Mirrung Education Award | Disability Royal Commission

8 August 2024

Reforms to No Grounds Evictions

We are pleased with last week’s announcement from the NSW Government that it would reform rental laws to prevent no-ground evictions and create a portable bond scheme. These are issues that NCOSS and many people in the housing sector have been advocating for many years and they should give renters some much-needed protection.

The government will introduce legislation to parliament in September. We welcome both reforms and you can read our media release on this issue here. Next steps for NCOSS are to ensure that the implementation of these announcements happen quickly and equitably.

Government Response to Disability Royal Commission

National disability representative organisations have expressed deep disappointment that only 13 of the 222 recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission were fully accepted by the federal government. A Disability Rights Act, a National Disability Commission and the phasing out of segregated education were among the recommendations that were rejected.

You can read their full statement here.

Mirrung Wellbeing Hub Receives Award

Congratulations to the Mirrung hub at Ashcroft Public School for winning a Secretary’s Awards for Excellence on Monday.

The award was announced on Monday as part of  Public Education Week and aligns with this year’s theme of Proud to Belong. Scroll down to read more.

NCOSS AGM

The NCOSS annual general meeting will be held on Friday, 15 November. We have put out a call for nominations for election to the Board and for any resolutions members would like to put forward. You can register for the AGM here. Please email agm@ncoss.org.au if you have any questions.

The Mirrung Hub at Ashcroft Public School, which is supported through the NCOSS School Gateway project, won a Secretary's Award at the NSW Public Education Awards this week. The award for an Outstanding School Initiative was given in recognition of the work done through Mirrung to meet the needs of children and families of the Ashcroft Public School community.

The Mirrung model aims to support the 'whole family' and has four elements from which the framework was developed, with quality teaching and learning underpinning all elements. These are Early Intervention, Student Engagement and Enrichment, Health and Wellbeing Services and Family Engagement.

If you're a young First Nations person living in NSW, you can enter the NCOSS art competition.

The winning design will be featured on the front cover of our annual report this year. Plus, the winning artist will be paid $2500 for the use of their work.

As we reflect on the results from last year's referendum on the Voice to Parliament, we're thinking about what comes next. We'd like you to reflect on the theme: 'Towards Self Determination".

The competition closes on Friday, 13 September, 2024. For all of the details, please visit the NCOSS website.

Help us spread the word about this great opportunity by sharing this flyer or social media post with your network.

Do you work for a non-government organisation and want to know more about Parliamentary Inquiries, so that you can participate and influence policy decisions? Do you want to build your skills in writing submissions or in appearing as a witness?

Facilitated by staff members of the NSW Legislative Council parliamentary committees, as well as by the NCOSS Policy & Advocacy team, this workshop is most useful for people who have limited or no experience in writing submissions or taking part in hearings. It is also well-regarded by those who would like to refresh their knowledge and skills in the subject areas.

We have secured two dates for our members:

Option 1: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 @ 8:45am-1:00pm

Option 2: Wednesday, 13 November 2024 @ 8:45am-1:00pm

The workshops will be held at NSW Parliament House, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney.

Please register here. Spaces are limited – only 20 in each session – so register asap!

Mission Australia has released its Youth Survey Homelessness Report 2024: The Unfair Divide.

Using the data from nearly 20,000 responses to the Youth Survey in 2023, this report compares the experiences of young people who have experienced homelessness in the past year with those of young people who have never experienced homelessness.

The report found that in order to end youth homelessness, much more investment is needed in measures that address the spectrum of its causes, from universal prevention responses such as alleviating poverty and ensuring sufficient affordable housing through to responses that address system failures and individual and family circumstances.

You can read the report online here.

The Department of Health and Aged Care and UNSW Sydney’s Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry are seeking representatives from disability organisations who work with people with intellectual disability to take part in an online survey on how disability organisations can support co-education and placement opportunities.

The results will support the Intellectual Disability Health Capability Framework. This Framework aims to improve the education that students studying to be health professionals receive on intellectual disability health.

The survey will close on 21 August 2024. You can access the survey here.

Sydney Alliance, Shelter NSW, FHA NSW and Vinnies NSW are supporting local groups to demonstrate public support for more affordable housing in the lead up to the local government area elections on 14 September.

Cumberland 4 Common Good: Local Council Candidates Forum, Tuesday 20 August

Fair Housing for Parramatta, Tuesday 27 August

Sutherland Shire Future Focus: Ward D Candidate Forum, 27 August

Canterbury-Bankstown Forum: housing, energy, community, Wednesday 28 August

Fair Housing for Kuring-Gai Community Conversation, Tuesday 3 September

Blacktown Council Candidates Forum, Thursday 5 September

Fair Housing for Hornsby Community Forum, Thursday 5 September

Despite small increases to JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related payments, people are still unable to cover their basic expenses.

Raise the Rate and ACOSS are collecting stories for the media to share. They are preparing a report to show how difficult it is to cover basic expenses on inadequate income support payments.

If you’re currently struggling to get by on JobSeeker or a similar income support, complete the survey so we can provide journalists with a clear picture of what it’s like trying to survive on $55 a day.

Complete the survey here.

The Australian Services Union has launched a campaign and case in the Fair Work Commission to fix the SCHADS award, calling for the recognition and fair pay community and disability workers deserve.

Our sector is constantly evolving, but the SCHADS Award classifications have not changed in 30 years.

Here are two things you can do to help them get started with that work.

Register for a workplace union meeting so we can update all of your colleagues about the case and campaign.
Sign the petition calling on Governments to support our case.

Intermediate Advocacy Skills for Lived Experience Advocates
Mental Health Carers NSW
22 August - 23 January, online
Free | Register here

This training aims to further enhance the skills of intermediate advocates in mental health, including non-paid mental health carers, consumers, and community representatives.

The program consists of six 2-hour online sessions and will delve into topics such as identifying your core values, self-care strategies, effective communication, writing, and presentation skills.

Veteran's Health Week Grants
Closing Date: 30 August 2024

This year, Veterans’ Health Week is being held from 13 to 20 October 2024 with the theme Keep Connected. This theme aims to promote good health and wellbeing in the everyday life of veterans and families, and shines a spotlight on the importance of social connectedness.

Ex-service and community organisations are encouraged to host an event for their local community in support of VHW.

For more information, please visit the grant information page.

Some of the latest from our Jobs Board:

Bicultural Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Project Officer (Nepean Blue Mountains) - NSW STARTTS - VIEW JOB

Speak Out Dual Diagnosis Program Caseworker/Counsellor (South Sydney) - WEAVE - VIEW JOB

Disability and Social Inclusion Program Lead (Sydney CBD) - LGBTIQ+ Health Australia - VIEW JOB

Financial Counsellor (Wagga Wagga) - Anglicare - VIEW JOB

Family Case Worker (South East Sydney) - St George Family Support Services - VIEW JOB

Residential Care Worker (Inner West Sydney) - Foundation House - VIEW JOB

Board Member (Sydney) - Seniors Rights Service - VIEW JOB