NSW's MidCoast Council, which covers a 10,000 sqm area about 300km north east of Sydney, will stop delivering home care and disability services, following a Council decision last week, as the prospect of ongoing reforms and financial uncertainty make the services no longer viable for Council to offer.
MidCoast Assist, the Council's service provider, had generated a small profit in four of the last five financial years, but projections for 2024-25 to 2028-29 indicate the service will not be viable on an ongoing basis.
“We are facing uncertainty in funding models and arrangements for aged care and disability services and we know continued reform is expected," said Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell (pictured).
The Council will call for proposals from home care and disability service providers interested in taking on MidCoast Assist's clients. It is expected to make a decision about potential future providers and timelines for transition by May.
Since MidCoast Assist was formed in the 1990s, there have been significant changes to legislation and the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
"That means today there are multiple providers (large and small) of both ageing and disability services located in the MidCoast region," said Paul.
MidCoast Assist has been under review to ensure it was a viable part of the Council’s activities. Ageing and disability services are viewed as a discretionary service rather than core Council business like roads, water and sewer, planning functions and waste management.
“At this point in time there are no changes to our services. We will continue to deliver services to our clients and participants as we currently do," Paul said.
Dozens of Victorian councils have also withdrawn from home care services in recent years due to the ongoing reforms.
