Vaccines in CALD communities, privatisation and inequality, and the Aboriginal Justice Agreement

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

ACOSS

There’s one week left to register for the ACOSS/UNSW Poverty and Inequality Partnership webinar: Challenges in providing equitable access to health in Australia. Hosted by Dr Norman Swan (Host of ABC RN’s Health Report, co-host of Coronacast and commentator on ABC TV’s 7.30), this event will build on the recently released report, Work, income and health inequity: A snapshot of the evidence, to discuss the challenges in providing equitable access to health in Australia, particularly in regards to the COVID pandemic. See more information here.

There are some exciting speaker announcements for next month’s ACOSS Policy Webinar. Moderated by Omar Dehen (award-winning journalist for SBS World News) this instalment has been produced in collaboration with Settlement Services International and will explore insights on newly arrived refugees, focusing on women and digital inclusion. See full details here.

NCOSS

NCOSS has released research exploring the issues, barriers and perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in NSW. Undertaken by Social Equity Works, with support from frontline community services based in Western Sydney, Illawarra Shoalhaven and Murrumbidgee, this research focused on people’s intentions and reasons to get vaccinated (or not), their level of knowledge about getting vaccinated and their primary sources of information. Read more here.

SACOSS

SACOSS has highlighted the impact of privatisation on inequality in a submission and evidence to an SA parliamentary committee inquiry into the privatisation of public services in South Australia. The submission takes energy as a key case study, and also looks at water and transport, with supplementary evidence examining the impact of selling off of public housing. Read more here.

TasCOSS

Early bird registrations are now open for the TasCOSS Conference which we are excited to announce will feature a keynote address from one of Australia’s leading social commentators, Bernard Salt AM. This year’s TasCOSS Conference is an opportunity for us to come together, acknowledge where we’ve been and look at where we’re going. Register now and save! 

WACOSS

Three years ago WACOSS set the goal of engaging families living in entrenched disadvantage to find out exactly what they are going through and where the pathways lie to achieve meaningful, systemic change. The project has followed 400 families over its three year lifespan, including regular fortnightly interviews with 100 of those families, to gain a deep understanding of the lived experience of disadvantage in Western Australia. Learn more and explore the interactive “Welcome to our world” platform here.

VCOSS

As the vaccination rollout ramps up, VCOSS is running regular sessions to share significant program updates and showcase best practice responses in community engagement and vaccine communications from across the community sector. Register now.

QCOSS

QCOSS partners with the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business and Training to deliver webinars and workshops across the state to help community-based organisations respond effectively to funding applications for the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative. To assist you with your application, downloadable and watchable resources are now available on the QCOSS website – including webinar recordings, presentation slides, and a “grant on a page”.

NTCOSS

Years in the making, the Aboriginal Justice Agreement is an Aboriginal-led roadmap to safer communities and reduced incarceration. NTCOSS CEO Deborah Di Natale speaks to Jo Laverty on ABC Darwin about the signing of the Aboriginal Justice Agreement. Click here to read the transcript and learn more.

ACTCOSS

ACTCOSS has welcomed the establishment of an emergency relief service by the ACT government to ensure vulnerable Canberrans are able to access essential goods including food and hygiene items during the period of lockdown. Any Canberran who is significantly and adversely impacted by this seven-day lockdown can call VolunteeringACT on 1800 43 11 33 between 9am and 5pm daily. More information on the service and other available supports is available on the ACT government COVID-19 website. 

This article was contributed by ACOSS Community Hub.