The Strategy of Social Policy in Australia - Case Study Example

Introduction Social policies have become an issue of concern among stakeholders in Australia. Various policies have therefore been put in place in Australia that deal with issues of social inclusion, families and households, poverty, community, social problems and population. Other social policies deal with religion, gender and sexuality, cultural diversity, welfare, immigration and refugees among others. All these are aimed at enhancing the social welfare of Australian citizens. There are diverse community based organisations in Australia that handle social aspects of people in the nation. (Jamrozik, 2009) This paper therefore deals with mecwacare-a community based organisation in Australia. It illustrates and discusses one of the policies within mecwacare organisation. The paper clearly shows the key components of the policy and the government responses to the policy. There is further analysis of the impact of the policy to the organisation and the client group. This paper also addresses the legal and ethical issues. Finally recommendations are drawn showing what needs to be done to improve the policy. (Chenoweth, 2005) Overview of organisation and policy Mecwacare community based organisation was started in the year 1959 in Victoria, Australia. It is imperative to note that this organisation is non profit making in nature. Its initial goal was to care for the elderly in the community. Currently, this community based organisation deals with diverse services such as residential services, community services, disability services, home nursing and care services and op shops. The home nursing and care services specifically deal with care and support of people across all age groups. Community services include podiatry, activity groups and strength training. This includes those with dementia and disabilities. The vision of mecwacare organisation is overall maximisation of quality of life of people in Victoria. Its mission is to support the elderly through provision of quality services and care. Mecwacare organisation has a homelessness policy for the aged in the community. This policy is geared towards ensuring that the elderly in the community are provided for comfortable residential places where they can stay. (Department of Human Services, 2009) Discussion of policy Homelessness policy in Mecwacare organisation was put in place to take care of the elderly people in the community. This policy stipulates that the organisation’s resources are geared towards providing shelter to the elderly in the community. A thorough analysis of this policy shows that it was specifically put in place because of the aged. This is considering the fact that most of the elderly people can no longer fend for themselves. This means that majority lack income that they can use to pay for rent in order to have accommodation. (Lewis, 2010) This results in a situation where they go through a lot of suffering in terms of accommodation. In fact, majority of them stay in shacks or places where it is hard to access essential amenities. Some of the places do not have clean water and this makes sanitation a big challenge. Majority of these places do not have well maintained sanitary facilities. This makes the group of people to suffer many communicable diseases. Some of them stay temporarily with friends and relatives. This policy was thus put in place to ensure that resources in the organisation are geared towards the aged can having secure and safe accommodation. (Chenoweth, 2005) Key components of policy and government responses This policy has various components. This includes the stages of implementation of the policy. One of the components is the age of the homeless person. The policy requires the homeless person to be above fifty five years. This also includes the fact that the person to be given accommodation should not be having close relatives that can support him or her. This includes children and siblings. (Lewis, 2010) The policy’s other components involves identification of homeless person, verification of individual’s details and finally incorporation into the organisation’s residential program. The assessment of individuals is carried out by Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). (Lewis, 2010) Other key components include the amount of resources that the organisation sets per year in implementing the policy. This includes material, financial and time resources set in implementation of the homelessness policy. This also includes the number of homeless people that need to be given accommodation in a year. The Australian government has responded to this policy in diverse ways. This is through participation in consultative structures and forums that help in examining the problem of homelessness in the community. The Australian government has also responded through co-working with organisational stakeholders to ensure needy people are reached. This also includes ensuring that resources to facilitate implementation of homeless policy in the organisation and community at large. (Chenoweth, 2005) The policy affected the government’s response by putting in place social and housing policies that are associated with homelessness. Government stakeholders have advocated for more funding from government. This has also resulted in the government being involved in implementation of state environmental planning policy number ten that deals with low cost in rental premises. The government has responded by putting in place strategies of more affordable housing for Australian citizens. It has also developed policies that need its staffs to refer and inform homeless people about support services in their community. The White Paper was put in place by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to reduce homelessness by half by the year 2020. In this case the government responded by offering to support all the rough sleepers by providing accommodation. The Australian government acknowledged that there are approximately one hundred and five thousand homeless people in the nation. The government’s other response has been putting in place strategies to prevent homelessness in the nation. This also includes strategies of breaking the homelessness cycle. This also includes overall expansion of services that can help end homelessness among affected people. (Jamrozik, 2009) Analysis impact of policy to chosen organisation and client group An overall analysis of the policy shows that it has various effects to the organisation and the client group. This policy has made the organisation to gunner its resources towards implementing the goal. This policy has given the organisation favour and good relations with the community. (Lewis, 2010) People highly embrace its activities as they feel the policy is really helpful to the homeless in the community. This policy has made the organisation to receive awards from Christian, governmental and non-governmental bodies. This includes awards from Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), ACCV state awards for excellence, business women’s awards and Victorian finalist awards. This is in consideration of its work in ensuring that the elderly homeless people are adequately sheltered. This policy has also impacted on the client group in diverse ways. The homeless elderly have benefited by getting secure accommodation from the community based organisation. Apart from shelter, the client group has been able to get good healthcare and recreational facilities at mecwacare residential houses. (Chenoweth, 2005) This policy has resulted in low mortality rates among the clients using the service. This is considering the fact that the clients are well taken care of are less stressed and therefore do not suffer from stress related ailments like hypertension. Furthermore the aged people are able to get clean water, good sanitation and electricity. This helps them stay free from communicable diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera among others. Through these services the clients have 24 hour access to dietitians, medical practitioners, nurses and physiotherapists. These services therefore improve the quality of life of the client group. (Jamrozik, 2009) Recommendation It is highly recommended that improvements to the policy be made. This includes expounding on the policy to include the marginalized in the society and youths who fall in primary homelessness category. The organisation also needs to be involved in ways of preventing the problem of homelessness among the aged and other people in the Australian nation. This is through link up with the government and other institutions that deal with the issue of homelessness therein. This also includes putting in place strategies to reduce domestic violence and early pregnancies among teenagers. It is essential that plans be put in place that can help even the elderly in income generating activities. This also includes educating the public on the need to save and invest while still in their productive years. This can help to minimise the problem of homelessness in the nation. It is also essential that the policy looks at the legal and ethical aspects of providing the service. It is recommended that the organisation makes plans of expanding its homeless program such that it can handle more homeless people. This is considering the current situation of homelessness that has become quite prevalent in the nation. (Jamrozik, 2009) Legal and ethical issues After an analysis of the homelessness policy in mecwacare organisation, it is essential that various legal and ethical issues be out into consideration. It is quite imperative that issues of confidentiality on information of clients be dealt with care. This is by ensuring that information of aged people is not disclosed to other people. This is more so on the information that pertains to client’s backgrounds. All the homeless individuals need to be given equal chance without any favouritism by the staffs handling the process. The truth has to be given to the homeless aged people before they are incorporated in the program. This is considering the fact that some of the elderly clients have suffered different kinds of abuse before joining mecwacare. Legal aspects also need to be fully adhered to. This includes getting the attorney’s power, getting nominees and issues of writing wills among other things are fully adhered to. This includes writing a living will. This legal document gives doctors and other healthcare practitioners the directive on how to handle the aged person in situations where the individual can no longer speak out his or her healthcare desires. (Chenoweth, 2005) Conclusion Mecwacare is an Australian community based organisation that was started in 1959. It has a homelessness policy that is specifically tailored for the aged in the society. It is centered at providing residential facilities for the aged. In this case they are able to access healthcare services on twenty four hour basis. This policy has given hope to many homeless aged people by offering quality services. This has reduced their mortality rate. It has impacted the organisation to get various awards from governmental and non-governmental organisations. There is however the need to improve the policy such that it incorporates all age groups found in the primary homelessness category. Ethical aspects like confidentiality and telling clients the truth have to be considered. Legal issues like attorney’s power, getting nominees and issues of writing wills among other things are fully adhered to. It is recommended that strategies of preventing homelessness have to be put in full gear in the organisation. Read More

Majority of these places do not have well maintained sanitary facilities. This makes the group of people to suffer many communicable diseases. Some of them stay temporarily with friends and relatives. This policy was thus put in place to ensure that resources in the organisation are geared towards the aged can having secure and safe accommodation. (Chenoweth, 2005) Key components of policy and government responses This policy has various components. This includes the stages of implementation of the policy.

One of the components is the age of the homeless person. The policy requires the homeless person to be above fifty five years. This also includes the fact that the person to be given accommodation should not be having close relatives that can support him or her. This includes children and siblings. (Lewis, 2010) The policy’s other components involves identification of homeless person, verification of individual’s details and finally incorporation into the organisation’s residential program.

The assessment of individuals is carried out by Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT). (Lewis, 2010) Other key components include the amount of resources that the organisation sets per year in implementing the policy. This includes material, financial and time resources set in implementation of the homelessness policy. This also includes the number of homeless people that need to be given accommodation in a year. The Australian government has responded to this policy in diverse ways. This is through participation in consultative structures and forums that help in examining the problem of homelessness in the community.

The Australian government has also responded through co-working with organisational stakeholders to ensure needy people are reached. This also includes ensuring that resources to facilitate implementation of homeless policy in the organisation and community at large. (Chenoweth, 2005) The policy affected the government’s response by putting in place social and housing policies that are associated with homelessness. Government stakeholders have advocated for more funding from government. This has also resulted in the government being involved in implementation of state environmental planning policy number ten that deals with low cost in rental premises.

The government has responded by putting in place strategies of more affordable housing for Australian citizens. It has also developed policies that need its staffs to refer and inform homeless people about support services in their community. The White Paper was put in place by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to reduce homelessness by half by the year 2020. In this case the government responded by offering to support all the rough sleepers by providing accommodation. The Australian government acknowledged that there are approximately one hundred and five thousand homeless people in the nation.

The government’s other response has been putting in place strategies to prevent homelessness in the nation. This also includes strategies of breaking the homelessness cycle. This also includes overall expansion of services that can help end homelessness among affected people. (Jamrozik, 2009) Analysis impact of policy to chosen organisation and client group An overall analysis of the policy shows that it has various effects to the organisation and the client group. This policy has made the organisation to gunner its resources towards implementing the goal.

This policy has given the organisation favour and good relations with the community. (Lewis, 2010) People highly embrace its activities as they feel the policy is really helpful to the homeless in the community. This policy has made the organisation to receive awards from Christian, governmental and non-governmental bodies. This includes awards from Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA), ACCV state awards for excellence, business women’s awards and Victorian finalist awards. This is in consideration of its work in ensuring that the elderly homeless people are adequately sheltered.

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