NCOSS eNews

25 January 2023

Happy New Year – and Happy Lunar New Year – to all NCOSS members, friends and supporters. I hope you had time to relax and recharge after a big year. I also want to acknowledge the frontline services that did not get a break and supported those in need during the holiday period.

Always was, always will be
Our first eNews of the year coincides with the Australia Day public holiday. Invasion Day to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends and colleagues, and their allies in the fight for justice for, and self-determination by, First Nations peoples.

NCOSS launched our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in the middle of 2022. As part of our RAP, we committed to mark significant dates, like Invasion Day, with a public statement acknowledging the impact of colonialism, and the harm racist policies had – and continue to have – on Indigenous people. 

For Invasion Day 2023, NCOSS stands in solidarity with First Nations people to call for an end to the shameful overrepresentation of Indigenous men, women and children in prisons and detention centres. First Nations peoples comprise around 3.4 per cent of the NSW population, but just under 30 per cent of the adult prison population according to the latest NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (BOSCAR) report. With Indigenous kids making up a staggering 50.5 per cent of the juvenile detention population, it’s also way past time to #raisetheage.

Scroll down to read our Invasion Day Statement.

Invasion Day also looms particularly large this year, with the upcoming referendum on enshrining the Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. 

NCOSS knows there are many perspectives on the issues of Voice, Treaty, Truth. So I’d like to take a moment to reiterate NCOSS' commitment to walking alongside First Nations partners, peaks, organisations and communities to showcase their many voices. We’ll speak out against racism and racist policies and practices, but we won’t speak on behalf of First Nations peoples. 

In the meantime, NCOSS respectfully acknowledges the Custodians of Gadigal Country – and all of the countries across NSW – whose sovereignty was never ceded. We pay our deep respect to Elders, past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

NSW State Election 2023
On this coming Saturday, 28 January, it will be eight short weeks to the NSW State election. 

NCOSS launched our election policy platform – Working together for a fairer NSW – on 25 November 2022. It was developed in consultation with our member organisations and through rigorous research. We have eight key asks for those looking to form the next NSW Government. Scroll down to read them or you can access the full policy platform documents here.

It’s good to see some of the issues we’ve raised are front and centre in the public debate. This includes reducing the harm pokies cause, and the crisis in the availability and affordability of accommodation. There’s also a growing awareness of the link between family and domestic violence – which we know escalates during times when disasters strike – and the lack of safe, affordable places for women and their children to go. And the need for significantly greater investment in our sector, and our female dominated workforce, to ensure that our communities get the services they need, and expect.

NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty has been busy meeting with Government, Opposition and cross bench members of the NSW Parliament, to bring them up to speed on our recommendations and how the NSW Parliament and sector can work together to achieve a fairer NSW. Our recommendations have been well received and we will continue to push hard over the next eight weeks!

If your organisation hasn’t done so already, please endorse our policy platform on our website. We’ve also developed an election policy toolkit to help you advocate for NCOSS policy asks, whether you support the platform in full or want to focus on certain recommendations relevant to your organisation.

The upcoming election is a real opportunity to work towards a NSW where everyone can access basics, the resources and supports they need to lead a decent life. We look forward to continuing to work with you over the coming weeks to achieve that goal.

NCOSS strives to be a stronger ally to First Nations people and communities. We will take an active stand against racism, including policy and practice that is racially biased. We will speak out against racism, but we will not speak on behalf of First Nations peoples. We will walk in solidarity.

On this Invasion Day 2023 NCOSS calls on the NSW government to end the horrific practice of taking Aboriginal children from their families, and incarcerating Aboriginal children, young people and adults in our prisons. We call for the government to #raisetheage immediately, and invest in Aboriginal families, keep kids at home, and Aboriginal people out of gaol.

It is not ok to celebrate Australia Day when we wilfully refuse to take the steps needed to set us on a different path and break with the brutalities of the past and current racist practices.

We call on our members to support #raisetheage and to think about how they can be a better ally to First Nations people and communities. And to our First Nations members we stand in solidarity and honour and celebrate the work you do and the communities you serve.

Ahead of Invasion Day 2023, and in keeping with our commitment to walk in solidarity – but not speak for – First Nations peoples, it is timely to highlight that the 126 recommendations for systemic change, made by the 2019 Family is Culture review, are yet to be fully implemented. This review, conducted by Professor Megan Davis and a 13 person reference group, largely comprised of First Nations people, found the NSW child protection system is actively harming Aboriginal kids.

Under this system, Indigenous children are 11 times more likely to be taken from their homes than non-Indigenous children, despite only making up 5 per cent of children in the state.

Read the Family is Culture report

The NSW Government’s response to the report – in the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Amendment (Family is Culture) Bill 2022 – was welcomed as a good first step by Indigenous leaders but much more needs to be done. It implements 13 of the 25 changes to child protection laws recommended by Family is Culture.

Read AbSec’s and the Aboriginal Legal Service's November 2022 media release.

In solidarity with First Nations peoples, NCOSS’ 2023 election policy platform calls on the incoming NSW Government to implement the Family is Culture blueprint through a genuine partnership and shared decision making with Aboriginal leaders, Community Controlled Organisations and communities.

a. Replace no grounds evictions in the current NSW tenancy law with a range of specified reasonable grounds.
b. Where tenants are evicted for reasons other than a breach, introduce provisions requiring compensation for moving costs by the landlord.
c. Introduce a permanent hardship framework to support renters maintain their tenancy and avoid eviction.
d. Consider the feasibility of a mandatory landlord insurance scheme and/or landlord rental bond scheme to cover the cost of hardship provisions such as rent reductions.

a. Increase investment in the Targeted Early Intervention Program by 25%, prioritising Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations.
b. Continue evidence-based implementation of high quality school tutoring programs to counter the long-term impacts of lost education due to COVID.
c. Implement the Family is Culture blueprint through a genuine partnership and shared decision making with Aboriginal leaders, Community Controlled Organisations and communities.
d. Enhance timely access to health and social services for children and their families in disadvantaged communities, by extending the ‘School Gateway Project’ in its South West Sydney location and to another two school sites in NSW.

NCOSS policy platform calls on the next NSW Government to limit the harm caused by pokies on vulnerable communities and the need for real action on pokies is getting a lot of attention.

"We welcome the detail announced today by the NSW Opposition on what they plan to do to tackle the harm done by poker machines across the state," NCOSS CEO Joanna Quilty said.

"An expanded mandatory trial of cashless gaming, covering at least 500 poker machines, is welcome along with an independent panel to oversee the trial. But ultimately, it must lead to cashless gaming state-wide."

Read the NCOSS media release

NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty highlights that, in some instances problems accessing housing in NSW was putting lives at risk and advocates for our policy platform ask for enhanced safety, security and wellbeing for women impacted by domestic and family violence by building more social housing.

"That is why we are urging the NSW government and the opposition, as a first step, to commit to construct social housing for the 4,812 women and their children experiencing domestic and family violence," Ms Quilty said.

Read the full Western Advocate article

In a letter to the editor, NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty, advocates for more social housing to deliver against our policy platform ask for enhanced safety, security and wellbeing form women impacted by domestic and family violence.

"The NSW Government could drive down domestic violence recidivism rates by providing secure, affordable housing for women and children fleeing violence with nowhere to go.

Our state’s housing crisis means that, for too many, the choice is either homelessness or returning to live with the perpetrator. Like pouring fuel on a fire, it’s a scenario that places them in harm’s way and drives up offending rates.

Rather than expanding jails to house more re-offenders, let’s expand social housing to enable these women and children to leave violence and rebuild their lives."

Scroll down to "Affordable housing linked to reducing domestic violence" in this SMH link.

The Sunday Telegraph published an opinion piece where NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty, advocated for another of our election policy platform asks – investment in social infrastructure so that essential support reaches those most in need.

"If our politicians are looking for a way forward following the rolling disasters which have struck in the past few years, it could be this – we now know what works in a crisis and what doesn’t. While some crisis response processes were found wanting during the bushfires, pandemic, floods and cost-of-living emergencies, others proved to be outstanding success stories which should be held up as the template for how we deal with community-wide hardship in the future. There is no doubt that local neighbourhood centres proved to be one of the most valuable resources for those seeking support during these challenging years. All the more impressive when you realise that these centres do not even receive guaranteed core funding leaving them to beg and borrow to stay afloat."

Read the full piece in the Sunday Telegraph

Advocating for our election policy platform, NCOSS CEO, Joanna Quilty, calls on the next Government to permanently increase the cap for the Service NSW Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) vouchers to $1,600 a year to help the many NSW families swamped by energy bills.

"What we need right now is immediate energy price relief for those really struggling," she said.
"We are also calling on the NSW government to overhaul the application process which is invasive and overly complex."

"Being unable to pay your electricity bill is not enough. Applicants have to demonstrate an exceptional event like a family death and be prepared to have their financial circumstances interrogated before being granted the voucher."

Read the full Lithgow Mercury article

AbSec CEO John Leha has called on the NSW Government to follow Queensland’s lead and scrap the Structured Decision Making (SDM) tool – the algorithm-based tool used to evaluate a child’s risk of coming into contact with the child safety system – a when researchers found it was "racially biased."

"I would say that New South Wales should also be following suit," Leha said.

"And it's acknowledging that the tool in and of itself has been detrimental and has been driving the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children (in out-of-home care) for the last 10 years that it's been in place."

"I think 10 years is long enough for us to be able to understand the impact and evaluate the impact of the Structured Decision Making tool," he said.

"... I don't think that there has been a true appreciation for the devastating impact that this tool has had on the number of Aboriginal children."

AbSec, its members and stakeholders want a completely redesigned system for assessing kids, one that eradicates the racial concerns and focuses more on how to keep families together rather than make a bet on kids' risk and remove them.

Read the 17 January 2023 9 News article.

What should a cashless gaming card system look like? One that will reduce the serious harm caused by pokies to punters who have a problem controlling their gambling and also eliminate money laundering? Wesley Mission has the answers.

Their discussion paper, released on 19 January 2023, sets out design features that would make for an effective system. It’s informed by international research, evaluations of existing systems, and expert advice, as well as insights from Wesley staff who work at the coalface and those whose lives have been damaged by the pokies.

Required reading for NSW’s political leaders.

The Better Chances Forum (BCF) is a collaboration supporting better chances for children, young people, their families and communities to lead safe, healthy and happy lives. We focus on early intervention and prevention to keep families together.

The BCF planning group is calling for proposals for presentations, workshops and other activities to include in the 2023 Better Chances Engagement Practice Forum: Connect, reflect and share our stories.

This exciting regional forum will be a great opportunity to share, learn and build engagement practice and connection among workers, services and communities supporting children, young people and their families across Bundjalung, Yaegl and Gumbaynggirr Country (Northern Rivers).

Your proposal needs to be received by 1 February 2023.

Submit a proposal

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your proposal prior to submitting please contact Ian O’Reilly on 0438 005 798 or email betterchances@socialfutures.org.au. Close date for presentations:

Grant-Seeker Workshop – NSW Northern Rivers

16 February 2023
Disaster recovery can create a busy funding environment for the community services sector. The Grant-Seeker workshop is for staff from NSW Northern Rivers community organisations wanting to increase their skills in the best-practice processes and strategies of grant-seeking. Participants leave with knowledge of:

✓ The grants landscape
✓ Steps to ensuring their organisation is ‘grant ready’
✓ How to package projects, create grant-ready project plans, and set internal processes to succeed (includes full project plan template and budget template/example).
✓ Feedback from funders on why applications do or don’t succeed
✓ Identifying the right funds and how to build funder relationships
✓ How to write a great grant application, including examples of good and bad responses
✓ Targeting message to your audience – government, corporate and philanthropy
✓ Next steps when an application is successful or unsuccessful, and effective reporting, acquittal and stewardship strategies

Register here

Art of Ageing - Art Exhibition

Close 27 January
The exhibition features a selection of photographs depicting the diversity of older people in New South Wales, challenging outdated perceptions of ageing and celebrates the contribution older people make to our communities. It reminds us that older people are not all the same. Our experiences of ageing are unique.
Read more

Better Chances Forum
15 March 2023
The Better Chances Forum (BCF) is a collaboration supporting better chances for children, young people, their families and communities to lead safe, healthy and happy lives. We focus on early intervention and prevention to keep families together. We bring together people from organisations and groups across the Bundjalung, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr Country (Northern Rivers of NSW).
Read more

Responding to Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance - lessons from Ngaramanala

Webinar
31 January 2023
Chaired by Brendan Thomas, Wiradjuri man, Deputy Secretary of Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes. This webinar will focus on how the Department of Communities and Justice has explored the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance and their application within the context of government through the Ngaramanala, DCJ’s Aboriginal Knowledge Program.
Read more

Board Inductions for Not-for-profit Organisations
Webinar
14 February 2023
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?
Read more

Tenancy Law for Non-Lawyers
Webinar
27 February 2023
This workshop provides community sector workers with an understanding of the Residential Tenancies Act and strategies to work with their clients when they are impacted by this Act. It is delivered by the NSW Tenants Union - the experts in this type of work.
Read more

Families with Children and Centrelink
Webinar
28 February 2023
This session will explain how relationship status (single/partnered) affects payment, and how issues related to separation can have a major impact on social security payments, particularly child support and the amount of time a child is in the care of each parent.⠀⠀
Read more

2023 NAIDOC Local Grants Opportunity

Close 17 February 2023
The 2023 NAIDOC Local Grants aims to assist with the cost of activities being held during NAIDOC Week 2023 (2 - 9 July) that celebrate First Nations’ histories, cultures, achievements and continuing contributions to our country and society. Activities should align with the 2023 National NAIDOC Week Theme For our Elders.
Read more

Return to Work Grant Program
No end date
The Return to Work Program is for women who have been unemployed for one month or more and intend to return to work as an employee within 6 months.
Read more

The Specialist DFV Programs National Open Grant
Close 23 February 2023
Applications are now open for a national grant round in partnership with the Australian Communities Foundation for specialist programs for key communities affected by domestic and family violence in Australia.
Read more