ACTCOSS has commended the ACT Government on its progress towards raising the age of criminal responsibility in the ACT. In its Listening Report, the ACT Government found that 90 per cent of submissions supported raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 years. Click here to read more. A number of Energy Charter signatories have committed more than $1.5 million in new funding to deliver a range of programs across Australia for customers in vulnerable circumstances. QCOSS will be exploring the new services and supports available in Queensland to support your clients to pay their energy bills. Register for the free webinar. NCOSS has developed a COVID-19 Vax Risk Assessment Toolkit for social sector service organisations. The Toolkit aims to help organisations navigate requirements and issues in deciding whether to mandate vaccination for their workers to keep their workplaces safe. It is intended to help organisations think through ways to minimise COVID risks for everyone accessing their services, including clients, and develop their COVID-19 Management Plans. Next week, SACOSS’ Liveable Futures Conference will be held at the Hilton Adelaide (18 November) on the very topical theme of climate justice and social equity. We’ll hear from a great range of speakers, including from community service organisations that have taken leadership in the field. Register here. Could the ongoing Theranos saga have been avoided with a more effective board? For a board to be effective it must take a thoughtful, disciplined and professional approach to its work. In this episode of TasCOSS Take Me To Your Board Podcast, Bridget and Cameron unpack the role AICD Not-for-profit Governance Principle 4: Board Effectiveness played in the case of Theranos, the Silicon Valley start-up that wasn't quite what it seemed. Listen here. VCOSS recently hosted the 2021 Community Sector Education Forum. This years theme was 'creating a sense of belonging' and we were honoured to welcome a fantastic array of people (over a mammoth five hour session). 30 speakers including young people, sector experts as well as Victorian Government Ministers responsible for education all shared what belonging meant to them. Click here to watch the recording.
The priority of government should be removing barriers to voting not creating them. The NT has the worst voter enrollment and turn-out in the country & now the Federal Government has introduced unnecessary legislation that will make more Territorians unwelcome at the voting booth. Click here to read the oped by NTCOSS CEO, Deborah Di Natale. On 1 December 2021, the WA Government’s Community Care Services Workers (Restrictions on Access) Directions will come into effect, preventing community care services workers from entering or remaining at a community care services facility or a community care services accommodation if they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. A number of key recommendations made by WACOSS on behalf of the sector have been included, such as the coverage of students, volunteers and interns as well as financial counselling, food relief and other emergency relief services. Click here to learn more about the new directions and other COVID-19 resources. |