Management of Anchor

Anchor is managed by a Board of Management . Ordinary Board members are elected for a 3 year term in accordance with the Constitution and Articles of Association of Anchor Inc. Executive Board Members are elected to their Board positions for twelve months and can be re-elected at the next Annual General Meeting.

 The Chief Executive Officer is an ex-Officio member of the Board.

The current Anchor Board was elected at the 2009 Annual General Meeting held October 20, 2009.

           Board Members:

• Chairperson                             Mr Stephen McLoghlin
• Vice Chairperson/Secretary  Mrs Brenda McMinn
• Treasurer                                  Mr Tony Goldsmith 
• Members                                   Ms Elizabeth Boucher
                                                      Mr Chris Cosgriff
                                                      Mr Trevor Gorringe
                                                      Ms Jacqueline Maddock
                                                      Ms Loren Miller 
                                                      Mr Geoff Purves
                                                      Mr Roger Williamson
  
  Senior Management:
  
• Chief Executive Officer:          Mr John Devine
• Client Services Manager       Ms Carmel Malone
• Business Manager                 Ms Fiona Nicholls            

Privacy and Client Records

Anchor upholds the unequivocal rights to privacy of every client and Anchor foster carers. Personal information, including record keeping, is managed in ways that protect the privacy of individuals and families but which allows them personal access in accordance with the Information Privacy Act 2000.

At all times, Anchor honours the values, the spirit and intent of State and Federal Government legislation including:

• Information Privacy Act 2000,
• Working with Children Act 2005
• Working with Children Regulations 2006 
• Health Records Act 2001
• Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) Act
• Children and Young Person's Act 2005 (gazetted in April 2005, Incorporating amendments at 2 January 2007)
  

Anchor staff commit to a professional code of ethics that guide the values, behaviours and practises of all dealings with Anchor clients and other organisations.

Advocacy

Anchor strongly supports improved legal and personal protections, funding and educational campaigns that extend awareness of the issues around child and foster care and homelessness.  This includes support for increased funding and additional programs and resources.

Anchor is a member of the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare Inc, the peak body for advocacy on issues around foster care and homelessness in Victoria. Specific information on current advocacy, 'hot topics' and training is available through their News/Current Events link on www.cwav.asn.au

Anchor's current concerns include:

• 'The urgent need for increased funding for all programs in particular, the unfunded Front Door project hosted by the Department of Human Services.
• Resolution of the travel zoning discrepancy that sees homeless clients in outer lying areas such as Healesville and Warburton classified as living out of metropolitan area for travel reimbursements but in the metropolitan area for residential zoning purposes, disadvantaging the clients.
• The refusal of Centrelink to make payments to clients relocating near their families when the families live in areas not classified as eligible to receive Centrelink payments.

To find out more about Anchor , including ways to help, telephone 61-3-9801 1999 or email admin@anchor.org.au