1. 10 Railway Parade Penshurst NSW 2222 p: 8568 8200 e: mail@learninglinks.org.aumail@learninglinks.org.au www.learninglinks.org.au 1 Strategic Direction Update 1 March 2014 Executive Team March 2014

2. 2 Strategic planning is important for all organisations Especially relevant ongoing changes to the sector and as we approach the 2014/15 financial year. Following recent in-depth workshops, the Board and the Executive have agreed on an overall plan and strategic direction. The operational plans, budgets and implications are yet to be fully worked out and presented to the Board. Presentations will be made at each location over the next few weeks to share the process undertaken jointly by the Board and the Executive team and to agree next steps across our organisation This information has been shared with you only at this point, so please treat it as confidential information as we have not yet shared it with external stakeholders Setting the strategic direction

3. 3 Focus energies on becoming client focussed; a quality organisation Address issues around our ailing infrastructure, facilities and systems and expansive range of programs and services Position ourselves in relation to the new external environment - NDIS, block, individualised funding, recognising our current situation Introduce processes that allow us to break down the organisational silos and develop a stronger customer focus to support service delivery excellence Continue our commitment to evidence-based decision-making and measurable impact Develop a more sustainable business model with an external focus and flexibility Better understand market demands and respond to this demand Aim for strategic growth including opportunities for more alliances and partnerships to support our business and our programs Common Themes

4. 4 We will be building and delivering upon on our strong heritage of helping children learn Our future work will focus on helping children with learning difficulties and learning disabilities. This includes children and families who are also financially disadvantaged. This is the core of what we will do in the future. Learning Links will not seek inclusion in the NDIS or accreditation in the first instance. This does not mean Learning Links will not ever be involved in the NDIS. Learning Links will use the NDIS tools and quality framework to improve our situation and will reconsider NDIS as an option as the insurance scheme rolls out nationally over the next 3 years. Implications include programs we deliver and how they are delivered, our geographical footprint and at some stage our organisational structure. Our work will continue as usual for some time and no structural changes are planned for the short term, although some additional resources may be needed along the way. What is our focus?

5. 5 The Board and Executive team are keen to make the implications of the strategic plan as open and transparent as possible. We understand that change is unsettling and waiting is not easy. Changes will not be made lightly or without careful consideration of our clients. The Board and the Executive leadership team are both keen to ensure change is well managed and enables delivery of the strategic direction. We are all available to ask any questions you may have along the way, with as much accurate detail as is available at the time. Should we be unable to answer your question, we will endeavour to get back to you within 24 hours More information regarding the strategic plans will be shared with staff at the end of March Understanding your concerns

6. 6 What is driving the need for a new strategic direction? There are significant changes underway in our external environment. These will increase competition and reduce guaranteed funding from July 2015. This, along with our ageing infrastructure, facilities and systems makes need for a new strategic direction a priority. What happens next? This strategic plan has been jointly developed by the Board and Executive team. The Board has endorsed the plan and will be actively involved through sub-committees in guiding the delivery of the projects from the plan. Why are we still working out the details? Last year we made the commitment to you to be more transparent in all our future dealings with you. Hence, we will continue to communicate regularly, even if that means we will not have all the answers all the time. We want to make sure we get the details right and there is significant work involved. When the operational plans have been finalised, the information will be shared with you. At the end of March, we will provide you with more information. Questions & Answers

7. 7 How will we be able to fund this? Firstly, we recognise that many not-for-profits are challenged in this area. The bar has been raised across many aspects of the not-for-profit sector. Not the least being the need to ensure that organisations that have been traditionally funded by government are commercially viable and focussed on client services. Whilst we recognise this will be a challenge to our organisation, we have short- term plans to free up funds for investment in the required infrastructure, systems and other resources. We are also looking for new opportunities to build new revenue streams and, as you know, we are all managing our expenses closely. Are we in financial difficulties? In the last financial year Learning Links made a loss and it is clear that our current business model needs review, but there is no threat to our ability to continue as usual in the short to medium term. However, we must change the way we do business, focus on our financial sustainability and ensure we continue to deliver great services to our clients. This means we need to look for new ways to fund strategic growth. Questions and Answers

8. 8 Why are we not part of the first round of NDIS? Accreditation required for participation in the NDIS requires significant investment in infrastructure and systems we do not currently have. NDIS is still being refined and these changes will continue. We will be using the NDIS tools in our work to become a quality driven organisation and this will ensure our NDIS options remain open. Will we be moving? The new plan will have implications for the programs we are involved in and for our geographical footprint. There are no immediate plans to move at this time. We are reviewing all options to become more sustainable and geography is one of many aspects we are reviewing. How will this affect Early Childhood Services? Family Services? Our focus will be on helping children with learning difficulties and learning disabilities and their families. Work that we currently do with disadvantaged families will continue. This includes children across the age spectrum. The details on any changes are still to be detailed and will be shared as soon as they become available. Questions and Answers

9. 9 What will happen after June 2015 Our contractual obligations with ADHC currently cease on June 2015. This is approximately 20% of our funding and would not be guaranteed under the NDIS environment. Our intention is to maintain a very open dialogue with all government departments. As the NDIS is in a constant state of flux, with time we will understand the changing market better and what role best suits Learning Links. How can I be involved? A number of projects will be initiated as part of the implementation of the strategic plan. We will be encouraging staff to participate in these opportunities and have active involvement in our future. When will we get more information? Stage 2 – Developing the Strategic Plan (End March) Stage 3 – Creating Operational Plans including Budget (Organisation Day 14 th April) Questions and Answers