Information & referral is the art, science, and practice of bringing people and services together.
It has been referred to as “concierge,” “gateway,” or “care navigation” services. Whatever the label, Inner Sydney Voice works to ensure people can easily find and link with community resources.
Anyone can ask ISV a question. The issues and questions are as diverse as those seeking assistance. We collect non-identifying data to better understand the challenges in accessing information and support better access to information and service linkage. Some of the usual requests refer to childcare, education and training, work support, housing, food security, emergency shelters, disaster services, mental health, and crisis assistance, financial aid, senior care, disease and health information, volunteer opportunities, relocation, and more.
We provide information to elected politicians and services that interact with diverse people seeking information and referrals.
We know about services in the local area and how to easily navigate government and databases (e.g., Service Seeker, My Aged Care, Carer Gateway, NDIS). The test of a good information and referral service is understanding what a person needs and then curating the complex information to link a person to a best-fit solution.
We provide information through:
- Telephone or email enquiries
- Fact sheets and useful links
- Information sessions and events
We are building evidence-based ways to connect people with information and services so they can make independent and informed decisions. We recognise the strength and value of peer-to-peer service models and believe that locals with lived experience of the service system are often well-placed to give information: Parents seeking childcare, older people accessing stay-at-home services, young people looking for work, and people seeking housing support. Lived experience adds another level of credibility and trust to our information services. If you want to be trained and supported to become an ISV Peer Information provider, get in touch here.
Information & referral is the art, science, and practice of bringing people and services together.
Developing and supporting a strong and diverse community aged care sector in our region.
ISV is the funded Sector Development agency for all Targeted Early Intervention funded organisations for Central and Eastern Sydney.
Strengthening communities to mitigate risks of catastrophic events.
We work with locals committed to building cohesive, connected and inclusive communities.
Our policy advocacy promotes social equity and is specifically aimed at systemic change for and with people who are socially and economically disadvantaged and those who are in need of benevolent assistance.
Inner Sydney Voice Publication distils the latest research and untangles just-released studies and reports. There’s news, analysis, human interest, history, biography, and opinion.