Geelong council has listened and responded to community anger and concern over its proposal to exit aged home care services.
In a confidential session at the end of the council’s Tuesday night meeting, councillors voted to continue providing in-home community care services to more than 3000 residents.
The proposed exit, announced at the beginning of April, was recommended to the council by City officers, causing approximately 300 aged care workers to fear for their jobs.
The announcement caused an immediate and passionate outcry from state and federal politicians, unions, aged care organisations and community members.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj said the decision was a win for clients of the service and the City’s aged care workers.
“This Council was voted in to listen to and advocate on behalf of the community we serve, and that’s what we’ve done,” Mayor Kontelj said.
“It’s important to note that there will be some changes to how the service operates. These will be determined by the requirements of the Commonwealth government, but our aspiration is for it to be consistent with the service they’ve come to know and love.”
Those changes will be as a result of federal government reform to the Aged Care Act, which will see the current Home Care Packages replaced by the new Support at Home program from July 1 this year.
According to a City statement, the reforms “will require a major shift to the way the service is managed and delivered”, including IT upgrades, health services integration and more stringent quality standards.
City of Greater Geelong chief executive Ali Wastie said the City would contact all clients individually.
“We will be taking this one step at a time, speaking to clients individually, and working with employees to explain exactly what’s changing for their service under these reforms,” Ms Wastie said.
“Our teams are standing by to help anyone who is still unsure about what this means for them.”
The Geelong Trades Hall Council (GTHC) was one detractor of the council’s proposal to drop aged care.
GTHC secretary and treasurer Anthony Anderson acknowledged the council’s decision this week, but voiced continuing concerns.
“The Geelong Trades Hall Council notes… the failure of council to declare if community care workers positions are safe and whether the new services are going to be kept at the same level of care or better,” Mr Anderson said.
“The Geelong Trades Hall Council calls on the City of Greater Geelong Council to convene a meeting with the Australian Services Union Vic/Tas branch officials and the union membership delegates to facilitate constructive discussion and relieve member fear of potential job losses.”
Mayor Kontelj said would continue to work and negotiate with the federal government “in good faith”, thanking Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Member for Corangamite Libby Coker “for their interest and support”.
