SPEECH NOTES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE PREMIER AS PROXY TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING

FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND NATIONAL WORLD ELDER ABUSE AWARENESS CONFERENCE 17-18 June 2013

“BUILDING A NATIONAL APPROACH TO PREVENT ABUSE OF OLDER AUSTRALIANS”

17 JUNE 201309:15– 09:25AM

ADELAIDE CONVENTION CENTRENORTH TERRACE, ADELAIDE.

Acknowledgements: Hon Megan Mitchell National Children’s CommissionerBrian Butler, Director of National Congress of Australia’s First PeoplesPaul Greenwood, Deputy District Attorney San Diego Dr John Brayley, Public Advocate SA Professor Simon Biggs, University of MelbourneIan Yates, CEO COTA Australia Dr Sally Cockburn (pronounced Coerburn) (AKA Dr Feelgood), MC for the event Judy Cook, Public Advocate Queensland Mark Crofton, Deputy Public Trustee and Official Solicitor Queensland State and Territory Governments representatives

Host Ms Marilyn Crabtree, CEO, SA Aged Rights Advocacy Service Other MPs N/AMayors N/AOther people needing acknowledging Laurie Lewis and Janice Rigney,

Ministerial Advisory Board on Ageing members

Total Registrations approximately 300 delegates

Thank you Sally, it is my pleasure to be here today. For those of

you who don’t know me, my name is Leesa Vlahos and my role

is Parliamentary Secretary to our Premier, Jay Weatherill.

I would like to take this opportunity in sharing both Minister

Butler’s sentiments in welcoming you all to the Second National

Elder Abuse Conference.

Before we start, I gratefully acknowledge this land that we meet

on today is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that

we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. I also

acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the

greater Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage

benefits are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

A little later this morning, the Steve Gadlabardi Goldsmith &

Taikurtinna dance group will entertain us… and educate us in

the traditional ways of Aboriginal culture, spirituality, and

dancing. I am also pleased to advise that we will be addressed

by Brian Butler, the Director of National Congress of Australia’s

First Peoples. We are most fortunate to have Brian be with us

here today.

On behalf of the South Australian Minister for Health and

Ageing, the Hon Jack Snelling, I extend a warm welcome to our

special guests to Adelaide. He sends you his best wishes for a

successful conference and he apologises for being unable to

attend.

I am very pleased to welcome the Honourable Megan Mitchell,

Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner.

Commissioner Mitchell commenced in her five year position

within the Human Rights Commission, on 25 March 2013. She

has an extensive list of educational and vocational experience

accolades that make her a most suited candidate for

implementing changes to improve the lives of children; and;

ensuring Australia fulfils her international obligations for

protecting the rights of children under the United Nations

Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I am sure you are getting the picture and can appreciate the

synergies between protecting the rights of children and older

people in supporting the important work that you are all

committed to.

I especially welcome Paul Greenwood, Deputy District Attorney

San Diego. I understand Paul is a frequent flyer to Australia and

I am pleased that he is here to share his extensive prosecutorial

experience and what we can learn, as we reflect on our own

work here in South Australia.

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.I also acknowledge our guests here at “home” in South

Australia:

Dr John Brayley, South Australian Public Advocate

Ian Yates, CEO Council on the Ageing....

members of the Ministerial Advisory Board on Ageing,

Laurie Lewis and Janice Rigney.

... and our colleagues from interstate including:

Professor Simon Biggs from the University of Melbourne,

Victoria

Judy Cook, Public Advocate Queensland

Mark Crofton, Deputy Public Trustee and Official Solicitor

Queensland

Lastly, I am sure you have made welcome our master of

ceremonies, Dr Sally Cockburn. We are very fortunate, as I am

sure most of you would be aware, to have Sally’s capacity as

both an entertainer and advocate for the rights of people.

I congratulate Marilyn Crabtree, CEO of Aged Rights Advocacy

Service, for organising this event. Marilyn has been advocating

for older people and their rights for over twenty five years and

for a national elder abuse conference. Many of you would recall

the success of the first national conference, convened in

Brisbane in 2012.

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This year, it’s Adelaide’s turn to host this event. The conference

is our opportunity to observe the 2013 World Elder Abuse

Awareness Day and discuss some of the best preventing elder

abuse practices, frameworks and approaches, both in Australia

and overseas.

This year’s conference has a strong emphasis on national

approaches, collaboration and investment in systemic

strategies that can, and will, effect real changes to the

experiences of older people, both now and in the future. I am

confident this conference will leave you inspired, informed and

wanting to institute more changes locally and nationally.

The national conference comes at a good time for us in South

Australia. We have been engaged in new work that I am indeed

pleased to be announcing today.

But before I do that, I think it’s important to acknowledge the

work of agencies that have actively contributed to abuse

prevention and response work in South Australia. Since 1990

many agencies have supported and protected the rights of older

people. These include:

Aged Rights Advocacy Service

Domiciliary Care

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Office of the Public Advocate

Legal Services Commission

Guardianship Board

South Australian Police

Public Trustee and

University of South Australia, for their research

contributions to evidence base and innovation.

Beyond these agencies, the rights, health and wellbeing of our

senior citizens have, for a long time, been at the centre of our

thinking and planning.

We have good reason to make older people our priority. In 2011

there were 266,712 people aged over 65 years, approximately

16 per cent of South Australia’s total population. Of these,

36,575 were born in non-English speaking countries, and

30,431 were of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

background.

From 2011 to 2036, the numbers of South Australians aged 65

and older will nearly double to 460,625; of these, those aged 80

and over will more than double from 80,683 to approximately

162,781. By 2036, people aged over 65 years will form

approximately 25 per cent of the State’s total population.

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As individuals, older South Australians are very diverse. They

differ in their health, education, skills, finances and assets,

family structures, living arrangements, pre and post-retirement

planning, activities, culture, language and spirituality.

Since 2006, the State Government of South Australia has

funded numerous kick-start initiatives to address the key

themes of safety, security and protection under Improving with

Age – Our Ageing Plan for South Australia.

In 2007, we developed a state-wide abuse prevention and

response framework - Our Actions to Prevent the Abuse of

Older People. This framework guided the implementation of

actions by a range of agencies under five main areas:

1. Providing safety and security – by strengthening reporting

mechanisms and accountability

2. Implementing strategies for prevention – through

education and training

3. Raising awareness – of older people, the community and

professionals

4. Working together – to build strong relationships

5. Supporting research and innovation – to develop effective

prevention models.

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Under the Our Actions framework, the South Australian

Government has provided over $3.5 million to specific abuse

prevention and response activities.

We have listened to the voice of older people – we know what’s

important to them and can therefore plan our future priorities

around these needs. We know that older people have the right

to be safe and to feel secure, within their homes, communities,

the relationships they have with others, and when utilising

services.

As a state government, our leadership role in the protection of

the rights of older people is critical, as are our partnerships with

the whole of the community. If we can provide support in the

right way, our seniors will stay active and engaged within our

communities. With accurate information and choice, older

people can remain empowered and independent for as long as

possible.

I am pleased to advise that we have been working on

developing a new state-wide strategy - the South Australian

Strategy for Safeguarding Older People.

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This strategy incorporates several key elements that, over the

next seven years, will aim to minimise the prevalence and

impact of abuse on older people, through implementing:

a newly developed South Australian Charter of the Rights

and Freedoms of Older People – the first of its kind in

Australia

Safeguarding Older People - Principles for intervention

and

Safeguarding Older People – a continuum model for

service providers.

The new South Australian Charter articulates the rights of older

people that we anticipate will become the conviction of not only

service providers, but also the broader community.

Over the next seven years, the Safeguarding continuum will

support older people to safeguard their rights and interests

through:

population based approaches and

primary, secondary and tertiary interventions.

This continuum has been designed to provide agencies with a

more structured way in how they plan and implement actions to

minimise risk factors for older people, from the more

independent through to the more vulnerable. It means that,

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collectively, we can empower older people to self-protect and

safeguard their rights and interests, and step up supports and

protections where the need arises.

SA Health, through the Office for the Ageing, has coordinated

the development of the draft South Australian Strategy for

Safeguarding Older People through high level collaboration with

key service providers and state government agencies.

This draft Strategy represents the needs of older people, while

taking into account the needs agencies. It aims to provide an

overarching strategic framework to guide practice and

determine actions over the next seven years. It incorporates

contemporary international and national approaches, policies,

best practice and work already undertaken in South Australia.

Further afield than South Australia, the prevention of abuse of

older people is gaining momentum as a significant health and

social issue worldwide. Abuse of older people sits under the

fourth pillar (security) of the World Health Organisation’s Active

Ageing Policy Framework.

Here in South Australia, we have been very fortuitous to have

Dr Alexandre Kalache as our Thinker in Residence. He is a

world leading ageing expert, past Director of the World Health

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Organisation and he has integrated his extensive experience in

using an age-friendly lens within our own ageing policy context.

Culminating the work over four extensive visits here in South

Australia, Dr Alexandre Kalache has now released his

Longevity Revolution Report. This report includes numerous

recommendations for protecting the rights of older people

strongly, as well as other recommendations that, when applied,

will universally contribute to strengthening safeguards of older

people. We look forward to the synergies between this new

strategy and the recommendations proposed by Dr Kalache in

his report.

So I am pleased to announce that the draft South Australian

Strategy for Safeguarding Older People will be available shortly

on the SA Health website for public consultation from late June

and over July and we will advise agencies and peak bodies

when it is up on the site as we are keen to receive as many

comments as possible on this important work.

Once the Strategy is finalised, SA Health Office for the Ageing

will coordinate further development of specific actions for

implementation over the next seven years to ensure the key

outcomes of the strategy are achieved. This will include

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protocols on the ground to guide the way organisations and

services work to assist our older population.

Ageing sector agencies’ views will be sought regarding an

implementation plan and a reporting and evaluation framework

as part of this process.

I encourage you to actively embrace this strategy’s SA Charter

of the Rights and Freedoms of Older People and the

safeguarding principles. This strategy will help us achieve our

vision for the future - a South Australia where older people are

valued and respected, and their rights are safeguarded by the

broader community.

Your participation and commitment to this strategy over the next

seven years is essential. The safety and wellbeing of older

people is a whole of government and community responsibility.

Working together, we will strengthen a culture of respect and

appreciation, among all generations, where we can empower

and ensure older people live positive and fulfilling lives.

Together, our actions will help realise this vision and build

stronger communities committed to safeguarding older people.

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Over the next two days, I encourage you to soak up the

atmosphere of this National Elder Abuse Conference. ARAS

has pulled together an exciting program that is certain to

inspire, guide and challenge you. The only issue, which I am

sure most of you will agree with, will be which sessions to

attend.

A conference like this achieves a great deal. By everyone being

in the same place at the same time, stronger networks are

forged and new opportunities unfolded.

Developing a shared vision for national priorities makes for a

purposeful national agenda for the prevention of abuse of older

people… I dare you to be inspired… to explore new areas, and

to return to your respective locations with new ideas as to how

to do things differently… and collectively.

It’s time to build a national approach - to address the rights of

older people. After two days immersion, delegates will have an

opportunity to engage in a panel discussion where, as a nation,

the Australian States and Territories can have the necessary

dialogue to strengthen our actions around the protection of

older people and their rights.

Representatives from State and Territory

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Thank you to all who have been involved in preparations to

make this event possible. I wish you a stimulating next two days

and I look forward to hearing the conference outcomes in the

near future.

Thank you

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