ABOUT US

The Italian Australian Welfare Association (Granite Belt) Inc. (IAWA) is a community based not for profit organisation and is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (GDR) ABN 30 913 308 861. We are able to accept donations. These donations are tax deductible to you.


IAWA Home Care is run by a voluntary management committee comprised of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.


As a local community organisation our focus is on providing personalised service to our clients in our community. We care about you and see you as part of our local family.

There is a significant presence of both Italian born and Italian descendants in our community and resultantly, it became apparent that there were a number of cultural and/or linguistic barriers to accessing mainstream health services. In 1993, the IAWA was formed in answer to the need within the Stanthorpe and Granite Belt communities.


Since its establishment, IAWA has built extensive networks and established collaborative partnerships with key service providers within the health sector. This has been done to support and enhance access to key health services including Aged Care services. Significant social support has also been delivered to vulnerable members of the community.


Our services have expanded over time, and while this initial focus on our unique cultural heritage has always influenced the way we deliver our services, we welcome clients from all backgrounds.


The IAWA is an accredited Aged Care provider. We have been successful in receiving funding to deliver domestic assistance for the aged and to establish a Community Visitor Scheme (CVS) providing additional support by way of in home visits to consumers and in some cases in aged care facilities.


In addition to the above we have undertaken a number of major projects aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of our community. The most recent being the publication of a collection of recipes from our consumer group and supporters which was published under the name of “Mangiare Da Amici” which was a huge success. We are currently working on obtaining funding for Version II which will also have a focus on sustainable foods.

There is a significant presence of both Italian born and Italian descendants in our community and resultantly, it became apparent that there were a number of cultural and/or linguistic barriers to accessing mainstream health services. In 1993, IAWA was formed in answer to the need within the Stanthorpe and Granite Belt communities.


Since its establishment, IAWA Home Care has built extensive networks and established collaborative partnerships with key service providers within the health sector. This has been done to support and enhance access to key health services including Aged Care services. Significant social support has also been delivered to vulnerable members of the community.


Our services have expanded over time, and while this initial focus on our unique cultural heritage has always influenced the way we

deliver our services, we welcome clients from all backgrounds.


IAWA Home Care is an accredited Aged Care provider. We currently deliver services via the government funded Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and the government subsidised Home Care Package (HCP) scheme. Eligibility for both programs requires approval from My Aged Care following an assessment of an individual’s care needs.


In addition to the above we have undertaken a number of major projects aimed at preserving the cultural heritage of our community. The most recent being the publication of a collection of recipes from our consumer group and supporters which was published under the name of “Mangiare Da Amici” which was a huge success.

OUR HISTORY

IAWA was formed in 1993, following consultations with the wider non-English speaking community predominantly in the Granite Belt (centred on the town of Stanthorpe, which identified significant linguistic and cultural barriers to access to mainstream health services as well as a lack of social support.


In 1995, IAWA received non recurrent funding from the Home and Community Care (HACC) program to establish the Granite Belt Ethnic Health Liaison Service and the employment of an Ethnic Health liaison Officer.


In 1996, IAWA participated in the state-wide "Strategies for Diversity" pilot project. The Council of the Ageing Queensland (COTAQ) subsequently contracted an independent researcher to conduct a formal evaluation of the projects participating in this pilot. This together with the "Strategies for Diversity" evaluation report, released in 1997, recommended recurrent funding be provided to continue the Granite Belt Ethnic Liaison Service. Recurrent funding has continued to the present day and is now received through the Australian Government Department of Health.


2020

Since 2020 we have successfully introduced the management and delivery of Home Care Packages obtained from My Aged Care.


2023

On the 01st of December 2023, we established a Quality Care Advisory Body. The purpose of the body is to support, inform and make suggestions to the management committee in relation to the quality of our service delivery in order to best support our clients.


We are committed to providing a positive culture by improving transparency and accountability. Therefore, each year we extend an invitation to our clients and their representatives to become involved in a Consumer Advisory Body. The Consumer Advisory Body provides valuable feedback to the management committee and gives our consumers the opportunity to have a voice.


We will continue to focus on developing new and innovative ways to enhance our services in the best interest of our clients while maintaining our uniqueness as a provider that delivers personalised care.


Our entire management team regard our clients as members of our family and maintains regular contact with each client. This ensures that our organisation is always understanding of and responsive to your needs. All decisions are made locally.