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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2016-06-22 Daily Xml
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Motions

Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia Inc.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. J.S. Lee:

That this council—

1. Congratulates the Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia Inc. for celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2016;

2. Acknowledges the work and commitment of the committee, staff and volunteers of Chinese Welfare Services for delivering important services to its members and the broader Chinese community of South Australia; and

3. Recognises the importance of their contributions in developing tailored programs and strategic partnerships that are socially inclusive and beneficial to members of the diverse Chinese community residing in South Australia.

(Continued from 8 June 2016)

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (17:41): I rise to support this motion. Recently, I visited the Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia and I met with Vivien Shae, the president of the organisation, to see and further understand the operation. Established in 1991, the aim of this non-profit organisation is to advocate on behalf of the Chinese community in South Australia. They provide assistance to new migrants of Chinese descent and offer a range of services to the elderly and fragile.

Since its establishment, the Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia has expanded significantly, offering a range of services to the Chinese community. They now offer Chinese classes to English speaking children, basic English classes for migrants new to South Australia, and a range of home-support services to the elderly. Many of these services are made possible because of dedicated volunteers. With only two full-time workers, they rely heavily on the work provided by nearly 80 volunteers on their team. These volunteers assist Chinese Welfare Services with a range of services, such as help with transportation of their clients, cooking meals for events, administrative work and also teachers for language classes they conduct.

One of the largest services the association offers is in-home support. The service provides elderly clients with assistance in their homes to undertake everyday tasks and it also provides respite care for carers. This service caters for up to 200 clients and is achieved through a number of brokerages with organisations such as care support, ACH, UnitingCare Wesley Brompton and Helping Hand, to name a few. These brokerages provide Chinese Welfare Services with resources and qualified volunteers to run this vital service.

As well as in-home support services, Chinese Welfare Services South Australia offers persons over the age of 65 centre-based care, centre-based care funded by the department for families and communities, and offers a range of activities aimed at increasing balance and coordination of clients, as well as various information services, such as basic computer skills. These activities offer social support for the elderly within the Chinese community, particularly to those who may be at risk of isolation. It also provides an opportunity for clients to stay connected with their families and receive news and information from their home towns.

Another service the association provides is a community visiting service, where volunteers visit older clients, and their carers, in their own homes. This provides an important social support and keeps clients connected with their community. The Chinese Welfare Association is one of very few organisations in Adelaide to assist the Chinese community. Because of this, the Chinese Welfare Association is incredibly important. There are many diverse cultures and languages within China. The Chinese Welfare Services encourages acceptance of this diversity amongst its clientele.

As Chinese Welfare Services are connecting with people from different age groups and many different areas in China, this is a challenge that the association faces as it is important for them to understand the differences throughout Chinese culture. This may be in things such as language and dialect, traditions, and food and cuisine. Through this they are able to offer services to people from many different areas in China and teach their clientele about the differences within the Chinese culture, which is quite diverse.

The number of Chinese persons accessing the services offered by Chinese Welfare Services has increased over time. As an example, the tax help program has increased to 48 participants, the aged-care facility visit program has almost doubled to 40 participants, and their carer retreat has increased from 38 carers in 2014 to over 46 in 2015.

Chinese Welfare Services will be celebrating their 25th year of service to the South Australian Chinese community this year. They plan to continue and expand their work within South Australia and to continue to advocate and support the Chinese community. I commend Chinese Welfare Services of South Australia for the important work they undertake within the Chinese community in South Australia.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins.

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