Past SACOSS Events

SACOSS Conference 5-6 August 2010

At 1pm on the 25th of August South Australia’s Energy Industry Ombudsman led a workshop at Marjorie Black House.

The Energy Industry Ombudsman SA (EIOSA) is a body established to provide an independent and free service to energy consumers. EIOSA investigates and facilitates resolutions to disputes that arise between consumers and their electricity and gas providers in South Australia. Their goal is to deal with complaints in a fair, just and informal manner.

EIOSA are currently seeking alternative ways to raise awareness of the Scheme in the South Australian community, and have requested an opportunity to meet with SACOSS members to discuss how they can assist us.

Energy and the accessibility/cost of essential services is an issue that effects all of us, our members, and the people we service. We hope you are able to join us on the 25th of August to learn more about the Energy Industry Ombudsman and how we can engage in processes that will help all South Australian people’s right to essential services to be protected.

For more information about this seminar contact Policy & Research Analyst Kate Braham kate@sacoss.org.au

Your chance to come, listen to and engage with senior representatives of each of the key parties contesting the upcoming Federal Election on the issues that really matter for Community and Health Services and low income Australians.

What are their parties saying they plan to do if elected?

Panel chaired by Sonya Feldhoff (ABC 891 Drive).
Panel Members include: Penny Wong (ALP), Mary Jo Fisher (Liberals),
Penny Wright (Greens), Bob Day (Family First).

SACOSS and AMCO present:
THE COMMUNITY & HEALTH SERVICES PRE-ELECTION FORUM
Tuesday 17th August 2010
10.30am – 11.45am
MERCURY CINEMA, 13 Morphett Street, Adelaide

A Knowledge Café event for SACOSS members.

Workforce development is a critical issue for community sector organisations. We are all experiencing increasing pressure to deliver ‘more for less’ despite insecure (and sometimes reduced) funding allocations, skills gaps and labour shortages, a demographic time bomb in the shape of an ageing workforce and the fall-out from the global financial crisis. On the positive side, there are opportunities to be seized in the current award modernisation process and many progressive initiatives in sector workforce development and training are underway.

This event explored the way forward for workforce development in our sector, with presentations from academic and practice‑based specialists. Speakers will include Professor Ed Carson (UniSA) and Katrine Hildyard (Australian Services Union SA & NT).

A Knowledge Café format was used to maximise the sharing of best practice and to harvest ideas about workforce development from the perspective of the individual, the employing organisation and the sector.

Downloads:

Summary Report

Karen Grogan's presentation

Katrine Hildyard's presentation

Ed Carson's presentation

15 April 2009
National Human Rights Consultation Workshop

http://www.humanrights.gov.au/letstalkaboutrights

The Australian Government announced a National Human Rights Consultation to be conducted by an independent committee during the first half of 2009. This was a unique chance for everyone to have their say about human rights and how they should be protected in Australia. It was critical that the views and experiences of people in the community sector be heard during this process.

SACOSS and the Australian Human Rights Commission held a workshop providing information and practical tools to assist in participating effectively in the national consultation process. The Forum Host was Catherine Branson QC, President, Australian Human Rights Commission.

12 September 2008
ACOSS National Compact Consultation

Creating a new partnership between the Commonwealth Government and the Not-for-Profit Sector : Tell us your views on an Australian compact
The Not-for-Profit Sector and the Commonwealth Government are exploring ways to develop a new and stronger relationship with each other, based on partnership and respect. One way to do this is through the development of a National compact. The Sector and the Government want to know what you think about the proposal to develop a National compact. We want to know what you think the value of a compact is, what a compact should focus on, and what should be in one.

Visit www.acoss.org.au to download your copy of the consultation discussion paper today.

21 & 22 August 2008

Destination Inclusion: SACOSS Stronger Communities Conference 2008.

Presentations from this event are available here.

Wednesday 11 June 2008
Fair Food: Alliances for the Future

Download flyer (140kb pdf)

As food prices become big news and the Australian retail and agriculture industries focus on the ongoing ACCC inquiry into the issue, there is a real danger that those who have traditionally suffered most from food insecurity – low income and disadvantaged Australians – will be forgotten. More importantly, there has long been a lack of leadership on the issue of food security in SA and the negative health outcomes that stem form it.

That is why SACOSS held a forum to ask some important questions about the how all sectors can move forward in the fight against food insecurity.

Guest speakers from food security alliances in NSW and Victoria joined panellists from the SA community and public sectors to discuss possibilities for collaboration on food security issues, and there will be ample opportunity for participant interaction and input.

For more information contact tom@sacoss.org.au

Thursday 29 May
Community Capacity Building Workshop: Financial Inclusion

Financial Literacy and financial inclusion - what more can we do?

Presented by SACOSS, in conjunction with the Health Promotion Branch, Department of Health and Dr Fiona Verity of the School of Social Administration and Social Work at Flinders University.

Community capacity building is recognised as an essential strategy to strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities, and underpins much of the work of both the Government and non Government sector.

The workshop, which focussed on financial literacy and financial inclusion for low income communities, aimed to stimulate discussion on the need to think and question community capacity building and its implications for practice.

For more information about this workshop contact Shane Dinnison.

Thursday 8 May
Community Capacity Building Workshop

Healthy eating and food insecurity - what more can we do?

SACOSS, in conjunction with the Health Promotion Branch, Department of Health and Dr Fiona Verity of the School of Social Administration and Social Work at Flinders University, presented a community capacity building workshop. Community capacity building is recognised as an essential strategy to strengthen the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities and underpins much of the work of both the Government and non Government sector.

The workshop, which focussed on healthy eating and food insecurity, aimed to stimulate discussion on the need to think and question community capacity building and its implications for practice. For more information about this workshop contact Shane Dinnison.

Thursday 3 April
Community Sector Consultation on energy pricing

SACOSS hosted a consultation regarding the effectiveness of competition in electricity and gas retailing to small customers in South Australia. If competition is found to be effective, retail price regulation will be phased out.

This is a major issue and will have significant impact on the price of gas and electricity.

Download fact sheet about the Review(56kb)

Further information about the Review (including the full Issues Paper).

Tuesday 1 April
Community Sector Consultation
on the new Residential Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES)

Presented with the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.

Download flyer (89kb)

24 August 2007
Upping the Anti: a workshop presented by SACOSS and YACSA

SACOSS and the Youth Affairs Council of SA (YACSA), in partnership with Shelter SA and Homelessness SA, hosted this half-day workshop to discuss anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), their use in managing disruptive behaviour and their appropriateness in the South Australian context.

Special guest speaker was Caroline Hunter, Guest Scholar, School of Law, Flinders University and Senior Lecturer in Housing Law, Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

This event was sold out, and featured in a piece on ABC TV's Stateline that night.

Download further reading on ASBOs ( 29kb)

Select below to download a Powerpoint presentation:

The Tenure Trick: Behaviour Control Creeps across Australia
Michele Slatter, School of Law, Flinders University ( 477kb)

Anti-social Behaviour in Australia and England: convergence or divergence in policy approaches?
Caroline Hunter, Guest Scholar, School of Law, Flinders University and Senior Lecturer in Housing Law, Sheffield Hallam University, UK. ( 200kb)

Socially unacceptable: better frameworks for responding to anti-social behaviour
Jennifer Duncan, Executive Director, YACSA and Karen Grogan, Executive Director, SACOSS ( 1MG)

31 July 2007
Living as a low paid worker in America: Are we heading in the same direction?

This was a special opportunity to hear first hand from three USA low paid workers touring Australia about their daily lives and struggles and to consider our current Federal Government policy on wages and welfare.

Presented by SA UNIONS and SACOSS.

11 July 2007
Building the Evidence for Welfare: Evaluation, Programs, Policy Development

This was presented by the Australian Evaluation Society and SACOSS.

View the presentation here ( 748Kb)

19 June 2007
Financial Inclusion Seminar: Promoting a financially inclusive South Australian community

View the presentations from the day

Colette McInerney, First Nations Foundation, Indigenous Financial Exclusion ( 464Kb)
Michelle Wakeford, Brotherhood of St Laurence, Saver Plus ( 136Kb)
Andrew Cockington, UnitingCare Wesley Port Pirie, Regional Initiatives ( 136Kb)
Glen Brennan, NAB, Microenterprise Development ( 504Kb)
Peg Nicholls, Dept of Health and Ageing, PY Ku Network ( 904Kb)

25 March 2007
Strong Community Healthy State launch

The campaign was launched on March 25, 2007
See the video of the opening on YouTube www.youtube.com

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