Australian Social Inclusion Agenda

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Australian Social Inclusion Agenda

• All Australians should have the opportunity to
• secure a job
• access services
• connect with others
• deal with personal crisis
• have their voice heard

• Patricia Faulkner AO
• Chair, Australian Social Inclusion Board
• Presentation to ACOSS

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Australian Social Inclusion Agenda

• Early Government Priorities
• Jobless families with children
• Children at risk of long term disadvantage
• Locational disadvantage
• Addressing homelessness
• Employment for people living with a disability
  or mental illness
• Closing the gap for Indigenous Australians

• Specific processes
• Homelessness White Paper
• Closing the Gap
• National Mental Health Disability Employment
  Strategy

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Australian Social Inclusion Agenda
Minister for Social Inclusion
Australian Social Inclusion Board
Governance arrangements
Social Inclusion Unit, Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet
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The Boards role and priorities

• Boards role
• Advice and information to improve social
  inclusion outcomes
• Consult widely and provide views on various
  aspects of social inclusion
• Report annually on progress
• Advice on specific matters referred by
  the Minister for Social Inclusion

• Boards early priorities
• Locational disadvantage
• Children at risk of disadvantage
• Jobless Families with children

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Economic Downturn
Australias economic growth is forecast to
deteriorate
Actual and Forecast Growth in Real Gross Domestic
Product, Australia, 2000-01 2009-10
Sources ABS cat. 5204.0, Australias System of
National Accounts Updated Economic and Fiscal
Outlook, February 2009.
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Economic Downturn
This will lead many more Australians to
experience unemployment, with workforce
participation also declining
Actual and Forecast Unemployment Rate, Australia,
2000-01 2009-10
Sources ABS cat. 6202.0, Labour Force Updated
Economic and Fiscal Outlook, February 2009.
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Locational Disadvantage
Prioritised access to mainstream services
Glue to make place-based approaches work

• Tailoring to physical and social circumstances
• Building on community strengths
• Examples of best practice
• Standards for infrastructure

Initiatives in priority locations
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Locational Disadvantage
Consider multiple disadvantages and overlapping
problems
Methodology for selection of priority locations
Consideration of scale -large versus small
locations
Working with state and local government
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Locational Disadvantage
Consider multiple disadvantages and overlapping
problems
Methodology for selection of priority locations
Consideration of scale -large versus small
locations
Working with state and local government
New focus identifying neighbourhoods at risk
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Children at Risk of Disadvantage
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Jobless Families with Children
Percentage of working-age households with
children without an employed parent - OECD
countries 2000
Source UNICEF, Child Poverty in Perspective An
overview of child well-being in rich countries
(2007) ABS, 6260.0 Labour Force Projections,
1999-2016 (1999) ABS, 6202.0.55.001, Labour
Force, Australia, Spreadsheets Jan 2008
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Jobless Families with Children
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Jobless Families with Children
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Communicating Social Inclusion

• Respect and empathy for vulnerable groups
• Positive identity in diverse communities
• Respect and dignity in service provision
• Awareness and understanding of social inclusion

Engaging the Community Messages and Values
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Measuring Social Inclusion
Compendium of headline indicators

• Targeting policy and information
• Understanding what works
• Maintaining commitment and engagement

Measuringprogress on Social Inclusion
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Measuring Social Inclusion
Index for Social Inclusion?

• Targeting policy and information
• Understanding what works
• Maintaining commitment and engagement

Measuringprogress on Social Inclusion
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Looking forward

• Next focus
• Emerging priorities
• Continue to promote inclusive approaches
• Balance needs of newly disadvantaged without
  losing sight of deeply disadvantaged

Advice provided on early priorities
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Partnerships and integration
Individuals and Families
Communities and Business
Governments