Page 81 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 10 February 2015
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The redevelopment process in 2015-16 will mean the relocation of approximately 51 tenants and their voices will continue to be important in this process. Looking more broadly, clear and practical communication is a key element of the government’s work through the Housing portfolio, particularly in continuation of the public housing renewal program.
I have met with the linking into new communities task force, which was set up by the former Minister for Housing, Mr Rattenbury. It is leading the government’s consultation with tenants, as part of the renewal program. The task force will keep working on the ground with people in recognition that they are part of the local community with strong local bonds. Their education, employment, friends and support networks are strongly tied to the area and to their homes. When tenants relocate, helping re-establish these bonds will be a priority and, again, will be guided by the view of tenants and community members.
In Community Services, the government is working closely with stakeholders through an incredibly difficult time as they await news from the federal Liberals about whether they will be funded in the future. Some have been told they will not be. To their enormous credit, these organisations have continued to engage with the ACT government around ways to improve the way government services, policies and programs respond to the needs of individuals and families in our community.
Beginning in 2012, the ACT government and a range of community partners commenced a process to better understand the unique needs of families involved with multiple services who, for a range of reasons, were unable to break the cycle of service dependency. Government sat down with families to hear their views and better understand their needs and started breaking down the systemic barriers to more tailored services and better outcomes. The success of involving families in the design of a new way of working has led to the expansion of the co-design service model to up to 50 families over 2014-15. Workers from across the service sector are upskilling and embracing this model.
The community conversation we are having around service delivery has included online surveys, social media, targeted focus groups and expert panels. It is an open-minded conversation with people who know the sector best. The result is a major community service reform program, with pilot initiatives already funded and rolling out in the ACT. One of those in west Belconnen is the Local Services Network. It is a truly co-designed model of service delivery where government, community sector and local community members are working together to co-design and implement a locally tailored network plan.
Even before becoming minister, I was excited to see this project established in my community. We have seen extensive engagement with community members, including neighbourhood forums, a local design team, online surveys, children’s surveys in schools and targeted focus groups with community members. As a result, there has been significant buy-in from across the government and community sectors delivering services to people in west Belconnen.
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