Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW

2000 Census Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW Contents 1. Introduction 3 2. Centres & services 4 3. Pressures on small organisations 8 4. Computers & IT 11 5. CSGP funded activities 14 6. Further census information 18 7. Highlights 20 Paul Bullen with Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW and the Local Community Services Association of NSW

Statistics The statistics in this report are based on surveys completed by Centre coordinators in 2000. See Section 6 Further census information for details. Mid 50% refers to the inter-quartile range, e.g. the mid 50% of Large Centres have 1 to 3 premises means that 25% have 1 premise or less, 50% have 1 to 3 premises, and 25% have 3 or more premises. Acknowledgements Many thanks to the Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW who participated in this study by completing questionnaires. Paul Bullen Management Alternatives Pty Ltd ACN 050 334 435 Tel: 02 9665 7737 Web site: www.mapl.com.au May 2001, Local Community Services Association of NSW 6/66 Albion St Surry Hills NSW Tel: 02 9211 3644 Fax: 02 9281 0386 Email: lcsa@pnc.com.au LCSA is the peak body for Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. This publication may be freely copied by Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW for their use. All others wishing to copy any part of this report should seek permission from LCSA. The study was made possible with funding from the NSW Department of Community Services. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 2

1. Introduction Centres There are approximately 300 Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. They vary enormously in size and complexity from: less than one to more than 50 full-time equivalent staff less than $5,000 expenditure to more than $3 million expenditure from a one room office open a few hours per week to large multipurpose Centres. They employ approximately 2,500 staff working the equivalent of approximately 1,400 full-time equivalent positions. They have approximately 7,400 volunteers (excluding management committee members) working the equivalent of 600 full-time equivalent positions. Services to individuals, families, organisations and communities The Centres provide services to individuals, families, organisations and communities. They offer an enormously wide variety of activities based on: local circumstances local needs and availability of funding. See page 6 for a detailed list of services. LCSA The Local Community Services Association (LCSA) is the peak body for Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. Annual Censuses of Centres and their work LCSA has undertaken a census of Centres each year from 1996 to 2000. Each year the focus for the Census has been different so over several years a more comprehensive picture of Centres is built up. In 1996 the Census provided an overview of Centres, projects and activities. In 1997 it focussed on some service users and social capital In 1998 it focussed on staff (and social capital), computers and information technology. In 1999 it focussed on providing an overview of Centres and developing a more detailed description of the relationship between Centres and the Community Services Grants Program (CSGP) The 2000 Census focussed on: - Pressures on small organisations - Computers and IT - CSGP funded activities See Section 6 Further census information for more details of previous census data. The 2000 Census information This is a summary of the main findings from the 2000 Census of Neighbourhood and Community Centres. It incorporates data from previous Censuses in order to paint a fuller picture of Centres and their services in NSW. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 3

2. Centres & services Origins Neighbourhood and Community Centres have existed in NSW since at least 1961. They grew along with the movements for self help, resident action and welfare rights. Neighbourhood and Community Centres reflect the move away from dependence on traditional welfare towards disadvantaged people and communities participating in the decisions which affect their lives. Philosophy All Neighbourhood and Community Centres share some common principles and philosophies about their purpose or role: affirmative action towards disadvantaged people and groups local participation and control community development role. The activities of Neighbourhood and Community Centres depend on: each community's needs and characteristics community priorities at the time the availability of resources - money, people, facilities and equipment the existence and work of other service providers previous work on the issue or concern. % of Centres 60 50 40 30 20 10 Size of Centres Management Structures While most Centres (88%) are incorporated community managed organisations in their own right some have other management structures: 3% are part of a church or charity - with no advisory committee 2% are part of a church or charity - with an advisory committee 5% are part of local government 2% have some other structure. Geographic coverage The geographic area covered by Centres varies from Centre to Centre. 37% of Centres cover a suburb or groups of suburbs (but less than an LGA) 48% cover Local Government Areas (LGAs) 16% cover regions larger than LGAs. Size Neighbourhood and Community Centres vary enormously in size from less than one full-time equivalent staff member to more than 50 full-time equivalent staff members. One useful way of describing their size is to divide them into four groups based on full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing. Size FTE Staffing Number % of Centres of Centres Small less than one FTE 65 21 Medium 1 to 5 FTE 166 54 Large 5 to 15 FTE 59 19 Very Large 15+ FTE 18 6 Total 308 100 0 Small Medium Large Very Large 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 4

Urban/Country Approximately 58% of the Centres are in urban areas (greater Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong) and 42% in country areas (rest of NSW). The proportion of Centres of each size in urban and country areas is: Size Urban County % % Small 12 22 Medium 57 58 Large 24 17 Very Large 8 3 Total 100 100 Small Centres are more likely to be in the country. Very Large Centre are more likely to be urban. Language Some Centres (21%) provide services in languages other than English. 19% provide telephone information and referral in a language other than English 19% run groups in a language other than English Some of the more common languages include Spanish, Arabic, Italian and Chinese. Other languages include Greek, Russian, Vietnamese and Indonesian. Aboriginal Staff 10% of Centres employ aboriginal staff. 5% of Centres specifically employ Aboriginal staff to work with Aboriginal people in the local communities. Staff and Volunteers Staff Centres employ approximately 2,400 staff. 18 % are full-time 49% are part-time 33% are casual. These staff work the equivalent of approximately 1,400 full-time positions. Volunteers in Census week 82% of Centres use volunteers. These Centres have approximately 7,400 volunteers (not including management/ advisory committee members). These volunteers work the equivalent of approximately 600 full-time equivalent positions. Premises Most Centres (64%) use one premise. The number of premises varies with the size of the Centre. Size Mid 50% of Centres Small 1 premises Medium 1 to 2 premises Large 1 to 3 premises Very Large 2 to 4 premises Centres have been using their current premises for: % Centres Years 25% 4 years or less 50% 4 to 14 years 25% 14 years or more The approximate office floor area (in square metres) and outdoor area (sq m) for the principal premises is: Rents Size Office Outdoor square metres Small 31 0 Medium 84 30 Large 165 50 Very large not available Rents vary enormously. The median rent (ie the rent at which half the Centres pay this rent or less and half pay this rent or more) and the average rent is Size Median Average Small $ 72 $220 Medium $100 $350 Large $324 $580 Very large not available The median is much lower than the average because of the large number of Centres paying little or no rent. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 5

Services provided by Centres Centres provide an enormous range of services. The following table shows the approximate percentage of Centres (rounded to the nearest 5%) providing each type of service. % of Centres Type of Service A. Information advice and referral 90% a. Information, advice and referral B. Community development, policy development, social planning 80% a. Community/group development & support 30% b. Government policy development and social planning 40% c. Resource development C. Groups/courses/classes 55% a. Self help groups 65% b. Support groups 45% c. Social action/advocacy groups 64% d. Adult and community education groups/courses/classes 35% e. Pre-vocational/vocational groups/courses/classes D. Individual and family support 65% a. Telephone interviews/support 70% b. Face to face interviews in the office 25% c. Family Support Services 20% d. Financial counselling 40% e. Other counselling E. Emergency relief 30% a. Emergency relief and material assistance F. Child Care/Children 5% a. Long day care places/ Family day care / Pre-school 10% b. Occasional child care 20% c. Before and after school care 25% d. Vacation care 35% e. Play groups % of Centres Type of Service G. Accommodation and placement 5% a. Crisis accommodation 5% b. Other accommodation H. Youth / Young People 30% a. Youth club activities 10% b. Youth camps (during school holidays) I. Aged/Disability Services 15% a. Respite care 15% b. Home visits - HACC 10% c. Meals 10% d. Home maintenance and modification services. 20% e. Transport J. Transport 15% a. Transport (not specifically for aged people) K. Other 40% a. Other 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 6

Who comes to Centres in a typical week? The following table shows who comes to Centres in a typical week. For example, 18,500 adults come to groups/courses or classes organised and run by Centres. For activities run by the Centre 18,500 Adults attended groups/ courses/ classes organised and run by the Centre in Census week 16,600 Children attended groups/ courses/ classes organised and run by the Centre in Census week. 20,400 Other people came to the Centre in Census week for services organised/run by your Centre. For activities run by others 24,200 People came to the Centre in Census week for activities which are organised/run by others (ie not by the Centre) People telephoning the Centre 16,600 People telephoned the Centre in Census week for information and/or referral People using services at other locations 7,400 People used the services of the Centre at other locations, eg, in their own homes NESB and ATSI 25% Of the total people using Centres are from a non-english speaking background 5% Of the total people using Centres are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders Resources Centres have several sources of funds and resources. They use: their own funds government funding unpaid labour - either unpaid staff time of the time of volunteers in-kind support. Centres' Own Funds In 1999, the total expenditure of Centres was approximately $83.7 million. Of this total approximately $24.1million (28%) is made up of donations, fees and income generation. Government funding In 1999 government funding accounts for approximately $59.6 million of the total expenditure of $83.7 million ie. 72%. Unpaid Labour The financial expenditure of Centres underestimates their economic value because it ignores the unpaid contribution by staff and volunteers. Staff In 2000 staff were paid to work the equivalent of 1,400 full-time positions. Data from previous Census suggests staff work about 8% of their paid work time in an unpaid capacity ie. staff contribute the equivalent of 120 full-time positions on an unpaid basis. Volunteers More than 7, 400 volunteers (excluding management committee members) contribute the equivalent of more than 600 FTE positions ie. approximately the equivalent of 40% of the paid staff time. In-kind Support Centres also receive in-kind support such as subsidised rents and provision of equipment. In 1999 Centres estimated the value of inkind support as $3.4m ie. approximately 4% of their total expenditure. This is not included in their total expenditure. (See also page 15.) 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 7

3. Pressures on small organisations Small community organisations have identified many pressures on their activities in the past few years. Typically Neighbourhood and Community Centres are small organisations. In the 2000 Census Centre Coordinators were asked a series of questions about the pressures they are experiencing. The types and mix of pressures vary from Centre to Centre. The situation for Centres across NSW as a whole is: The biggest pressures Overall, Coordinators thought the most significant pressure on their organisation was: pressure from costs (eg, GST, rents, salaries, superannuation) Ranked 1 st by 41%, 2 nd by 20%, 3 rd by 7% The next two most significant pressures, they saw, in order of importance, were: pressures on management/ advisory committees (eg, role more complex, people with the skills have less time) Ranked 1 st by 14%, 2 nd by 23%, 3 rd by 18% inability to pay staff adequately to attract the skills and experience needed or to keep existing staff Ranked 1 st by 14%, 2 nd by 14%, 3 rd by 13% Other pressures included those from: program changes by funding bodies the high rate of constant change the development of a commercially competitive environment the breakdown of the collaborative environment within the network of services premises & lack of space. Pressures on costs The five principal pressures on costs seen by Coordinators, in order of overall priority, were: salary increases Ranked 1 st by 41%, 2 nd by 13%, 3 rd by 9% GST Ranked 1 st by 13%, 2 nd by 15%, 3 rd by 10% workers compensation insurance Ranked 1 st by 13%, 2 nd by 10%, 3 rd by 16% superannuation Ranked 1 st by 5%, 2 nd by 19%, 3 rd by 18% travel costs/ fuel Ranked 1 st by 7%, 2 nd by 9%, 3 rd by 12% Pressures on Management/ advisory committees Coordinators saw the pressures on management/advisory committees, in order of overall priority, were: the role of management committees is getting more complex Ranked 1 st by 31%, 2 nd by 25%, 3 rd by 10% people with skills have less time than they used to Ranked 1 st by 25%, 2 nd by 23%, 3 rd by 19% the liabilities of management committee members is increasing and so people are less willing to be involved Ranked 1 st by 13%, 2 nd by 16%, 3 rd by 26% people have less commitment to community management in principle Ranked 1 st by 10%, 2 nd by 10%, 3 rd by 6% 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 8

Pressures from government policies Coordinators saw the four biggest pressures from government policies were: increased paperwork and administration to document what is happening rather than providing services Ranked 1 st by 40%, 2 nd by 21%, 3 rd by 8% increased paperwork and administration in funding applications Ranked 1 st by 19%, 2 nd by 26%, 3 rd by 17% expecting non-profit organisations to be commercially motivated Ranked 1 st by 12%, 2 nd by 10%, 3 rd by 15% demands for performance indicators Ranked 1 st by 8%, 2 nd by 15%, 3 rd by 23% Pressures from inadequate premises Pressures from inadequate premises were seen as very significant. The biggest pressures from premises were seen as (in order of overall priority): significant lack of space Ranked 1 st by 44%, 2 nd by 12%, 3 rd by 3% run down or deteriorating premises Ranked 1 st by 10%, 2 nd by 19%, 3 rd by 7% increasing rents Ranked 1 st by 10%, 2 nd by 4%, 3 rd by 12% poorly visible/inappropriate location Ranked 1 st by 8%, 2 nd by 7%, 3 rd by 4% Other pressures included: Changes to local governments policy and practice re premises Changes to lease occupancy agreements Lack of space The overall size of the premises was seen as adequate for meeting current needs by about 46% of Centres and inadequate by 54% of Centres. % Adequate for meeting current needs 14 Yes, very adequate 32 Yes, adequate 35 No, inadequate 19 No, very inadequate 54% of Centres need more space. Coordinators answered the following question: Do you need more space in any of the following areas? % Yes 59 Office space 57 Meeting rooms 35 Counselling 26 Entrance/foyer 25 Kitchen 23 Outside space 21 Bathroom/toilets 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 9

Coordinators described the overall condition of their premises as: % Condition 7 Very run down 18 Run down 46 Average 25 Above average 4 New Ownership of premises The majority of premises used by Centres are owned by local Government: % Owner 65 Local government 10 Private business 9 State Government 5 Your organisation 1 Commonwealth Government 10 Other The type of owner does not make any significant difference to the state of the premises (ie run down, new, etc). Structural changes The pressures on Centres caused some Centres to look for structural changes such as amalgamations and winding up. Overall, during 1999 and 2000, 16 % of Centres considered amalgamating, handing funding over or winding up their operations. Amalgamations and/or closures In the past, 8% of existing Centres have amalgamated with other organisations. During 1999 or 2000, 10% of Centres have seriously considered amalgamating with another organisation. Hand funding over to another organisation During 1999 and 2000 8% of Centres have seriously considered handing their funding over to another organisation. Pressures to wind up Organisational culture - community centre/ government subcontractor Many of the pressures on small community organisations are impacting on the culture of the organisations and the way they work. Coordinators see there has been a shift from a community organisation culture to a government sub-contractor culture. Coordinators were asked to imagine there is a continuum from 1 to 10 between community organisation and government sub-contracting culture and then identify where they thought their Centres were at present and where they wanted to be. The following chart shows their responses. % Centres 60 50 40 30 20 10 Centres are here Want to be here 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Community Organisation Government Subcontractor Centres see themselves as spread along the continuum. 55% want some change in their situation: 50% want to move towards community organisation. Most of these want to get back to the 1 to 3 range on the scale. 5% want to move further towards government sub-contractor 45% of Centres want no change 45% of Centres want no change. They are where they want to be on the continuum. They are currently nearly all in the 1 to 5 part of the range. And 4% of Centres during 1999 or 2000 seriously considered winding up the organisation. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 10

4. Computers and IT The 1998 Census included questions on computers and IT. Similar questions were included in the 2000 Census. This section includes data from both Censuses, especially where the 2000 data is significantly different from the 1998 data. Who has computers? Most Centres have one or more computers. The 1% (3% in 1998) of Centres that do not have any computers are all Small. Most Centres (88%) have only IBM compatible PCs. 2 % use Apple Macintosh and 9% a mixture of the two. Computers and Centre Size There are significant differences between different sized Centres. For example: the only non-users are small Centres the bigger the Centre, the more important access to the Internet is the bigger the Centre, the more likely computers will be networked. the bigger the Centre, the more computers: - small Centres have on average 1.7 (1998 1.6) computers, - medium Centres 3.5 (1998 3.0) computers - large Centres 6.4 (1998 5.6) computers and - very large Centres an average of 15.2 (1998 13.9) computers. From 1998 to 2000 there has been an increase in the number of computers in Centres across all Centre sizes. Country and City There are very few differences between urban and country areas. For example there are no differences between: whether or not computers are used how important they see the use of Internet facilities how they rate the adequacy of their computers. Computer capability - ages of computers There are a wide range of types and ages of computers in use. Some Centres have new computers less than one year old; some Centres have computers 5 years old. % Age of computers 37 Less than 1 year 48 1 to 2 years 49 3 to 4 years 36 5 years or more While older computers can still function very well, they are not usually capable of running more recent software. For example a Pentium I with 32Meg of memory, which might have been bought five years ago will not adequately run recent versions of software packages without a memory upgrade Overall: one quarter of Centres only have computers that are 3 to 5 or more years old 8% have all of their computers 1 to 2 years old or less two thirds of Centres have a mix of older and newer computers. This is consistent with Centres overall rating of their own computer system: one third thought their system was hopelessly inadequate, inadequate or just gets them through 58% half thought their system was adequate to meet their current needs (up from 47% in 1998) 12% thought their system was great at meeting their current needs (down from 21% in 1998) 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 11

Just gets us through (20 ) Adequacy of Computer systems to meet current needs Hopelessley inadequate (4 ) Inadequate (7 ) Auxiliary Equipment Great (12 ) Adequate (58 ) Except for printers and scanners, Centres have minimal auxiliary equipment % Equipment 68 Colour Ink jet printer 41 Black and white laser 46 Scanner 2 Camera - linked to computer video conferencing) 6 Digital camera (stills) 4 Video camera (movies) Who users computers Most staff in Centres use computers % Users 6 Coordinator only 7 administrative staff only 32 most staff 55 all staff Networking Networking computers is a way of increasing their capabilities (giving one computer access to disk space on another computer) and increasing office efficiency (for example allowing people to share documents without constant disk-swapping). 85% of Centres have more than one computer, however only one third of these are networked. Centres are underutilising computer networking. Internet Access In the past three years there have been such enormous changes on the Internet that access to the Internet can now bring real benefits: the use of email can improve communication there are extensive relevant resources on the Internet, eg. community development, social capital, generating income, sources of funding, legislation there are databases of local community resources for many areas. Given this, Centres do not have adequate access to the Internet 68% (1998 44%) have an email address 47% (1998 32%) have access to the World Wide Web. For the 15% of Centres which do not have access to the Internet the reasons are: costs of connection are too high (all 15%) no access to sufficient technical knowledge or expertise (half of the 15%) other reasons(half of the 15%) Of those who do have access to the Internet, about half use it in their work on a daily basis and have a separate phone line for Internet access. 13% of Centres have their own Home Page. 6% use a cable connection. Coordinators home access Two thirds of coordinators have some internet access from home. Uses % Type of Access 48 an email address 41 the World Wide Web 38 none Centres use computers for a variety of purposes. Between two thirds and four fifths of Centres use computers for each of: layout and design of leaflets newsletters or other publications preparing financial reports 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 12

preparing monthly statistics for the management committee or funders for maintaining a data base for service users or members. Half of the Centres use computers for: data bases for resources and services in the local area To do this they use standard computer packages such as word processing, spreadsheets, accounting, databases and presentation. Some Centres 23% (1998 17%) use specialised computer packages. There are more than 20 different packages in use. However very few Centres use the same package. Staff training This is how Coordinators saw the current and 1998 levels of staff knowledge and skills. % % Skills 2000 1998 8 12 most of us muddle our way around with difficulty 62 66 most of us are computer literate enough for the day to day tasks we need to undertake - we are OK 41 50 we don't use our computers anywhere near their full capabilities 33 50 at least one of us has really good computer skills 6 10 we feel we are on the cutting edge of computer use in Neighbourhood and Community Centres 26 38 we need heaps more staff training While there have been some improvements since 1998 there is still room for significant improvements in staff training. A quarter of Centres indicated staff need heaps more staff training and 40% of the Centres indicated they don t use their computers to anywhere near their full capacity. One third of the Centres thought that at least one staff member had really good computer skills (and two thirds of Centres didn t think this.) This is down from 50% in 1998. This reduction may be because of the increasing complexity of computers and their uses which in turns brings an apparent reduction in relative skill levels. Service Users A majority of Centres (55%) allow service users access to their Centre s computer resources. Typical uses are: word processing/ typing job searching eg. resumes, applications education and training eg. assignments, research. Other uses included: understanding computers/ using software, recreation and Internet access. Major Issues The major issues Neighbourhood and Community Centres need to address are: staff with up-to-date skills and knowledge up-to-date hardware Internet access. Resources Addressing these three issues will require resources. In the Census Centres estimated the amount of money needed on computer equipment and training. They also indicated the amount of money they had budgeted to spend. On average the amount of money each size of Centre was short was: Size $ short $ short 1998 2000 Small Centres -1,350-2,900 Medium Centres -3,400-4,000 Large Centres -5,000-4,900 Very Large Centres -7,500-13,500 Further research would be necessary to establish the relative proportions of recurrent and capital needs. However, given there are 308 Centres the total amount Centres were short in 1998 was $1.1 million and in 2000 was $1.4 million 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 13

5. CSGP funded activities Government funding for neighbourhood centres Early Years NSW Government funding began with small seeding grants in the late 1960s and was boosted by Australian Federal Government funding through the Australian Assistance Program (AAP). The AAP emphasised the development of local initiatives and participation. The number of Neighbourhood and Community Centres steadily increased as funds were made available for them. The Department of Youth and Community Services (which became the Department of Family and Community Services and is now the Department of Community Services) funded 32 Centres in 1977. In 1978, this rose to 59, increasing to 143 Neighbourhood and Community Centres by 1984-85. Many early Neighbourhood and Community Centres began as Community Aid Centres, Citizens Advice Bureaux or Community Information Centres. The Neighbourhood Centre Program From 1976 the Department operated a specific Neighbourhood Centre funding Programme. This was amalgamated with the Community Information Centres Programme in 1980 - Neighbourhood and Community Centres came under both. CSGP In 1991, Neighbourhood and Community Centre funding was incorporated into the Community Services Grants Program (CSGP) which funds a range of community services. Neighbourhood Centres receive approximately $18.3m from the CSGP in 1999. Context - multiple sources of government funding The total expenditure of Centres in 1999 was approximately $83.7m. The total government funding is approximately $59.6m. Of this CSGP funding is approximately $18.3m The CSGP funding is 22% of Centres total expenditure and 30% of government funding. Most Centres receive government funding from multiple sources. In 1999 the situation was: Number of funding programs % 0 4 1 20 2 25 3 14 4 14 5 10 6+ 13 Total 100 Centres 4% of Centres receive no local, state or federal government funding. 76% of Centres receive funding from two or more government funding programs. 23% of Centres receive funding from five or more government funding programs. The three most common sources of funds for Centres are: the Community Services Grants Program (77% of Centres) Home and Community Care (30% of Centres) Department of Family and Community Services (28% of Centres). 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 14

Resource inputs to Centres Resource inputs into centres include government funding, unpaid staff time, volunteers time, in kind support (e.g., subsidised rents) and income generation including fees and donations. The following chart is an estimate of the relative contributions of these inputs to Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. Resource inputs into Centres Financial, voluntary time and in-kind inputs Income genertion, fees, etc (18.00%) CSGP funding (14.00%) In kind support (3.00%) Staff unpaid time (5.00%) Other govt funding (34.00%) Volunteers inputs (26.00%) CSGP Funding s Role in Centre The CSGP is one of DoCS funding programs from which Centres receive funds. Because Centres vary enormously in size and complexity eg. from less than the equivalent of one full-time staff person to more than 50, the role of CSGP funding varies from Centre to Centre. The 1999 Census data showed that: About 25% of Centres receive no CSGP funding. For 21% of Centres the CSGP funding is the Centre s only source of funding - it funds everything they do. 13% of Centres have multiple sources of funding and the CSGP funding primarily provides only for core operations eg. employment of Coordinator, rent, Bookkeeper, telephones, etc. 11% of Centres have multiple sources of funding and the CSGP funding primarily provides only for direct or indirect services eg. counselling, groups, information and referral, community development, resource development. 30% of Centres have multiple sources of funding and the CSGP funding primarily provides for BOTH core operations eg. employment of Coordinator and direct or indirect services eg. counselling, groups. The most common programs The four most common CSGP Programs that Centres receive funding from are: Sub-program % of Centres Neighbourhood Centres 56 Community Youth Project - General 18 Community Development General 15 Family Support 10 CSGP Funded Services & Activities The CSGP funding is used to provide many different kinds of services. The TABLE over the page shows: Column A Column B Column C The percentage of Centres with CSGP funding having the service/activity The amount of the activity funded by the CSGP - this indicates the approximate level of activity The activity. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 15

What the CSGP Funds (and the % of Centres receiving CSGP funds providing each service type) A B C % of Centres Amount Activity Direct services & activities funded by CSGP Information and Referral (less than 10 minutes) 96% 10-13,000 Number of telephone information and referral contacts in Census Week (less than 10 minutes). 92% 7-9, 000 Number of face to face information and referral contacts in Census Week (less than 10 minutes). Interviews - in the office 80% 2,100-2,400 Number of one to one (face to face or telephone) interviews (10 to 30 minutes) in Census Week. 65% 1,100-1,600 Number of one to one (face to face or telephone) interviews (30 minutes or more) in Census Week. Interviews - Home Visits 15% 100-200 Number of one to one interviews/visits (less than 30 minutes) in home in Census Week. 20% 200-300 Number of one to one interviews/visits (30 minutes or more) in home in Census Week. Groups - run in Census Week 60% 400-500 Self Help Groups - Number of groups run by the members where the purpose of the group is for the benefit of the members (eg. AA group). 65% 450-550 Support Groups - Number of groups run by a leader or coordinator outside the members where the purpose of the group is for the benefit of the group members (eg. Domestic Violence support group). 40% 200-300 Social Action/Advocacy Groups - Number of groups meeting to fix social problems, change social structures, improve their community (eg. to get a bus route changed or to reduce the levels of airport noise). 58% 500-570 Adult and Community Education Groups/Courses - Number of education groups/courses where adults of any age learn out of personal interest, often there are no exams or assessments. People often value meeting others with similar interests. Flexible and non-compulsory. 36% 190-200 Pre-Vocational/Vocational Groups/Courses - Number of courses/groups that help people to get a job, or help people to get further training to get a job. Emergency relief and material assistance 35% 900-1100 Number of one to one practical assistance sessions (eg. financial aid) in Census Week. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 16

What the CSGP Funds (contd) (& the % of Centres receiving CSGP funds providing each service) A B C % of Centres Amount Activity Youth / young people 35% 2,600-4,400 Number of people attending youth club activities in Census Week. 3% 50-270 Number of youth camp places (during the last school holidays). Transport 30% 1,600-2,000 Number of people receiving transport in Census Week(not HACC) Child Care/Children 15% 550-750 Occasional child care - average number of children per day in Census Week. 17% 2,000-2,500 Before and after school care places - average number of children per day in Census Week. 24% 1,700-2,500 Vacation care - average number of children attending vacation care program per day (during the last school holidays). 40% 2,900-3000 Play groups - average number of children attending per week in Census Week. B) Indirect services and activities funded by CSGP Community/community group development and support 70% 1,700 Number of staff hours spent in Census Week in community/group development that are not counted in or part of the direct services above - community action, lobbying (eg. getting a new bus route), analysis of social policy, enhancing cultural identity of communities. Government policy development and social planning 60% 900-920 Number of staff hours spent in policy development and social planning in Census Week that are not counted in or part of the direct services above - development of government policy for community services and development of programs and plans for the provision of community services eg. DoCS, Council. Resource development 67% 900-990 Number of staff hours in resource development in Census Week that are not counted in or part of the direct services above eg. development of a training program, developing a new residents kit. C) Management and administration funded by CSGP Fundraising 30% 260-400 Number of staff hours in fundraising in Census Week - not Management/administration included in any of the above direct or indirect service. 93% 3,500-3,900 Number of staff hours in management and/or administration in Census Week- not included in any of the above. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 17

6. Further census information Background The Local Community Services Association has undertaken a Census of Centres each year from 1996 to 2000. Each year the Census has a different focus so over several years a wide range of data is collected about Centres in NSW. The 2000 Census Process The key steps in the 2000 Census were: Design of the questionnaire Mailing out the questionnaires to all the Centres in NSW (November 2000) Mail and fax follow-up of those Centres that did not return questionnaires on time (December 2000 & January 2001) Collation and checking of the data (January & February 2000) Analysis and report writing (March to April 2000). 182 Centres out of a possible 308 Centres completed Census Forms (60%). Because of the timing of the Census there was less follow-up of late returns than in previous years. These centres are a mix of large and small, country and city across all of NSW. They are a good representative sample of the 308 Centres. (Previous years data is available on all Centres and this data is used to improve the basis on which one estimates from the sample of 182 Centres to the 308 Centres.) Limitations In using this report keep the following in mind: a) It is only a report on some aspects of the work of Centres. See reports from previous years to build out a fuller picture of Centres and their work. b) Typically the data presented in this paper are estimates for the whole of NSW. c) There is not a standardised Centre. Each Centre is to some extent unique. Previous Census Information 1996 Census The 1996 Census provided an overview of all the Centres in NSW, the projects they operate and the services they provide. Neighbourhood and Community Centres, This is What we Do, prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA, 1997. 104 pages plus Appendices (including data collection forms and codes). Hard Copy Available from LCSA. 1997 Census The 1997 Census focussed on some of the Centres' users and social capital: people who telephone Centres for information and referral people who come to Centres for face to face interviews group participants (and social capital) and volunteers (and social capital). Building Community, Providing Services (1998), prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA, 1997. 97 pages plus Appendices (including data collection forms and codes) Hard copy available from LCSA. (16 page summary available from LCSA and on the Internet at www.mapl.com.au/e.htm) 1998 Census The 1998 Census included: a brief overview of Centres a survey of staff (and social capital) a survey of computers and information technology. Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW, Census Data 1996 to 1998. Prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA 1999-20 pages. Available from LCSA. Also available on the Internet at www.mapl.com.au/e.htm 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 18

Staff in Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW, 1998 prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA. 4 pages in hard copy available from LCSA plus 7 page Appendix available on the Internet at www.mapl.com.au/e.htm Computers in Neighbourhood and community Centres in NSW 1998 prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA. 4 pages in hard copy available from LCSA plus 6 page Appendix available on the Internet at www.mapl.com.au/e.htm Social Capital: Family Support Services and Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW Prepared by Paul Bullen for LCSA and FSSA (the Family Support Services Association of NSW) 36 pages. Hard Copy available from LCSA. Also available on the Internet at www.mapl.com.au/a12.htm. The Internet version has links to other relevant studies and sites. 1999 Census The 1999 Census focussed on: providing an overview of Centres providing an overview of government funding to Centres developing a more detailed description of the relationship between Centres and the Community Services Grants Program (CSGP) The 1999 Census, Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. Prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA. 32 pages in hard copy available from LCSA. 2000 Census More information - some specific topics The previous Census publications hold a wealth of information about Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. Some points of interest are: A list of the 308 Centres The 1999 Census Report (pp 28-30). Detailed analysis of data estimates and data limitations The 1999 Census report (pp 23-24). For stories and descriptions of what Centres do, how services users see Centres See each of the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 Census reports. There are a large number of stories, case studies, client interviews included in each of these reports. Neighbourhood Centres and Social Capital See Social Capital: Family Support Services and Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW, 1999. Profiles of service users For profiles of telephone callers, face to face interviewees and group participants see Building Community, Providing Services, 1997. The 2000 Census focussed on: pressures on small organisations computers and IT CSGP funded activities. The 2000 Census, Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. Prepared by Paul Bullen and published by LCSA. 20 pages in hard copy available from LCSA. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 19

7. Highlights Centres and services There are 308 Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW. The Centres provide services to individuals, families, organisations and communities. They offer an enormously wide variety of services and activities. The Centres employed approximately 2,500 staff working the equivalent of approximately 1,400 full-time equivalent positions. The Centres have approximately 7,400 volunteers (not including management committee members) working the equivalent of 600 full-time equivalent positions. The Centres total expenditure was approximately $83.7 million in 1998/99. Of this approximately $59.6m was from government funding of which 18.3m was from the CSGP. Centres vary enormously in size and complexity from less than one to more than 50 full-time equivalent staff and from less than $5,000 expenditure to more than $3 million expenditure. Pressures on Centres Small organisations, including Neighbourhood and Community Centres are facing considerable pressures from: costs pressures on management/advisory committees an inability to pay staff adequately to attract the skills and experience needed or to keep existing staff. Cost pressures include salary increases, GST, workers compensation insurance, superannuation and travel/fuel costs. Other significant pressures are those from changes in government policies including increased paperwork and administration. Premises Just over half the Centres see their current premises as inadequate for meeting their current needs. Some of the pressures relating to premises are: significant lack of space run down or deteriorating premises increasing rents poorly visible/inappropriate location. Organisational culture community centre - government contractor The many pressures on Centres has caused in many Centres a shift from organisational cultures of community centre to one of government subcontractor. 50 % of Centres want to see their Centre have a significant shift back towards being a community organisation (away from being a government subcontractor ). Computers and IT The use of computers and information technology has increased in the past 2 years. However Centres still have inadequate computers and staff training to meet their needs. For example: 25% of Centres think they need heaps more staff training one third of Centres do not have internet access centres need an additional $1.4m per year to meet training and capital equipment costs. LCSA Web site 98% of Centres think it would be a good idea for LCSA to have a web site where it was possible to access information on all neighbourhood and community centres in NSW. 2000 Census - Neighbourhood and Community Centres in NSW 20