I WRITE in response to Christine Vickers’ letter "HACC plan will be costly" on February 26.
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The council has made a provisional decision to withdraw from the delivery of its Home and Community Care service.
Currently, the service continues to be provided and the council will meet on March 25 to make a final decision regarding the service’s future.
Should the council elect to withdraw from the service it will be up to the state government to find a replacement, as the City of Greater Bendigo delivers HACC services on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The state government would look to appoint a new provider with a proven track record in the HACC industry. It may be a private or not-for-profit provider but this will be a decision for the state government.
And should a new provider be required, the state government has a fee policy for all HACC service providers, with capped pricing and maximum fees based on a client’s individual income.
The council’s provisional decision followed an extensive review of Bendigo's aged and disability services, which included community consultation with more than 1000 people.
Since the announcement, the council has continued to consult staff, clients and the community, including holding eight community information sessions at different times and various locations across Greater Bendigo.
There is a possibility of staff redundancies but this is dependent on the council’s final decision.
In regards to childcare, the council last year made a decision to close the Bendigo Early Learning Centre this December. Staff will be redeployed to other childcare centres.
There have been no requests to close the city’s remaining services and officers have been asked to investigate the potential of converting occasional care places to long day places to increase utilisation.
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