100 signatures reached
To: Colac Otway Shire Council Mayor, Councillors and CEO
Save Colac Otway Shire Council Community Care Services!
Council has just decided to review Community Services provided by Colac Otway Shire Council. Council currently provides critical, quality aged and disability care in the home for residents.
We demand that Council maintain its existing home care services, including Older Persons and Active Support Services, following the Best Value Review of community care services.
We believe that the workers and existing services provide the best quality aged care for our elderly community members, and evidence shows that privatisation is not a good outcome for the community. Research and experience have shown that when aged care services are privatised, there is a significant risk of reduced service quality, increased costs, and decreased access to care for vulnerable community members.
We acknowledge that Council does need to understand the impact of the Commonwealth Government’s Aged Care Reform program and the implications and opportunities for it as a provider of community care services. However, Council must prioritise the needs of our elderly community members and their families, and ensure that they continue to receive the care they require and deserve from Council, who is a trusted and experienced provider.
We call on Council to commit to maintaining its existing home care services.
Why is this important?
Council-run in-home aged care and NDIS services provide a lifeline for our vulnerable elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors, enabling them to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. The importance of retaining a sense of independence cannot be overstated, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining one's mental and emotional wellbeing. The highly trained council workers who deliver this vital community service are second to none, and their permanent jobs and livable wages ensure that clients receive the continuity of care they deserve.
Victoria's local government has a proud history of leading the country in delivering quality in-home services, and this must be maintained. Privatising this service would have disastrous consequences, including reduced provision, lower quality, and consistency of care for clients, as well as displacement of workers from secure and well-paid jobs within our local community.
In addition, vulnerable clients may be forced to allow potentially untrained providers into their homes, leaving them significantly vulnerable to abuse. There would be a loss of holistic assessment of client needs and coordinated or escalated service delivery, which may result in inadequate care for those in need. Furthermore, integrated services would suffer due to a lack of participation of private providers in local partnerships, networks, and alliances.
We cannot allow our elderly community members to suffer due to a lack of funding or support. We must demand that Council maintains its existing home care services, which are critical to ensuring the wellbeing of our most vulnerable community members.
How it will be delivered
This petition will be tabled at a future Council meeting.