Fitzgerald foreshadows new era in community services
August 9, 2011
The community services sector is entering a new era in which clients will be much more influential in decisions affecting their lives, says Australian Productivity Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald.
Speaking at the Queensland Council of Social Service conference in Brisbane this morning (Tuesday, August 9), Commissioner Fitzgerald will discuss how reforms to aged care, disability, early childhood and even higher education are premised on client empowerment.
“Community service agencies must respond to this new era. It will mean new ways of doing business for many agencies, but it will also facilitate great opportunities,” he says. “The ability of the sector to remain relevant to the needs of Australians will be dependent on its ability to embrace a more client-focused agenda in which clients have greater and real choice in the services they want and who they want to provide them.”
Commissioner Fitzgerald will outline a future in which the sector needs to become more influential through high quality collaborative research, policy development and evaluation. “The sector needs to act less like contract deliverers if it wishes to remain truly relevant. It must assert its relevance in shaping the future social, economic and environmental policies to enhance overall community wellbeing – with special regard to the wellbeing and welfare of those most vulnerable in society,” he says.
“The sector must forge new, constructive links with business, government and the community in shaping the emerging agendas. Services within the sector have unique experience and insights they can bring to the table.”
QCOSS Director Mark Henley says this year’s conference is all about the future role of community services, particularly in relation to creating a fair society for all Queenslanders and in building resilient communities.
“Today Robert and our other plenary presenter Myles McGregor Lowndes (The Director of the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies) will show us the road ahead and how to capitalise on our strengths. Now it will be up to us as a sector to recognise the changing needs of our clients and ensure we are part of shaping a better future for disadvantaged Queenslanders,” he says.
The two-day conference from August 8 to 9 is at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Mark Henley 0448 075 087, Karyn Walsh 0413 619 785
Mark Jeffery 0419 732 583, Ian Wynne 0414 643 122
Jenny Whitworth 0417 779 819
