When
Jenny Slade joined the City of Springvale in January 1970 as its first
Social Worker, she had already worked at Willesmere Hospital, Kew, counselling
elderly patients and their families and had spent four years with the
London Borough of Croydon, involved in client counselling and community
education and liaison.
Slade graduated BA Dip. Soc. Studs from the University of Melbourne
in 1966. In 1987, she was awarded an MBA.
Her time in England transformed her view of social work and she in
turn was to transform the delivery of services to the people of Springvale.
She was appointed Manager of Community Services in 1984, a position
she occupied until her early death.
At the time of her appointment, welfare services for the municipality
consisted of Meals on Wheels, Home Help and Infant Welfare. By 1990,
she was responsible for more than 30 programs, employing more than 70
full-time staff, and a budget of almost $7 million. She was recognised,
in the words of her Chief Executive Officer, as "the architect
of this City's community services".
Her efforts led to the establishment of the HL Williams Court Home
for the Frail Aged and she played a crucial role in setting up its management
structure and protocols for the assessment of clients. In 1982 an assisted
accommodation unit for disabled adults was opened. Slade had alerted
Council to the need for this, identified the house in which it could
be established and secured its funding. Special housing units for elderly
people of non-English-speaking backgrounds were not opened until 1995,
but it had been her initiative which secured their funding.
Her other achievements included integrating Infant Welfare Services
with Community Services, forming the Family Day Care Scheme, developing
two Child Care Centres and establishing Visiting Teacher and Emergency
Houses programs.
The sculpture "Mother and Child" by Ethel Reynolds stands
outside the Council Chambers in Springvale as a permanent tribute to
her work.
