Putting People First is a report from the Centre for Policy Development that builds on years of work across employment, early education, settlement services, and more. It lays out a bold vision to transform social services to genuinely meet the needs of the people and communities they are designed to support.
Despite countless government reports and inquiries exposing the deep, systemic failures of Australia’s social services – failures that not only fall short of meeting people’s needs but can cause real harm – change has been limited to minor tweaks and adjustments. This endless cycle of review, recommend and adjust has done little to tackle the core issues or transform the system in meaningful ways.
Drawing on extensive research and insights from local initiatives, Putting People First identifies six key drivers for reform and four practical steps governments can take now to create a system people can trust and depend on.
Putting People First is a report from the Centre for Policy Development that lays out a bold vision to transform social services to genuinely meet the needs of the people and communities they are designed to support.
It identifies six key drivers for reform and four practical steps governments can take now to create a system people can trust and depend on.
Despite over $200 billion in annual government spending, too many Australians are left without the help they need. The system is fragmented and overly concerned with compliance and control, effectively stripping social services of their core purpose – supporting people to lead fulfilling lives.
Today, 13% of Australians live below the poverty line and one in six children experience poverty. Nearly 3 million people are at risk of homelessness, and more than 1 million people want to work or work more hours.
Social services like aged care, early childhood education, disability support, and employment services should be there when and how people need them. But this top-down, disconnected system often treats people as problems to manage rather than partners in shaping their futures.
Across Australia, local initiatives are showing a better way – delivering flexible, tailored support that meets people’s needs. Putting People First envisions a transformed system, built on trust and partnership, that empowers communities and grows individual wellbeing.
Putting People First outlines six key drivers for meaningful reform. These focus on improving how government manages and evaluates services, redesigning systems like commissioning and governance, and fostering a shift in culture and ways of working.
The report also presents four practical steps the Commonwealth government can take now to make services more responsive to people and communities:
By adopting the six drivers for reform and implementing the four key recommendations, government can transform Australia’s social services into a system where everyone gets the support they need, when and how they need it. Instead of navigating a maze of rules and paperwork, jumping through hoops only to be left without the support they need, people would be treated as partners in shaping their futures.
Services would be tailored to the unique needs of individuals and communities – what works in regional QLD may differ from what works in inner city Melbourne, but everyone would have access to local, flexible support. This approach would empower people and communities to build meaningful lives, wherever they are.
