Disclaimer
This page is a prototype for demonstration purposes only
Policy
Transforming social services
Align policy and practice to enable people and communities to thrive. Manage social services over longer-term funding cycles.
- Establish a clear purpose for the social services system
- Align services to the Measuring What Matters National Wellbeing Framework
- Embed essential elements for effective service delivery into design and funding
- Governments, philanthropy and providers work together to establish sustainable demonstration sites
Message: “Social services systems are too confusing and focused on compliance with complex rules. We will simplify systems and ensure services meet people’s needs.“
Background
The existing problem
Every year, governments spend around 200 billion dollars helping Australians to find jobs or homes, supporting the elderly to live independently, providing disability services, helping refugees settle, assisting families to give young children a good start in life and supporting First Nations families and communities. Some of these government services are primarily the Commonwealth’s responsibility, others fall to the states and territories. At both levels of government, services are usually delivered through contracted agreements with not-for-profit agencies and private companies.
Despite the significant investment, this collection of services and payments fails too many people. While government services play an essential role in helping people to get back on their feet when they fall, many supports only become available when people are already in
crisis. People find the system confusing, cumbersome and more focused on making them comply with complex rules than meeting their needs.
Ideally, government services would be easy to understand and simple to navigate. But progress towards that aim has stalled, and in some ways, we are going backwards.
Six crucial drivers of reform
- A shared purpose backed by long-term investment;
- Grounding relationships in trust and transparency;
- Sharing and devolving power;
- Coordinated and cooperative approaches;
- Flexibility and adaptability; and
- Learning and knowledge sharing
References
This policy was developed after consideration of evidence from a number of publications from trusted sources. A summary of source material and a link to source documents can be found here.