HSH - History

HELEN SCHUTT HOUSE
ASSOCIATION Inc
PO Box 256, Chelsea
Vic, 3196 Australia
PH/FAX 9587 2310

Helen Schutt House is a residential accommodation home in Aspendale for young adults who have an intellectual disability. It is managed by a part-time executive officer and a voluntary committee of management comprised in the main of parents, who in August 1988 formed a registered and incorporated charitable organisation known as Helen Schutt House Association Incorporated.

Helen Schutt House began its early life in 1981 as an independent living training program for the students of the Oakleigh Special Developmental School, after the then Principal secured funding from the Helen M Schutt Trust for the "Stay-a-While House" project that operated weekdays from Monday to Friday.

In 1987, The Oakleigh Centre through the foresight of their executive officer, took over the management of the house, expanding it to a seven day a week program of respite care. However, after two years of operation, while demand was heavy for places each weekend and every school holiday period, the necessary full respite occupancy required for the house to remain financially viable could not be maintained. Closure of the house seemed imminent.

Parents whose children were regular users of the house, rallied a parent group who with the blessing of The Helen M Schutt Trust and The Oakleigh Centre decided to take over management of the house in Aug 1988 as a respite house.

The newly formed Helen Schutt House Assoc. Inc. thus became the third organisation to manage the house.

In the seven year period from 1988 - 1995, the voluntary parent committee of management faced many challenges in their struggle to survive and developed a multitude of skills and many friends in the process. Many of the foundation members are still on the Committee of Management today.

The success of the house was made possible by many people:- parents who entrusted their children to our care, staff who make the home atmosphere , the local and wider community of individuals, service and community groups, who have taken us into their hearts, TAFE colleges, the business sector, philanthropic trusts, the regional Department of Human Services team, the Oakleigh and Yarrabah Special Developmental Schools and local press - who have all contributed in their various ways and responded when asked, to the worth of this valuable and much needed service.

At the official opening of the house as a long-term accommodation facility in December 1995, it was noted with pride that the house is owned by the Helen Schutt House Association Inc and is home for its six residents. The house renovations, extensions and garden landscaping, planned and overseen by a parent committee member and made possible by the generosity of many donors, are part of our success story. Also recognised were the contributions of sponsors, friends and the community, a the satisfying completion of the building extensions and landscaping as well as the accomplishments of the Committees of Management, staff and families over the previous seven years.

The main building extension fund donors included Helen M Schutt Trust, Jack Brockhoff Trust, Lynne Quayle Charitable Trust (Equity Trustees), R. E. Ross Trust, Sidney Myer Trust, Ethel Herman Charitable Trust (Perpetual Trustees), Ian Potter Foundation, William Angliss Vic Charitable Trust, and Frank & Flora Leith Trust. St. Andrew's Mordialloc Scottish Country Dancing group funded the Water Garden & Landscaping.

All attending the '95 opening celebration were invited to share in the association's delight in surviving and being an accepted and established part of the community. The period from 1995 - 1999 has continued to build on the work already done. To relieve the heavy demands on the voluntary members of the management committee, a part-time executive officer was appointed. The new Unit Cost Funding from the Dept of Human Services (DHS) enabled an administrative component in our funding and service agreement.

As our State (DHS) funding body's accountability and compliance requirements continue to grow for non-government service providers such as ourselves, formal structures in financial and administrative areas have been set up and refined. Our reporting documentation and policies and procedures manuals are regularly updated and expanded to both comply with funding body expectations, and to reflect our current operations and work practices which adapt to the changing needs of our residents as well as the disability field culture.

Areas of focus have included:

* Agency training plans for staff development * Recreation program for residents * Documentation of Policies and Procedures * Annual IPP reviews for residents * Fire Risk Management Implementation. * Involvement in Quality Self Assessment System for Victorian Disability Services . * Regular newsletters * Links with the wider disability field and similar agencies in both the region and at national level. * Encouragement of involvement by residents' families. * email address to facilitate communication * web site development to publicize our work and for general information.

Current COM members:
Sonny Chow, Margarette Christie, Paula Dalton, Barbara Firth, Izabella Hobeika Frances Mahl, Manfred Mahl, Margaret McBurney, Geoff Welchman with Bernadette Mandic as our staff representative.

You can contact our association at our email address at hshassoc@netspace.net.au