Page 1583 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 12 May 2015
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While we have started with legislation, our policies and practices have also undergone significant reform. This reform is about providing ways to better support some of our most vulnerable Canberrans so that they can be empowered to make positive change and to live good lives. We are doing this based on the principle of investing in services and programs for those in most need and for social benefits that span the ACT. The 2015 report on government services tells us we are getting it right across disability, housing, out of home care and youth justice. The ACT leads the nation in the proportion of public housing for low-income households—this is at 98.9 per cent—while the allocation to people with the greatest needs as a proportion of new tenancies is at 96.9 per cent.
Important to our social inclusion agenda is that we have always believed social housing in our city should be embedded in all our communities and that no neighbourhood does not open itself up. As our social housing program has evolved to provide support to those in the greatest need, our resolve to ensure Canberrans from all walks of life live together and build understanding of each other’s experiences has only grown. We continue this attitude across government. In youth justice, the rate of young people on community-based supervision is the lowest it has been in the ACT for five years and reflects a commitment to helping young people re-engage in their communities.
We lead the nation in the percentage of people with a disability accessing community support services. This is at 48 per cent. Our work in supporting children and young people in care and protection is reflected positively. Data shows that the ACT is providing the most stable placements for children and young people who leave care after a year or more. Of this group, more than half of children and young people had been in only one or two homes during that time. This builds them connections, not just with carers but with schools, communities, doctors, services, homes and friends that build those informal supports we know are key to inclusion.
The need for greater social inclusion and equality has been a driver for reform right across government. In health, these concepts are at the centre of service planning and delivery within the ACT health system, expressed through the duty statement of your health, our priority. We see this reflected in the seven community health centres that place the consumer as the centre of the model of care. In this way, individuals and families are involved in decision-making, and the focus is on connecting and integrating all aspects of a person’s care and treatment.
Inclusion is also reflected in the decision to make mental health a priority. We are working with our health partners to implement greater support for people with mental illness who are involved in the justice system, along with better support for step-up and step-down services.
We know transport and planning play key roles in shaping inclusive communities. Good urban planning connects citizens, bringing opportunities to enhance the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our community. It also increases a sense of identity and belonging. Good planning is about removing or avoiding those elements that contribute to exclusion.
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