Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Community Contributions

Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) paper ‘If We Don’t Count It … It Doesn’t Count’, explores deficits in data collection and reporting on Australia’s cultural diversity. Read it here.

The health and welfare of women in Australia's prisons Infocus report shows that women entering prison often come from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a history of substance use and mental health issues. The report also highlights the need for a gender-specific approach to health care in prisons. Learn more and read the report here.

Mission Australia released the Youth Survey 2020 report, revealing that young Australians aged between 15-19 years old have significant concerns relating to equity and discrimination, COVID-19, mental health, education and employment. 


Inclusion Australia launched Everyone Can Work, a website to help people with intellectual disability and their families understand the supports available to get into open employment.

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) announced it will jointly award the 2020 Sidney Sax medal for outstanding contributions to the development and improvement of Australian healthcare to the Australian National University (ANU) College of Health and Medicine’s Bushfire Impact Working Group, and to Patricia Turner, CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).

Community Conversations
Community housing industry has shovels at the ready for billion-dollar home building blitz

The impact of the Victorian government’s unprecedented $5.3 billion investment in social housing can’t be overstated, says the Chair of the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria (CHIA Vic), Roberta Buchanan.

Ms Buchanan says the ripples of positive change from the government’s investment will reach well beyond the households that will directly benefit from the addition of 12,000 new social or affordable homes over the next four years through healthier, more productive communities.

In September, 48,529 households were on the Victorian Housing Register. Carly Lord was one of the lucky people to receive a call. Carly had been separated from her son and was sleeping on a friend’s couch.

“I’ve never lived in one place for longer than four years so I feel so grateful that I don’t have to worry about having to find somewhere I can afford in Melbourne’s rental market, or change my son’s school. To be able to focus on my career and continue with my studies has been fantastic. I feel so grateful. It’s not just a house, it’s a home. Stability is so important,” Carly says.

Read more here
Family Matters Report 2020

Family Matters Report 2020 reveals Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to be separated from families and culture at an alarming rate – disrupting their connection to community and culture.

Family Matters Chair Sue-Anne Hunter said, "Our children are 9.7 times more likely to be living away from their families than non-Indigenous children, an over-representation that has increased consistently over the last 10 years. It is time to completely change this broken system that is not working for our kids.”

Read the report
Voices from the COVID-19 Frontline Report

The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying isolation restrictions have had an unequal social, health and economic impact on people facing disadvantage. Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) sought to understand and unpack how a pandemic can further exacerbate financial and social exclusion in their Voices from the COVID-19 frontline report. 

This insight series and its recommendations aim to inform future policy-making, community service sector delivery as well as the public debate whilst illuminating:

  • How COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting disadvantaged communities;
  • Ways that communities are utilising their strengths and/or how government could further harness their assets; and
  • Insights we didn’t expect as well as verification of themes already canvassed in the media.
Read the Frontline Report
Government must reconsider JobSeeker cuts

Anglicare Australia has responded to reports of further cuts to JobSeeker, urging the Government to reconsider.

“This new cut will cause anguish and real hardship for Australians out of work. It will push them into poverty – instead of helping them stay on their feet,” said Anglicare Australia’s Deputy Executive Director Imogen Ebsworth.

“Everyone understands that there are nowhere near enough jobs for the people who need them. These cuts will plunge hundreds of thousands of Australians – and over a million children – into poverty.”

Ms Ebsworth called on the Government to keep the JobSeeker rate above the poverty line permanently.

Read the full statement here
 
Community Sector Events
  • Australian Progress commenced their Organising and Digital Campaigning Webinar Series, exploring winning case-studies and insights from Australia and around the world on how to best organise and lead digital campaigns - multiple dates - Click here for more information and to register

  • The Mental Health and Unemployment in post-COVID Era webinar will examine patterns of unemployment across different groups, and discuss the types of government policies that are needed to enable all Australians to obtain secure and meaningful employment and prevent an increase in mental ill-health - 19 November 2020 - Click here for more information
  • Can the Power of Human Relationships Change the World After the Pandemic? Join the Sydney Policy Lab's 2020 annual event, Radical Help for Radical Times with Hilary Cottam to discuss - 25 November 2020 - Click here for more information and to register
Community Sector Resources
  • World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year. It raises awareness across the world and in the community about the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS. It is a day for people to show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. Get the word out by downloading, printing and displaying these free online resources.

  • The National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) have a comprehensive list of COVID-19 resources for people with disabilities from multicultural backgrounds. NEDA have also developed a short video, to help people learn more about the Royal Commission and how a person with disability from an ethnically diverse community can share your story - click here to watch.
  • Tomorrow is the National Day of Action for the Raise the Rate for Good Campaign. Click here to gather resources and information to help you take part.


COSS Corner
The latest news from State and Territory Councils of Social Service

Victoria will embark on a social housing construction blitz unseen in generations and stimulating the economy at a time of great need, according to VCOSS. The Victorian Government announced a $5.3 billion social housing package that will create 12,000 new homes over the next four years. This investment will mean that fewer people go, “cold, hungry and homeless, and more people in work. It’s that simple,” VCOSS CEO Emma King said. VCOSS are also hosting their 2020 Treasurers Breakfast on November 26 - click here for info.

Ahead of the 16 Days to End Gender-Based Violence campaign, WACOSS as part of the 100 Families WA project, has launched another video in the Speaking From Experience series. Renna and Keria, who are on the project’s community advisory team, share their lived experiences of family and domestic violence.

The NT Budget fails to recognise the Community Sector as a fundamentally important industry, that employs more people in the NT than mining, and provides services that enable people to access and participate in education, employment, economic development, health services, and family and community life. “The NT not-for-profit sector is essential to the Territory’s economic and community resilience. We contribute $3.26 billion to the NT economy, and we are vital to the 2020 budget’s stated objectives of creating the nation’s comeback capital,” said NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale.

Post-COVID-19, it has been widely acknowledged across the political spectrum that a healthy population is the essential ingredient of a healthy economy. It was therefore pleasing to see evidence of a shift towards prioritising investment in people’s health and wellbeing throughout the COVID-19 recovery in this year’s State Budget. Read TasCOSS's response and media coverage of the 2020/21 State Budget. 

SACOSS welcomed the bold spending initiatives in the SA 2020 State budget. However, SACOSS notes that while there is investment in job creation, there is no overarching strategy underpinning employment initiatives. Crucially, there are too few programs that support the members of our community most impacted by COVID-19 job losses – including women, young people, migrants and refugees, and older workers. Read more.

ACTCOSS said that unrest at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) on the night of 10 November 2020 highlights the need for urgent reforms of the ACT's prison. ACTCOSS also condemned the Federal Government’s announcement of a cruel cut to income support payments at Christmas time and has called for a permanent, adequate rate of income support. ACTCOSS also marked NAIDOC Week 2020 and released our Annual Report 2019-20.

QCOSS has launched a report on the impact of COVID-19 on energy consumers, warning of an energy affordability crunch as Queenslanders face the pressure of income support payments and bill deferrals being wound back as temperatures rise during summer. The report found that 80 per cent of people who were on hardship provisions with energy providers were able to meet repayments during the pandemic due to increased income support.

The NSW Government's pre-Budget announcement of a $50 million Social Sector Transformation Fund will allow organisations to adapt and modernise operations to keep up with demand. “We have argued that it is vitally important that governments step up and help the frontline workers and organisations who help so many during times of crisis, and the NSW Government has acted,” said NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty. NCOSS Post Budget Event is being hosted on 26 November - click here for info.

Members in the Media
How the Smith Family is helping disadvantaged kids

A new initiative is raising much needed funds for the Smith Family, which supports about 10,000 disadvantaged students across Victoria.

Read here
Intentional self-harm fifth leading cause of death for Indigenous Australians, new data reveals

Director of the Black Dog Institute, Helen Christensen, told NITV News that the decade-long climb in self-harm rates amongst the entire Australian populace was exacerbated amongst the nation's Indigenous people.

Read more
Jobless thrown another temporary lifeline with JobSeeker payments extended

Mission Australia chief executive James Toomey said the boosted dole had made a huge difference in enabling people to pay for housing, education and healthcare.

Read more
 
Feature Tweet

@NACCHOAustralia has been working on the new #NationalAgreement on #ClosingtheGap as a member of the @coalition_peaks to help with extending funding support towards Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) to deliver #ClosingtheGap services and programs. pic.twitter.com/jPYalS2TNC

— Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands (@NACCHOAustralia) November 16, 2020
Click here to see full tweet
 
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