A sector nearing crisis mode
The community services sector is providing help to more people than ever before, but there has been a huge increase in the number of eligible people turned away by overstretched agencies as difficult economic times bite.
The community services sector is providing help to more people than ever before, but there has been a huge increase in the number of eligible people turned away by overstretched agencies as difficult economic times bite.
A report released yesterday (Monday, 15 August 2011) by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) revealed a 12% jump in assistance provided by agencies across the sector, and large increases in demand for homelessness and housing assistance, residential aged care services, financial support and emergency relief.
In 2009-10, the year covered by the report, 50,000 eligible people were turned away from housing services, a 22% increase from the previous year.
Dr Cassandra Goldie, chief executive at ACOSS, said the findings highlighted the “disconnect” between the perception that Australia has “fully recovered” from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and that most people are doing fine,
“The stark reality is the growing group on the bottom simply are not doing well,” Dr Goldie said.
The sector provided services on 6,180,282 occasions in 2009-10, up from 5,513,780 the previous year; but people were reportedly denied help on about 345,000 occasions, an annual increase of 19%.
“That translates to one in 20 eligible people who sought support being turned away, as the surge in demand meant agencies had to target their services more tightly,” Dr Goldie said.
Of the 745 agencies surveyed in the annual report, 89% identified mental health services as the most pressing unmet need, closely followed by homelessness and housing services.
