❓ Hon. Alison Xamon questions the Minister for Community Services regarding the impact of COVID-19 on homelessness services and the government's response. The Minister outlines risk assessments, task force establishment, and inter-agency collaboration.
AnsweredQoN 261Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
HOMELESSNESS SERVICES
261. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to reports that homelessness
services are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(1) What work has
the government done, or does it intend to do, to ensure that its understanding
of frontline service delivery is up to date and will accurately predict future
need?
(2) What action
is the government taking to ensure that services are able to meet current and
predicted need and have adequate resources to ensure that staff and people
using services are able to maintain hygiene standards in accordance with the
COVID-19 recommendations?
(3) Have any
homelessness services been reduced or closed due to challenges presented by the
pandemic?
HOMELESSNESS SERVICES
261. Hon ALISON XAMON to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Community Services:
I refer to reports that homelessness
services are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(1) What work has
the government done, or does it intend to do, to ensure that its understanding
of frontline service delivery is up to date and will accurately predict future
need?
(2) What action
is the government taking to ensure that services are able to meet current and
predicted need and have adequate resources to ensure that staff and people
using services are able to maintain hygiene standards in accordance with the
COVID-19 recommendations?
(3) Have any
homelessness services been reduced or closed due to challenges presented by the
pandemic?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The Department of Communities is currently
undertaking a risk assessment to identify the potential impact of
COVID-19 on services and the users of those services, and is establishing a task
force to consider the immediate risks facing the sector and to develop and
oversee a suite of practical responses.
Communities is also working with
other government agencies, including the Department of Health, the Department
of Finance and the� Department of the Premier and Cabinet and with community
sector organisations such as the Western Australian Council of Social Service,
to ensure there is a coordinated response to the impact of COVID-19 on
services. Communities will also respond on a case-by-case basis to specific
issues that impact on individual service providers as they are identified,
including where these concerns are raised by the service providers.
(3) Communities
is aware that several services have changed their service models in response to
COVID-19. For example, although not reducing service provision, meals and day
centres have staggered access to their services to restrict the number of
people who access their services at any one time. Some housing support services
are limiting face-to-face contact and utilising phone and other contact
methodologies. Communities is aware of one
youth accommodation service that has reduced capacity from six young people to four young people as a result of staff shortages due to three staff having
to self-isolate. The service was not currently operating at capacity and no
young people have been impacted.
some notice of the question.
(1)–(2) The Department of Communities is currently
undertaking a risk assessment to identify the potential impact of
COVID-19 on services and the users of those services, and is establishing a task
force to consider the immediate risks facing the sector and to develop and
oversee a suite of practical responses.
Communities is also working with
other government agencies, including the Department of Health, the Department
of Finance and the� Department of the Premier and Cabinet and with community
sector organisations such as the Western Australian Council of Social Service,
to ensure there is a coordinated response to the impact of COVID-19 on
services. Communities will also respond on a case-by-case basis to specific
issues that impact on individual service providers as they are identified,
including where these concerns are raised by the service providers.
(3) Communities
is aware that several services have changed their service models in response to
COVID-19. For example, although not reducing service provision, meals and day
centres have staggered access to their services to restrict the number of
people who access their services at any one time. Some housing support services
are limiting face-to-face contact and utilising phone and other contact
methodologies. Communities is aware of one
youth accommodation service that has reduced capacity from six young people to four young people as a result of staff shortages due to three staff having
to self-isolate. The service was not currently operating at capacity and no
young people have been impacted.
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