Thursday, March 24, 2011
ESKLEIGH: EXAMINERS FORUM TODAY
In the Examiner's forum today Ian Goninon expresses his dismay and "sadness" in regard to the government's disinclination to fund Eskleigh. The entry goes ... Eskleigh Home: IT IS with sadness that I read about (The Examiner, Mar. 22) and hear in the media the lack of government funding for Eskleigh Home ... This facility offers people with disabilities the chance to live a fulfilling life interacting with the community on a daily basis and meeting the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities... click here to read the full entry
Eskleigh Home Funding Reinstated
From: Dale Luttrell [mailto:dluttrell@eskleigh.com.au]Sent: Wednesday, 23 March 2011 9:00 AM
Subject: Eskleigh Home Funding
Good Morning All
I am pleased to report that I was advised at a meeting on the 22nd March that the Department has reinstated the full extra funding of $384,000 for 2011, with at least that amount recurrent. I have been asked to prepare the 2012 Eskleigh Home Budget and submit that to the Department. An exercise to assess the support requirements of each resident at Eskleigh Home has commenced. This data will be used to develop the budget.
I will be making contact with staff, families and our supporters advising them of the reinstatement of the funding
This is an excellent result
The Department stressed to me that the reinstatement of the full funding was not influenced by our approach to the Minister or the press reports
Regards
Dale Luttrell
The Department stressed to me that the reinstatement of the full funding was not influenced by our approach to the Minister or the press reports
Regards
Dale Luttrell
Chief Executive Officer
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
PO Box 42, Perth Tasmania 7300
Phone 03 6398 7100
Fax 03 6398 2928
E-mail dluttrell@eskleigh.com.au
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
PO Box 42, Perth Tasmania 7300
Phone 03 6398 7100
Fax 03 6398 2928
E-mail dluttrell@eskleigh.com.au
ESKLEIGH: Examiner Page.1 March 18 2011
Click on the image to enlarge
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS: Eskleigh facing bed cuts – LUCY POSKITT HEALTH REPORTER – 18 Mar, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Liberal Media Release 17 March response to Minister plus comment by Eskleigh
Subject: Funding reversal
Good Afternoon All
Following on from Eskleigh's email yesterday, Jacquie Petrusma MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services asked the following question of The Honourable Cassy O’Connor, Minister for Human Services in Parliament today“Minister, just over a month ago, on 8 February 2011, your Department indicated in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh Home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11.
Is it a fact that you have now reneged on that written commitment which places this home - the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania - in significant financial difficulty?
Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services?
Are you aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the LGH awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?”
According to Sandy Wittison, Senior Advisor the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister seemed unaware of the matter, however I emailed her office on Tuesday and provided it with detailed information regarding the Departments funding reversal.
The Liberals press release is as follows:
“O’Connor puts disability home at risk
The Human Services Minister Cassy O’Connor clearly demonstrated in Parliament today that she does not have a proper handle on her Department and has broken a clear promise to a key disability provider.
On 8 February 2011, the Department promised in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the 42-bed Eskleigh disability home in Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit for the 2010-11 financial year. It is the only nursing facility in Tasmania for younger people.
Without this money, Eskleigh will have to slash services and patients who should be at the home will have to stay in hospital, causing further bed block at the Launceston General Hospital.
The written commitment from Ms O’Connor’s Department stated:
“As discussed, Disability and Community Services is recommending the funding of the $384,000 projected deficit for the Eskleigh home for 2010/11.”
However, precisely a month later, Eskleigh was told that no funds were available to satisfy the $384,000 claim, and the Department could only provide additional funding of $261,000.
This will leave the Eskleigh home with a deficit of $109,000 for the financial year, and the Board cannot to continue absorbing deficits in this way.
Leaving the patients who should be at Eskleigh in hospital instead will come at a significant cost to the Tasmanian community. It costs $1500 a day for each of those patients to stay in a hospital bed, at a total cost of $550,000 per year.
In comparison, a bed at Eskleigh for the same patient is estimated at $100,000 per year.
In Parliament today, Ms O’Connor had no idea about her Department reneging on its written commitment, and offered no views on the additional cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of leaving patients at the LGH.
It seems Ms O’Connor is not just a Member for Denison, but only a Minister for Denison too. “
In the mean time I have advised the Gateway that Eskleigh will not be filling the current vacancies at Eskleigh Home and I have also advised HACSU that due to funding reversal negotiations in relation to the Enterprise Agreement have been suspended
Regards
Dale Luttrell
Chief Executive Officer
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
Good Afternoon All
Following on from Eskleigh's email yesterday, Jacquie Petrusma MP, Shadow Minister for Human Services asked the following question of The Honourable Cassy O’Connor, Minister for Human Services in Parliament today“Minister, just over a month ago, on 8 February 2011, your Department indicated in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh Home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11.
Is it a fact that you have now reneged on that written commitment which places this home - the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania - in significant financial difficulty?
Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services?
Are you aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the LGH awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?”
According to Sandy Wittison, Senior Advisor the Leader of the Opposition, the Minister seemed unaware of the matter, however I emailed her office on Tuesday and provided it with detailed information regarding the Departments funding reversal.
The Liberals press release is as follows:
“O’Connor puts disability home at risk
The Human Services Minister Cassy O’Connor clearly demonstrated in Parliament today that she does not have a proper handle on her Department and has broken a clear promise to a key disability provider.
On 8 February 2011, the Department promised in writing it would provide extra recurrent funding to the 42-bed Eskleigh disability home in Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit for the 2010-11 financial year. It is the only nursing facility in Tasmania for younger people.
Without this money, Eskleigh will have to slash services and patients who should be at the home will have to stay in hospital, causing further bed block at the Launceston General Hospital.
The written commitment from Ms O’Connor’s Department stated:
“As discussed, Disability and Community Services is recommending the funding of the $384,000 projected deficit for the Eskleigh home for 2010/11.”
However, precisely a month later, Eskleigh was told that no funds were available to satisfy the $384,000 claim, and the Department could only provide additional funding of $261,000.
This will leave the Eskleigh home with a deficit of $109,000 for the financial year, and the Board cannot to continue absorbing deficits in this way.
Leaving the patients who should be at Eskleigh in hospital instead will come at a significant cost to the Tasmanian community. It costs $1500 a day for each of those patients to stay in a hospital bed, at a total cost of $550,000 per year.
In comparison, a bed at Eskleigh for the same patient is estimated at $100,000 per year.
In Parliament today, Ms O’Connor had no idea about her Department reneging on its written commitment, and offered no views on the additional cost to Tasmanian taxpayers of leaving patients at the LGH.
It seems Ms O’Connor is not just a Member for Denison, but only a Minister for Denison too. “
In the mean time I have advised the Gateway that Eskleigh will not be filling the current vacancies at Eskleigh Home and I have also advised HACSU that due to funding reversal negotiations in relation to the Enterprise Agreement have been suspended
Regards
Dale Luttrell
Chief Executive Officer
Eskleigh Foundation Inc
Cassy O'Connor Media Release 17 March 2011 Eskleigh
Cassy O'Connor, MP
Minister for Human Services
Thursday, 17 March 2011
________________________________________
Eskleigh Funding
________________________________________
The Minister for Human Services, Cassy O’Connor said today she was well aware of funding shortfalls at the Eskleigh Home in northern Tasmania.
Ms O’Connor said the Eskleigh Foundation receives $4,593, 498 in recurrent funding every year and the Eskleigh residential home at Perth currently receives base funding of $2 819 800 per annum which is indexed annually.
“The Department has been working tirelessly with Eskleigh to address its funding issues.
“In November 2010 the Department was made aware of a deficit for the 2010-11 financial year and I met with CEO, Dale Luttrell and Chair of Eskleigh Foundation Board, Diane Porteous to discuss the matter in December.
“Eskleigh provides an excellent service to 42 people with disability at their home at Perth and I commend them for the work they do.
“However, the budget for disability services is continually stretched and demand is always increasing.
“Eskleigh’s requests for additional funding have never been rejected.
“In 2009-10 Eskleigh received a one-off grant of $185,000 to assist with a funding shortfall and last November they advised of another projected deficit.
“Additional re-current funding of $191,000 was included in the 2010-13 agreement with Eskleigh.
“After exhaustive work, my Department has made an offer to Eskleigh of $261,014 after balancing the shortfall of funding to the Eskleigh Home with an expected surplus in other DHHS funded Eskleigh services.
“The Department has been working with Eskleigh and a financial assessment has been completed and we are working on providing more funding to ensure services are maintained."
Minister for Human Services
Thursday, 17 March 2011
________________________________________
Eskleigh Funding
________________________________________
The Minister for Human Services, Cassy O’Connor said today she was well aware of funding shortfalls at the Eskleigh Home in northern Tasmania.
Ms O’Connor said the Eskleigh Foundation receives $4,593, 498 in recurrent funding every year and the Eskleigh residential home at Perth currently receives base funding of $2 819 800 per annum which is indexed annually.
“The Department has been working tirelessly with Eskleigh to address its funding issues.
“In November 2010 the Department was made aware of a deficit for the 2010-11 financial year and I met with CEO, Dale Luttrell and Chair of Eskleigh Foundation Board, Diane Porteous to discuss the matter in December.
“Eskleigh provides an excellent service to 42 people with disability at their home at Perth and I commend them for the work they do.
“However, the budget for disability services is continually stretched and demand is always increasing.
“Eskleigh’s requests for additional funding have never been rejected.
“In 2009-10 Eskleigh received a one-off grant of $185,000 to assist with a funding shortfall and last November they advised of another projected deficit.
“Additional re-current funding of $191,000 was included in the 2010-13 agreement with Eskleigh.
“After exhaustive work, my Department has made an offer to Eskleigh of $261,014 after balancing the shortfall of funding to the Eskleigh Home with an expected surplus in other DHHS funded Eskleigh services.
“The Department has been working with Eskleigh and a financial assessment has been completed and we are working on providing more funding to ensure services are maintained."
Tasmanian Hansard transcript - Eskleigh
HANSARD FROM THURSDAY 17 MARCH
DISABILITY SERVICES - ESKLEIGH HOME FUNDING
[11.21 a.m.]
Ms PETRUSMA (Question) - My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Minister, just over a month ago on 8 February 2011 your department indicated in writing that it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11. Is it a fact that because of your government's mismanagement of the State's finances you have now reneged in that written commitment which places this home, the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania, in significant financial difficulty? Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services? Are you also aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the Launceston General Hospital who are awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will now have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?
Ms O'CONNOR - I thank the shadow minister for her question and her ongoing interest in this area. I am aware, and I have been up to Eskleigh and I have met Dale Luttrell and I have walked through that excellent facility, but there are funding issues with Eskleigh and there is an ongoing conversation between my department and Eskleigh Home over their funding shortfall. There is a history of funding issues with Eskleigh Home and they provide quite a specific and excellent service to people living with disabilities. But my very clear understanding is that the department is currently working with Eskleigh to address some of those funding issues. I would say this: the Disabilities Services budget is continually stretched. We provide $156 million a year to service providers and many of them are under some strain because the demand is increasing for services. My very clear understanding is that the department is continuing to work with Eskleigh on their funding issues. Again, I thank you for your interest in this area.
DISABILITY SERVICES - ESKLEIGH HOME FUNDING
[11.21 a.m.]
Ms PETRUSMA (Question) - My question is to the Minister for Human Services. Minister, just over a month ago on 8 February 2011 your department indicated in writing that it would provide extra recurrent funding to the Eskleigh home at Perth in northern Tasmania to meet a projected deficit in 2010-11. Is it a fact that because of your government's mismanagement of the State's finances you have now reneged in that written commitment which places this home, the only nursing facility for younger persons in Tasmania, in significant financial difficulty? Are you aware that as a result of this backflip, Eskleigh will have to reduce services? Are you also aware that this will mean that long-term patients in hospital beds at the Launceston General Hospital who are awaiting transfer to Eskleigh will now have to remain in hospital at a significantly higher cost to Tasmanian taxpayers?
Ms O'CONNOR - I thank the shadow minister for her question and her ongoing interest in this area. I am aware, and I have been up to Eskleigh and I have met Dale Luttrell and I have walked through that excellent facility, but there are funding issues with Eskleigh and there is an ongoing conversation between my department and Eskleigh Home over their funding shortfall. There is a history of funding issues with Eskleigh Home and they provide quite a specific and excellent service to people living with disabilities. But my very clear understanding is that the department is currently working with Eskleigh to address some of those funding issues. I would say this: the Disabilities Services budget is continually stretched. We provide $156 million a year to service providers and many of them are under some strain because the demand is increasing for services. My very clear understanding is that the department is continuing to work with Eskleigh on their funding issues. Again, I thank you for your interest in this area.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
ESKLEIGH FUNDING: Letter to Senator Barnett March 17 2011
Dear Senator Barnett,
I write with reference to a desperate funding deficiency which has arisen for Eskleigh Home at Perth.
Eskleigh Foundation supports adults with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 65, with the 42 bed Eskleigh Home at Perth, group homes around the state, and attendant car services. We employ approximately 100 staff across the state.
This deficiency has been some time in the making, due to assurances and promises which we have been repeatedly given by the State Government.
In 2008, myself and other representatives from the Eskleigh Board, and Dale Luttrell, the CEO, participated in a review of the necessity for nursing services at Eskleigh Home, with representatives from Disability Services.
The result of the study was a resounding yes-the residents of Eskleigh Home require a high level of care and consequently Disability Services provided additional funding for one year to assist with the cost of nursing staff.
After this study, the State Government contracted KPMG to prepare a proposal for unit funding to replace the current block funding arrangements for disability services. Our CEO, Dale Luttrell, was deeply and time-consumingly involved in the process as Tasmanian Chair for NDS. Dale received regular assurances from Disability Services that Eskleigh would greatly benefit from the unit funding arrangement due to our high level of patient care requirements-which are effectively being delivered with minimal increases in funding.
During the period of the unit funding proposal preparation, Dale felt it inappropriate for the Board to lobby for funding increases as he was confident of a positive outcome at the end of the process-this delay resulted in a loss of $567000 for Eskleigh Home in 2009-2010, and a projected shortfall to the end of 2011 of $384000.
At the KPMG presentation to Disability Services organisations on November 2nd, 2010, we were blithely informed by Liz Forsyth of KPMG that Eskleigh, along with other larger accommodation providers in the state, was ‘outside government policy ‘ and therefore no increased funding would result for these organisations from this process.
Further discussions were held with Ingrid Ganley and various other representatives from Disability Services resulted in recognition that an immediate funding injection of $384000 was necessary to maintain the viability of Eskleigh for 2010-2011. We received communication from Ingrid Ganley on 28th January 2011 that this funding had been approved, and that further consideration would be given to the arrears of the previous year.
Last week, we were informed by Ingrid Ganley that this funding is no longer available, and that on further submission an amount of $261000 may be approved. This does not meet our requirements, and requires further submissions to be submitted and approved
My areas of concern are as follows:
1. These funding arrears are definitely not arising due to poor financial management by Eskleigh. The KPMG presentation demonstrated very strongly that Eskleigh is one of the most economically run organisations in the state, despite the fact that we also provide nursing services. Additionally, whilst other accommodation services close during the day and send their residents to day care, Eskleigh is open 24/7/365.
2. Every time Disability Services changes their mind, they request more information from Eskleigh-all of which they have on file as it is required on a yearly basis. One of the Disability Services representatives admitted that they don’t read the figures which each organisation sends in each year, which is why they require us to re-send figures. The enormous amount of time and effort which has been expended by our (and all of the other) CEO’s, and the Disability Services employees, on this convoluted and wasteful process is absurd.
3. Disability Services is currently requesting that we accommodate three long term Launceston General Hospital patients at Eskleigh on a permanent basis. These patients are all high care, requiring copious staff hours and expensive treatments. The cost of accommodating each patient per year at the Launceston General Hospital is approximately $1500 per day, or $547500p.a.,, a total cost to the hospital of $1642500p.a. The cost of accommodating a patient at Eskleigh Home is $97095p.a.(Other accommodation services are costing up to $115000 per resident) We regret that we are unable to accommodate any further patients until this funding debacle is resolved, and if the State Government refuses to provide adequate funding on an ongoing basis and without Eskleigh having to jump through hoops every year, we will have to close Eskleigh Home. Not only would this leave our present 39 resident without accommodation, but also leaves approximately 100 employees without jobs.
Senator Bartlett, we are at crisis point. The Board was content to recommend continuation of the services of Eskleigh Home provided that we received the funding as previously agreed, but unfortunately will now be forced to reconsider.
I understand that Perth itself is not specifically your area but Eskleigh is the major accommodation provider for disabled adults for Launceston and surrounds.
I also understand that this is not technically a Federal matter, but it has been so badly handled at State level that we no longer have confidence that the State Government have the ability to rectify the situation. Many promises were made at Federal level regarding the care of people with disabilities during the last election-some assistance right now would be greatly appreciated.
I would very much appreciate your assistance in this matter. Please advise me if there is any more information which you require.
Yours sincerely
Diane Porteous
Chair, Eskleigh Foundation
0419 364692
P.S. We would very much like to expand the services and facilities offered by Eskleigh Home-there are 72 people in Launceston waiting for accommodation and we feel extremely well positioned and qualified to offer accommodation opportunities to them. After we received assurance that the State Government was proceeding with the funding, we initiated investigations as to potential options and expansions, travelling to Melbourne to examine possibilities. However, without the assurance of ongoing funding for our current arrangements, we do not have the confidence to proceed with plans for the future
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