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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-06-24 Daily Xml
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BUILDING FAMILY OPPORTUNITIES

Mr PICCOLO (Light) (14:53): Can the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education inform the house about what the government is doing to break the cycle of intergenerational unemployment and to help families get back to work?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his question. This morning, the state government announced that 400 jobless families in Port Adelaide Enfield, Playford and Port Augusta will be given the opportunity to break the cycle of intergenerational joblessness under a $9.6 million social inclusion initiative that begins this month. Building Family Opportunities aims to reduce long-term unemployment through intensive support, not just for individuals but for the entire family. It aims to address the many issues that can often keep people from gaining and, importantly, maintaining employment. I am glad to say that three non-government organisations will deliver the program in three local government areas.

The initiative will be delivered in three regions where considerable levels of social and economic disadvantage are experienced: in the local government areas of Port Adelaide Enfield, by Uniting Care Wesley; in Playford, by Centacare Catholic Family Services; and in Port Augusta, by Uniting Care Wesley. Intensive support will be provided to a minimum of 400 long-term jobless families over a period of 18 months. The program will provide support and services to 202 families at any one time, with 102 families supported in Playford, 66 in Port Adelaide Enfield and 34 in Port Augusta. All of the Building Family Opportunities programs will focus on providing intensive support to families in their own homes as the principal mechanism to then gain and keep a job. A minimum of 40 per cent will be single-parent families and 30 per cent will be Aboriginal families.

I thank the Commissioner for Social Inclusion, Monsignor Cappo, for his involvement in the Building Family Opportunities program, which is the first of its kind in Australia. I agree with the monsignor that this program is a new approach that puts families experiencing entrenched disadvantage at the centre of service delivery. For instance, someone who has been out of work for a long time might have caring responsibilities, limited education, no work experience or poor health. These issues add up and make it very difficult to find and maintain employment. This program aims to help families deal with all these issues.

I believe that meaningful employment offers people the best chance of living decent lives with improved health, reduced dependence on social and emergency services, and less likelihood of contact with the criminal justice system. The program is to be led by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology and also partnered with growing or emerging employment sectors to provide opportunities for job seekers. With intensive family-based support that addresses complex needs people will receive the support, encouragement and motivation that they need to get back into training and to get into employment.

The three non-government groups to deliver the program are the Centacare Catholic Family Services program at Playford, which will involve a team of seven case managers, two of whom are Aboriginal, and a registered nurse who will concentrate on addressing family needs and overcoming barriers to education and employment participation. The Uniting Care Wesley Port Adelaide-Enfield program will address the wellbeing, training and employment needs of each family through a multi-agency response. Case managers will ensure there is maximum integration of the family with services relevant to their particular needs and with the broader Port Adelaide-Enfield community. And the Uniting Care Wesley Port Augusta case management team will recognise the importance of family wellbeing to create an environment which supports people into long-term and sustainable jobs.

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