Read the full annual report - Queensland Council of Social Service

Coalition ensuring
Indigenous access
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Coalition launched a
major initiative in 2011 to break down the barriers that prevent many Indigenous
Australians accessing human services such as health, housing, education and
employment, legal services and early childhood development services.
Access All Areas was launched on April 12 with a goal to increase awareness
of services, alter community perceptions and work with service providers to
ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are treated appropriately and
with respect when they use the services. Eight ambassadors were appointed to
represent the campaign and they attended four community events between May
and June. Work also began on ‘Kooka Books’ – online and printed directories of
services.
Senator Mark Furner (second from right) and Coalition
Executive Director Garth Morgan with Access All
Areas ambassadors Jody Currie, Roberta Monoghan
and Karen Dorante.
The Access All Areas website began, as did plans for Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn accounts and digital and physical art competitions to raise awareness.
In 2011-12 the project will extend from its South East Queensland beginnings to
include Townsville, Cairns and Mt Isa.
In a related project the Coalition is working with UnitingCare Community
(Queensland) on the issue of culturally appropriate service delivery for its Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander staff and clients. While the Coalition believes communitycontrolled
services are usually best placed to provide services to Indigenous people,
it recognises the universal services system has a key role in closing the gap.
The Coalition is hoping to embed the experiences of the UnitingCare Community
project in a change management framework that could be applied to other settings.
Better pathways out of homelessness
In the Brisbane suburbs of West End, South Brisbane and Fortitude Valley, the
Coalition mapped client pathways to community services for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples experiencing homelessness. The insights, patterns of service
utilisation and gaps found will inform the Inner Brisbane City Project, which will
develop and implement a service delivery model to better address the needs of
homeless people and those in danger of becoming homeless. It will integrate a
range of services from housing, health, justice and substance misuse to enable
service providers to jointly manage and assess interventions for clients.
Local disaster networks
In response to the summer of disasters the Coalition began establishing a
local disaster response network of coordinators to act as points of contact to
improve information flows among Indigenous peak bodies, service providers and
governments in the event of disasters.
Contribution to policy
The Coalition continued to contribute to federal and state policy on Indigenous
service delivery through position papers and consultations and it is strategically
positioned to influence policy through representation on committees.
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Annual Report 2010-11