CHSP Transition and Reform Q and A Portal

Michael Fine (PhD) is an Honorary Professor at Macquarie University with well over 40 years research and teaching experience in the fields of ageing, care, social policy and community development. He is a strong supporter of the CHSP and for community based initiatives in aged care, and an advocate for carers, volunteers and older people who need to rely on support to remain at home.    

His first research was concerned with the development of aged care services in South West Sydney in 1976.  Since then he has focussed much of his research and publications on residential and home based care for seniors in Australia and internationally.  Most recently he has led an Australian Research Council (ARC) initiative concerning the development of an Australian Measure of Outcomes in Community Care (ACCOM).   

Michael’s research continues to address local, national and international developments in aged care; links between formal and informal support; the experience of informal carers; changing approaches to service delivery, including issues of funding, planning and consumer engagement; social change and care including migration, demography, individualisation and community.

Anita Hanna is Director Policy and Programs at Western Sydney Community Forum and is part of the sector support and development team as a social policy and reform specialist. She leads projects and teams to deliver outcomes for the community and the industry across greater Western Sydney. She has worked in operational and strategic leadership roles across the community and human services sector for more than 20 years. She has worked in social policy and project management in community development, mental health, disability, housing and settlement sectors, within academia, in local and state government, and non-government organisations. She is experienced in leading significant social change and reform including transition of NSW disability services to the NDIS in which she held a NDIS Coordination role and was a conduit to communication between NSW and the Commonwealth via NDIA regions. NDIS Coordination aimed to promote a smooth transition of clients to deliver outcomes for all involved – consumers, their carers and loved ones, providers, planners and policy/decision makers – and enable early identification of issues in the reform. Anita had a focus on NSW Sydney and NSW Central NDIS regions as well as clients with more complex needs such as people with disability engaged with the criminal justice system and people with co-morbid disability and mental ill-health. 

Jane Mears is a lifelong researcher, teacher and activist with over 40 years’ experience working with communities in Western Sydney on collaborative, participatory, action research, projects. She has specialist knowledge and experience in utilising qualitative research methods and in comparative social policy analysis. She has a strong research record, with experience leading local, national, and international projects on aged care, disability, dementia, mental health, informal carers, care workers, violence against older women and casual work in Higher Education. She also has lived experience, with a chronic, debilitating, lung condition and has been receiving home care and support through the CHSP, for the past three years. 

Ms Kirsten Forrester has 30 years’ experience in finance and administration, including senior roles in the human services sector in NSW, with responsibility for finances, governance, human resources and industrial relations. She is an experienced voluntary director and treasurer and is passionate about for-purpose organisations having a clear understanding of their finances to inform management and governance decisions. Accounting For Good provides outsourced financial management services to non-profit and social enterprise organisations, from transactional bookkeeping through to CFO level strategic support and advice.