North Metropolitan Area Profile Consultation Document - Accessible

Profile—North Metropolitan area

Consultation Document

Area profile for comment
January 2013

8 │Area profile for comment January 2013 (last updated 10/12/2012)

Profile—North Metropolitan area

Consultation document

The Disability Services Commission’s (DSC) vision is that all people live in welcoming communities that facilitate citizenship, friendship, mutual support and a fair go for everyone. To achieve this, Western Australia requires a responsive disability service sector to support people with disability, their families and carers to access more opportunities in the community.

To meet this goal, the Commission in partnership with key stakeholders is creating a Sector Development Plan. Its purpose is:

· to provide further direction and targeted developmental opportunities across WA

· to ensure the disability services sector continues to evolve to meet the needs, goals and preferences of people with disability.

Fifteen profile area documents have been created to cover all areas across WA. They combine existing information to create a picture of supports and services that make up the disability sector in each area. It provides a base of information to be validated or challenged by stakeholders.

Feedback will add to our understanding of each area and how well supports and services match people’s needs. The consultation process will identify strengths and gaps in supports provided to people with disability in each area.

Guiding strategic documents

· Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (United Nations 2006)

· Count Me In: Disability Future Directions (DSC 2009)

· Delivering Community Services in Partnership Policy (Department of Premier and Cabinet 2011)

· Disability Care and Support Reports (Productivity Commission 2011)

· Disability Services Commission Strategic Plan 2011–2015
(DSC 2011)

· National Disability Agreement (Commonwealth of Australia 2011)

· National Disability Strategy (Commonwealth of Australia 2009)

The plan will be developed in three phases:

Phase one

· Describing existing supports and services

· 15 profile area consultation documents

· State-wide overview

Phase two

· Seeking local feedback

· Identifying strengths and gaps

Phase three

· Planning and identifying opportunities to improve the sector

· Developing solutions to address gaps

Have your say

We are seeking feedback from interested stakeholders and have developed a list of questions covering a number of topics for your consideration. A feedback form template has also been provided which may assist you in consolidating your comments. Should you wish to use the template provided you can either complete it electronically or print it and hand write your comments.

Forms can be returned to the Commission by email or post.

· email the template to

· post the template to:

Disability Services Commission

Sector Development Plan Feedback

PO Box 441

WEST PERTH WA 6872

The template has been supplied as a helpful tool but it is not compulsory that you use it or answer every question to provide your feedback. Any general comments can be provided to the Commission via email or post using the details above, or they can be provided verbally or by attending a focus group.

To provide feedback another way you can:

· provide verbal feedback by phoning Sector Development on 9426 9309

· attend a focus group that will be hosted in local areas (these will be advertised on the www.dsc.wa.gov.au web site).

The closing date for feedback will be advertised on the www.dsc.wa.gov.au web site.
If you have any questions or require further assistance, please email or phone 9426 9309.

Note about information and data

All efforts have been taken to ensure that the data contained in these profiles is as accurate and contemporary as possible. Specific data limitations are listed throughout the profiles and in Appendix B and users are encouraged to interpret the information with caution.

Location

The north metropolitan area profile covers about 784 square kilometres (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012b) and includes two local government authorities (LGAs): the Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo. The region stretches from Warwick and Koondoola in the south to Two Rocks in the north and from Yanchep in the west to Gnangara in the east. Of the two LGAs, the City of Wanneroo covers the largest expanse of land covering about 87 per cent of the total area (ABS 2012b).

Demographics

According to the 2011 Census (ABS 2012b), there is an estimated 304,783 people living in the region with the population evenly split between the Cities of Joondalup and Wanneroo. This represents about 13.61 per cent of the West Australian population.

A further breakdown of the 2011 Census (ABS 2012b) population figures follows:

· In the north metropolitan area there is an estimated total population of 304,483.

· In the City of Joondalup the estimated population is 152,406.

· In the City of Wanneroo the estimated population is 152,077.

The age distribution across the population in the north metropolitan area is similar to that across Western Australia.

According to the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC) 2009, Small area estimates, an estimated 3,298 (2.2%) of the private dwelling population have a severe or profound core activity limitation (ABS 2012c). In reality most areas do not deviate hugely from 3.1% because the numbers are so small.

Figures from the SDAC are produced from samples which are then generalised to the population—the numbers are referred to as estimates and are to be used as a guide only. Core activities are tasks related to self-care, mobility and communication. People with severe and profound limitations sometimes or always need help and supervision with a core activity, or have difficulty understanding or being understood by family and friends (ABS 2012b) (see Appendix B).

Population characteristics

· About 39 per cent of the population in this area was born overseas, which is significantly more than the WA average of 31 per cent (ABS 2012b).

· 13.76 per cent of the north metropolitan population speaks a language other than English at home (ABS 2012b). In Joondalup, it is 9.83 per cent and in Wanneroo the figure is 17.7 per cent—both these figures are below the WA average of 21 per cent.

· People who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the 2011 Census
represent 1.05 per cent of the population in the north metropolitan area (ABS 2012b). This is significantly lower than all of WA, where the figure is three per cent.

· For the LGAs in this profile area, nearly seven per cent of the population provided unpaid assistance to a person with disability (ABS 2012b). This is slightly lower than the percentage recorded for the State (ABS 2012b).

The median total household weekly incomes across the north metropolitan area are slightly higher than the State figure of $1,415 (ABS 2012b). Residents in each LGA recorded the following median total household incomes:

· The median household income in the City of Joondalup is $1,780.

· The median household income in the City of Wanneroo is $1,514.

The median weekly rent and housing prices for three bedroom houses in the north metropolitan area are similar to the Perth metropolitan median weekly rental cost of $385 and housing price of $470,000. According to the Real Estate Institute of WA (REIWA 2012) suburbs in the area recorded the following rental costs and housing prices:

· Banksia Grove, which is located in the City of Wanneroo, has a median weekly rent of $370 and a median house price of $373,500.

· Duncraig, which is located in the City of Joondalup, has a median weekly rent of $400 and a median house price of $620,000.

· Joondalup, which is located in the City of Joondalup, has a median weekly rent of $380 and a median house price of $470,000.

· Ocean Reef, which is located in the City of Joondalup, has a median weekly rent of $400 and a median house price of $700,000.

· Quinns Rocks, which is located in the City of Wanneroo, has a median weekly rent of $350 and a median house price of $460,000.

· Wanneroo,which is located in the City of Wanneroo, has a median weekly rent of $350 and a median house price of $395,000.

There are many other sources of information that could be considered with this area profile document. Information about health services, local government services and education services will enhance the context in which disability sector development is considered. For example, Regional Development Australia (RDA) has developed a Regional Plan for Perth which can be accessed via rda.gov.au/my-rda/wa.

Tell us what you think

1. What other information would you like to add about the north metropolitan area that is not already contained in the profile?

People, families, supports and services

This section describes supports and services people with disability, families and carers accessed in the north metropolitan profile area in 2011−2012. It includes information about networks and support groups, Commission-funded and provided services and other community services available.

Networks and support groups

People with disability, their families and carers often get practical and moral support from their wider family, friends, neighbours and other families of people with disability. This support is important.

Informal and structured community groups also play a valuable role in supporting and strengthening individuals and families. People and families are often involved within their community in church groups, sports and recreation activities, community networks, mothers’ groups, playgroups, self-help and peer support programs, disability-specific support groups, cultural groups and education and counselling services.

People can access information about local support groups through other community members, the Commission’s Local Area Coordination (LAC) or through information services provided by Commonwealth Respite and Carelink Centres (CRCC), Carers WA or local government authorities (LGAs).

A sample of groups and organisations providing support in the area includes (Support Groups Association WA 2012):

Duncraig Information and Care Centre: Provides a caring, compassionate service to members of the community, listening carefully to their problems and providing information and referral.
Address: 29 Wandoo Road, Duncraig, WA, 6023.

ISHAR Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health: Provides services to help women deal with problems or worries, stay healthy, build self-confidence and meet women from other countries. A female GP, clinical and therapeutic services, counselling, carer support and skills development, multilingual information available.
Open Monday to Friday from 9am–4pm.

Contact: 9345 5335 Web: www.ishar.org.au

Mercey Family Care: Provides community based activities, group meetings, courses and programs. Other services include information and advocacy, training seminars and other professional services. Open Monday to Friday between 8.30am–4.30pm.

Contact: 9342 4181

Parent Focus: A support group for parents whose children have Cerebral Palsy, providing information, education services, library resources and group meetings, as well as friendship and support. Please phone for meeting details.

Contact: 0413 538 542 Web: www.cp-fg.org

Patricia Giles Counselling Service for Women: Offers counselling and therapeutic groups for women in the Northern Suburbs who have experienced/are experiencing domestic violence.

Postal address: PO Box 25, Joondalup, WA, 6027.

WA Special Families: is a state wide Facebook support group. It is accessed by invite-only and the people able to access it must be a parent of or someone caring for, a person with disability.

Women’s Healthworks (WHW): Works to empower women, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their health and well-being. Provides information, education, support and social groups, including women only walking groups, craft groups, the laughter club, and counseling.

Contact: 9300 1566 Web: www.womenshealthworks.org.au

Tell us what you think

2. What other disability or community support groups are available and active in this area?

3. What other informal community support groups would the area benefit from?

People using Commission-funded and provided services

This section describes people with disability and their families who live in the north metropolitan area and used Commission-funded and provided supports and services in 2011−2012. It reflects how the Commission defines, organises and funds services at present. It does not provide detail about how well these services are working.

Local information and support for individuals and families

Local Area Coordination (LAC)

Many people with disability and their families access the Commission’s LAC support. LAC works at an individual and community level to support people with disability, their families and carers to participate, contribute and belong in their local communities. It assists people with disability and their families’ access supports and services designed to help them exercise choices in their daily lives. This approach helps to foster independence and the development of skills and abilities that enables them to participate in their community and to pursue a good life.

LAC works directly with individuals and families to provide support that is personalised, flexible and responsive. The cornerstone of the LAC role is building and maintaining effective working relationships that help support individuals and families to pursue their goals and meet their needs. LAC provides local support to children and adults with physical, sensory, neurological, cognitive and/or intellectual disability who are under 65 at the time they first apply for support.

In 2011–2012, 1,181 people in the north metropolitan area were registered with LAC according to the Annual Client and Service Data Collection (ACDC) (Disability Services Commission 2012). Of these people:

· More than 60 per cent were aged between five and 19 (this is consistent with the high numbers of young people registered with LAC across WA).

· Most lived in Joondalup (609), followed by Wanneroo (572).

Directing supports and services—shared management

Most people with an individualised funding allocation from the Commission have their support managed and provided by a prequalified disability sector organisation. Some people with Community Living or Family Living manage their funding allocation through an agreement with their LAC.

Disability service organisations are encouraged to offer shared management which enables individuals and/or families to have directive control over matters related to their supports and funding. Some people have their funding allocation transferred to them by the organisation and they manage the use of these funds and acquittal in accordance with the shared management agreement.