05 January 2005

RWPP Human Services Implementation Working Group (HSIWG) – Expressions of Interest due Friday, 21 January 2005

Just before Christmas the RWPP posted on their website a call for Expressions of Interest from people wishing to be involved on the committee which will have primary responsibility for drawing up the Redfern-Waterloo Human Services Plan (2005-2006), that will be presented for approval to the NSW Government. Working Groups will be established on youth services, family and children’s services, health and services for aboriginal people.

Application Forms for both people involved in Non Government Organisations as well as Services Users & Community Representatives are available on the RWPP website at the following link: Call for Expressions of Interest (PDF / 96kb). Given the holiday season there is little time for organisations and interested people to put names forward before the 21st January deadline.

The HSIWG is the first step in the implementation of the recommendations from the Morgan Disney Human Services Review. Below we have reproduced some background information from the RWPP Expression of interest document so those who may not be interested in applying will have an idea of what is proposed.

Expressions of Interest (EOI) are invited from people interested in participating on the Human Services Implementation Working Group (HSIWG) for RedfernWaterloo. This EOI was developed in conjunction with the NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS).

The HSIWG will have primary responsibility for the development of the RedfernWaterloo Human Services Plan (2005-2006), for approval by the NSW Government.

Services users, community representatives and representatives of nongovernment organisations are invited to apply to participate on the HSIWG. Separate application forms are attached for service users/community representatives and for non-government representatives.

NCOSS will be on the HSIWG as well as NSW Government representatives, and representatives from the Commonwealth Government and the City of Sydney Council.

The initial task of the HSIWG will be to establish working groups to develop action plans in the following priority areas:

• youth services

• family and children's services (including domestic and family violence)

• health (particularly dual diagnosis, drug and alcohol, and mental health) and

• services for Aboriginal people.

The HSIWG will coordinate the development of the action plans, which will inform the development of the Redfern-Waterloo Human Services Plan (20052006). The HSIWG will also establish objectives to underpin the RedfernWaterloo human services system, and facilitate the implementation and evaluation of the Human Services Plan.”

Human Services Timetable for 2005

The following time table for the development of the Redfern-Waterloo Human Services Plan comes from the RWPP Expressions of Interest document and provides an indication of what should happen in the development of the Human Services Plan.

January 2005

The Human Services Implementation Working Group (HSIWG) will be established through an Expression of Interest process. The HSIWG will consist of representatives from government, non-government, services users and community members.

February 2005

The first meeting of the HSIWG will be convened Tuesday, 1 February 2005. The HSIWG will establish working groups in relation to:

• youth services

• services for Aboriginal people

• family and children services (including family and domestic violence)

• health (specifically dual diagnosis, drug and alcohol, mental health).

The RWPP will convene a community workshop to identify outcomes which can be achieved by the human services sector.

The RWPP will convene a workshop on integrated service delivery models and the possibilities for introducing such models in Redfern-Waterloo.

March 2005

The working groups will develop strategies in relation to their priority area. The HSIWG will streamline the strategies, eliminate duplication and develop the Human Services Plan (2005-2006).

April 2005

The HSIWG will consult with the community on the draft plan. Once complete, the HSIWG will present the Human Services Plan (2005-2006) to the NSW Government for approval.

May 2005

Consideration of the Human Services Plan (2005-2006) by the NSW Government.

June 2005

Public release of the Human Services Plan (2005-2006).

Some RWA Documents Delivered to Parliament

Community representatives have had their first opportunity to look over the documents delivered by the Government to NSW Parliament just before Christmas. Three boxes of documents are available to be publicly inspected and one box of privileged documents can only be read by members of parliament.

Inspection of the documents reveals that there are no documents which resemble the document seen by the SMH. Minister Sartor in a statement following the SMH article said “In fact, there is no final Redfern-Waterloo Plan, only working documents which outline a number of options”. The documents delivered to the NSW Parliament appear to contain none of the “working documents” referred to by the Minister. The material prepared after the RED consultations for the draft RED strategy also don’t appear to be included.

Presumably Cabinet in Confidence has been claimed on these documents which would lead one to conclude that the documents seen by the SMH may be a bit more than just “working documents”. The Minister needs to come clean with the Redfern and Waterloo communities and make available the “working documents” so that the community can see what options have been considered by the Government. Only then can the community have confidence that the decisions about Redfern Waterloo have not been pre-determined by an existing cabinet plan that Minister Sartor has been appointed to implement.

When REDWatch met with Minister Sartor one of the members of the delegation asked the Minister if he would release the draft documents so that the community had access to all the information. The Minister indicated he would consider the possibility but that he would not be able to do so before Christmas. With Christmas over and the “draft documents” not delivered to NSW Parliament, the time has come for Minister Sartor to seriously consider letting the community in on the details of the feasibility work already done by Government. Only then can the community and Government sit down as equal partners and put together a Redfern Waterloo Plan which will serve the community’s interests as well as the Government’s.