Addressing the health care and social assistance industry - building aged cares’ most valuable asset.

The Health Care and Social Assistance industry is the largest employment sector in the Illawarra and Southern NSW and is expected to make the largest contribution to employment growth in the next few years. However, service providers are struggling to attract and retain workers, while also facing an ageing workforce with significant projected retirement levels. In a workforce of diverse needs in care provision, clinical roles, administration, and management, there will soon be a substantial deficit in the number of staff relative to service users.

Key challenges for attracting and retaining employees in Health Care and Social Assistance include insufficient rates of pay, the growth in unstable part-time and casual contracts, and misconceptions regarding the professional rewards and career pathways available.

While there has been modest growth in the number of Care Services employees within some LGA’s, many regions within NSW have reported declines and a diminishing availability of staff to maintain regular service operating levels.

Community Industry Group have made the following recommendations to state and federal govt:

• Extend the opportunity for exemption from the 24/7 Registered Nurse Responsibility to facilities in Modified Monash Model (MM) areas 2 – 4.

• Increase the 10% capacity for Enrolled Nurses to satisfy Nursing Care Minutes.

• Initiate a Regional Aged Care Visa.

• Waive HECS-HELP debts for Registered Nurses who work for 3 years in aged care after graduation.

• Extend the student visa workplace extra hours caps.

Illawarra Disability Alliance - Meet with MP’s.

Illawarra Disability Alliance is made up of not for profit disability-specific providers working together to deliver better outcomes for people with a disability in our community.

This week IDA welcomed the opportunity to meet with the Member for Whitlam and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones and Member for Wollongong Alison Byrnes to talk about the impact disability clients and their families face in the wake of the recent NDIS Pricing Arrangements, which froze prices in place for the fifth year running.

Registered providers require urgent funding intervention from government to ensure their services can continue and the IDA called for the government to collaborate with reputable providers to enhance the Scheme’s cost-effectiveness without compromising service delivery.

The latest NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), released on 28th June 2024, maintained a fifth consecutive price freeze on support coordination, plan management, and most therapies, despite rising service delivery costs, and fails to adequately cover rising costs of delivering core support workers disability services like insurances, increased subsidies for employees using their own vehicles and the wage increase for disability workers.

The IDA also raised their serious concern at the shock decision to remove the option to claim high intensity behavioural supports from all line items, leaving vulnerable people with complex behaviours at risk of losing vital supports.

IDA will continue to advocate for registered NDIS providers to ensure clients and their families can access the services they need in the Illawarra.

The first of our STARS Volunteers are in!

On June 9, we had our first STARS induction training day for our first group of volunteers. The induction provided volunteers with information and practical tools to help them get started. Mark Sewell, the project lead, shared background info that made everyone realise the vital role STARS can play in helping older people stuck in a hospital make a safer and speedier transition into suitable aged care services.

Volunteer feedback: I found the induction very informative, and I particularly enjoyed Mark's presentation. Knowing about the expectations and practical side that the role volunteers will play is also very important”. Juanita - STARS Volunteer.

Enthusiastic gathering at the South Coast Aged Care Forum.

Thank you to all of those who joined us last Wednesday! The Batemans Bay Soldiers Club was abuzz with over 70 professionals attending the eagerly awaited South Coast Aged Care Forum. This significant event, proudly sponsored by the Community Industry Group and ACCPA, served as a melting pot for sector specialists to delve into the intricacies of new standards and legislation impacting aged care services.

Participants have expressed overwhelming satisfaction, appreciating the chance to make connections and exchange insights. The forum provided a platform for knowledge sharing and also set the stage for ongoing education with plans to introduce monthly training sessions on critical topics such as Hoarding and Squalor, and Mental Health First Aid.

Highlighting the event were presentations from Paul Sadler, a renowned industry expert, who shed light on the recent amendments to the Standards. We were also joined by representatives from the Department of Health and Aging, NSW Health, and iCare, who imparted crucial updates. Moreover, local service providers like Julie Evans from Sapphire Coast Aged Care, Annette Annido from GPH, and Kersten Davis from NSW Older People’s Mental Health, shared their invaluable services and workforce insights, fostering growth within the sector.

The forum’s triumph stands as a testament to the unwavering passion and commitment of our field’s workers, who play a pivotal role in fortifying the South Coast’s aged care community with strength and purpose.

Hosts for a day!

The recent visit from Taiwanese students from the Local Community Services Association (LCSA) to CI Group proved to be an invaluable and enriching experience. The enthusiastic delegation comprised five students with diverse backgrounds, including a CEO overseeing three youth centres and another advocating for children from migrant families.

During their visit, the students actively engaged with our mission of supporting marginalised communities through partnerships with local government, interagency groups, and organisations/businesses, learning about advocacy and collaboration strategies. 

A particular highlight was their meeting with two of our member organisations known for their impactful community work: 

• HopeStreet | BaptistCare

• Berkeley Neighbourhood Centre

These discussions provided valuable insights into how collaborative efforts influence policy making and address community needs. The site visits gave firsthand examples of successful advocacy and community engagement strategies, emphasising local partnerships, government relations, and sustainable community development.

Visitors wanting to see for themselves how and what goes on within our services reminded us all that giving the ‘real picture’ of what actually happens during the day-to-day is what’s important. In a sector that relies heavily on the convenience of Zoom and Teams, it was great to see the effect of how humanity, music, and good food can help facilitate the sharing of ideas and bridging of experiences from Taiwan to our region.

‘It Left No Marks’ - Are you a women’s health support service?

Sadly, more broardly across NSW, it’s being reported that there is an increase in cases of strangulation as a part of sexual violence against women. The project It Left No Marks aims to support and educate women on the risks of strangulation and sexual choking.

We encourage any women’s health services to assess up-to-date information on this increasing issue through the project website www.itleftnomarks.com.au. This website and resource point aims to impart useful information about the definition, health risks and issues around the subject of strangulation.

If you are a service that provides support to women, you may also want information and support in helping to better screen for this issue within your service, and how to better help individuals facing sexual violence. As a part of this larger campaign, Shoalhaven Women’s Health Centre, are offering training for the Shoalhaven and Illawarra area on: Non-fatal Strangulation and Acquired Brain Injury. For more information email Leanne: [email protected] or call 4421 0730.

Supporting Spontaneous Volunteers Program - closing date extended to 30 August 2024!

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) has extended the closing date for the Supporting Spontaneous Volunteers Program (SSVP) to 12:00 pm AEST 30 August 2024. Grants are available to help your organisation strengthen and empower your volunteers to be better resourced before, during and after a natural disaster. 

Eligible Applicants include:

• Not-for-Profit Entities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) or the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC).

• Social Enterprises with certification through Social Traders.

• NSW Local Councils

Unincorporated entities may also be eligible to apply with an auspiced arrangement. To check your eligibility, contact us at: [email protected].

How to apply. All applications must be submitted through a SmartyGrants webform, comprising 10 merit based questions. If you have started an application please contact us via email to discuss reopening your form, and at the same time discuss any probity concerns there may be with your application. If you have any technical issues, a user guide is provided in the Frequently Asked Questions. SmartyGrants Technical Assistance can be contacted on: (03) 9320 6888 or email ([email protected]).

Information briefings. Information sessions on the Program were held in June 2024, if you were unable to attend, and would like to learn more, visit RA’s website. Support is available. For enquiries and support related to the program please contact the RA at: [email protected]..

Free webinar - discussing disengaged school students in light of ‘Family Systems Principles’.

Why is disengagement important? Disengaged students are at risk of a range of adverse academic and social outcomes. Most forms of disengagement, such as absence, disruptive behaviour, and poor school connectedness, are associated with lower achievement, which has significant implications for the school experience for students. Importantly, the engagement-achievement relationship tends to be reciprocal, cyclical and reinforced over time, meaning that while low achievement may be represented as an adverse outcome of disengagement, it can also contribute to the process. Early school leaving is more often the end-point of a long process of disengagement over time. Therefore, it is important to identify problems with disengagement early

Join Jenny Brown, from The Parent Hope Project Team, to hear more about disengaged school students, through a family systems lens. Please feel free to share this link with friends, colleagues or family. FREE Live Webinar - Register below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwscuqvpzstGN07tieB72DEsUQPGzoYcBgD​ 

DATE: Wed 31 July 2024
TIME: 4pm - 4:40pm
VENUE: Bellambi Neighbourhood Centre
ACCESS: Zoom / Jenny Presents for 30 min, followed by 10 min Q&A.

Addressing domestic and family violence - everyone has the right to live in safety.

Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) occurs across all ages and socioeconomic demographics, but predominantly affects women and children. On average, one woman is killed every 11 days by a current or former partner. Coercive control is one form of DFV where perpetrators remove their partner’s autonomy and is one of the leading causes of homelessness for women and children in Australia. People with a disability or long-term health conditions are also at a disproportionate risk of domestic abuse.

The impacts of DFV are varied and long-lasting. Victims of domestic violence are 10 times more likely than others to experience legal problems, including family, civil and criminal law issues. Such issues significantly add to the financial burden of domestic violence.

Children are being exposed to domestic violence as both victims and witnesses. Over half of the women who filed a case of DFV while caring for children reported that the children had seen or heard the violence. This exposure can have profound effects on a child’s wellbeing, education, and relationship outcomes in the future.   

Community Industry Group Recommendations the following to both State and Federal Governments: 

• Develop a long-term National Partnership Agreement between state and federal governments to ensure ongoing and sustainable funding for all specialist family violence services in regional, rural and remote areas.

• Invest in community education campaigns which improve community understanding of DFV, including targeted towards LGBTIQA+, First Nations and young people.

 • Implement evidence-based perpetrator programs aimed at long term, sustained behavioral change.

• Invest in crisis accommodation and support services for women and children escaping violence. 

• Invest in frontline specialist sexual assault services to meet increasing demand and allow diversification of programs, including working with schools and other local organisations to address and respond to sexual violence.

• Increase investment in specialist legal assistance sector for women affected by gender-based violence.

COORDINARE PHN together with Shellharbour City Council are holding a ‘Dying to Know Day’ event.

This event serves as a source of information for consumers and healthcare professionals alike, with the day providing a free opportunity to speak directly with industry experts; to gather insights, information, and tools; learn more about your choices in planning what YOU want in life and death. 

Industry Experts from across the Illawarra & Shoalhaven regions and beyond including: 

• Palliative Care NSW, NSW Public Trustee and Guardians, Branch Operations Manager Bendigo Bank, Slater & Gordon Solicitors, LHD Palliative Care Volunteers and Clinical staff, Grief & Bereavement supports, Doulas, Funeral services: Tender Funerals & H Parsons, Funeral Celebrant & 'share your story' work - Jane Bourne, Meals on Wheels, Aged and Home Care providers, Services NSW, Carer Gateway, Advance Care Planning stall, Seniors Rights, Care Finders, MCCI, DOHA Regional Team – Aged care 

The event consists of the following activities: 

• Event opening by Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer. 

• Industry Stallholders (16). 

• Introduction by Palliative Care NSW CEO -Screening of the 30-minute movie “Live the Life You Please” a film that aims to improve awareness about palliative care and help to start important conversations about living the life you please until the very end. 

• Q&A panel; bring your questions along and gain insight from industry experts. 

Registrations via the QR code on the flyer above or by calling Jackie Caton 0458 549 546.

DATE: Wednesday 7 August 
TIME: 10am -1pm 
WHERE: Shellharbour Civic Centre Auditorium 
Morning tea provided. 

12th Annual Illawarra Dementia Public Forum 25 September 2024.

Venue: Fraternity Club, Fairy Meadow (Wollongong) Time: 9:30am - 3:00pm. Speakers include Mr. Nick Morgan, Australian Government Dept. of Health and Aged Care, Prof. Tanya Buchanan, CEO of Dementia Australia (TBC), Marie Alford, Dementia Support Australia, carers of people living with dementia and people with dementia, allied health professionals and others associated with dementia-friendly communities and dementia research.

From 25 June: Free registrations open (details will be published before this date). Reservations for display tables are open. Major sponsors: Dementia Australia, Australian Government Dept. of Health, Dementia Support Australia, University of Wollongong.

Food For Thought

Anthony Dillon - Academic and commentator of Indigenous affairs.

Excerpt from Anthony Dillon’s Online blog - Australians at the Crossroads.

“Vision: To see Aboriginal people able to attain and enjoy a quality of life that most Australians can take for granted. Mission: To stimulate national dialogue and enable people who are passionate about the potential of Aboriginal Australia to propose ideas that will enable Aboriginal people to be all they can be”.

“I identify as both Aboriginal and Australian. I believe that the current popular ideologies which portray Indigenous people merely as victims of history and White Australia (the invasion and racism) should be challenged. Based on my experience in the area of Indigenous health and wellbeing, I am of the opinion that these dogmatically held beliefs are doing as much damage to indigenous people as drugs and alcohol.”

“I strongly believe that the only way we will ‘Close the Gap’ between disadvantaged Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population is by ensuring that all Indigenous people have access to the opportunities that most Australians take for granted. To achieve this requires us all to focus on the commonalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people as a starting point, and abandon the myth that Indigenous Australians are deeply culturally different from other Australians. Certainly differences should be recognised, but only after recognising the commonalities.”

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