VCOSS | VICTORIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICEACTIVATE LOGINADVOCACYSECTORABOUTJOINCONTACTCOMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL OF HOWARD COUNTYCOMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL VCOSS is the peak representative body for Victoria’s social and community sector, and the state’s leading social advocacy organisation. We work towards creating a Victoria that is a fair, just and inclusive. Where nobody is trapped by poverty, and everybody is supported to live a life of wellbeing.

ELECTION PLATFORMS

In advance of each election, VCOSS produces a comprehensive platform with dozens of ways to make Victoria fairer and more just. This forms the basis of our private and public advocacy through until polling day. The next Victorian election will be on Saturday 26 November,

2022.

VCOSS MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT VCOSS Member Code of Conduct. VCOSS members must always act: honestly and in good faith. fairly and reasonably. in a socially responsible manner. treat others with respect and dignity. value the diversity of our community. recognise and avoid conflicts of interest. comply with the letter and spirit of the law. ON THE FRONTLINE IN EMERGENCIES: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR 2. ON THE FRONTLINE IN EMERGENCIES: A Practical Guide For Communities And Community Service Organisations. Berry Street seeks to acknowledge all the individuals, families PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE GUIDE Partnership Practice Guide Guide 1: Preparing to Partner Introduction Welcome to the first Partnership Practice Guide of a series of three guides on partnering1 designed to provide information, tools and PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE GUIDE Partnership Practice Guide Introduction Welcome to the third Partnership Practice Guide of a series of three guides on partnering1 designed to provide information, tools and ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS OF POVERTY AND DISADVANTAGE ON VCOSS recently provided a submission to the state government's Early Childhood Consultation Paper, released as part of the Education State. The submission: Addressing the impacts of poverty and disadvantage on children makes a number recommendations to help create a more inclusive and supportive early childhood education and care system for all children, to promote their health, COMMUNITIES TAKING POWER Contents Communities taking power: Using place-based approaches to deliver local solutions to poverty and disadvantage Executive summary 5 Place-based approaches delivering local solutions 6 YOUTH JUSTICE REINVESTMENT: INVEST IN COMMUNITIES, NOT Youth Justice Reinvestment: Invest in communities, not prisons. Tiffany Overall, Convenor of Smart Justice for Young People, writes on how trialling a justice reinvestment approach could help tackle underlying social causes of youth crime. This piece was first published on the Croakey blog as part of their #JustJustice series.

DOING IT BETTER

The Reference Group. The Reference Group, comprising 12 to 15 people who work for or with community service organisations, is fundamental to the participatory nature of the project. VCOSS | VICTORIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICEACTIVATE LOGINADVOCACYSECTORABOUTJOINCONTACTCOMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL OF HOWARD COUNTYCOMMUNITY ACTION COUNCIL VCOSS is the peak representative body for Victoria’s social and community sector, and the state’s leading social advocacy organisation. We work towards creating a Victoria that is a fair, just and inclusive. Where nobody is trapped by poverty, and everybody is supported to live a life of wellbeing.

ELECTION PLATFORMS

In advance of each election, VCOSS produces a comprehensive platform with dozens of ways to make Victoria fairer and more just. This forms the basis of our private and public advocacy through until polling day. The next Victorian election will be on Saturday 26 November,

2022.

VCOSS MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT VCOSS Member Code of Conduct. VCOSS members must always act: honestly and in good faith. fairly and reasonably. in a socially responsible manner. treat others with respect and dignity. value the diversity of our community. recognise and avoid conflicts of interest. comply with the letter and spirit of the law. ON THE FRONTLINE IN EMERGENCIES: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR 2. ON THE FRONTLINE IN EMERGENCIES: A Practical Guide For Communities And Community Service Organisations. Berry Street seeks to acknowledge all the individuals, families PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE GUIDE Partnership Practice Guide Guide 1: Preparing to Partner Introduction Welcome to the first Partnership Practice Guide of a series of three guides on partnering1 designed to provide information, tools and PARTNERSHIP PRACTICE GUIDE Partnership Practice Guide Introduction Welcome to the third Partnership Practice Guide of a series of three guides on partnering1 designed to provide information, tools and ADDRESSING THE IMPACTS OF POVERTY AND DISADVANTAGE ON VCOSS recently provided a submission to the state government's Early Childhood Consultation Paper, released as part of the Education State. The submission: Addressing the impacts of poverty and disadvantage on children makes a number recommendations to help create a more inclusive and supportive early childhood education and care system for all children, to promote their health, COMMUNITIES TAKING POWER Contents Communities taking power: Using place-based approaches to deliver local solutions to poverty and disadvantage Executive summary 5 Place-based approaches delivering local solutions 6 YOUTH JUSTICE REINVESTMENT: INVEST IN COMMUNITIES, NOT Youth Justice Reinvestment: Invest in communities, not prisons. Tiffany Overall, Convenor of Smart Justice for Young People, writes on how trialling a justice reinvestment approach could help tackle underlying social causes of youth crime. This piece was first published on the Croakey blog as part of their #JustJustice series.

DOING IT BETTER

The Reference Group. The Reference Group, comprising 12 to 15 people who work for or with community service organisations, is fundamental to the participatory nature of the project.

ELECTION PLATFORMS

Please contact VCOSS Policy Manager Llewellyn Reynders llewellyn.reynders@vcoss.org.au, 03 9235 1021, 0427 557 841 10-YEAR COMMUNITY SERVICES INDUSTRY PLAN The 10-Year Community Services Industry Plan presents a unified vision for the Victorian community services industry and the actions required to achieve this vision. Victoria’s community services industry is strong, vibrant and mature with a proud history of supporting people facing poverty and disadvantage.

VICTORIANS IN WORK

Develop an overarching plan to help young Victorians into work, enabled by a re-funded LLEN network. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high at 11.9 per cent, above the Australian average. Young people’s jobs are becoming increasingly precarious, meaning many can barely cover living costs. For tens of thousands of young

Australians

VCOSS BUDGET SUBMISSIONS 2021 — Building our fairer future. This submission contains more than 50 fresh policies and approaches to drive positive and lasting social change in Victoria. But really it can be boiled down to three main elements. Victoria should: Embrace policies that support and empower all people, Fund social service bodies to strengthen

communities, and.

VCOSS MEMBER CODE OF CONDUCT VCOSS Member Code of Conduct. VCOSS members must always act: honestly and in good faith. fairly and reasonably. in a socially responsible manner. treat others with respect and dignity. value the diversity of our community. recognise and avoid conflicts of interest. comply with the letter and spirit of the law. HOW SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANISATIONS ARE REACTING TO THE 2021 The initial response to Productivity Commission is an important step & the $2.3 billion commitment to #mentalhealth care & suicide prevention is welcomed, particularly expanding Head to Health centres & focusing on prevention (noted in our submission) #Budget2021Health. — VHA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Including culturally and linguistically diverse communities in emergency preparedness and recovery activities. A new report from the Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM), Review of community recovery following the 2013–14 Victorian bushfires, finds. Read

More.

BACK INTO POVERTY

VCOSS, Every suburb, every town: mapping poverty in Victoria, November 2018. Department of Social Services, JobSeeker Payment and Youth Allowance Recipient – month profile, January 2021. Grudnoff, M, Poverty in the age of coronavirus.The impact of the JobSeeker coronavirus. supplement on poverty, Australia Institute Discussion Paper, Australia Institute, July 2020. HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS Housing and homelessness. Expanding social housing through measures including a growth fund and community housing loans, the 2017 Victorian Budget is a great. Read More. Apr 11. WHAT’S DRIVING HEALTH INEQUALITIES FOR AUSTRALIANS WITH People with disability experience significant health inequalities compared to those without disability. They have poorer self-reported physical and mental health, higher rates of chronic conditions including diabetes and heart disease and poorer access to health services. Some of these health inequalities are related to people’s

disabilities

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Already a VCOSS member? Activate your login Not yet a VCOSS member? Join today I have forgotten my password. COVID-19 and the community sector ------------------------- Here's everything you need to know. Rebuild Victoria with more social housing ------------------------- People need homes. People need jobs. Social housing is the answer. __ Image: CC/Scott Barron COVID-19 and the community sector ------------------------- Here's everything you need to know. Rebuild Victoria with more social housing ------------------------- People need homes. People need jobs. Social housing is the answer. __ Image: CC/Scott Barron COVID-19 and the community sector ------------------------- Here's everything you need to know.

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COVID-19 CHANGES EVERYTHING AND NOTHING Victoria is entering a period of economic hardship and social upheaval. In blunt terms, hard times lie ahead. The national response to COVID-19 will be significant and far-reaching. Governments will get some things right, and some things wrong. We’ll be here to help inform the response and apply scrutiny

when it’s needed.

WE’LL MAKE SURE THE VOICES OF PEOPLE DOING IT TOUGH ARE FRONT AND

CENTER.

Alongside frontline health workers, the community sector will also play an essential role in our community response; helping keep people safe and well, and cushioning the impacts of the looming economic

downturn.

For over 70 years, VCOSS has fought for equality, fairness, economic justice and the right of every person to lead a good life, regardless of their individual circumstances. That fight has never been so important. Our commitment to this goal is

unwavering.

We will work hard to make sure THE COMMUNITY SECTOR IS SUPPORTED to play its critical role, that the response to COVID-19 and tough economic conditions are COMPREHENSIVE AND FAIR, and that we emerge from this challenge STRONGER AND MORE CONNECTED than before. There’s a lot of work to be done. It won’t be easy. WE’LL BE WORKING HARD TO ENSURE EVERYBODY IS SUPPORTED, AND NOBODY

IS LEFT BEHIND.

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MEDIA RELEASES

Apr 15

VCOSS APPLAUDS NEW MEASURES TO AVOID RENTERS' CORONA CATASTROPHE. ------------------------- This package will mean renters can stay at home and help ‘flatten

the curve’.

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Read More

Apr 24

SOCIAL HOUSING MUST BE A PRIORITY FOR VICTORIAN COVID BUILDING

TASKFORCE

------------------------- A Big Build To End Homelessness would stimulate the economy and put a roof over those most in need. -------------------------

Read More

Mar 17

A LITTLE RELIEF WILL GO A LONG WAY FOR THOUSANDS STRUGGLING DUE ... ------------------------- The last thing we need is predatory bank bosses or dodgy debt collectors making the damage of COVID-19 worse. -------------------------

Read More

ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

SOCIAL HOUSING, NOT HOME BUYERS GRANTS, IS THE BEST ECONOMIC STIMULUS ------------------------- Governments can build new housing much quicker than the private

sector.

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Read More

LONELINESS IN THE TIME OF COVID ------------------------- You’d probably expect the lockdown to lead to a spike in loneliness. And you’d be right, in part. -------------------------

Read More

CARING FOR VICTORIA’S CARERS IN THE COVID CRISIS ------------------------- What we’re learning in this crisis is that much of the work that keeps our society functioning is care work. -------------------------

Read More

LATEST POLICY

VCOSS PRODUCES FORMAL SUBMISSIONS TO DOZENS OF INQUIRIES AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES EACH YEAR. THESE ARE PREPARED IN CONSULTATION WITH VCOSS MEMBERS AND THE BROADER SECTOR. STAND ALONE POLICY REPORTS ON TOPICS OF SIGNIFICANCE ARE ALSO PRODUCED. YOU CAN VIEW ALL OUR WORK IN THE VCOSS POLICY LIBRARY . AN ASPIRATIONAL VOCATIONAL AND APPLIED LEARNING SYSTEM ------------------------- VCAL must provide kids with flexible learning options and career pathways while they're at school, and set them up for success beyond

the school gate.

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Read More

HOME: THE FOUNDATION FOR A GOOD LIFE ------------------------- Reorienting from crisis to prevention is the only way to end

homelessness.

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Read More

GROWING A SKILLED, VALUED AND SUPPORTED DISABILITY WORKFORCE ------------------------- Australia needs a consumer-driven scheme that is centred on participant choice and control. VCOSS remains a staunch champion of

such a system.

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Read More

CAMPAIGNS

RAISE THE RATE

------------------------- If the lower rate of Newstart was unfair before COVID-19, it will still be unfair after the pandemic. -------------------------

Read More

EVERYBODY'S HOME

------------------------- There’s no doubt about it; Australia’s housing system is broken.

Change is needed.

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Read More

EMPOWERED LIVES

------------------------- Securing change for Victorians with disability. -------------------------

Read More

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This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. VCOSS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria, their diversity, histories and knowledge and their continuing connections to land and community. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and Elders of past, present and future generations. VIEW THE VCOSS RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN

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