ROSE – Rights Of Seniors in the East
ROSE (Rights Of Seniors in the East) is a partnership with Oonah Belonging Place that, using a unique integrated model, provides legal, financial counselling and social work advice, information and case management support to older people with increased vulnerability, experiencing or at risk of elder abuse.
The World Health Organization defines elder abuse as a single or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to an older person.
Elder abuse can be physical, financial, psychological or emotional, neglect or sexual. Abuse may include restricting access to a person’s money or family, verbal threats, pushing or inappropriately restraining someone, misusing a power of attorney, forcing a person to change their will or transfer their property to someone else.
Abuse can be deliberate or unintentional. It can occur once or several times.
ROSE is a multi-disciplinary team that offers:
- intensive legal, financial counselling and social work advice, information and support
- case management and strong referral pathways
- ‘wrap-around’ support with inclusion of additional services
- a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach to supporting older people to engage with legal processes
ROSE prioritises:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- older people from migrant, refugee or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
- older people with a disability
- older people experiencing mental health issues
- older people in rural or remote locations without access to local services
Advocacy and Support
ROSE uses a co-case management model, providing support from a Community Lawyer, Financial Counsellor and Advocate.
Community Lawyer
Legal advice and casework:
- Family Violence
- Breach and revocation of Powers of Attorney
- Breakdown of Family Care Agreement
- Guardianship
- Grand parenting rights
- Theft
- Misappropriation of funds
- Infringements
- Undue influence
- Wills – contesting
Advocate
Advocacy and case management:
- safety planning and risk assessment
- emotional and practical support
- referral to specialist services
- co-case management with referring agencies
Financial Counsellor:
Advocacy and case management:
- access to welfare
- guarantor issues
- personal debts
Partnership
ROSE seeks to overcome barriers that can make accessing services more difficult for some older people experiencing abuse.
Through partnerships with specialist services ROSE seeks to provide a service that is:
- flexible and responsive to the diverse needs of older people
- culturally safe
- accessible
ROSE invites engagement with services that wish to work more closely with its team.
Outreach
ROSE is committed to accessibility for older people with increased vulnerability. Appointments can be made at locations throughout Melbourne’s eastern region.
Community Legal Education
ROSE delivers community legal education sessions for community members and service providers that work on elder abuse and related topics, such as identifying and responding to elder abuse, relevant areas of law and debt management.
Referrals
Service providers are encouraged to contact ROSE to discuss referrals before completed the ROSE Referral Form.
The ROSE team will:
- check whether there is a conflict of interest that prevents ECLC from providing a service
- explore the eligibility requirements for the ROSE program
- assist to make a referral into the program, or
- provide alternative referral options.
Secondary Consultation
ROSE offers secondary consultation for service providers working with older people dealing with complex legal and/or debt issues. These consultations may or may not lead to a referral.
Form and guide for service providers
Service providers are asked to use ROSE’s referral form to work out if their client is eligible to use ROSE services and to provide specific information the ROSE team needs if the service provider refers eligible clients to ROSE.
This ROSE referral pathway guide shows how elder abuse is identified through screening and disclosure to assess eligibility and it provides key emergency and support phone numbers.
Brochures
Find out how the ROSE team can help:
- Community workers who would like to refer clients.
- Older people experiencing or at risk of elder abuse who need information and support. This brochure is also available for Aboriginal community members and for other communities in the following languages:
More information
For further information about ROSE, please call 0429 697 960, email ROSE or contact your nearest ECLC office.