy owner of a three wheeler bike. Using the bike helps meet Samiya’s NDIS goal of participating in school and other community activities. Manipulating and balancing the bike also helps develop her gross motor skills and she’s better able to interact with other children at the park.
“Samiya is like a whole new person since she got the bike. We take her out to the park very often now and it’s had a very positive impact on her,” says Samiya’s mum.
*Details have been changed to protect privacy.
We continued to deliver our recovery support response to residents impacted by the 2019–20 bushfires, the June 2021 storms, the October 2022 floods, and multiple bushfire, storm, and flood events across 2023–24.
We introduced a revised, tiered model of support delivery, enabling more individuals and families to access supports. Under this approach, our intake workers were able to provide remote support to affected residents who would otherwise have missed the opportunity to engage with the program.
Our focus remained on the consumer experience, and we enhanced the continuity and quality of our services by assigning each consumer a dedicated case manager. Having a trusted “go-to” person who understood their ongoing needs meant consumers no longer needed to retell and relive their experience, improving efficiency, accountability and trust in our services.
The individuals and families we supported also secured better financial outcomes through our advocacy with insurance companies and builders, strengthening their capacity to rebuild.
During their recovery journey, impacted residents were further empowered to make decisions that best suited their needs such as accepting mainstream referrals and buying or selling homes in areas less prone to flooding and storm damage.
Further strengthening our capacity to reach those impacted, in 2024-25 the Department of Transport and Planning partnered with Windermere to distribute additional funds through the Planning and Building Assistance Rebate Scheme (PBARS). The scheme supported communities affected by the October 2022 flood event to repair and rebuild homes, and we focussed our efforts on ensuring impacted residents received the support they needed.
We also facilitated two community projects, Writing to Recovery and Whittling Workshop, for impacted residents. The experience of connecting to community through creative projects assisted their recovery journey and sparked positive feedback.
How Wendy found stability, connection and healing
Wendy, a strong and independent 75-year-old from Kalorama, faced significant challenges after the devastating 2021 Yarra Ranges storm. She was left with major damage to her property including a dangerously unstable electrical box. Wendy reached out for help but received little support at first.
That changed in early 2022 when she was linked with the Windermere Recovery Support program. Wendy’s support worker worked with her to create a recovery plan that prioritised her needs and safety. Through weekly check-ins, her support worker provided practical and emotional support which included navigating services for the cleanup of fallen trees and restoring electricity.
While support for Wendy continued, she began sharing her experience with other Windermere consumers through community events, to support their recovery. Based on feedback from Wendy and other consumers in the Yarra Ranges, it became evident that residents were still impacted by the 2021 storm event. Stormy days would often cause anxiety and re-traumatise residents.
In response to their feedback, Wendy’s support worker engaged with the community to organise the Writing to Recovery journalling group. Held periodically, the sessions provided a safe space for community members to come together, learn through journalling and share resources and information. Wendy continues to inspire others, sharing her story and plans to join the next ‘Writing to Recovery’ group to help others find strength in connection. Her story is a reminder that recovery is more than just rebuilding homes, it’s also about rebuilding communities.
We continued our commitment to empowering individuals and families to create meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. By further embedding the practitioner coaching framework and fostering shared learning through initiatives like learning circles, we strengthened our collective capability while keeping consumers at the heart of our service. We focused on building team culture and professional development to strengthen our capacity, support more consumers and meet the growing needs of our community.
As one of only two organisations holding the Family Services Specialist Disability Practitioner role, we completed more than 150 consultations, building knowledge and confidence across the South East Family Services Alliance.
By bridging the gap between family services and disability, we enhanced outcomes for consumers with complex needs and strengthened collaboration across the sector.
Guided by a focus on consumer outcomes, we also evaluated and realigned our community partnerships to ensure they deliver maximum benefit. We further strengthened close working relationships with key stakeholders to better respond to needs and improve outcomes for those we support.
To ensure people can easily find and access the supports they need, we engaged The Evolved Group to run a brand research project for our NDIS and Early Childhood Education & Care services. The project focused on brand architecture, recognition and position within these sectors. This included competitor analysis, consumer feedback, and qualitative testing to better understand what matters most to consumers and employees.
The research highlighted the strength of our Windermere brand in the Early Childhood Education & Care sector and highlighted the importance of our brand aligning with NDIS branding and terminology in the relevant industry. This strengthens consumer confidence in our services and reinforces our commitment to quality and trust. In response, we developed a sub-brand strategy to reflect this recommendation and conducted further testing to confirm that the new strategy resonates with NDIS consumers. The new NDIS sub-brand strategy is in the final stages of implementation.
Throughout the year, our homelessness support services worked alongside individuals and families to alleviate their immediate risks of homelessness. The supports we provided to navigate services and referral pathways enabled consumers to gain secure accommodation, and find stability, independence and stronger connections within their communities.
A significant highlight of the year was supporting individuals and families through complex and evolving circumstances to reach stability and safety.
Coordinating closely with housing, disability and community partners we delivered rapid responses to ensure consumers could access stabilising supports. This included supporting individuals to maintain employment, ensuring children remained safe and cared for, and putting in place sustainable solutions for longer-term stability. Through timely intervention and wrap-around support, families were able to navigate periods of disruption and emerge from danger.
How Clara and her young children found safety, stability and hope
Clara single mother of eight children was facing homelessness as a direct result of severe family violence. * When Clara was referred to Windermere in January 2024, their circumstances were highly volatile and securing their safety was an urgent priority. Fortunately, we were able to help Clara secure a Transitional Housing (THM) property to provide the family with a secure environment to stabilise and rebuild.
We worked closely with Clara and her children to address their pressing needs. The children were linked with local schools to continue their education and connect with the community. We also supported Clara with managing ongoing family violence concerns, focusing heavily on safety planning.
Recognising the importance of long-term housing, we worked with Clara to focus on making applications for stable housing. Despite numerous attempts, Clara had no success due to the size of her household. Undeterred, she continued working with our team to explore every possible avenue.
Events took a difficult turn when the perpetrator obtained their address exploiting a loophole in the system. It placed the family at serious risk. For their safety, Clara and her children were relocated to crisis accommodation for a prolonged period. The perpetrator remained untraceable and securing long-term housing with enhanced security became even more urgent.
It was through our strong partnership with Women’s Property Initiatives (WPI) that a life-changing opportunity emerged. WPI reached out to us as they were seeking a suitable family for a brand new, five bedroom property. This opportunity was an ideal match for Clara and her children. We organised the referral with WPI who recognised the family’s resilience, commitment and determination and promptly offered the tenancy.
The outcome exceeded expectations. By December 2024, Clara and her family were welcomed into a fully furnished home complete with facilities for the children. For Clara and her children, it was the best gift they could have received for Christmas.
*Details changed to protect privacy
Our Mums & Bubs program continued to provide young mothers facing homelessness medium term accommodation embedded with supports to build their capacity. The safety and stability of the accommodation enabled resident mothers to focus on recovery, strengthen their bond with their babies, and take steps toward independence.
We supported young mothers in the program to transition into secure rentals through life skills development, coaching, group programs, one-on-one support and positive role modelling. A key highlight of the year was advocating for a mother and her newborn to access the program. This vital intervention ensured her newborn baby could remain in her care.
We also expanded our community partnerships to provide more opportunities for recreational activities, connection and community participation. To further support the journey to independence, we introduced Malcolm’s Place as a step-down approach, enabling young mothers to gradually gain independence while continuing to receive support.
Windermere is the Communities for Children (CfC) Facilitating Partner for Cranbourne. We work together with our four Community Partners (CPs) to actively support children and their families in the wider Cranbourne, Clyde and Clyde North areas.
In 2024-25, CfC Cranbourne continued to strengthen outcomes for children and families through collaboration with our CPs, regular executive meetings and CP forums that enable the sharing of resources and knowledge.
This year, over 81% of funded programs were evidence-based, ensuring our investment supports initiatives with proven impact while allowing space for community led innovation work. We are also proud to have funded a Parent Child Mother Goose (PCMG) program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delivered by Wellsprings for Women, providing a culturally safe space for parents to connect and build community.
Together, these efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to creating supportive environments where local children and families can thrive.
During 2024-25, we deepened our commitment to achieving the best outcomes for families experiencing family violence by placing safety and wellbeing at the centre of our work. A key achievement was strengthening how we deliver services to ensure more responsive and comprehensive support.
Recognising that family violence often intersects with challenges such as housing instability and mental health, we worked closely with our Homelessness and Counselling programs to continue to streamline services and strengthen pathways of support.
We also piloted a dedicated crisis response worker role to respond more effectively to immediate safety needs and explore innovative and creative approaches to service delivery.
This year, more individuals and families were able to access counselling when they needed it most. By significantly reducing our waitlist, we supported a greater number of people and ensured they could connect with help sooner. For children, the addition of a play therapist provided age-appropriate support, giving young consumers a safe way to express themselves and build resilience.
We also ran Healthy Women, Healthy Relationships across four school terms. The program not only empowered women with tools to strengthen their wellbeing and relationships but also reflected our commitment to inclusivity. This year, we welcomed into the program our first participant from the Trans community, a milestone in ensuring our community feels safe, supported, respected and seen within our services.
We advanced our marketing capability to meet the organisation’s future needs by developing a new marketing strategy and building a team better positioned to deliver stronger outcomes. We also significantly elevated our social media presence by generating educational content and highlighting key outcomes for those we have supported in our community.
During the year, we continued our commitment to accessibility, further expanding our suite of Easy English NDIS brochures and flyers, ensuring information remains clear and inclusive for everyone in our community.
Through our Tax Appeal and Christmas appeal, we highlighted the important role donor contribution plays in enhancing our services. Each campaign is centred on an authentic consumer story, reflecting the thousands of individuals and families we support to overcome complex challenges. While exceeding our fundraising goals, we maintained our major donor support.
The strong donor relationships we’ve built over the years, also gave rise to the Trek4Windermere fundraising campaign. Initiated and organised by a dedicated group of supporters, the campaign raised vital funds through a 59km trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair in Tasmania.
We know that when educators feel supported and confident, children and families benefit most. That’s why we introduced quarterly professional development sessions giving educators targeted support, fresh knowledge and practical business skills. For families, this means their children are cared for by educators who are continually growing and refining their practice.
A session was held toward the end of the financial year to support Educators with increased knowledge about the Child Care Subsidy to make informed decisions regarding fee setting.
Our 2024 Educator Conference was another highlight, with strong attendance and a real sense of connection among Family Day Care educators. By coming together, sharing experiences and building their skills, educators walked away feeling inspired and better equipped to deliver high quality and consistent care.
After eight years of working in long day care primarily as lead educator, Stacey Hocking set her sights on starting her own Family Day Care.
It was when Stacey’s own daughter started going to Family Day Care that she noticed positive changes taking place.
“My daughter started eating more, sleeping better and she became more resilient. She could even regulate her emotions better.”
Stacey saw Family Day Care as an opportunity to give children the attention and nurturing they need.
As Stacey didn’t have exposure to the administrative, finance and management aspects that came with running a business, she turned to Windermere for support. Windermere as a registered Family Day Care provider ensured risk assessments, policies, procedures and other requirements were fulfilled.
“Anytime I was worried about anything, I’d reach out to Windermere. I could be on the phone multiple times a week and they always gave me the time of day,” she says.
While setting up her Family Day Care took time and commitment the rewards made up for all the efforts.
“This is exactly what I wanted, a home away from home for children to learn, grow and explore.”
Stacey cherishes the connections she has formed and being able to provide early education and care in a vastly different environment to long day care.
"I have the privilege of providing them a second home that will forever be part of their lives to look back on and remember,” she says.
Her program for children in her care is driven by their interests, their age and their development level and accordingly includes a variety of learning experiences. Stacey also shares her program with parents to gather valuable insights and input. The support Stacey provides also extends to flexibility in the hours of care in an emergency giving each family the sense that they are receiving sole attention and care.
“I love it and would never change what I am doing now,” she adds.
The Board has invested in our digital team this year to enhance the platforms that staff and consumers rely on every day. For staff, the aim is easier systems, less time on admin, and more time to focus on supporting our consumers. For our consumers, it translates into smoother interactions, clearer information and a more connected experience across services, ultimately making it simpler to access the right support at the right time.
Behind the scenes, we’ve strengthened the way we protect and deliver services so our community can feel confident their information and support are secure. Cyber Security Training has equipped our staff with the skills to spot and avoid risks, reducing the likelihood of attacks and keeping our consumer data safer.
We also set up and implemented a new Cloud 365, and on-premises backup solution. This creates a consistent and reliable foundation for future digital improvements, supporting smoother, more dependable services for those we support. Together with SharePoint, it will deliver better collaboration and employee experience.
At a consumer level, the rollout of Microsoft Shifts has improved rostering and strengthened compliance in our OSHC service, giving families greater confidence in the reliability and consistency of care their children receive. Clearer rostering through Microsoft Shifts means services are better staffed, more consistent, creating a smoother, more dependable experience for families.
In November 2024, our work was showcased at the AASW International Conference on Social Work and Mental Health with the acceptance of a paper on “Developing an evidence-informed child and family service organisation through data-driven continuous practice improvement.” We organised a panel discussion chaired by Marija Dragic, featuring sector leaders Dr Lynette Buoy, Warren Cann, Vincent Lagioia and Kristy Morley. This national platform highlighted our leadership in embedding research, data and evidence into practice, reinforcing our commitment to continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality services for our consumers.
During the year, we developed and piloted an innovative app designed to track projects and measure the fidelity of the Practitioner Coaching Framework. Initially piloted in Integrated Family Services and now extended to Homelessness and Family Violence services. The app enables our staff to easily record and monitor project data ensuring programs are delivered as intended. This strengthens practice quality and ultimately improves outcomes for individuals, children and families. Once fully integrated with the organisation’s data dashboard, the app will be rolled out across all services.
In parallel, every service area has developed its own Theory of Change, providing a clear approach for how interventions achieve impact. The organisation is now developing enterprise-wide Theories of Change, integrating these approaches across all services to ensure that every program and initiative aligns with Windermere’s strategic goal of consistently improving outcomes for our consumers.
In 2024-25, our Victims Assistance Program (VAP) focused on strengthening consumer safety by applying significant risk management measures. Key among these measures included introducing Family Violence Practice Leaders (FVPL) into the Victims Response Team to effectively respond to victims with high risk presentations. Introducing new decision-making tools and utilising community partnerships and secondary consultations, enhanced our risk management capacity. These changes not only improved consumer safety but also strengthened our support workers’ confidence, increasing risk assessment completion rates to over 90%.
With a view to deliver effective and culturally safe support, we further strengthened our engagement with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations through new colocations. Led by our Aboriginal Engagement workers, this work has already increased referrals and built greater trust among Aboriginal people impacted by crime. Our program also supported families during several high-profile homicide cases, ensuring they were treated with dignity and respect during the most difficult times of their lives.
As demand for the program continues to grow along with waitlists for allocation, we took innovative steps to mobilise rapid responses to urgent needs and improved communication with consumers waiting for support. We also reviewed and strengthened our intake process, giving consumers clearer information and more choice. These measures have helped strengthen our service delivery in the Western and Eastern Metropolitan regions, which are newer areas of operation, bringing them on par with our more established services in Southern Metropolitan and Gippsland regions.
We continued our work to implement the remaining actions in our Welcoming & Inclusion Action Plan, which is focused on improving outcomes for our four priority groups: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, people with disability and those from CALD backgrounds.
A significant achievement was being awarded the full Rainbow Tick accreditation which remains valid until November 2026. Windermere was assessed against six different standards that help health and human services organisation show that they provide safe and affirming services and workplaces for all. Achieving the accreditation involved many hours of consultation across all programs and services and reflects our dedication to creating a culturally safe environment for LGBTIQ+ individuals and communities.
We also received unconditional endorsement for our first ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RRAP) from Reconciliation Australia. RAPs provide a framework for organisation to take meaningful action and advance reconciliation. Its successful completion underlines our commitment to promoting healing through culturally informed practices and solutions that recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Drafted in collaboration with stakeholders, our RAP journey involved a Reconciliation Working Group being established to govern its development and implementation.
Featured throughout the document is the artwork by Aboriginal artist Aléjandro Lauren. First commissioned for our newly refurbished head office in Narre Warren, the artwork titled ‘In Stride, Side by Side’ represents the journey of solidarity and partnerships, reflecting our commitment to walking alongside those in need.
Our work on the disability icon came to fruition with the successful completion of its trademarking. Designed to symbolise a broad spectrum of abilities, the icon represents inclusion and empowerment for people with disability. The icon has now been launched and shared across our platforms.
Windemere has the best service to help people with different types of needs and they are fairly easy for everyone.
I will always be grateful to my support worker not just for the support but for understanding my struggles and helping me feel seen. I will always be incredibly grateful for the time I spent at Windermere.Thank you.
I think you are doing a fantastic job in relation to culture and identity.Thank you.
Positive staff experiences directly enhance the support individuals and families receive. Through many initiatives, employees are continually building their skills, deepening their knowledge of service areas and strengthening connections across teams. This translates into more consistent, high quality service and better outcomes for our consumers.
Building on the insights gained from our focus on employee experience and the capability framework, we moved from planning into action with the development of the Windermere Academy. This initiative is now embedded as a dedicated hub for enhancing our employee experience by creating pathways to learning, benefits, consumer resources, health and safety, wellbeing and connection, welcoming and inclusion, career opportunities, and rewards and recognition.
Over the past year, we have continued reimagining our Performance & Supervision Framework to bring greater impact to our staff. The framework is being refined to embed a deeper understanding of our purpose, helping staff connect their day-to-day work to the outcomes that matter most for the consumers we support. By fostering growth mindsets and strengthening the employee experience journey, the framework will support our staff to develop their skills, confidence and effectiveness ultimately enabling them to deliver the best possible outcomes for our consumers.
In October 2024, our All Staff Forum brought together 320 staff members for a day of immersive learning as “students” of the Windermere Academy. Dressed in house colours, staff rotated through different classrooms, each designed to showcase one of our service areas. This creative, hands-on experience not only strengthened understanding across teams but also celebrated the breadth and impact of the work we deliver for our community every day.
We also contributed for the first time to the Diversity Council of Australia Inclusive Employer Index. This provided valuable insights into our workforce demographics from a diversity and inclusion perspective and reaffirmed the strength of our culture. We are proud of these consistently high engagement levels, which show that our people feel connected, valued, and supported. Ultimately, this translates into better experiences and outcomes for the consumers we serve.
There is strong evidence that Windermere is recognised as a truly great place to work. In our November 2024 Pulse Survey, 89.5% of our workforce said they would recommend Windermere as a place to work, a reflection of the positive culture we continue to build together.
The work of our property and reception team helps shape the first impression and ongoing experience individuals and families have with Windermere. From answering phones and greeting visitors at receptions to maintaining safe, accessible and welcoming spaces, the team ensures every consumer or visitor feels supported and respected from the very first interaction.
This year the Property team commenced using Support Hub for property requests, making it much easier for our staff to report and track issues.
We also successfully transitioned our management of the Toomah Community Centre to facilitate Cardinia Council’s repurposing of the ground floor for a college run by ECG College. This has provided a valuable partnership opportunity with ECG to support the local community whilst continuing to occupy the entire first floor of the Centre.
During the year we offered Out of School Hours Care services at Bayles Regional Primary School, Lang Lang Primary School, St John The Baptist Primary School and Drouin South Primary School.
We focused on streamlining our processes for families to access our services with ease. We introduced a digital rostering system, which has made communication clearer, planning easier and rostering more timely. Staff can spend less time on administration and more time focused on delivering quality and well-organised care.
We also implemented an online enrolment system via HubWorks, making it easier and a better experience for families enrolling.
We recruited new OSHC educators and enhanced the onboarding experience to set them up for success from day one. Our new educators have brought passion, high quality and consistency to their roles, all of which directly translate into a better experience for our children, who benefit from stable, engaged and caring support each day.
With our increased capability, we’ve seen strong growth across all OSHC services enabling us to support more families with the care they need.
The Finance team plays a vital role in strengthening partnerships with our service delivery programs, ensuring resources are managed effectively to support growth and deliver better outcomes for our consumers.
In 2024-25, the team successfully completed the end-of-year audit and payroll audits with no major findings, and coordinated external audits across NDIS Support Coordination, Early Intervention and Therapy Services, and Plan Management. These results provide assurance to our consumers that their funding and support plans are being managed with integrity and reliability.
We are also progressing our Power BI Financial Reporting project in close partnership with the Digital team. This investment will deliver clearer and more timely financial insights, supporting stronger planning and decision-making that ultimately benefits the consumers who rely on our services.
Donations
Raised
Gary Castricum – Chair
Kelly Dickson – Vice Chair
Mark Findlay – Treasurer
Malcolm Bailey
Dr Janine Pickering
Elke Gjergja
Emma King OAM (April 2025)
David D’aquino
Service & Enterprise Risk Advisory Committee
Finance & Audit Advisory Committee
Remuneration & Succession Advisory Committee
Our significant donors and supportersWith grateful thanks
Carl Strachan OAM
David Parkin OAM
Matthew Richardson
Windermere continued to demonstrate strong financial performance in 2024-25, maintaining a healthy and sustainable financial position that supports our long-term commitment to communities.
This year we made a significant investment in digital transformation. The implementation of new systems and the development of innovative solutions now underway will strengthen our capability, improve accessibility, and create more seamless interaction for consumers and staff.
With the needs of vulnerable people in our community at the centre of every decision, our ongoing financial strength ensures we remain sustainable to invest in services, people, and infrastructure that enable us to support our communities with confidence, efficiency, and care.
Windermere offices are located at a number of sites across South Eastern Victoria.
Contact us for more details:
Phone: 1300 946 337 • info@windermere.org.au