Social Inclusion - participating in your community

As a former community worker, Kristina Keneally, knows how government support services can transform the lives of our most vulnerable.

 

We are working to ensure a fair go for all people in NSW, including those less well off, by:

 

  • investing $1.6 billion over 2009/ 10 in Community Services to support parents, children and families across NSW.

  • investing $1.3 billion over 5 years in disability and homecare services

  • investing $750 million in the Keep them Safe program

 

Reforms to the child protection system

We believe that in order to protect children most in need in our communities, the sharing of information between agencies is integral. We have delivered on the Keep Them Safe report, accepting 106 of 111 recommendations from James Wood’s Special Commission into our child protection system and raised the budget to $750 million

 

Agencies, government and NGOs are now able to share information so families receive help when they first need it, without the need for statutory intervention.

 

Supporting early Childhood education

We have increased funding in community preschools ensuring all children in NSW can access preschool programs in the year before school. Under the National Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education, we received an additional $278.6 million over 5 years to increase access to early education – building on NSW’s current Preschool Investment and Reform Plan - the biggest reform to preschools in NSW in over 20 years.

 

Care Leavers

We provided a $9 million funding boost over five years for additional counselling support, supported access to essential services, and better access to personal records of time in care for care leavers.

 

Foster carers

We have partnered with the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies to launch a pioneering new website designed to recruit more foster carers.

 

We have also introduced improvements to the assessment of new foster carers include a new online application program, Carerlink, and people who want to foster a child or young person in NSW will now be subject to an identity test. These changes will make sure we have the best possible candidates to care for children who cannot live safely at home.

 

Supporting victims of domestic violence

We invested $1.36 million in 2008/2009 to expand the Staying Home Leaving Violence initiative which removes the perpetrator from the family home, allowing the woman and children to stay in safety. We will expand this program to ten more locations in 2009/2010 at a cost of $2.86 million.

 

Disability and Home Care

We will people with disabilities and older Australians live independently by

  • funding an extra 319 attendant care places, bringing the total to 509 and in 2009/10

  • supporting Home Care in delivering 3.87 million hours of service this year

  • supporting Meals on Wheels to deliver over 3.9 million meals to those in need of a helping hand this year.

  • delivering 16 dementia day centres.

 

Reducing homelessness

Rates of homelessness in NSW have remained steady between 2001 and 2006. A Homelessness Advisory Council has been established to advise on policy and strategies to improve our responses to homelessness. Through our five year Homelessness Action Plan, we are helping people to break the cycle of homelessness.

 

Planning for an ageing population

We are supporting individuals, business and the community to actively plan and manage the impact of demographic change, as well as ensuring the public sector prepares for population change. In April 2008, we released Towards 2030: Planning for our changing population, a whole of government strategy designed to prepare for demographic change.

 

Towards 2030 will respond to our ageing population by:

  • getting in early: planning for change.

  • improving prevention and early intervention.

  • creating a productive, skilled and adaptable workforce.

  • facilitating participation in all areas of society.

  • providing quality care and support.

 

Supporting people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

New South Wales is proudly the most culturally diverse state in Australia. People from around 200 birthplaces have made NSW their home, and close to a quarter of the population speak a language other than English at home (2006 Census). While this makes NSW an exciting and vibrant place to live, many people of culturally and linguistically different backgrounds struggle to access resources and integrate fully within their communities. We are delivering accessible and effective services for culturally and linguistically diverse clients and communities.

 

Encouraging recreation and sport

We support participation in recreational and sporting activities and the promotion of healthy, active communities.

 

We are committed to:

  • developing sport at the community level through Sport Accords with local councils and Clubs NSW

  • increasing opportunities to share recreational resources with schools, local government, clubs and other bodies

  • attracting and retaining volunteers in sport and recreation, including programs for committee members on good corporate governance, and accreditation for coaches and officials

  • expanding the role of Sport and Recreation Centres to allow for greater community participation

  • increasing the involvement of Aboriginal people in sport and recreation as participants, volunteers, coaches and officials by working with State sporting organisations, local communities, non–government organisations and local government

  • supporting increased participation and engagement of at risk, marginalised and under–represented groups in the community

  • improving access to our waterways through the Better Boating Fund

 

Supporting arts and culture

We are making it easier for more people to become involved in art and cultural activities by:

  • investing in our cultural institutions including better online access to collections and services and more exhibition partnerships with regional galleries and museums

  • extending opportunities for disadvantaged students and schools in regional and urban NSW through the ConnectEd Arts partnership

  • working with our museums, galleries and theatres to give more children access to the broadest range of high quality creative experiences

  • investing in local film production to support the creation of high quality films, television and other screen activities