“Bring Your Bills”
An Alternate Model for Service Delivery
Denis Nelthorpe
Financial Counselling Australia
Conference 2012
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
Shop Front or Welfare Model
• Convenience of service providers or clients
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Efficiencies for providers not clients
Clients need to self identify problem
Clients need to seek appointment
Most disadvantaged may not get assistance
• One size fits all
– Move towards specialist services + clinics
– Move towards phone based advice
– Consider new models – Bring Your Bills
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
Different Communities – Different Needs
• Newly arrived and refugee communities
– Contracts for rental, energy and telco services
– Problems with language, systems
• Cultural Barriers to Access
– Lack of language and cultural understanding
– Fear of Authority
– Fear of enforcement of rights
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
What is a “Bring Your Bills” Day
• A Community Event
– A gathering of problem solvers
– Service Providers, Gov’t Agencies and EDR
Schemes
– Community leaders and interpreters
– Community Agencies
• Financial Counselling agencies as facilitators
not service providers
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
• Goals
– Early Intervention and prevention
– Consumer Education – Do Not Knock + Do Not Call
– Simple Solutions e.g Concessions sign up
– Introduction to Services eg energy audits +
efficiencies
– Direct referral to service provider or EDR
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
• Target Audience
– Low income clients
– Office of Housing Estates
– Community Centres
– Centrelink recipients
– Newly arrived communities
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
• What is Needed to Make it Work?
– Weather, Time and Place
– Involvement of local community agencies
– Involvement of community leaders
– Getting the word out
• Results
– Good day – 30-70 clients + Multiple Referrals
– Bad Day – 0-5 + major frustration –not often
An Alternate Model for Service
Delivery
Can You Do It?
• Support - EWOV, TIO, Human Services
• Support - service providers – energy + water
• Support from Footscray CLC
– Kit + Manual available today
– Organiser available today
– Ongoing support
• Be Willing to Experiment with Service Delivery