4 ACCESS TO AGED CARE AND HEALTH SERVICES BY ABORIGINAL
PEOPLE 45 YEARS AND OLDER
7 DISABILITIES: IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS AND ACCESS TO
SERVICES
9 LOCAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
10 HOUSING SAFETY AND AMENITY FOR OLDER PEOPLE
INTRODUCTION
Ten issues papers have been prepared to assist with the
development of Phase 2 of the Redfern-Waterloo Human Services Plan. Phase 2
focuses on improving the delivery of human services to older people, people
with disabilities, homeless people and migrant communities.
A forum will be held on July 24 and 25 bringing together
service providers, government agencies and members of the community to discuss
and analyse issues as part of the development of this Plan.
The aim of the Forum is to invite participants to consider
and discuss the priorities and actions identified in these issues papers.
Participants will also have opportunity to recommend additions to the suggested
actions as well as removal or amendment.
It is important to note that these papers are not the Plan
itself. They are a resource to assist and inform discussion. Phase 2 of the
Redfern Waterloo Human Services Plan will be written by the RWA after the Forum
taking into account outcomes of discussion.
Once a draft Plan has been completed it will be submitted to
the NSW Cabinet for endorsement prior to its release for public comment.
These issues papers and the Forum are part of a three phase
consultation process which includes:
1.
Pre-forum submissions
2.
Forum discussion
3.
Release of draft Plan for public comment
The Forum is premised on the identification of actions and
suggested changes to the service delivery system being realistic, achievable
and within existing funding resources.
Of particular interest are your views on the sorts of
changes which will improve service delivery and client access, encourage
service integration and strengthen the governance and day-to-day management of
non-government services. Steps to be considered in achieving these outcomes
include:
–
joint service planning;
–
sharing of administrative resources;
–
common reporting, monitoring and evaluation
arrangements;
–
physical and virtual co-location of services
using modern communication technologies and out-sourcing arrangements;
–
training and professional development of staff;
and
–
improving facilities.
Forum issues paper
No. 1
1 BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY
Issues
A review of human services conducted in Redfern and Waterloo in 2004 concluded
that services in the area are poorly coordinated and integrated and could offer
better value for money. It also found that in some instances there were serious
administrative inefficiencies, poor governance and service duplication.
Strategy
To develop an improved, integrated and effective human
services system that delivers positive outcomes for service users. A better
service delivery system also requires the support of a service culture that
promotes outcomes focussed partnerships between government and non-government
services as well as other stakeholders.
Rationale
Effective delivery of services requires a coordinated,
responsive and holistic service system. Concerns about the difficulty of
providing services, especially for people who have multiple and complex needs
have been raised by service providers for some time.
By way of example, in 1996 the NSW Law Reform Commission
made recommendations aimed at overcoming a lack of coordination between
government agencies in the provision of services to people with a disability.
Services that people with complex needs come into contact
with are often reactive, implemented at high cost and often do not achieve
optimal outcomes.
The 2004 Innovative Models of Community Support for People
with High and Complex Support Needs’ report prepared for the Department of
Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) recommends the following as essential
service elements:
- negotiated
memoranda of understanding between key agencies; - senior-level
involvement in case co-ordination; - close
collaboration involving disability services, mental health services and
physical health services and the police; - building
on existing infra-structure (eg local health centre and established intake
services).
Non-government human service providers are also developing
service reform strategies which deliver improved client outcomes.
The Redfern-Waterloo Case Coordination Project is reducing
barriers between service providers to assisting children and young people with
high support needs. This model could be applied to a broader range of clients
with complex needs.
Actions
- Establish
Service Delivery Reform Taskforces focusing on services for older people,
homeless people, people with disabilities and migrant communities. These
Taskforces will broaden the areas of reform established under Phase 1 of
the Human Services Plan. - Improve
coordination and integration between government and non-government service
providers funded by the three tiers of government by:
–
making specific recommendations for implementing
shared back-office arrangements for NGOs operating in Redfern and Waterloo;
–
identifying opportunities and suitable
facilities for co-locating government and non-government service clusters using
a one-stop-shop model, as a means of streamlining access to and delivery of services;
–
setting baseline requirements for organisations
to offer value for money and operate effectively in the delivery of quality
services in a professional manner (including minimum number of administration,
field and IT staff);
–
setting minimum service standards to benchmark
and evaluate performance of services over time using the existing the NSW
Government’s Generic Quality Standards Framework as a starting point (including
client satisfaction and service integration outcomes);
–
recommending individual services or groups of
services to be approached to commence negotiating reform and capacity building;
and
–
recommending conditions to be included in NSW
agencies’ funding and contractual arrangements.
- Develop
case management systems for people with high support needs using the
current Redfern-Waterloo Case Co-ordination Project as a template to
ensure:
–
multiple service requirements of people with
complex needs are catered for;
–
services are linked to need and packaged to
enable people to continue to live in their own homes or move into more stable
accommodation;
–
case managers assist clients to achieve access
to a range of services;
–
entry and exits points for services based on
assessment of need are clearer; and
–
services remain appropriate over time and
reflect changing needs.
- Ensure
that services are delivered in a culturally appropriate manner by:
–
embedding culturally appropriate practices in
the policies and operations of all agencies and funded organisations operating
in the Redfern – Waterloo
area;
–
ensuring the delivery of cultural awareness
programs is consistent with agency operational policy objectives;
–
training to improve cultural awareness among
service provider staff; and
–
increasing the numbers and supporting the
professional development of Aboriginal people and people from non-English
speaking backgrounds working in services.
- Identify
opportunities to integrate health and community care services that are
provided or funded by the three levels of government and non-government
organisations. - Improve
support for older people discharged from hospital by improving protocols
used by local hospitals to link older people to community and service
supports. - Improve
links between community organisations providing services to frail older
people and local GP services. - Improve
the capacity of staff in service agencies to respond to abuse of older
people through joint agency awareness training. - Improve
and standardise information about advisory and referral services to ensure
service users are able to access a wider range of support services more
easily.
Forum issues paper
No.2
2 ACCESS TO DEMENTIA SUPPORT
Issues
Some people with dementia face significant disadvantages,
compounded by personal circumstances such as living alone, geographical
isolation or their cultural background. Personal stigma sometimes associated
with physical and mental disability can lead to people withdrawing from
activities they enjoy, compounding social isolation and depression.
Carers and family members living with people with dementia
report that caring can be a lonely and frustrating role.
For people with dementia who lack a carer (particularly
people living alone) dementia symptoms are less likely to come to the attention
of support service providers.
Others with a mental illness, HIV/AIDS or pre-existing
cognitive disability who develop dementia require very specific support service
planning to meet greater level of needs.
Strategy
Provide more flexible and responsive services to dementia
sufferers in conjunction with more and better information about dementia.
Rationale
The Review of Human Services in Redfern-Waterloo identified
a higher proportion of older, physically frail people living alone particularly
in Waterloo.
Some service providers report that older people with dementia may already use
mainstream community services but may be unaware or resistant to being referred
to dementia support services. Mainstream community services require information
about how best to continue to support these people.
Most people wish to remain in their local community. However
people requiring long term dementia-specific residential care or access to
respite in secure facilities must move out of the local area due to the lack of
specialised facilities.
Actions
Deliver better outcomes through improved access to services
and dementia support for Redfern and Waterloo
residents by:
·
Establishing a Redfern-Waterloo Dementia
Taskforce to:
–
ensure actions to improve dementia-related
services in Redfern and Waterloo are is
consistent with the NSW Government’s Stronger Together: A New Direction for
Disability Services in New South
Wales 2006 -2016 policy and Future Directions for
Dementia Care and Support in NSW 2001- 2006;
–
identify local barriers to referral and support
for people with dementia;
–
ensure improvements to service delivery are
consistent with the Service Reform Action Plan developed by the Redfern
Waterloo Authority;
–
recommend specific actions to improve capacity
within government and non-Government organisations providing services to people
with dementia;
–
improve access to services, planning,
accountability and coordination between the Inner West HACC and the South East
Sydney HACC regions;
–
improve referral processes, joint planning and
coordination between non-government service providers; and
–
improve access to appropriate housing
accompanied by appropriate supports.
·
Increase access to high and low care
dementia-specific facilities, aged care packages and respite services for
carers.
·
Remove other government funding and service
boundary inconsistencies in Redfern-Waterloo.
·
Improve the delivery of culturally appropriate
dementia and aged care services for Aboriginal people by Aboriginal and
mainstream service providers.
·
Improve access and referral to services for
migrant communities.
·
Provide cultural awareness training for all
employees of services supporting older people.
Forum issues paper
No. 3
3 MIGRANT COMMUNITIES
Issues
Approximately half the population of Redfern and Waterloo speaks a language
other than English in the home. The 2001 Census indicated that 38 per cent of
Redfern residents and 34 per cent of Waterloo
residents were born overseas and speak a language other than English at home.
While the most common languages other than English spoken in Redfern – Waterloo are Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Spanish
and Greek, the number of people from African countries, Iraq and Afghanistan living in the area is
increasing.
Strategy
Provide migrant communities in Redfern and Waterloo with well-coordinated services
delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
Rationale
Services delivered to migrant communities need to be more
accessible and delivered in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
The delivery of information in languages other than English is also a challenge
for all service providers. Language barriers can limit access to information,
reduce capacity to make informed decisions and can contribute to social
isolation.
Actions
- Improve
access to information by working with service providers to:
–
increase use of community radio to promote
services;
–
organise education, information and training
sessions in community languages;
–
create information forums and mini-information
expos for small and emerging communities;
–
ensure service users access mainstream services
such as Department of Housing maintenance services; and
–
ensure internet translated services are
available in local council libraries.
- Reduce
social isolation by:
–
providing access to affordable community events
and other meetings in local recreational spaces;
–
conducting community harmony and ‘get to know
your neighbour’ events to encourage community interaction;
- Increase
access to employment opportunities by:
–
ensuring employment expos undertaken by job
networks target newly-arrived migrants and involve TAFE and other vocational
institutions;
–
providing information about employment in
relevant community languages; and
–
identifying training and employment
opportunities associated with the Redfern Waterloo Authority Employment and
Enterprise Plan.
- Improve
access to mental health services by:
–
developing partnership activities between
migrant groups, health services and other community organizations;
–
organising information sessions targeting
migrant communities; and
–
increasing the promotion and delivery of mental
health services to migrant communities in the area.
- Develop
responses to family violence among migrant communities by incorporating
the following issues in the work being undertaken by the Redfern-Waterloo
Family Violence Taskforce:
–
developing greater communication and
collaboration between police, migrant community organizations and family
violence services;
–
holding information sessions on spouse visa and
family violence provision for visa holders in partnership with the Australian
Government;
–
encouraging migrants affected by family violence
to report incidents;
–
ensuring appropriate support services are
available at the time family violence incidents are reported; and
–
developing partnerships with mainstream family
violence support services to improve their cultural appropriateness.
- Improve
community access to health services by ensuring the Migrant Health Service
caters to a wider range of communities.
Forum issues paper
No.
4 ACCESS TO AGED CARE AND HEALTH SERVICES BY
ABORIGINAL PEOPLE 45 YEARS AND OLDER
Issue
Lower life expectancy and quality of life outcomes
associated with lower rates of use of health and aged care and other support
services by older Aboriginal people.
Strategy
Increase access to and use of health, aged care and other
community support services by older Aboriginal people.
Rationale
Aboriginal people have a consistently poor level of access
to appropriate health care services and are not receiving the same level and
quality of care for the diagnosis and treatment of illness as the rest of the
Australian population. Available primary health care services are also
under-utilised for other reasons, including lack of bulk billing, difficulties
getting transport to and from appointments, and lack of culturally sensitive
service development and delivery. As a consequence many Aboriginal people are
presenting to health services late in the course of their diseases and
experience significantly higher rates of preventable complications and death.
The Aged Care Assessment Program (ACAP) is a major point of
access to community services and aged care accommodation. In recognition of the
lower life expectancy of Aboriginal people most aged care services (including
Home and Community Care Service and the Residential Aged Care Service) are
available to Aboriginal people from the age of 45 years. However, fewer than
expected numbers of older Aboriginal people in Redfern and Waterloo access ACAP and other community
services.
Consultation with Aboriginal people and service providers
indicates that some Aboriginal people prefer services to be provided by a
member of their own family or community, rather than by an external worker.
This may lead to carers not receiving the support they need to look after a
family member as well as preventing identification of disability or other
illnesses by professional staff.
Furthermore, social stigma which may be associated with
disability prevents some Aboriginal people from acknowledging and identifying a
disability. This makes it difficult for services to assist. Some Aboriginal
people however, prefer to have a choice of whether to access a mainstream
service or an Aboriginal service. The availability of choice is therefore
important.
There is a need for better cooperation and coordination
among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal services. Information sharing, service
planning and flexibility could be improved. Case management services need to be
identified and be appropriate.
Actions
- Involve
older Aboriginal people in the design, implementation and evaluation of
health programs. - Involve
older Aboriginal people in the design, implementation and evaluation of a
strategy to address treatment issues associated with the cost of
purchasing medication and medical equipment. - Include
Aboriginal representation on the Redfern – Waterloo Human Services Plan
Transport Taskforce. - Ensure
that services are delivered in a culturally appropriate manner by:
–
embedding culturally appropriate practices in
the policies and operations of all agencies and funded organisations operating
in the Redfern– Waterloo area;
–
ensuring the delivery of cultural awareness
programs is consistent with agency operational policy objectives;
–
training to improve cultural awareness among
service provider staff; and
–
increasing the number of Aboriginal people
working in services and supporting their professional development.
- Build
on existing points of contact between the service system and older Aboriginal
people to develop more opportunities to link Aboriginal people with the
health system and positive health messages. - Develop
and build on soft entry models that allow easier access for older people
to community services and minimise red tape and other barriers. - Strengthen
service delivery partnerships between the Aboriginal Medical Service, Area
Health Services and community services. - Improve
planning and coordination of government and non-government services used
by Aboriginal people with complex needs. - Develop
protocols between local providers to ensure individual service users have
access to the full range of services required to meet their needs.
Forum issues paper No.5
5 INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONS
Issue
As NSW residents live longer the median age of the
population is steadily increasing and by 2021 older people will outnumber
children in NSW. Already 13 per cent of the NSW population is aged 65 years and
over and it is estimated that over the next 20 years this proportion will grow
to 20 per cent.
Positive interaction between younger and older people
strengthens their relationships and reduces the likelihood of generations
becoming disconnected or separated from each other. Interaction between the
generations also contributes to recognition that each group has a valuable
contribution to make to the wider community.
Supporting efforts to enhance positive connections between
younger and older people can benefit families and the broader community. The
role older people play as role models, care providers and educators is
important in all communities especially in Aboriginal families, where respect
for Elders is an important contributor to keeping families strong and culture
alive.
Strategy
Implement community engagement and community building programs
and strategies in Redfern and Waterloo
which encourage intergenerational initiatives.
Rationale
Young people and older people generally spend more time in
their local communities than other age groups. Initiatives that bring all age
groups together to promote positive engagement and connections between
different generations can have a positive impact on individual well-being,
community strength and social cohesion.
Initiatives which have been shown to be effective at
bringing younger and older people together and bringing about change in
communities include: creative arts projects and volunteering in community
support, mentoring, crime prevention or environmental improvement activities.
Also important are events which:
- enhance
participation and decision making in community activities; - provide
older and younger people with a valued community role and identity; - enable
the strengths of one age group to benefit another; - develop
new community networks and support systems that increase social capital
and enhance the resilience of children and young people; - reduce
community tensions and misunderstandings between older and younger people;
and - help
young and older people to feel less marginalised or excluded from their
local community.
Actions
- The
Redfern–Waterloo Community Safety Taskforce to recommend initiatives
specifically addressing the safety needs of older people including
policing and community development strategies which build a stronger sense
of neighbourhood and community. - Ensure
services increase opportunities for positive engagement and connection
between younger and older people by:
–
actively involving older people in classroom and
school activities;
–
increasing access to Families First and
Aboriginal Child, Youth and Family Strategy initiatives;
–
developing joint community activities (eg:
cultural and social events, community safety projects, improving public spaces
and maintaining community gardens); and
–
implementing Intergenerational Reminiscence and
Theatre Demonstration Projects in Redfern and Waterloo.
Forum issues paper
No. 6
6 HOMELESSNESS
Issue
Addressing the causes of homelessness requires coordinated
services able to respond to individuals who often have complex needs. Service
must be capable of providing a range of pathways out of homelessness and into
more stable accommodation and living patterns.
Rationale
The causes of homelessness are complex but are often linked
to unemployment, mental illness, family breakdown, domestic violence, child
abuse and/or drug or alcohol abuse. Therefore, homeless people cannot be seen
as a homogenous group, with easily defined needs or issues. While individual
government agencies offer a range of services, homeless people often need help
from a number of different sources at the same time.
There are a number of definitions of homelessness. The
Australian Bureau of Statistics defines three forms of homelessness: those
without conventional accommodation (primary), those in temporary or
transitional accommodation (secondary) and those living in boarding house
accommodation (tertiary).
Previous consultations with community members and service
providers have highlighted concerns about the extent to which homelessness is
an issue in the Redfern and Waterloo
areas. Obtaining accurate homelessness data specific to the Redfern and Waterloo areas is
problematic because data is usually not collected by agencies at this smaller
level.
National Data Collection Agency data for 2004-05 indicated
there were 4,117 people accessing Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
(SAAP) accommodation throughout Inner Sydney, comprising 674 (16.4per cent)
women and 3,443 (83.6per cent) men.
Issues which have an impact on whether homeless people can
access stable accommodation in Redfern and Waterloo include:
- the
transient nature of homelessness which means people may be unable be
access crisis mental health teams and other support services because they
are not residing in stable accommodation; - limited
data on actual levels of homelessness in Redfern-Waterloo making it
difficult to estimate demand for services in the area. - increased
demand for support services arising from the movement of people into the
community. - limited
support networks; - restrictive
service access criteria; - poor
living, language, communication and inter-personal skills; and - limited
availability of and access to appropriate, safe and affordable
accommodation.
Actions
- Support
the implementation of an Inner City Homelessness Action Plan (ICHA) (Phase
2), which includes:
–
a single outreach and support service for
homeless people in Redfern and Waterloo;
–
an appropriate data collection system that
identifies key issues, processes and outcomes of efforts to address
homelessness;
–
enhancement of service delivery to and
coordination of support for people with high and complex needs (including dual
diagnosis)
–
piloting housing and support models that lead to
sustainable accommodation for homeless people; and
–
early intervention initiatives which identify
people at risk or in the early stages of homelessness, with a specific focus on
the issues and needs of Aboriginal people.
- Develop
a joint assessment and referral protocol between service providers to
assist the smooth transition from homelessness to stable accommodation and
support. - Ensure
the new Inner City Homelessness Outreach and Support Service (ICHOSS)
operates regular patrols in Redfern and Waterloo seven days a week.
Forum issues paper
No. 7
7 DISABILITIES: IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS AND ACCESS
TO SERVICES
Issues
The 2004 Review of Human Services in Redfern and Waterloo identified meeting the needs of an ageing
population as the biggest issue facing the delivery of disability services in
Redfern and Waterloo.
A projected increase in the ageing population in the area
(and consequently older people with disabilities) will put additional pressure
on respite care and accommodation options for older people and other people
with disabilities.
Strategy
Improve delivery of services for people with disabilities
and their carers in Redfern and Waterloo
that build on the NSW Government’s ‘Stronger Together’ ten year plan and
Australian Government policies. Actions in this plan will inform the
implementation of ‘Stronger Together’ in the Redfern-Waterloo area.
Rationale
The quality of life of people with disabilities, as well as
their families’ and carers’, are dependent on the quality of the disability
support service system and levels of access to those services. Key determinants
of quality and access are:
–
clear service entrance and exit points;
–
effective planning and flexible service
delivery;
–
the degree of fairness and transparency of
access to services;
–
linking of services to needs;
–
capacity to provide quality support to people in
their own homes;
–
providing more options for people who need to
live in specialist support services;
–
transport for people with disabilities who need
to access available services;
–
adequate support for carers;
–
well-trained staff; and
–
programs being provided in a culturally
appropriate manner.
Actions
- Develop
case management systems for people with disabilities that have high
support needs using the current Redfern-Waterloo Case Co-ordination
Project as a template to ensure:
–
services are linked to need and packaged to
enable people to continue to live in their own homes;
–
case managers assist clients achieve this goal
by enabling access to a range of services;
–
entry and exits points for services based on
assessment of need are clearer; and
–
services remain appropriate over time and reflect
changing needs.
- Ensure
that services are delivered in a culturally appropriate manner by:
–
embedding culturally appropriate practices in
the policies and operations of all agencies and funded organisations operating
in the Redfern – Waterloo
area;
–
ensuring the delivery of cultural awareness
programs is consistent with agency operational policy objectives;
–
training to improve cultural awareness among
service provider staff; and
–
increasing the numbers and supporting the
professional development of Aboriginal people and people from non-English
speaking backgrounds working in services.
- Ensure
improvements to disability service delivery are consistent with the
implementation of service reform being coordinated by the Redfern Waterloo
Authority. - Promote
greater use of Australian Government Carelink Centres by agencies and in
the wider community. - Improve
access to supported accommodation for people with disabilities and develop
alternative supported accommodation models appropriate to needs.
Forum issues paper
No. 8
8 SOCIAL ISOLATION
Issue
Older people, people with poor English language skills,
people with disabilities and people with physical and/or mental health problems
are at particular risk of social isolation.
Strategy
Increase social inclusion and reduce social isolation in
Redfern and Waterloo
through enhanced community engagement, community building and service delivery
strategies.
Rationale
Recent research from the UK identified seven key
characteristics that are most strongly related to an older person experiencing
multiple elements of social exclusion. These are:
–
being aged 80 years of age and over;
–
living alone, having no living children;
–
poor mental or physical health;
–
limited or no access to private car and never
using public transport;
–
living in rented accommodation;
–
having a low income with income support payments
as the main source of income; and
–
limited or no access to a telephone.
The Redfern-Waterloo area has a higher concentration of
older people (65+ years and 45+ years for Aboriginal people) compared to the
greater Sydney or the rest of NSW. This is particularly the case for the public
housing neighbourhoods in the area where approximately half the population does
not speak English at home.
There is also a significantly higher proportion of lone
person households, the majority of which are located in Waterloo, house older people and public
housing.
Areas containing high concentrations of public housing are
often associated with high levels of social exclusion.
Strategies that draw on community strengths and
relationships within the community can assist to generate and increase social
interaction.
Actions
- •
Increase community engagement and community building initiatives that promote
informal contact between people by introducing a community development
project for Redfern and Waterloo
based on the Department of Housing’s Community Regeneration strategies.
This project should include:
–
undertaking community safety audits with the
support and assistance of tenants, Department of Housing, Police and the City
of Sydney;
–
developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
between Police and Department of Housing allowing for the sharing of
information about criminal behaviour on Department of Housing Property;
–
identifying ‘mini-mayors’ / ’safety ambassadors’
as contact points for tenants seeking information and reporting incidents;
–
improving access to information about services
and activities available;
–
introducing an ongoing audit and management
system of maintenance such as repairing lights, doors and removal of graffiti;
–
identifying community facilities and other
assets;
–
fostering and encouraging the formation of
tenant and community groups;
–
increasing community consultation on community
regeneration projects;
–
promoting the availability for tenants use of
community rooms and facilities in high-rise and other projects on estates;
–
providing ongoing support for the Redfern and
Waterloo Neighbourhood Advisory Boards;
–
introducing community arts projects to encourage
tenant interaction as well as mentorship and behavioural change for the
disadvantaged;
–
holding regular community events such as
community celebrations, barbeques, storytelling and other recreational
activities;
–
giving greater consideration to current tenants’
needs in allocation of new tenancies; and
–
developing ongoing interaction between the Surry
Hills, Redfern and Waterloo Neighbourhood Advisory Boards to share experiences
and successes.
- Actively
engage people in crime prevention and other strategies that help reduce
fear of crime in the community. - The
Office for Ageing to implement a project aimed at reducing social
isolation in the area.
Forum issues paper
No. 9
9 LOCAL AND COMMUNITY TRANSPORT
Issue
Transport is a key service for communities. People need
transport that is safe, reliable and affordable so people can get to work,
educational and health facilities such as schools and hospitals, go shopping
and socialise. Access to transport assists people to participate in a wide
variety of everyday activities which can reduce people’s feelings of isolation
and improve their health and wellbeing.
There are people who are transport disadvantaged living in
the Redfern and Waterloo area who find it difficult to access transport
services to meet their everyday needs. Certain factors preventing people from
accessing transport services may include:
–
age and frailty;
–
disability;
–
availability and physical accessibility of
transport services;
–
cost of transport: Some people find the costs of
personal or public transport are high and unaffordable. These financial
barriers are reflected in areas that have high rates of unemployment and people
living on low incomes;
–
services and activities being located in places
that are difficult for people to travel to; and
–
personal safety and security: Some people are
unwilling to use public transport or walk to key services because of their
perceived fear of crime.
Community Transport services are organisations that receive
government funding to provide transport services to frail older people, people
with a disability and their carers and to people who are transport
disadvantaged who don’t have access to public transport services. Some of the
key issues for Community Transport services include:
·
The increasing demand for Community Transport
services particularly for people requiring transport to and from hospital for a
doctor’s appointment or therapy.
·
The provision of culturally appropriate services
to people from Aboriginal backgrounds and people from migrant communities so
that more people from diverse backgrounds are able to use community transport
services, are ongoing issues for Community Transport services. For many
Aboriginal people affordable transport to funerals is also an issue.
·
People requiring Community Transport services
are often very frail, have more complex care needs and often require more than
one service. This places extra demands on services and the people who may only
need assistance occasionally are missing out.
·
Providing services to people living on very low
incomes can place additional financial pressures on services. If people do not
have the capacity to pay for the community transport service they are still
provided with a service. The service provider pays the full cost of this
service.
·
Due to the changes in the City of Sydney boundaries there
are numerous service providers providing community transport, particularly
shopping services. This may cause duplication of service and confusion for some
users unable to identify the types of services available.
Strategy
To improve transport options for frail older people, people
with a disability and their carers and people who are transport disadvantaged
living in the Redfern-Waterloo area.
Rationale
There are a number of factors which need to be considered to
improve people’s access to transport in transport disadvantaged areas like the
Redfern–Waterloo area. These include:
- People
living on lower incomes who do not own a car, need access to good public
transport, fares that are affordable and a community environment that
encourages walking and cycling. - As
there are more older people living in the Redfern – Waterloo
area compared to the rest of the City of Sydney LGA, there is a more likely to be
a need for accessible transport where people feel safe using the
transport. Accessible pathways of travel within the community are required
so people can use the accessible transport. - Access
to Community Transport is also very important to the wellbeing of many
frail older people, people with a disability and their carers and people
who are transport disadvantaged who are not able to use public transport.
Transport to medical facilities is important for older people particularly
as people age and become more frail. Services need to be provided in a
culturally appropriate manner so that eligible people can access community
transport services. - Targeted
transport information in relevant languages, plain English and delivered
in an accessible manner. - Greater
co-operation and communication between all transport providers hospitals
and other key agencies in the City of Sydney LGA
in the delivery of transport services for residents of the City of Sydney LGA,
including in the Redfern-Waterloo area.
Actions
- Establish
a Transport Working Group for the Redfern-Waterloo area to improve
transport for frail older people, people with a disability and their
carers and people who are transport disadvantaged by:
–
identifying gaps in transport services across
the community; and
–
developing and trialling projects to improve
transport options for people who are transport disadvantaged.
–
providing information about service options to
make it easier for community transport and shopping service users to know which
service they require.
–
working with funded community transport agencies
to provide more culturally appropriate services to frail older people and
people with a disability and their carers.
(Membership of the Working group
will include: community transport providers, mainstream public transport providers,
taxi operators, key stakeholders and community members.)
- Improve
coordination and standardising of referrals for Community Transport
agencies through the Better Service Delivery Program, in line with other
government and non-government organisations in the area.
Forum issues paper
No. 10
10 HOUSING SAFETY AND AMENITY FOR OLDER PEOPLE
Issue
Poor amenity in and around the Redfern and Waterloo public
housing estates can contribute to social isolation and lower levels of
community interaction. This can also encourage anti-social behaviour and
heightened perceptions of crime and lower community safety.
Strategy
Improve general amenity by revitalising community
facilities, improving public open spaces and providing a greater range of human
services within close proximity to public housing tenants.
Rationale
Residents, especially older people, living on the Redfern
and Waterloo
public housing estates also have personal safety and security concerns. This
means they tend not to go out into the wider community after mid-afternoon and
often prefer to isolate themselves in their own unit.
Improved high and low care accommodation more suited to the
needs of the aged, the frail and the disabled as well as more in-home
assistance and access to group home facilities can do much to improve quality
of life.
Housing options which bring older people together and
provide more supportive living environments can also do much to reduce social
isolation and improve levels of personal safety and well being. This can also
be cost effective for government as it enables agencies to provide services at
lower cost as a result of integration of service delivery and reduction in red
tape and administrative costs.
Actions
- identifying
partnerships under the Housing and Human Services Accord to improve the
level of support for older people with medium and high support needs. - Reform
the delivery of human services to improve in-home support for older frail
people in Redfern and Waterloo
and provide more flexibility in the way services are delivered to older
people and encourage them to remain in their own home by:
–
developing partnerships between Government and
non-government agencies which improve support available for seniors living on
public housing estates;
–
providing seniors-only housing by reconfiguring
or modifying some of the existing housing hi-rise stock on the Redfern and
Waterloo estates so that it is better suited to the needs of older people;
–
ensuring that reconfigured housing options
support older tenants with high needs by enabling them to be located with or
near carers or family support; and
–
ensuring that age-related housing allocation
policies take the different average life expectancies of different population
groups into account.
- Actively
engage older people in planning and implementing urban renewal strategies
and improving the use of public space. - Develop
strategies to promote lifelong learning for older people in the community. - Actively
engage older people in developing crime prevention and other strategies
that will help reduce fear of crime in the community. - Engage
vulnerable older people, City of Sydney,
Department of Housing, and local agencies in developing and implementing a
cross agency project to reduce social isolation of older people in conjunction
with the Office for Ageing’s work on social exclusion and older people. - Develop
communal initiatives through the Department of Housing High Rise Strategy
implementation plan to expand the availability of supported social housing
partnerships for older people.
Download the original PDF file from the RWA site Human
Services Plan Phase 2 Issues Papers
(pdf ~91kb)