Continuing the Mission
Our Vision for the Future
Strategic Plan 2021-2025
* November 2021 *
In September last year, we presented our white paper, ‘Continuing the Mission: understanding and responding to the changing needs of the veteran community’ (see below), which was welcomed by the Victorian ex-service community. With this enthusiastic reception for our general proposals, we are now very pleased to present our Strategic Plan 2021-2025.
Together with our Purpose to ‘Serve Those Who Served’ and to continue to focus our support and accommodation services towards veterans, war widows and their close family, the new Strategic Plan has four ambitious objectives:
- Reduce homelessness
- Provide aged care services
- Offer long-term affordable accommodation
- Build and provide support services to meet the needs of the younger generation
“There are a few important points to note”, says Janna Voloshin, CEO. “Firstly, that expanding our services – whether that is opening new services or extending existing services into new geographic areas – does not take away from our commitment to older veterans and war widows. Our residential and home care services for older people will continue, and grow.
“Secondly, we are not going to be working alone. These are significant objectives and there are already many organisations supporting and assisting the ex-service community. We are looking forward to strengthening our relationships with these service providers for the benefit of the ex-service community in our state.”
Vasey RSL Care has already made some important steps towards the vision for the future.
- The closing of the Vasey RSL Care Ivanhoe aged care home earlier this year was a difficult step towards ‘laying the foundations’ for the forthcoming V Centre: this is for veterans experiencing homelessness or marginal homelessness as a result of issues in their lives.
- The proposed V Centre will offer transitional accommodation and ‘wraparound’ support services to help them get back onto a track towards a fulfilling life.
- The exchange of our existing units in Ivanhoe for 27 brand new apartments is on course for early 2023 and interest has already been strong.
- The purchase of our first regional ex-service accommodation units at Wodonga took place earlier this year and they are due to receive their first tenants in the new year.
These are evidence of our commitment to the Strategic Plan 2021-2025, which gives firm timelines for the actions and projects that will be delivered in order to meet our objectives and goals.
White Paper: Continuing the Mission
* September 2020 *
Our Vision for the next ten years was set out in our September 2020 White Paper, ‘Continuing the Mission’ and we sought input from all stakeholders.
Background
Vasey RSL Care supports offers three services;
- Home care for older Victorians
- Accommodation and services for veterans and widows of all ages
- Residential aged care
In its early beginnings, RSL Care was set up to provide accommodation and support for young men returning from World War I, especially those with physical and mental injuries, their motto being ‘to turn no one in need away’.
Similarly, when Mrs Jessie Mary Vasey set up Vasey Housing, run by the War Widows Guild Australia, she was looking to help the young women and their young children who had lost their husbands/fathers.
As the decades went by, both organisations underwent many changes and in each state of Australia, they have progressed in different ways. In Victoria, as veterans and war widows aged, their accommodation needs changed. Eventually, both Victorian branches built aged care homes to cater for the needs of their ageing communities in Victoria.
These two Victorian organisations merged in 2004 to create Vasey RSL Care.
Changing Needs
Mike O’Meara OAM, Board Chair: “We hope never again to see the numbers of veterans and war widows that we saw after the two World Wars, but it is clear that more recent veterans and widows have very specific needs relating to their service, or that of their partner. Vasey RSL Care is well placed both to continue to meet the demand from older veterans and their dependants, while adapting to serve the needs of younger veterans and those in transition.
“Department of Veterans’ Affairs figures show that demand for the organisation’s services will continue to be strong.
“We are passionate about this: we have an exciting ten-year strategy and we would like to work with the whole ex-service community to bring these plans to fruition for the benefit of our unique community and to honour and maintain the vision and legacy of Mrs Vasey.”
Facts and Figures
- Vasey RSL Care is the only aged care organisation in Victoria that prioritises the ex-service community
- War widows and veterans are prioritised regardless of their financial circumstances
- Vasey RSL Care is a Patriotic Fund for the benefit of war widows and veterans – there is no set percentage of veterans/war widows required in order to satisfy the fund’s requirements
- Around 75% of our aged care residents are veterans and war widows
- We have 265 ex-service accommodation units solely for veterans and war widows of all ages – approximately a third of new residents each year are younger veterans
- DVA figures show veteran numbers are predicted to increase by 21.8% in the ten years to 2029
- Approx 6000 service men and women leave the ADF each year
- It is predicted that ex-service accommodation needs will increase in younger veterans (<65), retired veterans (65-85) and older veterans (>85)
White Paper: Continuing the Mission
“Victoria’s ex-service community is changing and the services that surround its members must adapt. Contrary to popular belief, the need is not in decline, though the needs are changing with the demographics of veterans and their families.”
It is with this opening paragraph of our White Paper that Vasey RSL Care draws upon industry and government research, data from the ex-service community, and the lived experiences of veterans and war widows and the staff that care for them, to present our vision for evolving veteran services for the coming decade and beyond.
While those in the ex-service community already know how important it is to understand the needs of people using Vasey RSL Care’s services, these needs are not well understood by the general community, which is why we have developed this White Paper.
With greater understanding we strive to encourage others to join us in improving services.
Our nation is proud of our ex-service men and women and we acknowledge the incredible sacrifice of their families. But pride and gratitude must be reflected in the services available to our ex-service community, and we believe much more can be done.
Our Services
Vasey RSL Care is Victoria’s leading specialist in ex-service housing, care and support. We provide residential accommodation and care for more than 850 people, mostly ex-service. Every day, we see the unique needs of our veterans and war widows and have long recognised the need to keep adapting to the changing generations using our services.
- Growing numbers of veterans of the Vietnam War (1962-1975), Indonesian Confrontation (1963-1966) and Malayan Emergency (1950-1960) are in need of dedicated accommodation to support their retirement.
- There is also a younger group of veterans who have served post the Vietnam War in the First Gulf War, Pacific peacekeeping missions, the Second Gulf War, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan. This generation of veterans, while younger, still face unique and often unmet challenges in securing emergency accommodation and help transitioning to civilian life.
Our Commitment
The mission is not over, and it is the pledge of Vasey RSL Care to ‘serve those who served’.
This White Paper presents the changing demographics of ex-service people, their specific needs and our strategic vision to ensure all veterans and war widows continue to receive the support of a grateful Australian community.
We are committed to not only providing high quality care and services to the ex-service community, but to work closely and cooperatively with all others offering services to veterans, war widows and their families.
We value your ideas, your partnership and your dedication to ensuring the legacy of veterans and war widows is truly honoured.