Page 4062 - Week 11 - Thursday, 21 September 2017
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I have highlighted the status of people living in Oaks Estate who are being cared for under the Samaritan program administered by St Vincent de Paul. Submissions made to a Senate inquiry do not appear to align with some of the statements made by the ACT Minister for Mental Health, so, again, I look forward to hearing from Minister Rattenbury about their particular situation.
Minister Stephen-Smith talks about market development. I think this is an area in which the states and territories can take a greater leadership role. I note that the ACT’s list started with 64 service providers in 2014 and is currently at 814. The ACT government does have a responsibility to undertake their accreditation, and I hope and trust that it is processing new applicants in an appropriately rigorous but equally timely manner.
However, these figures are not all they are cracked up to be. First, not all registered providers are necessarily delivering services in the ACT. Second, there are many registered providers that, in effect, are only providing services to one person. In most instances it is a loved one or a relative.
The minister’s description of the transition to a market for services being “complex” possibly understates the enormous challenges facing clients, service providers and governments alike. It may look good on paper to say that the growth of service providers in the ACT shows a greater choice of services being available to ACT participants, but the figures do not necessarily take into consideration these two factors.
The minister has referenced Marymead. Marymead and their clients are in a dreadful situation, through no fault of their own but simply because there is a misalignment of market prices and appropriate fee structures. I know that the minister has spoken to the federal minister and the NDIA about this, as I have. I know that the minister continues to speak to the federal minister and the NDIA, as I do. Today the minister once again reassured the Assembly and the Canberra community that she is working hard to make sure this issue is addressed. I have absolutely no doubts about her commitment in doing so. However, what I and, I am sure, the families who are affected by this situation would like to hear is a clear action plan and a time frame on when we may know the details of her enormous efforts to negotiate an outcome.
We cannot allow such vital services to withdraw from the ACT but, equally, organisations such as Marymead must be appropriately reimbursed. I do not know how and why such a misalignment of fees and costs came about but I urge everyone to work to ensure that vulnerable families do not have to wait to find out what is available for them. As I stated yesterday, for the families who are at risk of losing respite care, it matters little whether the responsibility rests with the federal or the ACT government.
I cannot agree with the minister enough about the complexity of the ILC grants process and I acknowledge the work of the ACT government and of the broader Canberra community to achieve targeted transition funding for ACT organisations
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