1 June 2023

Be A Voice For Generations – #NRW2023

Last Friday, 26 May, was National Sorry Day and the 6th anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. National Reconciliation Week 2023 then kicked off on 27 May 2023 with the theme Be A Voice For Generations.

As the public debate on the Voice heats up, NCOSS continues to advocate for non-Indigenous people to vote YES while acknowledging – with our First Nations Partners and Advisors Group (PAG) – that there is no one view among Indigenous people, and promoting respectful dialogue that is well-informed, and where all are able to participate safely. You can read our statement of support for the Voice below.

At tomorrow’s FONGA (Forum of Non Government Agencies) meeting, we’ll be hearing from a panel on the Voice, comprising:

Co-chair of our PAG, Uncle Boe Rambaldini, a proud Bundjalung elder from the NSW north coast and currently an Associate Professor at Macquarie University working on a range of issues associated with First Nations health
Wandi Wandian artist, Karlie Stewart – who created our beautiful RAP artwork – and who is also a member of our PAG and the NCOSS Board, alongside managing the Aboriginal Healing Program at Weave Youth and Community Services and lecturing in social work at the University of Wollongong
Kate Sinclair, a proud Dharug woman, Chair of Ngalaya Indigenous Corporation and a solicitor at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, where she is also leading PIAC’s participation in the campaign for the Voice to Parliament.

I hope you will be able to join us for what will be an interesting discussion. See the NCOSS Events section below for registration details.

MHCC CEO and Senior Managers Forum

I was part of a panel discussion at the Mental Health Coordinating Council’s CEO and Senior Managers Forum last Thursday, following an address by Dr Michelle Blanchard. Michelle is a Special Adviser at the National Mental Health Commission, leading the development of the National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy. 

Also on the panel were Nicole Yade (Deputy CEO, Women’s and Girl’s Emergency Centre), Drikus van der Merwe (CEO, Stride Mental Health) and Amy Wyndham (Mental Health Branch, NSW Health). The panel discussed the challenges being faced by the mental health sector, particularly regarding workforce, the NDIS, and how organisations are responding to increased demand and escalating costs. Thank you to the MHCC for the invitation – it was a fantastic event.

Rental reforms

When the Government’s Rental Fairness Bill was introduced to the NSW Parliament, NCOSS, The Tenant’s Union, and other advocates raised concerns that components may have unintended consequences. In particular, we highlighted that the move to require rental agents to disclose any offers that exceeded the advertised rent to all applicants could lead to a silent rental auction. This could have the effect of pushing rents up even further, making housing in NSW even less affordable. You can read our media release here.

On 23 May, the Legislative Assembly referred the matter to a Select Committee for consideration. The Committee is being Chaired by Clayton Barr MP, Member for Cessnock and will report back on 12 June 2023. We believe this is a sensible course of action to ensure we can, collectively, find the right solution. NCOSS has made a submission and will attend as a witness at a public hearing on Friday, 2 June, to share our views.

Online workshops

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for NCOSS. Our Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW workshop for members was held on Monday, 29 May; our Human Rights-Based Approach in Disaster Responses seminar (part of our 2023 Online Discussion Series) was held on Tuesday, 23 May; while our Building Cultural Safety in Times of Change webinar took place on 18 May.

We’ve had great feedback from those who attended. You can read more in NCOSS News below.

On the agenda

Last week, I met with the Minister for Housing and Homelessness, the Hon Rose Jackson and this week, I had a call with the Member for Gosford, Liesel Tesch, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Communities and Disability Inclusion.

As always, I stressed the need for urgent action to tackle the escalating housing crisis with recent research from our member organisation, Mission Australia, revealing that 40% of people seeking their services had a job but can’t afford to pay the rent (see the article in Sector News below). I also expressed our desire to work collaboratively with the new NSW Government to eradicate poverty in NSW.

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet Hal Pawson, Professor of Housing Research and Policy, and Associate Director at the UNSW’s City Futures Research Centre, to talk about solutions to the NSW housing crises and the March 2023 report he co-authored – The Town of Nowhere: A Blueprint to Tackle Queensland’s Housing Crisis.

Next week, DCJ’s Sydney, South Eastern Sydney & Northern Sydney District will be holding a TEI CEO forum at the Redfern Community Centre. I will be presenting on the workforce challenges facing our sector and what needs to be done.

I will also be delivering a Lunch & Learn session for DPC’s Policy Group on the insights from our Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW research; attending a meeting of the Expert Housing Advisory Panel, where we’ll be hearing from Ministers Scully and Jackson; and attending a bi-monthly meeting of peak bodies, facilitated by DCJ.

I'll keep you posted!

To mark National Sorry Day 2023 (26 May) and National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June), it's a good time to remember the significance of those dates.

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1988, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in the Australian Parliament. It’s a day to remember the trauma caused by forced removal of First Nations kids from their families and communities, acknowledge the strength of the Stolen Generations survivors, and reflect on how we can all play a part in reconciliation and healing.

The start and end dates of National Reconciliation Week mark two significant milestones in the country’s reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum and the High Court’s 1992 Mabo decision, which put an end to the legal fiction of 'terra nullius.'

National Sorry Day 2023 is also the 6th anniversary of the Uluru Statement From the Heart and this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme is Be A Voice For Generations. So we’re re-sharing our position statement on the Voice.

NCOSS POSITION ON THE VOICE REFERENDUM

NCOSS supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a moderate and generous invitation from First Nations people pointing the way forward for Australia as a united nation. We recommend that non-Indigenous people vote YES in the upcoming referendum for a Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution. As an organisation that is founded on research, knowledge, and advocacy we recognise the power in having a guaranteed voice at the table.

With the NCOSS First Nations Partners and Advisors Group we acknowledge that:

There are many different views of the Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament. There is no one view amongst First Nations people about these matters. NCOSS is committed to promoting respectful dialogue on these issues that is well-informed, and where all are able to participate safely.

The Voice to Parliament needs to stand strong and independent, with its shape determined by First Nations communities. It should be connected to, and not replace, existing structures that First Nations people have created, managed, and relied on for decades to give them a voice – Land Councils, tribal organisations, ACCOs, peak bodies, and alliances, as well as new organisations and coalitions established by First Nations communities. It should be answerable to communities, not government or bureaucracy.

A Voice 'to' parliament, rather than a voice 'in' parliament, will be in a position to speak out strongly about the most pressing issues for First Nations communities today, including:

Aboriginal children being taken from their families.
High rates of incarceration of Aboriginal children, young people and adults.
Overcrowded, unsustainable housing, and homelessness.
Poor health and life expectancy outcomes.
Holding governments to account for achieving the Closing the Gap targets.

These must be first order priorities if the Voice is to make a meaningful and lasting difference.

For many Aboriginal people the lead up to the referendum will be stressful with stories about them being played out in the non-Indigenous media, and non-Indigenous spokespersons potentially being emboldened to give ignorant, arrogant, and racist analyses of the issues.

NCOSS encourages non-Indigenous organisations to work together with their First Nations staff, stakeholders and the communities they serve to identify what is needed in the lead up to the Referendum to keep people strong and safe; and to provide a platform for the diverse range of First Nations voices.

Once the Voice is established it must be empowered to begin the work of advocacy and relationship building. NCOSS further supports treaty and truth-telling as key steps towards healing and improved relationships. Whatever comes next must be decided by a sovereign people in their own land – the First Nations peoples of this country.

On Monday, we held our online Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW member workshop where we:

Shared the key findings of the research, including who experiences poverty and where
Explained the report’s recommendations report and how this will influence NCOSS advocacy activities
Demonstrated how to use the data visualisation tools (the Online Maps and Dashboard).

We were joined by 75 representatives from different sector organisations. If you couldn’t make it, a recording is here and you can find the research and the data visualisation tools here.

We look forward to hearing from you about ways you've used the research and tools in your advocacy efforts!

As part of our Human Rights-Based Approaches in Social Services - 2023 Online Discussion Series, NCOSS hosted an online session on Human Rights-Based Approach in Disaster Responses on Tuesday, 23 May.

This session, with around 55 attendees, explored a framework for applying a rights-based approach in disaster risk reduction and capability-building.

It looked at how disaster management is traditionally viewed and implemented, and presented a complementary human rights-based approach through the application of core PANEL principles (Participation, Accountability, Non-Discrimination, Empowerment, Legality).

With our panel of speakers, the session also unpacked a self-assessment tool to explore the realities of translating principles into practice. Local and regional examples were given, allowing for reflection on key lessons learned in the aftermath of the 2019-2022 disasters (fires, pandemic and flooding) in NSW.

If you weren't able to make it, you can view the recording here.

Many thanks to participants and our fantastic panel members, including:

Dr Grant South, from Ngunya Jarjum's 'Planning for Disaster' Project
Lisa Cameron de Vries, Technical Director, Phoenix Resources
Fay Jackson, General Manager, Inclusion, Flourish Australia
Anne Crestani, Project Lead, Resilient Villages Blue Mountains.

Image of local abattoir workers carrying elderly evacuees to shelter in Lismore, published in The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 March 2022, is by Elyse Derwin.

We had a great response to our Building Cultural Safety in Times of Change webinar, which was jointly facilitated by Rowena Lawrie and Belinda Field. Rowena is founding Director, Yamurrah – a collective of First Nations clinicians, educators, consultants, and legal professionals – and it also our RAP Consultant and a member of our RAP First Nations Partners and Advisors Group (PAG). Belinda is CEO of Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Services and Co-chair of our PAG.

The workshop was designed to be an open, safe space for attendees. Around 90 participants reflected on the existing strengths of our organisations and explored ways we could best support First Nations staff and communities in the lead up to the referendum on the Voice, at a time when debate is getting more and more tense.

Our thanks to Rowena and Belinda for a fantastic session, and to all who attended for being open minded, and willing to listen and share.

The state government has been forced to delay its landmark rental relief bill after crossbenchers refused to support its key measure of banning secret rent auctions, arguing it does not stop tenants from trying to outbid each other to secure a property.

The NSW Council of Social Service's research shows that one in five tenants – 413,000 people – across the state are living below the poverty line amid soaring cost of living pressures.

Read Alexandra Smith's 23 May 2023 article in The Sydney Morning Herald here. Image by Peter Rae.

Four in 10 people who sought help from a Mission Australia's homelessness services over the past three years had a job, but could not afford to pay skyrocketing rents, The Guardian reports.

"It’s the worst it has ever been, and in a country like this where it should be avoidable," said Mission Australia’s chief executive, Sharon Callister.

Read Jordyn Beazley's 23 May 2023 article in The Guardian here.
Read Mission Australia's A safe Place to Call Home - Homelessness Impact Report 2023 here.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is undertaking research into consumer disconnection and debt issues in New South Wales and is looking for insights from financial counsellors and community workers.

The 2023 study marks the fifth iteration of this long running research into experiences of consumer disconnection, which started in 2004. In 2023, the research will also explore consumers’ experiences with debt, especially ‘hidden debt,' which has become a growing issue for the energy sector to deal with. The purpose of the research will be to change policies in the hope of improving experiences and outcomes for consumers facing the threat of disconnection from their key utility providers.

Action Market research has been commissioned by PIAC to undertake research with front line workers such as financial counsellors, legal aid service providers and community workers as well as consumers themselves in order to get a complete picture of what the issues are.

Insights gained from interviews with frontline workers will help PIAC to understand the systematic issues surrounding disconnection and debt that consumers may be less able to discuss or identify when speaking of their experiences, such as mental health.

If you would like to participate in this important study, please register your interest here.

The Australian Government has flagged it will commence community engagement on the National Housing and Homelessness Plan to help more Australians access safe and affordable housing.

Stakeholder engagement activities are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2023.

The Plan will be developed in collaboration with key stakeholders. This includes state, territory and local governments, not-for-profit and civil society organisations, industry bodies, superannuation funds and other experts in housing, finance and urban development.

It will involve broad public consultation, including with people with lived experience.

Sign up here for updates and more information.

Journalists across the ABC use Your View to store details of people keen to share their expertise and lived experience with other Australians through ABC stories and discussions. Anyone with expertise in any topic is welcome to put up their hand!

There are many different ways people in the database could be asked to contribute to ABC coverage; from providing comments for an online story to chatting on radio or participating in a one-on-one interview or panel discussion on TV.

If you're interested in being a part of this, fill out your details for the Your View project – a form that allows anyone with lived experience and/or professional expertise to self-nominate to become part of the ABC database of contacts.

FONGA
Zoom
2 June 2023, 10.00am-12.00pm

NCOSS members be sure to join us at our upcoming FONGA (Forum of Non Government Agencies) meeting tomorrow June 2, 10 am-12 noon! We'll be hearing views on the Voice from a panel including:

Co-chair of our RAP First Nations Partners and Advisors Group (PAG), Uncle Boe Rambaldini, a proud Bundjalung elder from the NSW north coast and currently an Associate Professor at Macquarie University working on a range of issues associated with First Nations health
Wandi Wandian artist, Karlie Stewart – who created our beautiful RAP artwork – and who is also a member of our PAG and the NCOSS Board, alongside managing the Aboriginal Healing Program at Weave Youth and Community Services and lecturing in social work at the University of Wollongong
Kate Sinclair, a proud Dharug woman, Chair of Ngalaya Indigenous Corporation and a solicitor at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, where she is also leading PIAC’s participation in the campaign for the Voice to Parliament.

There are many different views on the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament. NCOSS is advocating for non-Indigenous people to vote YES in the coming referendum, but we recognise there is no one view among First Nations people and we're committed to promoting respectful dialogue. This panel will explore some of these views and provide an opportunity for questions and discussion. Not to be missed!

You can find more information about FONGA here. To register for the 2 June meeting, please email sarah@ncoss.org.au by COB today.

Get Political: Communities Taking Action
CIP 2023 Convention
3 June 2023, 9am-5pm

Join us for the third CIP Convention when the leaders and teams of community campaigns will share their wisdom and experience – generously paying it forward to grow the movement.

This Convention will be delivered online via the Zoom EVENTS platform (note, this will be a different experience than a regular Zoom meeting). Please ensure you register with the email address you will be using on the day, and/or the email address attached to your Zoom account. The access link will be emailed to ticket holders 24 hours before the event.

Convention highlights:

Cathy McGowan in conversation with the Community Independent MPs Kate Chaney, Zoe Daniel, Helen Haines, Monique Ryan, Sophie Scamps, Allegra Spender, Zali Steggall and Kylea Tink MP
Dean Parkin, Campaign Director Yes23
Craig Foster, former Socceroo, broadcaster, human rights advocate, 2023 NSW Australian of the Year, and Chair, Australian Republic Movement
Emily Holm, Mary Crooks, Nicolette Boele and Kath Naish in discussion with Tina Jackson on community building to support the Voice
Kate Gunn, Jacqui Scruby, Professor Kate Auty and Suzie Pearce in discussion with Alana Johnson on how communities are taking political action from PEP11 to the Liverpool Plains and North-East Rail Alliance
Concurrent Conversations including the evolution of ‘Voices of’ groups, NextGen and keeping the independent flame alive in electorates where Community Independents weren’t elected at the last election
Community Connect Cafe – make contacts, meet potential mentors, share and network.

Resilient Australia Awards
Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
Submissions extended to Tuesday, 13 June 2023

The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate initiatives that build community resilience to disasters and emergencies, as well as images that capture resilience in action. If you, your organisation, local council, community or school have made a contribution to Australia's disaster resilience, you should make a submission to these nationally significant awards.

For this first time, entries to the 2023 awards program can be submitted in video format, as well as or instead of a written submission. Entries must relate to projects or initiatives that commenced after 1 January 2021, or show significant outcomes or enhancements since 1 January 2021.

The Resilient Australia Awards is a two-tiered program. Jurisdictional winners from each state and territory will be considered for national awards.

More information is here.

Healing our Sector
AbSec Conference
13 - 14 June 2023

The biennial NSW Aboriginal Child & Family Conference is a key event for those working with Aboriginal children and families in NSW. Our conference theme this year will be 'Healing our Sector.'

While we'll discuss strategies for involving Aboriginal youth, families and communities in developing services and systemic change; we'll also be using the conference to perform an industry health check, giving our sector a chance to be heard and discuss methods of self-care and improvement during a time of unprecedented change, upheaval and environmental challenges.

This year's conference aims to also share best practices, celebrate our achievements and set future directions for delivering better outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people and their families and communities.

Register here.

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.

Housing First train-the-trainer training
Homelessness Australia
Call for EOIs from advanced Housing First Practitioners
14 August-23 September 2023 (online training)

Homelessness Australia is seeking expressions of interest from advanced Housing First practitioners, to participate in Housing First train-the-trainer training. Following training, participants would become active Housing First trainers.

Practitioners will participate in 6 days of free online training from 14 August - 23 September 2023, followed by a 3-4 day onsite Masterclass early in 2024 on the Gold Coast with a leading Housing First Europe trainer. The costs of the training, accommodation and travel will be met by the program.

Following the training program, practitioners are required to pass on their knowledge.

If you are interested in participating in this exciting training opportunity, please review the Expression of Interest and application form available on the website here. For more information contact the lead trainer in your region available on the website.

Applications close at 8.30am on Tuesday, 16 June 2023.

How to draft an MOU
Justice Connect NFP Law Webinar
Tuesday 6 June, 12.45 - 2pm AEST

Learn how to draft an MOU that ensures everyone is on the same page.

Working together is a hallmark of the not-for-profit sector – and being confident in your collaboration is important. Setting out key goals and processes in a clear memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the outset is a great way to reduce the risk of misunderstandings and mistakes. This webinar is an interactive how-to guide for drafting an effective MOU. You'll come away more confident in how to use our handy MOU template or design your own.

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.

Sydney Water Community Grants
Annual grants for local community projects
Closing 5 June

Sydney Water, through its annual Community Grants Program, supports local community groups across Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and the Illawarra area.

With a shared goal to build thriving and sustainable communities, the Community Grants Program supports project teams with innovative ideas to put projects into action that benefit local communities. 

The 2023 Community Grants Program seeks projects focused on Water Conservation.

Applications are sought from grassroots community groups, volunteer organisations, education institutions, local government with community partners, sporting groups, and other community-minded organisations that share Sydney Water’s vision (1 MB) of creating a better life for today and generations to come. Details are here.

General Manager (Inner City Sydney) – Youth Action – VIEW JOB

Network Support Team Members – Meals on Wheels – VIEW JOB (SW Sydney, Nepean, Illawarra), VIEW JOB (Central West, Orana Far West)

Wydjabin Early Childhood Educator (Northern Rivers) – Ngunya Jarjum Aboriginal Child and Family Network Lismore – VIEW JOB

Economic Pathways Program Manager (Auburn) – St Vincent de Paul Society VIEW JOB

Direct Services Counsellor/Project Officers (Western Sydney) – STARTTS – VIEW JOB (Auburn), VIEW JOB (Fairfield), VIEW JOB (Liverpool)

NDIS Support Coordinator (Blue Mountains) – Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre – VIEW JOB