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National survey shows services under strainCommunity services are struggling to meet the public’s demand for help, said the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) today as it launched its Australian Community Sector Survey 2007. ACOSS Director Andrew Johnson said: “Community services are under strain trying to meet the needs of disadvantaged Australians. Lack of funding or resources meant 1 in every 16 people who accessed a service were turned away from community services last year. People who need housing assistance, disability supported accommodation, community legal services, emergency relief and childcare find it particularly difficult to get these services.” “ACOSS urges the Federal Government to use its Budget surplus to address the need for affordable and safe housing, support for people with disabilities, legal and other supports for people in crisis and other essential services such as health and childcare. In these good economic times, no Australian should be missing out from the help they need to have a decent quality of life.” ACOSS President Lin Hatfield Dodds said: “The community and welfare sector currently assists millions of disadvantaged Australians who have complex problems that need a number of solutions. A jobless mother escaping domestic violence, for example, is likely to need emergency housing, counselling, financial and legal help.” “Common issues for the community and welfare sector, identified in this ACOSS survey, include funding, staff shortages, a need for greater training, and the complexity of client needs. Community services would benefit from a broader, strategic response by Government to support non-profit organisations including workforce planning and development, reform of contracting arrangements and investment in research and program development.” The
Australian Community Sector Survey 2007
found:
Some services were particularly under strain with demand outstripping supply Services with the highest percentage of eligible people turned away as a proportion of those assisted were: · Housing Assistance. 7485 people were turned away (1 person turned away for every 4 who received a service) · Disability Supported Accommodation. 264 people were turned away (just under 1 in every 4 people) · Community Legal Centres. 7,025 people were turned away (just under 1 in every 5 people) · Child Care. 2,390 eligible people were turned away (1 in every 12 people) · Financial and material support. 11,467 people were turned away (1 in every 14 people).
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