ACTCOSS is seeking applicants for the position of Deputy Director. The Deputy Director will be expected to: assist the Director with organisational and human resource management; have a sound understanding of the community services sector; and provide strategic direction for the organisation’s sector development and policy activities.

ACTCOSS is a party to the community sector Multiple Business Agreement and offers above-award pay and conditions. All enquires and applications for this position will be treated confidentially.

The closing date for applications is COB Monday 15 December.

For more information, please download the Position Description and Selection Criteria.

ACTCOSS invites you to join us in celebrating the successes and achievements of the past year at our Annual General Meeting. The Guest Speaker will be The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, the Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women. For more information, please download the ACTCOSS AGM 2008 flyer.

• When: Registrations are at 3:30 for a 4pm start, Tuesday 25 November 2008
• Where: Reception Room, ACT Legislative Assembly, London Circuit

Please RSVP to Caterina Giorgi at caterina.giorgi@actcoss.org.au or on 6202 7230 for catering purposes by Friday 21 November 2008.

The ACTCOSS Conference 2008: Community Sector Futures was held on 4-5 September and was a great success. Information about the Conference, including the speakers' PowerPoint presentations and Program, can be found on the Conference page.

Winners of the Community Sector Awards were announced at the ACTCOSS Diversity Ball on 5 September, and are listed on the Conference page.

In the lead up to the 2008 ACT election, candidates and political parties will be setting out their priorities for Canberra's future. "The Fairness Challenge" alerts candidates of the current and future needs of people in our community who experience disadvantage.

"The Fairness Challenge" is our call to the parties and candidates in the ACT Election to commit to a fair and equitable future for Canberra. "The Fairness Challenge" contains goals, targets and strategies to achieve social justice and developing community services, based on research and consultation with community organisations.

Download the The Fairness Challenge (pdf document: 732 KB).

ACTCOSS and the AJC are working to stimulate a re-conceptualisation of crime prevention as social support, with a particular focus on early intervention. The project aims to engage with the reasons for Indigenous over-representation in the justice system, identify existing mainstream and Indigenous crime prevention and diversion initiatives in the ACT, highlight gaps in service provision and areas of unmet need and make recommendations for change.

Download Circles of Support: Towards Indigenous Justice - Prevention, Diversion and Rehabilitation.

ACTCOSS has been completing a project on finding solutions to the challenge of maintaining the viability of community organisaions. Discussion of the issues and options is a first step in developing a strategic direction for the sector.

Three options papers have been prepared during this project. They focus on three key issues of concern: sharing services, funding, and workforce development.

Paper 1: Shared Services - Issues and Options
Paper 2: Funding - Issues and Options
Paper 3: Workforce Development - Issues and Options

Each year, ACTCOSS prepares a snapshot document to give a short overview of the ACT Budget for the community sector. It is presented to people attending our annual Budget Forum the day after the Budget is released, where ACT Government Ministers have the chance to outline the effect of Budget decisions on people experiencing disadvantage and community sector organisations.

Download the 2008-09 ACT Budget Snapshot.

The 2008 HACC Sector Planning Day

On 8 April 2008, ACTCOSS helped facilitate the annual Home and Community Care (HACC) Planning Day, which focussed on the development of a single access point for HACC services. The outcomes of the day are documented in the report, which is now available for download.

Download the 2008 HACC Sector Planning Day Report: Implementing a Single Access Point.

Stories from the Narrabundah Longstay Park

In conjunction with Softlaw Community Projects and the ACT Government, ACTCOSS has helped produce a book on the lives of the residents of the Narrabundah Longstay Park. Last year, the homes of park residents were threatened by the purchase of the site by a developer, but the ACT Government stepped in to negotiate a deal to protect there homes.

To order a copy of the book, please download the order form.

The ACTCOSS Submission to the ACT Budget 2008-09

Each year, ACTCOSS undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the social policy and community sector issues in the ACT as part of the ACT Government's Budget process. This year's submission is now available.

You can download the ACTCOSS Budget Submission 2008-09, or visit our Papers & Reports webpage to download past budget submissions and a range of other policy documents.

In 2004, the ACT Government launched the ACT Social Compact. The Compact is a statement of understanding about the relationship between the ACT Government and the community sector. Three years on, the concern has been raised that some organisations and agencies are not aware of its ongoing application for working together.

You can download a copy of the Social Compact, or visit the Strategic Policy and Community Engagement webpage on the Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services website for more information.

In Anti-Poverty Week 2007, ACTCOSS launched research conducted by NATSEM, in partnership with the University of Canberra and ACTCOSS, which provides detailed information on the composition of ACT households that are in the lowest 20% national in terms of household income.

We would like to thank the organisations that provided financial support to this research, including the ACT Community Inclusion Board, Communities@Work, Softlaw Community Projects, YWCA of Canberra, Inanna, Gungahlin Community Regional Service, Woden Community Service and Lifeline Canberra.

Download Characteristics of Low-Income ACT Households.

In June 2007, ACTCOSS released a research report that explores the extent to which the community mental health system is linked and integrated into a broader social service system.

Download the No Wrong Doors Report.

You can also browse the extensive collection of reports and policy documents on ACTCOSS' Papers & Reports webpage.

The September 2006 updates to the Referral Guide are available here.
The original release is available here.

The ACTCOSS Strategic Plan sets out our vision, values and priorities for the period 2006-2008.