ACT Council of Social Service Inc. Annual Report 2017-18 Acknowledgement of traditional custodians ACTCOSS acknowledges Canberra has been built on the land of the Ngunnawal people. We pay respect to their Elders and recognise the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and their ongoing contributions to the ACT community. Alliances & partnerships: Increasing our impact We would like to thank our allies, partners and supporters who have worked with us to make experts, advice, training, resources and research more accessible and affordable to community organisations and helped extend the reach of our advocacy. Faculty of Social Work Contents President’s report ......................................................... 4 Gulanga Program .......................................................20 Director’s report ............................................................ 5 Reconciliation .............................................................22 Financial statements .................................................. 6 Cultural fact .................................................................23 Membership $$$ at work ........................................ 7 Health reform ...............................................................24 Staff team .......................................................................... 8 Community Assistance and Support Operational review ...................................................... 9 Program (CASP) ...........................................................25 Annual member survey findings ........................ 9 Housing & homelessness ......................................26 Celebrating the sector ............................................10 ACT Budget....................................................................27 Industry Strategy ........................................................11 Research – revealing hidden disadvantage .........................28 Operating environment .........................................11 Reducing insecure work ........................................29 Capability program ...................................................12 Intimate images legislation ..................................30 Stories of Transition ...................................................14 Justice Reform Group ..............................................31 Raise the Rate ...............................................................16 Gambling ........................................................................31 COSS – the power to influence ..........................17 Energy ...............................................................................32 Citizens’ voice ..............................................................18 ACTCOSS Committee ..............................................33 #ACTCOSSLive ............................................................18 Membership ..................................................................34 Disability & health voice .........................................19 What is the ACT Council of Social Service Inc. (ACTCOSS)? ACTCOSS is a social justice organisation. We are the peak body for not-for-profit organisations and people experiencing disadvantage in the ACT. Vision Our vision is to live in a fair and equitable community that respects and values diversity, human rights and sustainability and promotes justice, equity, reconciliation and social inclusion. Roles • Take action to achieve positive social change • Influence the social change agenda and decision makers • Provide support and guidance to build the social capital of people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable and the capacity of community-managed organisations. Want to know more? Continue reading this report to get an idea about how we make a difference – to groups of people experiencing disadvantage and to the organisations that support them. You can also find out more on our website: actcoss.org.au ACTCOSS • Annual Report 2017-18 3 President’s report The ACT Council of Social Service Inc. (ACTCOSS) ACTCOSS’ other key work in capacity building has has continued its long tradition of pursuing a focused on growing our capability development offers social justice agenda, recognising that community to community organisations through the Leading Social Change partnership with Hands Across Canberra and service organisations in the ACT receive funds, the Core Capacity Assessment Tool with TCC Group. undertake community capacity building and We have also been focused on contributing leadership deliver services on behalf of both the ACT and to community sector learning and development Australian governments. with highlights being agreement to Workforce Plan projects under the auspices of the ACT Community We know that whilst there is government commitment Services Industry Strategy 2016-2026 and new offers in to addressing disadvantage and social inequality, community development and outcomes measurement. greater growth funds to deliver the vision towards the sustainability of the ACT community need to be realised Looking ahead, ACTCOSS has been considering its own going forward. The 2018 Budget announcements have direction and devoted considerable energy towards been an encouraging step towards consideration of talking with members to inform development of a new expanding resources to address the ongoing gaps for Strategic Plan for the organisation. The finalisation of this people seeking to access services. plan for the next few years is underway. At the same time, ACTCOSS has been busy with continued investment in There are key advocacy and policy initiatives ACTCOSS improved infrastructure in the ACTCOSS office, as well as has been engaged in which are starting to yield some embedding a new management and team structure. results for the community and sector, including: As I complete five years on the ACTCOSS Committee and • Early intervention: We have seen some groundwork consider the significant funding program, policy and for change in early intervention over the past year sector leadership changes which have occurred during with the emergence of a robust development this period, I reflect that the staff team of ACTCOSS have process for an early intervention strategy which continued to both be proactive and responsive on a included consultation engagement opportunities for steady trajectory to address priorities for the sector and our members community, and have achieved much with the resources • Vulnerable people with disabilities falling into crisis: available. These great achievements are due to the talent Participating in discussions highlighting the need for and work of our great Director, Susan Helyar, and the the ACT Government to have programs and resources ACTCOSS team, who continue to achieve great outcomes for people who are not able to access the National for the community. Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and are at risk of I thank the staff of ACTCOSS, the members and my falling into crisis; the government committed in their colleagues on the Committee for their energy and Budget towards this persistence. It has been a pleasure to serve with ACTCOSS. • Affordable housing and homelessness: Publication of a factsheet on housing affordability and homelessness Camilla Rowland, CEO, in the ACT that collated evidence from multiple Marymead sources which verified and strengthened our ongoing calls for substantial government investment in improving supply of affordable housing and better responses to people who do not a have a place to call home • Increase to Centrelink benefits: Strong participation in continued advocacy on the need to increase the levels of welfare benefits in collaboration with other jurisdictions and highlighting growing poverty in the ACT during special events such as Anti-Poverty Week. 4 Director’s report In 2017-18, the ACTCOSS staff team was focused Our investment in development of a partnership with on strengthening our dialogue with members the TCC Group in the USA, piloting a small-scale social and people with direct experience of poverty enterprise model for capability development, and our partnership with Hands Across Canberra to develop the and exclusion, consolidating our messages Leading Social Change online resource and learning to, and engagement with, decision makers platform took our capability work to a new level. and investing significantly in organisation and sector development. We continued to contribute our time and expertise to implementation of the ACT Community Services Industry Our strengthened dialogue with members included Strategy 2016-2026 via leadership of the steering group, partnering on the Hidden Disadvantage in the ACT report. briefings to and consultation with community sector This research and analysis work has been vital to building organisations, and advocacy to the ACT Government to the evidence base that informs our understanding of invest resources in ensuring effective implementation of risks and barriers faced by people in the community, priorities identified for workforce development. and effectiveness of social and economic policies and government investments in addressing these risks Thank you to the Committee for their strategic guidance and barriers. and scrutiny of operations that kept us on track – I have valued their willingness to take risks to grow the Our dialogue with members was extended in our ACT capability and effectiveness of our organisation.