RWA HSP Phase 2 Forum – Summary of key Themes– Read Text Webpage

The Phase 2 Forum was developed around 5 Workshops. Each of
the Workshops focused on issues relating to the improvement of service delivery
outcomes to the following population groups:

• Older
  people;
• People
  with disabilities;
• People
  who are homeless; and
• CALD
  communities.

The workshops were required to consider issues, strategies,
rationales and actions for ten priority areas. Notes from the workshops will be
made available publicly through the RWA website.

Participants have also been provided with a document
consolidating issues raised in the workshops. Those issues will inform the
development of Phase 2 of the Human Services Plan.

The key themes and issues listed below have been identified
on the basis that each would have been raised in at least two Forum workshops.
This, however, is not an exhaustive list of all issues raised.

They include:

OVERARCHING THEMES

• Improvements
  to service delivery need to build on current strengths.
• Ensuring
  the Human Services Plan is consistent with and complements current
  regional, state and national policies strategies.
• Build
  on existing committees and taskforces structures and create new ones where
  required, ensuring clear Terms of Reference, purpose and membership are
  established.
• Recommend
  the development of strategies dealing with housing issues —private and
  public.
• Investigate
  the establishment of high and low care residential facilities for older
  people in Redfern-Waterloo as well as facilities specifically for
  Aboriginal people.

• Improved
  communication of RWA Human Services activities and achievements relating
  to the Human Services Plan.
• Communicate
  the process for completing the Human Services Plan Phase 2.
• A
  case management model needs to be developed. This could be based on models
  in the HACC system.
• Support
  for volunteers needs to be developed.
• Terminology
  that needs to be changed;
• Culturally
  and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities rather than migrants.
• People
  with dementia rather than dementia sufferers.
• People
  who are homeless rather than homeless people.

SPECIFIC THEMES

Better Service
Delivery

• Focus
  on improving outcomes for clients.
• Use
  a strength based approach to service reform.
• Use
  evidence/research base approach to identify best practice.
• Need
  to undertake mapping of funded services.

Access to dementia
support

• There
  is a need for more dementia services based in Redfern-Waterloo.
• Improve
  collaboration between the two area health services that run the dementia
  support services.

CALD Communities

• Service
  delivery and planning needs to reflect changing demographics.
• Ensuring
  interpreters/translators are accredited and aware of human service issues.
• Encourage
  employment of bi-lingual staff.
• Encourage
  opportunities for communities to interact and participate.
• Identification
  of community leaders.
• Ensuring
  community facilities are used by a range of community groups.

Access to aged care
and health services by Aboriginal people over 45.

• Take
  a more holistic approach to the health of Aboriginal people, starting at
  birth.
• Need
  to address the multiple needs of transient and local residents.
• Acknowledge
  the complexity of issues around the delivery of service to Aboriginal
  people.
• Cultural
  competency required for services.
• Identify
  key community groups and individuals for advice, consultation and
  planning.

Intergenerational
relations

• Need
  to generate opportunities for the different age groups to interact in a
  positive way.
• Greater
  support for grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren.

Homelessness

• Homelessness
  needs to be broader than just rough sleepers e.g. include domestic
  violence, people who are transient, young people, overcrowded family
  homes, prevention of tenancy breakdown.
• Need
  for affordable housing.
• Build
  on tenancy support models.
• Address
  service gaps for homeless people.

Disabilities:
identification of needs and access to services.

• Acknowledgement
  of the needs of carers and their families.
• Investigate
  suitable models for case coordination.
• More
  information about implementation of the DADHC Stronger Together strategy.
• Clarifying
  access and eligibility criteria for services.
• Ensure
  appropriate disabled access in local infrastructure developments and
  adequately reflected in the RWA’s Built Environment Plan.

Social Isolation

• Strategies
  to address social isolation need to incorporate the whole community — not
  just public housing
• Ensure
  that initiatives to reduce social isolation in public housing are
  consistent with and complement the Department of Housing’s Community
  Regeneration and High Rise Strategies.
• Ensure
  the availability of multi-purpose spaces and facilities in
  Redfern-Waterloo.
• Implement
  strategies to improve safety and perceptions of safety.

Local and community
transport

• Need
  for Redfern Station to link with bus transport.
• Investigate
  opportunities to improve health related transport.
• Public
  bus routes have limited hours and not tied to major centres.
• Arterial
  roads disrupt local transport networks.
• Need
  to link with City of Sydney
  Transport Plan.

Housing safety and
amenity for older people

• Need
  for more information about the Housing Accord.
• Needs
  to also address the safety and amenity concerns of people in both public
  and private housing.
• Provide
  different housing options for older people.