December 2011

FROM THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR

Editorial – Digital Inclusion

It is nice to end the year with the policy area of social inclusion coming back in Federal Cabinet, this time along with mental health and aged care under Minister Mark Butler [and you can find more about the changes to the Government Ministry, below.]

 

Social Inclusion as a national project had faded a bit from the front line recently, which has been frustrating given it features in so much of our work across the Anglicare network, in programs and advocacy.  There has however, been quite a lot of talk about Digital Inclusion, which could be an important element of that project.

 

Anglicare Australia has been a member of Telstra’s Low Income Measures Committee (LIMAC) since its inception ten years ago.  At a practical level, Anglicare agencies right across Australia are partners in the delivery of Telstra Bill Assistance vouchers and phone cards.

 

Over those ten years, the shape of information and communication technology (ICT) has changed appreciably. The once sacrosanct home landline is a thing of the past for many, while mobile phones and internet connections are now essential for many more.  Other significant changes – such as the NBN roll out – are now upon us, the impact of which is unknown.

 

So having both communication and social inclusion in Cabinet is a positive thing.

 

I’m just back from leave which included some time in New York, where I saw an exhibition and some documents that put the digital thing in a global context.  It helped me think about  how people can be excluded from participation in our society and economy by the rapid technological and cultural development.

 

And I had the obvious realisation that Digital Inclusion is not just about access to existing technology, but it’s about the creative exploration of  how technology  can  connect to people’s lives.

 

In Context and Design in ICT for Global Development, Ed Cuttrell from Microsoft Research India(writing in the UN Chronicle) describes a digital slate that makes a bridge between paper and digital systems to allow semi literate people to keep control over their financial information and still participate in contemporary markets and financial systems. Internet access in and of itself was not helpful. 

 

Cuttrell also describes a voice based citizen journalism system for tribal people which allows them to contribute to and receive news over the phone and online; with the online application  – while not so important or immediately relevant to the contributors themselves – making that news and information more widely accessible.

 

An ongoing Cooper-Hewitt Museum project  – Design with the other 90%: Cities – presents a number of successful design interventions in cities across the developing world. Several of those interventions are through ICT.

 

One is run by Text To Change, an NGO which uses sms texting for public education and community development across the world.  In this instance, the project – SMS Behavioural Change - promotes behavioural change in HIV awareness and treatment in southern Africa. 

 

Another Digital Drums uses recycled oil drums as the housing for robust community accessible internet stations.

 

What all these projects (and many others) demonstrate is that ICT and digital connectivity is most meaningful – particularly for people most likely to be excluded from mainstream society – when the applications and technology are designed in response to their circumstances.

 

In Australia, we can identify the population groups most at risk of exclusion from mainstream society, and most likely to be further excluded as participation, socially, culturally and economically, becomes digitised.  The Brotherhood of St Laurence has social exclusion monitor on its website, as featured in Measuring Social Exclusion, in Staying Power, Michael Horn’s essay this year’s State of the Family report.  Not surprisingly it identifies people living in public housing, single parent families, families and individuals living with disability, Indigenous people, and to a lesser extent old people, young people and those in regional and remote Australia, as most likely to experience deep and persistent social exclusion.  Digital inclusion for this wide array of people will not come about through simply ensuring fast accessible broadband in every public library – although the fact that this wasn’t a given for the NBN is nonetheless alarming.  Inclusion will require a range of strategies and responses.

 

For example, young people in Aboriginal communities in remote lands in WA, NT and SA are often thought to be struggling with literacy. And it might be thought that access to fast broad band would be the perfect tool to deliver ESL and literacy education to bring those young people to mainstream standard.

There is however a strong argument that through access to digital technologies such as smart phones, digital cameras and accessible editing soft ware, new multi-modal literacy practices are already emerging. And that these young people are using – and developing - a full range of oral, visual, written and gestural modes of communication in every day life.  See Plugged in: Remote Australian Indigenous Youth and Digital Culture by Dr Inge Kral. 

 

Using the NBN as a tool to simply deliver more of the same in terms of mainstream services will not better engage these young people; connecting to their own social practices and digital culture would be a start.

Until we can recognise the particular richness of the many people and communities at the heart of the inclusionary project, and look to using ICT as an opportunity to connect with that richness, it will remain a tool of exclusion instead.

 

A key message from The National Digital Inclusion Summit held in Canberra in August this year was that community organisations need to be involved in working with their communities, and with industry, to identify possible applications. That neither Government nor industry could manage that work alone.

 

Work around the Anglicare network - at ac.care, Spiritus, St Laurence Community Services, and most organisations really - shows that community organisations can and do work creatively with their clients and partners to carve out some digital inclusion. But that creativity needs to be at the centre of ICT policy.

 

The NBN and emerging digital technology offer great opportunities.  But there is no uniform approach that will work. We need to focus on particular relevant communities or locations. And, in order to build an inclusive, rather than exclusive, digital future, we need to explore with these people and communities what the best applications of these technologies might be for them.

 

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NATIONAL OFFICE NEWS

Kasy’s Christmas Message

The end of the year is a great time for looking back over the year that we’ve had and also for looking forward into next year. 

 

It’s been a very eventful year beginning with the swathe of natural disasters across the summer and, for New Zealand, into March.  The network swung into action responding as floods affected Central Queensland, the Midwest in WA, Victoria and Tasmania.  These were swiftly overshadowed by the Brisbane floods and then cyclone Yasi on the Far North Queensland Coast.  It was hard to think that this could be overshadowed until the Christchurch earthquakes struck. 

 

For our Associate members in New Zealand, Australian member EPIC which operates in New Zealand uncertainty continues as they seek to offer the support their communities need with offices that they cannot access and cars they cannot get close to.

 

The network responded by calling the Anglicare Australia office with offers of “whatever we can offer, whenever they need it”.  Members unaffected (though often affected in previous years by bushfires or flood) sent staff, raised money and even offered aged care places. The knowledge that this was available, along with moral support and prayer, was immensely helpful to those affected.

 

Once again the policy agenda has been mammoth in both variety and quantity.  We’ve had input into many Aged Care submissions, the major Productivity Commission reports into both aged care and disability, homelessness data collection, community detention of asylum seekers, child protection, amendments to the Family Law Act, Communities for Children, Gambling Reform, Sector reform, taxation reform. We noted in one Aspect Editorial that the announcement of the bipartisan response to the National Disability Insurance Scheme actually has the potential to make the world a different place for those people living with a disability and their carers. 

 

We started up new Special Interest Networks in housing and homelessness, mental health, regional issues, micro-finance and for CFOs.  These groups, in addition to those in existence, are busy meeting, considering government agendas, building their own and sharing resources and information and generally supporting each other.  The Aged and Community Care network even held a mini-conference on End of Life issues.

 

Of course every year Anglicare Australia has a number of events including the conference, State of the Family report and CEO Forum.  The latter fast becoming a parliamentary institution and this year was no different being attended by 14 Ministers, Shadow Ministers, key independents and Greens.  Of note was that everyone attended and only one substituted an adviser.  It was certainly an eventful last day before retirement for Peter Kell (Anglicare Sydney) as he chaired the session, moving Treasurer Wayne Swan on so we could hear from the Ministers still to come.

 

On an internal level we’ve moved offices and added another position to the crew – that of Research and Policy Assistant filled in October by Coco Ho.

 

Next year we’re looking forward to working with the government on the mental health and disability reform heralded by Productivity reports, budget announcements and recent changes to cabinet.  Sector Reform continues to take centre stage with the Reform Council re-appointed, the Australian Charities and NFP commission’s proposed start up and the implications of the soon to be announced Fair Work Australia decision on the SACS case.  Social Inclusion for most of the groups of vulnerable people with whom Anglicare members work is still a goal rather than a reality and our policy, advocacy and media statements hold this as central. 

 

We have an exciting year ahead of national projects for the network with the National Rental Affordability Snapshot to come out in April; a national research project on Food Insecurity to feed into the State of the Family Report, work continuing on readying ourselves for national tendering and a new strategic plan for Anglicare Australia from 2012. 

 

First though holidays (for most) are in order and we wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.  We know that many of you will be working across the time to provide services to those that live with us and that that need support over this time. 

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Anglicare Australia Council

The national council is responsible for the governance of Anglicare Australia and meets typically four times a year.  Before each day long meeting we get together for dinner, to warm us up together and to have a discussion about national issues and an item of strategic importance to the network and our meeting the next day.  To help us in this second task we invite a guest to meet with us who has national leadership and expertise in such an area. 

 

This year we have enjoyed the company of Glenys Beauchamp the then new secretary for the then new Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government.  Her suggestions included member agencies getting more involved in local Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and meeting with her department and regional politicians to bring issues of regional importance to their attention.  The next day Council formed a new Special Interest Network on Regional Issues chaired by Council member and regional CEO Estelle Graham.

 

In April our guest was David Kalisch as he began his new role of Director of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.  From this discussion we committed to the importance of working together, both within the network and with AIHW to move towards common data definitions for ease of comparison and understanding.  We were later invited (though unfortunately unable) to address the AIHW Conference in November in the State of Australia’s Welfare in 2011.

 

In June the council meeting coincides with the CEO forum so the format for the dinner is different with the guest taking on the role of an after dinner speaker.  The guest was Associate Professor Peter Butterworth of the Centre for Mental Health Research from ANU.  Peter spoke about the need real and meaningful employment for people returning to work as oppose to the doctrine of any job.  His findings indicate that the wrong job damages people and alienates them further from the workforce.

 

We have been working with Peter and with our Mental Health Special Interest network to find ways for our work to amplify his and vice versa.

 

In November the Council’s guest was Dr Ian Winter, Executive Director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).  The conversation touched upon how to support and influence the next round of the National Affordable Housing Agreement and the interaction of housing policy with areas including homelessness and tax policy.

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The Second Gillard Ministry

By now lots has been written and spoken in the media about the changes to the Ministry and we won’t detail every movement.  However the areas of welcome interest to us include:

 

The elevation of Minister Tanya Plibersek to the Health portfolio.  Although traditionally we do not have as much direct activity in this space we welcome her interest in dental health and have met with her previously on dental health in her role as minister for Social Inclusion.

 

The move of ageing, mental health and social inclusion into cabinet along with Minister Mark Butler.  Minister Butler’s additional moniker of minister assisting the prime Minister on Mental Health Reform also denotes an ongoing commitment to reform in this area (though the same wording is not present around ageing).

 

Nicola Roxon is no longer Minister for Health, but is now Attorney General including Privacy and Freedom of Information, while Robert McClelland who was AG now has Homelessness, Housing and Emergency Management. Both remain in Cabinet.

 

Emphasis has been placed on disability reform by naming it specifically in Minister Macklin’s portfolio – Minister for Disability Reform in addition to Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Julie Collins has been promoted from Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services to be Minister for Community Services, Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, and picked up the Status of Women from Kate Ellis.

 

Bill Shorten has taken on Employment and Work Place Relations, retained Financial services and Superannuation, and has been promoted to Cabinet while Senator Mark Arbib, who had Indigenous Employment and Economic Development  and Social Housing and Homelessness, is now Assistant Treasurer and Minster for Small Business and Sport instead.

 

Anglicare Australia will be seeking to meet with the Ministers in their new positions in the new year, as well, of course as their shadow and Greens counterparts.

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Anglicare Australia Submissions

December has not been the quiet month expected for the end of the year with several inquiries occurring simultaneously, many of them relating to Not-For-Profit reforms.

 

Definition of a Charity – Anglicare Australia has provided a response to this inquiry based on the foundation that the definition needs to recognise that much of the work of charities is now around prevention, education and early intervention.

 

Not-for-Profit Governance Arrangements – submissions for this inquiry close in early January. Anglicare Australia will be contributing to this consultation process through the position held by Kasy on the NFP Reform Council. Any comments regarding the governance consultations should be directed to Kasy.

 

Children’s Commissioner – Anglicare Australia has endorsed the Non-Government Organisations Position Paper – A National Commissioner for Australia’s Children – which will be today submitted to the consultation for a National Children’s Commissioner.  Anglicare Australia will also be providing a letter outlining our support in addition to the vital responsibility this role should continue to have to young people transitioning out of care.

 

Work Insecurity – Anglicare Australia will be providing a submission to the ACTU inquiry into insecure work which has been extended to January 2012. Anglicare Australia will focus on the conditions surrounding insecure work such as returning to the workforce after long-term unemployment and the tension between greater flexibility and insecurity. To make a contribution or to discuss further work insecurity contact Michelle.

 

Australian Charities and Not-For-Profit Commission (ACNC) – Anglicare Australia has had input into an exposure draft through Treasury via the NFP Sector Reform Council which was fairly harsh on the initial document.  We will examine the new draft and determine whether to put in a submission or whether to have our input through the Sector Reform Council in February where this will be discussed.

 

For any further information on these or any other upcoming inquiries and consultations please call us at the office on 02 6230 1775.

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Aged and Community Care Network

The AA Aged and Community Care Network is meeting today at Sydney airport to settle on  implementation priorities for aged care reform next year, and bring each other up to speed on related advocacy  and reform projects.

 

 Aged Care reform is an avowed priority for the current Australian Government, and the promotion of Minster Butler to Cabinet is fresh evidence of that. But as everyone knows, the politics of Government spending is tight, so we need to work together – as providers, consumers, carers and workers – if we are to get substantial reform happening now. 

 

NACA, the National Aged Care Alliance, of which Anglicare Australia is a member, is conducting a campaign to build that broad public support for Government to act now on reform. It has engaged Essential Media Communications (EMC) to do an integrated media and digital strategy between now and February, and NACA members (such as us) will need to feed in with case studies, information, interview subjects, visuals, etc.

 

The key purpose of today’s meeting is to organise ourselves around making that contribution, and agreeing on the aspects of reform that we wish to highlight through the process.

 

Anyone interested in connecting up to our ACC Network contact Roland at Anglicare Australia.

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Mental Health Forum

We had our end of year teleconference with participants from Sydney, SA, WA and Tas.

 

We set up some concrete plans for info and document sharing once the new network web page is up and running.

 

There are some interesting research and evaluation projects going on, which membership of the group will allow you to share in!

 

First project for next year will be a mapping exercise to get a coherent idea of what mental health services, and staff, are out there across our network.

 

We are also looking at some qualitative research  with our clients to complement  a larger academic research project.

 

Finally, we confirmed our enthusiasm for a day together after next year’s national conference in Hobart. Still a bit open about what we want to focus on together. But there are about eight or nine months to sort that one out!

 

Anyone not on the list, but interested in participating please email Roland or CoCo here at Anglicare Australia.

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NETWORK NEWS

Christmas Appeals

As we move into the holiday season we are reminded that this is often a particularly difficult time for those who are already experiencing hardship in our communities. Many of the Anglicare network have established Christmas appeals in order to provide some comfort for those individuals and families in the weeks ahead.

 

Anglicare Sydney is operating it’s annual Toys’n’Tucker drive; an initiative that helps provide Christmas food and gifts for thousands of struggling families who would otherwise go without at this time of year.

 

Anglicare Central Queensland is participating in the Adopt-a-Family campaign and has been able to announce that 60 families will be receiving presents on Christmas as a result.

 

Anglicare Victoria has launched it’s Christmas Toy and Food Appeal amid calls for improving benefits to reduce financial hardship. CEO Paul McDonald launched the appeal with the hope that Australians were very generous and understood how lucky they were, he said that Australians opened their hearts and wallets in times of crisis, and he hoped they would do so again this Christmas.

 

Anglicare SA is looking for Angels of Hope to donate to their Christmas appeal this year, with tips on helpful donations such as food items which may make complete a meal.

 

Anglicare WA is working in partnership with West Australian parishes in order to reach as many people as possible through it’s Christmas Giving program.

 

These are just some of the activities that will be taking place over the Christmas and New Year holidays and even extending out to the return-to-school time at the end of January. As Paul McDonald reflected: “Christmas is a time that highlights what people have, but it also highlights loss”. This is a time for all of us to remember those in need and to open up our hearts…and wallets.

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Growing Older and Staying Connected

From Benetas

Important research to understand how emerging technologies could help reduce social isolation among older adults has been granted much-needed funding. The Australian Research Council has approved a Linkage Grant worth $195,000 to fund the ‘Growing Older and Staying Connected Project’; a joint three-year project between University of Melbourne and aged care provider Benetas which will investigate novel technologies to prevent and ameliorate social isolation in older adults.

 

Dr Frank Vetere, senior lecturer in the Department of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, is very pleased to be a partner in this innovative research project. “This project sheds a new light on the practical benefits of technology to address social isolation. We are delighted to be working with older people, to empower them to use new technologies and to improve their social connectedness with the community,” he said.

 

The project will involve up to 20 Benetas clients who live in their own homes and are recipients of Community Aged Care Packages. The clients will be given a touch-screen tablet with internet connection. Over an 18-month period researchers will evaluate if clients’ use of the technology alleviates social isolation.

 

“Despite the increasing use of technologies in every part of our community, not a great deal has been designed or created in the technology arena specific for older people to adequately deal with social isolation,” says Benetas CEO Sandra Hills.

 

“This exciting project will inform us of better ways to assist older people to stay connected to their community through the use of technology. Benetas welcomes this vital funding.”

 

The Australian Research Council funding will be received over three years and Benetas will make an additional contribution of $20,000 per year towards the project.

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Auckland Chaplaincy Conference - Registrations Open!

Anglicare Australia in Partnership with the Chaplaincy and Parish Community Work Network, Spiritus and Selwyn Village in New Zealand are holding an Auckland Gathering in March 2012 looking at Connecting care, church and community.

Those in the Anglicare Australia network in both Australia and New Zealand who are involved in Chaplaincy and Parish Community Work are invited to attend the gathering to learn from each other’s approaches to both Pastoral Care/Chaplaincy and Parish Community Work as well as further explore the Christian ethos and intent which undergirds such engagement.

Registrations for the Auckland Gathering are now open! For Australian delegates, through a generous donation made by Spiritus subsidies for airfares may also be sought. The form to claim subsidies may be found with the registration form.

For further infomation contact Peter Burke or Angella at the Anglicare Australia office.

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POLICY, RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

End the decay – The cost of poor dental health and what should be done about it

The Brotherhood of St Laurence has released a report analysing the costs of poor dental health on the economy and those least able to afford dental care.

 

The report shows that millions of people are financially lock out of Australia’s expensive dental health system, undermining their capacity to participate in social and economic life of the nation. It also incurs an annual cost of more than $1.3 billion to the economy.

 

The report also discusses the barriers for reforming the dental health system to provide more affordable and accessible care to the most disadvantaged groups, as well as principles that might be incorporated to suit the Australian context.

 

The publication seeks to inform the policy development process following the government’s commitment to focus on implementing a new dental scheme that will better meet the needs of the most disadvantaged Australians.

 

For the report and more information, please visit the BSL website.

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Dads’ depression hinders child development

A research recently published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows that paternal depression during a child’s first year can have a detrimental impact of the child’s behavior and social and emotional development. The research confirms the emerging evidence that it is not just mothers’ mental health that affects children’s development – dads’ happiness matters too.

 

The research found that infants with depressed fathers were more likely to have emotional and behavioural problems at age 4-5 years than those with happier fathers. Some of the associations were gender specific. For instance, early paternal depression was more strongly associated with hyperactivity in boys and emotional problems in girls.

 

The research suggests that early intervention to identify and address the mental health needs of fathers is required for the benefit of fathers, children and families.

 

For details regarding the research, please visit MJA

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Employment Opportunities – Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission

The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) is offering  an opportunity to individuals who are interested in joining the ACNC at its formation, to help shape the new regulatory approach and services of the agency.

 

For further information see the ACNC website.

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Final report on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians

The Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians released the third and final report Realising the economic potential of seniors Australians: turning grey into gold that presents a series of recommendations to capitalise on the opportunities that older people bring.

 

The Advisory Panel has made recommendations across a range of areas including participation, health, housing and learning – areas that are vital in enabling senior Australians to live actively and contribute to the society. The report envisages a longer-term campaign to support employers to identify and secure the benefits of hiring older workers.

 

For a copy of the report and a summary of the recommendations, please visit the panel’s website.

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Voice for customers in Mental Health Reform

The Australian government announced this month the establishment of a new Consumer Reference Group which will assist in setting the directions of Australia’s first National Mental Health Commission (The Commission).

 

The Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler said the consumer-driven group will involve consumers from the beginning to ensure more responsive and accountable mental health policy and program direction, and has released a detailed response to the scoping study of the establishment of the organisation.

 

The Consumer Reference Group will be appointed following a national call for Expressions of Interest in early January 2012.

 

Furthermore, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, recently announced the appointment of eight Mental Health Commissioners to the Commission, including:

• Mr Peter Bicknell;
• Ms Jackie Crowe;
• Dr Pat Dudgeon;
• Professor Ian Hickie AM;
• Mr Rob Knowles AO;
• Ms Janet Meagher AM;
• Ms Samantha Mostyn; and
• Professor Ian Webster AO.

The CEO of the Commission, Ms Robyn Kruk AM will also be an ex-officio Commissioner.

 

One of the Commission’s first priorities will be to deliver the first annual National Report Card on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Other functions of the Commission include:

• Providing expert and independent mental health policy advice to government on the performance of our mental health system;
• Monitoring whether services are delivering lasting outcomes for people living with a mental illness, their carers and their families;
• Developing, collating and analysing data and reports with a particular focus on ensuring a cross sectoral perspective is taken to mental health reform;
• Engaging consumers and carers in mental health policy and service improvements;
• Building relationships with other stakeholders including: service providers; government agencies; NGOs, community mental health organisations, researchers; academics; and state and territory governments to inform the work of the Commission.

For information regarding the National Mental Health Commission and the Customer Reference Group, please visit the mental health section of the DoHA website.

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Homelessness agencies struggle to meet new accommodation requests

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) released a report this month presenting data on the people turned away from government-funded specialist homelessness accommodation in 2010-11. It shows that these agencies are operating to capacity and are unable to completely meet the demand for accommodation.

 

According to the report People turned away from government-funded specialist homelessness accommodation 2010-11, 59% of people who make a new request for immediate accommodation from government-funded specialist homelessness agencies are turned away on a typical day, although these new requests account for a relatively small proportion (4%) of the total demand for accommodation.

 

Some groups, such as families, people aged under 20, and females, experience more difficulty in obtaining accommodation than others, for various reasons including a lack of accommodation available and the inability to provide the type of accommodation requested.

 

This is the final report to be sourced from the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) National Data Collection (NDC). Data on the people using specialist homelessness services will in future be reported from the new Specialist Homelessness Services (SHS) collection.

 

For the report and further information on homelessness in Australia, please visit AIHW.

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More Early Psychosis Services For Young Australians

The Minister Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler, is seeking expression of interest for the first round of the national rollout of 16 new youth early psychosis services for young Australians experiencing early psychosis or psychotic disorder over the next 5 years.

 

The Australian government has formally invited State and Territories to partner with the Commonwealth by providing matching contributions.

 

This expansion of services will be based on the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) model developed by former Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry and the Australian government announced an investment of $222.4 million in the project.

 

The Expressions of Interest process closes in early January. States and Territories are encouraged to submit proposals.

 

For more information please contact the Minister’s Office on 02 6277 7280

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Supporting Grandma Carers

Twenty-five new MyTime for Grandparents peer support groups were launched in December to provide grandparent carers a supportive environment to share experiences and build their parenting skills, while finding out assistance and services available to them.

 

The government will invest $1.2 million over four years to establish these peer support groups – with facilitators providing grandparent carers with information about support services and resources, and play helpers providing activities for their children. The expansion will support 300 families where grandparents are raising children each year.

 

All grandparent carers are entitled to the full range of Australian Government payments, including Family Tax Benefit, Child Care Benefit and Parenting Payment, on the same basis as other families.

 

For further information, please visit MyTime for Grandparents  or free call 1800 889 997.

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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Medicare Locals Update

Medicare Locals are an initiative of Federal Government to drive access to better primary health care for Australian families. It is the method through which doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals will work with consumers to provide better frontline primary health services for their local communities.

 

In addition to identifying gaps in local health services, Medicare Locals will help patients to navigate the health system to find the right services at the right time and place, better connecting and improving local services.

In particular, patients with chronic conditions will benefit from chronic disease prevention and management programs and mental health initiatives.

Importantly, Medicare Locals will maintain and build on the work already done by the local Divisions of General Practice, with GPs and general practice being at the centre of an integrated primary health care system.

Across Australia, each Medicare Local will tailor its solutions to the needs of their local community. For example, the North Coast NSW Medicare Local will establish a regional low intensity mental health service called “StressLess” to improve access to mental health care. The Bayside Medicare Local in Victoria will expand the successful after hours clinics to other locations within the catchment, while the Fremantle Medicare Local in WA will establish an Aboriginal Health Priority Area Advisory Group and develop an Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre as a focus for Aboriginal Health Programs.

Eighteen Medicare Locals will be established from 1 January 2012, with the remaining 25 to commence from 1 July 2012.

Once all the new Medicare Locals are established there will be a network of 62 nationally to ensure that patients receive locally responsive primary health care.

The profile and boundaries of each Medicare Local can be viewed at www.yourhealth.gov.au.

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CALENDAR

Anglicare Events

Auckland Chaplaincy Conference

Date: 25-28 March
Venue: Quality Hotel Barrycourt, Parnell

For further information contact Peter Burke.

 

Anglicare Australia National Conference 2012

Date: 16th – 19th September
Venue: Hobart, Tasmania

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Sector Events

International Day of People with a Disability

Date: 3 December 2011
Time: various
Venue: various

For further information on activities in your area see the IDPwD website.

 

ACSA National Community Care Conference 2012

Date: 21-22 May 2012
Venue: Adelaide Convention Centre

For further information see the conference website.

 

12th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference

Date: 25-27 July 2012
Venue: Melbourne Convention Centre

For further information see www.aifs.gov.au.