❓ Mr Punch asks about the Bunbury HUGS service centre's support for those facing financial hardship and employment opportunities. The Minister responds positively, highlighting the centre's role in connecting people with support services and creating jobs through partnerships with job network providers.
AnsweredQoN 835Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HARDSHIP UTILITY GRANT
SCHEME — BUNBURY SERVICE CENTRE
835. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting those who are facing financial
hardship in our community.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the new hardship utility grant scheme service
centre in Bunbury will ensure a greater level of support for those applying for
HUGS?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the service centre will provide more employment
opportunities, particularly for those who have faced barriers to finding work?
SCHEME — BUNBURY SERVICE CENTRE
835. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to supporting those who are facing financial
hardship in our community.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how the new hardship utility grant scheme service
centre in Bunbury will ensure a greater level of support for those applying for
HUGS?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how the service centre will provide more employment
opportunities, particularly for those who have faced barriers to finding work?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am very happy to answer this question. I would particularly like to thank the
member for Bunbury for the skillset that he
brings to his role. He has a good understanding of the complex social issues
that one of our regional centres is facing, but he also has some
economic nous and understands that jobs and a good economy are the foundations
of a good community as well. He is doing an excellent job. I thank him for
representing me on Friday at the opening of the HUGS service centre in Bunbury.
It will be operated by Anglicare on behalf of the Financial Counselling
Network. It is the second service centre that we have opened. The other one is
in Armadale.
We have put particular attention into
not only making sure that the financial hardship fund has enough resources, but also that those funds go to the
people who really need them. I was particularly concerned by the
previous government—not only when it cut funding to financial
counselling, which was a staggering decision to blithely cut funding in the
metropolitan area to financial counselling, and, of course, it had to do a quick
retreat from that position, but also when it decoupled financial counselling
from HUGS grants. Under the previous arrangements, people had to get financial
counselling —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : People had
to get financial counselling to make sure that they were given proper
assistance.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : Not being
able to pay utilities is obviously not good, but it is a sign —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : Could you be
quiet, member for Darling Range? You might actually learn something about
people who are experiencing hardship.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.F. McGURK : In fact,
we have learnt from the HUGS service centre in Armadale that 89 per cent of
applicants who had contact with that centre were able to be referred to
other support services such as more broad financial counselling, mental health practitioners, Foodbank emergency relief, and
parenting and family support—89 per cent! People clearly have
issues that they need other assistance with and those service centres are a fantastic
opportunity to link them with other services. We are not only putting
significant money into HUGS—nearly $7.5 million in 2018–19—but
also making sure that people have the proper expertise and assistance to get
the support they need.
There is another bonus, which I know
the member for Bunbury is well aware of. Anglicare WA, in staffing this HUGS
service centre in the member's electorate, partnered with job network
providers in Bunbury. It asked for applicants and made sure that those
applicants had appropriate values and attitudes, a willingness and capacity to
learn new skills, and, importantly, had empathy and respect for clients who
make contact with the centre. As a result of the selection process, 12
candidates from the job provider network are now successfully undertaking a two-week
induction and will then undertake a training program to work in the HUGS
service centre. That is a fantastic outcome. We have good employment because we
tapped into the job network provider and gave people secure employment. This is
light-years away from the attitude we saw from the previous government and,
frankly, still see from the opposition benches, with their understanding of
disadvantage in our community.
It is complex. It requires empathy,
it requires compassion and it requires a sophisticated response —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : —
if we are going to really overcome hardship for those people. I thank the
member for Bunbury for his support of that centre in particular.
am very happy to answer this question. I would particularly like to thank the
member for Bunbury for the skillset that he
brings to his role. He has a good understanding of the complex social issues
that one of our regional centres is facing, but he also has some
economic nous and understands that jobs and a good economy are the foundations
of a good community as well. He is doing an excellent job. I thank him for
representing me on Friday at the opening of the HUGS service centre in Bunbury.
It will be operated by Anglicare on behalf of the Financial Counselling
Network. It is the second service centre that we have opened. The other one is
in Armadale.
We have put particular attention into
not only making sure that the financial hardship fund has enough resources, but also that those funds go to the
people who really need them. I was particularly concerned by the
previous government—not only when it cut funding to financial
counselling, which was a staggering decision to blithely cut funding in the
metropolitan area to financial counselling, and, of course, it had to do a quick
retreat from that position, but also when it decoupled financial counselling
from HUGS grants. Under the previous arrangements, people had to get financial
counselling —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : People had
to get financial counselling to make sure that they were given proper
assistance.
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : Not being
able to pay utilities is obviously not good, but it is a sign —
Mrs A.K. Hayden interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Darling Range, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.F. McGURK : Could you be
quiet, member for Darling Range? You might actually learn something about
people who are experiencing hardship.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.F. McGURK : In fact,
we have learnt from the HUGS service centre in Armadale that 89 per cent of
applicants who had contact with that centre were able to be referred to
other support services such as more broad financial counselling, mental health practitioners, Foodbank emergency relief, and
parenting and family support—89 per cent! People clearly have
issues that they need other assistance with and those service centres are a fantastic
opportunity to link them with other services. We are not only putting
significant money into HUGS—nearly $7.5 million in 2018–19—but
also making sure that people have the proper expertise and assistance to get
the support they need.
There is another bonus, which I know
the member for Bunbury is well aware of. Anglicare WA, in staffing this HUGS
service centre in the member's electorate, partnered with job network
providers in Bunbury. It asked for applicants and made sure that those
applicants had appropriate values and attitudes, a willingness and capacity to
learn new skills, and, importantly, had empathy and respect for clients who
make contact with the centre. As a result of the selection process, 12
candidates from the job provider network are now successfully undertaking a two-week
induction and will then undertake a training program to work in the HUGS
service centre. That is a fantastic outcome. We have good employment because we
tapped into the job network provider and gave people secure employment. This is
light-years away from the attitude we saw from the previous government and,
frankly, still see from the opposition benches, with their understanding of
disadvantage in our community.
It is complex. It requires empathy,
it requires compassion and it requires a sophisticated response —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! Member
for Darling Range!
Ms S.F. McGURK : —
if we are going to really overcome hardship for those people. I thank the
member for Bunbury for his support of that centre in particular.
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