DVA – New service delivery arrangements in the Toowoomba region

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) is moving to new service delivery arrangements in the Toowoomba region that will enable it to continue providing in-person support for local DVA clients.

This follows a community consultation undertaken between December 2015 and February 2016 in which DVA sought views from the veteran and ex-service communities and other stakeholders about the future of the standalone Veterans’ Access Network (VAN) shopfront in Toowoomba.

The current standalone Toowoomba VAN office will close on Friday 17 June, 2016.

From Monday 20 June 2016, a Veterans’ Information Service (VIS) will be available from Department of Human Services (DHS) staff members who will have DVA-specific training. These in-person services will be available from the DHS Toowoomba Service Centre from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

The address of the DHS Service Centre is:
12 Bell Street, Toowoomba.

The DHS Service Centre is located near parking and public transport. It will have DVA signage and a separate area for veterans and their families, as well as a private meeting room.

DVA will supplement the DHS in-person services by conducting regular outreach visits to the Toowoomba region. These will coincide with the ongoing On-Base Advisory Service (OBAS) visits to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) bases in Oakey and Cabarlah.

Rationale

More than 70 percent of contacts to DVA are now made by telephone, and visits to our VAN shopfronts have declined by 35 percent since 2009.

As property lease expiration dates for the VAN shopfronts approach, DVA has been reviewing the service delivery arrangements in each region and responding to the changing needs of the veteran community.

VIS arrangements similar to those being introduced in Toowoomba were implemented in regional NSW and Victoria in 2014. A recent evaluation of those arrangements demonstrates that the new service delivery model is working successfully.

Toowoomba Consultation Findings

Thirty-five items of feedback were considered by DVA during the consultation period.

Consultation feedback indicated that there was a preference for face-to-face services, particularly among older members of the veteran community. However, the feedback also demonstrated that the delivery of face-to-face services does not need to be provided through a standalone DVA shopfront.

The change to service delivery arrangements in Toowoomba ensures that clients will continue to receive services in-person.

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Michael Boyd
Advocate, Veteran Services Officer, | Veterans Services  | Veterans Services
RSL (Queensland Branch) | (07) 4687 4906 | 0428 249 140 | www.rslqld.org

Comments

  1. Please could you advise me of the services offered to DVA clients in the Toowoomba region through DHS and particularly whether individual and family counselling is offered.

    I am a Rehabilitation Consultant undertaking DVA case management work and would like to know what support services and social activities are on offer in the region.

    Many Thanks
    Vicky Lee

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