CRR Sector Hub

Research tells us that for many people and families, the seeking of emergency relief may be the most valuable opportunity to build relationships and link them to services and supports. The community service sector is increasingly using outcomes within service delivery as a way to address the domain areas of a person’s life that may be contributing to an experience of hardship.

The CRR Program has several resources to assist providers to integrate outcomes within their assessment and referral processes. A shift towards outcomes-oriented service delivery will promote flexible services tailored to the needs and circumstances of consumers. 

A free training workshop is also available to assist providers to implement outcomes in their practice. See ‘CRR Workshops‘ for further details. 

Download the resource. 

In our society, being able to obtain food in socially acceptable ways is regarded as a human right found under international law (Article 25.1 Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

Consumers want consistency in how they are treated and expected to respond to, service providers. In the Food Relief Framework consultations, consumers expressed a strong desire for nutritious food and meals sourced or eaten under socially acceptable circumstances. They were unanimous in also saying that food services need to be inclusive and shared equally, and that even those making unhealthy lifestyle choices (for example through drug or alcohol addiction) are worthy of healthy food.

Within this context, the Consumer and Provider Charter was co-designed with input from people accessing food relief services, who are experts by experience. There is a need to empower both providers and consumers to enhance the appropriateness and effectiveness of food relief. Both need to have a shared understanding of what to expect from a service provider or consumer when accessing and distributing food relief. At its core, the Charter is aimed at addressing the stigma of the act of seeking, providing, and receiving food relief. It is also aimed at embedding accountability into this relationship. This has the potential to translate into more accepting and supportive communities, proactively involved in countering the social isolation caused by poverty.

There are opportunities and mechanisms available to support the widespread adoption of this Charter. This can include, for example, the Charter built into service contracts, local services encouraged to display the Charter, and so on.

Download the consumer and provider charter.

Consumers are the recipients of the provision of food relief. Consumers are also referred to as service users and clients. Consumers may include an individual, couple, family, or household.

In partnership with providers and consumers, we identified what good practice for services looks like. We designed a set of attributes that consumers can expect across service provision. A set of collectively identified good practice principles emerged during the engagement with providers around the state. These principles were further tested and formulated as they were refined with sector stakeholders. The product is a codesigned baseline of what constitutes good practice. These principles connect with the expectations outlined in the Consumer and Provider Charter.

Download a copy of the practice principles. 

Food insecurity is responsible for a growing social, health and economic burden in Australia, largely driven by poverty and inadequate income and/or financial hardship.

Lotterywest funded the Western Australian Council of Social Service to auspice the Food Relief Framework Project in 2017. The need for a framework came from the community sector after it was recognised that improvements to the service system can be made to better respond to need. 

The food relief sector collaborated to map the issue and identify solutions to address gaps in the State’s food security system. A Working Group was established and extensive stakeholder and community consultation across regional and metropolitan areas was undertaken, engaging service providers, government, consumer groups, and the corporate sector. 

The culmination of this work is a Framework that can and will be adapted to address food insecurity in Western Australia, and can be used across the country, and in many jurisdictions to identify and map gaps, so that people can be food secure. 

Read more and download the Framework.

Several utility assistance schemes exist for people having difficulty paying their electricity, gas, and water bills in Western Australia. These schemes can be accessed via an Emergency Relief Agency or a Financial Counselling service. The following provides an overview of how the Synergy and Horizon Power Assist schemes work and guidelines on how to assist utility customers with their applications. The relevant forms are available for download via the links below.

Synergy Power Assist – The Synergy Power Assist Scheme is run for two days every month throughout the financial year. The purpose of the program is to prevent the disconnection of electricity supplies to Synergy customers who are experiencing financial hardship and difficulties in meeting their electricity payments.

Synergy Power Assist Allocation dates:

• January 12,13
• February 13,14
• March 16,17
• April 20,21
• May 15,16
• June 08,09

Synergy Power Assist Form 2023 available here.

Horizon Power Assist – The Horizon Power Assist Scheme can be applied for at any time and applications are processed at the end of each month.

Horizon Power Assist Form 2023 available here.

The Australian Privacy Legislation prevents agencies from sharing client details and requesting information outside the ‘need to know’ principle. To address this, interagency networks have developed consent to share resources that enable information sharing across shared clients – these resources can be used at any time to contribute towards a seamless multi-agency response.   

The following examples and template will assist both CRR workers and consumers of services to understand the privacy principles and what information can be shared when we coordinate across service delivery.

•    Shared consent form – example
•    Guidelines for using the consent form – example
•    Consent form template