Cranford Hospice CEO Janice Byford-Jones in the gardens at the hospice. Photo / Duncan Brown
It may be the end of an era for Presbyterian Support East Coast (PSEC), but it's the beginning of a new one for Cranford Hospice.
Just over a week ago board members from PSEC, Cranford Hospice Trust and Cranford Hospice Foundation Trust signed documents confirming PSEC's gift of its specialist palliative care service, Cranford Hospice, to the community. Cranford Hospice becomes a stand-alone charity, allowing both the specialist palliative care service and PSEC to focus on their core businesses.
Cranford Hospice CEO Janice Byford-Jones says conversations about this decision have been a few years in the making.
"I understand the PSEC board approached the Cranford board around the early part of 2016 with a plan to separate. There have been many before me who have possibly had these conversations and held this vision."
Janice acknowledges the support and hard work by PSEC and other key community members who have assisted in getting Cranford Hospice specialist palliative care services to the place it has since its inception in 1982.
"Obviously a decision like this is not made lightly. There were many factors to consider, and everyone needed to be in agreement. Conversations with the key stakeholders, such as the Hawke's Bay District Health Board, both boards obviously, and the Cranford Hospice Foundation, have resulted in this move."
Janice believes the decision to move Cranford Hospice to a stand-alone charity makes a lot of sense - 'including from the governance point of view".
"To my knowledge, apart from one other hospice in New Zealand, all others around the country are independent charities, often supported like us, by a Foundation Trust. It allows us to be completely focused on our purpose and be able to work with the community and other key partners to deliver the service." She says the changes should not affect staff or the running of the hospice or hospice shops.
"On a day to day basis, it shouldn't affect the operational running of the palliative care services we provide or the staff and volunteers either working in the Hawke's Bay community, in the Hospice Shops in Hastings, Napier and Waipukurau, as well as within the hospice building.
"We have done a lot of work in the background, such as aligning IT systems and some related processes, financial systems and HR support. The general public shouldn't notice any difference. Our service delivery is still aiming to be to the highest standard and uninterrupted in this time of transition."
A full consultation with staff, volunteers and key stakeholders was undertaken and Janice says everyone's reaction was generally very positive.
"It is really important to involve all those involved when any change is planned. Staff, including volunteers, have been very supportive and understanding."
PSEC board chairman Maitland Manning says, on behalf of the board, PSEC has put the interests of the community first and has played an active role in passing Cranford into community ownership. PSEC established Cranford Hospice 35 years ago and Maitland says it took vision, courage and a lot of persistence.
"A number of people gave freely of their own time and their own expertise to make it happen. As a result, today Cranford is a very highly regarded part of the hospice scene and is highly valued by the Hawke's Bay community.
This "coming of age" move for Cranford Hospice will bring it into line with the governance of other hospices around New Zealand.
"We were one of the few that operated as a service of a charitable organisation rather as a charity in its own right."
The Cranford Hospice board was established in 2010 and had reporting commitments to the PSEC board.
From July 1, the Cranford Hospice Trust has been operating with its own Board of Trustees.
Janice sites many examples of what 'community ownership' means for Cranford.
"Cranford Hospice touches so many members of the community. This may be through whanau members who may use the services, people buying quality pre-loved goods into our three retail shops or through people donating their time."
Janice also includes their valued volunteer workforce or an associated event, such as the Hawke's Bay Wine Auction, Hospice Holly Trail, the Wildflower Sculpture Exhibition or Let's Dance.
"As well, we get support from a variety of trusts and grant applications. In all of these ways we receive such generous support from the community."
About 90 per cent of Cranford's work happens out in the community, in people's homes and aged residential care facilities.
"All of our board members are people of the Hawke's Bay community. We listen to what the community needs and try to accommodate that, we therefore feel that the community owns Cranford Hospice."
Janice says they are very grateful to the Hawke's Bay public for their support - they receive partial funding from the HBDHB and obtain the rest from the community.
"We are confident this is the right step for Cranford. We look forward to celebrating our 35th birthday in August and what the future has to hold as we continue to work together with the community we serve and to support them to live every moment until they die. This is the reason we do what we do."