Page 4206 - Week 13 - Thursday, 14 December 2006
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The volunteers contributed over 1150 hours during the year. During the last number of years there has been a shift from the intense care and support teams that were needed in the past to more event and fundraising jobs. With the exception of some clients requiring in home care during times of convalescing after medical procedures.
An important part of supporting volunteers is their management and, as part of that, their professional training. The AIDS Action Council requires volunteers to complete core training. The council says:
The course consists of 8 sessions of 3 hours each … Core Training addresses: General Information on HIV/AIDS (transmission and prevention, disease progression, treatment, treatments overview and psychosocial impact); Diversity Training (injecting drug use and related issues, sexuality and lifestyle, working with diversity) and Working as a Volunteer (attitudes and values, rights and responsibilities, confidentiality, communication skills, preventing burnout and other care and support issues).
The council has previously reported a lack of daytime volunteers, particularly with client-related work. While this remains an issue—as most volunteers work full time—it is pleasing to see that the situation has been alleviated due to improved volunteer management and a high number of trained volunteers. I congratulate the AIDS Action Council for the way they work with their volunteer team and support it, and for the valuable and vital work that they carry out. I take this opportunity to thank the volunteers.
Looking into the future, Mr Speaker, there are new and emerging issues facing people with HIV and the people who work with them. Due to developments in treatment, people with HIV are now living longer; with new infections still occurring, the population of people living with HIV is, unfortunately, increasing. As people living with HIV are now living longer, a number of them are joining the ageing population and will need appropriate support such as aged care. This presents a need for work force development and the education of staff in aged care facilities to help reduce stigma and discrimination and to increase people’s awareness of the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.
As you know, Mr Speaker, each year World AIDS Day is observed on 1 December and is marked by activities throughout the world. ACT Health contributes to national funding to produce awareness raising materials and to facilitate World AIDS Day each year. The AIDS Action Council of the ACT is funded to run the world’s AIDS campaign in the ACT each year.
For World AIDS Day and AIDS Awareness Week 2006, the AIDS action council conducted many events, which were well attended. World AIDS Day, on 1 December, commenced with a breakfast at the Kurrajong Hotel at which the Deputy Chief Minister, Ms Katy Gallagher MLA, launched the World AIDS Day events in the ACT. It was pleasing to be able to attend that breakfast and to see such a great turnout, including many of my Assembly colleagues, including Mr Gentleman and Mr Barr. I think you were there too, Mr Smyth, from memory. And I think Mrs Burke and Ms MacDonald were there, from memory.
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