Report highlights increasing need
A report released today by ANGLICARE Sydney provides confronting evidence of poverty, deprivation and exclusion for many who live in Sydney and the Illawarra.
The Sydney Anglican community service organisation says an overhaul of how emergency relief is provided is desperately needed to meet the increasing scope and complexity of need.
Between July 2007 and February 2009, 13,000 people visited ANGLICARE’s seven emergency relief (ER) centres across Sydney and the Illawarra. Data collected reflects that the agency is increasingly dealing with more complex cases of hardship that are stretching services to capacity.
ANGLICARE Sydney CEO Peter Kell says that while it is vital to meet the immediate needs of families and individuals in crisis, a more comprehensive case management model is required to address the root causes of deprivation and exclusion.
“The only way to break the cycle is to provide opportunities. We need to be able to work with people to develop financial and living skills, help them to build social connection and meet needs in the areas of grief and relationship counselling”.
The report, Social Exclusion: The Sydney Experience, also highlights the types of people most at risk of poverty and deprivation.
“The research indicates a number of key factors that contribute to the risk of poverty and deprivation”, says Mr Kell.
“Single parents, those living alone, those living in public or private rental accommodation, those who are dependent on welfare payments and those from Indigenous communities are all over-represented in the data.
“As winter is now upon us our particular concern is for 108 families with children who came to us who are living in boarding houses, motels, caravans, squats and cars and for a further 13 families with children who are living on the streets – and these are just the families we know about.”
Mr Kell also says the report reflects entrenched disadvantage among Indigenous communities.
“We are seeing continuing and unremitting hardship for Indigenous people living in urban communities. There is still a great deal that needs to be done”.
Interestingly, the data analysed in the report appears to indicate that the Federal Government’s stimulus package last Christmas did have an impact on those seeking ANGLICARE services with a reduction in visits during the month of December at five ER centres compared with the previous December.
The data however does not indicate a direct increase in the demand for assistance as a result of the global financial crisis.
“Our researchers have noted a steeper percentage rise in people having to be turned away in the three months to February this year compared to last year”, says Mr Kell.
“However, we will undertake an additional study when more data is available so we can more truly understand the impact of the global financial crisis”.
