Council has made the decision to cease delivery of direct care aged and disability support services from 1 July 2022.
Support services that Council will cease include domestic assistance, personal care and respite care.
From 1 July 2022, these services will be delivered by other providers and no client will be left without a service.
Council will continue to support existing clients to understand the choices available and to transition service arrangements when required. Impacted clients will be contacted by Council well in advance of any changes to services.
The decision to withdraw from these services has been made due to significant reforms in the aged and disability sectors by the Australian Government. The reforms involve major changes to the way home support programs are funded, planned and delivered to increase the number of service providers, providing more choice and flexibility for consumers, which limits Councils ability to continue to deliver quality aged and disability services.
Council currently subsidises aged and disability services by approximately $1.8 million per annum. It is now understood that Council will not be able to compete effectively or viably in the changing marketplace, and that these aged support services are better suited to operate independent from Local Government.
The decision impacts approximately 50 Council staff members, each to receive relevant redundancies and leave entitlements. The decision now provides clients, staff, volunteers and the community with a level of certainty to enable people to make informed decisions about their future and access to services.
Other aged and disability services will continue to operate as usual, including Meals on Wheels, property maintenance, social support groups, carer support, community transport, senior citizen club support and volunteer programs. These services are subject to further review and trial of options to optimise service sustainability in a competitive market.
Council’s decision to withdraw from these services mirrors that of other Councils in Victoria and Gippsland who are going through or have gone through a similar review process.
