Advocare’s new CEO started in November, Bev Jowle. Bev’s career has spanned almost the entire lifespan. Starting as a as a youth worker in her 20s, Bev has worked in child protection and family support, women’s health, and now with Advocare working to empower and support older adults.
Bev was first attracted to Advocare a few years ago when the CEO role was advertised, but it wasn’t quite the right time. So, when the role came up again last year Bev knew it was a sign! The recent announcement of Advocare being appointed as the Seniors Peak Body really sparked her interest. “I think it’s such a rare opportunity for an organisation, and when you’re a peak body, you’ve got so much leverage and opportunity.”
Unpacking peak body opportunities
Bev sees Advocare as the custodians of the Seniors Peak Body emphasising it’s not ‘ours’ – the sector owns it collectively. “While we have experience in providing and delivering services to older people, as the Seniors Peak, we’ll harness feedback and information from the seniors’ sector and more importantly, seniors themselves, to inform and help the work. By helping point us in the right direction we’ll be able to address systemic policy issues with matters such as family violence, housing and homelessness, or elder abuse, which are often intersecting and complex.”
The insight gained from Bev’s previous work in another peak body organisation, the Financial Counsellor’s Association of WA, for over three years, Bev knows a peak body role brings a range of opportunities. “It’s a great way of galvanising the sector by having an opportunity to lobby and advocate where you’re not speaking as one organisation, you’re speaking as many,” she adds.
“The whole point of a peak organisation is to give a voice to many points of view and facilitate this discussion to seek a view on an issue acting in the best interests of older Australians and reporting back to government, industry and the sector.”
What’s on the Peak Body radar?
“Firstly, financial hardship for older people is particularly an area of interest for me, and how this intersects with elder abuse. I think for many they don’t intentionally set out to financially abuse their parents. At the moment we’re in a cost-of-living crisis and a housing crisis. People see their parents doing well, and may think, ‘Well, you know, I can’t get into the housing market so maybe my parents could help me out here?’ And then before you know it, things aren’t okay.”
Another key area will be gaining a better understanding of the implications of the new Aged Care Act being introduced in July this year. Its impact on older people as consumers, and on aged care service providers is also a bigticket item for Bev, the Seniors Peak Body and the Advocare team.
“I’m really excited about learning more about the new Aged Care Act so we can lead the work in messaging this to the community putting the welfare, health and care of older Australians front and centre of this system.”
Last thoughts on building a better community…
We also asked our new CEO what the perfect community might look like to her. More importantly, how might we all help create a place where everyone is valued, respected and feels a sense of self-worth from actively contributing to it.
Bev argues there are some basic, fundamental things to consider. “It’s about being kinder and having a world where we do look after our neighbours and we value experience, and value people’s knowledge and wisdom. I don’t think we have a society right now that values that. For me, a perfect community is looking out for each other. I think there’s a lot we can learn from First Nations communities about this and about the strength of family and kinship and connection to country.”
If you’d like to catch up with Bev to chat about how you, or your organisation can contribute to the work going on as part of the Seniors Peak Body, email us at: seniorspeak@advocare.org.au
