Latest News

Care workers across the aged and disability sectors support our most vulnerable community members with compassion and skill. Justine Evesson and Sarah Oxenbridge from Employment Research Australia have compiled an excellent report and practice guide for workers and managers to better understand how they can support each other and prevent undue stress and burnout for carers. By taking better care of their employees, organisations also reduce staff turn-over, additional time and resources spent on recruitment & training and can provide more consistent quality of care for their clients. The most commonly experienced stressful impacts on care workers include: Emotionally demanding and complex clients Poor worker management such as insufficient and variable work hours, rostering issues or lack of open and responsive communication Compromised quality of care for clients due to insufficient staff numbers or time allocated for the client’s needs Low pay rates Lack of respect and recognition for the […]

Over 150 people attended the Navigating Mental Health Services forum on 11 April 2018 at Shellharbour Civic Centre to hear Deputy Commissioner Karen Burns from the NSW Mental Health Ombudsman’s office and speakers from the Local Health District, Coordinare, Grand Pacific Health and the NDIS Stakeholder Engagement team. Karen spoke about ‘Living Well’, a Strategic Plan for Mental Health in NSW 2014-2024, adopted by NSW Government and the current work of the commission reviewing Strategic Framework for Suicide Prevention in NSW, Lived Experience Framework, Review of Headline Indicators and Community Based Mental Health Project. George and Shane from Illawarra Shoalhaven Community Mental Health Team spoke about the services offered by the Local Health District including the 1800 triage number, acute care, case management and special services for different age groups. Dr Rebecca Sng, Manager Primary Mental Health at Grand Pacific Health spoke about being a Not-for-Profit organisation providing physical and […]

Last days to book! Navigating Mental Health Services – Options & Referrals for non – mental health service providers Join us for this half day event which will engage, inform and advise non-mental health providers including community service organisations to understand the mental health system, in order to support their clients more effectively. Participants will go away with an understanding of: the layers of the mental health system the customer journey and how to find services how to refer clients into the system the NDIS effect The event will also include: ‘Power pitch’ sessions from local providers to advise you of their services. Marketplace stalls for a chance to meet and network. Click here to book.

Check out the latest from the Community Industry Group with our fortnightly newsletter. You can subscribe here http://communityindustrygroup.org.au/subscribe/ or see our past issues here http://communityindustrygroup.org.au/news/newsletters/    

Community Industry Group was proud to partner with Big Fat Smile to bring this important event to the Illawarra Region on 9 March 2018. Participants heard from Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald AM, who spent five years as a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner with the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Steve Kinmond, Deputy Ombudsman & Community and Disability Services Commissioner with Ombudsman NSW. The full day event gave attendees the opportunity to hear about the findings and recommendations from the Royal commission, to understand the roles of the National Children’s Commissioner and the Deputy Ombudsman, and explore how providers in the region could work together to develop and implement best practice in the protection of children and vulnerable individuals. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions in many different ways, and the day culminated in a facilitated workshop to explore [...]

Always wanted to work at Community Industry Group? We currently have positions vacant for Policy & Project Officers. Part- time (21 hr pw), Contract to 30 June 2020 SCHADS Grade 4 Community Industry Group is seeking experienced and passionate people. These varied roles will support community services organisations to build their quality and capacity both at organisational level and collectively to improve outcomes for clients. Closing Date: 5pm, Wednesday 14 March, 2018 Click here for more information.    

The latest Department of Health Webinar Updates for Aged Services were released on 14 February 2018. See our summary below: My Aged Care Operational Update – Release 10, December 2017, improvements: Changes to reduce clients having their packages withdrawn. Capacity to transfer clients between same service outlets, without MAC contact centre involvement. Incoming referrals process improved for service providers. Release 11 will be active 26 February 2018. Improvements in service providers listing availability of current services, service types and inability to provide services. My Assessor App: ACAT can now refer and register clients via the app, which follows the same template as the MAC Assessor Portal. Important that assessors search for a client record prior to creating a potential duplicate record. Only ACAT can use the app at this point, however RAS usage is in the pipeline. Improved management of client status for assessors and service providers, such as when a […]

Friday 9th March 2018 Community Industry Group in partnership with Big Fat Smile invite you to book in for a unique opportunity to explore how providers in the region can work together to develop and implement best practice in the protection of children and vulnerable individuals. We are excited to welcome Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald AM, Commissioner with the Productivity Commission, formerly a Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for five years, Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission, and Steve Kinmond, Deputy Ombudsman & Community and Disability Services Commissioner to the Illawarra. This important event is perfect for all human services providers - education providers, children’s services, social workers, emergency services, community workers or anyone working with children and vulnerable individuals or communities. Book tickets here: www.royalcommission.eventbrite.com.au 

Celebrating 25 years – and a new name! We were very proud to host a morning tea on Monday 12 February 2018 to celebrate 25 years of service to local community services, and to launch its new name and brand. The celebration was held at Wollongong Town Hall and was well attended by our member organisations, local MP's, the mayors of Wollongong and Shellharbour as well as many of our board members. Gareth Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary to The Premier Illawarra and South Coast congratulated CEO Nicky Sloan and the Community Industry Group on their outstanding service to the community and was on hand to cut the cake with board member Danna Nelse.  CEO Nicky Sloan said, ‘The Illawarra Forum was incorporated in 1993 to be a central body that could speak out and challenge a range of issues on behalf of the community services sector in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Our [...]

The Illawarra Forum is now proud to be known as the Community Industry Group. The name change was voted in by our members, at the recent Annual General Meeting, to better reflect the work we do and the greater geographic area we reach with our programs. We are currently in the process of updating our marketing materials and documents and will replace these on our website as they become available.      

Policy & Project Officer – Aboriginal Initiatives Community Industry Group is seeking an experienced and passionate person to support the growth and development of community services organisations in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven region; leading to more culturally appropriate service delivery and improved outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. For more details please click here. Applications close 5pm, Sunday 11 February 2018.    

Wednesday 14 February 2018 9.30am to 4pm, Illawarra Forum, 106B Industrial Road, Oak Flats Members $180, Non Members $280 Workforce challenges are a high priority for disability and aged care services. How do you get the right staff for the right job and retain them in the future? Move beyond band aid solutions for recruitment and retention with Workforce Planning. At the end of the training you will: • Identify the benefits of Workforce Planning for your organisation • Understand the process and resources needed for successful Workforce Planning • Learn how to integrate Workforce Planning into your organisations strategic and business planning • Develop skills to design and implement a Workforce Plan Click here for the full flyer.    

Increased competition for care workers in the aged and disability sector has led employers to look for creative strategies to hire the right person for the job. Traditional methods of recruitment are no longer returning the results needed. Here are some approaches for broadening your recruitment strategies to access a more comprehensive talent pool. University students – Both the aged and disability services are experiencing an aging workforce and are looking for a diverse workforce to match their client’s needs. Part time and casual employment suits many university student timetables. Students studying nursing, social work and psychology may have an interest in working in the industry prior to graduation but don’t limit yourself to those areas as many other students may have the skills and attributes you are looking for. Click here to access the UOW 2018 Employer Guide. For more comprehensive information, please click here. High School Students – […]

Working effectively with interpreters is essential in delivering culturally responsive services to people from non-English speaking backgrounds. The Illawarra Forum has developed a simple fact sheet to assist community service professionals to effectively use interpreters with their clients. The fact sheet includes tips about when and how to use an interpreter, as well as some of the interpreting services available in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region. Click here to view the Working with Interpreters Fact Sheet.

Illawarra Forum have developed a Wellness and Reablement (W&R) Self-Audit for CHSP services. This short questionnaire allows you to do a quick stocktake on where you are now in your W&R practice, and where you may want to look at changing your procedures. To do the questionnaire please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W3V2MQ5 We will also be using the data from these surveys to plan for future training, professional development and organisational support for 2018.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual General Meeting on Thursday 7 December at Warrigal, Shell Cove. We welcomed a new Board Member, Alice Lans, and the special resolution regarding our name change passed unanimously (we will keep you informed of the changes in the new year). At the conclusion of the official business, attendees were fortunate to hear inspiring words from our Guest Speaker Karen Willis OAM, the Executive Officer, Rape & Domestic Violence Service Australia. The R&DVSA are doing remarkable work for their clients while showing incredible fortitude to stand against the impacts of privatisation and commodification of services. Copies of our Annual Report were also made available to attendees.

The Illawarra Forum is pleased to have provided Transport for NSW with a submission regarding the recent Transport Disability Incentives and Subsidies Review 2017. Our submission reinforced our view that transport across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions remains a significant issue that is characterised by availability, affordability and geographical variety. Transport, specifically for people with a disability and for persons requiring wheelchair accessible travel, is often further restricted by physical access, reduced service availability, reliability and affordability. Whilst the Illawarra Forum supports recent amendments to Point-to-Point travel, and welcome increased choice and availability of differing modes of transport for people with disability, we urge Transport for NSW to provide continued leadership and commitment to safeguards, nationally accredited driver training and a transparent complaints process that ensures consumers of accessible travel are safe and protected. For further information on the submission, please contact Karen Kirk-Torresan at kkirktorresan@communityindustrygroup.org.au.  

The Illawarra Forum will be holding its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 7 December 2017, 9.30am at Warrigal Shell Cove, 50 Harbour Boulevard, Shell Cove. Our Guest Speaker is Karen Willis OAM. Karen is the Executive Officer, Rape and Domestic Violence Service Australia (R&DVSA), and has worked in the field of violence against women for over 30 years. She is a fearless advocate for women’s rights and particularly for those who have experienced sexual, domestic or family violence. Karen and her organisation strive to provide the highest standard of compassionate professional assistance to women affected by violence to aid their recovery. Recently, the R&DVSA withdrew their services for the 1800 Respect trauma counselling service after negotiations broke down with Medibank Health Solutions over the issue of handing over existing confidential client files. Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome to attend. To rsvp click here.

Claire Bishop of NSW Health together with Sheree Rankmore from the Illawarra Forum provided a Koori My Aged Care (MAC) information session at the Illawarra Aboriginal Corporation in Wollongong in November. The morning provided local elders with practical information with regard to how to best access MAC, the role that various agencies play in referring persons onto MAC, the assessment process, and what services are available once a MAC package is allocated. The elders were joined by service providers from across the region that provide culturally appropriate aged care services. The session further highlighted the confusion for consumers in accessing services and the lack of Home Care Packages available. Illawarra Forum will continue to lobby for the simplification of processes for consumers, and the increase of more packages for the region.

The Illawarra Forum recently sent a submission to the Federal Department of Health (DoH) on their discussion paper for the redesign of dementia consumer supports. Consultations with service providers, carers and people living with dementia were held across the region in order to form our response. The paper outlined how DoH was proposing to support people with dementia with a focus on improving dementia literacy within the community and medical professionals, improving service accessibility, and supports to encourage reablement and independence for people newly diagnosed. Illawarra Forum strongly argued that the allocated $12m per annum was insufficient, and that investment in people to provide face to face supports, not just phone lines, websites and social marketing campaigns, was imperative to make a real impact. In addition we argued that regional and rural areas and marginalised groups required significantly more support than metropolitan areas as supports and medical specialists are scarce; [...]

Translating Interpreting Services NDIS participants can now access fee-free interpreting through Translating Interpreting Services (TIS) National to implement funded supports in their NDIS plan. This includes all activities that are associated with the implementation of funded supports delivered by NDIS registered service providers. Individuals from non-English speaking backgrounds are just as likely to be living with a disability when compared to the mainstream population, yet are far less likely to engage with disability specific services. The NDIA is working to address the numerous access barriers to the NDIS for people from NESB; providing fee-free interpreting services is a significant change that will improve outcomes for individuals in our community. The Illawarra Forum’s Multicultural Policy and Project Officer, Mikaela Belling, is able to provide individualized support to your organisation to register with TIS National, receive training on interpreter use, or develop internal procedures to guide staff in the effective use of [...]

Transport Disability Incentives and Subsidies Review 2017 Transport for NSW Transport Disability Incentives and Subsidies Review 2017 is now open for public consultation. The purpose of the review is to make recommendations on the future operation of the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme and the incentives provided to Wheelchair Accessible Taxi operators and drivers to provide services to customers with a disability. The public consultation provides for written submissions to be received by Transport for NSW up until 30 November 2017. You can read more about the review and discussion paper here. The Illawarra Forum will be providing a submission, and is holding a consultation session with community and industry on Wednesday 15 November 2017. Please register your attendance by booking here. Alternatively, if you are unable to attend the session but would like to provide comments for consideration by the Illawarra Forum, please contact Karen Kirk-Torresan at kkirktorresan@communityindustrygroup.org.au.

A WayAhead Found Illawarra Shoalhaven Partners in Recovery (ISPIR) and the Illawarra Forum have officially released the findings of an Illawarra/Shoalhaven Service Mapping and Communication Project. The project aimed to find out how people with enduring mental health conditions find and access services in the local area and what the most reliable source of information is in order to direct consumers, clients and carers towards this. Illawarra Forum surveyed a range of consumers both in person and online to discover how they access information and the types of contact methods they look for when seeking out a new service. We also engaged with carers and professionals across the sector. As a result, ISPIR and Illawarra Forum will now be promoting the WayAhead Directory, a service directory specifically focussed on mental health services, that can be used by community service organisations and the general public when trying to find support for [...]

Highlights on Mental Health Illawarra Forum were pleased to support the Highlights on Mental Health fundraising lunch held last Friday at Centro CBD as part of Mental Health Month. The audience were treated to a fantastic range of speakers including David Burroughs who challenged the audience to reframe their understanding of mental health, and the importance of everyone being proactive in the workplace to support each other. The most recent findings from the University of Wollongong were showcased including their work on repurposing other drugs. Angry Anderson also told his story, highlighting how early childhood trauma and experiences affected his mental health journey. Illawarra Forum was proud to provide a silent auction item of a Mental Health First Aid training session for the highest bidder to support understanding and action within the workplace which raised over $1000. All proceeds from the day went to Highlights for Mental Health. If you [...]