PRESIDENT’S PAGE

It is refreshing to see the images of younger QJA members on the front page of this edition and to read their individual stories (page 9). The face of QJA is certainly changing as new generations of JPs and Cdecs are recruited to our ranks (mainly via our JP pre-appointment training program). The future leaders and shapers of this organisation will come from this younger cohort of our membership. We welcome the enthusiasm and fresh ideas they will bring to our ongoing quest to elevate the professionalism of JP practice throughout Queensland.

In this edition of the quarterly QJA Journal (pages 4-5), we also farewell Board Director Chris Lancaster Chris Lancaster OAM and welcome his replacement Peter Selleck. Chris’ contribution to and leadership of QJA’s education program over the last 7-8 years has been outstanding and the acknowledged high quality of this program is a lasting legacy to his valuable input. Thank you Chris!

The next QJA State Conference will be held at the Gold Coast on Saturday 15 May 2021. Planning for this event is well advanced and it is shaping up as a really impressive professional development and peer networking opportunity. Check out the information on the back page of this issue for more detail.

The next batch of QJA awards will be presented at the dinner function associated with the 2021 State Conference at the Gold Coast in mid-May. The article on page 6 explains all about these awards. If you are aware of any individual QJA member (or a QJA Branch) whose performance is worthy of association-wide recognition, please read this article and follow the guidelines to submit a nomination by the due date of 28 February 2021.

A summarised version of the minutes of the 2020 QJA Annual General Meeting is included on page 6 of this issue.

Pages 7 and 8 of this edition outline the recent and emerging technical changes that significantly impact the work performed by practicing JPs and Cdecs. I strongly encourage all QJA members to familiarise ourselves with the detail of these changes (Guardianship legislation, new suite of Enduring documents, new Blue Card procedures and the digital licence project update) so we are all able to properly process the documents submitted by our clients.

The outcome of a Board planning day held in early September this year was some tweaking of our Vision and Mission statements and the adoption of a revised strategic plan for the coming years. Our Vision: Excellence in JP Services Our Mission: To provide exceptional programs and services that enable our members to be highly competent and professional practitioners Our Strategic Pillars: To Educate, Inform, Advocate, Connect, Govern

The Board has drafted a strategic plan predicated on these guiding principles and endorsed a suite of programs and projects to deliver these concepts into practice.

As indicated in the last edition of the Journal, our major strategic initiative for the foreseeable future is to implement a QJA Member Accreditation program which will identify and recognise those members who successfully demonstrate their competence and profesionalism as a practicing JP/ Cdecs. The program’s developmental work is well advanced with alpha and beta group testing to be undertaken in the coming months. In parallel with the member accreditation program, we are also introducing a publicly-assessible QJA Member Directory (see article at page 8). In the coming weeks, all QJA members will be invited to include their details in this directory.

As the images and stories on pages 13-14 indicate, many of the QJA branches have embraced the opportunities provided by the progressive relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in recent months - to get out and about and spread the QJA message in their local communities. The more innovative branches also embraced videoconferencing technology to stay connected to their members during the more restrictive phases of the pandemic response. Well done all!

As 2020 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the unprecedented experience we’ve all endured over the last 12 months. The upside is that we’ve all played our part as a whole community in stemming the COVID tide. Compliments of the Season