It’s hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of 2023! Time flies when you’re working with an incredibly focussed, talented, strategically, and community-minded group of staff and board members.
There’s so much to be proud of from the perspective of COTA Victoria (COTA Vic) and Seniors Rights Victoria’s (SRV) performance and representation of all older Victorians across this state. I really would find it quite difficult to list all the things we’ve achieved as two peak state-wide bodies over this year. I will however summarise some of those achievements below:
- Securing 4-years of confirmed funding for both COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria, from multiple Commonwealth, State Government, and other funding bodies
- Re-writing of the COTA Vic/SRV 3-year strategic plan, introducing 23 new Strategic Initiatives across both organisations
- Re-defining, from the ground-up, our Policy & Advocacy strategy and processes
- Submitting our 2024/25 State Budget asks to government in October 2023, early enough to allow consideration from Government for first round budget allocations for critical community service peaks like ours
- Submitting countless Policy submissions to the state and federal governments
- Significantly strengthening our relationship with all tiers of government, cementing our position as peak bodies
- Placement of 7 new senior management team members
- Introducing a first of its kind Fee-for-Service, paid Professional Education offering across the state from expert educational staff within Seniors Rights Victoria
- Complete re-development of our financial management and reporting processes
- Holistic organisational audit, performance reviews, and re-development of HR, CRM, Knowledge Management, Governance, and other organisational processes
- Holistic and extensive review of our Volunteer Management processes
- Complete restructuring of the Membership Services Model, removing any paid individual membership fees, and introducing 5 additional new paid membership categories
- Complete (imminent) new Constitution (2024)
- Developing and implementing a whole-of-organisation Marketing, Communications, PR strategy and engagement strategy and process
- Appointment as a Care Finder provider for South-East Melbourne (PHN)
- Recording a healthy surplus for the 2022/2023 FY, after many years of recording losses, adding money in our important reserves, and forecasting another surplus for the 2023/24 FY
I am grateful for our ongoing, collaborative, and strong working relationship with the Victorian Government. I thank the Victorian State Government for providing 4 years of funding for COTA Vic and SRV; this ensures that our staff have some semblance of job security as they continue their hard work. It also ensures the continuity of programs and services for the people that need it most: older Victorians.
Policy and Advocacy have been at the heart of driving our strategy, engagement, vision, policy, and advocacy positions for the older cohort of people we represent across our great state. Our policy and advocacy team continues to grow from strength to strength as we begin to realise the fruits of our tireless work and strategic vision.
One of the pillars of COTA Victoria’s strategy in relation to protecting rights is to maintain the position of Seniors Rights Victoria, as the only dedicated, state-wide, specialist Community Legal Centre, providing information, legal and social work advice, and casework, to help prevent elder abuse. SRV has been operating as a Community Legal Centre (CLC) for the last 15 years.
I regard the growth in the impact and effectiveness of Seniors Rights Victoria as an important achievement for our organisation. There is no doubt that the work of this unique CLC is vital as SRV continue to be the leading organisation in our state fighting the growth of elder abuse within our communities.
We continued our important programs and services throughout the year with focus, adapting them to the COVID-normal world we live in and made them accessible to as many older people as possible. The telephone helpline service continued to be a valuable tool, keeping us in touch with older Victorians as they tackled difficult issues, sought information, or felt isolated and needed a friendly ear. The needs of older Victorians will always differ according to age, capabilities, financial situation, and other circumstances of very diverse groups, especially marginalised and vulnerable older Victorians.
We continue to recognise that social isolation and fear about the pandemic, natural disasters, ageism, cost of living, and other significant challenges are particularly serious issues for older people. Hearing what older people are experiencing has enabled us to advocate on their behalf to state and federal governments, as well as to many important organisations dealing with older Victorians. The relationship we have continued to develop has seen us feed into very important steering committees, working groups, advisory groups, and other important government, community, and like-minded service groups in the ageing well, elder abuse, and aged care space.
Led by, and working alongside many other community organisations, COTA Victoria worked to bring older people into the digital world so they could join in while staying at home. At the same time, we advocated for equal access to services and information for those who couldn’t move online — or simply chose not to. I extend my sincere thanks to my hard working team for their dedication to their work on behalf of older Victorians.
That work is to ensure decision-makers — including government, business, and community leaders — are aware of the unique challenges that many older Victorians face. These challenges include, but are not limited to:
- Circumstances that lead to elder abuse
- Cost of living
- Ageism
- Housing or rental affordability
- Loss of employment reducing income
- Increased loneliness for people socially isolated
- Communication that doesn’t recognise the cultural diversity of older Victorians
- Marginalised or vulnerable older Victorians
- Difficulty reaching relatives in aged care with contact, love, and support
- Assistive technology for all older Victorians
- Digital exclusion for older Victorians
- Adult Safeguarding (protecting a person’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect)
We are well into our 3-year strategic plan, this has enabled us to remain agile as peak bodies, but also ensure we are responding to real time needs of all older Victorians in a new uncharted environment. The strategic areas of focus are:
- Our financial sustainability
- Our renewed strategic direction
- Renewed vision on innovative, thought leadership-based programs and services
- Impactful ways to influence government, business, and community
- Continuing to build a dynamic and viable organisation
- Seeking opportunities to be a trusted ethical partner to deliver inclusive and positive outcomes for older people
- Enabling older people to be empowered to be their own advocates and build respect in their communities
I am pleased to report on another successful year under extraordinary circumstances, as well as seek to assure you all that our wonderful organisations are in good hands. I thank you for all your support over 2023 and cannot wait to update you all about what’s coming in 2024!
A message I deliver to all staff, friends, and family at the end of each year, leading into the New Year goes a little something like this:
Here’s how 2024 will become your year:
Don’t sit on the couch and wait for it. Get up. Go out. Move forward. Make the change. Smile more. Be excited. Laugh. Do new things. Throw away what you’ve been cluttering and haven’t used or worn in 10 years. Unfollow negative people on social media and in real life. Go to bed early. Get up early. Don’t gossip. Show more gratitude. Do things that challenge you. Be brave. Be fierce. Stop diddling around. Know your worth. Stop being petty.
Be kind to people less fortunate than you. Go after YOUR life, not others. Accept that other people may have different opinions than yours. Remember, what other people think of you is none of your business! Find the light in your heart. Go out and shine. And as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world. And always remember, “Go to bed smarter than when you woke up”.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024 to everyone.
Sincerely,
Chris Potaris, CEO
COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria