ACOSS says that only 20% of Australia's community services are able to fully meet the demand they have.

80% of Australia’s community services unable to meet demand: ACOSS report 80% of Australia’s community services unable to meet demand: ACOSS report The largest survey of Australia's community services sector to be released today, reveals that 80% of front-line agencies are unable to meet current levels of demand with the resources they have. The biggest gaps in meeting demand are in the areas of greatest community need. The survey of almost 1,000 community service workers from around the country shows that 43% of services are simply unable to meet the needs of people coming to them for help. A further 37% can ‘almost’ meet demand.  Only 20% reported being able to meet demand fully. “From the coalface of community work, our findings are deeply concerning and should ring alarm bells for Federal Government policies that would inflict deeper pain on the people doing it toughest in our community,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie. “As a society we simply cannot accept policies that will further erode the living conditions of people on the lowest incomes, or reduce the social services that are their lifeline. “We are particularly perturbed about the state of our nation’s community legal and accommodation services, which have reported great difficulty meeting demand: 72% and 51% respectively are unable to meet demand. Yet, despite the urgent need for these services in our community, they have been subjected to Federal funding cuts and ongoing funding uncertainty. “Services reported they would need to increase capacity substantially to meet current demand levels in these and other vital areas of need. “We are troubled by the plight of both young and older people not in paid work and of single parents, with community service workers reporting a noticeable deterioration in their quality of life and levels of stress in the past year. 50% of on-the-ground community workers said that quality of life was ‘a lot worse’ for young unemployed people and 56% perceived that life for sole parents was more stressful. “Life for both young and older unemployed people has become more stressful over the past 12 months and community workers identified employment and affordable housing as top policy priority issues that urgently need to be addressed. “More than anything these findings highlight the need to bring to an end the current climate of uncertainty, both in funding for crucial services and for vulnerable groups in our community. “The Federal Government needs to go back to the drawing board on some of its deeply unfair Budget measures, including significant funding cuts for social and community service programmes, and proposals such as removing payments for young unemployed people for six months of each year. This was the strong recommendation of a Senate Reference Committee last week, which found that the harsh approach of the Budget will push more people into poverty and disadvantage. “The government must abandon other damaging measures which threaten to make the situation worse for people and families on low incomes, including restricting access to Newstart to over 25s; freezing family payments; lowering indexation of pensions; further targeting of people on disability support pension; and introducing a $7 GP co-payment. “Already 2.5 million people are living below the poverty line in Australia, including 603,000 children. Now is the time for us to work together as a community to turn this picture around. Australia’s community welfare sector, which contributes 5% to our nation’s GDP and employes nearly one million people, is working hard to meet this challenge. “We urge governments at all levels to work with us in the pursuit of evidence-based policies that will be effective, not ones based on short term budgetary imperatives that will cost us more as a community in the longer term,” Dr Goldie said. Media Contact: Fernando de Freitas 0419 626 155 DOWNLOAD REPORT Key Findings How people are faring Our survey finds that the lives of people living on low incomes have become increasingly difficult and stressful over the past year. 49% of sector staff reported quality of life to be ‘a lot worse’ for people on low incomes. 50% of sector staff reported quality of life to be ‘a lot worse’ for young unemployed people. 56% of sector staff reported that life for sole parents is more stressful. 54% of sector staff reported that life is more stressful for young unemployed people. 52% of sector staff reported that life is more stressful for older unemployed people. Demand for services Across the community sector, services are struggling to meet demand. Overall, 80% of sector services reported being unable to fully meet demand. 43% of sector services reported being unable to meet demand. 37% of sector services reported being able to almost fully meet demand. Only 20% of sector services reported being fully able to meet demand. Services that prioritise people on low incomes or with specific needs are least able to meet demand. 49% reported being unable to meet demand. Only 12% reported being fully able to meet demand. The largest service gaps are in areas of greatest need. The data on capacity to meet demand suggests the largest service gaps exist in areas of the greatest need: among services working most closely with those on the lowest incomes and with the highest levels of need in their communities. Community legal and accommodation services reported great difficulty meeting demand. 72% of legal services are unable to meet demand. 51% of accommodation services are unable to meet demand.  Services not able to meet demand need to increase capacity substantially to meet demand. 33% of services would need to increase capacity by 11-25% to meet demand. 30% of services would need to increase capacity by 26-50% to meet demand. 25% of services would need to increase capacity by 51-200% or more in order to meet demand. Community priorities Sector staff identified investment in affordable housing as the highest priority for benefitting the community as a whole, followed by employment, education and skills development, health and income support.  Employment was the top priority identified for young unemployed people, followed by education and skills development, affordable housing and income support. Affordable housing was the top priority identified for sole parents, followed by income support, education and skill development and employment. Affordable housing was also the top priority identified for older unemployed people, followed by income support, health and social connections and social capital. Policy priorities identified include: Reducing cost of living pressures for people on low incomes; Maintaining state and local government concessions; Increasing income support; and Expanding training programs for people experiencing long-term unemployment. Service priorities Sector staff identified increased investment in housing and homelessness services as delivering the greatest benefit to people on low incomes, followed by mental health services and services for vulnerable families and children. Australia’s Community Sector Australia's community welfare sector makes an enormous contribution to Australian society, contributing 5% to GDP and 8% to employment annually. It employs 919,000 people and a further two million volunteers.

Of interest to #Ballarat people: Catherine King, the Member for Ballarat, is on the ABC's Q&A to-night

To-night's Q&A program on ABCTV includes Ballarat's Federal Member of Parliament, Catherine King who is the Shadow Minister for Health in the Labor Opposition. Ballarat is fortunate to have such a highly qualified woman to represent its interests in the Federal Parliament in Canberra.

Health services are a major part of Australian society.  We have had a universal health care system since 1975.  There have been many changes across significant portfolio areas under the first budget of the Abbott Government. The Federal Budget has not been passed in its entirety.  It has been marooned in a backwash of the government's own making.  Part of the controversial changes in the budget, is the introduction of a co-payment for visits to the doctor and other heal professionals.  This is seen as an erosion of universal health care and re-introducing inequities which Medicare had long since abolished.

So Ballarat, please consider tuning in to-night to hear what your local member of the Federal Parliament has to say.

In the photo above:
Sharon Knight - State MLA running for election in the seat of Wendouree
Catherine King and Marianna Hubbard of #Pinarc
The program being supported and campaigned for is the
#National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

Health Advocacy Organisations call on Australian Government & Parliament to show leadership...

Health groups call for leadership in healthcare funding   Tuesday September 23, 2014As a new AIHW report showing declining health spending is released, a wide range of health advocacy organisations have joined together today to call on the Government and Parliament to show leadership in relation to health funding, and ensure that decisions take into account the health of everyone in the community, particularly the most vulnerable. A wide range of health advocacy organisations have joined together today to call on the Government and Parliament to show leadership in relation to health funding, and ensure that decisions take into account the health of everyone in the community, particularly the most vulnerable. "Good health is a fundamental building block to the well-being of individuals, communities and the economy. There is a need for considered and evidence based approaches to healthcare funding and services," CEO of ACOSS, Dr Cassandra Goldie said today while launching the statement. "Community organisations with a deep interest in health are growing increasingly alarmed about the significant changes that are being proposed in the area of health, without significant community discussion about the implications, particularly on those who are most vulnerable and most likely to be impacted by changes such as the proposed GP co-payment. "Organisations who have signed up to today's statement remain opposed to any form of GP co-payment, even one with exemptions as this does not go far enough to ensure that those who most need healthcare are not faced with cost barriers. "Any changes in healthcare funding needs to protect those who are most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Current proposals on the table do not adequately address the impacts on groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, those with chronic illness, and older members of our community. We also know that those who are poorer are more likely to be sick. So, it is those who are least likely to be able to afford it who are going to be most impacted by measures such as new or increased co-payments. "In addition to proposals such as the GP co-payment, and increases to the co-payment for PBS medicines, there are other adverse changes being made through the budget, such as the reduction of funding to health promotion and preventative health. It's hard to see how this will help improve people's health and take off pressure in the health system. "There is strong evidence that supports investing in preventive health as the most long-term, cost effective and ethical approach to maintaining and improving Australia's universal health care system. Investing in a healthy Australia takes strong leadership and a vision for a better future for all people and communities in Australia. "The groups who have come together today stand ready to work with Government to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the health system. We call on the Government and the Parliament to focus on evidence, and not be tempted to introduce short term fixes to expenditure which will only cost more in the long term," Dr Goldie concluded. A copy of the Joint Community Statement on Health and signatories can be found here Sign on Organisations Media Contacts: Australian Association of Social Workers - 0400 613 516 Australian Council of Social Service - 0419 626 155 Australian Federation of Aids Organisations - 0421 040 538 Australian Men's Health Forum - 0437 571 130 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation - 0411 254 390 Catholic Social Services Australia - 0400 576 917 Consumers Health Forum of Australia - 0414 358 091 MS Australia - 0427959972 National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations - 02-6246 9347 Public Health Association of Australia - 0417 249 731