Experience tells us that health and community service providers can make major contributions to how our communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. However, many service provider organisations are highly vulnerable to the impacts of emergencies and extreme weather. Meaning that they may have their services disrupted or risk closure during these events which puts their already ‘at risk’ clients at a higher level of vulnerability.
Red Cross was funded for two years in 2017/2019 to deliver the Community Service Organisation (CSO) Shared Responsibility Project which sought to increase the capacity of CSO’s to be prepared and prepare their clients/ customers/ community members for an emergency. The Project aimed to create stronger links between CSOs and Emergency Management Organisations (EMO’s) to the mutual benefit of both. The project utilised a place-based methodology to work with organisations across a number of regional and metropolitan communities.
The SACOSS Disaster resilience Project was funded for one year in 2019/20 to clarify the roles and responsibilities of service providers to support clients before, during and after an emergency, disaster or extreme weather event and develop tools and resources to support this work.
Below are a number of case studies developed by Red Cross and SACOSS to feature organisations and networks who have demonstrated that they are actively taking steps to improve their preparedness for emergencies, disasters and extreme weather and increase their capacity to respond and recover well.
Community Living Australia – Responding to bushfire risk, a disability service provider case study
Southern Cross Care - Aged Care setting supporting clients to be better prepared for emergencies
Rural City of Murray Bridge - Local Government leads community of practice after local disaster
Eyre Peninsula Communities - Working together to form Emergency Ready Committees
Catholic Health Safety and Welfare - Increasing the understanding of shared responsibility and social connectedness
Murray Mallee Collaborative Project - Supporting older people and people with disabilities build their resilience through increasing social connectedness and the preparedness of agencies