The power and politics of the care economy and rethinking the use of vulnerable

All the latest news from the Councils of Social Service of Australia.

ACOSS

With defence force personnel joining police in South West and Western Sydney, ACOSS and NCOSS joined with Settlement Services International, the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) and Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to express deep concerns and urge governments to listen to, respect and act upon the calls of local community leaders. 

SCOA CEO Sandra Wright said: “We should be doing everything we can to mobilise the community sector before bringing in a military presence. Our members are specialists in working with migrant and refugee communities, ensuring they understand the health messages, keeping them safe, and encouraging vaccination.” 

ACOSS CEO Cassandra Goldie said: “Adequate support and a community-led approach must be the priorities, not harsh enforcement.” 

TasCOSS 

TasCOSS’s latest Policy Conversation had a great turnout with representatives from more than 40 organisations present to witness a rich discussion on the value and challenges of the term “vulnerable” and its use in the community services industry. Special thanks to Dr Catherine Robinson (Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action Research Centre) for her time, expertise and passion. The session was recorded and is openly available here. You can also read up on some of the key takeaways from the session.

NCOSS

In response to high demand, NCOSS has released additional spots for the upcoming NCOSS/DCJ Evidence Talks Training. In this free online series, they will “go back to basics” and relearn concepts around “evidence-informed practice”, from spotting quality evidence to revisiting theory of change. They will also learn more about the DCJ Evidence Portal in preparation for its expected launch in September/October. Click here to register today.

QCOSS

QCOSS is excited to announce its 2021 Conference for the community services sector, exploring the Power and Politics of the Care Economy. The QCOSS Conference will hear from a range of keynote speakers and will examine the future role of the care economy in Queensland, advancing gender equality, the path towards treaty, and the implementation of the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld) across the sector. Early-bird tickets are available now.

WACOSS

100 Families WA – a unique, Australian-first research project spearheaded by WACOSS, seven not-for-profit agencies, UWA and a community advisory group comprising people with lived experience of entrenched disadvantage – is launching its final report this Friday. The project’s goal was to create an evidence base to inform the community, service sector and governments on how we can work together to address entrenched disadvantage.

ACTCOSS

Disability advocates have called on the federal government to increase income support for people with a disability by at least $50 per week. The call was made in an ACTCOSS submission to the federal inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the disability support pension. ACTCOSS acting chief executive Craig Wallace said introducing a disability and illness supplement of $50 per week would mean the government recognised the additional costs faced by people with disabilities. Read more here.

SACOSS

SA NGOs and not for profits in the health and community services sectors are warmly invited to register for free for upcoming, in-person workshops on reducing and managing climate risk and emergencies for their organisations and clients. Presented by SACOSS and Red Cross, there are multiple sessions available in the Adelaide metro area targeting different parts of the sector. Find out more and book.

NTCOSS

NTCOSS recognises there is still a long way to go in getting the NT vaccinated. The recent lockdowns in Darwin and Alice Springs reinforce how easily things can change. NTCOSS is urging people in the NT to book in now for their vaccine.

VCOSS

The Victorian government is cutting funding to the state’s social service groups and frontline charities, in a move that will lead to job losses and service cuts. 

“This is an absolute body blow to those organisations which supported Victorians through the worst of COVID,” VCOSS CEO Emma King Said. Read the media release here.

This article was contributed by ACOSS Community Hub.