Perceptions of Welfare Research 2010

Transcription

1 Perceptions of Welfare Research Prepared for - The Salvation Army - Prepared by - Roy Morgan Research

2 Perceptions of Welfare Research INDEX 1. INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY OUTLINE OF KEY FINDINGS Advantages of non-government organisations providing community and welfare services Advantages of government organisations providing community and welfare services3 3.3 Preference for welfare services to be provided by government or by not-for-profit organisations Awareness of the services provided by the Salvation Army APPENDIX Copy of Questionnaire... 7

3 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 1 1. INTRODUCTION In April 2010, Roy Morgan Research was commissioned by the Salvation Army to conduct research into perceptions of welfare and community services in the Australian community. The objective of the research was to ascertain perceived advantages of non-government organisations providing community and welfare services; perceived advantages of government organisations providing community and welfare services; preference for welfare services to be provided by government or by not-for-profit organisations; and awareness of the types of services provided by the Salvation Army. 2. METHODOLOGY On 28 and 29 April 2010, Roy Morgan Research interviewed by telephone a nationally representative sample of 652 Australians aged 14 and over. The survey was part of Roy Morgan Research s telephone omnibus survey, CATIBus. The data were weighted to the Australian population aged 14 and over by age, sex and area. This report outlines the key findings from these questions. A set of tables was provided separately with full demographic breakdown details. 3. OUTLINE OF KEY FINDINGS 3.1 Advantages of non-government organisations providing community and welfare services Respondents perceived that the three main advantages of community and welfare services being provided by non-government organizations such as community groups, churches and charities were greater community engagement/ involvement (29%), better understanding of peoples' situations (20%), and greater personal commitment of staff/ staff values (14%). The commitment and values of non-government organisations were also seen as important (10%), along with their effectiveness (10%), cost efficiency (10%) and approachability (10%). Overall, the most common themes were community; understanding and approachability; effectiveness and values. Only 5% of respondents felt that there were no advantages in non-government organisations providing welfare services.

4 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 2 There were no significant differences in response between men and women, and respondents mentioned 1.4 advantages on average. The following table provides a summary. Please note that this question was asked unprompted, i.e. respondents were not provided with any of the categories. Table 1: Perceived advantages of welfare services being provided by non-government organisations Q1. What do you think are the main advantages, if any, of community and welfare services being provided by NONgovernment organisations such as community groups, churches and charities? What other advantages? Any others? Total Men Women n = 652 n=329 n=323 Greater Community Engagement/ Involvement 29% 29% 30% Better Understanding Of Peoples' Situations 20% 21% 19% Greater Personal Commitment Of Staff/ Staff Values 14% 15% 14% More Cost-Effective/Efficient Than Government 10% 11% 9% More Effective Than Government 10% 11% 8% Greater Organisational Commitment/ Organisation's Values 10% 10% 9% More Approachable 10% 9% 11% Reduced Red Tape 8% 8% 8% Greater Expertise 4% 5% 3% They Are Independent/ They Do Not Have A Political Agenda 4% 5% 3% The Government Cannot Do Everything/ Provides Services The Government Cannot Afford To/ Fill The Gaps Left By The Government 3% 4% 3% They Help People/ People In Need/ The Homeless/ Disadvantaged Etc 3% 3% 4% Reduced Administration 3% 3% 3% More Consistent 2% 2% 2% Greater Flexibility/ More Responsive 1% 0% 2% Doesn't Cost The Taxpayer 1% 2% 1% More Accountable/ Transparent/ Oversight 1% 0% 2% They Provide A Broader Range Of Services Than The Government/ Provide Alternative Services/ Provide A Choice 1% 1% 1% None - No Advantages 5% 6% 4% Other 4% 3% 5% Don't Know/ Can't Say 17% 15% 19% Refused 0% - 0% Base: All respondents A later question in the survey asked whether respondents preferred that welfare services be provided by government or by not-for-profit organisations. Those respondents who prefer not-for-profits rather than government to provide welfare services were more likely to mention as advantages of not-for-profits that they had a better understanding of peoples

5 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 3 situations (23% compared to 15% of those who preferred government to provide these services), and more likely to mention reduced red tape (10% compared to 3%). Of those respondents who preferred that the services be provided by government, 12% thought there were no advantages to non-government organisations providing welfare services (compared to 3% of non-government preferrers). 3.2 Advantages of government organisations providing community and welfare services Respondents perceived that the two main advantages of government organisations providing community and welfare services were their being more cost-effective/ efficient than community groups (15%) and their having more funding/ finances/ subsidies available (12%). The most common theme was greater cost efficiency and professionalism (22%), followed by funding advantages (13%). A total of 14% of respondents stated that there were no advantages in government organisations providing welfare services. The following table provides details. Please note that this question was asked unprompted, i.e. respondents were not provided with any of the categories.

6 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 4 Table 2: Perceived advantages of welfare services being provided by government organisations Q2. What do you think are the main advantages, if any, of community and welfare services being provided by GOVERNMENT organizations? What other advantages? Any others? Total Men Women n = 652 n=329 n=323 More Cost-Effective/ Efficient Than Community Groups 15% 16% 14% More Funding/ Finances/ Subsidies Available 12% 12% 12% More Effective Than Community Groups 7% 8% 6% Better Organised 7% 7% 7% Better Understanding Of Peoples' Situations 6% 6% 5% More Consistent 5% 5% 5% More Professional 4% 4% 4% Greater Expertise 3% 3% 4% Greater Commitment 3% 3% 4% More/ Better Resources/ Services/ Programs Available 3% 4% 2% Distribution Of Funds/ Resources In A Fair/ Equitable/ Consistent/Standardised Manner 3% 4% 2% They Help People/ People In Need 3% 3% 3% More Accountable/ Transparent/ Oversight 3% 3% 2% More Approachable 2% 1% 2% Secular/ No Religious Bias 1% 2% 0% They Can Provide Employment/ Better Jobs 1% 3% - Reliability/ Permanency Of Funding/ Support 1% 1% 2% Support For The Disabled/ Pensioners/ The Elderly 1% 1% 1% Centralisation 1% - 2% They're Not Reliant On Charity/ Donations/ Fundraising 1% 1% 0% Greater Level/ Sense Of Responsibility 1% 2% - Encourage Involvement/ Community Support/ Volunteerism 1% 1% 1% Greater Access To Information/ Statistics/ Larger Databases 1% 1% 1% Staff Are Better Paid/ Trained 1% 0% 1% They Have More Employees/ A Larger Workforce/ Don't Rely On Volunteers 1% 1% 0% There Is No Secondary Agenda/ Ulterior Motive 0% 1% - None - No Advantages 14% 16% 12% Other 13% 10% 16% Don't Know/ Can't Say 21% 19% 22% Refused 1% 1% 1% SUBTOTAL - MORE PROFESSIONAL, ORGANISED AND COST EFFICIENT 22% 22% 22% SUBTOTAL - FUNDING ADVANTAGES 13% 13% 13% SUBTOTAL - STAFFING ADVANTAGES 1% 1% 1% Base: All respondents

7 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 5 When responses to this question are considered in the light of respondents preference for welfare services to be provided by government or by not-for-profit organisations, greater cost efficiency and professionalism was mentioned slightly more by those who prefer government to provide welfare services than not-for-profits (26% compared to 22%). 3.3 Preference for welfare services to be provided by government or by not-for-profit organisations Overall, 64% of respondents think that governments should generally pay not-for-profit organizations like community groups, churches and charities to provide welfare and community services, while 25% think that welfare and community services should generally be run by the government. A higher proportion of men felt that government should run welfare services (29% of men compared to 20% of women), and more women felt that that not-for-profit organisations should run welfare services (69% of women compared to 59% of men). 3.4 Awareness of the services provided by the Salvation Army Respondents were asked, without any prompting, what types of welfare and community services they thought the Salvation Army provided. On average each respondent mentioned 2.5 services. Homelessness support (49%) and poverty assistance (35%) had the highest awareness, followed by crisis and supported accommodation (18%), financial counselling (12%) and food services (11%). Just 8% were not able to think of any services. The table on the following page provides details.

8 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 6 Table 3: Awareness of Salvation Army Services Q4. What types of welfare and community services do you think the Salvation Army provides? What others? Any others? Total Men Women n = 652 n=329 n=323 Homelessness Support 49% 50% 49% Poverty Assistance/ Help The Poor 35% 36% 35% Crisis & Supported Accommodation 18% 14% 23% Family Support Services 16% 15% 18% Financial Counselling 12% 12% 13% Provide Food/ Food Kitchens/ Food Drives/ Food Vouchers/ Food Parcels 11% 10% 13% Professional And Telephone Counselling 11% 9% 14% Employment Services 11% 10% 11% Community Services 11% 11% 11% Drug And Alcohol Addiction Recovery Services 10% 8% 11% Provides Clothes/ Clothing/ Cheap Clothing/ Second Hand Clothing 9% 7% 10% Emergency And Disaster Support Services 9% 7% 10% Youth Support And Outreach 7% 5% 8% Domestic Violence Services 5% 3% 6% Refugee Assistance 4% 2% 5% Children's Services 3% 2% 5% Aged Care 3% 3% 3% Op Shops/ Salvos Stores/ They Collect Goods For Re-Sale 3% 4% 2% Chaplaincy/ Church Services 3% 1% 4% They Help/ Care For/ Support People In Need/ Help The Disadvantaged 3% 2% 3% Rural Chaplaincy/ Support 2% 1% 3% Drought Support 2% 1% 2% Household Goods/ Blankets/ Furniture/ Appliances 2% 1% 2% Range Of Welfare And Community Services/ Lots Of Services/ Nothing Particular Comes To Mind 1% 1% 2% Financial Assistance/ Vouchers/ Assistance With Paying Bills/ Giving Money 1% 1% 2% Red Shield Appeal/ Winter Appeal/ Door Knocking 1% 1% 2% Provides Emotional/ Moral Support 1% 1% 1% Disabled Persons 1% 1% 1% Family Tracing/ Missing Persons 1% 0% 1% Support For Soldiers/ Service Men And Women 1% 1% 0% Court & Prison Services 0% - 1% English Speaking Classes 0% 0% - Outback Flying Service 0% 0% - Haven't Heard Of The Salvation Army 0% - 0% Other 6% 8% 5% Don't Know/ Can't Say 8% 8% 7% Refused 0% 0% - Base: All respondents

9 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 7 4. APPENDIX 4.1 Copy of Questionnaire Introduction As you may know, some welfare and community services are provided by the government and some are provided by community groups, churches and charities, including The Smith Family, The Salvation Army, Anglicare, St Vincent de Paul and many other organisations both local and national. RANDOMISE ORDER OF ASKING Q1 and Q2 1. What do you think are the main advantages, if any, of community and welfare services being provided by NON-government organisations such as community groups, churches and charities? What other advantages? Any others? (DO NOT READ OUT) (HIGHLIGHT ALL MENTIONED) GREATER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT/INVOLVEMENT GREATER PERSONAL COMMITMENT OF STAFF/ STAFF VALUES GREATER ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT/ ORGANISATION S VALUES REDUCED ADMINISTRATION REDUCED RED TAPE MORE APPROACHABLE MORE CONSISTENT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN GOVERNMENT MORE COST-EFFECTIVE/EFFICIENT THAN GOVERNMENT GREATER EXPERTISE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLES SITUATIONS NONE - NO ADVANTAGES OTHER (SPECIFY) DON T KNOW/ CAN T SAY REFUSED 2. What do you think are the main advantages, if any, of community and welfare services being provided by GOVERNMENT organisations? What other advantages? Any others? (DO NOT READ OUT) (HIGHLIGHT ALL MENTIONED) GREATER COMMITMENT

10 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 8 MORE PROFESSIONAL BETTER ORGANISED MORE APPROACHABLE MORE CONSISTENT MORE EFFECTIVE THAN COMMUNITY GROUPS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE/EFFICIENT THAN COMMUNITY GROUPS GREATER EXPERTISE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLES SITUATIONS NONE - NO ADVANTAGES OTHER (SPECIFY) DON T KNOW/ CAN T SAY REFUSED 3. Which of the following is closest to your views? Welfare and community services should generally be run by the government. Governments should generally pay not-for-profit organisations like community groups, churches and charities to provide welfare and community services. DON T KNOW/ CAN T SAY REFUSED 4. What types of welfare and community services do you think the Salvation Army provides? What others? Any others? (DO NOT READ) (HIGHLIGHT ALL MENTIONED) AGED CARE CHAPLAINCY/ CHURCH SERVICES CHILDREN S SERVICES COMMUNITY SERVICES COURT & PRISON SERVICES CRISIS & SUPPORTED ACCOMMODATION DISABLED PERSONS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES

11 Perceptions of Welfare Research Page 9 DROUGHT SUPPORT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION RECOVERY SERVICES EMERGENCY AND DISASTER SUPPORT SERVICES EMPLOYMENT SERVICES ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASSES FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES FAMILY TRACING/ MISSING PERSONS FINANCIAL COUNSELLING HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT OUTBACK FLYING SERVICE POVERTY ASSISTANCE / HELP THE POOR PROFESSIONAL AND TELEPHONE COUNSELLING REFUGEE ASSISTANCE RURAL CHAPLAINCY / SUPPORT YOUTH SUPPORT AND OUTREACH HAVEN T HEARD OF THE SALVATION ARMY OTHER (SPECIFY) DON T KNOW/ CAN T SAY REFUSED