TwitterFacebookYouTubeRSS

Do you work in disability, drug treatment or mental health services? Join HACSU. We're the only specialist union for your sector.

Make sure you have a copy of your workplace agreement and familiarise yourself with your rights and conditions.

Join us on Facebook!

Austin Health contracts out recovery oriented service

Posted on by Posted in Mental Health 4 Comments

A new community care unit (CCU) in Heidelberg, labelled by Austin Health as a Community Recovery Program (CRP) will be staffed by contracted non-government PDRSS staff with only one RPN3 rostered per shift.

Austin Health is seeking a 2/3 cut in core clinically trained staff to be replaced by non-qualified and unregulated support staff. It has become evident that Austin Health do not believe that Austin Health staff are able to provide care under the recovery model and have to contract out this function. Continue reading →

DHS accommodation fee increase for residents

Posted on by Posted in DHS, Disability

Last week’s State Budget by the Napthine Government included funding of $107 million over four years for 720 new individual support packages (ISP) for people with high support needs.  Unfortunately part of the funding for these extra ISPs will be from increasing the board and lodging fees for DHS managed disability accommodation to be inline with NGO sector disability accommodation. Continue reading →

Napthine Government kick off contracting-out of disability services with Sandhurst closure

Posted on by Posted in DHS, Disability

The State Liberal Government has kicked off its contracting out of services agenda with the announcement of the closure of Sandhurst Centre, with new community services to be contracted out to external providers.

It remains unclear if the government’s intention is to move service provision into the NGO community sector or into the private for profit sector. Either way HACSU does not support the contracting out of DHS disability direct care that will lead to reduced pay, conditions and staffing ratios. Continue reading →