By Tate Papworth
A leading advocate for carers in Brimbank is calling for the establishment of a carers hub to be made a priority.
Despina Havelas said she had to leave her job to care for her son because there was little in the way of support.
“NDIS feels like you’re learning a new language and there’s not much around to help you learn the terminology,” Ms Havelas said.
“When my son finished school last year, I didn’t know where to go – there just wasn’t much in place to help with the transition.”
Ms Havelas said there had been much talk from Brimbank council about establishing a hub for carers, but nothing had eventuated.
“All three tiers of government should be supporting carers,” she said. “What is the council doing?
“There’s been plenty of times that I’ve been exhausted and alone.
“A hub would give people in the same situation a chance to speak to others, to know they’re not alone, to find important information and to find agencies.
“The NDIS is incredibly complex. Brimbank has a high number of people where English isn’t their first language – if I found it hard to understand, how are they going to go?”
Brimbank community wellbeing director Kath Brackett said the council feasibility study into a hub, endorsed at the council’s meeting in December, 2018, didn’t support the concept.
“The evaluation found a range of priority needs and issues relevant to people with disability, their families and carers,” she said.
“[It] determined that due to the diversity and complexity of these issues and needs, allocation of physical space or the provision of an information focal point alone would not adequately respond to this range of needs.
“The evaluation made a number of recommendations aimed at building council and the community’s capacity to respond to these needs.
“In tracking the implementation of these recommendations, council has been providing quarterly updates to council’s Disability Advisory Committee.
“Council also recognises that accessibility is a key factor and making use of council facilities, such as neighbourhood houses across the municipality, needs to beconsidered.”
