Anti Poverty Week 2008

Western Australia has a large and growing number of families with young children. In 2007 there were 228, 000 families with children under the age of 15 years. Of these, 3.5% of all couple families with children under the age 15 years had neither parent employed.

For these families, as well as for those living on low to middle incomes, the soaring cost of living in recent years is impacting greatly on their ability to provide for their children. Some facts to consider are:

§ Perth has undergone a rapid and sustained increase in the median rent, from $189 in June 2005 to $330 in June 2008. This represents an increase of almost 58%.

§ The cost of purchasing basic household items, such as fruit and vegetables, meat and toiletries (as opposed to high quality or luxury goods) has increased 11.7% from 2006 to 2008.

§ From 2002 to 2008, the cost of fuel has risen by $30 per week in the metropolitan area and $64 p/w in non-metropolitan areas.

Single parent families are at a greater risk of experiencing poverty. 9.7% of single parent families with children 14 years of age and under reported going without meals because of cash flow problems. This contrasts with only 1.2% of couple families.

Throughout Australia, there are approximately 450,000 single parents on parenting payments, and the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) estimates that the income poverty rate for single parent families is 18%.

The number of children in single parent families where their parent is not employed has increased 30% from 1994 to 2004, from 363,000 to 471,000.

On average, single parent families spend half of their income on rent, household bills and food. Other families spend under a third of their income on these.

It is also important to consider the increased risk of poverty for families with a child with a disability. Often, these families may absorb not only the effects of a lower income due to their reduced capacity to participate in the workforce, but also the increased costs associated with caring for their child, such as health care, special dietary requirements and equipment.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

Anti Poverty Week 2008

One out of every five Australians will experience some form of mental illness each year. People living in poverty commonly suffer greater levels of physical and mental illness.

Children and young people experiencing poverty are at particular risk of mental illness. Around 14% of 12-17 year olds and 27% of 18-25 year olds experience a mental illness in any given year. At least one third of young people have had an episode of mental illness by the age of 25 years.

75% of mental health disorders begin before the age of 25 years, however most young people with a mental illness delay seeking care for 5-15 years. The rate of mental illness in adults could be significantly reduced through an emphasis on early intervention and prevention.

Unemployed people are at increased risk of both poverty and mental illness. There is a danger of being caught in a downward spiral of social exclusion.

People experiencing poverty are likely to be reliant on free and accessible health services to prevent and treat illness, but these services are under funded.

• Mental health accounts for 20% of illness in Australia, however, only 9.4% of health spending in WA goes to mental illness.
• The needs of 88.5% of people with a mental illness are filled by NGOs, however, only 5.8% of mental health spending in WA goes to NGOs.

Health outcomes are strongly correlated with socioeconomic status. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Commission on the Social Determinants of Health found that “at all levels of income, health and illness follow a social gradient: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse the health”.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

Anti Poverty Week 2008

As people get older, their need for assistance with daily living becomes much higher. Carrying out basic tasks and accessing services, which many of us take for granted, is increasingly difficult in later years.

In 2006, the rates of need for assistance increased sharply for people around 70-74 years of age, where 10% required at least some assistance. By 80-84 years of age, the rate at which assistance was required was 29%. Among people aged 90 years and over, around 68% were in need of assistance.

An increased need for assistance has financial implications for the aged. 77% of Australians over the age of 65 receive income support, and 48% of retirees are amongst the poorest 30% of Australians . This means that for many seniors, their capacity to access the support they need can be affected by their financial wellbeing or hardship.

Some other facts to consider are:

• Nearly 2 million Australians (singles and couples combined) are in receipt of an Age Pension
• 75% of retirees rely on a pension as their principal source of income
• Most pensioners are living on a low income. Over half have less than $20 a week of private income
• 59% of income support recipients are women, and 58% are single
• The single rate of pension is 60% of the combined couples rate, lower than the average for OECD countries (63%)
• Most pensioners do not have substantial savings or other assets (excluding the family home). Over half have assets under $30,000 and 30% have bank balances less than $1,000
• The family home is a major form of savings for seniors. 61% of single and 83% of couple Age Pensioners are home owners

Fact Sheet: Seniors & Poverty (Includes References)

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

YOU MAY ONLY VOTE ONCE

WACOSS encourages you to click on the key social policy issue links in the picture boxes at the top of the home page to gain important information to assist you in making your policy preference decision and casting your vote.

Easy four step process:

• View and decide upon the policy area of greatest concern
• Click 'home' to return to the home page after reading each section
• Once you've made your 'policy' preference decision click the 'policy button' on the home page - you will be taken to the 'voting' page
• Click the 'political party button' on that page reflecting the political party whose policy best represents your view

YOU MAY ONLY VOTE ONCE

WACOSS encourages you to click on the key social policy issue links in the picture boxes at the top of the home page to gain important information to assist you in making your policy preference decision and casting your vote.

Easy four step process:

• View and decide upon the policy area of greatest concern
• Click 'home' to return to the home page after reading each section
• Once you've made your 'policy' preference decision click the 'policy button' on the home page - you will be taken to the 'voting' page
• Click the 'political party button' on that page reflecting the political party whose policy best represents your view

The policy information below is provided to assist you in choosing the issues of greatest importance to you.

The information has been collected directly from political parties and is represented here in an apolitical manner. A letter requesting information regarding the issues was sent to the 4 main political parties. Click here to read letter.

WACOSS makes every effort to ensure data is up to date. Policy information is uploaded at the close of each business day for publication the following business day.

Once you have viewed this information return to the home page to select other policy areas of interest. Get more facts.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

The policy information below is provided to assist you in choosing the issues of greatest importance to you.

The information has been collected directly from political parties and is represented here in an apolitical manner. A letter requesting information regarding the issues was sent to the 4 main political parties. Click here to read letter.

WACOSS makes every effort to ensure data is up to date. Policy information is uploaded at the close of each business day for publication the following business day.

Once you have viewed this information return to the home page to select other policy areas of interest. Get more facts.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

Anti Poverty Week 2008

What is poverty?

Poverty is a situation in which people are deprived of things that most others take for granted. People experiencing poverty have a standard of living below that which is deemed to be an acceptable community standard.

Poverty and social exclusion can be complex and multi-dimensional, but it’s generally accepted that people who receive less than 50% of the median income are experiencing poverty. However, many Australians experience hardship, disadvantage and exclusion while not necessarily falling below the ‘poverty line’.

How many people live in poverty?

One in ten Australians receives less than 50% of median income, and therefore lives in poverty. The poverty rate in Western Australia is also 10%, but rises to 16.2% if housing costs are considered. 20% of Australian households live on less than $400 per week

Around one-sixth of people with a disability, one fifth of public renters and over one-quarter of Indigenous Australians cannot afford a substantial daily meal.

Who lives in poverty?

Most Australians living in poverty are in jobless households. NATSEM research has found that 4 out of 5 of Australian households in the lowest 20% of earnings were jobless. 860 000 Australian children are growing up in jobless families. A Senate Committee also found that 1 million Australians live in ‘working poor’ households.

Particular cultural groups, age groups and geographic areas are overrepresented among people experiencing poverty. For example,

§ 30% of Aboriginal people are in income poverty and approximately 50% of Aboriginal adults rely on some form of welfare payment

§ Age groups more likely to experience poverty are young people (15 - 24) and older people (55 - 64). For young people NATSEM has estimated that the rate of poverty is 17.4%, for older people 55 - 64 the rate is 12.8%.

§ Sole parents also disproportionately experience poverty. NATSEM estimates that sole parents with two or more children have a poverty rate of 20.6%.

§ Other groups at risk of poverty include: the unemployed and under-employed; people receiving income support; families with three or more children; low paid workers; people living in regional, rural and remote locations; the disabled, chronically ill, private renters, single people on low incomes, the homeless, migrants and refugees.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

The policy information below is provided to assist you in choosing the issues of greatest importance to you.

The information has been collected directly from political parties and is represented here in an apolitical manner. A letter requesting information regarding the issues was sent to the 4 main political parties. Click here to read letter.

WACOSS makes every effort to ensure data is up to date. Policy information is uploaded at the close of each business day for publication the following business day.

Once you have viewed this information return to the home page to select other policy areas of interest. Get more facts.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

The policy information below is provided to assist you in choosing the issues of greatest importance to you.

The information has been collected directly from political parties and is represented here in an apolitical manner. A letter requesting information regarding the issues was sent to the 4 main political parties. Click here to read letter.

WACOSS makes every effort to ensure data is up to date. Policy information is uploaded at the close of each business day for publication the following business day.

Once you have viewed this information return to the home page to select other policy areas of interest. Get more facts.

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

On this page you'll find a summary of key social indicators related to the social policy issues highlighted on this website.

Community Sector Viability

• Nearly 400, 000 people in WA used non-government community services in 2006-07.
• 9750 people were turned away from community service organisations in WA in 2006-07.
• 81% of these people were eligible for the service, but were turned away due to the services operating at maximum capacity.
• Only 11% of agencies report that Government funding covers the true cost of delivering contracted services.

Governments fund community sector organisations to deliver services because they are cost effective and closer to people in the community. Our sector’s service providers understand the needs of the communities they work in.

Services delivered by our sector are critical to our community. The failure of the community services sector would have serious implications for service recipients, for the sector’s 36 000 employees, for the Government and for the community at large. The viability of the sector is becoming more precarious, as Governments have failed to adequately fund these critical services.

For further information: Fact Sheet: Community Sector Viability

Cost of Living

• 92,541 households in the Perth-Mandurah area who receive a gross weekly income of less than $500 (19.8% of all households) are experiencing stress through increased rental, transport, fuel, food and basic essentials costs.
• The cost of purchasing basic household items, such as fruit and vegetables, meat and toiletries (as opposed to high quality or luxury goods) has increased 11.7% from 2006-2008.
• The cost of fuel has risen by $30 p/w from 2002-2008 in the metropolitan area, and $64 p/w in non-metro areas.
• Since 2003 to present, average household utility costs have increased from $1975.84 to $2167.92 – or 9.72% and it is anticipated that these costs will increase by nearly over 49% from 2008/9 to 2013/4.

The so-called boom is producing adverse conditions for many people who live on a low to middle income. The main reason for this is that the boom has caused the cost of living in WA to soar.

For further information: Fact Sheets: Cost of Living and Essential Services

Housing

• Conservatively, there are 17, 000 West Australians who are homeless or in need of emergency or transitional accommodation.
• There is a current shortage of 15, 900 public housing dwellings in order to reach 6% of all housing.
• Perth has undergone a rapid and continuous increase in the average rent, from $189 in June 2005 to $330 in June 2008 representing an increase of 58%.
• Home rental and purchase prices in regional WA have risen far above the average costs, hitting over $800-$1500/week for a simple home in towns like Port Hedland, Karratha, and Kununurra.

As the WA economy has continued to boom, many Western Australians are unable to cope with rising house prices as well as high rental costs, placing them at risk of becoming homeless. Safe, affordable and appropriate housing is a basic human right and is central to our well-being – socially, emotionally, physically and financially. In addition to providing us with shelter, housing also allows us to secure and maintain a job, access education and training, and gives us a place to care for our children.

For further information: Fact Sheet: Housing

Social Inclusion

Effective participation in society is described as ‘social inclusion’. A social vision should be supported by social inclusion strategies which are proven to be effective. ‘Social exclusion’ occurs when some are systematically excluded from full participation in economic and social life. This occurs in areas such as employment, community services, housing and social participation. It is unacceptable that poverty and social exclusion is still a “fact of life” for many Western Australians.

· Western Australia has no overarching mechanism to measure social inclusion unlike other states and countries.

· The community sector has been calling for a Western Australian Government to deliver a social inclusion strategy.

· A key element of a social inclusion strategy is an anti poverty agenda. This would include researching the extent and experience of poverty, evaluating the effectiveness of existing measures to address poverty, analysing the causes of poverty, and implementing a new range of anti poverty measures.

· A range of individual elements fall under the social inclusion policy area. See links below for more categories.

For more facts regarding social inclusion issues click on the following links below:

Social Inclusion
Aboriginal Issues
Care and support for children and families
Disability
Mental Health
Transport

Alcohol and other Drugs

Poverty

For more detailed facts and information regarding all the above issues call WACOSS on 9420 7222 or visit www.wacoss.org.au

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

• Vote in our online social policy poll
• Sign our online ‘Fairer WA For All’ petition for presentation to media and politicians
• Print and display the campaign poster
• Invite everyone you know to go to the website and vote and sign the petition today
• Lobby your local candidates
• Stay in touch with developments through our website and then hold the candidates to account for a Fairer WA with your vote on September 6th

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

• Vote in our online social policy poll
• Sign our online ‘Fairer WA For All’ petition for presentation to media and politicians
• Print and display the campaign poster
• Invite everyone you know to go to the website and vote and sign the petition today
• Lobby your local candidates
• Stay in touch with developments through our website and then hold the candidates to account for a Fairer WA with your vote on September 6th

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, West Perth WA 6005

On this page you'll find a summary of issues relating to Vulnerable People in Western Australia. Please click on the links below for more information.

Aboriginal

Children, Youth and Families

People with a Disability

Seniors

Social housing provides options for low to middle income earners who are unable to afford escalating private rents, and for whom the prospect of home ownership has receded to the realms of impossibility. Social housing can also form the basis of a long term strategy to address homelessness, and is the only viable housing option for many vulnerable groups with high needs and low incomes.

With a sharp population increase in WA over the past five years, severe pressure has been placed on social housing. At the same time, the level of social housing has been falling since 2001, and the number of public rental dwellings has fallen to 1993 levels. WA has the lowest proportion of social housing of any Australian State, and has a much lower proportion than comparable OECD nations. Rents and the price of house purchases have increased by an average of 18% per year for the last 5 years.

Immediate action needs to be taken to increase social housing stock, but also to meet the additional urgent demand for affordable housing. In WA, stock of public and community housing has fallen to a proportion of around 4% of all residential dwellings, and will continue to fall unless there is a significant and sustained commitment by Government to build and purchase increased numbers of dwellings.

Social housing (public and community housing collectively) currently represents approximately 4% of the total housing stock in WA. This proportion is lower than any other Australian State. WA also has the second highest rate of homelessness of any State (64 per 10 000 people), a rate significantly higher than the national average (53 per 10 000 people). 17,000 people are currently waiting for a home in WA, many of whom have been waiting for 5 years or more.

The current shortfall relative to the 6% social housing target is 15 900 dwellings. At a steady increase of 2,380 dwellings per year, it would cost an average of $758M per year for the next 15 years to reach 6% of all stock. The cost would start at $576M, increasing by 4% each year.

Download the Social Housing fact sheet here.

The main source of homelessness funding in Western Australia is the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). The program funds crisis and emergency accommodation and transitional housing services. Over time it has expanded to fund early intervention and post-crisis transitional support services to people experiencing homelessness.

The increase in numbers of people in Western Australia experiencing, or at-risk of experiencing, homelessness is symptomatic of the current lack of affordable housing. Whilst increasing social housing stock is essential to relieve housing pressures for people in extreme disadvantage, there is also a need to resource existing homelessness responses more adequately.

All 138 SAAP services in WA work at full capacity and endeavour to respond effectively. However, a shortage of crisis beds, a lack of exit housing, growing complexity of client issues, and a lack of access to health services, coupled with increasing overall demand, has seriously undermined the ability of SAAP and related services to adequately meet need in a way that addresses both the immediate crisis and the longer term goal of building a pathway out of homelessness. 53% of respondents to the ACOSS Community Sector Survey 2007 agreed that their clients in 2006-07 had more complex needs than in 2005-06.

The ACOSS Community Sector 2008 Survey identified crisis and supported accommodation as the service second most needed by community service clients in WA. There is an urgent need for a significant increase in crisis housing beds.

New research finds that the direct cost to government of funding homelessness programs is more than offset by cost savings in other areas such as health and justice services, child residential care, housing management costs, and increased taxation revenue.

Crisis and supported accommodation is needed in the form of Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) services, but is also needed for an emerging group of people experiencing homelessness who do not require ongoing SAAP case management or support services.

An increase of 50% in the number of crisis beds available is needed. This would be approximately 350 additional beds.

Download the Crisis Accommodation fact sheet here.

On this page you'll find a summary of issues related to vulnerable groups in Western Australia. Please click on the links below for more information.

• Aboriginal
  
• Children, Youth and Families
  
• Seniors
  
• People with Disabilities and Carers

WA currently places no restriction on excessive rent increases, bar a situation in which a landlord is deliberately attempting to force a tenant out of the property. Legislative protection is needed to protect tenants from excessive rent increases. This will ensure that tenants have some certainty and stability.

Tenants in rural, regional and remote areas would particularly benefit from restrictions on excessive rent increases. The Department of Consumer and Employment Protection (DOCEP) proposed “that the Government continue to explore ways of addressing excessive rent levels in regional areas undergoing substantial economic growth.”

The ability for agents to require that prospect tenants pay option fees poses a barrier for low-income people from obtaining rental accommodation. Western Australia is unique among Australian jurisdictions for permitting option fees. DOCEP has proposed that the Act be amended to prohibit option fees. WACOSS advocates the prohibition of option fees.

Boarders and lodgers suffer inadequate legislative protection of their rights. The Act does not currently include boarders and lodgers within its scope. The Stamfords Report on the Review of the Residential Tenancies Act in 2002 recommended that the exemption of boarders and lodgers from the Act be removed. This has not occurred.

There are five main actions that need to be taken to implement this recommendation:

1. Amend the Residential Tenancies Act 1987 (the Act) to provide a cap on the rate by which rent may be increased at any one time;
   
2. Amend the Act to regulate the operation of residential tenant databases;
   
3. Amend the Act to protect tenants from no-cause evictions;
   
4. Amend the Act to prohibit option fees; and
   
5. Amend the Act to provide protections for boarders and lodgers.

Tenancy databases are intended to provide information to real estate agents about tenants who have damaged property, failed to pay monies owed, or failed to fulfil their obligations in other ways. The database is then used as part of the screening process when agents assess a prospective tenant’s lease application. However, there is potential for this system to be misused in a way that damages a person’s ability to secure a lease and violates their right to privacy.

Download the Tenants' Rights fact sheet here.

Pre-Budget Submission 2009-2010

The Pre-Budget Submission outlines our key priority recommendations for how the State Government should allocate funding in the 2009-10 Budget to meet the immediate and pressing needs of the community. Our top six priorities are housing, community services, community data, mental health, drug and alcohol and essential services.

Download the Pre-Budget Submission.

Pre-Budget Consultation Report on the WA State Budget 2009-2010

The Consultation Report is a detailed exploration of our key priority issues, together with a complete list of recommendations. It is built upon the expertise and experience of our sector, derived from broad consultation with representative peak bodies and developed in collaboration with them.

Download a copy of the Pre-Budget Consultation Report.

WACOSS gratefully acknowledges the support of the many community sector organisations who have contributed in our collaborative efforts to advocate for better social policy. The hands-on experience and expertise of these groups is invaluable in assisting WACOSS in its endeavours to create positive social change.

Links to Websites of Interest

Aboriginal

Aboriginal Health Council of WA

Aboriginal Legal Service

Coolabaroo

Djooraminda

Yorgum Aboriginal Family Counselling Service

Noongar Patrol

Children

Centrecare

Children, Youth and Family Agencies Association

CREATE Foundation

Playgroup WA

Ruah Community Services

Unitingcare West

Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA)

Youth Affairs Council of WA

WA Association of Youth Workers

Resource Unit for Children with Special Needs

Seniors

Council on the Ageing WA Inc

Men’s Advisory Network

Disability

National Disability Services WA

Carers WA

Volunteering WA

In 1998 WACOSS and its members signed a statement of Apology and Commitment recognising that “it is only through the commitment of all governments and non-government organisations to make reparation and the support of the wider community that non-indigenous and indigenous Australians can heal the wounds of the past and create a solid foundation for a shared future. Without such a commitment, the reconciliation process, embarked on with such hope, will be rendered meaningless.”

WA needs to take a new approach to Aboriginal issues. We need to treat the causes of disadvantage, as well as the symptoms. We need to recognise the reality of our history as a State, and work with a genuine commitment to reverse the wrongs of the past and present. Unless we acknowledge the trauma and pain, along with the cultural wealth, talent and opportunities of Aboriginal people, we are doing us all a disservice. Such a philosophical framework should shape our approach to working with Aboriginal communities to tackle the serious social problems experienced across the State.

The life expectancy of Aboriginal Australians is nearly 20 years below that of non-Aboriginal Australians – 59 years for males and 65 for females. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience lower levels of access to health services than the general population, in some part due to residing further from health services, and also as a result of poorer socio-economic status, lack of availability of transport and inability to speak English.

• Aboriginal infants are around 4 times more likely to die before their first birthday and 5 times more likely to succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Unemployment rate is 2.8 times higher among Aboriginal people compared with non-Aboriginal people.
• Suicide rates for Aboriginal people are nearly three times that of other Australians.
• Aboriginal people are 11 times more likely than non-Aboriginal people to be in prison.
• In 2006, 49.9 per cent of non-Aboriginal Australians had no non-school qualification compared with 71 per cent of Aboriginal Australians
• As at 2002, the apparent retention rate for Aboriginal year 12 students was 38 per cent compared to 76.3 per cent for their non-Aboriginal counter-parts.
• In 2006, 21% of 15 year old Aboriginal people were not participating in school education.
• In 2006, Aboriginal students were half as likely as non-Aboriginal students to complete year 12.

Solutions

WACOSS believes that to make significant changes in the health, education, employment and housing status of Aboriginal people there needs to be a level of resources that is proportionate to need. The gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in health, education, employment and housing is still at an unacceptable level. We believe that by working with Aboriginal communities and investing in infrastructure and services, we can reduce the social and financial costs associated with poor health, crime, lack of education and family breakdown, immediately and in the future.

Our concerns are reflective of the concerns of many non-government organisations, such as Oxfam, whose Close the Gap report argues that the poor health experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is preventable, given that these poor outcomes are related to socio-economic indicators such as poverty; overcrowded housing; poor sanitation; lack of access to education; poor access to medical care for accurate diagnosis and treatment; and poor nutrition.

Closing the gap

The Close the Gap campaign, which is supported by the Australian Council of Social Services and WACOSS is calling on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within 25 years through:

• Increasing Indigenous Australians' access to health services.
• Addressing critical social issues such as poor housing, nutrition and education.
• Building Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health and other services.
• Close the Gap is Australia's largest campaign to improve Indigenous health. The campaign calls on governments to commit to closing the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation and is supported by a diverse group of organisations across Australia.
• The campaign calls on Australian governments to take action to achieve health equality for Indigenous Australians within 25 years through:
• Increasing annual Indigenous health funding by $460 million to enable equal access to health services.
• Increasing Indigenous control and participation in the delivery of health services.
• Addressing critical social issues such as housing, education and self-determination which contribute to the Indigenous health crisis.
  

Additional policy initiatives

In addition, WACOSS has consistently called for State Government action in the following areas:

• The establishment of Aboriginal Healing Centres, based on the Canadian Aboriginal Friendship Centre Model.
• Seniors Care for Aboriginal People – in particular to investigate culturally appropriate and relevant services that will provide for Aboriginal seniors over the age of 55.
• Accommodation for Accessing Metropolitan Health Services – a review is needed to determine Aboriginal patient accommodation needs and to increase the availability of accommodation for that purpose.
• Patients Assistance Transport Scheme (PATS) – expand the services of PATS to provide greater support for escorts of patients from rural, regional and remote areas.
• Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers for all major hospitals in WA.
• Increased funding for Outreach Counselling Services in order to provide distributed services to Aboriginal people beyond the central metropolitan area.
• An expansion of Patrol Services in the Perth Metropolitan Area.

The National Apology

On 13th February 2008 the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made an Apology to the Stolen Generations. Later that day, Tom Calma, HREOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner responded to the National Apology. He said it all:

“By acknowledging and paying respect, Parliament has now laid the foundations for healing to take place and for a reconciled Australia in which everyone belongs.

For today is not just about the Stolen Generations - it is about every Australian.

Today’s actions enable every single one of us to move forward together – with joint aspirations and a national story that contains a shared past and future.”

Download the fact sheet here

The wellbeing of children, youth and families should be an issue high on everyone’s agenda, for they not only represent our future, but also shape how we get there. While most children living in Australia are faring well, there are a significant number that are being failed by our society.

• Between 13% and 17% of children are living in poverty
• Aboriginal children are more likely to experience poorer health, developmental outcomes and reduced wellbeing than other Australian children
  
• Aboriginal infants are around 4 times more likely to die before their first birthday and 5 times more likely to succumb to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
  
• Children born into poverty have an increased chance of low birth weight, poor physical growth and inadequate coping skills in the early years of school, they are more likely to drop out of school, develop mental health problems and experience difficulty in finding and keeping a job.
  
• The Western Australian Government spends significantly less on children in the care of the state than other Australian State Governments, despite the fact that the number of WA children in care is increasing every year.
  
• It is estimated that 27,000 children have a parent with a mental illness in Western Australia.
  
• 40,000 young carers currently live across WA
  
• Families who struggle to look after their children often suffer from many different problems including poverty; unemployment; lack of housing and/or crowded housing; domestic violence; alcohol and substance abuse; and mental illness
  

Solutions

Every decision made by government affects children directly and/or indirectly. There are serious short and long-term consequences for a society that does not adequately support all of its children in their early years. It is critical that all departments of government work together to ensure our children have the best possible opportunities.

This means:

• Improving the wellbeing of Western Australian children by investing in early intervention.
• Developing a strategy to encourage all government departments to work together in protecting our children.
  
• Increasing funding for both government and non-government therapeutic counselling services for children.
  
• Developing an annual report card on the state of children in Western Australia.
  
• Increasing funding for children in the State Care system.
  
• Improving health and education services for Aboriginal children.
  
• Providing grandparents and other relative carers with the same funding received by other foster carers.
  
• Providing ongoing and re-current funding to support the development and implementation of appropriate services for young carers.
  
• Giving parents and carers the help they need to look after their children.
  

Download the fact sheet here

It is the care and support offered to our most vulnerable community members that reflects highly on the quality of the social fabric of our state. People with a disability, their families and their carers are entitled to the supports and services needed to ensure they are able to live a dignified life as valued members of our community. Unfortunately these needs often go unmet.

• 405,500 Western Australians have a disability
• 283,200 Western Australians with a disability are under 65 years of age
  
• 71,600 Western Australians with a disability under the age of 65 years experience a profound or severe core activity limitation
  
• 14% of Western Australians with a disability are from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) backgrounds
  
• 43% of Western Australians with a disability report that their needs are only partly met or not met at all
  
• 87% of people with a disability who require assistance receive this assistance informally through family and friends
  
• Approximately 33% of carers have a disability (91,600 people)
  
• Over 10 per cent of Western Australia’s population provides care and support to people with disabilities
  
• 13,400 primary carers (42.7 per cent of carers who live with the main recipient of care) spend at least 40 hours a week meeting their caring responsibilities.
  

Solutions

There are a number of actions required to provide a fairer deal for people with a disability, their families and their carers:

• Implementation and funding of a workforce attraction and retention strategy
  
• An adjustment to State Government indexation over the next three years to allow a catch up payment for staff in disability services
  
• An on-going application of appropriate indexation to support wage competitiveness and service sustainability into the future
  
• Increasing funding to ensure that the needs of all Western Australians with a disability are met.
  
• Committing to the funding and planning required to ensure that all people with a disability in need of accommodation and respite support services have access to these
  
• Providing support, flexibility and respite to family carers
  
• Reducing the financial cost of disability and caring through improved Government subsidies and concessions
  
• Improving advocacy services and ensuring that the people with a disability who require assistance to effectively exercise their rights receive it
  
• Providing funding for programs that support people with disabilities to secure and maintain work
  
  

Download the fact sheet here

Seniors are uniquely important and valuable members of our community. Although accounting for just 20% of the adult population, Western Australian seniors provide nearly 40% of unpaid caring, nearly 25% of unpaid volunteering and 68% of unpaid child minding, at a value of over $1.1billion.While their contribution to society is immense, the assurance of their wellbeing has some way to go. In 2002 in Australia, it was estimated that at least 10% of people aged over 65 are socially isolated and a further 12% were at risk of becoming socially excluded.

Increasingly, our older population is facing social exclusion, financial hardship, housing stress and a lack of access to affordable services. This pressure is likely to increase as the aging population places higher demands on public health services.

Most senior Australians rely on allowances or pensions as income support or their sole source of income. Many have a high incidence of ill health and age related disabilities such as hearing and vision loss, reduced mobility and dementia. Mental health, whilst statistically lower, is known to be under diagnosed and poorly understood amongst seniors. Increasingly, individuals are required to meet or at least contribute to the cost of their medical care, including prescription medication, home support services and residential care.

Solutions

To create a more socially inclusive society for seniors State Government must meet their current and emerging needs in the areas of housing, income support, health and transport and mobility.

In particular, outcomes for seniors can be improved through three specific initiatives

• The establishment of an independent one-stop-shop for housing information and accommodation advice
• Research into the needs of seniors who lose their driver’s licence with a view to providing appropriate services and supports
• Development and implementation of a senior’s mental health strategy

Addressing the needs of seniors requires a commitment from Government to support inclusive communities that foster and value the participation of all people. This includes developing “age friendly” environments, and supporting positive attitudes and behaviours that prevent disease and promote well-being. Fostering social inclusion through programs such as Intergenerational Playgroups is essential in ensuring seniors are valued and supported within the community.

Download the fact sheet here

More than half a million Western Australians live outside of metropolitan Perth in an area spanning a quarter of a million square kilometres. Services for people living in rural, regional and remote (RRR) Western Australia are integral to addressing the issues of isolation, and socio-economic disadvantage facing people in the bush.

There are a number of critical issues that increase the need for services, but equally make it more difficult to provide and sustain the services that are currently available. These include:

• Higher cost of living in non-metropolitan regions. These have been well indicated by the most recent Regional Price Index created by the Department for Local Government and Regional Development;
• Difficulty attracting volunteers due to the rising cost of living, even though there is a higher dependence on volunteers in RRR (38%) than metro (32%);
• The large majority of workers in the community services industry are female, and yet the population demographic of rural, regional and remote WA is disproportionately male;
• Over 130,000 people have moved to regional WA in the last 5 years from around Australia, and a further 13,000 from overseas;¹
• Aboriginal people are disadvantaged across a range of indicators including health, education, housing, and employment, with over 40% unemployment in large parts of the state; and
• Extreme weather conditions including high and low temperatures, cyclones, torrential rain and drought increase the complexity of people’s needs.

Service providers operating in RRR WA need to be compensated at a higher rate than similar services in metropolitan Perth. The regional index is required to offset both operational costs for service providers, as well as to provide higher living allowances for staff. The cost of living in RRR WA is higher than in metropolitan Perth across a full range of goods and services, as evidenced by the relatively conservative estimates in the Regional Price Index created by the Department for Local Government and Regional Development.

Recommendation:

An additional index of 7% should be applied above the 30% request for rural regional and remote based services

Cost:

$32 million

Download the fact sheet here

¹ABS Census, 2006, Statistical Snapshot and Demographics

There are over 36,000 people employed in the not-for-profit non-government human services industry in WA. The average staff turnover in the sector is significantly higher than the average for all Australian industries, at 23% per annum. 68% of agencies have reported difficulties finding and keeping staff and 66% of agencies have reported an increasing reliance on unpaid labour, both from volunteers and employees.

A shortage of staff is resulting in longer periods of vacancies and subsequently, increased numbers of people being turned away from services to due a lack of capacity to deliver. It is also reducing the capacity of the sector to provide long term contracts, reducing the security of jobs in the sector, and to invest in professional development training for existing staff.

The difficulty in attracting and retaining staff is due to the inadequacy of wages in the community services sector. For example, significant gaps of between 15% and 37% exist between the remuneration of social workers in the public and community sectors. Social workers are not an isolated case; workers in the community service sector are fundamentally undervalued, and this undervaluation is most obvious when their wages are compared with those of workers in the public sector.

A recent examination of wages in the alcohol and other drugs, family and domestic violence, mental health and women’s health sectors shows that the pay disparity for similar positions in their areas of the community services sector can be up to $22 000. The same study found that 85% of employees in the drug and alcohol, domestic violence and women’s health fields have post-school qualifications. Of these, only 4% earn more than the average weekly wage.

Employees in the community services sector receive lower wages for work of equal or comparable value to that performed in other sectors, particularly the public sector. ABS data confirms the undervaluation of employees in the sector: health and welfare associate professionals earn $260 less per week than the average for all associate professionals¹. Employees in the same occupation class (such as associate professionals) are likely to have a similar level of qualifications and skill.

This undervaluation is chronic, long-standing and indefensible. Governments do not fund community service organisations based on the true cost of delivering services. Wages in the sector need to catch up with those in the public sector. The shortfall between wages in the community services sector and the public sector is approximately 30%.

Recommendation:

A 30% increase on current funding to contracted service providers in the community sector to provide an immediate increase in wages for staff, and maintain the current policy on indexation for future years.

Cost:

$150.3million

Download the fact sheet here

¹Derived from ABS, Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership - Mean Weekly Earnings in Main Job – TABLE 6. Mean weekly earnings in main job by full-time/part-time status in main job, sex, occupation major/sub-major group (ASCO), 1997–2007.

The Community services are now more than ever exposed to a range of social, political and economic pressures that are challenging the way we provide services. In order to respond to the increasing costs of providing services, we need to invest in a comprehensive research and development strategy.

Increasing cost drivers range from a decline in volunteerism, increase in wage pressures, diminishing workforce capacity and increased transport and accommodation costs to increased demand for services.

Coupled with these cost drivers, is an increased need for services across the Western Australian community. There is a critical need to quantify the need for community services, in terms of the social wellbeing of the community. In order to measure this, we need to invest in our understanding of disadvantage and vulnerability and respond to it through well targeted investment.

Service providers have become increasingly professionalised over time, due to a commitment to quality, and a response to changing environments. They are staffed by qualified professionals, governed by volunteers who ensure the legitimate management of boards and committees. They run in a not-for-profit capacity, but they are not-for-loss either, with sound business practices and financial management, injecting funds back into the operations of their organisations, rather than into profits.

There are almost a quarter of a million not-for-profit organisations around Australia, contributing $21 billion, or 3.3% to the national GDP. WACOSS estimates that 10% of those organisations operate in Western Australia. The economic contribution to our state is immense, as is the community social and cultural value. It has shaped our civil society and continues to provide the backbone for how we achieve a just and sustainable community.

A new way of thinking about social investment in the State must take a big picture view of the issues and get the right balance between funding for short term responses and longer term needs; between preventative investment and reactive approaches to dealing with critical issues. There are difficult decisions to be made about competing interests and these decisions need to be informed by the expertise that resides within the community sector. To embark upon this approach to a social budget allocation, we must begin by investing in our knowledge and understanding of social needs and in an ongoing research and development approach to social service provision.

The community sector in Western Australia has a well established reputation of research and innovation leading to the development of new approaches to service delivery, projects and programs that have adapted over time to meet the changing needs of people using their services.

Our flexibility, adaptability and respectful, collaborative approach to working with service users has meant service providers have both access to the best information about what needs to be done, and the ability to implement change which would bring about better outcomes. This has been part of the sector’s historical success in supporting community wellbeing. Yet, this ‘quiet genius’ of the community sector has been increasingly undervalued and undermined in recent years. The capacity to access the best information and to implement change in a flexible, adaptive manner has declined.

This declining capacity is a result of an increasingly time consuming and expensive burden of accountability, reporting, and operational constraints. These constraints, coupled with the
increased financial pressures facing non-profit organisations, have served to stifle innovation, research and creative application of their expertise. Short term funding for core business restricts the capacity for long term planning and lead to a reactive rather than proactive focus on models of service delivery. Organisations have lacked the financial capacity or flexibility to invest in research and innovation.

Innovation is no longer evolving in the normal course of operation of services providers and a new approach is needed to ensure that we create and maintain a focus on continuous improvement, on re-evaluation and re-thinking new ways of meeting the community’s needs, creatively, efficiently and cost effectively.

An investment fund should be made available to not-for-profit organisations for the purpose of research and development of innovative policy, program and service delivery models which meet the needs of the Western Australian community.

The fund should be drawn upon by interested not-for-profit organisations as a complementary payment that accompanies their government funding contracts, and provides them with the ability to build in evaluation and innovation into their practices.

Recommendation:

Create an investment fund for research and development of innovative policy, program and service delivery models which meet the needs of the Western Australian Community.

Cost:

$10.2million per year

Download the fact sheet here

The community services sector includes organisations in a diverse range of areas including:

• health;
• disability;
• employment and training;
• aged and community care;
• family support;
• children and youth services;
• drug and alcohol assistance;
• indigenous affairs;
• support for culturally and linguistically diverse people;
• safety and justice;
• housing; and
• advocacy

There are at least 560 not-for-profit community services organisations in WA, and these organisations employ 36 000 paid staff in addition to thousands of volunteers. The non-government community services sector delivers vital services to over 400 000 Western Australians each year all across the state.

Some groups of people are over-represented among clients of community service organisations, demonstrating a specific reliance on their support, the most obvious being those living on low incomes. Indigenous people are 14 times more likely, unemployed people 2 times as likely, people with a disability are 1.6 times as likely, women are 1.3 times as likely and people over the age of 65 are 2 times as likely.

The most recent data available shows that expenditure in the community services sector in WA is $1.25 billion. The State Government directly provides $343 million to not-for-profit organisations, with additional funds coming in the form of grants, Commonwealth funding, donations and fees for service.

It’s clear that the community services sector makes a large contribution to WA. However, a lot of the facts listed above are uncertain or outdated. WA doesn’t have accurate, up-to-date figures regarding the number of service providers in WA, the number of staff they employ, the number of clients they assist, the nature of their clients’ need, the geographical spread of the sector, and a number of other key facts. The lack of accurate data is a barrier to improving the wellbeing of civil society. WACOSS calls on the State Government to work with the sector to improve this community data.

Recommendation:

Undertake a research project that will draw together existing and new social indicators,
necessary to provide a collective baseline understanding of the social wellbeing of Western
Australians.

Cost:

$1.2 million

Download the fact sheet here

On this page you'll find a summary of key poverty issues in Western Australia. Please click on the links below for more information.

General Facts About Poverty

Seniors & Poverty

Young Families & Poverty

Mental Health & Poverty

Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, WestPerthWA 6005

• Vote in our online Poverty in WA poll
• Sign our online ‘Fairer WA For All’ petition for presentation to media and politicians
• Print and display the Anti Poverty Week poster
• Invite everyone you know to go to the website and vote and sign the petition today
• Lobby your local candidates
• Stay in touch with developments through our website
  
  Authorised by Sue Ash, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS, 2 Delhi Street, WestPerthWA 6005