29 June 2023

29 June 2023

Thanks to Ben and the team!

I returned to NCOSS last week after time spent in New Zealand, the United States and Canada on my Churchill Fellowship, looking at more inclusive and equitable approaches to disaster management – that better embed the social service sector, leverage community assets and strengths, and prioritise vulnerable population groups.

There’s a lot to absorb, process and synthesise as I prepare my report, and a lot to share with the sector. There also seems to be a window of opportunity to influence the NSW approach as the new Reconstruction Authority and other parts of our disaster management system firm up their roles, responsibilities and plans for working with each other and with communities across NSW. I’m looking forward to being a part of it!

My thanks to our Director, Policy & Advocacy, Ben McAlpine, for stepping up and leading NCOSS so capably through what has been a very busy seven weeks! I also thank the NCOSS team, for working so hard to support Ben and keep delivering the goods.

A milestone moment – the Voice referendum passes Parliament

Last Monday, legislation establishing a referendum on the Voice was passed by the Australian Parliament – a milestone moment.

NCOSS strongly supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart – Voice, Treaty, Truth – and is asking all non-Indigenous Australians, and in particular our members, to get behind the 83% of First Nations people who want the Voice by voting YES. It won’t be a silver bullet to address the deep levels of discrimination and disadvantage that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to experience in NSW. A YES vote is just the first step in the reconciliation journey the Uluru Statement from the Heart invites us to take, but it’s a necessary step. Australia must also commit to a Makarrata Commission to oversee agreement-making and truth-telling, and give First Nations their rights to self-determination in lands where sovereignty was never ceded.

Read our statement of support for the Voice and access resources prepared by Allies for Uluru to understand more. We know that debate about the Voice is playing out in the public arena in a way that can be a source of trauma and distress for First Nations staff in our sector. On 24 July, we’ll be hosting our second Building Cultural Safety in Times of Change webinar, continuing the conversation started on 18 May. Please join us. You can register here.

The report of our Closing the Gap employment roundtable held last year contains practical guidance, advice and recommendations from Aboriginal leaders, researchers and ACCOs for non-Indigenous NGOs on a range of issues, including building cultural safety in the workplace. It’s a useful resource and a great starting point.

The NSW Treasurer’s June Economic Statement

The NSW Treasurer, The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC, handed down the government’s Economic Statement last week. It made for grim listening.

NCOSS and the General Secretary of the ASU’s NSW Branch, Angus McFarland, have jointly written to the Treasurer to emphasise the need for adequate indexation for the sector, to prevent the ongoing erosion of our funding and keep the doors open when demand for services has never been higher.

Angus and I will be meeting with the Treasurer this week to discuss these pressing issues.

The ongoing housing crisis

The Prime Minister’s announcement of a $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator – with NSW to receive a $610 million slice of the pie – was most welcome. However, there is an ever-increasing wait list for social housing and historically low vacancy rates in the private rental market. While we wait for new homes to be built, we need to look at what can be done now.

NCOSS, with the Tenants’ Union of NSW, Shelter NSW and the Housing Housing Action for the Aged Group, has issued a joint statement, urging the NSW Government to consider additional measures that will ease pressure on renting households and provide stronger protections. Read the statement here.

Congratulations Elfa Moraitakis – ZEST Hall of Fame

Last Friday night, at Western Sydney Community Forum’s annual ZEST Awards, CEO of Sydwest Multicultural Services and NCOSS Board Member, Elfa Moraitakis, was inducted into the ZEST Hall of Fame. Elfa has been involved in the sector for the past 30 years, she is a tireless advocate for multicultural communities, and she is someone who never hesitates to step up. Such a worthy recipient and one we are proud to call a valued colleague and friend!

NAIDOC Week 2 July to 9 July 2023 – For Our Elders

This year, NAIDOC week takes place on Sunday, 2 July to Sunday, 9 July 2023 with the theme For Our Elders. The NCOSS team will be out and about recognising and celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Personally, I’m planning to attend the celebrations at Alexandra Park Community School, which has one of the highest populations of Indigenous kids in Sydney. I’ll also be listening to and learning from Elders as part of the Tribal Warrior Community Boxing program held three mornings a week at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern. Come along if you want to keep fit and experience reconciliation and community building in action!

And scroll down to NAIDOC Week events for information about some of the activities taking place in NSW or visit the NAIDOC Week website.

On Tuesday, NCOSS hosted some 45 members of the NSW Parliament and their advisors at Parliament House's Preston Stanley Room. The Hon Kate Washington MP, Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Inclusion and The Hon Natasha McLaren-Jones, Shadow Minister for Families and Communities, Disability Inclusion, Homelessness, and Youth were among the elected representatives who attended.

Our Director, Policy & Advocacy, Ben McAlpine, took them through our latest Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW research. This included:

Sharing key findings of the research, including who experiences poverty and where they live
Explaining the report’s recommendations.
Demonstrating how to use the data visualisation tools (ie: the Online Maps and Dashboard) as a means of assessing policy proposals to ensure they are well targeted and improve outcomes for those most in need.

The research, undertaken for us by NATSEM at the University of Canberra, is based on the latest (2021) census data and shows what has changed since our first Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW report was released in 2019 (based on the 2016 census).

We took the opportunity to encourage elected representatives and their policy advisors to work with NCOSS and the sector to give effect to the report’s recommendations.

The recent NCOSS Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW report draws attention to the nature and extent of poverty – including the groups most impacted – in different regions of NSW, to inform local community and service planning, and to advocate for policies to address poverty and disadvantage.

The research breaks down poverty rates and gives us a sophisticated picture of where people living with disadvantage are located and who they are – including their age, sex, employment, family arrangements, and housing tenure.

Three sessions will be held across Western Sydney to present key themes from the data and the implications for Western Sydney. These sessions feature a presentation of experiences on the ground and bring together community and human service organisations to look at ways forward in alleviating poverty and disadvantage in our region.

Nepean Blue Mountains
Monday 17 July 2023
10am to 12pm

Register here.

Western Sydney
Monday 17 July 2023
2.30pm to 4.30pm

Register here.

South Western Sydney
Thursday 20 July 2023
10am to 12pm

Register here.

For more information:
9687 9669
info@wscf.org.au

The data analysis phase of the 2023 CoLiN has been completed. In this year’s report, we wanted to put a spotlight on the experience of CALD communities and, to help do that, surveys were translated into Arabic and Vietnamese. We received more than 1,100 responses from across NSW and 21% of respondents identified as being from a CALD background. Additionally, 36% were located in West or South West Sydney.

Two of the five focus groups were focussed on CALD communities and half of all focus group participants identified as CALD. We’re grateful to Muslim Women Australia (formerly the Muslim Women’s Association) for their help in recruiting many of the CALD focus group participants.

We’re now in the process of previewing results and workshopping recommendations with member organisations. We’re targeting a late July release for the report, so it can help inform discussion in the lead up to the September 2023-24 NSW Budget. Watch this space!

A big thanks to the 25 people who attended the NGO Researchers Forum on 22 June and to our presenters. We heard from:

Nicole Harvey, Manager Community Partnerships and Support at Pacific Link Housing and Dr Kate Davies friom the University of Newcastle on their research project Together Home: practitioners’ perspectives on building resilience and relationships with people who've experienced long-term homelessness
Sumathi Govindasamy, Outcomes & Improvement Manager and Dr Grenville Rose, Senior Research and Evaluation Coordinator who spoke to processes Flourish Australia uses to ensure that the voices of lived experience are meaningfully and effectively captured in the organisation’s research work through co-design
Ben McAlpine, NCOSS' Director, Policy & Advocacy on how use NCOSS' interactive tools from our Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW project, to inform policy, research and service decision-making.

In feedback, one attendee said: “This has been really wonderful, thanks. I'm looking forward to the next one!” Recordings and resources are published on the forum webpage.

The next NGO Researchers Forum will be on 24 August and the last for the year on 26 October. Please let us know what you’re working on – send a simple Expression of Interest to speak at either of the upcoming meetings.

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

The NSW Budget is the most important annual political, economic and social document in the state. It is the mechanism by which the NSW Government appropriates or raises funds for state-wide community services and programs.

Advocating for appropriate budgets – and scrutinising what's delivered – are important parts of NCOSS' work. Join us online as Catherine McGovern, Principal, Evaluate Consulting, gives a primer as well as refresher on the NSW Budget process. This event is scheduled for 15 August. Other details and, the RSVP link, are here.

Image of the Legislative Assembly chamber as seen on the NSW Parliament website.

Renting households across NSW are facing significant pressure as rents continue to sharply rise.

Vacancy rates remain low and prospects for new homes are low with construction workers and materials in shortage.
The number of low income households experiencing rental stress has surged by 30% compared to pre-Covid levels.
Essential workers on award wages in every region across NSW are facing rental stress and may look to move to other states as a result.
Median rent for new premises have increased by $5,700 in the last year in Sydney and remain at record highs in regional NSW.
Rising rents have been identified by the Reserve Bank as a driver of inflation, leading to higher mortgages.

We simply can't wait till we build ourselves out of this housing crisis, which has been decades in the making.

NCOSS, with the NSW Tenants Union, Shelter NSW and Housing Action for the Aged Group, have issued a Joint Statement, highlighting the need to consider additional measures that can be implemented to alleviate the immediate pressures faced by renters. This could include reforms to introduce fairer limits and stronger protections against excessive rent increases.

Read the full statement here.

The NSW Council of Social Service says not being able to afford power to heat homes during the current cold snap should be seen as a social justice and health issue. NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty, says as the mercury dips, it’s a tough time for those in need.

“Because very often these low income households also have other complexities they’re dealing with, which might be a chronic health condition, it might be they’re a person with a disability, they’re a carer. Whatever it is, they’re facing a tough enough time as it is."

Listen to Joanna on ABC Radio, Newcastle.
Photo by Achudh Krishna on Unsplash

For Our Elders: Honouring Our Elders - Art Exhibition Opening

Northern Beaches Council

Curl Curl Creative Space

2 July 2023 I 1:00pm - 3:00pm

Cost of Entry: FREE

Enjoy First Nation’s culture through this multidisciplinary art exhibition developed in response to the 2023 NAIDOC theme ‘For our Elders.’ Honouring Elders, Ancestors and Gai-mariagal Country through First Nations art, photographs and cultural practices including weaving and bush dying. All are welcome to enjoy a special performance at the exhibition opening by neo-soul singer/song writer Bumpy.

For the week’s program of events and workshops for this exhibition please visit Council’s website.

The Curl Curl Creative Space is at 105 Abbott Rd, North Curl Curl, 2099. Get tickets here.

Image Credit: Bumpy by George Mein, seen on the Northern Beaches Council website.

NAIDOC Family Fun Day
AbSec
Steel Park & PCYC Marrickville
4 July 2023 I 10:00am - 2:00pm
Cost of Entry: FREE

Join us this year in celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal peoples.

AbSec’s NAIDOC Family Fun Day is an event for not only Aboriginal communities but also Australians from all walks of life to come together, connect and learn about Aboriginal culture.

On Tuesday, 4 July 2023 starting at 10:00 AM, we will be hosting a day for the whole family and friends at the PCYC Marrickville.

Come along during the school holidays and enjoy free food, entertainment and activities. Celebrate with cultural performances and traditions, arts and crafts, face painting, jumping castles, sausage sizzle, an Elders tent and much more.

We will also be celebrating this year’s NAIDOC theme: For Our Elders, who play an important role in our communities and families and pave the way for us through their knowledge and experience.

This event is FREE and some of the activities include:

Performances
Petting zoo and animal demonstrations
Art, basket weaving and jewellery making stalls
Rides, climbing wall, jumping castles
Boomerang, clap stick painting
Free sausage sizzle
And more!

Please register for our event, as wristbands will be supplied upon entry.

Yorta Yorta Country Women’s Weaving Circle with Jodie Munday
Argyle Housing
Goulburn Multicultural Centre
6 July 2023 I 10:00am-1:00pm
Cost of Entry: FREE

Indigenous artist, Jodie Munday will be hosting a Weaving workshop. Learn how to weave and have a yarn whilst enjoying some stories, music and morning tea. Please note – This event is a women only event.

To view and learn more about Jodie Munday’s work, please visit her Instagram page.
To see more NAIDOC Week activities hosted by Argyle Housing, visit their NAIDOC Week events page.

Image credit: Jodie Munday

Penrith NAIDOC – Main Event
Penrith City Council
Jamison Park
7 July 2023 I 10.00am-3:00pm
Cost of Entry: FREE

Council’s main NAIDOC community event will return to Jamison Park in 2023! This fun and inclusive event will feature performances from First Nations artists, workshops, stalls, a free BBQ and more. Come along and enjoy a great day celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, heritage and history!

Find out more about NAIDOC Week activities across the Penrith area on Council’s NAIDOC Week 2023 page.

Image credit: Dalmarri, as seen on Penrith City Council’s NAIDOC Week page.

Mogo Big Day Out
Boomerang Meeting Place
Mogo Oval
8 July 2023 I 10.00am - 4:00pm
Cost of Entry: FREE

Walawaani Njindiwan
Join us in celebrating NAIDOC 2023

The 2023 National NAIDOC Week theme is For Our Elders. Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones. Please join us to celebrate, acknowledge and pay our respects to our Elders both past and present.

FREE BBQ, food, ice cream + coffee • Traditional opening ceremony • Live music • Carnival rides, jumping castle, obstacle course • Cultural dancing and activities • Arts and crafts.

Please bring a chair or picnic rug as seating is limited.

Mogo Oval is at 2/14 Queen Street, Mogo, 2536. See the event website for more details.

Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Culture – Twilight Markets
Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation
51-57 Henry St, Penrith, 2750
14 July 2023 I 3:00pm-7:00pm
Cost of Entry: FREE

Our culture is dependent on the continuous sharing of knowledge passed down from our Elders. Our event highlights the importance of our Elders' knowledge through yarns by the fire, market stalls selling their art, food and other items made by them. You will find large portraits of our Elders on display around the site, with their story attached. These are for sale through a silent auction, celebrating them and how much they are loved and respected by our communities.

The event shows appreciation to our Elders and ensures the wisdom they possess is not lost but celebrated. See the NAIDOC Week website for more details.

Do you want to play a key role in decisions that affect women and girls in NSW? We want to hear from you!

Applications are now open for up to 12 new members to join the new NSW Women’s Advisory Council (the Council).

Each member will play a key role in advancing gender equality by advising the NSW Government on issues affecting women and girls across the state.

We are seeking applications from people from diverse locations, backgrounds, and life experiences, with a demonstrated active interest in improving outcomes for women and girls. This may include involvement in such areas as:

employment and industry
education
health and wellbeing
community engagement
diversity and inclusion.

Council members will meet up to four times a year to discuss current issues affecting women and girls, and to provide advice to the NSW Government.

If you are a NSW resident who is deeply invested in improving outcomes for women and girls, learn more and apply by midnight on Wednesday 12 July

More details here.

ACWA
Forum - Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Tuesday 4 July I 10:00am - 12.30pm

ACWA is hosting a forum on the landmark findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

This is a fantastic opportunity for policy researchers and practitioners to hear directly from principal author, Professor Ben Mathews, and other expert guest speakers, what the ‘gold standard science’ is telling us about child maltreatment in Australia.

We are delighted that the Minister for Families and Communities, the Hon Kate Washington MP, will open the forum, which will be held in Sydney. Venue is Ionic Room, Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney

Register now to ensure your spot.

AASW
The Voice to Parliament and The Road Ahead
Tuesday 4 July I 7:00pm, Online

AASW presents a live webinar with Professor Tom Calma AO, Senior Australian of the Year 2023 and co-author of the key report underpinning the Voice to Parliament proposal.

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, this will be an unmissable opportunity to hear from the man who is both a social worker and co-author of the key report.

Free for AASW members, $25 for non members.

Register here: The Voice To Parliament and the Road Ahead with Professor Tom Calma AO | AASW

Photo by Salty Dingo

Safe – Strong – Supportive
Fams Conference
17 August 2023

Our expert speakers will challenge and inspire you to think differently. We will discuss ways to:

reimagine our sector
amplify client voices in evaluation
widen the lens of child protection
futureproof the early intervention and prevention NGO sector.

And there’s more! We are offering fact-packed and practiced based interactive workshops, ‘something a little bit different’ sessions combined with the opportunity to network with like-minded people.

You will leave after an extensive, uplifting day with new knowledge and practical tools and tips to implement in your everyday work.

Rural Scholarship Opportunity!

Fams is reinvesting all registration fees to support our rural, remote and regional colleagues to attend by offering a scholarship. NFP organisations from eligible locations can apply for up to $500 towards travel and accommodation.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and make a positive impact in your community. Register now.

National Housing Conference: A Way Forward
Brisbane
10-12 October
Early bird discounted rate available for registrations completed by 30 June

Registration for National Housing Conference: A way forward (NHC) is now open – with Early Bird discounted rate available for registrations completed by 30 June.

Convened every two years by AHURI, NHC is a 3-day forum where international and local evidence, best practice and policy come together to address challenges and develop the future shape of housing in Australia. NHC is the largest cross-sectoral housing event in Australasia and is a key platform for policy makers, housing and community service providers, researchers, planners and private industry to shape improved housing outcomes across Australia.

This year’s conference, NHC23, will be held in Brisbane on 10-12th October, supported by the Queensland Government. Registration is available for both individuals and groups as in-person, virtual and one-day-only registration options.

For more information, and to register, visit here.

Board Inductions for Not-For-Profits
Justice Connect - Not For-Profit-Law
18 July 2023, by Zoom

Whether you’re a new board member or you’ve been doing it for a while, there’s always more to learn. What does it mean to be a board member? What are your key legal responsibilities? When are you personally responsible if things go wrong and what protections are available?

In our popular Board Inductions webinar, we’ll help answer these questions and give you the foundations you need for good governance. Register here.

Trauma Informed Care
AbSec
24 - 23 July 2023, by Zoom

This interactive short course aims to equip workers with basic skills, knowledge, understanding, approaches and strategies to work effectively with survivors of past and current/ongoing trauma. In particular, this course will explore the way that complex trauma, caused by early childhood abuse and neglect, impacts survivors and outlines a number of principles and approaches for working in a trauma-informed way with children and families.

Additionally, there is a focus on understanding and responding to Aboriginal intergenerational trauma using both mainstream and traditional Aboriginal healing methods to optimise worker practice.

Register here.

Groundswell Giving
Supporting organisations which create conditions to reduce emissions to levels that will avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
EOI due 5 July 2023

If you’re a not-for-profit organisation working to reduce emissions to safer levels this decade, then you’re exactly who we fund. If your work focuses on climate justice and making sure no one is left behind in the race to decarbonise, then we’d also love to hear from you.

When it comes to protecting the environment, we know reducing waste and plastic pollution are incredibly important, but these issues sit outside our funding mission and so if this is your organisations focus area, you’re not eligible for a Groundswell grant.

We recognise First Nations peoples’ protection and care of Country as a fundamental and urgent climate solution and strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to apply for our grants.

We believe in the outsized impact grassroots groups can have and are conscious that small to medium sized organisations have the least access to funding, so if your revenue is less than $5 million a year we strongly encourage you to apply.

More details here

Multicultural NSW
The program funds projects that can make a lasting positive impact on social cohesion and meet a community need at the grassroots level.
Applications close at 3pm on 7 July 2023

Multicultural NSW promotes community harmony and social cohesion in one of the most culturally diverse states in the world.

Our vision is for a stronger NSW, using our cultural diversity as a vehicle to achieve cultural and economic prosperity.

The Multicultural NSW Stronger Together Grants Program aims to support multicultural projects across NSW. We invest in community projects and activities that foster community harmony and celebrate cultural diversity as a precious part of our identity and way of life.

More details here