Human Service Plan Goals from REDWatch Perspective
What we have asked for is a human services plan to go
alongside the SSP Built environment / master plan. We have asked for this
because we do not believe that the people issues experienced currently in
public housing will be addressed by solely a built environment plan.
While we recognise that the redevelopment will both uncover
human service needs that were not previously known and that it and the
relocations will create new human service needs this has not been the focus of
our request. Addressing these issues are crucial and they need to be addressed
as part of the redevelopment / relocation process. To greater or lesser extents
they are the usual human service focus of a redevelopment and of course we need
to make sure they are handled as well as possible.
Our request however is to address the more systemic problems
in the human service system as it particularly applies to people with high and
complex needs that priority allocations concentrates in public housing. The
issues currently faced by public tenants are often because the human service
system does not provide the supports necessary for tenants with complex needs.
These will become that much more acute post development when people are living
in 3.5 times higher density and in closer proximity to private residents. It is
not expected that private tenants will put up with what public tenants are
currently expected to put up with. For private tenants it will not be part of
the price they pay for being in public housing.
So where do I think we should start?
We need to recognise that public housing estates like
Waterloo are not normal populations they are creations of public policy that
increasing allocate public housing stock to the most needy. It seems to make
this concentration, without providing the human service support in a systematic
way for those that are placed in public housing. Further it is difficult for
front line workers to get supports for people who are in need of services. At
one extreme tenants often report that they have to wait until things get so bad
that the police are called and at the other people are not socially engaged,
are isolated and afraid to go outside their front door – a problem for example
for community nurses trying to get frail tenants to get exercise.
So here is what I want to achieve
1)
Start with services for the new priority tenants
– To gain priority access people have to substantiate the issues that will give
them priority. This is like a high jump bar – clear it and you are in! But
there is no human service element that seeks to support people with these
issues and to help them establish a successful tenancy with minimal impact on
their neighbours. In the first instance a human services plan for Waterloo
needs to look at and supply where necessary the human service supports for new
people entering the estate.
2)
Undertake follow up reviews for priority
tenants. There needs to be follow up to ensure the services that were
referenced in the application continue to be provided after the move or that
suitable services have been found if they are no longer using that provider.
This is also an opportunity to see if other services might be required or
somethings no longer required.
3)
Set up referral process from client service
officers. Tenants often report raising issues either as neighbour complaints or
concerns about people being off medication etc to client service officers.
Creating a climate where CSO’s do not turn over quickly in housing offices
would also allow for better established relationships with tenants and hence a
greater likelihood that tenants raise issues earlier rather than when it gets
to be intolerable.
4)
Provide a referral mechanism for frontline NGO,
Govt and Medical staff to refer someone who they believe from their
interactions requires access human service supports. This is an extension of 3
however as LAHC and FACS Housing both part of FACS this might be easier to
establish than a broader mechanism. Eg Complaints to the Police should also
trigger a human services assessment to look at what supports may be needed by
the tenant.
5)
There will need to be a mechanism to deal with
systemic issues. It needs to have people from a senior level capable of
addressing issues within and between departments but it also must have a strong
feedback loop from frontline workers.
6)
There will need to be a mechanism where front
line workers can flag service integration issues they are experiencing at a
local level up to be addressed within or across silos.
7)
The idea of social prescriptions should be
explored as part of improving supports for public housing tenants and not just
medical and case management prescriptions
I do not believe we need to start with item 6, I think we
have a reasonable idea of what needs to be addressed to kick the process off.
Some improvements in the supports for high needs tenants coming into Waterloo
estate provide the basis for those supports to be made available to existing
tenants. Hopefully the system then becomes more responsive, and responsible for
the care of the people with needs that are concentrated in public and social
housing.
Geoffrey Turnbull
REDWatch Co-Spokesperson