Manager's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Health Care Complaints Commission (H.C.C.C.)

I recently delivered training to most of the staff at the Health Care Complaints Commission on issues confronting transgender people with health and medical services. The training was provided at their invitation and was warmly received. Their staff are keen to ensure that all members of the community feel comfortable in accessing their services.

In the past we have tended to focus on the A.D.B. when we have had complaints. The H.C.C.C. provides a viable, friendly and receptive alternative. If you have issues with doctors, hospital staff or other medical services, whether they relate to your being transgender or not, then I recommend you take your complaints to the H.C.C.C. They can be contacted on 9219 7444.

I am also holding talks with the Commissioner in regard to a number of general medical issues that concern us all. I am optimistic of some positive outcomes and I will keep you informed in future publications.

We received the following letter from Merrilyn Walton, H.C.C.C. Commissioner which clearly shows their commitment to dealing with any complaints transgender people may have.

Dear Elizabeth

I wanted to personally write and thank you for conducting training sessions for staff at the Health Care Complaints Commission on issues facing Transgender people.

I have received wonderful feedback from the staff particularly on the quality of information imparted at the sessions and your own training style. It is important that transgender people feel comfortable in approaching Commission staff with any concerns or issues relating to health care and the staff have commented that you have given them insight into these areas.

I would be particularly grateful if you could assist by spreading the word that Commission staff have received training and will be receptive and supportive in assisting with health care concerns and complaints.

Once again, thank you.

Merrilyn Walton
Commissioner

Employment News and Special Congratulations to Westpac

Following our ad for Westpac in the last edition of Polare, I am delighted to be able to report that a transgender woman has been offered employment with Westpac in the Eastern Suburbs Region. The Regional Customer Service Manager has also informed me that because her qualifications were so good, she has been offered a more senior position than the one applied for. This sends a clear message to the transgender community to Westpac's commitment to equity in employment and to their recognition of individual merit. Long term it will also send a clear message to other major employers.

A special congratulations to the woman involved and I hope this marks the beginning of a highly successful career.

I would like to give a special acknowledgement to Westpac and the managerial staff I have spoken to. They have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to equal opportunity and social justice and in no instance was the question of being transgender seen as an issue. I look forward to further successful placings with them in the future.

Stay tuned for future Westpac ads. The next successful applicant could be you.

Manpower

After placing the ad in the last edition of "The Source", I have sought feedback from Margot Griffiths on whether any transgender people applied for positions. Margot informs me that since their recruitment process is absolutely equity based, she is unable to identify whether applicants are transgender or not. In other words, recruitment is based entirely on merit and gender plays no part whatsoever in the process. This represents the ideal in E.E.O. principles and we can all take heart from their approach.

I received a few phone calls from people claiming that they were unable to find the manpower advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald. Because manpower recruit specifically in the customer service field, their ads actually appear alphabetically under "Customer Service". In the last edition, they ran three separate ads on pages 21 and 22 of the employment pages.

Manpower will next advertise in late April, so if you did not apply this time around you have another opportunity then. Remember, these ads are ongoing with major recruitment ads running on an approximately monthly basis according to need. If you think customer service may be your forte, then why not give it a go?

Amway

I have had talks with a woman who is a distributor with Amway. She is interested in doing a business opportunity meeting with anyone who might be interested. Whilst the Gender Centre makes no recommendations in regard to network marketing companies, some people do create successful businesses for themselves and companies often provide strong self-development programs.

Future Events: "Goals Groups"

Towards the end of last year, I joined the Australian Businesswomen's Network (A.B.N.) and networking with this organisation has provided a number of exciting contacts. Many of the employment opportunities that are beginning to occur are as a direct consequence of contacts made through the A.B.N.

One of the many positive features of the organisation is their regular program of seminars and workshops to assist members in their professional and personal endeavours. One workshop I attended recently was a Member Goals Group. The workshop was conducted by two professional women, Marilyn Stephens and Donna Ward, who set up their own highly successful goals group two years ago. As a consequence of that workshop, I am now involved in my own goals group with five other women. We meet regularly once a week and support each other towards achieving our goals. The concept is simple but highly effective with a group approach helping each member to stay focused on their aims.

Having experienced the enormous value and potential of these groups, I contacted Marilyn and Donna to see if they would be interested in conducting their workshop incorporating members of the Transgender Community. They were both very enthusiastic about the idea and have agreed to run their workshop later this year.

We are seeking to set up the goals groups with people from diverse backgrounds as these seem to be the most beneficial combinations. With this in mind we will be encouraging both transgender and non-transgender participation in the workshop and within the goals groups that are formed.

Contact Elizabeth on 9569 2366 if you would like to participate in the workshop and the goals group. This is a wonderful opportunity to take charge of your future. Numbers will be limited, so why not make your first goal a phone call to book your place? I will provide details of workshop dates once we have the required numbers.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.