“THE HUB WAS ABLE TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING THIS YOUNG VETERAN AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO FOR AS LONG AS HE REQUIRES ASSISTANCE.”
The South Australian Veteran Partnerships Hub Located in the leafy and quiet suburb of Glenside in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs is a safe and welcoming environment with an important purpose. The Partnerships Hub, or “The Hub” as it is more affectionately known, was originally developed in response to recurring requests from the veteran community for a ‘one stop shop’ to be included in the model of care and facility design of the Jamie Larcombe Centre (JLC), formerly known as Ward 17 at the Repatriation General Hospital. Whilst The Hub is located adjacent to the JLC, it is not restricted for use only by patients but rather is open to any veteran and their family, support persons or carers. Its overarching purpose is to provide access to vital services offered by Ex-Service and Veteran Support Organisations (ESO’s and VSO’s) such as advocacy support, employment assistance and family support. The facility is also focused on enabling these organisations to collaborate and share expertise and resources to further meet the needs of veterans. The facility is managed by Justin Brown, Partnerships Hub Coordinator, who is a veteran himself and has 5 years of veteran support experience in various roles. Justin’s experience comes with a network of contacts and he has proven to be an invaluable source of information to visitors to The Hub. SA Health has provided the funding for The Hub with administration of the facility coordinated by Veterans SA. The operating model is a “service by appointment” model that includes advocacy, financial counselling, homelessness and affordable housing support, employment, legal services, justice of the peace and respite programs. Veterans and their families can be connected to reliable services quickly and having the facilities to accommodate these services on-site means that they are easily accessible to the community. This has been particularly important for
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customers of the Jamie Larcombe Centre as it has helped to reduce the levels of stress and anxiety surrounding access to support services. Since its official opening by the Hon Steven Marshall MP, Premier of South Australia in April 2018, The Hub has facilitated over 3,000 visits. Statistics have shown that all three services are represented and a 60:20 mix of male and female veterans have utilised the facilities service offerings. Over the last 18 months, The Hub has received significant support from ESO’s including RSL Care SA and RSL State and Sub-branches who have donated or funded various resources to improve the experience for those who make use of the facility. These include BBQ’s, an outdoor setting, coffee machine and micro hifi system. Computers, internet access and tele-conference facilities are available for use by ESO/VSO’s to The Hub, which has allowed the facilitation of meetings, training sessions and consultations. Visitors are also welcome to utilise these facilities to conduct personal admin or to seek additional services, making The Hub a very functional space. The building itself is heritage listed and has a colourful history, but has been renovated to make it a very welcoming and low stimulus environment for veterans and their families to enjoy. The walls are adorned by artworks created by veterans either through the art therapy program run by The Road Home at the JLC or through private donation from the artist themselves. Outside, shady landscaped areas provide quiet respite and fresh air or a place for children and assistance dogs to play. The Hub has connected with a significant number of service providers and support groups. Recently, there have been discussions with local council, City of Burnside,
