Characteristics and specific needs of community groups: identifying a selected group, their access to services, and the factors affecting their ability to satisfy specific needs such as health, education, safety, sense of identity and employment

What this dot point is asking

Groups in Context examines specific community groups, their characteristics, their specific needs, and the factors that help or hinder their ability to meet those needs. The syllabus rotates groups between a mandatory category (Category A) and a second category (Category B); for the 2024 HSC onwards, rural and remote families sit in the mandatory category. You need to be able to describe a group, analyse its needs, and evaluate its access to services and resources.

Identifying the group

The syllabus organises groups into two categories and rotates them. Commonly studied groups include people with disability, the aged, youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (specifically in a community context), rural and remote families, the homeless, and sole parents. For the 2024 HSC and onwards, rural and remote families moved into the mandatory Category A. Whichever group you study, you must be able to describe its characteristics, for example the diversity within "youth" by age, background and circumstance, rather than treating the group as uniform.

Specific needs

A specific need is a requirement essential to the wellbeing of a particular group. The syllabus directs attention to needs including adequate standard of living, health, education, safety and security, a sense of identity, and employment. For rural and remote families, health needs are intensified by distance from hospitals and specialists; education needs may rely on distance education or boarding; employment can hinge on a single industry such as agriculture, making the family vulnerable to drought or commodity prices. For the aged, needs include accessible health care, safe housing, social connection to counter isolation, and a continued sense of identity and purpose after retirement.

Access to services and resources

Access is the degree to which a group can actually use the services and resources it needs. Barriers can be physical (distance, lack of transport, no wheelchair access), financial (cost of services, low income), informational (not knowing a service exists), cultural (services not provided in an appropriate language or manner), and attitudinal (discrimination or stigma). Rural and remote families face physical and financial barriers most sharply: the nearest specialist may be hundreds of kilometres away, and telehealth only partly closes the gap. Services such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Medicare, Centrelink, and community organisations exist to improve access, but availability varies by location.

Factors affecting the ability to meet needs

Several factors shape whether a group can satisfy its needs. Geographic location affects access to health, education and employment. Income and socioeconomic status affect standard of living and the ability to pay for services. Discrimination and social attitudes affect a sense of identity, safety and employment. Government policy and funding affect the availability of support, for example pensions, disability funding through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and rural health programs. The interaction of these factors explains why two members of the same group can have very different levels of wellbeing.