Thinkers in Residence launch Social Capital Residencies final report

The Don Dunstan Foundation’s Thinkers in Residence program has published a new report on how to build a more purposeful economy for South Australia, with nine key recommendations creating an invaluable roadmap for shaping the future of SA’s social development and economy.

The Social Capital Residencies (SCR) report details how not-for-profit and for-profit organisations can collaborate, with inclusivity the key to building and sustaining a purposeful economy.

“It was my pleasure to act as the Principal Thinker in Residence over these two years and to be joined by an incredible cadre of other Thinkers as we worked together with South Australians to imagine a better future for your State,” says Allyson Hewitt, who is currently Vice-President, Impact, MaRS Discovery District (Toronto, Canada).

“The work of the for-purpose sector has already gained momentum in South Australia, with the establishment of Lot Fourteen and a growing expat community returning to South Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If capitalised on, these natural progressions of the report’s recommendations could continue to grow the Purpose Economy,” Ms Hewitt says.

“We also highlight that larger corporates are essential to championing South Australia as a leader in the Purpose Economy. The road to a purposeful economy must include organisations of all size and stature, including the big four consulting agencies, and other large companies with bases in SA,” says Ms Hewitt.

Chair of the Don Dunstan Foundation, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith, has welcomed the report and says the work of the five Thinkers will be invaluable to the state.

“As all of our Thinkers in Residence programs have done, the Social Capital Residencies report will bring additional thought leadership to South Australia.”

“Our warmest gratitude goes to our former Thinkers for the work they did while in the state, and for producing this informative report,” says Dr Lomax-Smith.

Launched in 2017, the Social Capital Residencies program ran until June 2019 and saw nine visits to the state from five social innovation experts from around the globe. Over the two years, these expert Thinkers met with over 8,000 South Australians through workshops, events and roundtables.

Following the guidance of expert Thinkers, and with SA’s best interest at the forefront of the minds of all stakeholders, SA holds the opportunity to pave the way for national economic development that will see greater outcomes and social returns for the broader community; an economy that is community centred.

The Social Capital Residency’s final report is available here.

Congratulations Baroness Louise Casey!

Written by Edward McLeish

Queen Elizabeth II has elevated 2017 Don Dunstan Orator Dame Louise Casey to the title of Baroness.

Baroness Louise Casey has been a driving force in ending homelessness and has developed a number of bespoke social policy programmes governments have used globally.

Aside from being an annual Don Dunstan Orator in 2017, Bss Casey challenged the city of Adelaide to solve its homelessness problem – a challenge giving birth to the Don Dunstan Foundation’s Adelaide Zero Project.

Some of Bss Casey’s UK achievements include becoming director of Shelter (1992), head of the Rough Sleepers’ Unit (1999), a director of the Anti-Social Behavioural Unit (2003), head of the Respect Task Force (2005), was the UK’s first Victims Commissioner in 2010 and the director-general of Troubled Families in 2011. In February this year, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Bss Casey as an adviser to help tackle homelessness.

Bss Casey has consistently delivered brave and innovative solutions to long standing social problems ranging from homelessness to anti-social behaviour to troubled families.

And throughout her illustrious career, Bss Casey has maintained her commitment to the charity sector and has been a driving force in the establishment of the Institute for Global Homelessness (which works with the Adelaide Zero Project), with the aim of delivering an international solution to homelessness across the world.

Previously, Bss Casey was awarded the Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) in the Queen’s birthday honours list, 2008 and made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the Queen’s birthday honours list, 2016.

The Don Dunstan Foundation congratulates Baroness Louise Carey for her promotion, her leadership and her stellar achievements in reducing homelessness.

SA’s food charities unite to discuss COVID-19 impacts

Written by Edward McLeish

South Australian food security’s biggest problem is not abundance but supply chain incompetence.

A constrained food supply chain – a challenge starkly exposed during the wave of pandemic panic buying that swept South Australia – and poor perceptions surrounding food security were the hottest menu items during last Friday’s Don Dunstan Foundation webinar: How To Foster Food Security in Uncertain Times.

Meals on Wheels Australia President Sharyn Broer, Food South Australia Chief Executive Catherine Sayer and Foodbank SA Chief Executive Greg Pattinson joined forces to talk about how their organisations were handling the COVID-19 climate. 

Mrs Broer said there had been a dramatic upsurge across Australia in demand for Meals on Wheels’ services. Not just from their traditional customers but also those who had previously been financially stable. 

‘There were around two and a half times more people saying ‘I think I need Meals on Wheels’ in March,’ Mrs Broer said. 

‘The tipping point was from the elderly who were independent; restaurants and cafes for those social meal activity settings were closed, so older people were challenged by the supermarket shelves.’

Mrs Broer said those who had income to fill out pantries couldn’t as food rationing was not implemented – and initially, online food shopping options were just as scarce. 

‘We were able to get an extra 400 meals a day going out to support people, but with 76,000 Meals on Wheels people nationally, and half of them over 70, there was a huge increase in demand and a sudden depletion in the workforce,’ she said. 

Food SA’s Catherine Sayer denied the state has, or had, a food security problem. 

‘We’ve got 26 million in Australia and there’s enough food for 75 million; it’s not a food security problem – the issue is the supply chain,’ Ms Sayer said. 

‘In SA, if the borders all closed, we could still feed ourselves many times over.’

Ms Sayer explained panic buying broke the supply chain. 

‘If everyone was just behaving normally, the supply chain wouldn’t break; we can manage this situation,’ she said. 

‘This is where I commend Greg Pattinson and Foodbank SA, where they organised a big food drive.’

Foodbank SA’s food drive in May – which focussed on the economically-impacted victims of the coronavirus – allowed panic buyers to drop off the items they overbought at Foodbank’s Edwardstown headquarters for those in need.

Mr Pattinson agreed the major strains on Australia’s food supply related to transport and distribution, but said South Aussies were better placed than others hit by the coronavirus. 

‘The other states relied on the charity sector to pass on food to clients,’ he said. 

‘During COVID, all those charities interstate closed; In WA, they couldn’t get food out to people.’

Foodbank SA has a growing number of food hubs to help the food-insecure shop for themselves, which Mr Pattinson said, like Meals on Wheels, is a more ‘dignified, customer-based’ method.

‘People can come and shop for themselves rather than getting a hamper, and having that choice helps people’s mental health,’ he said. 

According to Mr Pattinson, there is a stigma around people seeing if they qualify for food insecurity services.

‘We’ve heard stories of people walking around the front of our hubs for two days before plucking up the courage to ask for help; it is a mentally challenging environment,’ he said. 

‘There’s still lots of areas in SA with no charities to support and there are high unemployment rates in these country towns. We need to address the food needs of people in those small communities. 

‘Don’t be afraid to ask for help.’

Did you miss out on the How to Foster Food Security in Uncertain Times webinar? You can watch the replay.

The Don Dunstan Foundation will present another web seminar: How to sing, dance, paint and play our way out of COVID-19 on Wednesday July 15. Tickets here.

Homelessness to surge in South Australia because of COVID-19

Celeste Villani, City Editor, The City|May 10, 2020

Shelters are bracing for a surge in homelessness in SA in both employed and unemployed people because of the COVID-19 crisis – there’s already been a huge spike in the CBD.

Read the article here …

Dr Guy Turnbull’s report is here

Former Adelaide Specialist Thinker in Residence and award-winning UK social entrepreneur Dr Guy Turnbull is encouraging South Australia to step up and grow its co-operative movement.

Dr Turnbull, recognised for successfully opening co-operatives (or social franchises) abroad, has outlined recommendations as part of his role for the Adelaide Thinkers in Residence program, focused on developing South Australia’s Purpose Economy.

“Adopting new co-operative ways of owning and organising a range of economic activity including health and social care services, is the key to strengthening the local economy.”

“There is no greater way to engage an employee and deliver superior outcomes than to make them an owner of the organisation they work for – this is why the employee ownership and co-operative business models are thriving.”

Dr Guy Turnbull

When people have a stake in an organisation like a co-operative, they deliver a much better quality of care. This makes the business more successful and means that profits can be reinvested in staff development and better care.

The right support ecosystem needs to be in place for more co-operatives and mutuals to form in South Australia. This includes:

• Establishing a central voice
• Having strong connections to the global movement
• Accessing appropriate social investment finance
• The availability of bespoke business advice and support
• A supportive legislative environment

Co-operative and social enterprise business models gain traction when they focus on particular sectors – health, aged care, disability as well as creative industries should be prioritised.

There are already great ideas being brought to the table including; bringing together carer co-operatives with primary and allied health professionals and having multi-stakeholder co-operatives of providers and people with disabilities, families and workers, who as member-owners, are engaged in how care is delivered.

These are examples of potential innovative models where South Australia can show national leadership on engagement and outcomes for transformational social care programs such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

“I encourage South Australia to identify and nurture more Social Entrepreneurs as people are what matter most in business, including co-operatives and social enterprises.”

Dr Guy Turnbull

Dr Turnbull’s report: ‘Towards a Co-operative State: Securing the Social and Economic Prosperity of South Australia through Corporate Diversity,’ is available here.

The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, State Government, tertiary education, allied professional stakeholders and the private sector are currently working with Dr Turnbull, on contributing to the development of a blueprint for action in Australia’s health and social care sector.

Call for less government control of Lot Fourteen

In Daily Adelaide’s Independent News | Stephanie Richards 17 June 2019

The non-government sector should have a greater say in the management of Lot Fourteen as the site enters a “critical” stage of development, a visiting scholar will tell the State Government.

Canadian Rhodes scholar and innovation expert Ilse Treurnicht will present a series of recommendations to the State Government in September on how South Australia can learn from other cities’ approaches to building innovation hubs.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Millennials key to SA becoming a global pioneer in the Purpose Economy

Internationally recognised social entrepreneur Suzi Sosa has identified attracting and retaining millennials, as a crucial move for South Australia to grow the Purpose Economy.

Ms Sosa, the co-founder and CEO of Verb, a global social enterprise based in Adelaide’s sister city, Austin, Texas, has handed down recommendations as part of her ‘Thinker’ role for the Don Dunstan Foundation’s Adelaide Thinkers in Residence Program.

“There’s a lot of discussion about brain drain of young talented minds out of South Australia,” Ms Sosa says.

“Young people leaving the State shouldn’t be viewed as a problem – in fact, this is a good thing. It’s a problem if they don’t come back or South Australia can’t attract new talent.”

Millennials represent about 40 per cent of the workforce and expect their employers to show greater social responsibility.

“They are having a major impact and demanding strong leadership, mentors, low-cost and attractive living options, as well as access to capital,” Ms Sosa says.

Suzi Sosa’s Pathways to Global Leadership in the Purpose Economy: Recommendations for South Australia include:

• Millennials are crucial to the Purpose Economy. South Australia needs to stem the millennial brain drain. If South Australia wants to retain its millennial population and attract new talent, it will need to have a more supportive culture and infrastructure for millennials.
• Further develop Social Entrepreneurship programs alongside the current entrepreneurial ecosystem to offer new employment opportunities that align with millennials’ values and priorities.
• Universities have a key role to play in supporting industries to understand the needs and values of millennials through more innovative approaches to work-integrated learning.
• Support more mentoring programs and knowledge exchanges with millennials and industry.
• Develop a strategy for attracting more millennials to start business in SA, for retaining millennials and for encouraging others to return.

“With the Purpose Economy, the fastest job creating part of the South Australian economy, export opportunities need to be considered where solutions to local challenges have already been identified,” Ms Sosa says.

“It’s important the State works more closely with industries already aligned with social impact such as healthcare, renewable energy, education and the creative industries” she says.

“Also, education providers should be encouraged to strengthen students’ connection to social impact including providing more social entrepreneurship content in the high school curriculum. This will prepare them for a future workforce that will place a much higher premium on purpose.”

South Australia has been trialling a new Entrepreneur Visa program where foreign entrepreneurs and investors can bring their business venture to the State. Under the Federal Government initiative, which will be rolled out nationally in 2019, applicants don’t need capital backing.

Foreign investors will become eligible to apply for permanent residency if their business in Australia is successful.

“Governments need to consider how it can better use incentives, such as financial support and government procurement, to support early stage and purpose-driven business,” Ms Sosa says.

“The Purpose Economy should be declared as a key pillar in the State Government’s economic strategy for South Australia.”

Read the report: Pathways to Global Leadership in the Purpose Economy: Recommendations for South Australia.

The Don Dunstan Foundation has partnered with the university, business, public and community sectors to deliver the Adelaide ‘Thinkers in Residence’ Program which is focusing on growing jobs in the purpose economy.

 -ends-

SA Urged to Embrace Co-Op Model to Fix Aged Care and Disability Worker Shortages

Pro Bono Australia | Luke Michael 5 December 2018

South Australia should embrace the cooperative business model to fix problems in the state’s care sector, according to a leading UK social entrepreneur.

Dr Guy Turnbull, EY’s UK Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, has been in Australia sharing his expertise in applying the cooperative model to the social care workforce.

Adelaide’s ‘Thinker in Residence’ behind new community care

MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 13 November 2018

The Don Dunstan Foundation’s ‘Thinker in Residence’ Dr Guy Turnbull is on a mission for South Australia to embrace the co-operative business model in the state’s care sector.

The recent UK Entrepreneur of the Year recipient, recognised for successfully opening social franchises (or co-operatives) abroad in the care industry, is behind an Adelaide pilot to link local GPs and allied health providers with a co-operative of home care staff.

“We’re connecting and working together with GPs to reduce both the number of people being admitted to hospital because there isn’t adequate community care and to have them discharged more rapidly,” Dr Turnbull says.

“It’s all about delivering higher-quality care by employees that are better engaged in what they do because they are working as part of a co-operative,” he says.

“There is no greater way to engage an employee and deliver superior outcomes than to make them an owner of the organisation that they work for – this is why the employee ownership and co-operative business models are thriving.”

One of Australia’s first worker-owned co-ops, home care provider – The Co-operative Life (TCL), based in Sydney, will be part of the pilot which is due to commence in early 2019.

“South Australia is yet to have an established and registered co-operative urgent home care provider and if we move quickly, the state can become leaders in this space,” Dr Turnbull says.

By 2050, one million aged care workers will be needed to provide care to just six million people – according to a recent report by the Victorian Council on Social Services.

“That’s a three-fold increase up from 336,000 people currently working in the aged care sector,” he says.

“Now’s the time to take action and think differently about the way care is delivered.

“When people have a stake in an organisation like a co-operative, they deliver a much better quality of care. This makes the business more successful and means that profits can be re-invested in the staff development and better care.”

Don Dunstan Foundation Executive Director David Pearson says we all need to be a lot more concerned about workforce issues in the care sector.

“Not being on the front foot and addressing these challenges leads to more royal commissions into the quality of care.” Mr Pearson says.

“This industry is also a crucial part of the local economy and in South Australia’s case, is currently the biggest driver of job creation.”

The Don Dunstan Foundation has partnered with the university, business, public and community sectors to deliver the Adelaide ‘Thinkers in Residence’ program which is focusing on growing jobs in the purpose economy.

Supporting the Co-Operative Life coming to South Australia is one of nearly 30 initiatives that have been started or supported by the Thinkers Program over the last 18 months.

Dr Guy Turnbull is the current ‘Thinker in Residence’ and former Managing Director of Care and Share Associates (CASA) – an employee owned cooperative in the UK care sector.

Dr Turnbull is running a free information session about care co-ops on Friday 16 November.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES OR TO ARRANGE INTERVIEWS CONTACT: The Message Bureau on (08) 8223 7703 or 0419 754 564

Aged care scandals will continue unless the care model is transformed

INDaily | 27 September 2018

The newly-announced royal commission into the aged care sector won’t be the last unless Australia changes the way it thinks about and delivers care.

Read what Thinker in Residence, Dr Guy Turnbull, has written on this topic.