Affordability and Cost of Living
Older people and people with disability facing financial
stress.
There are regular increases in public housing rents and no
compensation – “working families” are not the only ones.
Ageing
Increase in complaints from the elderly around violence and
drinking, not always actual crimes but just the perception or fear of something
going to happen. Creates social isolation and makes it difficult for service to
access clients.
There has been about a 30% increase in the ageing population.
Issues for the ageing who are ‘not so old’ having access to
Senior’s Groups beyond day programs.
Elderly are fearful of using lifts in their apartment blocks.
Community Development
Need community development right down to individual
counselling. It’s about strengthening the community and reconnecting the
community. Change the vibe.
There has been a lot taken out of community development work.
There has been a philosophical shift – medicalising and
pathologising the individual – what is wrong with “them”. This makes service
provision tiring.
It’s about building social capital and having a well
connected social fabric.
More and more people are being concentrated into an area,
people who are ageing, next to people with a mental illness and complex
problems leading to increasing fear/tension.
CSGP
If CSGP is moved into child protection and away from a whole
of community focus there will be a big impact on other services like HACC and
Disability services that are auspiced by community organisations. The community
focus is being whittled away.
DOCS has picked up community services but other Departments
also need to pick up this responsibility.
Funding
Increasing work on the ground impacted upon by silo funding
– not receiving the funding to do the work that is needed. We’re committed to
partnerships but needs more than this.
Short term funding a problem – increases community
expectations and then the funding stops and the project ends.
Other people are getting the funding that should go to the
community.
Always project funding tied into the three year election
cycle – needs to be program funding. It’s exhausting having to continually
apply for funding.
A lot of time and energy goes into small grant submissions
to run small but important projects that have proven to be successful.
We have a regional worker that works with tenants to link
them with the community. Government departments are telling us what that person
to be doing, not looking at what is already working or what is needed on the
ground.
Greater reliance on the tendering program and people are
forced to compete to get it.
Many organisations are hanging together on small grants.
Services are funded led rather than leading the funders.
Difficult to balance competition and partnerships with
tendering process.
Stress caused by funding.
Housing
Huge amount of housing stress and it is getting worse and
worse.
Housing NSW are confusing the categories of new arrivals
between refugees and people who are sponsored to come to Australia. People
arrive as refugees and a local person of a similar ethnicity is asked to
provide support, then are classified as a ‘sponsor’. The government expects the
sponsor to provide a lot of support so less government support is provided.
These HNSW appointed ‘sponsors’ cannot provide the level of support that is
expected and the ‘sponsored’ refugees are being denied accommodation and other
basic services. This is traumatising them and making it difficult for services
to engage. Also impacts on the well being of their children.
Tenant participation model is being changed without tenant
participation.
Basic maintenance in housing is always a problem; increasing
need for adaptations.
Sustainability of housing for young people an issue.
Support the independence of the landlord role – housing also
has a community support role in the same way policing is not just about
arresting people but about crime prevention.
Mental Health
The area has huge Issues with general mental health and particularly
mental health issues due to ageing; drug and alcohol related mental health and
links between mental health and homelessness.
Housing NSW targets people with the most complex needs but
public housing does not have case managers and the community sector is left to
pick things up.
Interface between mental health and drug and alcohol –
increasing level of the problem and community services need to be careful of
what they can do and what they are skilled to do.
People with Disability
Waiting lists for accommodation are huge. One woman has been
placed in Camden
(it was the closest and most accessible home) but a long way from her family.
Refugee and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
Communities
Issues arising with new and emerging African Communities –
sharing accommodation, maybe 2 – 3 families sleeping on the floor in a small
unit.
Short term funding for CALD and Aboriginal mother programs.
Sector Issues
Lack of knowledge in the community about services in the
area.
Marrickville does a post box drop once a month with a double
sided leaflet advertising the services.
Neighbourhood Centres are good sources of brochures etc –
people need key points to go to when they need something.
TV campaign will reach the general population, but then you
may get more people than you can provide a service to.
Transport
Keeping up with the demand and needs of ageing and people
with disability an issue.
Health access – community transport picking up health
transport.
Community transport provides a shuttle bus service that goes
to key areas (estate – shops – hospital – etc) and funded by the Council. Other
Councils are interested in this model.
Some services provide 1:1 assistance – pick up, go shopping,
carry shopping into home
Street Beat Bus for young people – runs Thursday – Sunday
10pm – 3am, free call and the bus will pick up and take home – currently
reviewing and want to extend to 7 days a week.
Young people need transport at night – don’t want to be home
for a variety of reasons.
Getting taxis a challenge as they won’t go into certain
areas.
Workforce
Workforce is a big issue – workers have high workloads and
this impacts on their time available to link with networks.
Also impact on public sector – key roles being filled by
‘backpackers’ who do not have corporate knowledge or commitment.
Wages and living affordability – huge changes and these
impacts as well.
In Community Legal Centres getting a Principal
Solicitor can take 12 months. Can’t compete with salaries offered by legal aid
or they can earn privately. CLCs can only offer SACS Award or just above.
Worker retention is an issue people burn out and you lose
valuable resources.
Can no longer provide the ‘emotional’ payback that kept the
workforce happy and wanting to work – culture of not appreciating.
Need funding to put into training to make people feel wanted
and happy to stay in the sector.
Relationship with the Government is increasingly
problematical.
No leadership from the State Government to value and respect
the NGO sector – do not respect our input.
Increased friction between the public sector and the
community sector but need to work in partnership.
Youth
Increasing drug and alcohol related violence over weekends,
especially being experienced by Indigenous youth.
The above related to culture, is endemic – has to be put in
this context. Young people are just surviving and they save to drink and forget
then end up in gaol. They are not thriving.
Need bigger community strategies aimed at young people – not
one-off projects but sustainable long-term programs.
There are a lot of youth services in this area, but not
enough to do what needs to be done.
Source: Notes taken by NCOSS of the Consultation supplied by ISRCSD