united way summary

8/3/2019 United Way Summary

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Sydneyin your hands

A summary of the2009 Common CauseReportinto Sydneys key social issues

Creatinga trulyhealthy city


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When people of goodwillget together andtranscend their differences for the common good,peaceful and just solutions can be found for those

problems which seem most intractable.

Sydneyin your hands

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The future of our city is in your hands.

The social challenges of Sydney are too big for any of us to face alone. We needcollaborative action. In the words of Nelson Mandela:

When people of goodwill get together and transcend their differences for thecommon good, peaceful and just solutions can be found for those problems whichseem most intractable.

To create a city in which everyone has the opportunity for a good life today andtomorrow we first need a clear sense of Sydneys most pressing social issues. Thiscross-sector collaborative report provides that. It is intended to kick off a series ofdiscussions among community representatives, government, corporations and NGOsto identify the best ways for individuals and organisations to collaboratively invest theirresources (time, money and influence) into strategies that pay off by improving lives.

Under United Ways Community Impact model, the agreed interventions must havea track record of making a measurable difference. They must be able to draw on thecollective resources of the broader community, because we know that funding alonedoes not solve all problems. There must also be consensus on what indicators weseek to change for which group of people in which community. The outcomes ofthe consultations over this report will be summarised in the Common Good Strategyto be published in November 2009, which will guide United Way Sydneys work inthe future.

Let this report not be an end point but the first step in a renewed attempt to provideopportunities for a good life for all people in Sydney.

Sydney is a wonderful city, but it is notwonderful for everyone, everywhere,all the time. For some people, even thevery basic elements of a quality life education, income, health, a good placeto live, a sense of belonging, safety areout of reach. Unfortunately, the researchreported here confirms that whetherSydneysiders encounter the helping handsof support, friendship, acceptance andinclusion or whether they experience

barriers to accessing a good life, dependsto a large extent on where they live.Access to employment and services is

uneven with persistent concentrationsof disadvantage in certain areas andamong certain groups, such as IndigenousAustralians, people with disabilities,

people with mental illness, single parentfamilies, migrants and refugees.

Creatinga trulyhealthy cityThe future of

our city is inyourhands.

Most lives in Sydney are touched bydisadvantage in some way, whetherit is experienced directly or indirectlythrough family, friends, acquaintancesor work, or encountered as we movearound the city in daily life. But a trulyhealthy city is one in which the abilityto live well is widespread. In a healthycity, members of the community worktogether to spread the common good,whether by giving their time or resourcesor by seeking to influence decisionmakers through advocacy on behalf ofothers less fortunate. A truly healthy city

brings benefits to everyone in it, not leastbecause, as this report reminds, the pathto disadvantage can be mercilessly short.

Here we identify Six Pointers to a TrulyHealthy City Learning, Earning,Housing, Being Healthy, Belonging andBeing Safe under which we summarisethe issues confronting all Sydneysidersas we work to create opportunities for agood life for all.

6 pointersCommonCause

Doug TaylorCEO, United Way Sydney

Professor Peter ShergoldCEO, Centre for Social Impact


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Sydneyin your hands

A good education from the earliest years lays the best possible foundation for a full andsatisfying life. Research confirms that people with higher levels of education get moreinteresting, safer and better paid jobs and are, on the whole, healthier. Quality early childhoodeducation is proving crucial in offsetting disadvantage to put children on a path to better lives.Not only are children who attend pre-school more likely to complete high school, but thosewho complete high school are less likely to experience unemployment, welfare dependency,delinquency and crime.

Percentage of school leavingby year of schools, Sydney

ChallengesChildcare in Sydney is mainlyprovided by private for-profitbusinesses and the costs canbe very high. The outer suburbsof Sydney, particularly in theouter west, have the highestconcentrations of childrenunderfive, and also the highestconcentrations of low incomehouseholds. The retention ofstudents to Year 12 in the NSWschool system is much lower thanother states and has been falling.In a 2006 survey, over a third ofadult Australians showed literacy

and numeracy skills below the levelconsidered minimum to meet thedemands of a knowledge society.Indigenous students show worseeducation outcomes than non-Indigenous at every education levelacross several indicators.

Facts Of all school-leavers aged 15-19

in Sydney, 34.8 per cent were notfully engaged in either educationor employment (2006), comparedto a national rate of 28.4 per cent

In Sydney the average weekly costof child care is $247, comparedwith $233 nationally

More than half (57.6%)of Sydneys unemployedpeople have no qualificationsbeyond school.

ThinkHow can we ensure all childrenhave access to high quality,affordable child care?

How can we widen educationoptions and make them moreattractive for young people, so theywant to keep learning for longer?

How can we support adultswith poor literacy and numeracyto improve their skills?

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Learning

Source: calculated based on ABS (2008f).

1,611,481 57% Year 12 or equivalent

142,257 5% Year 11 or equivalent



181,395 6% Year 8 or below

45,795 2% Did not go to school

To givemy son the

beststart


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Family income is a central factor in shaping life opportunities. Access to a reliable andadequate income enables better access to health, education, housing and other services.Insufficient skills, difficulty in getting to places of work, poor English and inadequateliteracy and numeracy all hinder access to jobs, especially at times of economic downturnsuch as now. The current global financial crisis has also led to joblessness among peopletraditionally less affected, such as educated white collar workers. Having a job is associatedwith not only income but with self-worth and independence. Without sufficient income, peoplemust fall back on family, friends, charity or the government, potentially resulting in feelingsof disempowerment and low self esteem. Lack of income may also result from poor health,and may amplify further problems such as mental disorder, crime and child maltreatment.

ChallengesAlmost one-third of unemployedpeople are aged between 15and 24, and a quarter are over45. Unemployment is highest inouter areas including Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield-Liverpooland Outer North Western Sydney.Migrants and refugees, whoseskills and qualifications areoften unrecognized in Australia,experience higher rates ofunemployment than the generalpopulation. Many migrant groupsalso endure very low income levels,especially recent migrants from

many African nations, CentralAsia and Central America. Evenamong those who are employedin Australia, 9.5 per cent work lessthan 15 hours per week, and 28 percent would like to work more hours.The wealth gap is greater in NSWthan any other state. In Sydney,the gap is increasing between highincome households concentratedaround the waterways, and lowincome households concentratedin the west and outer west.

Facts Sydney has the suburbs with both

the highest (Claymore) and lowest(Milsons Point) deprivation scores

In 2006, one in three surveyedSydney households said theywere anxious about theirability to meet expenses forthe coming year

In Sydney the median individualincome for lone people 65 andover is only $362 a week

81.8 per cent of migrants fromHaiti, 71.4 per cent of migrantsfrom Rwanda and 52.7 per centof migrants from Afghanistan inSydney have a weekly personalincome of less than $250.

ThinkWhat can most usefully be doneto help young people and olderpeople into jobs?

How can people who are alreadyin work help people without jobsincluding migrants, refugees andpeople with disabilities to accessnetworks and opportunities whichmight lead to paid work?

Earning6/7

To make

my ownway in life

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Having a place to live is a basic necessity. Suitable and adequate housing can provide a senseof physical and emotional security and safety, contribute to a sense of identity, and providea means to receive services, seek employment and maintain a social life. Many people placeimportance on owning their own home or at least renting a good place for a reasonable price.However it can be hard to afford other basic necessities if too much of a households incomeis spent on housing. People who live in poor quality housing with inadequate neighbourhoodamenities are more likely to experience other forms of social disadvantage. Many factors,often building up over a long time period, lead to homelessness. These may include familybreakdown, domestic violence, mental illness, drug abuse and alcoholism, though cause andeffect can be hard to distinguish.

ChallengesIn Sydney the share of housingconsidered affordable (basedon a comparison with incomes)has declined sharply since 2001.Worsening affordability has beenmost pronounced in traditionallymore disadvantaged areas. Theareas where rental affordabilityhas worsened include lowervalue markets of the west andsouthwest such as Penrith, Fairfieldand Campbelltown which havetraditionally been strong locationsfor affordable housing. Although thenumber of people waiting for public

housing in NSW has fallen, demandremains significantly greater thansupply. The level of homelessnessin Australia has increased since2001, and of the homeless, halfare under 24. Sydney has morepeople who sleep in the street forlong periods than any other city.

Young people in NSW who requestaccommodation assistance from themain government funded servicehave a 53 per cent chance of beingturned away. Crisis accommodationbeds for single women in theGreater Sydney metropolitan areaare especially scarce.

Facts The average monthly home

loan repayment in Sydney hasincreased 42 per cent to $1800since 2001, an increase notmatched by income growth

In some suburbs (Fairfield,Auburn, Wyong, Canterbury,and Bankstown) housingrepayments as a proportion ofincome increased from 30 to 40per cent in the five years to 2006

Some areas have very littleaffordable housing, includingcentral northern Sydney (2 per cent),

the eastern suburbs (4 per cent)and northern beaches (5 per cent)

In Western Sydney, up to 53 percent of public housing applicantsare from non-English speakingbackgrounds.

ThinkWhat strategies might work toprevent at-risk groups such aspeople under 24 and peoplewith mental illness becominghomeless?

Would more public education inhouseholdfinancial managementbe useful in reducing theincidence of mortgage stress?

What role could the communityplay in helping people inneedfind suitable housing,or is this best left to themarket and governments?

Housing8/9

Case StudyMichaelis 53 yearsold and lives on the streets ofSydney. Because of his indigenousAustralian heritage Michael wastaken away from his family fromthe age of six. Later he becameheavily involved in crime andspent nine years in prison. Despitea disrupted formal education, hehas trade skills such as roofing,

bricklaying and tiling. However,Michael has been unable to holddown a steady job. He suffers

from mild schizophrenia andborderline personality disorder,which affects his ability to liveand work with others.Michael has been homeless fornine years with little support tomanage his mental condition. Heaccepts his situation yet is hopefulthat he will have a stable home tolive comfortably in old age. Hedreams of living in a small spacewhere he can paint, sculpt andexpress himself freely.

The chanceto have a placethat feels likea home

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A persons state of health shapes their life opportunities such as education, employmentand social participation. People with poor health often have more difficulty finding a joband keeping it, so are more likely to be poor and in need of services. People experiencingdisadvantages such as inadequate housing, unemployment and poverty often experiencepoor health as well but cannot afford adequate health services including preventive care.Though community attitudes in Sydney towards mental illness have become more positive,people with physical and/or mental disabilities also face social exclusion because they mayhave difficulty accessing many services and workplaces. People with mental illness are atparticularly high risk of experiencing housing problems and form a significant proportionof the homeless population.

ChallengesAlthough the health level ofSydney residents generally is verygood, and life expectancy is veryhigh, some groups, especiallyIndigenous Australians and olderAustralians, suffer much poorerhealth than the general population.Risk-taking by youth such asdrinking, using drugs and drivingrecklessly leads to a high numberof avoidable deaths and is one ofSydneys biggest health problems.The teenage pregnancy rate isconsistently higher for girls whoare less well-off than those who are

well-off. Among people receivingsocial services, almost ten per centcannot afford medical treatment,almost one-quarter cannot affordto buy prescribed medicines, andalmost half cannot afford dentaltreatment if needed. IndigenousAustralians are over-representedin almost every health problem orrisk area.

Facts In Sydney, 85 per cent of

residents live with the impact ofmental illness, either their own orthat of a family member or friend

The teenage fertility rate inSydney is 9.6 births per 1000.The teenage pregnancy rate isconsistently higher for girls in thelowest socio-economic groups

Transport accidents make up amuch higher proportion of alldeaths among people under 25(31 per cent) than those over 25(1 per cent)

Indigenous Australians have a lifeexpectancy 17 years lower thannon-Indigenous Australians.

ThinkHow might we better supportcommunities and families toplay an active role in supportingpeople with a mental illness?

Is risk-taking among youthinevitable/unavoidable?

How can health care servicesbe better targeted to meet theneeds of priority groups in ourcommunity such as IndigenousAustralians, older people,migrants and refugees, andpeople with a mental illness?

Being Healthy10/11

A placethat lifts

myspirits

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A sense of belonging to a harmonious community is an important contributor to quality of life.Most people feel better, happier and safer if they participate in their communities. It can beinformal, such as day to day interaction with and concern for others in the neighbourhood orformal, such as voting, participation in political or civic groups or volunteering. There is someevidence that being regularly in touch with others builds stronger communities and a sense ofbelonging and also benefits health. Staying in touch can happen through paid and unpaid work,friendships and involvement in cultural, sporting and other leisure activities. An inability toaccess services (employment, financial services, housing), places (through transportation) ordevices (the internet), for example because of disability, illness or inadequate language skills,can hinder participation, leading to isolation and social exclusion. Among three forms of socialexclusion (lack of social interaction, domestic deprivation and extreme consumption hardship)lack of social interaction has been found to be dominant in Australia.

Case Study Thomas, 55, is aSudanese refugee in the westernsuburbs. In Sudan, Thomas hasstrong professional qualificationsand experience as a high school

principal for almost 10 years.He is now struggling to findemployment, competing withthose who have local knowledgeand local work experience,especially in the current labourmarket. Thomas long-standingunemployment strains the familysability to pay bills and rent. WhileThomas is mainly concerned

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To live welllike othersseem to do

ChallengesAmong migrant households, only71.3 per cent are able to callon support from outside theirhousehold in times of crisis,compared with 92.8 per cent of thegeneral population. People fromlow income areas are less likely tohave Internet access in Sydney, andthose who speak languages otherthan English at home are least likelyto have Internet access.Survey research shows Sydneysnorthern and eastern suburbs, withrelatively little cultural diversity,are most accepting of it, while the

south-western suburbs and outercommuter group is the leasttolerant part of Sydney, showingstrong opposition to diversity andmulticulturalism and high levelsof acknowledged personal racism.Sydney has the lowest proportionof adults participating in unpaidvoluntary work of any Australiancapital city.

Facts In 2006 only 22.3 per cent

of people born overseas hadinternet access in Sydney, and20.4 per cent of people whospeak a language other thanEnglish at home, comparedwith 44 per cent of people bornin Australia

In 2006, 16.2 per cent of adultresidents in Sydney undertooksome unpaid voluntary work,compared with 35 per centof all Australians. Those aged65 and over had the lowest

rate of volunteering in Sydney(13.2 per cent)

Among people in the GreaterSydney Metropolitan Areawho commute to work,69 per cent use private vehicles.

ThinkWhat kind of activities can helpbuild better neighbourhoods?

How can communitiesencourage closer interactionand understanding betweengroups from different culturalbackgrounds to buildcommunity harmony?

What kind of volunteeringopportunities in your communitywould interest you?

with meeting their immediateneeds, he also personally suffersfrom his inability to work. Livingin a new country without arecognised role in the community,Thomas feels isolated, excludedand without an identity. Hevolunteers his skills and expertiseas an active member of theSudanese refugee community.While Thomas recognises thevalue of his voluntary efforts, helooks forward to finding paid workand being a contributing memberof the community.

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A personal sense of safety and security in ones community is an important component ofwellbeing. In Sydney, household crime has decreased in the past decade, while personalcrime has remained relatively constant. Crime levels can be indicators of profound socialproblems. The likelihood of someone committing crime increases with low levels of education,unemployment and substance abuse. Disadvantage may contribute to feelings of detachmentfrom society, its codes and government. Crime needs to be understood by its impact on twogroups: on the victims who suffer from offences against their persons or property, and on thepeople who commit crimes, who often come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

ChallengesThe level of crime in Sydney isdeclining overall and feeling ofsafety is high, but not in somegeographical areas and not for somecrimes (such as rape). The numberof reported cases of child abuse(physical assault, psychological andemotional abuse, sexual assaultand neglect) has been increasing.Child abuse and neglect is linkedwith low socio-economic status,parental involvement in crime,domestic violence, substanceabuse and family disruption. Ratesof youth crime and youth violence

are very high. Young people,especially young men, are atgreater risk than other age groupsof experiencing violence. Almostone infive men aged between 18and 24 report being assaulted by amale, compared with one in 20 menaged 25 and over.

Facts The recorded rate of domestic

assault in Sydney increased byabout 40 per cent in the sevenyears to 2004. Over one-thirdof domestic assaults recordedby police are alcohol-related

Overall, Sydney has downwardtrends forfive out of 17 majorcrime offences identified bythe Bureau of Crime Statisticsand Research

The areas from which the highestpercentages of male inmates comeinclude Fairfield-Liverpool (8.1 per

cent), Inner Sydney (7.6 per cent)Blacktown-Baulkham Hills (6.4 percent) and Canterbury-Bankstown(5.2 per cent)

80.8 per cent of people in Sydneyfeel safe, compared with 85.3per cent in NSW. 71.3 per cent ofSydney people feel safe after dark.

ThinkWhat can a neighbourhood doto protect its members fromdomestic violence?

What kind of interventionprograms might be useful insteering young people awayfrom drugs, alcohol and crimes?

Are there better alternativesthan prison to deter crime?

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Case StudyJackis a 13 year oldboy living in Sydneys south-westwith his mother and two brothers in

public housing. The limited spaceand safety concerns of his mothermean Jacks older sister lives awayfrom the family. As a sole parent,Jacks mother struggles to balancework and home responsibilities.Her ability to earn a steadyincome has also been limited byher tuberculosis. The familys

To live freelywithout fear

unstable financial and housingsituation has forced them to movevery frequently. Moving into anarea with high crime led Jack intominor criminal activity and the

juvenile justice system. Counsellingidentified his challenging

behaviours such as conductdisorder and ADHD. With ongoingcounselling and targeted educationalsupport Jack may realise his dreamof being a mechanical engineer.

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About 75 per cent of Indigenous Australians live in urban or regional Australia. One per centof Sydneys population are Indigenous Australians, compared with 2.5 per cent of the totalpopulation. Between 2001 and 2006, the Indigenous population (now at just over half a million)grew at double the rate of the total population, and that trend is likely to continue. IndigenousAustralians are the most disadvantaged group in Australia based on multiple measures includinghealth, education, employment, income, housing and contact with the justice system. Given the

demographic profile of the Indigenous population, and the current levels of severe disadvantageexperienced by many, the Federal Government has recognized critical need in areas such as earlychildhood development, education, housing and access to jobs.

Compared with the total population,Indigenous Australians in NSWexperience:

Higher rates of infant mortality andlow birth weight

Significantly lower life expectancy,higher rates of long term and chronichealth conditions and higher rates ofrisk behaviour

Less than half the rate of homeownership

Nearly three times the rate ofhomelessness

Higher rates of unemployment andgreater likelihood of being in a low-income household

Low literacy and numeracy rates,the lowest school retention rate andmore people with no post-schoolqualifications

13 times the rate of court appearanceson criminal charges and ten times therate of imprisonment.

Life opportunities are shapednot only by an individual andtheir family but where they live.This neighbourhood effectis believed to be importantparticularly during early childhoodand late adolescence. While, on

the whole, Sydney offers a highstandard of living, and mostresidents enjoy health, housing,work and leisure opportunitiesand safety levels which are highby international standards, thisis not true for some geographicalareas. In some parts of Sydney,

many families and individualsexperience multiple layers ofdisadvantage including lowincomes or unemployment,inadequate education, poorhealth, substance abuse andinadequate housing, and this

disadvantage carries over throughgenerations. Disadvantageand social exclusion tend to beconcentrated in the south-westand greater western areas. A 2007study showed that 1.7 per centof the postcode areas in NSWaccount for 12.5 per cent of the

most disadvantaged people: anover-representation of more thanseven-fold. In a 2007 analysisthere were 36 localities in NSWwhich appeared six or more timesamong the 40 most disadvantagedsuburbs on a range of indicators

such as early school leaving, lowfamily income, limited internetaccess, crime and imprisonment.Recent Federal Governmentanalysis has identified 48 suburbsof highly concentrated socio-economic disadvantage in Sydney.

IndigenousAustralians

AreaDifferences

Highly disadvantaged based on endorsedmethodology for identifying locations ofentrenched disadvantage

Recent arrivals more than 50 recent arrivalswho spoke little or no English across the threeyear period from 2004-2006

Vulnerable identified as vulnerable toworsening socio-economic conditions basedon a 12-item index of stressors and assets

Highly disadvantaged and recent arrivals

Highly disadvantaged and vulnerable

Highly disadvantaged

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Give us your viewsGive us your views or tell us aboutproven initiatives by filling in theonline survey youllfind there.

Learn moreLearn more by checkingout the whole report andsupporting materials atwww.commoncause.com.au

The nature of disadvantageis changing as economicand social problemsmultiply in numberand complexity.So we invite youto get involved:

Whatnext?

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I wantthe same asanyone else

Sydneyin your hands

Talk to usTalk to us about what you oryour organisation can do tomake a difference.

We look forwardto newpartnerships with youas we explore new waysof working together toadvance the CommonGood in Sydney.


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Supporting Partners:NSW Department of Housing, GROW Sydney ACC,Ernst and Young Foundation, Social LeadershipAustralia Benevolent Society, NSW Departmentof Community Services, Freehills Foundation.

Major Partners:

Sydneyin your hands

A summary of the2009 Common CauseReportinto Sydneys key social issues

This report is a collaborative effort.We thank major partners including the

NSW Community Relations Commission and

Perpetual Limited and a range of supportingand pro-bono partners listed below. We alsothank individual colleagues including theresearch report author Dr Debbie Haski-Leventhal, NAB Post-doctoral Fellow at theCentre for Social Impact, and author of thissummary report Catherine Armitage alsofrom CSI. For generous contribution of

pro bono services, we especially thankreport printers The Printing Department.

Designed by: Principals

The information in the report is largely drawn from dataf G S d h i i h b

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