South Australia’s City of Burnside recently received the Aged and Community Service Australia (ACSA) 2006 Award for Excellence in Community Care from entrants across Australia. Burnside’s commitment to providing quality home based care for its older residents was judged the best in Australia. It is the first Local Government in Australia to win this award in its own right.
The award was announced in September at the 2006 ACSA National Conference in Queensland which attracted 1,000 delegates, and presented to Roberto Bria, Burnside’s General Manager Corporate and Community Services.
ACSA represents about 1,200 church, charitable and community based organisations providing housing, supported accommodation and community care services to around half a million older Australians, people with a disability and their carers. This represents about two thirds of Australia’s $6 billion aged and community care industry.
The City of Burnside provides a diverse range of home and community care programs that include:
- in home support – for activities such as shopping, laundry, meals and minor home maintenance
- interim care packages – providing assistance for clients with low level needs that are on a waiting list for long term, Federally funded aged care packages
- social support programs – providing social interaction opportunities through activities such as cooking and woodworking classes, lunch program, bus trips and community information sessions
- the 3Rs Program (Respite, Recreation and Revitalisation) – an activity based program that aims to assist participants to reconnect to their community through the provision of activities, outings and social interaction; help maintain the cognitive skills of those with memory loss; and provide carers with respite
- community transport – provision of community bus services.
A number of Burnside’s programs are also run on a regional basis and are provided in collaboration with a range of government and non government organisations.
“To be recognised as being the best in Australia is a great reflection on the work done by this Council and staff to provide quality programs that are responsive and appropriate to the needs of our community,” said John Hanlon, Chief Executive Officer at the City of Burnside. “By 2020 we estimate over 25 per cent of our City’s population will be aged over 65, so having quality aged care programs today gives us the confidence that we are building a solid foundation for the future.”
Joan Hughes, award judge and Chief Executive Officer of Carers Australia, said the City of Burnside’s award recognised an excellent application of very client centred, effective programs and were an excellent example of a range of innovative programs.
In 2006 the City of Burnside’s Aged Care Program underwent a Home and Community Care (HACC) National Service Standards audit, conducted by representatives from this Federally funded agency. It achieved a score of 20/20. This is the first time that a South Australian Council has won this award. The only other time a Council has been successful was in 1999 when the City of Booroondara (Vic) was part of a joint submission.
For further information contact Roberto Bria at the City of Burnside on 0438 404 894.
