Meals on Wheels SA (MoWSA) CEO, Sharyn Broer, has offered two suggestions for State and Federal Politicians to adopt in 2016. The first is introducing a ‘volunteer card’ system in South Australia, and the second is reviewing the My Aged Care process for arranging delivered meals.

Both State and Federal Governments have expressed commitments to cutting red tape.

“Our State Government needs to introduce a simple card system that allows volunteers to more easily work across the multiple community roles many undertake each year,” Mrs Broer said.

Mrs Broer is this year calling on South Australia to introduce a simple card system that allows volunteers to more easily work across the multiple community roles many undertake each year.

“We encourage the State Government to look to other States that have a transferable card system in operation, with levels of clearance that make it easy for volunteers to volunteer,” she said.

The facts:

• The majority of people who volunteer do so for a number of organisations.
• Most Government funding programs for services provided in the community to older people and those in need require volunteers to have a current police check. In most cases, a clearance is not transferable and may apply only to the issuing organisation, yet others are transferable.
• Volunteers find it frustrating to repeatedly complete forms and confirm their identity for a police clearance each time they volunteer.

“Our State Government must resolve to work together to make it easier for volunteers to volunteer, in 2016 and beyond,” Mrs Broer said.

Meals on Wheels SA is also offering a simple suggestion to the Federal Government for 2016: Repeal the unnecessary red tape and the extra layer of bureaucracy created between Meals on Wheels and prospective clients, by the My Aged Care Gateway.

From 1 July 2015, the direct and responsive pathway for people to receive delivered meals was disrupted and the responsibility for determining the person’s eligibility for government subsidised prices was given to another layer of bureaucracy, the My Aged Care Gateway.

“This has created confusion, lack of clarity for consumers, delays and frustration for potential clients, and their families. We know of recent cases where people have approached the Gateway only to wait 2 months for action,” Mrs Broer said.

“There is simply no need for another layer of bureaucracy on a simple service like delivered meals. Indeed the reclaimed responsibility for aged care within the health portfolio only reinforces the key issue: A delivered meal is first and foremost a primary health care matter, not an aged care one.”