Welcome to our final edition of the Community Care News Digest for what has been a year like no other.

With recent announcements from the Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians Richard Colbeck regarding an increase in investment into the aged care system, multiple programs and services have been extended. The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line is one of these services which has now been extended until 30 June 2021.

For aged care services the Department of Health has recently launched the new Commonwealth Home Support Programme Reablement Community of Practice which is an online platform for service providers to share resources, discuss best practice and use the questions and answers platform to communicate with one another. Individuals will need to register to access the information provided.

As we approach the warmer months it is vital for all services to have emergency plans in place. There have been numerous resources provided by the Department of Health for providers to utilise. Some of the practices that are recommended include having an updated fire evacuation plan, ensuring that staff have the latest information on hand to be guided by authorities and that clients’ contact details are regularly reviewed.

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability have released the interim report which is now available to be accessed online. There is also the opportunity to have your say in the NSW Disability Inclusion Plan, where services and providers are being encouraged to complete the online survey which is open until the 4 December.

Finally, the News Digest team would like to thank you for your support in 2020. It has most certainly been a challenging year for everybody, especially for the community sector across Western Sydney however we have witnessed exceptional work, commitment and resilience during these unprecedented times. We wish you a safe holiday season and are looking forward to continuing working together in the new year.

We will be back in early 2021 providing you with all the latest information, resources and events across our inspirational region!

For details on these stories and more, please follow the News Digest link below. Also, remember to check in with us on social media and connect with us on LinkedIn.