Counting the homeless on Census night

On the last Census night in 2006, the homeless population in Australia was recorded as being 105,000 people.

However, the ABS has recognised that because homeless Australians face a unique set of circumstances they have been, in the past, undercounted. As such, special procedures have been put in place to help address the transient nature of homeless people and ensure they are included in the Census.

An accurate count of homeless people on Census night will enable government and community services organisations to improve and target homeless services.

Questions for the homeless population
It’s important that all people who have no usual permanent address write ‘None’ in the ‘Suburb/Locality’ box for the usual place of residence question on the Census form, regardless of where they are staying on Census night.

This is especially important for people who are staying in temporary accommodation, including emergency accommodation, refuges or hostels, caravan parks, motels, or even staying with family or ‘couch surfing’ at friends’ homes.

Help spread the message
You can help raise awareness of the Census and the importance of Australia’s homeless population writing ‘None’ in the ‘Suburb/Locality’ box for the usual place of residence question. This ABS page also features downloadable posters and brochures to help make sure that everyone is counted on Census night.

For more information call the Census Inquiry Service on 1300 338 776 between 8:30am to 8pm, seven days a week from until 5 September 2011.

The ABS has been promoting the Census using a social media campaign that’s already attracting a lot of attention – visit www.abs.gov.au/...

Further reading:

• Discussion Paper: Methodological Review of Counting the Homeless, 2006, released by the ABS on 31 March 2011 - it followed the Census – Beyond The Count conference.
• Listen to Sally Pritchard, Census Director in Queensland, answer questions on ABC 612.

ABS Media Release: Consumer Price Index - June quarter up 0.9%

The ABS Consumer Price Index rose 0.9% in the June quarter 2011, compared with a rise of 1.6% in the March quarter 2011.

The most significant price rises this quarter were for fruit (+26.9%), automotive fuel (+4.0%), hospital and medical services (+3.4%), furniture (+6.0%) and deposit and loan facilities (+2.1%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for vegetables (–10.3%), audio, visual and computing equipment (–6.3%), electricity (–1.5%), domestic holiday travel and accommodation (–1.5%) and milk (–4.6%).

Fruit prices increased by 26.9% in the June quarter 2011 mainly due to an increase of approximately 138% in the price of bananas due to shortages created by Cyclone Yasi. Banana prices increased 470% over the six months to the June quarter 2011.

The ABS Consumer Price Index rose 3.6% through the year to the June quarter 2011, compared with a rise of 3.3% through the year to March quarter 2011.

Further information is available in Consumer Price Index, Australia (cat. no. 6401.0) or visit www.abs.gov.au...

The 16th series CPI will be introduced from the September quarter 2011. This will include a new commodity classification and expenditure weights from the 2009–10 Household Expenditure survey. For more details about the upcoming changes to the CPI, please refer to Changes to the CPI from September Quarter 2011.

ABS Media Release: Consumer Price Index - March Quarter up 1.6%

The ABS Consumer Price Index rose 1.6% in the March quarter 2011, compared with a rise of 0.4% in the December quarter 2010. This is the largest quarterly rise in the CPI since June quarter 2006 when the CPI increased 1.6%.

The most significant price rises this quarter were for automotive fuel (+8.8%), vegetables (+16.0%), deposit and loan facilities (+4.6%), fruit (+14.5%) and pharmaceuticals (+12.5%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for furniture (–6.2%), audio, visual and computing equipment (–7.2%), milk (–6.2%), overseas holiday travel and accommodation (–1.6%) and motor vehicles (–0.5%).

Fruit prices increased by 14.5% in the March quarter 2011 mainly due to an increase of approximately 100% in the price of bananas during the March quarter 2011 due to shortages following floods and Cyclone Yasi. Vegetable prices increased by 16.0% in the March quarter 2011, driven by price rises in cauliflowers, broccoli, lettuce, pumpkin and potatoes due to damage to crops as well as the usual seasonal price rises.

The ABS Consumer Price Index rose 3.3% through the year to March quarter 2011, compared with a rise of 2.7% through the year to December quarter 2010.

Further information is available in Consumer Price Index, Australia (cat no. 6401.0)

The ABS recently completed an extensive review of the CPI and has announced change to ensure the CPI continues to meet requirements of the Australian community. The 16th series CPI will be introduced from the September quarter 2011. For more details about changes to the CPI, please refer to Information Paper: Outcome of the 16th Series Australian Consumer Price Index Review (cat. no. 6469.0), or www.abs.gov.au.

Media notes:

• ABS price index compilation methodologies and quality assurance processes have ensured that any impact of the floods and cyclone on consumer prices is reflected in the data included in the CPI publication. See the section Impact of the floods and Cyclone Yasi for details.
• Please ensure when reporting on ABS data that you attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.

Story courtesy of ABS

ABS Media Release: Shedding some light on youth homelessness

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and the National Youth Coalition for Housing (NYCH) have joined forces to shed some light on youth homelessness.

To coincide with Youth Homelessness Matters Day the NYCH is encouraging young people who may be experiencing homelessness to participate in the 2011 Census in August.

Chair of the NYCH, Maria Leebeek says the theme of Youth Homelessness Matters Day is Hide and Seek - the hidden nature of youth homelessness.

“The theme highlights that many young people who are homeless are couch surfing in friends’ homes and not sleeping rough,” Ms Leebeek says.

Couch surfers are people who are living in temporary accommodation or temporarily staying on a friend’s or family member’s lounge.

“By capturing where young people are couch surfing in the Census, we are then able to dedicate resources to support these young people and stop the potential slide into chronic homelessness,” Ms Leebeek adds.

It is important that couch surfers complete the Census and mark ‘none’ as their usual place of residence when completing the Census.

Paul Lowe, Head of the Census Program says the support of homeless service providers such as NYCH is critical to the success of the Census.

“The Census gives government, decision makers and community organisations a snapshot of Australia, including the number of couch surfers and people sleeping rough,” Mr Lowe says.

Mr Lowe is calling on community minded people to work as a Collector on the 2011 Census.

“Being a Collector is a fantastic opportunity to help your neighbourhood while earning some extra money,” Mr Lowe adds.

Census Collectors can earn between $1,300 and $2,800 for the casual position and will be employed from 1 July until 8 September.

Applicant information kits are available online at www.abs.gov.au/census or call 1800 420 182.

Caring for the carers in Port Macquarie

Did you know there over 2.6 million unpaid family carers in Australia, more than 770,000 of whom are primary carers?

To address this growing need, Mission Australia has commenced a new program to assist mental health carers on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

The Eight Stage Healing Process for Mental Health Carers, which started in Port Macquarie on Monday, is a 10-week course of two hours per session held once a week.

The course, presented by staff from the Mission Australia's Family and Carer Mental Health Program, is designed for family, carers and friends of people with a mental health condition, who would like to attend a group program that can assist them to work through their own healing process.

The course does this by introducing participants to new ways of coping and defining the caring role, and is based on the idea that it is possible for family and friends to care for a loved one without losing sight of their own needs.

Created by Julie Tallard Johnson The Eight Stage Healing Process works with the notion that healing oneself assists with healing family relationships.

The carer healing process is a lifelong journey and the Eight Stage program is a catalyst for that process.

A carer who has attended the course said: "There are many brave people, carers, out there, no one is an island, and if others can make it through their difficult time I can too when those situations arrive."

Other positive feedback includes: “Eight Stages is very worthwhile. It’s essential for all carers of anyone with a mental illness” and “Thank you so much, your information and help relieves stress and makes us more effective carers”.

If you would like to attend please contact Claudia Richardson, Family and Carer Mental Health Program Education and Training Coordinator, on (02) 6584 4147 or 0408 265 039.

You can also find out more about our Family and Carer Mental Health Program here, including contacts in northern NSW.

* ABS (2009) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers.

MA's Charles Chambers Court wins ACS excellence award

Mission Australia's Charles Chambers Court aged care facility was last night honoured at the 2011 Aged and Community Services Association of NSW and ACT State Awards for Excellence.

The innovative inner-city Sydney service received the Organisational Excellence Award at the state awards.

Charles Chambers Court provides modern, stable and secure accommodation and personal care for elderly or frail people who have been living on the street or are moving through crisis accommodation.

One of seven organisations in the ACS category, Charles Chambers Court was judged on its leadership, innovation and excellence in service delivery, specifically with regards to people management, training, technology, customer service, the environment and stakeholder communications.

“I’m extremely proud of the staff at Charles Chambers Court, the way in which they deliver high-quality care to the residents and the respect and dignity they show towards them,” said Jill Bicknell, Mission Australia Operations Manager - Aged Care.

“The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2001-2006) showed an increase in the number of homeless people aged 55 years and over by 33 percent in NSW. For this reason Charles Chambers Court is a much-needed aged care facility servicing the needs of the aged homeless.

"This permanent accommodation for our residents is in many cases the first real home they have had for many years.”

The ACS awards promote and recognise excellence in a range of areas that contribute to the quality of life of older people, people with disabilities and their carers. They also acknowledge efforts to increase public confidence and community involvement in aged and community care services.

As an ACS State Award winner, Mission Australia's Charles Chambers Court will now progress to the national ACSA Awards in September.

Well done to all the dedicated people who help to make Charles Chambers Court the welcoming and caring place it is.

Above image: Jill Bicknell, Charles Chambers Court and Jason Taylor, Business Development Manager, Programmed Property Services (award sponsor).

ABS Media Release: Survey of earnings released

In May 2010, a quarter of all employees earned less than $528 per week, with another quarter earning more than $1,304, according to results from the Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The survey also showed that ten percent of employees earned $1,856 or more per week .

Full-time employees, who make up the majority of employees, received average weekly total cash earnings of $1,313.30, compared to $1,010.30 for all employees. Earnings were higher for full-time males ($1,404.40) than for full-time females ($1,167.70). However, part-time females earned slightly more than part-time males ($503.80 compared to $454.50).

The occupation groups receiving the highest average weekly earnings for all employees were Managers ($1,848.90) followed by Professionals ($1,348.80). The lowest earnings were recorded by Sales workers ($578.60), Community and personal service workers ($648.70), and Labourers ($650.90).

Across industries, average weekly total cash earnings for all employees ranged from $475.60 in the Accommodation and food services industry to $2,206.90 in the Mining industry.

Four out of five employees had their pay set by either a collective agreement (43.4%) or by an individual arrangement (37.3%). Males were more likely to have their pay set by an individual arrangement (42.3%), whereas the most common pay setting method for females was collective agreement (47.6%). Accommodation and food services was the only industry where award was the most common method of setting pay, covering 45.2% of employees in that industry.

Further information is available in Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2010 (cat. no. 6306.0)

Long-term unemployment rises: ABS

The percentage of long-term unemployed people (unemployed for one year or more) rose from 16 per cent in July 2009 to 18 per cent in July 2010, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) this week.

For long-term unemployed people the most common main difficulty in finding a job was '”too many applicants for available jobs'” (14 per cent), followed by “too far to travel/transport problems” (13 per cent) and “own health or disability” (13 per cent).

However, the majority (82 per cent) of unemployed people are short-term unemployed (that is, they have been unemployed for less than one year), with one in four having been unemployed for less than four weeks.

Of those people who had been unemployed for under eight weeks, 20 per cent reported “no difficulties at all” in finding new work and the most common main difficulty reported was “too many applicants for available jobs” (13 per cent).

According to the ABS, for young people aged 15 to 24 years, the main difficulty in finding work was “insufficient work experience” (17 per cent), while for those aged 45 years and over it was “considered too old by employers” (17 per cent).

Of all unemployed people, 21 per cent had never worked before and 17 per cent had worked, but not in the past two years.

Last year Mission Australia worked with more than 154,000 Australian jobseekers, helping them to find and maintain sustainable employment.

Mission Australia Employment Solutions operates eight Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations programs nationwide - including Job Services Australia and Apprenticeship Solutions. Our challenge is to prevent more Australians from getting caught up in the long-term cycle of unemployment.

Are you a grandparent raising children? University of NSW wants to hear from you!

In partnership with the University of NSW's Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC), and four government agencies, Mission Australia is seeking to learn more about the experiences of grandparents who are primary carers of their grandchildren.

In the last major count by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2003, Australia had over 31,000 children being raised by their grandparents, and the SPRC and Mission Australia are keen to find out how grandparent carers are faring now.

It is hoped this information will contribute to policies and programs that better support grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren.

If you or a loved one are a grandparent carer then why not participate in the survey confidentially online and let us learn more about your experience?  It takes no longer than 30 minutes and can be started from this link.

Alternatively you can have the survey sent to you to be completed at home. To order a copy please contact Christiane Purcal at the Social Policy Research Centre.  Contact details are provided below...

Christiane Purcal
Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
Email:  c.purcal@unsw.edu.au
Phone:  02 9385 7830