Representation CoordinationAnalysis AdvocacyCost of living Electricity Policy Research Voice Leadershipof the sector South Australian Council of Social Service 64th Annual Report 2010-11 South Australian Council of Social Service 64th Annual Report 2010-11 Published by the South Australian Council of Social Service, November 2011 47 King William Road Unley, SA 5061 Australia Ph (08) 8305 4222 Fax (08) 8272 9500 [email protected] www.sacoss.org.au © South Australian Council of Social Service, 2011 This publication is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Enquiries should be addressed to the Communications Officer, South Australian Council of Social Service. Justice Research AdvocacyLeadership Contents Chair’s Report 1 Helen Connolly Director’s Report 4 Ross Womersley SACOSS Secretariat 6 The Year in Review 7 Strong Community Healthy State 8 State Budget Cuts 9 Cost of Living 10 Utilities 11 Gambling 12 Just One Day Without 13 Anti-Poverty Week 14 Connecting with the Sector 15 Media 16 Publications and Submissions 17 Board 18 Policy Council 19 Policy & Advocacy Groups 20 External Committees 21 Members 22 Financial Summary 25 Financial Statements 26 Auditor’s Report 26 SACOSS2010-2011 Chair’s Report Helen Connolly As I sit to write the Chair’s report for the 64th So in our 64th year: Annual Report, and to reflect on my first year with • Were we relevant to our membership and to SACOSS and on what has been achieved, I am others interested in broader social policy? mindful of the Beatles classic with the great chorus • Did we build legitimacy around our right to of “will you still need me, will you still feed me, comment on a diversity of areas related to when I’m 64?”. This asks the question of how long community wellbeing? love endures, but the words could equally reflect a • Have we had an impact on influencing public question of how enduring is our relevance. policy in South Australia? So as I write this report I am very aware of needing Answering these questions has been at the heart to reflect, not only on our achievements in 2010-11, of the strategic review process undertaken by the but on the equally critical objectives of relevance Board this year. The process was driven by a joint and representation. Whilst these are important Board and Policy Council Working Group and considerations for all organisations, they are the enthusiastically convened by Leigh Garrett, SACOSS life blood of a social policy peak body that seeks to Deputy Chair. Leigh was charged with generating represent the poor and marginalised and ensure their the widest possible member input through focus voices are not silenced by those with more organised groups, surveys and workshops and gather ideas power and resources. from non-members, including eligible non-member organisations and organisations with overlapping A relevant and representative peak body is not only interests and constituencies. An independent an effective campaigner on social issues, but does consultant undertook a number of interviews so so in a way that builds the capacity of its members organisations could be candid in their response. to have collective and individual influence, and is representative of diverse community views. To have The overall strategic plan process sought feedback enduring relevance means we need to do more than on: participation and engagement; we must facilitate • How participants perceive and value SACOSS community representation and contribution to • Perception relevance of SACOSS’s Vision and decision through our advocacy for social equality Mission statement and diversity. • Perception relevance of SACOSS’s current work in achieving this Our contribution is defined by our relevance, • How our work could be strengthened. representation and impact, and sustaining relevance. Representation and impact are the key challenges From this information the Working Group developed for us moving forward. a framework for aligning the work of the Policy Council and Board in order to develop a coherent Now more than ever, there are so many organisations strategic policy agenda and strategic governance outside government and the public sector seeking agenda. The process of determining our strategy to influence public policy: think tanks, business was consultative and we received significant groups, professional associations, trade groups, feedback. influential individuals, lobbyists, research groups, advisory committees… and the list goes on. For Our relevance, credibility, value, potential and power many NGOs in the community services sector, this were acknowledged, as was our commitment to complex and sophisticated landscape is becoming collaboration. However we take note that to improve more difficult to enter and more difficult and our influence in policy development the challenge expensive to influence. Coupled with the increasing is for us to become less predictable and more federalisation of state issues and concentration of innovative. This includes brokering more solutions power in Canberra, and the increasing complexity through engaging with those who hold different and interdependency of social issues, there is views and have different politics in order to find a re-emerging understanding of the need for common ground and tradeoffs, and in identifying collective action. Through collective actions and allies outside of our membership to form strategic shared resources, we are able to be more impactful partnerships. The same applies to those within our advocates. sector. Whilst we represent divergent views and values and different voices, we must work towards 1 a common tone and approach that will unify us. We were also able to ensure that ACOSS received a Engaging our clients, consumers and constituents good overview of South Australian issues by hosting into campaigns through bringing their experience the ACOSS Board in March, when the SACOSS Board and stories to life is what ultimately legitimises us to and Policy Council brought together a number of the public and engages them with the humanity of influential sector players to discuss: what can often be seen to be institutional or political • Food security on the APY lands problems. • Murray-Darling Basin communities and regional development In May, SACOSS hosted a Vital Services Decent • Income Management in a local metropolitan Pay Parliamentary Briefing at Parliament House. A community. number of parliamentarians attended and heard We look forward to even more productive joint work from Patricia Lowson, one of the barristers for the with ACOSS in the coming year. Australian Services Union on the Equal Remuneration Case; Katrine Hildyard, Australian Services Union SACOSS also seized the opportunity to ensure that Branch Secretary; and other service providers and the new Treasurer, the Honourable Jack Snelling, peak representatives. was introduced to the sector and able to hear first hand the policy issues causing concern. SACOSS This briefing was an important part of our campaign reiterated concern regarding decisions made by to raise awareness of the issues related to gender the Sustainable Budget Commission in relation pay equity. The pay equity issue continues to be to the drastic cuts to the Family and Community a major challenge for the sustainability of the Development fund and Families SA financial community sector through its impact on working counsellors. The budget cuts to be transitioned conditions and the work / family balance for people in over successive budgets represent a major reliant on these incomes. disinvestment in the areas of early intervention and prevention with potentially devastating impacts on This briefing was followed up by our support at the sustainalbility of our social infrastructure. the National Day of Action, calling on state and federal governments to commit to providing new The cuts were considered to be of such a serious and full funding of any increases awarded by Fair nature that the Board endorsed an advocacy Work Australia in the application of the Equal campaign that saw us engage in a very public Remuneration Order. debate supported by a group of large and small member organisations. The integrity and vision SACOSS considered the significance of workforce shown by this group in putting the interest of the issues to the viability of the sector to be significant community above its own was, and continues to enough to warrant employing a dedicated project be, an example of the strength of collaboration and officer to build the capacity of our membership to the legitimate role of the peak body in providing a be engaged in actions to support the campaign. The shield and resource for individual agencies. Whilst employment of a project officer in this capacity was the campaign has not yet been won, it has been a made possible by the generous financial assistance galvanising force for the sector. received from the membership to directly support this campaign. Again, the Board and Policy Council Much of the offline focus of the Policy Committee provided effective and hands on leadership for this this year has been on reviewing the SACOSS campaign, as did the Stronger Community Healthy Blueprint for the eradication of poverty and State Working Group. developing the future strategic policy agenda. Many members have been involved in working groups and The changing nature of the relationship between the representing SACOSS on a variety of forums and State/Territory and Federal governments has had committees. a downstream impact on federal structures like the COSS network. Consequently, this year there has The undertaking of activities by Policy Council been a revived focus on COSS collaboration through members on behalf of SACOSS is essential if we two President/Directors’ meetings and allocation are to have impact. Whilst we have an outstanding of financial resources to jointly engage a project team of talented and dedicated staff, they are manager to develop a collaboration agenda and a limited in numbers and SACOSS’s mandate is vast.