Role statement - Department of Health and Human Services

Activity

Critical task alignment / activity source

Mitigation

Promote awareness of safe practices and emergency procedures and implement safety and warning systems for clients and funded services of DFFH  

2.1

Response (including Relief)

Relief coordination of emergency shelter, emergency financial assistance and psychosocial support  

15.1, 15.3, 15.4

Lead Response Support Agency (RSA) for the functional area of human services and community wellbeing with a focus on child protection, housing, disability, the prevention of family violence, multicultural affairs, LGBTIQ+ equality, veterans, women and youth.

Table 10: Response Support

Lead agency responsible to:

●  administer emergency financial assistance in the form of relief payments through the DFFH Personal Hardship Assistance Program, to help individuals meet their basic needs

15.4

●  arrange emergency shelter and accommodation for displaced households when requested by municipal councils

15.1

●  provide psychosocial support through information, practical assistance, emotional support, assessment of immediate needs and referrals to other support agencies and services in relief centres and through outreach

15.3

Support EMV to lead whole of government coordination of public information and communication in relation to relief and recovery 

2.1, 3.2

Support DJPR to refer primary producers and animal owners to available services, such as psychosocial support services

15.3

Recovery

Responsible for the recovery functional area coordination of housing and accommodation, psychosocial support, individual and household assistance

20.1, 20.2, 20.3

Regional recovery coordinating agency, working with municipal councils and regional agencies to provide tailored information services to affected communities

2.1

Lead agency responsible to:

●  administer income-tested re-establishment payments through the Personal Hardship Assistance Program, to help eligible households re-establish as quickly as possible

20.3

●  co-ordinate the provision of psychological first aid to affected people to overcome the immediate impact, feel safe, connected to others, able to help themselves and able to access physical, emotional and social support

20.1

●  co-ordinate the provision of counselling and targeted psychosocial support

20.1

●  co-ordinate the provision of personal support through information, practical assistance, assessment of immediate needs and referral to other support agencies and services in relief and recovery centres

20.5

●  co-ordinate plans when requested, to assist households to prepare for the transition to permanent housing

20.6

●  support securing interim accommodation, when requested by councils and other referring agencies, for individuals, families and households whose primary residence is destroyed or damaged

20.2

●  assess, restore, clear and rehabilitate DFFH managed public buildings and assets 

19.2, 19.3, 19.4

Family Safety Victoria is the Recovery Lead Agency (RecLA) for family violence services and information

Table 12: Social Environment

Support municipal councils in their role to deliver the following relief and recovery activities: 
●  form, lead and support Municipal /Community Recovery Committees

●  provide and staff of recovery/information centres

●  advise on, provide and manage community development services

●  provide tailored information services to affected communities using information lines, newsletters, community meetings and websites

2.5, 4.5

Assurance and Learning

For assurance and learning activities, refer directly to the agency for further information.

Activity

Critical task alignment / activity source

Mitigation

Provide whole-of-health leadership and direction to plan and prepare for emergencies with major health consequences, including mass casualties

1.3

Promote awareness of safe practices and emergency procedures and implement safety and warning systems for clients and funded services of DH  

2.1, 13.3, 13.5

Implement legislation, programs and monitoring procedures to minimise public health risk from:
●  communicable and non-communicable diseases

●  contaminated retail food

●  food contaminated with the potential to cause harm to human health

●  contaminated drinking water supplies

●  radiation

13.1, 13.2, 13.3,
13.4, 13.5

Participating agency for the following heatwave mitigation activities:
●  education and community resilience – Survive the Heat campaign

●  planning (state, local and agency preparedness)

●  Heat Health Alert System to alert subscribers of forecast extreme heat

Table 8: Mitigation

Participating agency for the following viral pandemic mitigation activities:
●  vaccination

●  health guidelines and relevant standards and codes

●  community education

●  health sector pandemic planning, surge capacity planning and exercises

●  surveillance and modelling data from outbreaks, research of historic events

Table 8: Mitigation

Participating agency for the water supply disruption mitigation activity: legislative framework and regulations including Water Act 1989, Water Industry Act 1994 and Safe Drinking Water Act 2003 (risk management plans and audits)

Table 8: Mitigation

Response (including Relief)

Control agency for human disease/epidemics (including mass, rapid onset of human disease from any cause), food (including retail food)/drinking water contamination and incidents involving radiological substances and biological releases  

3.1, 13.1, 13.2,
13.3, 13.4, 13.5

Table 9: Response

Lead Response Support Agency (RSA) for the functional areas of health services, and health protection – public health

Table 10: Response Support

Provide a State and Regional Health Coordination response during an emergency with major health consequences

3.1, 14.8

Coordinate training, development and deployment of suitably-qualified health professionals to enable Victoria to contribute to national or international deployments of health and medical teams, when requested by an interstate government, or by the Australian Government under Australian Government Overseas Assistance Plan 2018 (AUSASSISTPLAN)

3.2, 14.4

Reduce preventable death, illness and disability in all health emergencies and other emergencies with potential health impacts

13.2, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5

Through the SEMP, SHERP and relevant sub plans, ensure a safe, effective and coordinated health and medical response to emergency incidents that go beyond day to day arrangements

3.2, 14.4, 14.6, 14.8

Access additional resources for the provision of appropriate care during an emergency with major health consequences

14.4, 14.6

Support AV to provide relief health and medical assistance and first aid

Table 11: Relief Co-ordination

Support EMV to lead whole of government coordination of public information and communication in relation to emergency management for major emergencies

2.1, 3.2

Recovery

Responsible for the recovery functional area coordination of health and medical assistance

20.4

Lead agency responsible to:

●  provide advice on accommodation standards for interim accommodation of displaced people, when requested by councils

20.2

●  provide advice on wellbeing in recovery through ‘whole-of-health’ advice, information and assistance to community

20.4

●  maintain community access to primary and acute health services through DH funded health care services and other primary and acute health services

13.1, 13.3, 14.6, 14.8

●  provide public health (health protection) advice to councils, other agencies and the community on a range of topics including safe drinking water, safe food, safe onsite waste management, adequate washing/toilet facilities and communicable disease outbreaks

4.5, 13.3, 13.4, 13.5

● assess, restore, clear and rehabilitate DH managed public buildings and assets  

19.2, 19.3, 19.4

Support the Coroners Court of Victoria to facilitate support and counselling for bereaved families through its relationships with grief and bereavement support agencies

20.7

Assurance and Learning

For assurance and learning activities, refer directly to the agency for further information.