Thursday 31 March 2022

Community Contributions


The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) have launched the AYAC Election Guide. It outlines everything people need to know about enrolling to vote, meeting candidates and how to make a difference. Click here to access the resource and learn more.

20 years ago, four social sector organisations got together to found Social Ventures Australia. The mission was to encourage a transformation in the way disadvantage was addressed by accelerating the development of innovative ideas that deliver better social outcomes. On its 20th anniversary, SVA asks ‘what will it take to get disadvantage to zero’ in Australia? Click here to learn more.

Recent ABS research on rates of participation in work-related adult education provides a troubling snapshot of educational inequality in Australia, according to Adult Learning Australia. Click here to learn more.

Australian renters are spending extended periods over summer in unhealthy temperatures due to lax rental standards, according to a new report from tenant advocacy organisation Better Renting. Since the start of December, Better Renting has worked with fifty 'Renter Researchers' to track summer temperatures in their rental homes, using inexpensive tracking devices that create a minute-by-minute record of temperatures. Click here to learn more.

The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate initiatives that build community resilience to disasters and emergencies, as well as images that capture resilience in action. The awards provide an opportunity to highlight the hard work of individuals, organisations, councils and schools who show initiative in helping to create a more resilient Australia. Click here to learn more and either nominate or submit a project.

National Council of Single Mothers & their Children would like your support filling out a survey that will form an open letter to the next PM. Click here to learn more and circulate.

Community Conversations

ACOSS Members Respond to 2022 Budget

This week Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced the government's 2022 budget to the nation. Here we have captured some of the immediate responses from the ACOSS Membership:

National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)

SNAICC - National Voice for our Children

Change the Record

Anglicare Australia

Council on the Ageing (COTA)

Mission Australia

cohealth

Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA)

Carer's Australia

Good Things Foundation

People With Disability Australia (PWDA)

UnitingCare Australia

The Consumers Health Forum

Anti-Poverty Network

Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL)

Everybody's Home

National Council of Single Mothers and their Children

Volunteering Australia

Urgent funding needed to support First Nations community-led health solutions

The Close the Gap campaign has called for an urgent investment in community-led health services to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the country.

The 2022 Close the Gap Report: Transforming Power – Voices for Generational Change has 12 recommendations for large-scale transformation and systemic reform to avoid further preventable deaths and protect First Nations health, well being, culture, and Country.

These include the full implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and 2020 National Agreement on Closing the Gap plans, investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led data development at the local level and the development of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led research agenda for health and wellbeing, with a particular focus on the impacts of systemic racism in health systems.

Learn more and read the report here

Housing stress surges as Treasurer is urged to act

Between half and three quarters of renters are living in housing stress in 15 eastern seaboard electorates, according to heatmaps released by Everybody’s Home. The maps reveal the combined impact of surging rents and stagnant wages is particularly felt in outer suburban and coastal communities.

Voters living in Australia’s three largest cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are hardest hit by rent and mortgage stress, with rental stress between 40-70% across a majority of seats in all three state capitals.

Click here to learn more

Health consumer voices more important now than ever

Australia’s largest consumer survey of healthcare finds confidence in services has increased but gaps remain in affordability and accessibility for disadvantaged groups and people with chronic conditions,

The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and research partners have released the findings of the latest Health Consumer Sentiment Survey, The Voice of Australian Health Consumers, which is the largest health study in Australia based on the general population.

Click here to learn more
 

Community Sector Events

  • How do two parents who are blind take their children to the park? How is a mother with dwarfism treated when she walks her child down the street? How do Deaf parents know when their baby cries in the night? In this UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion webinar, author and editor of 'We've Got This', Eliza Hull, alongside contributors Renay Barker-Mulholland and Micheline Lee will discuss their parenting experiences, and the impact of our rigid, conventional ‘template’ of parenting - 5 April 2022 - Click here to learn more and to register
  • Join this special Health Justice Australia tutorial to get the answers to  questions about how to start a purpose-driven health justice partnership. Each HJP Tutorial is specially designed around the session topic. This tutorial will be a panel discussion – there won’t be a formal presentation. An expert panel will answer the questions that submitted during the registration process, as well as any brought to them on the day - 13 April 2022 - Click here to register and learn more
  • In this ever-changing grants and fundraising landscape, learn the essentials you need to implement in your organisation now for your best chance at long-term grants success by joining ConnectingUp's Getting fit for grants success – Your grants bootcamp with Strategic Grants webinar - 12-26 April 2022 - Click here to learn more and register

Community Sector Resources

  • Indicator Engine, the first tool in the Centre for Social Impact's Amplify Social Impact Online platform - and a huge asset for the Australian for-purpose sector - has just launched. Click here to access and learn more.

COSS Corner

The latest news from State and Territory Councils of Social Service

Both the Victorian and Federal government are grappling with how to ease the cost of living for people doing it tough. With petrol prices surging, food prices on the rise, rents increasing and wages flat lining, many people are feeling the squeeze. VCOSS is heartened the Victorian Treasurer, Tim Pallas, has hinted at new measures to ease the costs burdens for Victorians. We believe any new measures must be well targeted, and assist those in the most dire need as a matter of urgency. Click here to read four things that could be done right now to make life easier for Victorians.

The SACOSS Building a Climate Resilient Community Sector Conference is coming up on Thursday May 5 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The changing climate is the social justice issue of our time, and this conference tackles the preparations the health and community services sector need to make and the issues to be addressed, from insurance to health impacts and more. Keynote speakers are Dr Veronica Matthews, who is talking about the climate impact for Aboriginal communities and Dr Kate Wylie, who is speaking about health implications. Register here.

NCOSS has published the ‘Women in NGO social services sector in NSW’ data report. The report details the responses from a 14 question survey conducted by NCOSS in the lead up to International Women’s Day 2022. It provides detailed analysis of the survey results and serves as a supplementary report to ‘A long way to the top – career opportunities and obstacles for women in the social services sector in NSW’, which was released by NCOSS and Impact Economics and Policy in March 2022.

Analysing data to measure outcomes can be complex and expensive. So how can underfunded and over-stretched community organisations show evidence of the social impact of their work? In this QCOSS Research and Evaluation webinar, you’ll learn about an innovative and evidence-based platform for the community sector that provides access to a range of free impact measurements tools. Hear from guest speaker, Elizabeth-Rose Ahearn, Manager of Amplify Social Impact Online, about how data infrastructure can better support your work. Register now.

The COVID-19 Cleaning Reimbursement Scheme and Community Sector Surge Pool are now both live on WACOSS’ website. Community Sector Organisations in WA who have had additional cleaning costs due to COVID-19 are encouraged to apply for reimbursement now using this form on WACOSS’ website. The Community Sector Surge Pool (CSSP) is an initiative to connect the sector by sharing staff via secondment. Community Sector Organisations in WA are encouraged to register for the CSSP here.

TasCOSS would like to invite you to a networking event on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at Peppers Silo Hotel (Kings Wharf Lounge West) in Launceston. This networking event provides you with the opportunity to meet the TasCOSS Board and team, hear about TasCOSS’s priorities for the next 12 months and network with industry colleagues. Click here to learn more and register.

Last week on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ACTCOSS called on the ACT Government to improve oversight and review mechanisms to tackle racial vilification and discrimination. Click here to learn more.

NTCOSS would like to thank the amazing group of women who showed up online and in person to listen to NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale’s inspiring presentation at the NTG's Womens Leadership Network. This is an excellent opportunity for women and it's driven by the NT's own Dr Anne Walters. Click to learn more.

Members in the Media

Welfare advocate warns one-off cash payments unable to solve cost-of-living problems

Maiy Azize, Anglicare Australia's Acting Executive Director discusses.

Listen here

Budget reactions

Matt Tinkler, CEO of Save the Children Australia:

COVID, conflict and climate is driving a global and national crisis for children. This budget was a massive missed opportunity to deliver a child-focused recovery.

Read here

NT police officer Zachary Rolfe found not guilty of murder over fatal shooting of Kumanjayi Walker

NATSILS executive officer Jamie McConnachie discusses.

Read here
 

Feature Tweet

We are so proud to be standing today with our refugee movement from @humanrightsHRLC @amnestyOz @ZakiHaidariAU @sitarah_m @AskarySajjad and @BackYrNeighbour campaign, demanding justice and fairness for people seeking asylum and refugees. pic.twitter.com/XvySSuECxl

— ASRC (@ASRC1) March 29, 2022
Click here to see full tweet
 

We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the country on which we work, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

We recognise the right of all First Peoples around the country to self-determination.

Please consider the environment before printing this email.

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