Interim Evaluation of the Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Aged Care Workforce Development Projects - Attachments
4.7 Belyuen
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4.7.1 Community
Belyuen, also known as Delissaville or Dellissaville, is a small community located on the eastern side of the Cox Peninsula, approximately 20 km south of Mandorah. The population is approx 237 and at the 2006 Census, the main languages spoken in the community were English (67%), Anmatyerr (10%) and Marrangu (5%).Belyuen was established in 1941 to move several other Indigenous groups, including the Larrakia and a number of Daly River language groups, inland from the coast109. Until the community became self-managing in 1979 and restored its original name, it was known to non-Indigenous people as Delissaville. However, Belyuen has always been known to Indigenous people by its traditional name, which means Rainbow Serpent110.
Although located inland on the Cox Peninsula, Belyuen people see themselves as sea people and most sacred or named sites are located on or near the shore. In particular, Belyuen people have strong totemic and linguistic ties to the Daly River111. Many Belyuen people continue to live in a traditional way, hold knowledge of the Dreaming in relation to particular sacred sites, and often perform ceremonial activities at such sites.
Governance is the responsibility of Belyuen Community Government Council.
The community has all essential services including a primary school, general store, community health centre, aged care service, crèche and airstrip. The police station is located at Humpty Doo, 87.5 kms from Belyuen. At the 2006 Census, 49 residents of Belyuen were in the labour force, with 88% of these people engaged in paid employment, mostly in positions related to the services within the community.
The Community Health Centre provides primary health care services to Belyuen residents. A deliberate effort has always been made by health centre staff to take account of local social values and religious beliefs, and Aboriginal learning styles. There is also emphasis on communicating about health and disease between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health care workers and the wider community. A dentist makes ten one-day visits each year and a physiotherapist visits fortnightly112.
4.7.2 Aged Care Service
Imabulk Aged Care provides meals, transport and social support to 10 CACP and 18 HACC clients; three clients live at the centre in supported accommodation. The staff is stable, having worked at the service for some time. In addition, there are close family links between the staff at the service. Staff said that they hadn’t really changed the way that they did things following training as they had experience and support from the coordinator already. In addition, the care needs of the clients remained the same, so there was no need to provide extensive personal care support or other services at this stage.4.7.3 Pre-Training Telephone Interview
Imabulk Aged Care has seven staff, including one coordinator. At present, three staff are in converted CEDP positions and three are current CDEP workers. All staff, apart from the coordinator are Indigenous.At the time of the pre-training interview, 16 hours of training had been delivered by the RTO. All three of the converted CDEP workers and the coordinator had attended training to date. It is anticipated that of the total staff, at least the three converted CDEP workers and the coordinator will attend the rest of training.
The coordinator suggested that the key areas of training required were general aged care, dementia and first aid. This supports the feedback given by RTO during the same period, which reported that all four staff had completed CHCAC319A Provide Support to People Living with Dementia. The RTO also suggested that the main areas for training were dementia and personal care, as most staff had just completed a food services course with Batchelor University.
The coordinator also suggested that given her many years of experience in aged care, it would be applicable to be RPLd for Certificate III in Aged Care.
This service has reported that the CDEP conversion process has made little difference, given the quality of the CDEP workers to begin with.
- Coordinator: I was lucky. I had three good workers from the start. They did everything that was asked of them from day dot. When the conversion came, nothing changed. They were still as reliable and caring as they were before and still are. I could not do without them.
At the time of the pre-training interview six workers were spoken with. All three converted CDEP workers were present as well as three current CDEP workers. During the interview all six workers expressed their enthusiasm for participating in the rest of the training schedule.
4.7.4 Post-Training Site Visit
At the time of site visit, the following training had been delivered.CHCAC319A - Provide Support to People Living with Dementia - 4 achieved a statement of attainment
HLTFA301B - Apply First Aid - 2 achieved a statement of attainment
CHCAC318A - Work Effectively with Older People - 7 achieved a statement of attainment
CHCOHS312A - Follow safety procedures for direct care work - 7 participated and five achieved a statement of attainment
109. Povinelli E 1992 Where we gana go now: foraging practices and their meanings among the Belyuen Australian Aborigines Human Ecology vol 20 no 2 pp 169–202
110. Brandl M and E Tilley 1981 Marching to a different drum: the uses of anthropology in the Belyuen Health Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies Working Paper Australian National University Canberra
111. Povinelli E 1993 Might be something: the language of indeterminacy in Australian Aboriginal land use Man vol 28 no 4 pp 679–704
112. Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies 2007 Belyuen Indigenous Community
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