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THE SOCIOECONOMIC BASIS OF COMMUNITY LIFE

The importance of socioeconomic factors on health is well established by The World Health Organisation and numerous public health studies. Unemployment and poverty has been directly linked to poorer mental health outcomes, lack of access to a range of health services and nutritionally poor diets. Lack of education or access to appropriate education and training are also linked to poorer social and health outcomes for those with reduced or limited life chances. Reflecting the holistic approach of this study the following section focuses on employment, education, welfare and community services in order to ascertain how the issues explored within each of these sectors impact on individuals and communities living in the City of Gosnells local government area.

14 EMPLOYMENT AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Employment is implicitly linked to levels of business activity and to wider economic performance. It is important to understand then that any shifts in broader economic processes and changes in social imperatives will have an impact on employment as much as local and regional issues. Indeed, in the contemporary context of globalisation concerns about unemployment and business opportunities must be considered in relation to international events and the world economy. Employment and job creation must therefore be set against a backdrop that includes developments in technology and communication, growing service sectors and shrinking manufacturing industries, reduced job security and high unemployment as well as the social changes relating to aging populations and demands for more flexible working hours (see Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business, Work and Family State of Play, 1998). Government responses to the diverse and often divergent, but related issues, is necessarily varied and complex.

At a global level, since 1998 the Commonwealth Government has been developing a Strategic Framework for the Information Economy to ensure Australia is in a position to make the most of the new business and employment opportunities of information technology. A priority of this strategy is to provide people and business with the necessary education, skills and framework to participate effectively in the emerging Information Economy. At the state level there has been the establishment of the Small Business Development Corporation and other regional initiatives.

Another recent Commonwealth Government strategy is the 2001-02, Australians Working Together package which offers all working-age people on income support a range of employment and support services. A stated aim of this package is to also address the needs of those not yet job ready through training, work experience and other activities such as voluntary and community work. This package also has a welfare element through a Personal Support Programme to assist people with problems like homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness and domestic violence. It involves the Departments of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), Family and Community Services (FaCS), Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and delivery is through Centrelink (for a full outline see Commonwealth Government of Australia (2002) Australians Working Together – Helping people to move forward). Increasingly unemployment programmes and policies emphasise concepts of ‘mutual obligation’ and active participation, highlighted in current work for the dole schemes.

Policies and programmes directed at specific issues and groups in the community are also part of the employment ‘landscape’. For example, an Indigenous Employment Policy was introduced by the Federal Government in 1999 in recognition of the particular disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the labour market.

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The policy has three elements: Job Network, The Indigenous Employment Programme (comprising a number of projects) and the Indigenous Small Business Fund.

At the level of workplace relations, the terms and conditions of employment of particular occupations and industries are regulated by Federal and State industrial tribunals. Current Commonwealth legislation dealing with industrial relations is based in the Industrial Relations Act 1988 (`the IR Act') which was most recently amended by the Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 (`the WROLA Act' and Act No. 2) or the Workplace Relations Act 1996 (`the WR Act'). At the Commonwealth level, the functions of award making and the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes is separately exercised by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission and the Industrial Relations Court of Australia (IRCA). At the state level, Western Australia has recently seen further permutations in workplace relations policy with the newly released Labour Relations Reform Act 2002 which largely repeals the ‘third wave’ legislation of the state Workplace Agreement Act.

Industrial relations and as such the employment market, currently operate in a commercially driven environment of Individual and Collective Bargaining. In this context there has been a reduction in the role of Unions and collective bargaining processes and a presumption in the capacity of individuals to adequately represent themselves in workplace disputes and bargaining processes. These shifts are likely to bring about a change in the nature of employment and in turn are likely to have profound effects in the workplace and on people’s career development in relation to a person’s sense of membership and control in the workplace, definitions of ‘employee’ and ‘employer’, job roles, training options and employment flexibility. Official statistics on the number of individual agreements indicate at this point that only small numbers of employees/employers are currently entering into agreements. However, this does not take into consideration the significant increase in casual staff (1998 ABS statistics show the percentage of casual staff increased from 19% in 1988 to 27% in 1998) and contract employment (most commonly employed in security, cleaning, catering and transport sectors). Self employed contractors now constitute 10% of the workforce and continue to increase in numbers and proportions (Productivity Commission Staff Research Paper. September 2001). Although casual employees can work collectively they are more likely to set up contract agreements on an individual basis and to work in isolation from home. Further, they are likely to have breaks in continuity of employment through processes of tendering and short term contracting.

At the Local Level

Employment links directly to issues of health and welfare and so is a vital community issue in terms of sustainable development. Recognising employment is directly linked to business activity and job creation, the City has in place economic development strategies in the City of Gosnells Strategic Plan. These include the Revitalisation of the City, an Economic Development Group and Business Incubator. The Federal funding of ($550,000) in support of the Business Incubator and the City of Gosnells Business Incubator contribution of (1.9 million) will be utilised to encourage local business and instigate business opportunities within the region. The Business Incubator will provide spaces for 38 businesses and communal meeting rooms within the new Civic Centre. The City of Gosnells will be responsible for the infrastructure whilst the proposed Business Enterprise Centre will be involved with the hands on, training, information, advice and identification of potential new business opportunities.

Acknowledging that setting up a new business may be risky; the Business Incubator will put in place strategies to ameliorate some of the concerns that potential new business owners might have. For example, long leases can be a potential barrier to new businesses that face the risk of being left with the liability of a long lease if the business should fail. The Business Incubator will be in a position to provide more flexible terms to ensure business owners are not locked into long term leases. It will also be more flexible in terms of space to give the potential to businesses that do not need large spaces to access small spaces.

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Alternately, if more space is needed at a later date this can easily be extended as the infrastructure incorporates walls that can be moved.

After a maximum period of 2 – 3 years well established businesses will be encouraged to set up outside the centre, especially in areas of the City of Gosnells where there are high vacancy rates. It is envisaged that the Business Incubator will primarily support businesses from the Service Sector, such as finance, business, and hairdressing.

Further, partnerships will be developed with agencies such as STEPS Inc (Successful Training Employment and Promotion Services Incorporated) and Centrelink for training and identifying potential business owners.

The City of Gosnells is also currently in a process of community consultation, including community leaders, to identify opportunities and potential partners from both government and the private sector. Feedback from this process will be presented to the Councillors and Executive to produce a SWOT Analysis for the City to inform the City’s Economic Development Plan. The objectives are to identify a range of economic development strategies that are informed by the community which the City and/or partners can put in place to improve employment and the quality of life of people living in the City of Gosnells.

14.1 Outline of Employment Sector

Employment patterns for the local area are set out below in the tables from state and regional statistics.

There are various employment agencies working in the City of Gosnells district and the wider region. These are both commercial and government funded through the Centrelink Job Network. Centrelink offers Employment Self Help at its centres and puts eligible job seekers in touch with their local Job Network members. Job Network members are selected through a competitive tendering process and so do not provide all the same services and will vary over time subject to meeting new policy requirements. The table below gives Job Network employment services and their locations for the City of Gosnells and surrounding regions and indicates the following types of service each member can provide according to Centrelink categorisations.

• Job matching is available to eligible job seekers, not necessarily on benefits, and matches skills and experience to jobs.

• Job Search Training is available to people normally registered for longer than 2 months. It provides assistance to people needing extra skills in looking for a job.

• Intensive Assistance is available to people with identified barriers to gaining employment. It provides extra support and training.

Other programmes include the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme and Self Employment Development which are provided by specialist Job Network providers to give training in small business management business skills and business plan development, and give business advice and mentor support during the first year of business operation.

Youth at risk living in the City of Gosnells local government area are referred to JPET in Cannington for case management that provides training, employment and general support.

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The tables below gives the Centrelink Job Network Services operating in the City of Gosnells Region. However it should be noted that programmes can change due to funding changes.

Job Network Service Location Service Type

Employment National Limited Cannington Job Matching

Communicare Inc Cannington Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

Mission Employment Maddington Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

Manguri Employment Services Queens Park Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

Employment National Limited Gosnells Job Matching

Aboriginal Group Training Cannington Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

Bonne Cres Services Canning Vale Job Matching

Mission Employment Cannington Job Matching

SMYL/First Choice Employment Cannington Job Matching

Jobfind Centre Maddington Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

SMYL/First Choice Employment Forrestfield Job Matching

Mission Employment Armadale Job Matching

The Salvation Army Employment Plus Canning Vale Job Matching, Intensive Assistance

Communicare Inc Armadale Job Matching, Job Search Training, Intensive Assistance

PVS Workfind Cannington Job Matching, Intensive Assistance Source: www.centrelink.wa.gov.au

In addition to Job Network services JOBLINK also provides employment services in the City of Gosnells local government area called STEPS. Services include:

• Job matching and work experience placements

• Developing strategies for self directed employment opportunities

• Training through in services and through brokered training services

• In service training for personal development and job searching skills

• Brokered training for accredited training including Cert 4 Business Management and Horticulture

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There are also various agencies and programmes supporting and working with particular needs groups, such as Aboriginal Group Training and South East Metro Youth Action.

14.2 Findings

Unemployment and business development: A lack of employment and limited business development are cited as significant issues for people living in the City of Gosnells local government area. Employment services in the City state that the majority of people currently unemployed are semiskilled or unskilled and there is a very real issue of intergenerational unemployment existing in the City of Gosnells local government area. This is borne out by the survey data collated from Phase Three of the study which indicates that the majority of people employed who live in the City of Gosnells local government area work outside of the area, as illustrated by the following graph

Place of Employment

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Huntin

gdale

Kenwick

Lang

ford

Becke

nham

Cannin

g Vale

Perth C

ity

Welshp

ool

Martin

Orange

Grov

e

Southe

rn Rive

r

Gosne

lls

Thornl

ie

Maddin

gton

Cannin

gton

Other

Work

from ho

me

% o

f Res

pond

ents

No of respondents 640

Whilst the majority of local business is currently based in manufacturing and light industry, with few opportunities existing in service industries, even this sector is weak with little to no growth or employment opportunities.

Indeed, services state the present lack of job creation and business development in the area is a general problem. One service provider reports that their studies show manufacturing industry in adjacent industrial estates is moving out of the area to cheaper locations. Services and business representatives from the community are on the whole positive about the proposed Economic Development Plan and Business Incubator (although not all were aware of the plans) but state that the problem requires other strategies in conjunction with the Business Incubator in order to encourage larger investors to consider setting up in the area.

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Some residents and business representatives, through surveys and focus groups, also raised issues in relation to the revitalisation of the City of Gosnells and employment opportunities as shown by the following quote from one respondent to the study:

Do something about Lissiman Street. It is an absolute eyesore. Big W store or something like that would be good for local area, would help unemployment (Gosnells)

Many business representatives and service providers indicate they are concerned the revitalisation of the City centre is taking too long and that other suburbs and business centres in the area will not benefit from developments. Findings from Phases Two and Three highlight there is strong feeling about the essential need to keep a solid pace on business developments in the area. This sentiment is reflected in the following survey comment:

Work on the rejuvenation of the main town centre on Albany Highway and Lissiman Street is depressingly slow - will it ever happen?? (Gosnells)

Indeed, Gosnells centre in particular Lissiman Street, was singled out often as being of particular concern, as indicated from the following comments from the Phase Three survey:

The ‘abandoned’ look of a section of Lissimen St. Gosnells is just that! Very real. No shops – no people… It wasn’t always so. We have lived in Gosnells for 30 years, at the same address (Gosnells)

We never shop in Gosnells anymore because we don’t feel safe, and we can’t park our car at the rail station for fear of it being stolen or vandalised (Thornlie)

Gosnells shopping centre is extremely run down in appearance. A face lift is welcome (Martin)

Something [should] be done to the central Gosnells B. district as this is the worst eye sore that’s getting worse (Gosnells)

Gosnells central business area is one of the ugliest places I have lived in. The choice of businesses and scope or variety (retail) is poor to say the least. There is no place to linger and have a cup of coffee in a pleasant atmosphere, or to source household/leisure needs; or shops to browse in. One must go to Cannington or Armadale. Very poor infrastructure to attract people or get [a] sense of belonging. To call this ‘The City of Gosnells’ is laughable to say the least. There is NOTHING HERE! (Gosnells)

Key informants from the business sector state concern that business confidence in the area should not be undermined by a lack of momentum in Council processes. There is a perception that the City of Gosnells needs to be more attuned and responsive to the expertise of the local business sector in order to bring about effective change. It is also apparent that the City has experienced frustration as it moves towards the implementation phase of the revitalisation, particularly reporting a lack of cooperation from the business community. It is noted that the revitalisation has now moved into the construction phase which may address some of these concerns.

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There also exists some question in the community over the best utilization of existing business premises and infrastructure throughout the City of Gosnells local government area. The deserted appearance of empty buildings in some shopping precincts is neither conducive to attracting investment or customers. The results from surveys done in Phase Three of the study back this up with several respondents pointing out they feel unsafe in these areas due to evident vandalism such as graffiti and broken windows:

There are a few shops in the area that are vacant which make the area feel unsafe. We need to look at the area and upgrade some of these areas to enhance the Maddington area. And give the people a sense of wellbeing and belonging (Maddington)

As residents of Maddington we hope that some effort is put into cleaning up the area i.e. Maddington Village shopping area. Vacant shops are an EYESORE! (Maddington)

The crime is far more worse in Maddington than a lot of other suburbs. Graffiti and old shops or buildings which have been vandalised are really degrading. It looks so ugly and off putting, especially at our local plaza (Maddington)

Council should investigate Maddington Village Shopping Centre – abandoned section – eye sore (Maddington)

It is noted that these comments come primarily from Maddington which is identified by the City of Gosnells as the next strategic priority in terms of revitalisation.

Underemployment: Research findings reveal there is a significant level of ‘underemployment’ this can severely impact on household resources and the ability to access adequate housing, nutrition, education and general services. Further, it can have a significant effect self esteem and increase feelings of social exclusion. The following graph shows that a total of 87% of the 222 respondents to the Phase Three survey who indicate they are part time or casual employees would like more work. It is worth noting that male respondents represent the largest number of people who state they would like more work hours.

Part time/casual people who want more w ork hours

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Yes No

% o

f res

pond

ents

MaleFem ale

No o f respondents, m ale 419, fem ale 607

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One employment service estimates that about 15% of their clients are in the category of ‘underemployed’ and looking for more work in order to meet living expenses and gain financial independence. The findings from this research support this view with money being the single most significant motive for seeking further employment, indicated by the following graph:

Reasons for wanting more employment

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

More money Career Social contacts

Reasons

% o

f Res

pond

ents

No of respondents 119

Aboriginal employment: A shared theme across most services is the lack of employment opportunities for Aboriginal people in the City of Gosnells local government area. Services working in the Employment Sector and across other sectors such as Welfare and Aboriginal Services, state that the Aboriginal community is at greater risk of experiencing unemployment and face severe bias when applying for positions with local businesses. One provider describes it as a ‘battle’ as few local businesses employ Aboriginal people. Many of the services perceive a lack of leadership by the City of Gosnells on this issue. They state that few Indigenous people are employed by the City and none at decision making levels. The City of Gosnells currently employs 7 Indigenous Officers and has no positions identified and categorised by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act as Indigenous positions. Services also state there are few positive employment strategies to encourage the development of Aboriginal owned services that might then be in a position to contract to the City of Gosnells. These observations from local services are reflected in state and national reports and statistics on Indigenous employment and unemployment patterns.

Community and health services across the board point out there are numerous advantages to be gained from fostering greater social inclusion of Aboriginal people through work experience and employment in the Retail, Community, Health and Business Sectors at a local level. This is seen to be particularly important in relation to Aboriginal youth in that it also provides positive role models and engenders a feeling of belonging within the local community. It would also serve to break down some of the negative stereotypes in relation to youth and Aboriginality.

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Youth employment: Several service providers state there are few employment options for youth in the City of Gosnells local government area and that they must be referred to employment services outside of the area to gain employment. Findings from the youth focus group also indicate that youth face exploitation in the workplace through rates and unreasonable working hours. Many also stated the need for strategies to gain employment experience that does not take advantage of free labour through unpaid trial periods.

Barriers to employment: Findings indicate there are significant barriers to accessing appropriate and long term employment and these therefore operate as barriers to health and wellbeing through the creation of socioeconomic disadvantage. The following were highlighted through this research:

• Public transport: Numerous services state that the lack of public transport to industrial areas is a major barrier to accessing employment in the City of Gosnells local government area. With little to no employment opportunities in the City people must travel outside the area for employment. One employment service states that they direct their clients immediately outside the area as they believe there are no opportunities in the City of Gosnells area. Survey results from Phase Three of the study also indicate that public transport is inadequate for many people as a means of transport for work; this is especially the case for shift workers and those working weekends or who travel to and from work outside the usual office hours of 9 am to 5 pm (for full findings on public transport see section 11).

• Training and career development costs: Findings identify that training costs prohibit some people, especially those with family and childcare commitments, from participating in skills training and TAFE or University courses. This is particularly significant in the current labour market where the ability to ‘upskill’, retrain and be a ‘flexible’ job seeker is emphasised as a necessary part of gaining and retaining employment (for full findings on education and training see section 15).

• Job matching: In relation to job matching (that is referring appropriate job seekers to relevant employers) one major service provider states that people are not always matched appropriately to job vacancies which then means employers and employees are likely to be dissatisfied and frustrated resulting in termination or abandonment of jobs. Also many of the jobs people are referred to are casual or short term contracts and therefore offer no longevity or career development opportunities.

• Cultural awareness: It was noted that whilst governmental agencies are on the whole sensitive to cultural needs, for example the need to give appropriate leave for Indigenous people to attend family funerals, the need to adopt broader views about what constitutes family and family obligation, that the private sector is on the whole poorly informed on cultural issues.

Employment of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: Employment is considered a major issue for people from CALD backgrounds, especially for new arrivals as it is a significant step to gaining independence, establishing social networks and integrating into the community. The Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors (AseTTS) 2001 Annual Report indicates 19% of 631 clients experienced employment and work experience issues (ASeTTS, 2001: 11). The barriers to people gaining employment (even labouring positions) is seen to be directly linked to language proficiency, transport, emotional problems and lack of social and business networks that enhance an individual’s chances of gaining employment. As most new migrants are looking for semi or unskilled employment the lack of opportunities are doubly significant. Further, service providers including Employment Services state that people from CALD backgrounds face discrimination in employment.

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15 EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Whilst the ability to gain access to education and training is an extremely important issue in relation to the economic and social wellbeing of individuals and hence the health and general wellbeing of communities, many of the issues in relation to access and equity in education and training are beyond the immediate influence of the City of Gosnells. However, it is important to explore the issues of education and training and how these affect the ability of people living in the community to access, attain and retain employment opportunities. As has been previously noted the socioeconomic status of individuals is directly linked to health outcomes.

Education and the ability to gain tertiary qualification are linked directly to economic advantage and disadvantage. Tertiary qualifications are increasingly important in improving employability and job security. The challenge for educationalists and education policy is to develop strategies that improve completion rates and that meet the diversity of needs of all students in order to equip them to participate productively in society and to reach their own personal potentials. In a media statement from the Minister of Education, Alan Carpenter 8/7/02, it is stated that currently about 60 per cent of students in government schools remain in formal education until the end of year 12 and the government aims to raise this percentage to 90 per cent. To this end, there has been an increase in the focus on vocational courses in schools. In 2001 the Commonwealth Government launched ‘The Go Career’ campaign and established the Enterprise & Career Education Foundation (ECEF) to work with education, government and industry to improve the educational and training experiences for young people. Two hundred and sixty industry specific programmes have been developed across Australia to combine classroom learning with on the job training. The focus of ECEF is to help ‘young people gain the broader enterprise and employability skills, and greater career awareness that will help them successfully manage personal and work opportunities’ (Enterprise & Career Education Foundation (ECEF) home page). This new initiative involves five key activity areas:

• Vocational Education and Training (VET) in schools and structured work place learning

• Career information and guidance

• Enterprise education

• School-based new apprenticeships

• Support services for students

The move toward combined school and vocational training is reflected in the current review of the interface between the Departments of Education and Training aimed at breaking down the barriers between the schools and TAFE colleges and improving post-compulsory training and retention rates. Also of note is the current review of education services for students with disabilities.

The need to maintain a level of employability and flexibility in skills is not limited to school leavers and young job seekers. Wider market and employment trends mean that people are likely to face several career changes, unemployment and underemployment which will require them to evaluate their qualifications, work experience and skill base. This might require up-skilling, re-skilling, retraining and professional development. At present, in most cases the cost of training is borne by the individual and government assistance limited by tight eligibility criteria.

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The student population of the City of Gosnells local government area come from a diversity of backgrounds, including New Zealand, British, Malaysian, Indian, Cambodian, African, Croatian, Italian, Egyptian, and Seychelles. However, because of the concentrated dispersal of different population groups, as mapped in Phase One, the demographics of schools can vary quite considerably. For instance, although the Aboriginal population of the City of Gosnells locality is approximately 3% according to the 1996 Census, the Aboriginal student population of some schools is above 15% and 0 to 2% in others. Further, whilst the majority of these students are Noongar it has been noted that there are small percentages of Yamatji and other Aboriginal groups from other regions. One school report’s 46% of their students have one or both parents born in countries other than Australia and that 5% of their students live in homes where a language other than English is regularly spoken. The increase in students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds contributes to the challenges faced by educational services. As such, some schools in the City of Gosnells local government area now have staff focussing on English as a Second Language and special funding from the Commonwealth Government to address early literacy (for further details see http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au.).

Other social changes currently impacting on education services relate to the housing development occurring in the City of Gosnells district which is changing the demographics of the community. Some schools are showing increasing enrolments of younger age groups because of the availability of comparatively low cost housing that attracts first home buyers with young families. This inevitably has some affect on long term student numbers and demands on Education resources for the area.

15.1 Outline of Services

Schools in the City of Gosnells local government area come under the Cannington Education District. There are a total of 18 Government primary schools across the City of Gosnells local government area, 3 of which target students with special education needs. There are 2 Government high schools and one of the Department of Education Western Australia's first dedicated middle schools catering to Years 8-10 students, called Yule Brook College. This college was developed out of the Local Area Education Planning process for the Cannington Education District in 1998-99. The new college commenced in 2000. In addition there are a several non-government schools including a campus for the Australian Islamic College catering to primary school age children.

Both Government high schools in the City of Gosnells local government area provide alternative training options to students called Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VET). This option is generally available to all Year 11 and 12 students (with a gradual shift to younger student groups) in nine industry areas, including Automotive, Business, Community Services, Hospitality, Information Technology, Outdoor Recreation, Printing & Graphic Arts, Sport & Recreation and Tourism. Students may study for any one of thirteen certificates within these industry areas.

These courses are studied through a selection of nominated subjects that are nationally recognised through the Training Accreditation Council by all Australian tertiary education systems and private providers. Units of competencies are acknowledged on a student's Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) issued by the Curriculum Council. Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) complements the nationally accredited certificates by providing students with the opportunity to gain industry experience by attending a workplace for one day a week for 30 weeks over the year.

Thornlie High School also offers Traineeships to full time students. This programme means they are employed for one or two days a week and paid a training wage.

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The table below lists government schools and gives broad statistics on the student body in 2002.

School

Tota

l

Abo

rigin

al

Dis

abilit

y

%A

borig

inal

%D

isab

ility

Ashburton Drive Primary School 482 48 13 9% 2%

Gosnells Primary School 350 25 4 6 1

Seaforth Primary school 260 31 4 10 1

Wirrabirra Ed Support Centre 42 7 42 17 100

Wirrabirra Primary School 400 20 1 4 0.2

Orange Grove Primary 105 0 0 0 0

Beckenham Primary School 358 35 9 9 2

East Kenwick Primary School 508 50 10 9 2

Kenwick School 82 3 84 4 100

Bramfield Park Primary School 328 19 6 5 2

East Maddington Primary School 350 54 13 15 4

Maddington Education Support Centre 29 2 29 7 100

Maddington Primary School 174 26 1 15 0.6

Yule Brook College 303 48 0 16 0

Huntingdale Primary School 724 27 16 3 2

Forest Crescent Primary School 717 1 3 0.1 0.4

South Thornlie Primary School 580 9 11 1 2

Thornlie Primary School 328 24 5 7 1

Thornlie Senior High School 1227 25 3 2 0.2

Yale Primary School 437 36 12 8 3

Gosnells Senior High 847 47 16 6 2

Department of Education http://www.eddept.wa.edu.au/, Student Profiles on schools, updated 2002. Note school numbers will change yearly these only serve as a guide to the size of each school.

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Each school develops there own programmes and is offered a range of programmes through the Education Department, to implement if there is an identified need. The schools in the City of Gosnells local government area have a range of programmes and these include programmes for gifted learners, supported learning, literacy and numeracy, music, instrumental, deterring bullying, anti-graffiti, improving social skills, health, drug education, physical education, bike education, and community involvement. Some have dental clinics attached and other schools access those also. Some schools in the local area are involved in pilot Triple P programmes for school age children and their parents. Many schools also have pastoral care teams to address the emotional and mental health needs of students and the City of Gosnells contributes some funding to these.

Some schools work in partnership with community organizations through the JETS programme which is targeted at school non-attendees or those who are disruptive at school. A teacher is especially assigned to identified students to work with them on activities that improve confidence and knowledge about education and employment opportunities. This list may not be exhaustive because of the breadth of initiatives and programmes that schools are involved in.

Aboriginal and Islander Education Officers: Most schools have designated staff to assist and support Aboriginal students and their families. They work with teachers to help ensure student’s needs are met in a culturally sensitive manner. Their role is also to foster good working relationships with families and school staff and to promote the awareness of Indigenous culture within schools. They are also an important reference point for schools on Indigenous issues. They also liaise with Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Associations (ASSPA).

ASSPA is part of the Federal Government National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy. Most schools in the City of Gosnells local government area have an ASSPA. The general aims of ASSPA are to:

• increase the educational participation and attendance of Aboriginal Students

• promote increased awareness and involvement of Aboriginal parents in the schooling of their children; and

• develop the responsiveness of schools and their staff to the educational needs and aspirations of Aboriginal Students

Special Education Services: A major review of educational services for students with disabilities in government schools is currently in progress and will likely have far reaching implications for education services. The aim of education policy is to support and foster, where ever possible, integrated classrooms where people and children with disabilities attend mainstream educational institutions. To achieve these aims the Department of Education offers different levels of support through different strategies. There are 4 main types:

• Education Support Schools are for children who are unable to be placed in mainstream schools. These schools are for children with special educational needs and who have high support needs, primarily with an intellectual disability. In the City of Gosnells local government area there is Kenwick School.

• Education Support Centres are based in mainstream schools and can consist of 2-3 class rooms where children with special education needs can be taught with adequate support but where they can socialize and share time with the general student body. Maddington Primary School has such a Centre.

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• Education Support Units are situated within mainstream schools and might include some segregated classes but also classes with the general student body. These schools have extra staff allocation to meet the needs of children with disabilities.

• Mainstream Schools with aid are schools where there is additional support to assist children. This model generally applies to children with only a physical disability.

Modifications and arrangements to allow children with disabilities to attend a school are also done on an individual school basis. There are also non-government schools where children with disabilities attend.

Thornlie, South East Metro College of TAFE

Thornlie is the largest campus of the South East Metro College of TAFE, and the home of the Building, Furniture & Electrical Centre, The Community Services Training Centre, Metals, Mining & Engineering, The Business & Technology Centre, WA Heavy Vehicle Training Centre, Access & Equity and Aboriginal Program.

The Campus offers courses in child care, electronic and mechanical engineering, and business and technology including computing, accounting, business studies, office administration and technology. Specialist trade areas include building, painting and decorating, furniture making, heavy vehicle mechanics, vehicle body building and electrical trades.

The campus has specialised workshops, a simulated office environment, secure computer rooms and science laboratories. It has a Customer Service Centre and a well-equipped library offering on-line and face to face services.

Thornlie campus has an Indigenous Information Officer and a Disability Services Officer.

Other Training Options: Various commercial businesses give computer and business training. There are also community agencies that provide training courses for people who are disadvantaged. These include:

• Boogurlarri Community House: TAFE level Cert II in Employment Skills for Aboriginal clients covering basic literacy and numeracy. Computer courses for 40-45 year old women getting back to the work force.

• Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre: Besides child care this centre also has a Kindergarten and Independent Pre-Primary school. The emphasis is on Aboriginal children but it does have a diversity of children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It also welcomes TAFE students for work experience in child care and Aboriginal High School students. The service was established next to TAFE to encourage young mother to attend TAFE courses, especially Aboriginal mothers however the Aboriginal specific course has moved to Armadale TAFE.

The City of Gosnells: A memorandum of understanding has been established in 2002 between the City of Gosnells and the South East Metropolitan College of TAFE, Thornlie as well as Murdoch University.

The memorandum of understanding with South East Metropolitan College of TAFE is an initiative that marks the recognition that vocational training has an important contribution to make in the economic development of the City of Gosnells local government area.

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The agreement provides a framework for future cooperation and formalises already existing links between Thornlie TAFE and the City of Gosnells in relation to community services training, direct Board involvement at the college by the Director of Community Services, involvement in the City of Gosnells’ Business Incubator project, and various other joint initiatives that benefit the community. A memorandum of understanding between the Institute for sustainability and Technology Policy of Murdoch University and the City of Gosnells aims to facilitate a cooperative and mutually beneficial approach to the research, teaching and implementation of sustainable development principles. The understanding will apply for a period of 5 years.

15.2 Findings

Students at educational risk (SAER): Many services identify that there are core groups of children and youth at educational risk and this contributes to cycles of poverty and poor health. This is related to many factors including:

• stressful family environments

• drug and alcohol use in the family

• poor social supports

• parenting issues

• bullying

• low literacy of parents

• intergenerational unemployment

• cultural appropriateness of school structures and curriculum

• high family mobility

• truancy

It was identified that Aboriginal children are a group who are at particular education risk. Many services, including Health and Educational Services, inform us that some Aboriginal children are at higher risk of ‘falling between the cracks’ in the educational system because of cultural factors that mean their families are more transient than the majority of students. As one key informant explained, it was generally accepted that a significant number of their Aboriginal students would have large amounts of time out of school and that because it was due to cultural differences there was nothing they could really do.

This is a well recognised problem for many of the schools in the Gosnells local government area and is a shared State and Federal issue. The Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) Taskforce on Education (2001), note that ‘young Indigenous Australians generally seem disproportionately represented among young people who are having difficulty in successfully negotiating the transition from school to independence and active participation in their communities. They have a fractured pattern of education and employment participation because the connections between school education, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and experiences, and post-school options are often not made available or are apparent to them (2001: 3).

Some services working with youth identify boys can be at particular educational risk. The long term affect of not addressing the problems of these kinds of students is that it is difficult to encourage them to complete high school. However, there are only a few community organisations that work with youth to improve retention rates.

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In keeping with the theoretical framework of the community health needs study it is difficult to isolate any one causal factor. These findings are clearly related to complex social issues. To respond to the needs of SAER therefore requires a holistic and integrated approach that nonetheless addresses the unique circumstance of each person.

Many of the identified underlying factors are discussed throughout this report including: Homelessness and Accommodation 12, Family and Children 22, Mental Health 26, Young People 23, Drug and Alcohol 27, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 19, Welfare 16.

Children specific service: Services and focus groups state there is not enough support offered for younger children (6-10 years of age) and that there are few services in the local area to refer children to, particularly culturally appropriate services. The kinds of services that were directly mentioned included counselling, life skills programmes and truancy programmes, such as WESTAN (for details on WESTAN see section 19.1), to encourage children to stay ‘linked into’ school.

It is important to note that schools have student support teams, including psychologists and school nurses, to provide social, emotional and psychological support to children. However, these are school based and were not identified by services in other sectors to be a point where they might report a concern or make referrals too. This study was not able to establish the root cause of this but it could be speculated that issues of privacy, legal obligations, and/or a lack of referral processes operate as barriers to the exchange of information and referrals across sectors and between agencies.

School non-attendance and truancy: Schools and service providers that care for school aged children either before or after school report that non-attendance at school is a problem for core groups of children. Some survey responses also made the observation that it is not uncommon to see children unsupervised during school hours walking around the streets. Services and schools identify non-attendance as a particular problem for Aboriginal children which they say is due to a range of factors. Service providers emphasise there needs to be a distinction made between those students who are truant without parental knowledge and those who are not attending school due to parental issues.

Work Experience: Some service provider’s state that finding work experience opportunities for students, especially Aboriginal students, is difficult and that students therefore miss out on useful learning opportunities which in the long term can impact on the employability and socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage of individuals.

Programmes to encourage student retention: Students at early educational risk and few Aboriginal students presently complete TEE studies, which in turn limits their further education and employment choices. Besides the couple of community programmes that work with young students mentioned above, there are also home work classes. These are in place at many schools to encourage positive learning habits among Aboriginal students. The programme is partially funded by Department of Education Science and Training. Homework clubs were considered very positive and useful by the Aboriginal parents we spoke with. They state that children learn more in a very positive environment and genuinely enjoy being with other children while they learn. They also said that in their experience most children show marked improvement in school work after attending these.

However, a barrier for some schools in setting up homework programmes is that they require teachers to work at the end of their teaching day on a voluntary basis. They are also limited to Aboriginal students.

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Literacy: Services identify a low level of literacy among some students and parents. This severely impacts on the ability of people to access employment and to participate in education and community life. Socioeconomic disadvantage is directly linked to employment and education and as such literacy is a crucial factor to wellbeing and health.

Education and basic health needs: Services working with children identify that a small number of children are at times sent to school hungry and with inappropriate clothing. Some schools have found it necessary to operate breakfast programmes whist others have attempted to offer showers at school. It was also reported that a significant number of children are not given nutritious lunches on a regular basis. The Apple and Pear Board donate fruit to schools to encourage healthy eating.

The significance of health on educational outcomes is well recognised. In a Western Australian report where it was recognised, ‘that low birth weight, recurrent illnesses, a lack of psychosocial stimulation, acute and/or chronic malnutrition and stresses of poverty can lead to poor health and a lowering of intellectual, behavioural and social abilities, often leading to poor school performance and dropping out’ (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) Taskforce on Indigenous Education, 2001: 3).

Further training: Survey findings from Phase Three of the study show that significant numbers of people are interested in further training. Of the 889 people who said they are not presently doing any training or courses nearly half (398) indicated they would like to. These findings are represented in the graph below. Findings also indicate that this is linked to age with younger people more often stating they would like to participate in training.

Those not training but who would like to by age

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

% o

f res

pond

ents

YesNo

Focus groups and survey information from youth surveys distributed in Phase Three of the study also indicate that a number of the young people who were not studying would like to be able to take up training or further studies.

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The barriers to further training: Findings from Phase Three of the study indicate there are a number of barriers that inhibit the ability for people to take up further training. Survey respondents indicate that time and money are the most often experienced barriers. However, findings indicate there are also gender specific barriers with flexible childcare and cost more likely to influence women’s decision to take up training and lack of time more of an issue for men. This was also raised in a focus group with Aboriginal parents. One woman who is currently attending a bridging course for Nursing in Armadale told how many of the other Aboriginal mothers had left the course because of family and child care commitments as well as problems with transport. The only other equivalent course is available in Carlisle and as such she said it is difficult to get to without private transport and many Aboriginal people do not have access to private transport.

It is also worth noting that at the time of writing the South East Metro College of TAFE has moved Aboriginal courses from Thornlie. This may entail Aboriginal students needing to travel outside the local government area for training courses and may serve as a disincentive, particularly for those who do not have access to private transport or who are mothers of young children and so on.

The pie chart below represents the most often cited barriers to training in survey questionnaires in Phase Three of this study.

Barriers to participation in training

25%

35%

3%

14%

5%

6%

12%

Too expensiveLack of timeTransportNot available locallySafetyFlexible child careOther

No of respondents 398

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Barriers to training by gender

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Too expensive Lack of time Transport Not availablelocally

Safety Flexible childcare

Other

Identified barrier

% o

f Rep

onde

nts

MaleFemale

No of respondents male 244, female 408

Note: Those indicating that there were ‘other’ reasons for not doing training sometimes stated it was linked to shift work, age and being too old. This may suggest attitude works as a barrier for some people through stereotypes of age and ability.

Young people, training and further education: A focus group with young people revealed that a number of them had reservations about the usefulness of university qualifications to ultimately finding employment. They were more interested in acquiring TAFE level certificates and diplomas as they felt these were more likely to lead to jobs. This may be linked to the extended advertising campaign for TAFE which focuses on employability and having qualifications that are relevant to the employment market. Whilst it cannot be suggested this is necessarily representative of the majority of young people living in the City of Gosnells local government area, statistical information on school retention rates does appear to confirm attitudes such as these are not uncommon which may serve to limit the options that young people consider.

This raises several significant issues for young people and their long term employment prospects in relation to:

• Longer term promotional and career development opportunities. Australian Bureau of Statistics show people with a Bachelor degree or higher are more likely to be employed than those with a lower educational attainment (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002b).

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• Long term earning capacity. An Australian Bureau of Statistics report indicates that in general average weekly earnings increased as the level of highest educational attainment increased. ‘Average usual weekly earnings for wage or salary earners working full-time in their main job (excluding people attending school) was $1,383 for those with a Postgraduate degree, and $1,124 for those whose highest educational attainment was Graduate diploma or Graduate certificate. Average usual weekly earnings for full-time wage or salary earners were lowest for those with Certificate I or II as their highest educational attainment ($599)’ (ABS, 2002b).

• An information economy requires a highly qualified and internationally competitive workforce and as such higher qualifications are likely to become increasingly prized.

Whilst TAFE plays a vital role it may be that for some career options a university qualification is necessary and as such by only considering those courses offered by TAFE young people may be limiting their future options.

Information on courses and eligibility: Focus groups and one survey respondent identified difficulties in accessing and finding information about courses, in particular computer courses, and indicate there is some confusion in the community about what client groups community based services are targeting their courses and training towards. These findings may suggest there is a shortage of courses but also indicate there is a general lack of knowledge about the constraints and funding limitations of services and community groups and that funding is often directly linked to specific need groups.

16 WELFARE AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

The need for support and financial hardship can come about for many reasons; lack of employment, drug and alcohol addiction, mental health issues, disability, family break-up, cost of living, mortgage, and so on. In many cases it may be due to a complex array of factors, and simplistic correlations are difficult to ascertain. Regardless of the causes, it may contribute toward undue strain on families which affects the physical and mental health of all family members and places children at particular risk. Families in these situations will also have less access to a range of legal, community, counselling and health services due to economic constraints, transport limitations and social isolation.

In response to these disadvantages there is an established network of welfare and community services within the City of Gosnells local government area. Welfare and community organisations are responding to the complexity of health and welfare issues in the community within economical and political contexts that have undergone major philosophical shifts in recent years. Management of the economy has moved from Keynesian notions of full employment toward less direct government involvement, economic rationalism and the casualisation of the workforce (Bell, 1998: 32). These shifts have occurred in a wider economic climate of globalisation and rapid technical advancements. But whilst the globalisation of the economy and more flexible working arrangements may advantage some industry sectors it can marginalise and profoundly disadvantage others who may not have the skills to work in growing finance and technology information sectors. At the same time there is greater pressure on the public purse with growing health care costs and an aging population. The impact of these demographic, social and philosophical issues on funding arrangements has been an orientation to market principles to funding where community organisations apply for funds through competitive tendering processes.

These changes are reflected in current imperatives to reframe the way social welfare is delivered. As the ‘Interim Report of the Reference Group on Welfare Reform (2000), Participation Support for a More Equitable Society, Part 1,’ states, it is ‘concentrating on outlining a new framework for a fundamental re-orientation of Australia’s social welfare system…’ (2000: 1).

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The report highlights ‘mutual obligation’ as a central focus in welfare reform where policy makers are ‘expecting people to help themselves and contribute to society through increased social and economic participation in a framework of mutual obligation’ (2000: 1). This shift is informed by concerns about people becoming caught in ‘welfare or poverty traps’ of dependence. As highlighted in a discussion paper on ‘The Challenge of Welfare Dependency in the 21st Century,’ by Senator Jocelyn Newman (the then) Minister for Family and Community Services which states that much of welfare policy ‘does too little to prevent and discourage welfare dependency,’ (1999: 7). The Western Australian Government Taskforce also foreshadowed the changing philosophy in meeting welfare needs stating ‘The Community Development portfolio should shift from a predominant focus on the provision of welfare and safety-net services towards a greater emphasis on building the capacities and strengths of individuals, families and communities’ (2001:viii). Whilst this shift has a positive effect in that individuals are less reliant on the ‘state’ for support it does not adequately acknowledge constraints such as unemployment, disability and ill-health that can mean some individuals, families and communities are in a better position than others to ‘build capacity’. Furthermore, interpretations of independence that rely totally on ‘not being dependent on the state’ can fail to interpret how those on low-incomes define independence. For instance, older people on low incomes might use government provided in-home services than rely on or be ‘dependent’ upon extended family (see Leveratt, 1998: 4).

This section of the report directs attention toward issues that will be raised repeatedly in other sections of the report; in particular accommodation and housing issues, youth issues and socio-economic disadvantage. This indicates that welfare and community services are dealing with an array of problems and issues that encompass factors relating to health, economics, education and social status of individuals in the community.

As such, the boundaries become somewhat blurred as to where welfare ends and other services step in. Welfare agencies that work directly with their communities and particularly those that are based within the local area are in a very good position to identify emerging trends and unmet needs. By outlining and analysing the contribution made by various welfare and community support agencies the complexity of overlapping issues and areas that contribute or detract from the health and well-being of the community begins to become clearer. The findings also indicate the impact of present policies and funding models on local service provision (For full findings on issues relating to Service Delivery see section 18.)

16.1 Outline of Services

Agencies across the City of Gosnells local government area offer welfare support to residents through individual and joint programmes. The City of Gosnells works in partnership and collaboratively to support many of these services. No overarching strategy or policy was identified for the local area in relation to welfare needs.

Welfare and community services are provided through government and non-government agencies, including church based organisations. They offer an array of services as outlined below.

Church based organisations include but may not be limited to:

Adracare Gosnells. 7th Day Adventist

CentreCare

Communicare

Perth City Mission, Wattle House

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The Salvation Army Corp.

The Anglican Parish Welfare and Community Services

Southern Rivers Christian Church

Non-government services include:

Boogurlarri Community House

Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre

Gosnells Community Legal Centre

Gosnells Women’s Health Services

The types of services offered are outlined below.

Food Assistance: There are a number of organisations providing emergency food relief in the form of food parcels and food vouchers. These include The Anglican Parish Welfare & Community Services, Wattle House, Southern Rivers Christian Church and Boogurlarri Community House.

A number of private retailers in the Gosnells area donate food such as fruit, vegetables and bread to a number of welfare organisations. Most services providing food relief stress there is a high demand for food relief. It was also pointed out that although certain groups such as single parents, Aboriginal people, and new migrants, who are not eligible for government support, constitute a high percentage of people seeking food assistance, that there is a significant number of cases where families from higher socio-economic backgrounds also need food relief because they are overburdened with debt from mortgages, credit cards, mobile phones etc.

Many services outside of the welfare sector for example, schools, have noted that there are some children attending school hungry, at times having missed several meals.

Second Harvest Australia Inc. is a non-profit organisation that provides low cost food through community food centres and has an agency at Langford Food Barn. Further assistance can be gained through agencies outside the City of Gosnells local government area including St Vincent’s de Paul and Salvation Army emergency relief.

Available statistics indicate a high level of need for food relief, for example:

• Anglican Parish Church gives relief to a minimum of 60 people per month; these are predominantly mothers with children. This service has a 3 month turn around and so can be estimated to see a minimum of 120 different people every three months. This service is currently working in partnership with the Gosnells Community Legal Services to take on a greater welfare load.

• Wattle house reports giving food vouchers and parcels to 468 people over a 12 month period from July 2000 to June 2001. This number is also increasing. Of these a large proportion are families with children.

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Emergency Accommodation: Emergency housing within the City of Gosnells local government area is available through:

South City Housing (for details see section 12.1)

Moorditch Koolaak (for details see section 12.1)

Starick House (for details see section 22)

Neighbourhood Centres and Youth Centres refer people to emergency accommodation. Sometimes accommodation is located outside the Gosnells local government area, for example the Mary Smith Night Shelter in Canning. Boogurlarri Community House contacts accommodation help lines such as Salvo Careline in attempts to locate emergency and short term hostel accommodation. Emergency accommodation places are funded under the Supported Accommodation Assistance Programme (SAAP) which is funded jointly by Commonwealth and State Governments.

Wattle House does not offer crisis accommodation but has housing for what they describe as ‘medium’ need. These services also offer other support to assist people utilising their accommodation.

The Salvation Army operates Salvo Careline a telephone information service that people can use to access information about accommodation, food assistance and counselling.

For a full details and discussion on findings on housing and accommodation issues see section 12)

General Emergency Assistance: Several services provide more general assistance such as pharmacy vouchers (Wattle House), second hand furniture and white goods (Anglican Parish). Mission Australia, through Wattle House also gives assistance to families who cannot afford to buy school books and equipment at the commencement of the school year. Emergency assistance is also available through larger welfare organisation such as St Vincent’s de Paul, Salvation Army and Anglicare.

Financial Counselling: This is available through the Gosnells Community Legal Centre, Boogurlarri Community House, Derbarl Yerrigan, Moorditch Koolaak and Wattle House (for those in supported accommodation). Further, many services provide budgeting advice in an unofficial capacity. There are also other services available outside the City of Gosnells local government area through other agencies such as Wesley Mission: Credit Care and the Salvation Army.

Centrelink also provides some assistance through an agreement with financial institutions that limits the level of repayments taken from any one pension, benefit or allowance. This is called the ‘Code of Operation for Centrelink Direct Credit Payments’.

Advocacy: Assistance in negotiating with larger organisations is provided by most welfare and community support organisations including Gosnells Community Legal Services, Wattle House, Boogurlarri Community House and the Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre. Advocacy services are not always formally recognised in service provision however, they become part of their role by default. Further, many other agencies and workers operating in other service sectors find they must also take on this role in assisting their clients especially where children’s wellbeing is at risk.

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Legal and Mediation Services: Gosnells Community Legal Service is the only designated community legal service in the City of Gosnells local government area. It provides legal advice and advocacy for people on low incomes who would otherwise be unable to afford legal advice and refers clients to housing, food assistance, domestic violence services and family support as appropriate. Wattle House also has a part-time legal advice service. The Community legal service assists clients with tenancy issues, provides advice on family law and child support issues, and advocacy in relation to Centrelink breaches, utilities bills etc. The service also provides legal advice in relation to a range of welfare rights and assists clients with legal documentation and filling out relevant paperwork. They also act as a mediation service in neighbourhood disputes.

Legal aid is also available through the Commonwealth Government but only to those people who meet the strict criteria.

Homecare: Domiciliary care for general house maintenance is available through Gosnells Community Care Services and Silver Chain for those found to be eligible, as outlined in the Seniors Section 24.1.

In addition, organisations such as Southern Rivers Christian Church and Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre offer some assistance, free or at reduced rates, to assist people who access their services. Whilst these are not assessed by strict criteria they are limited in the number of people they can help.

Family and Parenting Support: Organisations such as Boogurlarri Community House, Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre, Wattle House, Wirrabirra Child Care Centre provide various levels of support to families through child care, after school programmes, respite care, parental support groups, parental skills workshops, and referral. These services are directed at those most at risk and are funded through various agencies like the Department for Community Development and the City of Gosnells (for full details on family and parenting support see section 22.1).

Social Support and Networks: In response to the increasing number of people experiencing mental health problems associated with social isolation and lack of support, many welfare services attempt to provide opportunities for socialising and networking with people living in their local community and with people from similar cultural backgrounds. Wattle House and Boogurlarri Community House both hold social support groups for mothers and children, for women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and for people suffering from a mental health problem.

Southern Rivers Christian Church has numerous social groups for parents, youth, men and seniors, as well as events, such as weekly ‘Boot Scooting’, to give people the opportunity to have fun and meet others. These mirror programmes of other agencies working in different service sectors, such as the Women’s Lifestyle Centre managed by Gosnells Women’s Health Services.

Counselling Services: For an outline of services and issues relating to mental health see Mental Health section 26.1.

16.2 Findings

The research identified no coordinated or integrated approach by service providers to address welfare needs within the local community. It was found that services generally work in isolation and have only limited and at times incorrect understandings of what other services are providing.

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Whilst there is a possibility that this could lead to duplication of services this is difficult to ascertain with certainty as each service provider works with different target groups and limitations that are linked to often diverse sources of funding from different levels of government.

Although not addressing the specific issues above the City of Gosnells has taken a lead role in addressing the issue through establishing a partnership with the State Government through the Maddington Kenwick Sustainable Communities Initiative. Amongst other things, the initiative aims to facilitate better coordination between state, local government and non government agencies and act as a model for other areas.

Financial hardship: Findings from this research indicate that there are significant numbers of people who experience financial barriers in participating in community life and accessing services. These constraints are experienced by single people, older people, single and dual parent families with children and so on. Lack of financial resources was identified as a major issue in reference to many aspects of this community health needs study, such as, seniors and accessing leisure, families affording sport activities for their children, inhibiting access to further training, accessing adequate housing, child-care and so on (For full findings in relation to specific population groups and issues refer to the relevant sections).

Children and poverty: The indication is that there are a significant number of children living in poverty within the City of Gosnells local government area. Statistics furnished to us by the Perth City Mission (Wattle House) show that emergency aid was provided to 320 families with children during the 2000-2001 financial year, and that a total of 826 children aged below 16 years of age were assisted through their service that year.

All services state families with children make up the majority of welfare service clients this includes sole parents and two parent families. Several services working in the Welfare Sector and Education and Childcare Sectors acknowledge that children are presenting at services dirty and hungry, with some going without several meals. This has ramifications on social development and on the healthy development of children’s bodies and on the ability to concentrate at school and successfully participate in their education.

Hidden welfare needs: A few services indicate a significant group of welfare recipients requiring food assistance are migrants who are ineligible for government assistance and who are without family support, these include people on Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs). Many of these are older migrants who are unable to obtain employment and who face cultural and language barriers. They remain the ‘invisible’ needy in that they are not recorded by the usual government departments such as Centrelink because they do not qualify for government assistance until they meet a qualifying time of two years after arrival. Whilst it is assumed that families are providing the necessary financial and housing support, this is not always the case and these people fall through the cracks.

Public transport: Findings from services, surveys and focus groups, identify that availability of public transport is a significant issue for the local area. Services are widely dispersed and often hard to access using public transport, this is especially the case for people with disabilities, people travelling with strollers and or with several children and for people who do not speak English (for full findings in relation to public transport see section 11).

Access to legal, mediation and advocacy services: Service providers identify a lack of affordable or free legal and advocacy services in the City of Gosnells local government area. Access to legal advice and services hits to the core of social equity and as such must be considered a significant community concern. The need for legal advice and mediation is generally associated with times of greater stress and often involves relationship issues; as such timely access to legal services can have important implications on mental health and family life.

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A large proportion of the City’s population are categorised in lower-socioeconomic income groups and as such it is not surprising that current service demand for community legal services outstrips service capacity. Due to current demands clients face waiting lists and must be prioritised according to need and service availability at point of contact on a case by case basis. The Gosnells Community Legal Services 2000-2001 Annual Report indicates that the increasing demand for assistance on family law matters is such that they referred away an average of 30 callers a week from their evening legal service in the 2000-2001 financial year and that there is a 2-3 week waiting list to see caseworkers.

There is a lack of funded mediations services in the City of Gosnells local government area and this is an important issue as resolution of neighbourhood disputes could lessen demand on the legal system.

There is also a growing demand on legal services by people with financial problems due to high levels of debt, family break up etc. As reported in the Gosnells Community Legal Services 2000-2001 Annual Report ‘in the Gosnells and Maddington region there appears to be a high incidence of Bankruptcy, primarily due to people’s changed circumstances, the ease with which credit can be obtained and over commitment’ (2001: 25). This client group, whose financial and legal problems are often temporary, can fall below the radar of traditional welfare services. However, their need, albeit temporary, is real.

Findings in the seniors section of this report also show that older people identify a need for advice and advocacy on legal matters relating to a range of issues (for full findings on seniors and advocacy and legal services see section 24.2).

The need for advocacy services is also identified as a major concern for the Aboriginal community (for full findings on Aboriginal people and advocacy see section 19.219).

Mental health: Services working within the welfare sector identify mental health issues are a significant underlying causative factor in many people seeking welfare support and emergency housing. Social isolation and lack of family supports are seen as important issues directly relating to the level of mental health problems in modern society. Related to this, services identify a shortage of crisis counselling (for full findings relating to issues of mental health see section 26).

Those working in the Welfare Sector point out that responding to these issues places additional burdens on resources. According to service providers in general the increasing pressure on time is compounded by a growing trend in people needing assistance that have mental health issues and/or low literacy levels that require additional sensitivity and support. Informants point out that many of the issues they are presented with are directly related to the severe social disadvantage of their clients.