Compass Buck-Passing but Light in Sight

FOR two years Mark “Bones” Curtis has been battling with housing providers to move to Maitland where he can get access to the services and facilities he needs to help slow the march of cerebral palsy.

Related article: Restricted by Red Tape.

Compass Housing was upset their service was described by Bones as creating ‘red tape’ and blamed the situation on the state government not providing enough housing.

scone.com.au contacted Family and Community Services to check if this was simply a housing shortage, but it wasn’t, in fact FACS said they had found Bones a house but someone had said no on his behalf.

Bones was outraged and said nobody had contacted him or his advocates with any offer of housing.

But it seems the answer may lie with Compass red tape after all.

Mark “Bones” Curtis is annoyed he may have waited he has waited two years for housing.

Two years ago when a Compass employee* filled out a form for Bones they ticked the box to accept community housing, but not public housing, which means any offers by FACS for public housing may have been automatically rejected.

“How was I supposed to know there were two boxes on the form and they only ticked one?” questioned Bones.

“Does this mean I am now down at the bottom of the list and have to wait another two years to get housing?” asked Bones.

“I just want to move and I’ve been waiting two years,” he said.

“I’ve had my GP contact Compass, I’ve contacted Compass, other people have contacted them to ask what we can do to move quicker and for two years they have said nothing, just told me to wait,” he said.

“They don’t even come and sit down with you to try and work things out, they should be seeing clients in wheelchairs or with a disability every three months in person not just via phone or email,” he said.

“If they did, this error may have been picked up two years ago,” said Mark ‘Bones’ Curtis.

scone.com.au contacted FACS and a representative confirmed Bones would not go to the bottom of the list due to an error on a Compass Housing form and they will contact him to help him as a priority; Bones was relieved to hear there may be an end in sight.

In terms of the response from Compass Housing, they sent Bones a form again to tick the public housing box.

Bones is unable to write to complete the form and relies on a keyboard to communicate, but Compass would not accept an email from him confirming he would accept any housing.

In response to questions from scone.com.au about their handling of Bones’ case Compass Housing issued the following statement from group managing director Greg Budworth:

Transfer application forms for social housing in NSW are issued by the NSW Department of Family and Community Services through Housing NSW.

Transfer applications are completed by the tenant.  Mr Curtis’s application form was completed by Mr Curtis with the assistance of a support worker.

On the application form, tenants seeking a transfer are required to indicate whether they are willing to transfer to the first suitable social housing property that becomes available, or if they wish to limit their search to properties managed by either community housing providers, or Housing NSW.    

Compass processes transfer applications in accordance with the preferences nominated by the tenant.

Compass is not aware of any offers of housing for Mr Curtis made by Housing NSW.  

Compass is continuing to seek a suitable disability accessible property for Mr Curtis in his preferred area.

*Editor’s note: Compass want it made known that they dispute Mr Curtis’ statement that the person who filled out his form two years ago was a Compass employee. The approach of Compass throughout this story unfolding has been argumentative, hostile and bureaucratic, in a situation where they could have adopted an apologetic and conciliatory approach to Mr Curtis’ case. In stark contrast the government team at Family and Community Services have taken a proactive and constructive approach and in each of our interactions their priority has been focused on fixing the situation for Bones. FACS hope to have good news soon.