Election call: fund community services, understand what is needed

Ahead of the October election, the ACT Council of Social Service is releasing a series of briefs on issues of importance for the upcoming poll.

The first to be released on Wednesday, focuses on support for the community services sector, which includes child care, aged care, disability services and others.

ACTCOSS says the changing demographics of Canberra means an incoming government needs to commit not only to understand the demographics of the city, but how those changes have impacted on demand for services.

The organisation's chief executive, Emma Campbell, said it wasn't enough just to understand the elderly population might be increasing.

"Where do those people live? Are the services they need there?"

"Are the services that they are currently funding appropriate to meet the new demographics, are the childcare centres in the right place?"

Proper funding for new strategies like the Carers Strategy and legislation to protect vulnerable people was also needed, ACTCOSS said.

"The ACT's community service organisations provide support to people when they need it most - when they're facing homelessness, escaping domestic violence or dealing with mental health struggles," Dr Campbell said.

"Basic funding for community services has remained static despite rising demand and rising costs. The sector also desperately needs capital investments in fit-for-purpose facilities with accessible infrastructure and critical ICT to ensure staff and consumers are safe and supported."

Dr Campbell said despite the affluence of much of Canberra, community services and issues ACTCOSS would be raising over the next few months would be important as people considered their votes.

"At one stage of our life we will need to rely on community services sector or a member of our family will need to rely on the community services sector, while it may not be today, it might be in the future. That's why it's an important thing Canberrans should consider when they vote on election day," Dr Campbell said.

ACTCOSS is also calling on the next ACT government to conduct a full cost analysis to accurately assess the cost of delivering community services, including the cost of the equal remuneration order, increasing costs and increasing regulation.

Procurement, commissioning and contract management between the ACT government and community services organisations should also be revitalised, ACTCOSS says, but the sector should be included in what that looks like.

"A plethora of research shows that thin markets and highly complex consumers mean that transactional and market-led approaches to procuring community services may not yield good outcomes," Dr Campbell said.

There should also be funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led policies and services, the issues paper says.

"In the 2019-20 ACT budget, 12 out of 15 new initiatives to meet the needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders were criminal justice or care and protection system-related," the paper says.

"We welcome those initiatives but need more investment in community-controlled health, housing and education activities and support for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture."