The SUC is located in a shared facility building with the Carnarvon Drug and Alcohol Unit in the Carnarvon Health Precinct. The SUC has been operating four nights per week between the hours of 1600 and 0800 from Wednesday to Saturday evenings and generally admissions to the centre cease from 0200am.
The SUC operates with 4 permanent staff, 2 males and 2females with some 4 others registered as relief staff. The centre aims to have its staff ethnicity reflect that of the community we serve.
During the 2022-year Covid continued to create a significant impact on the client numbers for the centre. The SUC has operated under a strict policy of covid testing for all clients who seek admission, and this had an impact with approximately some 10% to 15% of those seeking admission leaving rather than going through the testing process. Interestingly not one client who has continued with the admission process failed the covid test.
During the 2022 period the clients were either self-referring or referred by the hospital, police or other local agencies.
Partnerships
Over the past few months, the centre has taken steps increase the outside hours usage of the centre with Central West TAFE using our centre for “Home Care” training purposes and the Avivo group using the centre to assist the disabled in developing their cooking and domestic chores skills.
Overall, I believe our community still benefits considerably from our service and we have staff and managers who are dedicated in handling the challenges and opportunities our service commands.
This year CFSS WA has partnered with Central Regional TAFE who use the building during daytime hours to run their Home Care Program and on alternative days AVIVO also uses the facility to assist their clients in developing their cooking and domestic chores skills.
