The combined health and community services industry is Queensland’s largest employer, providing jobs for 282,854 people or 12.2% of the state’s total labour market as at February 2012. Queensland workers make up 20.9% of the Australian health and community services workforce, which is similar to Queensland’s share of the national workforce in all industries (20.4%). It is estimated that approximately 58.7% of the health and community services workforce is employed in Hospitals, Medical and Other Health Care Services (health industry), and 41.3% work in Residential Care Services and Social Assistance Services (community services industry).
The health and community services industry:
The health and community services industry includes a large variety of sectors whose primary goal is to support individual and community well-being through a range of care, support, education, welfare and related services. These industries exist in every community throughout Queensland, providing services across the population, often focussing on meeting the needs of the sick, frail, vulnerable and at-risk members of the community. The following are just some of the sectors that make up the two industries:
Health Industry:
Hospitals, Primary Health, Oral Health, Allied Health, Mental Health, Community Health, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health, Alternative and Complementary Health.
Community Services Industry:
Youth Services, Early Childhood Education and Care, Disability Services, Mental Health Services, Aged and Community Care Services, Emergency Services, Counselling and Mediation Services, Family and Domestic Violence Services.
Primary health care is commonly viewed as the first level of care or as the entry point to the health care system for consumers. In addition, primary health care is increasingly being seen as all health care services provided outside the hospital.
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The health care workforce incorporates a range of vocations operating in different industry settings; medical practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals (physiotherapists, dieticians, occupational therapists, social workers, indigenous health workers, etc) and other occupations, working in hospitals and other institutional settings.
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Community Services represent approximately 41% of the Health and Community Services workforce in Australia. In Queensland, Community Services employs approximately 114,100 workers as at May 2011, or 4.9% of the Queensland workforce.
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The aged and community care sector provides accommodation, support and care services to older people in need and younger people with a disability. Services in this sector include nursing homes, hostels, respite centres, home care and nursing services, retirement villages, independent living units and seniors' housing. Some services are also provided specifically for the carers of older people or younger people with a disability.
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Child protection services in Queensland can be divided into three service platforms. Primary or universal services, providing for all children and families; secondary services, targeted at families at higher risk or in need of additional support and tertiary services, designed to respond to abuse or neglect in situations where children have been harmed or are in immediate danger of harm.
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Children's services are provided by a variety of private, not-for-profit and a small number of government organisations across Queensland. These range from small facilities with only limited staff, to some of Queensland's largest employers who operate many services across the state and employ hundreds of workers.
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Mental health disorders are the largest single cause of disability within Australia, accounting for nearly 30% of the burden of non-fatal disease, and projections to 2023 indicate that mental illness is expected to remain the largest contributor to the prevalence of disability until age 60.
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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 17.9% of Queenslanders, or just less than 1 in every 5 people have a disability. Over 150 000 Queenslanders have a severe disability and require help or assistance with self-care, mobility or communication needs.
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The Social and Community Housing sector provides accommodation, support and care services to homeless high need and low income earners throughout Queensland through the National Affordable Housing Agreement (NAHA). Although the size of the sector (including its workforce) is unclear, it has grown exponentially in the last few years.
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Youth services provide support and/or advocacy for people 25 years and younger. This can include planning for youth wellbeing, early intervention and prevention services for at-risk young people, and youth support coordination services.
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