Wednesday, 5 March 2025

Community services sector

Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (19:18): (1050) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Mental Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to provide an update on the work the Victorian government is doing to support workers across our mental health, social services and community services sector. As the local member for Pascoe Vale, Coburg and Brunswick West but also someone who is proudly married to a long-time former community social worker – my wife Anna Owens, who previously worked for the department of justice in Corrections Victoria, including Dame Phyllis women’s prison and the courts; VACRO, the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders; Child Protection Society; and VincentCare in Glenroy – I am committed to doing everything I can to continue supporting and advocating for our incredible local health, wellbeing and community social sector workers.

I am so proud to also represent a community that is home to some of the highest proportions of people, mainly women, who work in our social services sector. Merri-bek is home to 12,800 such workers, who make up almost 14 per cent of our local workforce, with many working across Merri community health, VincentCare, the Smith Family, Melbourne City Mission, Women’s Housing Limited, Merri Outreach Support Service and many other organisations. In celebration of International Women’s Day for 2025 I would like to thank all of our incredibly hardworking members in these critically important sectors. In doing so I particularly acknowledge the selfless members of the Health and Community Services Union, HACSU, who every single day help serve and support some of our most vulnerable community members across Victoria.

The origins of HACSU can be traced back to April 1911, when it was originally registered as the Hospital and Asylum Attendants and Employees’ Union. HACSU has continued to evolve ever since, with its commitment to advocating for the rights and wellbeing of healthcare workers always remaining steadfast and unwavering to ensure a strong and united voice for its members. Today HACSU proudly represents over 12,500 members across mental health, disability and drug and alcohol services through a range of roles such as nurses, allied health professionals, lived experience workers, disability support workers, program support workers, case administration workers and drug, alcohol and other substances support workers across Victoria, including our northern regions, and the member for Broadmeadows is here. HACSU’s members work across the Royal Melbourne precinct, Austin Health, Northern Health, Headspace, Origin Healthcare, Western Health, Peninsula Health, Barwon Health, Grampians Health, Monash Health, Eastern Health, Aruma Disability Services and Scope Australia.

As identified through the landmark Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, we know there is significant more reform required to continue helping our mental health and community workforce. The facts sadly speak for themselves. One in four Victorian health and community service workers has experienced work-related gendered violence, including sexual harassment. Seventy per cent have reported aggression, violence or abuse coming from patients. With women making up 78 per cent of the Victorian health and disability workforce, we have to do better. In this respect I draw the house’s attention to recommendation 16 of the royal commission, which was that the Victorian government needs to promote good mental health in workplaces, address workplace barriers to good mental health, promote inclusive workplaces that are free from discrimination and stigma, and sponsor industry-based trials that demonstrate safer workplaces. In this regard HACSU was previously a recipient of the WorkSafe WorkWell Respect funding program that did a great job in this space.