TasCOSS Tasmanian Council of Social Service
Newsletter
March 2013
Cool in a crisis
Community sector’s bushfire effort, p 8 Vale Dorothy Pearce, social worker, p 2
Measuring social outcomes, p 5
Consumer engagement how-to manual, p 12 Meet the ACNC, p 16
TasCOSS News March 2013
Contents
A life well lived
3
Dorothy Philp Pearce MBE: 1923-2013
From the CEO
4
Workforce Development Plan 2012-15
Esteemed
Tasmanian social worker and TasCOSS Honorary Life Member Dorothy Pearce died on 8 March at the age of 89.
5
Measuring social outcomes
Dorothy was one of the founders of TasCOSS and her support for the welfare of disadvantaged Tasmanians was life-long. Dorothy will be remembered fondly for her vision, unwavering commitment and hard work.
8
Community sector’s 2013 bushfire effort
10
Statistical portrait of Tasmania
Born in Hobart in 1923, Dorothy attended Friends School, where she became Head Prefect. This was the first of many leadership roles she was to hold throughout her life, from captain of her hockey and cricket teams through to membership of numerous boards, committees and professional associations.
12
Consumer engagement project bears fruit
14
Transport in the community
16
Dorothy completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Tasmania then studied social work in Melbourne on a Red Cross scholarship, qualifying as an almoner, or medical social worker.
Australian Charities and Not-forProfit Commission
18
Welcome to new members Sirolli project contacts
After graduating in 1946, Dorothy worked for the Red Cross as a social worker with returned service people in South Australia and with the Anti-Cancer Council at Royal Adelaide Hospital before returning to Tasmania in 1955. For 28 years Dorothy was an almoner at the Royal Hobart Hospital. She was the only social worker there for many years.
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Editor: Gabrielle Rish gabrielle@tascoss.org.au Phone: 6231 0755
In 1961, as state president of the Australian Association of Social Workers, Dorothy worked with other organisations to form a Tasmanian Council of Social Service, with the aims of combating poverty, avoiding overlap or duplication of services and identifying gaps in services. Having valued her own educational opportunities, Dorothy was active in building the educational and professional
opportunities for social workers in Tasmania. She spent many years lobbying and planning for the establishment of a social work course in this state. The course began to be offered in 1973. After her retirement in 1983, Dorothy sat on committees such as the Community Nurses, delivered Meals on Wheels and acted as a courier for State Library homebound service – a service she helped set up. Her involvement with TasCOSS was ongoing, as a foundation member, Honorary Secretary for many years, president from 1979-81 and in various other voluntary capacities. She was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1977 for services to the community, became the first life member of TasCOSS and, since 2003, TasCOSS has honoured her work with an annual Dorothy Pearce Address, which promotes current social justice issues. In 2012 the Reverend Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Australia, delivered the address. Previous speakers have included economist Saul Eslake, law academic Larissa Behrendt, political economist Marilyn Waring and economic development innovator Ernesto Sirolli.
From the CEO
Cutting single parents’ payments is bad public policy
T
he Federal Government’s decision to move all single parents off parenting payments once their youngest child turns eight has meant about 84,000 of Australia’s poorest families saw their benefits cut by as much as $110 a week from January. These families will now have to make do on the Newstart allowance – a payment so low that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rates it as one of the lowest unemployment benefits in the developed world. The harsh reality of surviving on so little has been documented in numerous reports over the past 12 months, including by three parliamentary inquiries and most major charities. The most recent ABS Household Expenditure Survey on indicators of financial stress gives the bleak picture of life on Newstart: • Half of recipients suffer three or more forms of financial stress, including asking for money from family or friends, wearing only second-hand clothes and turning to charities for help. • More than half were unable to raise $2000 in an emergency. • 40 per cent couldn’t pay an electricity, gas or phone bill on time, or afford to go to the dentist. Newstart is $74 per week below the poverty line. With one in eight people, and one in six children, now in poverty in Australia, it is unforgivable that we fail to act. In Tasmania, 14%-26% of people live below or on the cusp of the poverty line. The Federal Government says that the best way to help people on Newstart is to help them get a job. TasCOSS agrees.
But the OECD, the Henry tax panel, business groups, economists and other experts all tell us that Newstart is now so low that it is a major barrier for people to find paid work. As the Business Council of Australia says: ‘’Entrenching people into poverty is not a pathway back into employment.’’ It is often argued that Newstart is only a short-term payment. On the contrary, 60 per cent of people have been on the payment for more than 12 months and the average time is two years. This is not because people are not trying. TasCOSS member organisations hear daily from people aged over 45 who are overlooked because they are deemed too old. This group now constitutes one in three people on the Newstart payment. Nationally, one in six has a disability. Half have less than year 12 qualifications. Many face real barriers to getting back into paid work – discrimination, lack of skills and training, lack of flexible work for those with children and other caring responsibilities being among them. This is why the nation’s Councils of Social Service have teamed up with the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Council of Trade Unions to find solutions to getting more of those who are disadvantaged in the labour market into real jobs. The debate around Newstart comes at a time when business, government and the community are talking about how to improve productivity. The starting point must be an immediate increase to the single rate of Newstart to alleviate worsening poverty and remove one of the major barriers for people trying to participate in society through work.
Newstart hasn’t been increased in real terms since 1994 – nearly 20 years ago. Since then, Newstart has continued to fall further behind pensions because of inadequate indexation. Today the difference between the payments is a staggering $140 per week. Everyone understands that there are budgetary constraints, but budgeting is about priorities. Slashing the payments of vulnerable single parents and their children makes no economic sense and is counter-productive to achieving good social and economic participation. This policy should be reversed, the single rate of Newstart raised by $50 a week and its indexation fixed, as recommended by the Henry panel and others. It is the right thing to do for the economy – removing a barrier to getting people into paid work, as well as injecting money into the economy. It is clearly the right thing to do for the 84,000 single-parent families and the other 575,000 people on unemployment benefits in Australia so they get a real chance at a new start in 2013.
* With special thanks to the ACOSS CEO and her team for assistance in the preparation of this column
Tony Reidy TasCOSS Chief Executive
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A workforce for the future
Eight peak bodies developed the plan to strengthen the Tasmanian community sector’s workforce but it will take a wider effort to implement it
• Increase access to external clinical and professional supervision.
The launch location was chosen in recognition of the fact that the sector not only needs to retain and develop its existing workers but also to attract new ones.
• Articulate and facilitate career pathways that build on the existing diversity of entry points and address minimum qualifications for job roles.
The Workforce Development Plan was developed in a partnership of eight peak bodies: the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council Tasmania, Family Services Association, Mental Health Council of Tasmania, Multicultural Council of Tasmania, Shelter Tasmania, Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Tasmanian Association of Community Houses and the Youth Network of Tasmania.
• Coordinate annual presence and engagement with career planning and promotion events and mechanisms.
Extensive consultation confirmed a number of trends that needed to be addressed by a strategic approach: Within the workforce itself: an ageing workforce and state demographic, a two-track workforce, the need to upskill and professionalise our workforce. Within service delivery for our communities: changing service models, increased and more complex client demands, increased compliance and reporting requirements, increased focus on outcomes reporting. The Plan provides a framework to address the trends and create a relevant, skilled and sustainable workforce.
Priority 1: Increasing and retaining our current and future workforce
Create attractive and accessible career options for our current and future workforce.
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edge to support positive, productive organisational cultures.
he Tasmanian Community Services Workforce Development Plan 2012-15 was launched on 18 March at the start of the University of Tasmania Careers Fair.
• Prioritise the development of management skills and knowl-
Priority 2: Building workforce development and planning capacity across the sector
Improve information and data about our workforce, as the basis for improving our capacity for strategic future-focused workforce development and planning. • Establish simple mechanisms for accessing relevant and useful DHHS data. • Leverage resources to collect, collate and analyse data about the sector to build an updated sector workforce profile. •
Identify investment in workforce development capacity for specialist peaks.
Priority 3: Raising and updating our skills right across the sector
Work in partnership with education institutions to create developmental pathways that reflect the needs of our current and future workforce. • Build the required qualifications and skill sets for both professional and non-professional roles. • Improve pathways between the training sectors that will support community service organisations needs. • Annually increase investment in VET training for both workforce segments.
• Increase individual employee access to foundation skills, including core numeracy and literacy skills. The next step is implementing the Plan, which will involve all organisations thinking about how they can act and how to ensure TasCOSS provides development that suits your needs. TasCOSS is setting up a Round Table to oversee progress on the Plan’s actions. Membership and terms are being developed with peak bodies. We aim to hold the first meeting in May. TasCOSS is also developing the scope, mechanisms and resources needed to conduct a regular sector profile. We plan to consult with organisations and have the scope developed by June. In the longer term, TasCOSS is developing programs over the next three years to boost community sector organisations’ skills, knowledge and capabilities in six areas: governance; management and leadership; core literacy skills; healthy workplace cultures; communications; and infrastructure. Another crucial area of work will be discussions with education and training providers on how we can create accredited skills and qualifications and developmental pathways tailored to our sector’s needs within the six capacity-building areas listed in the previous paragraph. TasCOSS will be in touch with member organisations over the coming months to develop these actions and we look forward to hearing what your priorities are for your own organisation and the sector. Download the Workforce Development Plan 2012-15 from www.tascoss.org.au To discuss the Plan, contact Dale Rahmanovic or Lindsey Moffatt at TasCOSS on 6231 0755.
Measuring up to the task
The Partnership Agreement makes it imperative that we articulate the social outcomes of our work
W
hat are our partnership agreements really for? I’ve held a nagging concern since the late 1990s, when the UK Compact was agreed between government and the third sector, and now, as I have observed Tasmania’s Partnership Agreement between the State Government and the third sector developing. While a Partnership Agreement is valuable in itself for setting out an aspiration for the way we want to work, if we can’t agree on what we’re trying to achieve for our communities and how we’re tracking, are our partnership agreements worth the paper they’re printed on? Why, despite often long-term funding relationships, do we in the third sector often get asked by our funders “What exactly do you do?”. Andrew Young, the new CEO of the UNSW Centre for Social Impact, made a powerful point at the Centre’s Measuring Social Outcomes Conference in February 2013. Dr Young proposed that we have the opportunity as a social impact system – those involved in the partnership of investing in and delivering social outcomes – to base what we do on a stronger definition and measurement of outcomes. In doing so, we could make a quantum change in the effectiveness of our system “if we get a few things right”. Well, in Tasmania, we are embarking on a journey to make that quantum leap. Our current community services landscape includes consumer-driven and increased service demand; the increased drive by our funders and consumers for transpar-
ency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness; increased competition – both across industries for quality and skilled staff and within the community services sector for contracts; and tightened public funding.
This ‘perfect storm’ has sown seeds of good will This ‘perfect storm’ has sown seeds of good will amongst the community services sector and government to make that leap in agreeing and articulating positive social outcomes and improving the effectiveness of our services. Since the CSI conference, I’ve reflected on some of the principles needed to “get a few things right” and how Tassie is tracking on this path.
Principle 1.We need to evaluate in context
We need relevant population data on social outcomes in order to benchmark our achievements, as the NSW Local Community Services Association’s Brian Smith reminded delegates at the Measuring Social Outcomes Conference. For more than 10 years, Tasmania has benefited from a globally admired social outcomes vision and data set – Tasmania Together. The future of Tasmania Together is uncertain but we have a great opportunity as part of our Partnership Agreement to advocate for a continued relevant data set, using the principles outlined here, to enable us to continue to track how we’re doing at a state and community level.
cont: page 6
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New partnership with government A new Partnership Agreement between the State Government and the Tasmanian community sector was signed on 31 October 2012. The Agreement was developed in recognition of the mutual reliance between the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the independent service delivery organisations they fund. It recognises the importance of a strong relationship to ensure effective public policy and best service outcomes for all Tasmanians. “This Agreement has been many years in the making and will help forge stronger links between the Tasmanian Government and community sector organisations to ensure their role is recognised and strengthened,” Premier Lara Giddings said on 31 October. The Agreement provides a framework of shared values, principles, roles and priority goals to refer to in developing and implementing working relationships. Principles for working together • Independence • Collaboration, communication and consultation • Recognition of diversity • Evidence-based policy and practice • Accountability to the Partnership The Partnership Agreement 2012-15 and other information is available on the TasCOSS website, www. tascoss.org.au
Principle 2. We need to co-produce our social outcomes
Many contributors at the Measuring Social Outcome Conference, including Net Balance’s Les Hems and Social Return on Investment Network’s Jeremy Nicholls, told delegates that coproduction of social outcomes measurement is crucial. I was fortunate enough to attend the conference with representatives from Tasmania’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Community Services Relations Unit. This has provided a platform for preliminary discussions with DHHS about building a shared performance measurement and reporting framework for Tasmanian community services and DHHS. This would be based on a shared approach to agreeing theories of change, program development approaches, social outcomes and evaluation. This would mean that, rather than being given project outcomes or outputs to achieve, then being reviewed and evaluated by DHHS, organisations would be co-producing project outcomes, reviews and evaluation with their government funders. At the other end of the spectrum, TasCOSS has an evolving consumer engagement program, building the capacity of our Health and Community Care (HACC) providers to engage their consumers in every level, from governance, through planning to evaluation. We plan to cascade these skills to organisations throughout our sector as part of our future capacity building, to develop the outcomes we want for our communities with our communities – our beneficiaries, the communities they live in, those who deliver services and those funding such interventions. It’s an exciting start coming from both ends of the co-production spectrum!
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Principle 3. We need to embed social outcomes measurement in our planning and learn from what we do
Embedding social outcomes measurement into strategic planning, program development, implementation and routine reporting is, as Good Beginnings’Jayne Meyer Tucker told delegates at the CSI conference, “the only way”. The Benevolent Society’s Sarah Fogg reminded delegates that the work starts after evaluation: lessons and actions need to be implemented. Both point to our need to develop and maintain partnerships that support co-production of program development, as well as program management and reporting systems, along with space to make mistakes, learn from our evaluations and adapt our programs and practice if they don’t work as we expect. This requires willingness for partners to support, rather than punish, adaptive management and practice – a reality when working with changing community needs, attitudes, values and behaviour. TasCOSS intends to nurture these values as part of the ongoing Partnership Agreement here in Tasmania. As I write this, our sector’s peak bodies and the DHHS Community Services Relations Unit are working with their members and contract managers across the state to start those difficult conversations about how we create meaningful contractual relationships between funders and providers that are genuinely about partnership, not about scrutiny.
Principle 4. We need to build ownership and capacity in measuring social outcomes
along with the understanding, skills and tools to do this. TasCOSS has committed to developing the Tasmanian community sector’s capacity to develop, measure and report on social outcomes over the coming three years. We expect that DHHS funding agreement managers will be taking the same journey. This will include: • Building understanding and tools through online resources and referral to consultants who can support them. • Building our sector’s understanding and skills through training and seminars on the benefits and approaches to outcome measurement and reporting. • Developing and convening the Tasmanian branch of the newly formed Social Impact Measurement Network Australia (SIMNA); facilitating peer learning around this issue to expand and deepen our skills and confidence. • Using community sector organisations’ experiences to advocate for improved processes, policies, support and resources, where needed. So to go back to my questions: Why, despite often long-term funding relationships, do we get asked by our funders “What exactly do you do?”. Perhaps we do not invest enough time in defining and building our partnerships to a level of genuinely co-producing social outcomes for our communities. Although it does take two to tango! If we want to move our performance and evaluation relationships away from scrutiny and towards partnership working, we need to develop an open and honest dialogue with our funders
The TasCOSS homepage, www.tascoss.org.au, has a link to some presentations from the CSI Measuring Social Outcomes Conference. A social outcomes hub will be developed on the TasCOSS website in coming months. For more information on measuring social outcomes contact Tim Tabart or Lindsey Moffatt at TasCOSS on 6231 0755. To join the Social Impact Measurement Network Australia and become part of the Tasmanian network, contact SIMNA convenor Martina Lyons on 0407 227 007 or email martina@simna.com.au
about the way we want to work together and what we’re trying to achieve for our communities. So what is our Tasmanian Partnership Agreement really for? If our Partnership Agreement is to provide the framework for real and positive impacts for our communities and for us, I have ambitions that it will stand for four things: It will help us clarify what we’re trying to achieve with and for our communities (and how). It will make us better at measuring and articulating what differences we’re making in the communities we work with. It will make sure we stay relevant and adaptive to our communities’ needs. it will help us talk about what we need from a genuine partnership to co-produce social outcomes with and for our Tasmanian communities. That includes the space to make mistakes and to learn from our evaluations.
Taking everyone on the journey is essential. That means everyone – both in the community sector and government – needs to feel they have ownership Lindsey Moffatt Manager, TasCOSS Sector Development Unit
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Cool in a crisis
The community sector played a vital role in the 2013 bushfire emergency. A small local organisation and a big national one talk about the experience asmanians had barely greeted the New Year when bushfires flared across the state in January, destroying 111 homes, tens of thousands of hectares of bush and farmland, shacks, farm buildings, business premises, public infrastructure and other property.
days at Lake Pedder. We came home on Thursday night at 8.30pm and the fire was burning between Forcett and Copping. We thought, ‘Uh oh, not looking good’. Once it came through on Friday morning we knew we were in for it,” she said.
A state-record high temperature of 41.8C on the Friday, 4 January, coupled with ferocious winds, turned a fire at Forcett, southeast of Hobart, into an unstoppable force.
She and her partner spent Friday preparing their property against the fire threat. On Saturday morning, with the power out all over the Peninsula, they took their generator to the Neighbourhood House at Nubeena.
It burnt through to cause major destruction at Dunalley, where it jumped the Denison canal and forged on through Murdunna and Eaglehawk Neck, crossing the bay to threaten Taranna and other townships. While paid and volunteer fire crews battled to control blazes around the state, including at Bicheno, the Upper Derwent Valley and Montumana on the North-West Coast, another group of workers stepped up to do their bit. Community sector organisations worked hand-in-hand with emergency services, the State Government and spontaneous volunteers to shelter and support the people fleeing the bushfire threat that long, hot and frightening weekend. Thousands of residents, holiday-makers and tourists were trapped on the Tasman Peninsula and forced to seek refuge at the Tasman Civic Centre at Nubeena. Yve Earnshaw, coordinator of the Dunalley Tasman Neighbourhood House, was right on the spot when things went crazy.
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“I live on the Tasman Peninsula at Roaring Beach. My partner and I had been away for a few
Communications
“We got the generator going to pump water from the tanks so people could have cold water and we fired up the computers,” Yve said. “Saturday, Sunday, Monday we had hundreds of people coming in. We had one landline and three computers going and we put power cords out so people could charge their phones. “We had a continuous run of people coming in for communications with the outside world: tourists calling about flights and all that sort of stuff, then local people trying to get in touch with families and to see if their property was all right, people fearful about the safety of their families. A lot of people who came in were finding that their properties had been destroyed. “We got food and play equipment in, and had lots of families coming over to use the play equipment. Lots of people were finding it pretty intense at the Civic Centre and we were a smaller space – a bit more of a chill-out space. “ On Sunday, Yve found out that the Dunalley Neighbourhood House was still standing. It took two days before they could
reach there because of the closure of the Arthur Highway. “We brought our generator so we could offer cold water, power, communications. A Telstra technician scored us a new generator and rigged it into our hot-water cylinder so we could also offer hot showers. We went up to the Dunalley Pub to go “shopping” for soap and shampoo. Then we had a continuous revolving door of people coming in for hot showers.
“People ... were physically and emotionally shattered” “We had a local GP coming down twice a week to Dunalley. We also offered free massages a couple of times a week for the first few weeks, with 15 to 20 people a week coming for one – local people who had been fighting fires, who had just been going and going for days, people who were physically and emotionally shattered.” There were also counsellors on hand if needed by people who were dropping in for other reasons. “It was nine days that the area was in lockdown and it was at least another couple of weeks after the roads opened that people felt comfortable to leave. Because so many properties were lost, people just wanted to stay here – it was a very intense period,” Yve said. Red Cross Tasmania executive director Ian Burke realised a bushfire emergency was unfolding on the afternoon of 4 January as he and his staff monitored the situation via the radio and the TFS website.
TasCOSS News March 2013
The Red Cross response was swift and well practised. The organisation took a role it has been carrying out and refining since Red Cross Societies first went to front line in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. “How the Red Cross works is that we’re not state-based – we are one national organisation. In the Victorian bushfires, the Queensland cyclone, the Queensland floods, we deployed a standing army of trained staff and volunteers from around the country.
Auxiliary to government
“Within two days 20 people had arrived in Hobart from all over Australia to work from Red Cross House to perform roles they have been trained in.” By Saturday afternoon the Red Cross had set up the Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal at the request of the State Government. The Red Cross also had a National Registration and Inquiry System up and running on Saturday for evacuees to register their details. “The reason we play these roles is that we are not a charity – our status is as an ‘auxiliary to government in the humanitarian space’. If there’s a major emergency, federal or state governments can call on us to work with them,” Ian explained. He said the Tasmanian Emergency Management Plan provided the guidelines for what each of the major agencies took responsibility for in the emergency. “The TEMP sets out how the Red Cross will work in with Centrelink, DHHS, Tas Police and Fire, and a whole lot of other agencies.“ Other community sector organisations involved included: • Volunteering Tasmania, which co-ordinated a volunteer register. • St Vincent de Paul, which set up a collection centre for donated goods and provided emergency care packs through the refuge centres. • The Salvation Army, which
Yve Earnshaw, left, and Ian Burke
provided emergency bedding, food supplies, clothing and financial assistance. The Salvos also provided food and drink to members of the emergency services and the military. The TEMP does not include smaller organisations in its scope. However, an Active Partners program set up by the State Government was scheduled to hold its first meeting in late March. “A whole lot of organisations will contribute to the bushfire recovery, engaged through the Active Partners program,” Ian said. “And this recovery work is going to go on for two years.” Ian, who is a member of the Tasmanian Bushfire Recovery Taskforce and the State Government’s Independent Bushfire Appeal Distribution Committee, believes the emergency was well handled.
“It was a relatively straightforward emergency response because of the planning, deployment and the hard work of people within the Tasmanian Government, who were working day and night for six weeks,” he said. Yve Earnshaw struggled to find time to reflect on the events of January, as the Neighbourhood House is still busy running a host of programs to assist in the local recovery, along with its usual core work. “I think we did pretty well. I think we met needs that were within our capacities, and trying to do it in coordination,” she said of the Neighbourhood House efforts. “We play an essential role in communities but in situations like this we play a small role. It’s the emergency services, DHHS and Red Cross doing the lion’s share of the work.”
Gabrielle Rish TasCOSS Communications and Membership Officer
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Portrait of the Tasmanian community: census data and other statistics At-a-glance guide to key state demographics Population
Top five Industries in 2011 (employed persons aged 15 years and over)
According to the 2011 census, the population of Tasmania has increased by 18,870 people since 2006 to a total of 495,352 in 2011. This represents a 4% increase in population compared to an 8.3% increase nationally. Tasmania is the oldest state, with a median age of 40 years, the next oldest being South Australia which has median age of 39 years. The number of young people in Tasmania aged 12-24 years remained virtually unchanged between 2006 and 2011 – making Tasmania the only state to have 0% inter-censal change for this age-group. However due to the growth in the population overall this age group now makes up a slightly smaller percentage of the total population – 16.5% in 2011. Interestingly, the percentage is 16.5% in each of the three regions, which means our young people are proportionately spread throughout the state.
Income
The 2011 census tells us that the weekly median income of an individual in Tasmania is $499. This figure hovers very close to the poverty line of $457 for a single person in the workforce, as set by the Melbourne Institute. A comparison of weekly full-time earnings shows that Tasmania is well behind at only 88% of the national rate. Weekly full time adult ordinary time earnings Tasmania
Australia
$1196.20
$1352.70
Weekly median income
10
2011
2006
Individual – $499
Individual – $398
Household – $948
Household – $800
Family – $1202
Family – $1032
2011
2006
Health Care and Social Assistance
12.0%
11.4%
Retail Trade
11.3%
11.9%
Public Administration and Safety
9.0%
8.4%
Education and Training
9.0%
8.3%
Manufacturing
8.7%
10.3%
Employment
In October 2012, 60.6% of persons in Tasmania aged 15 years and over reported being in the labour force (compared to 65% for Australia). This is slightly improved on the figure from the 2006 census of 57.3% and the 2011 census figure of 57.8%. There were 234,800 employed people in Tasmania in October 2012. Of those who reported being employed full-time, 65% were males and 35% were females. The figures were in reverse proportion for those who reported being employed part-time, 68.8% were females and 31.2% were males. The unemployment rate for Tasmania in October 2012 was 6.6% (compared to 5.2% for Australia). There were 16,700 unemployed people in Tasmania in October 2012. In September 2012, 4200 people were classified as longterm unemployed (more than 12 months). In 2011, the largest proportion of employed persons in Tasmania aged 15 years and over reported working in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry (12%), surpassing the Retail Trade indus-
try, which had held the largest proportion in 2006. The proportion of employed persons aged over 15 who reported manufacturing as their industry of employment has declined to 8.7% in 2011 from 10.3% in 2006. This represents an actual decline in the number of persons who reported being employed in this industry of 2209 persons. The effect of this decline has disproportionally affected regional areas of the state, as manufacturing does not fall in the top five industries for Greater Hobart. Additionally, this decline has disproportionally affected males, as 76.4% of persons working in the manufacturing industry in 2011 were males. By comparison, in 2011 80% of those working in the industries of Health Care and Social Assistance were female, 70% of those in Education and Training were female, and 59% in Retail Trade were female. Many will be familiar with the fact that a third of Tasmanians have government benefits as their primary source of income. The figures here are from 2009-10, and are likely to be higher now.
Government benefits and support Tasmania
Australia
Government benefit as primary income (2009-10)
32.3%
22.6%
Proportion of children under 15 living in families where no resident parent is employed (2010)
19.2%
15.4%
Compared to the national figure, Tasmania also has a higher proportion of children under 15 years living in families where no resident parent is employed – the Tasmanian figure is nearly one in five.
uate Certificate as their highest level of education. There was also an increase of 19% in the number of persons who reported completing a Bachelor Degree as their highest level of education.
Housing
Transport
The Tasmanian median household weekly rent of $135 in 2006 increased by $65, or nearly 50%, to be $200 in 2011. Median household monthly mortgage repayments have also increased by 50% from $867 in 2006 to $1300 in 2011 – an increase of $433. According to the 2011 census, 32 persons per 10,000 in Tasmania were homeless, compared with 49 per 10,000 for Australia as a whole. Young people and indigenous Tasmanians were over-represented in the homelessness figures, with 30% of those who were homeless in Tasmania under the age of 25, and 11% indigenous.
Education
The 2011 census showed signs of improvement and growth in the achievement of tertiary education in Tasmania since 2006. There was a 50.5% increase in number of persons who reported completing a Postgraduate Degree, and the gender balance was nearly even. (See table) There was an increase of 38% in the numbers of those who reporting a Graduate Diploma or Grad-
In Tasmania we see that transport difficulties affect people in already disadvantaged groups at very high rates, often compounding their disadvantage. (See table)
Health
We can see in the table, right, that for many health issues Tasmania isn’t doing well. We know that these health outcomes can be linked to many of those things covered in the statistics above – the social determinants of health such as housing, poverty, education and transport. We have a particular opportunity, and should be strongly motivated, to act more effectively to address these determinants here in Tasmania if we are to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.
Children and young people
A person’s future health, wellbeing and success is often determined by the circumstances of their childhood. The situation for young Tasmanians compares well to the national average on some measures. (See table)
Highest Level of Education (all persons aged 15 years and over) 2011 Total
2006 Total
Postgraduate Degree
2.4%
1.7%
Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate
1.5%
1.1%
Bachelor Degree
10.3%
9.1%
Advanced Diploma and Diploma
6.6%
5.9%
Certificate III/IV
17.3%
14.9%
Year 12
12.5%
12.2%
Year 11 or below (includes Certificate I/II/nfd)
38.0%
41.4%
Transport disadvantage Percentage of people in lowest income quintile with transport difficulties (2010)
26%
Percentage of adults describing themselves as unemployed with transport difficulties
33.5%
Percentage of renters with the state housing authority with transport difficulties
41.6%
Percentage of those with self-described health 39.6%. status of ‘poor’ with transport difficulties Health indicators Tasmania
Australia
Life expectancy
78 male 82.3 female
79.5 male 84 female
Current smokers (over 18) (2008)
27.7% male 24.7% female
23% male 19% female
Cardiovascular disease deaths (2011)
107 per 100,000
95 per 100,000
High blood pressure (over 18) (2010)
15.4%
12%
Cancer as main cause of death (2010)
193 per 100,000
172 per 100,000
Persons self-reporting high to very high levels of psychological distress (2011-2012)
9%
10.8%
Profound or severe core activity limitation (2009)
7%
4.8%
Cost of living
We know that the rise in cost of living has been affecting lowincome and disadvantaged Tasmanians in recent years, particularly increases in the cost of energy and utilities. When you look at the figures in this table it is little wonder that the community sector has seen significant increases in ‘the working poor’ seeking assistance. Household expenditure Cost of food/electricity/housing/ transport/health as proportion of lowincome couple (2011)
75%
Cost of food/electricity/housing/ transport/health as proportion of lowincome family (2011)
95%
Children and young people Tasmania
Australia
Children under 15 in lone parent families (2011)
24.5%
19.0%
Children in out-of-home care (number, 2012)
1008 7.5
7.0
Persons aged 15-19 not fully engaged in education or employment (2011)
10%
14%
School leavers aged 15-19 not fully engaged in education or employment (2011)
25.6%
31.8%
Children in out-of-home care,
rate per 1000
Meg Webb TasCOSS, Social Policy and Research Unit
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HACC project produces consumer engagement how-to manual Consumer engagement is largely in its infancy in Tasmania but knowledge and practice are developing well
T
he Tasmanian Home and Community Care program, supported by a dedicated TasCOSS HACC consumer engagement project, has shifted in its understanding and direction since 2009 from ad hoc consumer consultations to more integrated, continuous consumer engagement. As well as assisting in the change of thinking, the TasCOSS project has aimed to offer more practical support to service providers, based on recognised national and international good practice and innovation. “Whatever you do, think consumer engagement” was shared by a coordinator of one of the more forward-looking HACC services. It was the motto adopted by a group of consumers, HACC workers and stakeholders who developed the first Consumer Engagement Model and Tool Kit in 2010. Further work led to five pilot projects, which utilised the model, the Tool Kit and a broadened understanding. Other providers made consumer engagement changes or tried new ways to engage without formally participating in a project.
Join the Network
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TasCOSS is setting up a new Tasmanian Consumer Engagement Network for consumer engagement workers across the state to share ideas, information and to offer peer support and encouragement. If you are interested in the network, please contact Klaus Baur of the TasCOSS Sector Development Unit on (03) 6231 0755 or klaus@tascoss.org.au for a discussion.
Aspects of narrative inquiry were used to document the experiences of staff and consumers and to share them at a statewide HACC consumer engagement forum. Despite the informal nature of the pilots, the stories of providers were heartening; project participants frequently shared about new openings, new ways of relating and the joy experienced. “I find that to be able to see clients’ confidence grow and change is wonderful.” “It was amazing to see how bloody keen people are to share their ideas, thoughts and passions if you open the door for them, and the way that impacts upon everybody else.” “…. the [consumer engagement] day changed some of the dynamics of the whole group; it energised the program, the enthusiasm and the way participants care for each other.” Additional findings were that in consumer engagement, even small changes, small activities, can have a profound impact on both staff and consumers. ”What has amazed me is how something so simple [one consumer engagement activity] can have such a dramatic effect, not only on what the program or the organisation achieves, but also personally,” one service provider said. Another said: ”It is a hearts and minds thing.” The TasCOSS HACC consumer engagement project has produced an extensive consumer engagement literature review. This con-
tains national, international and five Tasmanian non-HACC good practice examples. The report also contains the project reports from the initial five HACC providers participating in the pilots. In many ways the project’s findings were that consumer engagement is in its beginnings. This was also found to be the case across the wider community services sector and government, apart from pockets of good practice.
Consumer engagement handbook
Extensive, often academically focused good-practice examples and reports, similar to the one the project produced, are often far from being easily translated into daily planned and unplanned, attentive and consistent practice. An exciting possibility of a new project emerged: to write a practical, easy-to-use yet comprehensive and holistic consumer engagement handbook, based on the experiences, stories and everyone’s learning over the past two to three years.
The resulting handbook, published by TasCOSS in September 2012, was based on a consultative approach bringing together individuals’ expertise, the wider HACC provider and stakeholder teams’ know-how, the TasCOSS team and specialist expertise, all added to by a even broader range of colleagues and consultants to achieve the task. The main three sections of the handbook are on planning, implementing and evaluating a consumer engagement project or activity. An additional thread guiding readers through the handbook is 26 simple, sequential, structured and tested activities. Following these activities one’s consumer engagement project naturally unfolds (even if you skip some). Tips and helpful hints are scattered throughout the handbook and so are short case studies and examples from the projects, to inspire and guide. The book also has links to a broader range of consumer engagement tools and practical resources. Even though the handbook is intended to support the Tasmanian HACC program and its frail elderly consumers and consumers with disabilities, it is equally generic in its design and application. A very gratifying testimonial for the handbook came recently from Dr Tere Dawson, Senior Project and Policy Coordinator at Victoria’s health consumer organisation, the Health Issues Centre.
Participants at a 2009 TasCOSS statewide forum of staff and client-consumers.
ask advice from us here at the Health Issues Centre.” The Health Issues Centre’s sole role for more than 25 years has been to work with consumers and organisations around consumer engagement programs, projects or issues. The Centre was instrumental in supporting/facilitating many of Victoria’s now leading consumer engagement programs across government and community services. It has also worked with Tasmania’s Department of Health and Human Services in the production of the ‘Your Care, Your Say’ consumer engagement strategy and action plan.
Looking forward
The TasCOSS HACC 2012/13 consumer engagement project is well under way. The focus is on innovation and sustainability.
The 15 providers participating in the project are from both government and community sector services. They have signed up to plan, implement and review a consumer engagement project or activity to extend whatever they presently do in relation to consumer engagement. Support, mentoring and overall consultancy services are provided through the Health Issues CentreTasCOSS partnership. One of the highlights of this year’s work is the introduction of nationally accredited consumer engagement training for the first time in any service or organisation in Tasmania. Two modules of the Graduate Certificate in Consumer Engagement will be delivered to a group of staff/team leaders from participating HACC services.
“The Consumer Engagement Handbook for HACC Services in Tasmania … is a great resource for health services and community organisations aiming at implementing community, consumer and carer engagement initiatives,” Dr Dawson said.
The project aims to offer support to a group of 15 participating providers as they develop more comprehensive projects and supplementary formal training to improve overall consumer engagement understanding and the building of capacity.
There are plans in place to deliver the full four modules, to evaluate the training, to evaluate the impact of the training on the practical projects and to report to the wider HACC sector, and hopefully also to the wider health and community services sectors, in the second half of the year.
“The handbook is full of good ideas and tools to plan, implement and evaluate consumer engagement projects and is very user-friendly. I have it as a PDF on my desktop and often search for specific concepts, activities or tools when I need a quick reference for myself or for others who
This year’s work will be supported though a closer partnership between the Health Issues Centre and TasCOSS.
The HACC Consumer Engagement Handbook and Literature Review/Project Report are available on the TasCOSS website www.tascoss.org.au
Klaus Baur TasCOSS HACC Project Officer, Consumer Engagement
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Joining the transport dots
The low-cost solution to transport disadvantage in Tasmania may lie in better coordination between existing transport services
T
ransport disadvantage is rife in Tasmania, partly because of demographics, partly because much of Tasmania’s population lives outside urban areas and partly because of previous practices of developing public housing estates on the outskirts of main population centres. Transport-disadvantaged people include those who have difficulty getting to where they need to go due to age, illness, disability, or financial constraints, particularly those who are geographically isolated. A wide variety of passenger transport providers operate in Tasmania, including subsidised and unsubsidised route passenger services, commercial ‘general hire’ services (including taxis), and publicly and privately funded not-for-profit services. However, despite the improvements initiated by the 2007 Core Passenger Service Review, transport services in the state are largely characterised by: Limited hours and frequency of operations Limited geographic scope Limited integration in ticketing, physical location and timetables Limited affordability Limited eligibility
These limitations create severe barriers for transport-disadvantaged Tasmanians who live in, or need to access, areas outside those covered by transport services, who live too far from service routes to be able to walk to bus stops or need to go to destinations that are too far from service routes to be able to walk from bus stops. People are also stuck when they need transport outside the hours of service or at times other than the service times, particularly in the case of infrequent or truncated service timetables. The need to use more than one provider or route service to complete a journey throws up problems of walking between the different terminals and stops, and a lack of coordination between the timetables and ticketing systems of different providers and/ or route services. There is also the problem of meeting the cost of fares, even with concessions and/or the Transport Access Scheme. These issues not only severely hamper transport-disadvantaged people; they also discourage people with access to a car from shifting away from driving towards more environmentally sustainable and healthy public or communal transport.
Missing the bus From the ABS General Social Survey: Tasmania 2006 and 2010 • In 2010 25.9% of Tasmanians in the lowest quintile of income could not easily get to the places they needed to go – up from 22.5% in 2006. • For adults describing themselves as unemployed, this figure rose to 33.5%. • For renters with the state housing authority, the figure was 41.6%, with 46.2% lacking access to a vehicle.
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• For people with self-described poor health status, the figure was 39.6%.
No one service can be expected to solve these problems. However, better coordination and integration between existing services, as well as innovation in service types and funding, has the potential to begin to address these problems at relatively low cost.
Cross-service approach
TasCOSS consultations to date suggest that many people in the passenger transport sector already have good ideas for how better coordination and integration could be achieved, as well as for innovations in the sector. What the state currently lacks, however, is an environment where transport providers and key stakeholders in the transport and social inclusion fields can come together to discuss: Prospects for improved information-sharing, coordination and integration between existing services. Possible new service models for existing providers. Possible new providers – social enterprises, for instance. The legal and regulatory instruments necessary for innovation. TasCOSS and Regional Development Australia/Tasmania sponsored an initial meeting of key stakeholders in the transport and social inclusion fields, held on 18 December 2012. Stakeholders agreed that: 1. All levels and areas of government—state, local and regional—need to work together to develop a long-term, evidencebased strategic vision and action plan for transport; to coordinate transport initiatives; and to cooperate in the provision of transport infrastructure such as bus stops and cycle paths.
2. Transport concerns must be integrated into most areas of policy-making, particularly health, education, economic development and spatial planning. At the same time, the state government level urgently needs a focal point for transport issues, which currently fall across many departments. 3. There is a need for a wholeof-transport-sector approach that includes general access and private bus services, not-forprofit services, taxis, carpooling, innovations in car ‘ownership’ such as car sharing, active transport (walking and cycling) and other forms of personal mobility (for example, assisted forms such as mobility scooters) – as well as any other possible areas of innovation. 4. One-size-fits-all approaches do not work well for addressing the needs of transport-disadvantaged communities and cohorts; place-based solutions and programs designed to address the needs of specific groups will be necessary. 5. Tasmanians badly need a centralised information site to help them identify and access transport services and options – general access, private, notfor-profit, car-pooling, car sharing, and active transport – in their areas. In many instances, adequate services and concessions exist but people don’t know that they’re there, or how to use them, or whether they’re eligible for concessions. TasCOSS has put in a bid for funding for a facilitation project, “Transport in the Community: Integration and Innovation for Social Inclusion” in its 2013-2014 Budget Priority Statement. If funded, this project will enable TasCOSS to play a facilitating role for further discussions on the issue and to dedicate a resource to exploring the issues. We envisage the transport project leading to preliminary identification of key issues facing both transport-disadvantaged Tasmanians and the Tasmanian transport sector, and of potential areas for information-sharing,
Tasmania’s sprawling demographic presents a challenge to providers of transport services
coordination, integration and innovation. The project would involve a series of facilitated discussions, over the course of six months, between Tasmanian transport providers and key stakeholders around opportunities for information-sharing, coordination, integration and innovation, and practical ways in which these can be achieved. These may include peak-level discussions of statewide issues, regional discussions involving a greater degree of community participation, and/or sectoral discussions designed to address specific transport industry sector issues.
Brainstorming workshop
A one-day brainstorming workshop will bring together Tasmanian discussion participants and innovators in the Australian transport field, including academics, policy analysts or providers from other states and social entrepreneurs. It is also hoped to develop a model for a public information
source (website/phone) to provide information on all existing transport options: general access and private bus and coach services, not-for-profit services, taxis, carpooling, and active transport initiatives, so transport users can find out what services are available for the trip they wish to make, timetables, fare structures and booking websites. In support of the project, TasCOSS is currently mapping those not-for-profit services that will not be covered by the mapping of Home and Community Carefunded services by Ambulance Tasmania. This will lead to the creation of a comprehensive map of transport resources in the state and identification of areas in the state most likely to contain concentrations of transport disadvantage.
For more information about the TasCOSS Transport in the Community Project, contact Wynne Russell on (03) 6231 0755 or wynne@tascoss.org.au
Wynne Russell TasCOSS Social Policy and Research Unit
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Working with the ACNC
The new national body regulating charities will eventually lead to reduced red tape
T
he Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission opened its doors on 3 December 2012 as Australia’s first independent national regulator of charities. The ACNC’s objectives are to: • Maintain, protect and enhance public trust and confidence in the sector through increased accountability and transparency. • Support and sustain a robust, vibrant, independent and innovative NFP sector. • Promote the reduction of unnecessary regulatory obligations on the sector. The ACNC will register organisations as charities, help charities understand and meet their obligations and maintain a public register so that anyone can look up information about registered charities. The Australian Taxation Office remains responsible for deciding eligibility for charity tax concessions and other Commonwealth exemptions and benefits. In future, the ACNC may register and regulate other not-for-profits
that are not charities, but this will not happen before 2014 and would require a decision of the Commonwealth Government.
government agencies will use as a way of electronically sharing and using information collected from registered charities.
The ACNC has stated that its regulatory approach is focused on supporting charities to meet their responsibilities. Regulatory powers will be used when it is necessary to maintain public trust and confidence in the sector (for example, organisations not acting for their charitable purpose). These powers range from warnings to, in extreme circumstances, cancelling a charity’s registration.
Once the Charity Passport is in place, charities will report once to the ACNC, then other authorised government agencies will access that information from the passport. This is a mandatory requirement for agencies subject to the updated Commonwealth Grant Guidelines.
Reporting to other agencies
Other commonwealth and state government agencies will retain their own reporting requirements for charities. However, the ACNC is also working with state and territory governments (as well as individual federal, state and territory government agencies) to develop a ‘report-once, use-often’ reporting framework for charities. A key to this will be the development of a Charity Passport. The Charity Passport will be used by the ACNC to reduce reporting duplication over time. It will be a collection of information that
The ACNC was set up as part of the Commonwealth Government’s broad reform agenda for the not-for-profit sector. Treasury is leading the reform in partnership with the Office of the Not-for-Profit Sector (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) and in consultation with the Not-For-Profit Sector Reform Council. There are three core areas of work in this reform process: • Regulatory reform – including establishing the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and introducing a new statutory definition of charity. • Tax reform – including reforming the regulation and taxation of the NFP sector. • Funding reform – including streamlining government funding agreements and reporting requirements. These reforms are taking place under the framework of the National Compact – the agreement between the Commonwealth Government and the not-for-profit sector on how they work together to achieve common goals.
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ACNC Commissioner Susan Pascoe with assistant commissioners David Locke, left, and Murray Baird, far right, and ACNC Advisory Board chair Robert Fitzgerald
The Commonwealth Government is also working with state governments to reduce the regulatory burden on the sector. Through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), this work includes:
• Considering the application of the Commonwealth statutory definition of charity (when introduced) for states and territories. • Developing a nationally consistent approach to fundraising regulation. • Harmonising the definition of which activities conducted by charities will be considered ‘non-charitable’. • Reviewing governance and reporting requirements for the not-for-profit sector.
Governance and financial reporting Treasury recently consulted on how registered charities are governed, including the purposes and nature of charities, the accountability of members, compliance with Australian laws, responsible management of financial affairs and the suitability and duties of those managing charities. The draft regulations are aimed at providing a minimum set of outcomes for governance, while retaining flexibility for organisations in how they achieve these. The draft financial reporting regulations have set out the content requirements for financial reports lodged with the ACNC and have proposed to expand the range of individuals able to conduct a review of medium-sized registered charities which will reduce ongoing compliance costs.
Useful links
TasCOSS website: www.tascoss. org.au. Over coming months TasCOSS will provide information on ACNC requirements and how they map onto the state landscape. ACNC website: www.acnc.gov. au. Subscribe to their newsfeed to receive information as it happens. ACNC queries: gov.au
Dates to watch 2013
From now to 2 June: Registering as a charity If you were a charity registered with ATO before 3 December, you will automatically be registered with the ACNC. But, you can opt out of this registration before 2 June 2013. In February, you may have received a letter asking you to complete your details. This is voluntary but, if you choose to do so, it is a quick route to flag if you have an accounting period other than 1 July to 30 June, and if you have Fringe Benefits Exemptions for religious groups. If you were not registered with ATO as a charity before 3 December 2012 and would like to register now, you first need to register with the ACNC to receive charity tax concessions and other charity exemptions from the ATO. Once registered, you will have ongoing obligations, including: • Notifying ACNC of changes. • Keeping certain records. • Preparing and providing an annual information statement and financial statement if you are a medium-sized organisation or larger. 20-22 May: More Information Sessions TasCOSS, ACNC, State Government statewide information sessions on ACNC obligations and how that maps onto state reporting requirements. Email admin@tascoss.org.au to register. 2 June: Registration Deadlines Last day to opt out of charity registration if your charity received charity tax concessions from the ATO before 3 December Last day to notify ACNC if you want to use an accounting period other than 1 July to 30 June. 1 July: Charity Obligations Begin All registered charities must keep records from this date so they can prepare for their 2013-14 annual information sheet. Medium and large charities must prepare an annual financial report. All registered charities are expected to comply with governance standards. A new statutory definition of charity is expected to apply from 1 July 2013. 2 December: Registration Deadlines Last day for religious institutions to opt into registration with ACNC. Last day for deductable gift recipients (DGRs) that were not endorsed as charities by the ATO before 3 December 2012 to register with ACNC. 31 December: Reporting Deadline First annual information statements due for the reporting period 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013.
2014 31 December: Reporting Deadline Second annual information statements due for the reporting period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014, along with any financial reports required for medium and large charities.
advice@acnc.
Regulation of Tasmanian charities: www.acnc.gov.au/ACNC/ FTS/FS_TAS_Reg.aspx For more information, contact Lindsey Moffatt (Lindsey@tascoss.org.au) or Dale Rahmanovic (dale@tascoss.org. au) on (03) 6231 0755.
Lindsey Moffatt Manager, TasCOSSSector Development Unit
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Welcome to our new members
A supported housing organisation and the Hobart City Council have recently joined TasCOSS
T
asCOSS recently welcomed two new organisational members, HOPES Inc and the Hobart City Council. HOPES stands for Housing Options Providing Extra Support, and HOPES’ mission is to support adults living with acquired and/or neurological disabilities “to achieve independence by living in a cooperative environment”. Set up in 1997, HOPES manages the Laetare Court Cooperative Living Community in Moonah. Contact HOPES at hopesinc@ bigpond.com or phone 6274 1883.
Local government bodies are active in the provision of community services throughout Tasmania, as well as making decisions that hugely affect the communities they administer. TasCOSS is very happy, then, to welcome what we believe is our first organisational member from the local government sector. The Hobart City Council’s community programs activities include running Mathers House, formerly the 50 & Better Centre, and Criterion House in the Hobart CBD, which provide social, educational, cultural and recreational activities for older people, low-cost meals and meeting rooms. The Council also provides the Youth Arts & Recreation Centre (Youth ARC). In the bigger community picture, the HCC has a social inclusion policy that pledges to ensure “that all Council practices, policies and procedures actively build social inclusion”.
A musical event at Hobart’s Youth ARC. Photo: courtesy of Hobart City Council
Sirolli project facilitators appointed TasCOSS has been a key advocate of the Sirolli enterprise facilitation model being used in Tasmania. Since the State Government’s decision to support three pilot projects, with funding of $1 million in last year’s State Budget, much has happened.
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Sirolli Enterprise Facilitation projects have been set up in Circular Head/ Wynyard, Scottsdale/George Town and the Huon Valley. Each project has a full-time Enter-
These two new members typify the diversity of the TasCOSS membership, which ranges from organisations with one paid staff member, through to100 per cent volunteer groups and major employers in the sector.
Member organisations’ areas of focus cover everything from youth issues to health education, housing, GLBTI advocacy and relationships counselling. TasCOSS has been an advocate for low-income and other disadvantaged people and worked to strengthen the Tasmanian community services sector since 1961. Membership of TasCOSS starts from as little as $50 a year for organisations (depending on operating income) and is $57 for waged individuals ($15 concession or unwaged). The benefits of being a member include concessions on attending TasCOSS events and training courses, a printed newsletter three times a year and valuable opportunities to network and provide input on social policy and sector development issues. Importantly, every new member assists TasCOSS in its role of advocating for low-income and otherwise disadvantaged Tasmanians and strengthening the sector that supports them. Visit www.tascoss.org.au to find out more about TasCOSS membership or call 6231 0755 for a membership pack or to take out your annual membership.
prise Facilitator who is available to work with any individuals or organisations with ideas for developing an enterprise, whether that is a for-profit business, a social enterprise, or even a community organisation wanting to strengthen its management. The contacts for the Enterprise Facilitators are:
North East (Scottsdale/ George Town region)
Circular Head/Wynyard region
Huon Valley region
Enterprise Facilitator: Lorise Clark
Enterprise Facilitator: Lesley Kirby
Cape Innovations Inc
Mob: 0488 018 931 Email: Capeinnovationsinc@gmail.com
Ripples North East Tasmania Enterprise Facilitator: Victoria Pullen Mob: 0488 018 922 Email: Victoria. Ripplesnetas@gmail.com Facebook Page: www.facebook. com/RipplesNortheastTasmania Huon Sirolli Network
Mob: 0438 503 528 Email: Lesley. Kirby@hotmail.com.au
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Tony Reidy
Beng Poh
Chief Executive
Executive Assistant
Jill Pope
Gabrielle Rish
Finance Officer
Communications and Membership Officer
Kath McLean
Lindsey Moffatt
Manager, Social Policy and Research Unit
Manager, Sector Development Unit
Dale Rahmanovic
Wynne Russell
Development Officer
Policy and Research Officer
Sector Development Unit
Social Policy and Research Unit
Meg Webb
Tim Tabart
Policy and Research Officer
Development Officer
Social Policy and Research Unit
Sector Development Unit
Klaus Baur
Gus Risberg
HACC Project Officer/Consumer Engagement
Shared Services Project Manager
Sector Development Unit
Sector Development Unit
TasCOSS The Tasmanian Council of Social Service, TasCOSS, was established in 1961. TasCOSS is the peak body for the Tasmanian community services sector.
Our mission
To advocate for the interests of low-income and otherwise disadvantaged Tasmanians, and to serve as the peak council for the state’s community services industry.
Our vision
A fair, just and inclusive Tasmania.
TasCOSS is supported by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Sponsored by Hesta.
Printed by Monotone Art Printers. Design by Charlie Bravo Design. Printed on 100% recycled paper.