industry
in conversation :
Jo Toohey , CEO , Benevolent Society
Tell us about the Benevolent Society . We are Australia ’ s oldest charity , established in 1813 . Our founding patron was Governor Lachlan Macquarie . We were the first to recognise a need in Sydney for social welfare and have always focussed on helping the most vulnerable in our society . We were the first to introduce district nursing ( 1820 ) and in the 1850s we cared for and educated abandoned children . Our former president Arthur Renwick led a campaign to introduce an Old Age Pension which , when approved by the NSW Government in 1901 , was the first of its kind in the world . In 1905 , we opened the Royal Hospital for Women , the first hospital in Australia dedicated to women and children .
Nowadays , we operate in three areas - child and family , ageing and disability – in New South Wales and Queensland . From a disability and ageing perspective , our aim is to support positive social change and provide healthy ageing services . We employ 950 staff and impact 47,000 people annually through our services . When our workforce with the Community Support Teams from the NSW Government is complete , we will add 800 staff members and 7,000 clients and our geographical footprint will reach into remote and regional areas in NSW . We are also looking to expand across the country .
What are some of the programs and services you provide ? Our services for people with disability include respite services , emergency support services , case management and a range of psychosocial and mental health services . Underpinning all our work is our advocacy and desire to influence social policy . Our research informs our work and services and our evaluation tells us how effective we are at making a difference .
How long have you worked at the Benevolent Society and how did you come to this role ? I ’ ve been with the Benevolent Society for four years and have been CEO for two years . I was extremely honoured to have been selected as CEO after serving as Acting CEO . I worked in NFPs previously and brought that experience , as well as my experience as an RN , to this new job .
What are the most rewarding parts of your job ? The impact that we have on people ’ s lives through the services we deliver and the outcomes we are able to generate . With the joining of the workforces from the
NSW government in disability and from The Benevolent Society , we will have an even greater impact on people ’ s lives , helping them to live their best life .
The Benevolent Society is now the largest disability service provider in Australia . What challenges and opportunities does this present ? In what is both a challenge and an opportunity , the entire environment in which NFPs work has changed . State governments have made decisions to move the provision of services outside the government sector and we are learning to operate in a more commercial environment . It ’ s a challenge and we have to be agile and flexible . As we expand our services and our footprint , we are learning from our clients , our staff and the situation itself as it changes .
What are the top three issues facing the disability sector ? The scale of the sector has changed and continues to change . This has an impact on us as an organisation and we don ’ t want services to any of our clients to change – we want to continue providing the best service possible , even as we grow . Attracting
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