Community Services
The need for Community Services has never been more evident than in the past year, with the increased cost of living, lack of affordable housing and COVID-19 placing additional pressure on those we support. We are seeing people with increasingly complex needs present to our services, along with others who are reaching out for support for the first time.
Our teams have done a remarkable job responding to this need, while navigating the challenges of the current environment we find ourselves living and working in. They have done incredibly well to maintain service delivery and to continue to put the needs of those we support front and centre at all times.
Highlights
Vaccinating the vulnerable
During the peak of COVID-19, we ran the Vaccinating the Isolated and Vulnerable program to increase vaccination uptake among groups in our community experiencing lower vaccination rates. The program, funded by Wellbeing SA in partnership with the Department of Health and Wellbeing, helped address barriers to vaccination for targeted groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, people who do not speak English, people aged 18 to 24, those experiencing unemployment and people living with mental health challenges.
Escaping Violence Payment
We joined with other UnitingCare network organisations across Australia to deliver the Escaping Violence Payment pilot program from October. The program provides financial assistance and wrap-around support to help people leave a violent partner and establish sustainable independence and safety. The program is being funded by the Commonwealth Government as part of its $1.1 billion commitment in the 2021-22 Federal Budget to help end violence against women and children.
Loneliness Cure
Taperoo Community Centre was named the winner of Community Centres SA’s The Loneliness Cure Award, as part of the 2021 SA Community Achievement Awards in November. The award recognises the incredible impact of the centre’s poetry group, which uses poetry and performance to help participants develop literacy skills, build confidence and forge friendships.
Economic empowerment
We received funding from Grants SA to develop the Women’s Economic Empowerment project, which helps women overcome barriers to education, employment and community participation. Through a combination of one-on-one meetings, group sessions, training, online resources and collaborative community activities, participants work towards developing skills and confidence to achieve their goals.
Homelessness Alliance
We launched the Adelaide North West Homelessness Alliance in July, working with seven other providers across the region to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
In our first year operating as an Alliance, our shared expertise and collaborative approach helped to improve service delivery, access pathways and outcomes for those we support.
NDIS expansion
Our NDIS Service underwent a restructure this year to enable us to continue to grow to meet the increasing demand for disability supports in metropolitan and regional areas. Our NDIS team expanded to include the provision of Recovery Coach and School Leaver Employment Supports. Our metropolitan workers relocated to the George Martin Centre in Alberton, providing an ideal base for the further development of our NDIS service offering.
Mental health recovery
Ritchie receives mental health support through our GP Access program and credits his support worker as fundamental to his improved health and wellbeing.
“At one stage I was rough sleeping, spending nights under the bridge or camping out on the beach. John has helped me so much and I’m now very confident compared to when I met him. I used to stutter so often and I didn’t have very good self-esteem. Now I feel like I can conquer the world.”
Employment pathways
Yang is among the participants of our Moving Forward program in Whyalla, an employability skills program helping people gain real-life skills, confidence and pathways to employment.
“I was feeling very low and I had low self-esteem. Being connected was very important to me. (Since participating in the program) I look forward to joining the community to share happiness and joy with people.”
