At the Local Government Managers Australia Congress in Perth in May,
Local Government Focus invited delegates to nominate individuals or
teams from their councils who have made a significant contribution to
their council and local community.
Councillor Janet Davidson OAM JP, Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Perth, Western Australia
Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Perth, Councillor Janet Davidson OAM JP, was nominated as a LG Focus High Achiever by Councillor Elizabeth Re from the City of Stirling, for her commitment to improving women’s role in and relationship with government and her work encouraging women into local government as both councillors and staff.
Councillor Janet Davidson is a businesswoman, consultant and executive officer to The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (WA). She holds an MA in Management from the University of Western Australia, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).
Cr Davidson has been involved in numerous boards and committees, including being a member of the Perth Theatre Trust Board and the Australia Day Council. She is on the WA Steering Group for Women on Boards, the State Library Western Australia Foundation, and the 2013 Australia Day Management Committee. Cr Davidson is also national Vice President to the National Council of Women of Australia (NCWA) and an executive member of the National Council of Women of Western Australia (NCWWA).
Cr Davidson was originally inspired to stand for council and make a difference in her community when she was running a private consulting business in the centre of Perth. Other small business operators and clients consistently commented on the state of the footpaths, how late the rubbish was removed from the streets, and the poor visual amenity of the neighborhood in which they worked in each day.
Cr Davidson has now been a councillor for the City of Perth since 1998. She served as Deputy Lord Mayor in 2009 and was re-elected to the role, unopposed, in 2011. During the 14 years Cr Davidson has been involved in local government she has been a strong advocate for the role of women in senior positions in local government and in promoting elected members.
She is on the national board of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association (ALGWA) and was national Vice President for seven years. She was also Vice President and President of ALGWA (WA) and is currently their Treasurer.
Cr Davidson has worked tirelessly to encourage and support women in local government, and to represent her community as a councillor. This commitment was recognised on the 13th June 2011 when she was awarded an OAM for her service to local government and to women in Australia.
The Community Services Team, City of Subiaco, Western Australia
The City of Subiaco prides itself on its vibrant, unique village feel and tight-knit community. It is also well known for its variety of entertainment, food and shopping options – and, let’s not forget, the footy!
As part of a great community, the City of Subiaco’s Community Services branch assists seniors, frail aged, adults with disabilities and carers to enhance their wellbeing, quality of life and experience of ageing.
The City does this by providing in-home services, community meals, centre-based activities, a Men’s Shed program and a large range of other programs, activities and events for residents to enjoy. The City receives part funding for its programs from Home and Community Care (HACC) and it currently provides services to over 320 clients.
The City has been providing in-home services to the community for over sixteen years. Services provided include personal care, domestic assistance, in-home respite, meal preparation, social support, minor home maintenance and transport.
Traditionally, the City brokered these services to external community care agencies that employed the support workers required to deliver services.
After fifteen years of delivering services in this way, the City concluded that, while this method was sufficient, it did not provide holistic care outcomes for valued clients, and that the City’s sustainability could be compromised within this model of care into the future.
The best way forward for the City, in this case, is reflected in its vision, which states: ‘The City faces the challenges of the future with strong leadership, an innovative approach and an emphasis on community values and choices. Sustainability, in all its forms, is at the core of the community and underpins the City’s operations.’
In mid-2011 the City resolved to take over the delivery of in-home services for all of its community clients. The main reason for planning this change was to enhance the delivery of in-home services and to clearly maximise its sustainability into the future.
At this time, the City began to make plans for recruitment of its own support worker team. This was a somewhat challenging process, as it involved ceasing brokered services with more than seven community care providers, educating the community of the City’s intentions, and preparing to recruit suitable, qualified and experienced support workers to join the team.
It was decided that the city would cease brokered services by December 2012. Thanks to the efficient and dedicated work of the in-home services team – which includes Manager Community Services Karen Quigley, Coordinator Service Delivery Alison Meighan and Team Leaders Helen Brokas, Belinda Forrest and Penny Price – the City was able to take full ownership of their service delivery by early April 2012, eight months ahead of schedule.
Karen Quigley says that, “The in-home services team embraced the idea to dedicate our time and resources to bringing back the ownership of services to the City, and ahead of schedule.
“The team consists of vastly experienced and customer-focused individuals who saw the real need for further enhancing the quality care being provided by the city.
“It is a joy to work with such a dedicated group of professionals, who have added a page of history to the city’s service delivery model,” says Karen.
The City of Subiaco is delighted that, since April 2012, clients have noticed the benefits of the change, including now having only one point of contact for all in-home service queries, as well as improved quality control over service delivery. There are fifteen support workers employed by the City and the numbers are growing, as service delivery has also increased by 15 percent over the past 12 months.
The Community Services Team at the City of Subiaco is very proud of what it has accomplished and encourages other local government bodies who may be thinking of a similar transition into the future to contact Karen Quigley for advice or further information.
