Glenelg Shire, Warrnambool City make aged care service decisions

Glenelg Shire Council withdrew home support and community-based services on September 30, 2023 and this week revealed it had set aside $922,648 in its budget to cover redundancy and leave payments for staff.

Warrnambool City Council will next month take another step in deciding whether to cut aged and disability services - something that could affect 44 staff.

To gauge public sentiment on the future of the services - which impact more than 1500 people - a focus group session will be held on Wednesday, November 8.

The future of council-run services has been up in the air since July when it appointed consultants to evaluate whether it should stay with the status quo, increase or reduce service levels or step away.

While councils have traditionally provided in-home services on behalf of the federal and state governments, proposed reforms have prompted many councils in rural and regional Victoria to withdraw from delivering help.

Corangamite Shire earlier this year decided to pull its in-home services impacting 500 clients.

Warrnambool council's chief executive officer Andrew Mason said there were councils, such as Wangaratta, that had actually opted to continue with aged care and disability services after the review.

Those councils that stepped away had transitioned people to other providers such as hospitals or health services.

"It's important for clients of services to be reassured that during the review there will be no disruption for clients, families or staff of council's aged and disability services, with all programs and services to operate as usual."

Warrnambool council has about 2200 service agreements each year across areas such as home care, personal care, property maintenance/modifications, social support, respite care and meals on wheels.

Mayor Ben Blain said so far the council had heard from a large number of people using the council's aged-care and disability services and was now keen to hear from other members of the community who had an interest in the future of council's aged and disability services.

"Council understands how important aged care and disability services are to the Warrnambool community," Cr Blain said.

"We need the review to be thorough, wide-ranging and the focus group will provide another consultation option for the community to be involved and heard."

The focus group will be conducted by consultants, Lake Advisory, which is undertaking the independent review which will also discuss barriers to living independently in the municipality.

The Warrnambool community focus group will run from 9am to 11am at the Lighthouse Theatre Studio but you should register by contacting 5559 4801 or communitycare@warrnambool.vic.gov.au by November 1.

In a report tabled at Glenelg Shire's meeting on October 24, 2023, community services director Jayne Miller said changes to the funding and operating environment would have resulted in the council being ill-equipped to continuing as a provider for the community.

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