23 March 2023

23 March 2023

NSW election around the corner

After many weeks of campaigning, this coming weekend the state election will be upon us. And – at a time when NSW communities are struggling with the soaring cost of living, an affordable housing crisis, and rolling natural disasters – there is a lot at stake.

In spruiking our 2023 Policy Platform, we’ve met with Ministers, their Opposition counterparts, sitting MPs and candidates, the Greens and independents. We’ve held roundtable discussions in key seats to emphasise local issues and the role of neighbourhood centres as anchor organisations for their communities – social infrastructure that is as essential as any road, rail or bridge project and which requires adequate resourcing.

NCOSS has been a strong advocate in the media over the past weeks, raising the issues that matter to both our members, and those doing it tough in NSW. We’ve drawn on the evidence to highlight that solutions are available, and that those who are already disadvantaged should not fall even further behind.

Across the board, it’s been a relatively mild-mannered campaign. On the plus side we’ve seen a strong focus on renters’ rights, gambling reform and cost of living issues. Disappointingly, announcements of a sizeable investment in social housing – seen in recent Queensland and Victorian elections – have been missing. And targeted initiatives that will close the widening divide and improve equity have also been thin on the ground.

If the polls are to be believed, it’s going to be close. But regardless of the outcome, the real work begins after 25 March. NCOSS stands ready to work with the next government as we advocate with our members for a fairer, more inclusive NSW where everyone can thrive.

For a lively discussion of the election result – what it means for our sector and the people we support, and the challenges ahead for the next government – be sure to join us at our upcoming FONGA meeting on 31 March, 10am to 12 noon. It’s open to NCOSS members and will feature some ‘insider’ perspectives on what the next four years could have in store! You can find more information and register here.

Secure Jobs, Better Pay changes to FWA: Contract implications

Some of the Secure Jobs, Better Pay changes to the Fair Work Act, which were made in December last year, have not received wide-spread attention but have significant ramifications for our sector. This includes changes affecting the use of fixed-term contracts, which can be common-place for community organisations as a means of dealing with short-term funding.

These fixed-term contract changes come into effect in December 2023 and they’re something we all need to prepare for. You can read more in the article below, which summarises pro bono advice NCOSS has received from Lander & Rogers.

Justice Connect and their pro bono partner, Lander & Rogers, are working on a webinar to explain these and other changes, and what you need to do to get ready. Stay tuned for more information on dates and times.

Secure jobs & sector sustainability

While we welcome any change that improves employment security for our female-dominated workforce, these changes need to be funded. NCOSS has written to DPC asking for a meeting to discuss the fixed-term contract changes, and how the NSW Government proposes to manage their impacts. We’ve flagged that organisations will likely need base-line funding increases to pay for additional workplace entitlements like redundancies, as we will no longer be able to use temporary employment contracts to help manage the uncertainty arising from short-term funding.

Our sector does the heavy lifting, with government continuing to devolve responsibility for essential services while not acknowledging the real cost. That’s why our Policy Platform calls for the next NSW Government to secure sustainability for the social services sector. Please endorse our Policy Platform, if you haven’t already.

Our final Local Candidate Roundtable alongside Local Community Services Association was held at Canterbury City Community Centre. It was brilliant to hear from people who have relied on their local service, providing opportunity, connection and confidence.

A big thank you to the State Election candidates who came and listened: Jihad Dib and Sophie Cotsis (NSW Labor), Isaac Naesdra and Bradley Schott (The NSW Greens) and Kacey King (Animal Justice Party).

Read the NCOSS media release here.

A reminder that NCOSS in partnership with AbSec and LCSA is calling for Expressions of Interest (EoI) from place-based service organisations to host our Community Sector Disaster Capability project in the Hawkesbury, Northern Rivers and South Coast.The EoI is open until Thursday 6 April. You can find the application form and more information here.

Today at 1pm we are holding an online Q&A forum about the EoI – register here. A summary of the Q&A will be published afterwards on our website.

The project, funded jointly by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund, provides resources for local service organisations to strengthen connections with local disaster agencies and systems, and work collaboratively to build capability to reduce the impacts of disasters, particularly on vulnerable communities and population groups.

Lander & Rogers has generously provided NCOSS with pro bono advice about how the Secure Jobs, Better Pay changes to the Fair Work Act impact on the use of fixed-term employment contracts. The advice was organised by our colleagues at Justice Connect. As the advice is general in nature, Landers has agreed that Justice Connect can provide the full advice to sector organisations to help them understand the changes to the law.

As part of these changes, employment contracts entered into on or after 6 December 2023 can’t exceed two years, or be renewed more than once. This is the case even if the combined terms are less than two years in total. There are some exemptions. More on that later.

A fixed-term employment contract entered into before 6 December 2023 will continue in force until the end of the term, which can exceed two years. However, in determining whether any contract entered into on or after 6 December 2023 breaches the new laws, all previous contracts will be considered. Regardless of whether they end (or ended) before the changes came into force.

So, if you have an employee:

whose existing contract of employment expires on or after 5 December 2023; and
they have been employed in substantially the same role for two or more years; and/or
their contracts have been renewed more than once; then

they will become an ongoing employee, if you enter into a further fixed-term employment contract with them (or renew the existing one).

The main exemptions to this general rule that are relevant for the sector are what’s called the ‘distinct identifiable task’ and ‘government funding’ exemptions. However, they’ve been drafted to set a high bar for organisations seeking to rely on them. There are also significant anti-avoidance provisions.

Other, more straightforward, exemptions are available to cover temporary absences (like parental leave); where the contract is for an apprentice or trainee; or where the position exceeds the high income threshold ($162K in 2022-23 for a full time worker).

If your organisation is one of the many in our sector who have staff on fixed-term contracts, you should undertake a case-by-case audit as soon as possible, so you are ready for the changes.

As the countdown to the NSW election begins, it’s not too late to add your voice of support for our key asks to the incoming state Parliament: immediate cost of living relief, targeted support for the most vulnerable, and social sector sustainability.

Read more about our asks on the 2023 NCOSS Policy Platform page. To endorse, submit your organisation’s logo via the endorsement form, or by emailing advocacy@ncoss.org.au

Don’t forget to also check out the NCOSS Policy Tracker, which captures relevant policy announcements from three major political parties.

NCOSS is concerned that the Kids Future Fund risks further increasing the poverty divide, where wealthy families can bolster their child's financial future while poorer families are left further behind.

“With housing stress rife across NSW and the cost of everyday essentials sky-rocketing, low-income families – particularly those living below the poverty line – don’t have any money to spare.”

“We would strongly advise the NSW Coalition to consult widely on this policy to ensure it doesn’t further entrench social inequality” said NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty.

Read The Guardian article written by Tamsin Rose.

For further coverage where Joanna outlines NCOSS' concerns about this announcement, listen to Perrottet's Kids Future Fund up for debate on abc.net.au among other articles.

There was some great media coverage of the Local Candidates Roundtable at Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre on the Central Coast.

Thanks, again, to our partner, Local Community Services Association, and to all the amazing team at Yerin and the Barang Regional Alliance.

LCSA and NCOSS will continue our advocacy for core funding to Neighbourhood and Community Centres across NSW. They are vital social infrastructure and need certainty and sustainability.

Watch the 9 News coverage here.

We also got some fantastic local coverage from the roundtables with Northern Rivers Community Gateway in Lismore and Nepean Community and Neighbourhood Services in Penrith.

You can read those stories here and here.

National Close the Gap Day was on 16 March 2023, around the theme of Strong Culture, Strong Youth: Our Legacy, Our Future. You can read the Close the Gap Campaign’s full and summary reports here.

In 2023, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples still live, on average, 10-11 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. As the Close the Gap Campaign puts it:

“Closing this life expectancy gap is everyone’s business: it is a national issue in which every individual, organisation and group in Australia can play a role.”

One way you can do this is by signing the pledge – and getting your families and friends to do the same – with the aim of achieving health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians within 25 years. The pledge calls on the Australian Government to:

Commit to providing adequate and long-term financial resources to achieve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equality
Invest in real partnerships, including increased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation and control around health service delivery
Address critical social issues of housing, education and self-determination that contribute to the health crisis affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

In the lead up to the May Federal Budget, the Raise the Rate for Good campaign is asking community organisations and groups to use their voice to urge their local MP to support an increase to income support. Even before the recent cost-of-living crisis, people on income support were struggling to cover basic expenses. But in the last twelve months, rents have risen by about 18% and food by about 9%. People on income support are bearing the brunt of these rising costs.

We can’t afford to leave those with the least behind. Join us on Tuesday 28 March for the National Day of Action by signing an open letter and writing to the Federal Treasurer and your local MP to urgently raise JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related payments.

Human Rights for NSW is an alliance of community and civil society organisations campaigning to ensure that everyone in NSW has their human rights protected so that we are all treated fairly, and with dignity, equality and respect. Human Rights Acts are already delivering tangible benefits to the people of QLD, Victoria and the ACT. The Alliance’s goal is to see a Human Rights Act passed by the NSW parliament.

A Human Rights Act would legally articulate, protect and promote everyone's basic rights and freedoms.
It would require the NSW Government and NSW public authorities to place human rights at the heart of all laws, policies and decisions.
It would also provide a powerful tool that we can all use to seek justice if our human rights are violated.

Take action to ensure that the people of NSW are not left behind by calling on your local representative to support the establishment of an inquiry into a NSW Human Rights Act within the first year of the next term of government. It's time to take make sure that the members of our next parliament understand that we want to live in a state where everyone's right to be treated with dignity, equality and respect is legally recognised. An inquiry will provide an opportunity for everyone in NSW to join the conversation about a Human Rights Act.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are NOW OPEN for Community Service Organisations to participate in Cancer Council NSW’s Tackling Tobacco program in 2023/24.

Successful organisations will receive training for staff, dedicated support from a Cancer Council staff member, policy creation, resources, and more! A financial grant of up to $5000 may also be available on application, to eligible organisations.

If you work with or for a Community Service Organisation and are passionate about helping people quit smoking, complete the EOI form or contact tacklingtobacco@nswcc.org.au. EOIs will close Thursday 6th April.

For further information go to the Tackling Tobacco website.

Uncharitable

Film pre-screening

24 May 2023

Social Impact Hub and The Funding Network are proud to present the exclusive pre-screening in Sydney of Dan Pallotta's powerful and timely movie that will change the way you think about charity and the not-for-profit sector. For decades, we have been taught to believe that not-for-profits (NFPs) should minimise their administrative costs and they shouldn't invest in fundraising, salaries, marketing and innovation. Uncharitable offers a fresh and inspiring perspective on what the NFP sector could be if we challenged this notion, and how by doing so, we can better enable the sector to tackle society's most pressing social and environmental issues.

Book here.

The Know and The How: Strategic Planning for Community Organisations
FRRR (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal)
30 March 2023

Join us with special guest, Nicole Weber, as we dive into the world of strategic planning for community organisations. Nicole’s valuable insights as an organisational development specialist and a community organisation board member in the Northern Rivers will mean you will get practical real-world knowledge that you can apply to your own organisation.
Register here.

First Nations Lobbying Workshop

NCOSS & AbSec
18 April 2023

A short online seminar giving an overview of the new parliament, tips and strategies on talking to politicians, and creating effective local campaigns. This seminar is for First Nations leaders - including CEO’s, board members and anyone who advocates for their services and communities.
Register here.

Information Security Webinars
2023

DCJ is running free webinars for social service organisations on the important topic of information security. Links for upcoming webinars are yet to be distributed but please keep your eyes out for invitations from DCJ Partnership Support.

The NSW Department of Education is offering $3.2 million in grants towards programs to improve the mental health and wellbeing of students in schools across the state. Applications are welcome from service providers and others for new or existing programs and initiatives. Grants of up to $200,000 that address specific student cohorts and priority areas are available. Priority areas for applications under the Fund are embedded within the wellbeing elements of belonging, resilience and behaviour.

Final funded programs will be available to all NSW schools, expanding on programs and initiatives currently available to support the wellbeing of children and young people. The applications for the first round of funding are now open and close Sunday 2 April 2023. Further information can be found on the NSW Department of Education website.

Contact StudentWellbeingGrants@det.nsw.edu.au with any questions.

Educator, Justice Advocacy Service (Sydney CBD) – Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) – VIEW JOB

Community Health Promotion Officer, Suicide Prevention Programs (Sydney CBD) – ACON – VIEW JOB

Youth Workers, Casual (Western Sydney) – Platform Youth Services – VIEW JOB

Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Case Manager (South East Sydney) – Moving Forward DFV Case Management Services – VIEW JOB

Home Care Scheduler and Administrator (Western Sydney) – Canterbury City Community Centre – VIEW JOB

Case Worker, The Haven (Western Sydney) – Nepean Women’s Shelter – VIEW JOB

Rural and Regional Youth Workers (Albury & Wagga Wagga) – NSW STTARTS – VIEW JOB (ALBURY); VIEW JOB (WAGGA)