Frank
Sartor
Minister
for Planning
Minister
for Science and Medical Research
Minister
Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer)
Minister
for Redfern-Waterloo
13 October
2005
OVERHAUL
OF HUMAN SERVICES IN REDFERN-WATERLOO
One-stop
shops for youth services, an additional 100 childcare places and the
establishment of a Redfern-Waterloo Trust are among the key changes recommended
by the first stage of the State Government’s Redfern Waterloo Plan.
Minister
for Redfern Waterloo, Frank Sartor today released the first stage of the draft
plan designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of human services in
the two inner-Sydney suburbs.
“This is
the first time there has been such a major overhaul of services in Redfern and Waterloo”, Mr Sartor
said.
“By
consolidating service providers there will be a greater focus on delivery and
outcomes, and less time spent jumping through bureaucratic hoops.”
Phase One
of the Plan will address provision of services for children and families, young
people Aboriginal residents.
Key
strategies include:
- Establishment of a Redfern
Waterloo Trust which would broker partnerships with the private sector to
help support local youth and pave their path to employment; - An additional 100 childcare
places for local children; - ‘One-stop-shops’ for youth
services within three area-based precincts; - A Tutorial Centre to provide
literacy programs for disadvantaged children using programs such Reading
Recovery and Early Literacy; - Transition school programs to
assist young people in their journey from childcare to primary and
secondary school and onto further education or work-ready programs; - Increased assistance for local
students in years 9-11, including work plans, community work experience,
training for job interviews and help in qualifying for drivers; - Implementation of the Blackout
Violence program – an anti-violence program based in schools targeting
young men and boys; and - Improved access to crisis
accommodation for families affected by family violence.
Mr Sartor
said the Plan, which goes on display today for one month, will form a framework
for integrating and improving health, education, employment and other essential
services.
“Streamlining
human services in Redfern-Waterloo will help local service providers to better
meet the needs of the community and improve residents’ sense of safety and
overall well-being.
“There is
no magic solution for Redfern-Waterloo. This Plan is a work in progress which
reflects our long-term commitment to the area. It will be phased in over the
next decade, putting in place the building blocks for a stronger community,” Mr
Sartor said.
Phase One Strategies
The Redfern Waterloo
Trust
- The Redfern Waterloo Authority
will develop a Redfern-Waterloo Corporate Citizenship Prospectus that will
outline the programs and activities provided in the area that would benefit from private sector support. - The Trust will encourage
private sector involvement in the area. - The RWA will apply for
charitable organisation status managed through the Trust. Under this proposal, all funds donated
would be tax deductible and directed solely towards community
projects. - The allocation of funds would
be determined by the individual contributor based on activities listed in
the prospectus. - Dispersal of funds would be
approved by trustees. - The Trust would broker
partnerships with the private sector which provide opportunities for: - supporting youth cultural
programs; - sponsorship of sporting
activities and provision of sporting equipment to local students; - supporting literacy campaigns
for preschool children and their parents; - improving access to
information technology for public housing tenants; and - supporting capital seeding
programs providing nil or low interest loans for community-based
entrepreneurial activities.
Youth Services
- Establish ‘one-stop-shops’ for
youth services based on three areas or precincts to be located in: - Redfern East- at the PCYC
- Waterloo – at Waterloo Oval
- Redfern West – at the Redfern
Community Centre - The three precincts will:
- provide youth and business
mentoring programs - provide recreation and sports
programs including a range of indoor and outdoor activities on Friday
nights, Saturdays and Sundays and in school holidays; - provide an access point for therapeutic and health services for
young people; - coordinate local after-school
care and vacation care programs; - The Alexandria Park
Community School
will also be used as a service.
Children’s services
- Provide 100 additional
affordable childcare places for children living in Redfern–Waterloo
through an Early Childhood Learning Scholarship Scheme funded through the
Redfern-Waterloo Authority Trust.
Numeracy and literacy
programs
- Develop transition to school
program guidelines for all childcare services to improve school readiness.
- Conduct workshops with young
parents through the Schools as Community Centres program to develop their
literacy teaching skills and their capacity to give in-home education to
pre-schoolers using every day household items. - Establish a Tutorial Centre to
improve literacy among disadvantaged children using specialised literacy
programs such Reading Recovery and Early Literacy that assist students who
are behind in reading skills;
Youth employment and
training programs
- Provide all years 9, 10 and 11
attending local schools with school to work plans, personalised work,
community based work experience and access to obtaining drivers’ licences
and clothing for attending job interviews; - Establishing an Indigenous Enterprise Centre at
the Redfern Waterloo Authority; - Opening an RWA Training Centre
at North Eveleigh focusing on the
construction, hospitality and transport industries; - Streamlining recruitment
training and employment pathways for employers based on the co-ordination
of services in the following areas; recruitment, training,
apprenticeships, group employment, mentoring.
Reducing Incidence of
Family Violence
- Implement the Blackout Violence
program, anti-violence programs based in schools targeting young men and
boys and improve access to crisis accommodation for families affected by
domestic and family violence. - Provide four Aboriginal
Community Liaison Officers (ACLO) at Redfern Police Station - The provision of supervised
after-hours ‘safe spaces’ for young people to provide short term
emergency care to children late at night and during weekends – including,
for example, - appropriate relatives’ homes,
- schools,
- Service centres or other
appropriate safe spaces. - Establish a Taskforce to
investigate options for developing a Family Violence Service in
Redfern-Waterloo.
Support programs for
people with mental health problems
- Provide housing and support
packages for clients with mental health problems whose tenancies are at
risk. - Provide improved workforce
training and employment opportunities for people with mental health
problems.
Community Activities
- Revival of the Redfern Street
Festival; - Local community events such as
market days, community bbqs and yarn days; - Developing a web portal for
non-government organisations; - Developing a oral cultural
heritage and history with long term residents.