Ainslie Village Partnership

Supporting better health outcomes for Ainslie residents

In June 2017, Argyle Housing partnered with Directions Health Services in the ACT to provide an outreach health clinic at Ainslie Village. Directions Health is a community based organisation delivering programs and services to people who are impacted by alcohol, drugs and other addictions.

This collaboration provides an onsite opportunity for Ainslie Village residents to access health care and assistance on site. Health service staff and the Argyle Housing Tenancy Action Worker work together to assess resident health issues and drug and alcohol addiction. This service is particularly valuable where residents continually miss their medical appointments.

For Argyle Housing, working directly with Directions Health Services was a positive step forward in being able to meet resident needs and adapt service delivery strategies where required.

Initially, a community nurse made fortnightly visits to see residents and informal BBQs were organised in conjunction with the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy to provide residents with a safe and friendly environment to discuss their needs.

As a result of the teamwork and positive health outcomes for tenants, Directions Health Services has now increased its presence at Ainslie Village. The fortnightly visits have been increased to weekly and the team now includes a nurse, GP and a counsellor. This has benefited the residents at Ainslie beyond all expectations.

Argyle Housing and the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network Partnership – Queanbeyan

Argyle Housing and the Suicide Prevention Awareness Network in Queanbeyan have teamed up to teach a weekly tai chi class for Argyle tenants.

The classes aim to connect people, especially those who are vulnerable, whilst also providing general exercise for the body and mind.

Initially for Argyle Housing tenants only, the plan is to eventually open up the class to all older community members in Queanbeyan. The partnership with the Suicide Network has also provided Argyle Housing with an active profile in the local health sector which has had flow on benefits for tenants.

The response to the program has been excellent with up to 23 participants at some classes! The organisers could not be happier with the results! There are regulars who come each week and new skills and friendships are growing.

“We always have a bit of a laugh during the class and try not to take ourselves too seriously. It is a really fun environment and tenants have reported feeling both relaxed and energised after the classes.” (Tenancy Action Worker, Queanbeyan)

The classes are free for tenants and both Argyle Housing and the Suicide Network are keen to continue this initiative into the future.

Enabling Learning and Employment in Claymore

In March 2018, the Claymore Opportunity Hub launched its skills exchange program for local residents looking to upskill and gain experience in the workplace.

The program involves accredited training in trades, civil works and the labour industries with participants going into on-site work placements upon completion of the course.

Argyle Housing helped organise the open day and invited local tenants to the morning information session.

One Argyle Housing tenant, Thomas, was very enthusiastic and enrolled in the skills exchange program there and then.

“I never knew this place did training. I found out about this event through Argyle Housing.”

Luke Bonnell from Communities Plus commended the effort put in by services to engage the local community. He singled out Argyle Housing as one of the key players in capacity building among local residents.

“We have a great facility here, but its success depends on the community feeling this place is theirs. Argyle Housing plays a big part by supporting programs like this and spreading information throughout the local community.”

The Opportunity Hub plans to continue the training courses based on need and to diversify the training offered. The Hub has also established strong partnerships with local employers and businesses have started enquiring about staffing solutions.

Community Engagement in the Wingecarribee

Wingecarribee Community Services Expo – One Stop Community Shop

The Argyle Housing Access and Allocations (A&A) team recently participated in the Southern Highlands Services Expo. This yearly event provides a valuable opportunity for the Argyle team to share information with the community and to network with other services in attendance.

The expo is a ‘one stop shop’ open to the general public which brings together service providers across the community. The day provides a relaxed opportunity for community members to seek advice, information and assistance from the services in attendance.

Argyle Housing set up a table on the day, sharing information about Argyle Housing and social housing in general and the products and tools that are available through NSW Family and Community Services to assist in securing a rental property in the private rental market.

Argyle Housing is an active member of the Wingecarribee Community Services group with staff members attending monthly meetings and assisting with the organisation of the expo and other local events.

The Southern Highland Expo is only one of the many Expo events that Argyle Housing staff have attended in the past 12 months.

Women’s Day Expo Picton

On Wed 7 March 2018, members of Argyle’s A&A team were invited to attend an International Women's Day event at Picton. This event is held yearly and is a focal point in the movement for women's rights. The team had a busy morning talking to women, answering questions and supplying information about Social Housing, domestic violence, Rentstart and other private rental products that are available to assist women in the private rental market.

The team conducted a free raffle on the day, which was gratefully received and won by a lady living in a caravan in Tahmoor.

Berrima Gaol - providing information to assist people in custody

March 2018 was a busy month for the A&A team who also visited Berrima Gaol to present housing assistance information to inmates. The day was very successful with the team providing written material and answering over 20 enquiries.

The staff at Berrima were very appreciative of the visit with RJ from Justice NSW sending a thank you email after the event.

“Once again, thanks very much for all your assistance and professionalism with these matters. It really is a big help to me, and I’m sure, my colleagues as well.”

Working together to end homelessness in the Murrumbidgee

On August 2018, Argyle Housing staff in Wagga Wagga attended the Homelessness Week expo to help create awareness of homelessness in the community and to try to reduce the stigma that homeless people experience.

These bags were greatly appreciated by homeless people who attended on the day and a wonderful initiative by the Argyle Housing team in Wagga.

The Argyle Housing staff who attended enjoyed the opportunity to network with other service providers and to be able to provide information to people in the community who are experiencing homelessness or who are currently accessing homelessness services.

In addition to the Expo, Argyle Housing’s Wagga team collaborate with local services on a regular basis to advocate for and support homelessness initiatives in the Murrumbidgee. Argyle Housing’s Tenancy Action Worker (TAW) is co chair of the Wagga Triple H (Housing, Homelessness and Human Services) committee which meets bi-monthly to identify gaps in homeless services and develop strategies to either adapt existing services or introduce new services into the community.

The TAW is also a member of the Albury Triple H Committee and the Eastern Murrumbidgee Homelessness Alliance Co-Ordination Group. This service supports clients through co-ordination and brokerage, and homelessness support.

Raising awareness and reducing the stigma of homelessness in the Murrumbidgee is a key component of the committees’ work in trying to respond to the homeless crisis in the community.

Argyle Housing Says NO to Violence – White Ribbon Project

Employee survey unanimously endorses Argyle’s stance against Domestic and Family Violence!

In November 2017, Argyle was proud to sponsor the Southern Highlands Domestic Violence Golf Day in the Southern Highlands. The aim of this golf day was to raise money for domestic violence programs within the Southern Highlands and to raise community awareness around this issue.  Argyle’s Team Leader, Access and Allocation, Julie Roberts, was on hand to be a part of the organising committee and assist with presentations.

Speaking at this event was Gary Ponder, a White Ribbon Ambassador who spoke about the importance of advocating for women experiencing domestic violence. Gary highlighted that at the time he was only accredited White Ribbon Ambassador within the Southern Highlands.

This presentation struck a chord with Julie who believed that Argyle could play a role in raising awareness and taking action on behalf of our clients, tenants and employees who may be experiencing domestic violence.

With Board and senior management support, Argyle has now committed to implementing the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA) NSW Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Toolkit. A DFV committee has been formed to implement the DFV Toolkit across the organisation and work is being done to ensure that all clients and employees have access to DFV information and support.

All client facing staff and managers have undertaken specific DFV toolkit training and Lifeline DFV training is being offered to all staff.

The committee is also liaising with White Ribbon Australia to commence the process of gathering evidence across 50 criteria to achieve white ribbon accreditation by White Ribbon Day 2019.

Argyle Housing is confident that the initiatives it has undertaken in regard to DFV will help us to adapt professionally and responsively to victims of domestic and family violence.