Australia’s famous, or infamous, cross bench has been very much in the public eye over the past few weeks with the Omnibus Budget Savings bill and the Childcare package being right at the forefront of the news. It has given all of us a clearer view of how minority government in the senate might work.

Senator Lambie gave a strong, effective speech about what life can be like for people “on welfare” and many but not all of the harshest cuts to income support appear, at last, to have been binned.

I guess if you want to have an impact as part of the balance of power then you may look to say yes to some things and no to others, and search out some “middle ground”.  That seems to be the way the tax cut debate is shaping up. 

The Childcare Bill however was something else again. While Labor and the Greens, and Senator Lambie, were not prepared to cut deals on Childcare, much of the crossbench was.

After all the talk about protecting the vulnerable, the minimum guaranteed access to childcare to children in most need of support has now been cut from 24 to 12 hours a week. This flies in the face of the evidence that early childhood education is especially useful for vulnerable children and pays back many times over personally, socially and economically.

The process in the senate itself was just as startling as the result. Deals made behind closed doors in the middle of the night make for the stuff of spy fiction, but in fact it is our “democracy in action”. In fact, it was difficult to tell who was in bed with whom.

We understand that at one stage the Nick Xenophon Team were arguing hard for an increase in the minimum access to Childcare to 15 hours which - across the sector - is widely acknowledged as the necessary requirement for kids who need it most to get two full days a week. Apparently the Government wouldn’t budge. 

And we heard that Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party also pushed for 15 hours one time. We also heard that at this point the government was open to a deal. And yet it didn't happen. Bad luck for those kids, their families, their communities, and our society.

Being able to exert influence on parliament may well rely on being alert and nimble. Recognising “when to hold them, and when to fold them, and when to walk away”, as Kenny Rogers put it. But everyone is accountable for the deals they do.

The decisions made in the Senate can affect thousands and thousands of Australians.  We’d like to see the cross bench resist tight timeframes and deals made in the middle of the night, such as the deal that was done to freeze Family Tax Benefits, hitting families earning $60,000 or less particularly hard. 

Simply put, there should be no division between a deserving and an undeserving poor.

On another note, April will see Anglicare Australia launching its annual Rental Affordability Snapshot (RAS) which will be covered in detail in next month's edition of Aspect. Please don't hesitate to be in touch for more information about this project with [email protected], and stay tuned for more details through our social media channels.

Kasy Chambers is Executive Director of Anglicare Australia

 

In an Opinion Piece published on Online Opinion, Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers asks where the evidence is that the Government is working to create an income support system that connects with the lives of the citizens it serves?

To read the Opinion Piece, click here.

Anglicare Australia responded via submission to the inquiry into the non-payment of the Superannuation Guarantee.

From our work across a diversity of services, including employment services, disability services, emergency relief and housing, we know that the income issues some people face at retirement reflect their working lives, battles with health, various caring responsibilities, and experience of deep and persistent disadvantage prior to retirement.

Given the nature of the care and services Anglicare members provide, and the human insights we gain from it, this submission will focus in particular on the effect of the non-payment of the superannuation guarantee on low income workers and their retirement incomes.

To read Anglicare Australia's submission, click here

 

Anglicare Australia put out the following Media Release on 10 March: 

The Coalition government has announced that it will consider creating a new affordable housing body to assist renters and those on lower incomes in accessing community housing.

Executive Director of Anglicare Australia Kasy Chambers appreciates the Government’s commitment to doing more work on a range of issues to improve housing affordability.  She said today that collaboration between all levels of Government, as well as the private and community sectors is crucial to creating a workable system.

To read more, click here

 

Anglicare Australia made the following submission to reiterate concerns with the Social Services Legislation Amendment (Omnibus Savings and Child Care Reform) Bill 2017.

To read the submission, click here.

Media Release, 29 March, 2017.

Anglicare Australia, together with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) and the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) on 29 March launched a new issues paper on not-for profit sector reporting and accountability.

The paper, entitled: Issues Paper: Better Financial Reporting for Australian NFPs focuses on financial reporting for the Australian Not-for-profit and Charitable Sector. Anglicare Australia commissioned the paper from Dr David Gilchrist of Baxter-Lawley.

To read the media release about the paper, click here
To read/download the paper, click here

This article was provided by AnglicareSA

Eva and her sweetheart Bob have been married for 61 years and their mutual love and affection is still obvious.

Eva has lived with crippling arthritis for many years and is in constant pain as a result. As her condition worsened, Bob gradually picked up the chores around the house and, even though Bob would never say it, he eventually took on the role of Eva’s carer.

A number of people commented to Bob that he ought to get some help around the house.

To read more, click here

 

This article was provided by Anglicare WA 

Anglicare WA has been successful in securing almost $900,000 in Federal funds to run an innovative program in Western Australia to assist homeless people into employment.

Funding for the grant was confirmed this morning at a media launch on the South Perth foreshore with Federal Employment Minister Senator Michaelia Cash.

The Minister met with Anglicare WA acting chief executive Mark Glasson and staff members from Anglicare WA’s youth services to confirm the Commonwealth’s commitment and to praise the approach being taken with this initiative.

Mr Glasson said Anglicare WA had proposed applying a Human Centred Design (HCD) approach to the challenges in employment for homeless young people.

“Young people experiencing homelessness are amongst those most at risk of long term unemployment. The experiences of trauma, transience and disconnection from communities severely hamper young people's ability to maintain firm connections with education or employment,” Mr Glasson said.  

To read more, click here

This article was provided by Samaritans Foundation 

The Youth Series card set is a unique method of establishing and supporting communication and engagement with young people whilst offering a creative approach to exploring and understanding emotions and feelings. The cards feature easily recognisable images which may be helpful in the understanding and discussion of difficult or complex topics. Through these images, individuals are able to explore their own meanings and reflect on their experience by asking questions such as:

•             What does this image mean to you?

•             What do you think of when you see the image?

•             What are some alternative meanings behind the image?

•             How can the image relate to you or your personal experiences?

By purchasing these cards, you are making a positive impact by supporting youth who need assistance in our community through the Samaritans Foundation.

To purchase, click here

 

This article was provided by Anglicare Australia member The Selwyn Foundation 

The Selwyn Foundation is soon to start building a 90-bed residential aged care home at its Selwyn Village site in Point Chevalier (Auckland), in addition to its multi-purpose developments currently under construction at Selwyn Oaks (Papakura) and Selwyn St Andrew’s (Cambridge).

The design of the new $28 million, two-storey centre at Selwyn Village has been inspired by the most innovative thinking in residential aged care provision and service delivery.

‘In designing the layout of the building and planning the services to be offered, we’ve looked to international best practice, with the aim of reinventing how residential aged care is provided in New Zealand,’ says Garry Smith, The Selwyn Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer. 

To read more, click here

This Opinion Piece was provided by Anglicare Australia member EPIC Assist and written by CEO Bill Gamack. It was published in Online Opinion.

I read with interest a recent article by Sally Coddington discussing the challenges of maintaining quality while limiting costs in the increasingly competitive NDIS space. Sally speaks with poise, credibility and very importantly personal experience, as the mother of a young daughter with quadriplegia who is also an NDIS participant.

She discusses the blatant antagonism many NDIS participants and their families feel towards NDIS providers, and shares the experience of being on the receiving end of these feelings while hosting an NDIS session through her workplace. Sally states that many families are extremely unwilling to share details of their NDIS packages, feeling that their providers are unreliable and don’t have their best interests in heart.

I completely understand where these families are coming from. It is no shock that the enormity of the NDIS has caused many new providers to emerge out of the woodwork. The NDIS has dollars attached to it and wherever there is money to be made, providers’ motives can and must be questioned.  

To read the full Opinion Piece, click here

This article was published by ProBono News

A “game-changing” new partnership has been formed in a bid to raise awareness of mental health and change workplace culture so “it’s OK to not always be OK”.

Disability not for profit EPIC Assist (EPIC) has joined forces with Mental Health at Work ([email protected]), a consultancy aimed at improving wellbeing and productivity of people and workplaces, to educate employers through a series of workshops.

As part of the partnership EPIC, who already run Disability Awareness workshops, will extend their suite of training to include face-to-face Managing Mental Health in the Workplace workshops with content created by [email protected] founder and managing director Ingrid Ozols.

Ozols said they wanted to support employers to “be brave and employ people with mental health challenges and disabilities, and not fear doing this”. 

To read this article, click here

This article was provided by Anglicare Tasmania.

Seventy people gathered, on Wednesday 22 February, to celebrate twenty years of Curraghmore providing a home for people who experience issues with their mental health.

Anglicare’s CEO, Chris Jones, welcomed current and past residents, staff and members of the Anglicare Board to Curraghmore’s twentieth birthday party.

“I remember when Anglicare first received some money 33 years ago and began its work of helping people in the Devonport area,” said Chris.

“An area was cleaned out under the Church and this became our first office.

“Community support is as strong today as it was over thirty years ago. Local connections with the Church still exist and we thank the people from the Church who have provided us with the food for this celebration today."

To read more, click here

 

This article was provided by Anglicare Tasmania

“I started out really nervous. I didn’t know anyone, and I had never done any public speaking,” said Bradley, a young person who participated in the recent Taz Kids Youth Camp.

Taz Kids leadership camp participants and leaders “By the end of camp my confidence was boosted; I wasn’t nervous at all. I had made loads of new friends and learnt a lot about team work. I even found public speaking quite easy once I’d learnt a few skills and had the opportunity to practice,” he said.

The Taz Kids Youth Camp ran in the first week of February for 5 days.

“This group of amazing young people restored my faith in teenagers,” said Cassandra Ogden, Co-ordinator of Taz Kids.

To read this article, click here

CEO of AnglicareSA Peter Sandeman wrote the following Opinion Piece on the Ice Epidemic, which was published in Adelaide Now.

We have a massive epidemic on our hands South Australia and it’s called methamphetamine, or more specifically, ice. The number of people addicted and using the drug ice is becoming the new “disease” of our society.

We’re all hearing about increasing numbers of people on ice, highlighting why drastic action needs to be taken — immediately.

Recently the University of South Australia published research which showed that methamphetamine usage across metropolitan Adelaide averaged more than 450 doses each week per 1000 people. This usage rate is more than three times higher than 2012, demonstrating the scale of this growing catastrophe.

Once a person gets addicted to ice they lose comprehension of what they are doing to themselves, their family and their friends. Addicts and users can experience a range of short-term effects including mood swings, agitation, depression, anxiety, paranoia and changes in brain structure.

To read the article in full, click here

This article was provided by SARC/Anglicare Tasmania

The Tasmanian Parliament is holding an inquiry into future gaming markets, which is effectively an inquiry into what will happen to an existing monopoly licence to own and operate poker machines in the state. Hearings were held in February and March, and the first four days of hearings saw nearly 30 groups and individuals appear before the Committee.

We have summarised the main issues and arguments from these groups here

 

 

This article was provided by ac.care

CEO of Anglicare Australia member ac.care Rob Foggo is set to retire after 25 years with the charity, including 24 years as CEO.

Rob has led ac.care through many changes and significant growth. He began with ac.care in 1991 as part of the foster care team, at which time the total staff was about seven. Today there are over 250 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in rural regional South Australian regions of the Limestone Coast, Murray Mallee, Riverland providing over 50 community programs.

In 1993 Rob was appointed Manager of South East Anglican Family Support Services, at which time he commenced working to ensure the sustainability and provision of quality services by such a small regional based community service organisation.

The result was the merger between the South East Regional Accommodation Forum Inc. and South East Anglican Family Support Services. This merger formed South East Anglican Community Care Inc, which later became known as ac.care, with Rob as its CEO.

The role of CEO is demanding in an organisation that has so many staff, across over 56,000 kilometres, providing services ranging from foster carer recruitment and support, Aboriginal services, homelessness and family services, representing the organisation at state and federal level, Rob met the demands and found his energy from the values of ac.care and the way the staff worked and lived these values. Compassion, Adaptability, Relationships and Excellence are the ac.care values and whilst all are equal “it is compassion that has enabled me to perform this role over the years” said Rob. Compassion to Rob means truly putting oneself in another’s shoes.

Rob found the community within the Anglican Diocese of the Murray to be very supportive and a real enabler for him to lead ac.care. The support included the Anglican parish representatives on the Board, financial donations, conversations with parishioners, their prayers for the clients of ac.care, and friendships made.

Most notable of these supporters were both Father Brian Ashworth, whom Rob describes as the “founding father of ac.care “, and Mike Bleby who has been Convenor of the Board of Directors for the past 20 years.

“Rob has inspired many ac.care staff to go about their work in often difficult and complex situations and to keep the focus on positive outcomes for our clients. When you have a compassionate and committed leader who cares very much about rural people and the opportunities they have to lead safe and fulfilling lives it encourages you to do more and be more.”-Amanda McKinnon, Executive Assistant to the CEO

Like many charitable NGOs (non-government organisations), ac.care faces challenges of increasing need and delivering services with limited resources, but through Rob’s passionate dedication for quality outcomes, with clients and in particular children at the centre of decisions, ac.care has been able to continue to work to meet their  mission to 'enhance the wellbeing of rural people through positive social change'.

At the time of writing, ac.care is advertising for a new CEO.

This article was provided by Anglicare NT
 
Anglicare NT’s Housing Support Services and Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) both celebrated Neighbour Day in Alice Springs with events at transitional housing locations and aged care facilities. 

Events at transitional housing complexes acknowledged the importance of community connections and encouraged people to connect with those who live in their neighbourhood.

Staff were able to talk to clients about ideas they have on ways to build stronger, safer and cohesive communities and neighbourhoods.

The CHSP’s events supported the 2017 Neighbour Day theme: The Importance of Social Connection for the Elderly. The CHSP team visited local aged care facilities in Alice Springs where they held a morning tea and information sessions, teaming up with the Australian Red Cross (Telecross Service). The sessions provided a social event and the opportunity for people to learn about aged care services.

 

This Media Release was provided by Anglicare Australia member the Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL)

Young Australians are under pressure as they grapple with the dual threat of rising underemployment as well as stubbornly high unemployment, a report released today finds.

Australia's youth underemployment rate, where people have some work but want more hours, has surged to 18 per cent- the highest it's been in 40 years.

That rate is even higher than the youth unemployment rate for 15-24 year-olds in the labour force of 13.5 per cent, which has been persistently high since the 2008 global financial crisis.

Today, almost a third of Australia's youth labour force are unemployed or underemployed, according to the new data analysis by the national welfare group the Brotherhood of Laurence as part of its youth employment campaign. 

To read Australian rocker Jimmy Barnes' blog in support of this campaign, click here

To read the report, click here

To read the media release and other supporting resources from BSL, click here

By Roland Manderson

Clinical and Care Governance Network meeting

Anglicare Australia’s Clinical and Care Governance Network meeting in Adelaide on March 31 has people coming from 14 of our member organisations.

Key topics of conversation include well-being and quality of life tools, KPIs and outcome measures in social services, quality frameworks in residential care, and an insight into the kind of reporting and analysis we could gain from the DSS Data Exchange.

This network offers a great opportunity for people with responsibility for evaluation and quality assurance to share intelligence and learn from each other.

With the move towards more competitive markets, outcome measurement and higher expectations from services all round, it’s proving to be a key forum for Anglicare Australia’s service development.

Forum – Mini-conference, From Principles to Practice: Delivering Wellness and Reablement Service Models

Anglicare Australia’s Aged and Community Care Network Forum this year is being hosted by Anglicare Sydney at Castle Hill on May 31 and June 1. 

Wednesday, May 31

The Wednesday program includes a number of site tours of Anglicare Sydney’s large integrated service from 2:00pm and a meeting of the Strategic Collaboration Group.

The forum proper will be open at 4:00pm with the chance to share intelligence at an afternoon session exploring the roll out and the impact of the new Home Care regime.

Dinner will feature guest speaker COTA SA CEO Jane Mussared, talking about what wellness means inside and outside aged care.

Thursday June 1

Thursday is a full program from 9 to 3 with insights and expertise from across our network.  It has sessions on

• The actual changes to practice that the principles of reablement and wellness require 
• Developments in assistive and monitoring technology - with Anne Livingstone from Community ---Global Resourcing as a guest presenter
• Work force models that promote wellness and reablement
• Future partnerships and advocacy

 If you’d like to reserve a place at this fantastic forum now, please email your details to [email protected], with From Principles to Practice in the subject line.

By Kasy Chambers

The chaplaincy network met for two and a half days in Ballarat in March. Thanks to Geoff Ryan (from Anglicare Victoria) and based in Ballarat we were able to see first-hand how Anglicare, the diocese, and the local Anglican schools work together.

Presentations on spirituality and ageing and the distinctiveness of faith based social services were made by Professor Simon Biggs of Melbourne university and Anglicare Australia member, BSL; and Dr Bruce Rumbold, Director of the Palliative Care Unit and Senior Lecturer, LaTrobe University.

Bishop Garry Weatherill led a retreat session and there was significant sharing of ideas and success stories across the three days.

The mini-conference began with worship and dinner at Ballarat Grammar school, and included a special service in the cathedral to honour Anglicare volunteers, and was topped off with dinner and a lights and sound show at Sovereign Hill.

The CFOs held their annual face to face meeting in Melbourne. Thanks to Benetas whose relationship with Grant Thornton had us meeting on the 30th floor of the Rialto building. 

Benetas CEO and Anglicare Australia deputy chairperson Sandra Hills got the day off to a strategic start discussing the enlargement, beyond simply figures, in the role of the CEO, and the vital role the relationship between the CEO and CFO plays.

We were joined for lunch by the CEO of the Australian Accounting Standards Board and the Assistant Commissioner of the ACNC. In addition to launching a report on Better Accounting Standards for NFPs, there was the opportunity for CFOs to have a discussion with both the ACNC and AASB about accountability and transparency in our sector and the effects on that of unnecessary and excessive red tape.

Welcome to the next in our series of profiles on the winners and highly commended of the Anglicare Australia 2016 National Awards for Innovation and Excellence. These profiles are featured in the 2017 Anglicare Australia Review.

The Gulyangarra Yellamundie program seeks educational ways to bring about real and lasting change in the way Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and other Australian children recognise Aboriginal Culture. It enables them to together chart a new way forward by closing the gap in education and learning for disadvantaged Aboriginal children.

Mt Druitt, Western Sydney is the largest Aboriginal community in New South Wales, made up of 48 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations including children.  The program strives to empower children to connect to their culture, learning, healing and strengthening positive relationships and reconciliation.

The judges praised this program as a great initiative and a benchmark and yardstick for all - employing indigenous people in the teaching and education of Indigenous children. It is not just innovative but best practice.

A new report from Family & Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) has recommended a more holistic and coordinated strategy from the family sector to increase family-based prevention and early intervention services and help prevent priority health and social problems.

The report, Strengthening prevention and early intervention services for families into the future, identified eight priority areas of action by examining major health and social problems that can be prevented over the family life course. The report recommends the development of an action plan for the sector as well as a common intake screening and assessment framework or tools in order to allocate the right type and amount of services to clients.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s latest report on child protection shows that the number of children receiving child protection services continues to rise, with almost three-quarters of these children repeat clients. The report, Child protection Australia 2015–16, shows that over 162,000 children (aged under 18)—or 1 in 33 children-received child protection services in 2015–16.  This number is up from about 152,000 in 2014-15 and 143,000 in 2013-14.

Looking at out-of-home care, the report found that Most children in out-of-home care were placed with relatives or kin (49%) or in foster care (39%). For the first time, the report presents data on the relationships between children placed with relatives or kin and their carer.  Available data (from Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and ACT), shows around half (48%) of children in relative/kinship placements were placed with grandparents, while 22% were placed with an aunt and/or uncle. 

The Priorities and Progress report of the Close the Gap Campaign, released this month, outlined serious issues with government approaches to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and made clear recommendations which governments must take up urgently. 

In the wake of the latest Closing the Gap report that showed only one target was on track, the Campaign said the nation is at risk of failing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people if the government doesn’t urgently commit to the recommendations  of the Committee. 

The report emphasises two priority areas: a renewed and meaningful engagement between the government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as outlined in the Redfern Statement; and the “essential need for health to be considered in the context of the wider social and cultural determinants that significantly impact on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”.  

The report makes many recommendations for government, including:

• Renewing relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by engaging with calls made in Redfern Statement, and participating in a National Summit in 2017
• Restoring funding for National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, and working with Congress to progress the calls of the Redfern Statement
• Holding a national inquiry into racism in health care system, and incorporating findings into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plans 

A new report commissioned by the Australian Superannuation Funds Association (ASFA) has highlighted the risks that declining home ownership poses to the retirement income system and living standards.

The report finds that, in retirement, more people will be paying off a mortgage or renting in the private rental market if housing affordability does not significantly improve. Those paying off a mortgage in retirement will be more reliant on the Aged Pension, as they use their superannuation to pay off housing debt. 

Those unable to afford to buy in to the housing market at all will also face high housing costs in retirement as they continue to rent in the private rental market. In the past, retirees who did not own a house were typically accommodated in low-rental social housing. 

The findings that retirees will be spending much more on housing has significant implications for the retirement income system, which currently relies on the assumption that the “overwhelming majority” of retirees will have very low housing costs.

The Pension rate will also need to be raised significantly to factor in increased housing costs. The report makes a number of recommendations for government, including removing or making changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax discount, exempting pensioners from paying stamp duty when downsizing their home, and providing financing and support for the development of new affordable rental housing.

To read more, click here

The Finance and Public Administration References Committee will undertake an inquiry into the Community Development Program, after new research raised concerns that the program is creating significant hardship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Inquiry will review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the objectives, design, implementation and evaluation of the CDP.

Submissions close Friday June 9, 2017

For more information, click here

 

The Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs have begun a new inquiry into the federal family law system can better support and protect people affected by family violence. The inquiry will examine issues including the cross-examination of victims by alleged perpetrators who are self-representing  in the court, the financial needs of victims, and  the potential for a national approach to the enforcement of intervention or apprehended violence orders. 

The Committee is accepting written submissions addressing one or more of the terms of reference, and invites organisations, practitioners, service providers, and other stakeholders with experience in the federal family law system to contribute. Written submissions are due by May 3.

It is also seeking responses from individuals who have been affected by family violence, through either an anonymous, online questionnaire or a short statement to the Committee. A questionnaire will be open until 30 June 2017.

More information here

7th International Carers Conference
Dates: 4-6 October at the Adelaide Convention Centre

FCA Conference (Financial Counsellors Australia)
Dates: 14-17 May, 2017
Full program and registration information coming soon

HESTA awards
Nominations for the 2017 HESTA Australian Nursing and Midwifery Awards are now open - the annual Awards recognise graduates, individuals and teams for their professionalism, innovation and care, across a range of health settings. 

GARMA festival
Regustrations open. Run by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, the Garma festival will take place from the 4th to the 7th of August.

18th International Mental Health Conference
Abstract submissions are now being accepted for the 18th International Mental Health Conference, being held on the Gold Coast, QLD on 21 – 23 August 2017. More information is available on the website where you can submit your abstracts and register.