Richard Chambers AManager, Strategic Initiatives Unit CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL HEALTH

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NSW HEALTH The Centre for Aboriginal Health
Richard Chambers A/Manager, Strategic
Initiatives Unit CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL
HEALTH May 2006
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OVERVIEW

• Thirty-nine Aboriginal Community Controlled
  Health Services (ACCHSs) and other NGOs receive
  funding from the Centre for Aboriginal Health to
  provide specific health services for their local
  Aboriginal Communities.
• These funds are provided from the following
  sources
• Non-Government Organisation Grant Funding
  Program.
• NSW Aboriginal State-wide Enhancement Budget
• NSW Aboriginal Minor Capital Works Budget
• NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion Community Grants
  Scheme

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Centre for Aboriginal Health Budgets
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What is the Non-Government Organisation Grant
Funding Program?

• The Non-Government Organisation Grant Funding
  Program allows the Centre for Aboriginal Health
  to work in partnership with independent,
  Aboriginal community controlled health services
  which are sensitive to local issues and changing
  community needs and are well placed to develop
  and provide innovative forms of service delivery.

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The aims of the Non-Government Organisation Grant
Funding Program.

• support models of health service delivery
  developed by local communities which maximise
  access support community participation
• build self reliance and responsibility for
  health at a personal and community level by the
  development of networks self help initiatives
• ensure a range of complementary health services
  which provide ease of continuity of care and
  efficiency in the use of local resources and
• Assist NGOs to provide a range of priority health
  services

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Examples of projects funded under the
Non-Government Organisation Grant Funding Program.

• Most Commonly
• Public Health Programs
• Drug Alcohol Programs
• Less common are miscellaneous projects such as
• Nurses
• Youth Programs and
• Health Welfare Programs

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How do ACCHSs access the NGO Grant Program?

• The funding provided under the NGO Grant Program
  is triennial. This means that every three years
  an ACCHS that is currently funded must put in a
  new application for funding.
• The Centre for Aboriginal Health reviews each
  application and if in agreement with the
  activities and services proposed prepares a
  Funding and Performance Agreement (FPA) for the
  NGO to sign.
• This FPA is a contract where NSW Health agrees to
  provide funds if the ACCHS agrees to provide
  particular services and abide by the principles
  outlined in the Operational Guidelines NGO Grant
  Program.
• However, there has been no new funding allocated
  to the Centre for Aboriginal Health to expand
  this program for a number of years now.

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What is the NSW Aboriginal Statewide Enhancement
Budget?

• The Aboriginal Health Statewide Enhancement
  Budget is primarily intended to be used to fund
  pilot programs (seeding grants) and other health
  initiatives.
• Over time a number of recurrent programs to
  ACCHSs and Area Health Services have also been
  funded through the Enhancement Budget. These
  include the Aboriginal Family Health Strategy,
  Otitis Media Strategy, the Vascular Health
  Programs and the Maternal Infant Health Programs.

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The aims of the NSW Aboriginal Statewide
Enhancement Budget.

• To be a home for funds for Ministerially
  approved programs such as the Aboriginal Family
  Health Strategy, Otitis Media Strategy, Vascular
  Health and Maternal Infant Health
• To be a source of one-off funds to both ACCHSs
  and Area Health Services available through
  application particularly to assist in seeding
  projects, or for short term projects that do not
  require ongoing funding
• Where no other recurrent sources of funding are
  available and a program is considered critical to
  the survival of an ACCHS and meets specified
  funding criteria, the Enhancement Budget can be
  used to assist NGOS to provide priority
  complementary health services.

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Examples of projects funded under the NSW
Aboriginal Statewide Enhancement Budget.

• Recurrent Programs
• Aboriginal Family Health Otitis Media
• Maternal Infant Health Vascular Health
• One-Off Projects
• Emergency Grants Consultancies
• Small Infrastructure Grants

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How do ACCHSs access Recurrent funds from the
NSW Aboriginal Statewide Enhancement Budget?

• Recurrent Funding
• In some circumstances where the Centre has been
  working closely with a Service and it is found
  that additional recurrent funding is considered
  critical to the survival of an ACCHS and no other
  sources of funding are available, the Enhancement
  Budget has been used to assist these NGOS to
  continue to provide priority complementary health
  services.
• These grants must be approved by the Minister
  after meeting the following criteria
• Value for Money Stability of Service Delivery
• Partnership Accountability
• Capacity to Provide Services
• Once approved, funds provided under the Statewide
  Enhancement Budget are also triennial and are
  covered by an FPA in exactly the same way as the
  NGO Grant Program.

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How do ACCHSs access One-off funds from the NSW
Aboriginal Statewide Enhancement Budget?

• One-off funding
• One-off grants are sometimes available under the
  Statewide Enhancement Budget. Typically these
  would be for unanticipated costs that involve NSW
  Health funded programs.
• These grants must be approved by the Minister
  after meeting the following criteria
• Value for Money Stability of Service Delivery
• Partnership Accountability
• Capacity to Provide Services
• Once approved, funds provided under the Statewide
  Enhancement Budget must be reported against in
  exactly the same way as those provided under the
  NGO Grant Program.

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What is the NSW Aboriginal Minor Capital Works
Budget?

• The Aboriginal Minor Capital Works Program is
  used specifically for facilities that provide
  health services to the Aboriginal Community in
  NSW. These can range from planning projects to
  new building projects or existing works that need
  to be improved.
•  
• Funding is typically provided to ACCHSs or to
  Area Health Services for specific Aboriginal
  health related purposes.
• In relation to ACCHSs, the Centre for Aboriginal
  Health has been focusing on developing and
  strengthening existing partnerships with OATSIH
  to further expand the scope of the existing
  Program to undertake larger projects throughout
  NSW.
• The Centre is working through a Five Year Plan
  which provides direction for the allocation of
  Minor Capital Works Projects.

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The aims of the NSW Aboriginal Minor Capital
Works Budget.

• to improve and then maintain a high standard of
  facilities that provide health services to the
  Aboriginal Community in NSW
• to work in partnership with OATSIH to provide
  better value for money and
• to be responsive to the infrastructure needs of
  ACCHSs where possible.

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The type of projects funded under the NSW
Aboriginal Minor Capital Works Budget.

• Planning Processes such as SPP/PDP
• minor major repairs of existing facilities
• purchase and fit-out of new buildings and
• Complete new builds

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How do ACCHSs access the Aboriginal Minor Capital
Works Budget?

• The Centre is working through a Five Year Plan
  which provides direction for the allocation of
  Minor Capital Works Projects.
• This has been developed in consultation with
  OATSIH and will drive the major projects
  undertaken by the Centre.
• Small one-off funding may be available if
  slippages occur in the overall program.
• Contact Mike Taylor or Richard Chambers to
  discuss specific needs as they arise to see if
  assistance is available

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What is the NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion
Community Grants Scheme?

• The NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion Community
  Grant Scheme is an initiative of the NSW
  Aboriginal Health Partnership, comprising the
  AHMRC and NSW Health.
• The funding is provided by the Centre for
  Aboriginal Health, from the Aboriginal Health
  Promotion Budget.
• The program is administered by the Collaborative
  Centre for Aboriginal Health Promotion (CCAHP).
  

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What is the NSW Aboriginal Health Promotion
Community Grants Scheme?

• These grants can only be applied for by ACCHSs.
• The grants are up to and including 50,000 to
  support a program for 2 years.

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The objectives of the NSW Aboriginal Health
Promotion Community Grants Scheme.

• Increase emphasis on best practice Aboriginal
  Health Promotion
• Increase the effectiveness of Health Promotion
• Contribute to the knowledge base for Aboriginal
  Health Promotion
• Increase Communitys skills in Program
  Management and
• Strengthen Community capacity

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The type of projects funded under the NSW
Aboriginal Health Promotion Community Grants
Scheme.

• Some Projects previously funded have included
• Oral Health Womens Health
• Mens Health Diabetes
• Cardio vascular Nutrition Health Lifestyles
• To name but a few

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How do ACCHSs access the NSW Aboriginal Health
Promotion Community Grants Scheme?

• Every year a round of funding for the
  Aboriginal Health Promotion Community Grant
  Scheme is available.
• All applications are assessed by an independent
  Grants Assessment Panel in accordance with the
  Aboriginal Health Promotion Programs Directions
  Paper Funding Guidelines.
• ACCHSs can be assisted through the application
  process and can receive advice on program
  management and health promotion from the Grants
  Program Managers based at CCAHP.
• Unsuccessful applicants are provided with further
  support and assistance by the Grants Program
  Managers so as to be able to resubmit
  applications in the next round of grants funding.
  

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But wait theres more

• ACCHSs also receive funding from other Branches
  in NSW Health
• AIDS Infectious Diseases Branch
• Sexual Health Programs 1,070,000
• Primary Health Community Partnerships Branch
• Alternate Birthing Programs 480,000
• Centre for Mental Health
• Mental Health Programs 600,000

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No wait theres still more

• ACCHSs also receive funding from these other
  Branches in NSW Health
• Centre for Oral Health
• Oral Health Programs 3,300,000
• Centre for Drug Alcohol
• Drug Alcohol Programs 700,000

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Operational Guidelines NGO Grant Program
http//www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2001/pdf/operat
ional.pdf

• Everything you need to know about NSW Health
  grants to NGOs is contained in the Operational
  Guidelines NGO grant program.
• Its the good book for both NGOs and the
  Department.

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Operational Guidelines NGO Grant Program

• Funding Criteria
• Application Processes
• Conditions of Grants
• Funding and Performance Agreements
• Financial Reporting Requirements
• Activity Reporting Requirements
• Check List for NGOs

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Accountability

• NSW Health has to be accountable for all the
  tax-payers money it uses to provide grant funding
  to NGOs. Therefore, each year by 30 September we
  expect every NGO we fund to have provided us with
  the following
• An independently Audited Annual Financial Report
• An Annual Activity Report for each funded program
• Failure to submit these on time will lead to
  suspension of funding.

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Accounting and Financial Records

• Each ACCHS is required to maintain minimum
  organisational records (including accounting and
  financial records) which must comply to
  Australian Accounting Standards as defined in
  AUS104, in order to enable the production of
  annual reports which facilitate both internal and
  external scrutiny of the organisation's yearly
  activities.
• The Department has statutory obligations to
  ensure that accountability for the expenditure of
  Health funds is maintained to satisfactory
  standards.
• The NGO Grant Program Operational Guidelines,
  outlines the Departments expectation that all
  funded organisations maintain a complete set of
  accounting records and financial records.

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Accounting and Financial Records Part Two

• Accounting Records
• Cash Book
• Bank Deposit Book
• Cheque Butts
• Petty Cash Book (kept on imprest system)
• Pre-numbered Official Receipt Book
• Monthly Bank Reconciliation of Cash Book
• Documentation of all expenditure with evidence
  of approval (e.g. Management Committee or
  officers as authorised under the organisation's
  approved constitution)
• Wages Records/Timesheets
• Financial Records
• Balance Sheet Profit Loss Statement or
  Receipts and Payments
• Cash Flow Statement Assets/Inventory Register

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Wil Maehlers Auditing Checklist

• This is a copy of the Check List used by Wil
  Maehler in Finance Branch to check whether a
  Service has provided the Department with
  everything necessary to ensure ongoing funding.
• Pay particular attention to the items in bold.
• There is a similar checklist at the back of the
  Operational Guidelines NGO Grant Program.

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Activity Reporting The Past

• The Department requires a concise report on each
  program provided by each NGO every year. The
  report should in the include information on the
  following
• 1. Were program goals achieved? How?
• 2. Major users of the service
• 3. Comment briefly on how the program was of
  direct benefit to the Community.
• 4. Any changes in demand for the service? Did
  activities change to meet the demand?
• 5. Difficulties encountered in providing the
  service to the level as outlined in your FPA?
• 6. Has there been any review of the program by an
  external agency in the period.
• 7. Outline of partnership and interagency work
  relating to the program.
• 8. Community involvement in the management of the
  program.
• 9. Does the program use volunteer staff? If so,
  how are they trained and supported?
• 10. Operating hours of the service.
• 11. Other relevant information (such as copies of
  annual reports).

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Activity Reporting The Present Future

• For most ACCHSs that receive funding from the
  Centre for Aboriginal Health, NSW Healths
  Activity Reporting has now become integrated with
  the Commonwealths Service Development and
  Reporting Framework (SDRF).
• This means an ACCHS will prepare one report that
  will be acceptable for both funding agencies.
• All the questions from the previous slide should
  be answerable under the SDRF format.

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THANKS! ANY MORE QUESTIONS?
Richard Chambers A/Manager, Strategic
Initiatives Unit CENTRE FOR ABORIGINAL
HEALTH May 2006