Our top five achievements in the past five years.
On Monday 8 April UnitingSA celebrates 105 years of operations in South Australia.
From beginning as the Port Adelaide Central Methodist Mission, to growing to UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide and our expansion to UnitingSA, we have continued to develop and adapt to meet the ever-changing needs of our community.
UnitingSA continues to operate at the forefront of innovation in the provision of services to our community. Whether it’s through housing, community services or aged care we continue to work in creative and innovative ways to deliver outcomes for those in highest need.
On our 105th Birthday we highlight our five most impactful achievements in the past five years, made possible by our community, partners, donors, teams and volunteers.
#1 Award-winning community housing projects
We believe housing is the foundation for people’s wellbeing. From the launch of our affordable housing services in 1984, UnitingSA has grown from managing just 13 properties to now providing more than 600 homes and many more in the pipeline.
Our innovative approach to community housing has resulted in being classified as a Tier 1 Community Housing Provider and winning two UDIA SA Awards for Excellence in 2022 for our Ferryden Park Community Housing project. This project supports women aged 55 and over who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness with not only housing, but also a range of wrap-around services to support their health and wellbeing.
We now have more than a decade’s worth of innovative community housing solutions underway, either in planning or already under development, including:
- Uniting on Devonport – with 40 social and affordable dwellings over four levels at Prospect
- Uniting on Second – with 70 affordable rentals and sales at Bowden
- Kilburn – our first 8-star energy efficiency rating small housing development at Kilburn
Ben Moore, UnitingSA’s Senior Executive Development, Property & Housing says there is a great deal of excitement around the future growth of our housing portfolio. “As we’ve grown, we’ve continued to put the needs of people seeking shelter at the heart of what we do, and we are excited to continue that approach into the future, with plans for hundreds of additional properties currently in the pipeline,” Ben says.
#2 Innovative partnerships to deliver creative housing solutions
Our creative and agile approach to partnering with industry and community has enabled us to deliver positive outcome to a range of community cohorts.
Regency Green
A former aged care home now earmarked as a future affordable housing development. Instead of leaving the 80-bed site vacant while we went through the long planning process, we chose to repurpose the site as a short term housing solution for those in the highest need.
We repurposed part of the site to partner with SA Health and support NDIS participants who were discharge-ready but had been stranded in SA hospitals due to lack of housing or access to support. We repurposed the remaining facilities to partner with AMES Australia to support refugees escaping war-torn countries and provide a safe place to call home.
Peppertree Place
In 2021 we became a partner organisation in the Adelaide North West Homelessness Alliance (ANWHA). Working closing with the Alliance and South Australian Housing Authority (SAHA), in 2023 we delivered Peppertree Place, providing temporary emergency accommodation for homeless families as part of an initiative to help find pathways into permanent housing.
Hamilton House
Later in 2023 we worked with northern suburbs couple Kath and Lindsay and ANWHA to deliver Hamilton House. The generous pair wanted to make available a vacant home as an affordable rental property for people in need. As a result of their generosity, three women at risk of homelessness now have a home as part of a wonderful new share house model being piloted by ANWHA.
Jenny Hall, UnitingSA’s Chief Executive Officer is excited by the prospect of working more closely with stakeholders who share our values. “Partnering with industry, community and other service providers is an important way in which we can collectively create great outcomes for our community. By working together we can leverage our combined resources to achieve real progress,” Jenny says.
#3 Our commitment to reconciliation and walking alongside First Nations Australians
The past five years has seen UnitingSA continue to deliver services and advocacy activities which support the wellbeing and aspirations of First Nations communities.
Reconciliation
The launch of our ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in 2022 was a pivotal step in our organisation’s reconciliation journey, outlining tangible steps we’re taking around building strong relationships, respect, opportunities, and driving lasting change. Our next focus is to work with our RAP committee to develop the ‘Innovate’ stage of our RAP.
Voice to Parliament
In 2023 UnitingSA worked with our First Nations stakeholders to advocate for a voice to parliament, which has now become an exciting reality in our state.
Engaging employees
We’ve prioritised listening, learning from and recognising our First Nations employees – many of whom work directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through our Child and Youth, Aged Care, Homelessness and Housing services.
To cultivate deeper understanding and respect, we encourage our teams to reflect and open the conversation around dates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander significance such as National Apology Day, Close the Gap Day, Sorry Day, National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
Jenny Hall, UnitingSA’s Chief Executive Officer says there is still a long way to go to achieve racial and First Nations equality in our country, however she is optimistic about the future. “What brings me great pride, and great hope, is the work that each and every one of us does every day to provide the best opportunities we can for our community. Organisations like UnitingSA are at the forefront of our country’s effort to reach equality, because we are living it in everything we do,” Jenny says.
#4 Expansion of vital mental health services in regional South Australia
Our Mental Health services have worked tirelessly since the 1990s to support people living with mental health challenges.
In early 2024 our high service standards and commitment to best practice mental health service provision were recognised by SA Health, which has enabled us to increase our presence in regional areas of South Australia by establishing new services in Renmark, Port Pirie, Murray Bridge, and across the Barossa-Hills-Fleurieu region, while expanding our existing services in Whyalla and Kadina.
Dan Cox, UnitingSA’s Senior Executive Community Services is proud of the team’s dedication to supporting clients and that this has been recognised to expand the service footprint. “The success of this funding allocation is a direct result of the quality of care UnitingSA provides to members of our community in need of these services. As mental health challenges become more prevalent, we recognise psychosocial support is an integral factor to supporting communities,” Dan says.
#5 West Lakes Aged Care leading the way in the continuum of care
From in-home support to independent retirement living and fully supported residential aged care, we offer the full spectrum of services and wraparound support enabling communities to live the life they want, how they want.
In 2021 UnitingSA opened our first aged care location to offer the full continuum of support under one roof. UnitingSA West Lakes is a five-storey development offering residential aged care, premium retirement living apartments and a Help at Home Hub. The development has an onsite hairdresser and public café, and is located near parks and reserves, a library, shopping, and public transport to enable residents to maintain an active and vibrant lifestyle.
In 2022 we also redeveloped our Westminster Village Aged Care to provide a broader range of care services as the needs of our residents change and grow.
Brian Willcocks, Senior Executive of Aged Care says UntingSA’s focus is on delivering more high-quality care and support through the expansion of the Help at Home services. “We want to enable our clients to live comfortably and independently in their own homes for as long as possible. Our ultimate goal is to help people lead meaningful lives, regardless of their age,” Brian says.