• Are you committed to creating a fairer society?
• Interested in working with a passionate & enthusiastic team to advocate for social justice?
• Do you have skills in policy analysis & capacity building?

The ACT Council of Social Service Inc is the peak representative body for not-for-profit community organisations as well as disadvantaged and low-income citizens of the Territory. ACTCOSS is seeking applications for policy and development officers.

The positions provide the successful candidates an opportunity to engage with social policy issues, and work directly with community organisations to improve their capacity. Responsibilities include a broad and engaging workload, and interaction with diverse communities.

ACTCOSS has above-award pay and conditions as part of the ACT community sector multiple business agreement. ACTCOSS welcomes and encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and from candidates with diverse backgrounds and life experience.

Download the Position Description and Selection Criteria (pdf: 39KB)

Phone 02) 6202 7200 or email actcoss@actcoss.org.au for more information. All enquiries and applications for this position will be treated confidentially.

Applications close 5pm, Friday 17 July 2009

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 ACT 2009-10 ACT Budget Snapshot (6 May 2009, pdf document: 173KB)

Read ACTCOSS' initial budget response Media Release: Government Fails to Prioritise Vulnerable People (5 May 2009, pdf document: 19KB)

The ACT Council of Social Service launched a new research report looking into how community organisations and education bodies can collaborate to help more adults in the ACT improve their literacy skills. The report identifies strategies for increasing access to literacy education and makes recommendations to governments on how to support these efforts.

Download the report On the Same Page: Towards Partnerships for Adult Literacy in the ACT (pdf document: 1.1MB)

The ACTCOSS Submission to the ACT Budget 2009-10

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 2009-10 (pdf document: 1.46MB), or visit our Submissions & Reports webpage to download past budget submissions and a range of other policy documents.

You can also download a summary of the ACTCOSS Budget Submission Recommendations (pdf document: 126KB).

The MBA is a collective agreement intended to improve conditions and wages of ACT community sector workers, improve organisations’ ability to recruit and retain staff, pass on ACT Government indexation to workers and establish a collective voice on sector-wide issues including funding.

ACTCOSS and the Australian Services Union have compiled list of Frequently Asked Questions about the ACT Community Sector Multiple Business Agreement (MBA).

• Download the MBA Frequently Asked Questions Factsheet (pdf document: 214KB)
• Download the Proposed Draft MBA (pdf document: 361KB)

In February 2009, ACTCOSS released a research report providing important information about the expenditure patterns of low income households in the ACT. The report was produced by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM). The report follows the 2007 launch of Characteristics of Low Income ACT Households which demonstrated that some groups are at greater risk of living on low incomes.

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 Regional Community Service, Woden Community Service and Lifeline Canberra.

Download the report Expenditure of Low Income Households in the ACT (pdf document: 1.14 MB)

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 completed 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.

Download the final report Finding Solutions: Towards the long-term viability of the ACT Community Sector

Three options papers were 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

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.

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.