Vision Australia has begun an extensive strategic planning process that is expected to result in operational changes in a bid to get it fit for the future.
With a new CEO, the roll-out of DisabilityCare Australia, package consumer driven aged care, and a history of change resistance, Vision Australia decided it’s time to be different.
Ron Hooton, who started as CEO in January, said:
“Our funding model is changing to a consumer-choice model. That’s going to change our relationships with clients and our community. It’s absolutely crucial that as an organisation we change too by listening and meeting the needs of our community financially, culturally and professionally.”
“The way and extent we’re going about this process, and gathering information, hasn’t been done before. This organisation has resisted change for more than five years and we can’t do that anymore. Certainly, there are going to be challenges but we’re prepared to work through those so we can compete and be innovative,” he said.
For more than five years, Vision Australia has run a deficit budget and has resisted change. If it wants to survive in what’s going to be a competitive market with the roll-out of DisabilityCare Australia, it has to be different.
Experts with high-level change management skills talked about their experience and gave their advice last week. They will continue to support and offer advice throughout the coming months.
From July 15 to August 2, forums will be held across 12 locations to gather as much information as possible to understand the current perceptions and what is expected of Vision Australia in the future.
To ensure broad participation, each forum will be attended by 25 per cent staff; 25 per cent local community (volunteers, local government, partners, referrers) and 50 per cent from the blindness and low vision community (clients).
Vision Australia’s business is about community, so it wants to see a large participation from its clients.
The first forum will be held on Thursday, June 27 at Vision Australia’s Kooyong site. More than 50 participants are expected to attend.
The forums will be held at Geelong, Bendigo, Mildura, Enfield, Wollongong,Kensington, Newcastle, Albury, Canberra, Brisbane, Maroochydore, Coorparoo.
The opportunity for the wider population to ‘Have your say’ via an online forum will be available on the Vision Australia website from mid-July.
The plan will be complete by November.