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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 3 Hansard (7 March) . . Page.. 804 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

are not the same and that the needs of individual clients also change over time. I have to say the anecdotal evidence that was provided by Mr Stanhope illustrated clearly these particular issues.

The Department of Education and Community Services shortly will commence a needs analysis in relation to services provided under the SAAP for homeless people in the ACT. The profile of homeless people and their needs has changed over time. The project will assess how well the mix and types of current services match the current needs of homeless people.

The findings of this project will inform future service purchasing decisions in relation to changes to existing services, as well as the introduction of any new services under the SAAP program. The project's findings will also assist in ensuring that in the future there is a balance of SAAP services available to continue to meet current clients' needs as well as improving service effectiveness where that is necessary.

The department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, Housing and Community Care, is taking the lead agency role in developing pilot generic service standards for the delivery of human services in the ACT. The standards will be used as a quality improvement tool by all our agencies. The development of these standards reflects a commitment by government and the community to providing high-quality service in order to ensure the best possible outcomes for the clients.

Mr Deputy Speaker, the ACT government has significant initiatives currently under way to ensure that continued effective services reach the ACT community, including women in crisis. The government has a dynamic approach to these critical and important services for women. Service purchasing arrangements operate through an open dialogue between the service providers and the funding bodies in relation to changing needs as they occur.

The strategies I have outlined demonstrate that the government is actively working to implement responsible, responsive funding arrangements that will continue to meet the accommodation needs of those women and their children who are escaping domestic violence. Mr Deputy Speaker, if members feel that that is not enough then, of course, they have the draft budget process. Mr Stanhope spoke very vigorously about needs and concerns, specifically in respect of Toora. I suggest that a recommendation for extra funding in that area from a committee of which he or one of his colleagues is a member may be one positive way to deal with that.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I have spoken about the revised allocation policies for public housing and the fact that we are focusing on those in greatest need because I have the support of the Assembly to be able to do that. Today is an excellent illustration of why I needed to be able to take that kind of approach instead of the ideological approach that has been taken, particularly by Ms Tucker.

The Department of Health, Housing and Community Care is also undertaking an analysis on housing needs in the ACT, to build upon the work undertaken by NATSEM for the task group on poverty. In addition, all jurisdictions are committed to providing improved data and performance monitoring frameworks under the Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement. The Commonwealth/State Housing Agreement also recognises the need to

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