The

Complexity of

Poverty – One

agency’s

response…

Key Responses to Complex Poverty

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

ER Database• 2005: very little data.

•2007 a new data system

goes live

•2009 first tranche of

reporting

ER Database: What did

we find• People most at risk of needing ER – being female (63%), Indigenous (11%); relatively

young at 25-49 years (56%); living alone (42%) or sole parents (31%); and living in

public or private rental accommodation (70%).

•Low income– 60% of clients received an income of less than $600 per fortnight.

Almost all households were receiving some sort of benefit – 95%.

•Most households presented with more than one issue – indicating complexity of need

– across the 13,000 clients there were more than 60,000 reasons for presenting.

These issues included accommodation (13% were homeless), financial debt, physical

and mental health, family and relationship breakdown and issues with children.

•There was evidence of spatial poverty – across 113 postcodes 31% derived from just

four postcodes – Campbelltown, Mt Druitt, Wollongong and Liverpool.

ER Database: What was the

impact?• Engagement with government

•a platform for further research in the area and gave ANGLICARE a credible

voice in the public sphere and the advocacy space.

•partially responsible for the release of new funding for ER during the GFC.

•the ER workers themselves became the greatest advocates for data collection

– once they saw the leverage it gave both internally and externally.

•This data collection is ongoing - source for research in relation to particular

people groups, ER longitudinal trends, EAPA and issues around housing and

Newstart. It is regularly interrogated by the research team for advocacy and

policy purposes.

Key Responses to Complex Poverty

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

Research based

advocacy• 2002: dedicated policy unit

•2003 use of social exclusion

theory

•2009/10 reports on ER

•2012 food insecurity research

Food Insecurity: Research and

advocacy• Three out of four of all respondents (76%) were

severely food insecure.

•Between one-third and a half of respondents

experienced food insecurity almost every week or

even more frequently during the previous 3

months.

•a third of the sample (31%), who were considered

severely food insecure almost every week.

Food Insecurity: Research and

advocacy• There was anxiety about running out of food

(83%) in a context where three out of four adults

(76%) had run out of food in the last three

months and could not afford to buy more.

•The majority of adults (73%) had cut the size of

their meals or skipped meals (62%).

• 61% of adults had experienced hunger and one

in three adults (37%) did not eat for a whole day.

Food Insecurity: Children

• Almost 80% of children living in food insecure households experienced

some form of food insecurity themselves – even though adults went to

significant lengths to protect their children from the worst effects of

hunger and food deprivation.

•More than one in three children (36%) were severely food insecure and,

for 8% of children, this was a once a week occurrence.

•Adults (83%) spoke of relying on low cost food to feed their children and

78% were concerned that children did not get sufficient variety of foods.

• In some households the size of children’s’ meals were being cut (46%),

children were forced to skip meals (24%) or in the worst case children

did not eat for a whole day (10%). For 7% of households this was a

regular occurrence – weekly or some weeks.

The school wants to

know why the kids

are hungry...It’s

embarrassing. My

kids have no shoes.

He’s come home with

black eyes 'cos he's

the poor kid.

...kids embarrassed, different to other kids.

the kids would

drive me up the

wall 'cos they're

starving!.

Sometimes my daughter will come home from school and want to have her friends over but I can't feed them snacks

Food Insecurity: Coping

• Most adults with children go hungry in order to protect

their children

•Of the 272 adults who completed the child HFSSM questions

for their household, only four respondents (1.5%) revealed

that children in their household were experiencing more

severe food insecurity than adults. The majority of

respondents living with children (55.1%) were living in

households where children fell into a less severe food

insecurity category than the adults.

• Just under half (43.4%) of respondents were living in

households where children and adults fell into the same food

insecurity severity

Not to be able

to feed your

kids is

unforgiveable

I don’t worry if I don’t eat – I

just worry if the kids don’t eat.

If your kids have

got food,

you’re OK.

I buy a little bit of food every day so I know the baby has something to eat that day.

Food Insecurity: Other

interesting facts The research also indicated households most at risk of food insecurity were:

Households on low income (67% on incomes of less than $500 per week)

Disability Support Pension (41%

Newstart (31%)

Not being in paid work (77%)

Renting (78%)

Single parent (31%)

Indigenous (17%)

Nine out of ten households indicated that an unexpected event had pitched them

into financial crisis in the last three months – related to bigger than expected

utility bills, white goods breaking down, a family funeral, return to school

expenses for the children and medical expenses.

 Apart from low income other factors also played a role in food insecurity including

not having access to a fridge (10%), not having access to an oven or microwave

(13%) or not having power connected – 8%.

 

Food Insecurity: What’s it like...violent.

feral. Become unaware of

other people around you

...gets me

cranky, I can

really spit the

dummy,

you just want to go to sleep and never wake up. You’re just living to survive

it's quite depressing and humiliating and makes you feel like you fail at the most

basic of needs

... Feel

sick... just

drinking tea

and water

...I can get moody and tired. Sick in the stomach. Light headed

...worry

me guts

out

Research – its Impact

•Awareness of the issue by

parliament

•Credible advocacy

•Informing the sector

•Basis for further research and

advocacy

Key Responses to Complex Poverty

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

Case Management•Wollongong 2010

•Move from crisis management to

case management

•Sustainable Living model

•28 clients, 12 month pilot

•Enhanced independence, well

being, resilience and connection

Key Responses to Complex Poverty

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

Capacity Building•launched in 2010.

•an adult community education program which offers groups

and seminars teaching basic living skills, employment and

social skills.

•Since 2010 54 groups and seminars have been run, with an

average of 11 students enrolled in each group or seminar.

•The basic premise of the program is that people experiencing

financial hardship can have a number of issues mitigated

through education, early intervention, increased knowledge

base and increased access to community and service networks.

Capacity BuildingShort term goals – nearly all survey participants

involved in groups finished their involvement with a

strong sense of personal and emotional wellbeing.

Most had built new social connections during their

time on the program, with nearly two-thirds having

built a friendship with someone they thought they

could turn to in times of crisis. Many also had learnt

new life skills such as budgeting and cooking.

Longer term the program seeks to build resilience,

independence and pathways into education and

employment.

Key Responses to Complex Poverty

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

Integrated Service

deliveryOld Model

•Multiple entry points

•Multiple intake and assessment

•Overworked ER staff and

volunteers

•Feeling like band aid solutions

Integrated Service

deliveryNew model

•Single entry point

•Five services : ER, NILS, FSP, Step

Up, Financial Counselling

•Intensive case management

•Focus on families with children

•New systems and processes

Integrated Service

delivery

Integrated Service

deliveryImpacts

•Improved staff well being,

reduced stress and anxiety

•More streamlined service

dleivery

•Better longer term sustainable

outcomes for families

Sustainable L:iving

3. Case

Management

2. Research1. Data

4. Capacity

Building5. Integrated Service

Delivery

Questions?