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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4141 ..

MRS LITTLEWOOD (continuing):

arrangements with non-government service providers - an example of genuine consultation in reviewing and developing policy. Another example is the quality of life project. The Government and the ACT Council of Social Service are working together to identify quality of life factors. These then lead to the development of quality performance measures. The process is an opportunity to look at the quality of service delivery and the links to outcomes for the community.

Let me outline our record in the area of customer service. We have a customer focused public service which has seen the integration of key service values and the principles of fairness into all systems and processes. It is an ambitious program that links the strategic level with the way people act in delivering service. What we have in place is tangible and pragmatic. It emphasises the open relationship between customers, stakeholders and public servants. It allows a free and full exchange of information, and it connects the people of Canberra with their services.

The commitment to service statements are based on sound social principles - those of opportunity, fairness, consultation, openness, diversity and responsiveness to the needs of all consumer groups. Service delivery areas must access fully the characteristics of the whole consumer base. This includes not only those who use the service but also those who should but do not because they feel that there are barriers to overcome.

The multicultural community has seen significant outcomes from this Government. The Office of Multicultural and International Affairs maintains a high profile. It assists people who do not speak English well or at all to gain access to government services through the ACT interpreter card. It assists older people from diverse cultural backgrounds and their carers to gain information about care options in the ACT through the publication of comprehensive information about care facilities and services in five community languages. It assists new arrivals to settle in Canberra by publishing comprehensive information about settlement services available in eight community languages. They are just a few of its services.

In Health and Community Care we have introduced an overarching strategy framework for the department, Vision 2000. Its mission is:

In partnership with customers, service providers, and the community, continuously improve health and community care services to maximise both community and individual health and wellbeing.

The Government has, among other things, developed and implemented a population-based health and community care outcomes framework and supported and strengthened primary health care as the entry point of other more expensive services. A whole-of-Territory mental health plan is being developed to enhance the coordination of services between various mental health programs. We have a whole-of-Territory strategy which defines and coordinates the roles of government and non-government agencies in minimising the harm associated with drug use in the ACT. In collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding region, the Government has developed a health plan for the development and purchase of programs and services to meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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