Carol Altmann – The Terrier

A couple of weeks ago, Lyndoch Living hired a Melbourne consultant to survey staff and unearth whether, essentially, any of the issues raised here these past six weeks are true.

The online survey, which closed at 5.30pm today, is at least an acknowledgement by Lyndoch that it can’t ignore the stream of allegations around its workplace culture, but I have little confidence that it will reveal very much at all.

Why? Because I doubt many staff will be brave enough to respond, or to answer openly.

First, the Survey Monkey survey is intended to be confidential, yet so many people within Lyndoch that I have spoken to are nervous that as it was sent to their Lyndoch email address, it could be traceable.

Second, the “confidential” survey asks what area of Lyndoch the staff member works in.

Thirdly, the “confidential” survey asks if anyone has an “extensive issue” that they would like “someone” (who??) to call them about, or to see them about, to please provide their contact details.

Finally, just days after this survey was sent out, Lyndoch board chair Kerry Nelson issued a statement to all staff which emphasised the board’s full support for Lyndoch CEO Doreen Power.

Ms Power, at the end of the day, is responsible for any workplace issues which could be flushed out by the survey.

In other words, before nervous staff have even spoken up via the survey, the person who is ultimately in charge has been absolved by the board of any responsibility.

Given all of the above, would you fill out this survey without fear or favour?

What Lyndoch still struggles to grasp is that the allegations around Lyndoch are not from one or two disgruntled staff who have turned to a journalist, but a stream of people who have come to me as their last resort.

I didn’t approach these people – they approached me and they continue to approach me, because they no longer trust the internal workings of Lyndoch to listen, to protect, to nurture and to restore their faith in their workplace.

It’s exactly what happened around the misuse and abuse of credit cards within the Warrnambool City Council, when whistleblowers pushed information to me because they no longer trusted the internal systems, and no bloody wonder.

The council, in its newfound transparent culture, has hounded those who it believes “leaked” information, rather than ask why information was passed on in the first place, or be grateful to those who had the courage to do so.

It’s the same attitude behind Lyndoch threatening dismissal of staff members who express an opinion on The Terrier Facebook page or, heaven help them, clicks “like”.

I can only say to the Lyndoch board and executive: wake up and smell the coffee.

Instead of spending time and money on Survey Monkey, public relations spin, and hunting down staff who click on The Terrier, the board and executive should be diving deep to build respect, empathy and trust.

The first step should be the appointment of an experienced, independent reviewer who can take the time to conduct private, in-depth, face-to-face interviews, off site from Lyndoch.

The second should be the board insisting on summaries of staff exit interviews, which I can only assume doesn’t happen already.

And the third is creating a culture not of  “yes, sir, no, sir, three-bags-full-sir” but which encourages the question of “why?”

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Honourable Anne Ferguson, recently spoke about the need for a “questioning” workplace culture as an essential part of a healthy and safe work environment.

And as Lyndoch is community owned, it is not just the staff who should be encouraged to ask questions, but all of us, with an expectation of answers.

Yet, after six weeks of my hammering on the door of Lyndoch, there are still so many questions:

about staff turnover, horse race sponsorship, the racing corporate marquee, the $100 million masterplan, the “state of the art” medical clinic, staff shortages, why there is still only one Registered Nurse on night duty for 200 residents, board selection, the new constitution, core values, contracts, equipment, and corporate cars (which I haven’t even got to yet)….

We still don’t even know whether Lyndoch made a surplus or deficit last financial year.

So while Nero tunes up his fiddle on Hopkins Rd, we will rest, regroup and we will keep pressing on, after Christmas and New Year, until we have the answers.

Thankyou to every single person who has helped the Foxy Fighting Fund. If you would like to make a small contribution, you can do so below.

The Foxy Fighting Fund

[box]ROY REEKIE is running as an independent in the by-election for South West Coast. Here he writes about improving the rail service:[/box]

[quote]

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] I[/dropcap]n what’s been a confusing by-election so far, we have our first certainty. The South West will get its extra daily train service.

Last Wednesday, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy stood at Warrnambool station, flanked by a bank of dark suits, to announce that ‘a Coalition government’ would introduce a fourth daily service from Warrnambool; that is, IF the Coalition is elected back into government in 2018 or some election beyond. That’s not much of a guarantee. There are too many ifs and too much waiting.

I can go one better.

If I’m elected as your independent member for South West Coast on 31 October, I  guarantee that we will have an additional daily train service out of Warrnambool by this time next year.

I will also work with the community and the government to reform our train service to improve comfort, reliability, frequency and guaranteed, no excuses inclusion of people with mobility issues. I will make the train service safer and more convenient for  older people and young families. I will work on the government and the opposition to achieve a long term infrastructure investment plan for track upgrades and duplications so that our future rail services are faster, more comfortable and modern.  This is what’s required; not just a promise of an additional train here and there.

How will I do this? On Wednesday next week , I will announce my comprehensive rail policy at Warrnambool station just prior to the lunchtime train. Then, you need to vote on October 31 to make South West Coast marginal. If I’m elected, I’ll take it from there and deliver what we need.

I welcome the Coalition’s commitment to an extra train service. I don’t think it goes far enough or will happen soon enough, but I welcome it. And I say this to Mr Guy and Mr Walsh: if I’m elected, I expect your full support on the floor of the Parliament on this issue.

Roy Reekie

Ferguson Street Warrnambool.

(PO Box 882 Warrnambool 3280

Facebook: Roy Reekie, Independent candidate for South West Coast)

[box]MICHAEL McCLUSKEY is running as an independent in the by-election for South West Coast. Here he writes about improving education:[/box]

[quote]

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] A[/dropcap]ccess to affordable education is a cornerstone pillar of how successful a society is when it comes to economic and social development. If we look at any community throughout the world the more freedom people have in being able to access education, the more developed and evolved that society becomes particularly in relation to it’s economic and social well being.

Many studies have shown a strong association between better education and economic growth. The impact of this education continues throughout generations owing to the fact that educated individuals are more likely to nurture healthier and more educated generations

Education is one of the key determinants of an individual’s empowerment within their society. It is one of the reasons why totalitarian regimes try to prevent the access of children, especially young girls, to a full and broad education. The International Conference on Population and Development has stated that ‘Education is one of the most important means of empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to participate fully in the development process.’ Also a a study by the International Centre for Research on Women highlighted that ‘Women are more likely to control their own destinies and effect change in their own communities when they have higher levels of education’.

Education needs to be thought of as a ‘many rather than one’ pathway.

I think we need to be cautious in our tendency to sometimes believe that Year 12 and beyond is ‘the be all and end all’ of education. The trade, technical and other creative pathways are all valid and important pathways and it is crucial we provide and foster the options that best suit each individual rather than trying to push people down paths that might not be a good fit for them.

The Victorian ombudsman’s recent report on prisoner rehabilitation highlights the importance of the link between education access and social well being. The report noted that the Year 12 or equivalent completion rate amongst Victorian prisoners has varied between 5 and 7 per cent over the last decade compared to a Year 12 completion rate of 89% for 20-24 year olds in the general population.

I also lament the way the Victorian TAFE system has been underfunded in recent times. It may take a number of years before we fully appreciate the economic and social cost of having failed to properly fund our TAFE system.

I struggle to see the wisdom in bringing in large numbers of foreign workers on 457 work visas on one hand and then on the other failing to provide a well funded and sustainable education system that could train up the skilled workers we need from within our own community.

Our political system needs to do all it can to improve the accessibility to education at all levels for all people.

Dr Michael McCluskey B.V.Sc. (Hons.)

Independent Candidate

South-West Coast electorate

(8 Megan Ct, W’bool.)