Latest Training Sessions

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) Health Promotion Service is partnering with Community Industry Group to offer one-off seeding grants. Eligible not-for-profit community organisations within the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region can apply for funding for local project activities supporting mental health and physical wellbeing. Funding of up to $2000 is available. Background Information – Protecting Mental Health Grants Application Form – Protecting Mental Health Grants  

Illawarra South Coast Aged & Disability Services Workforce Forum, Tuesday 16 February 2021, 8:30–10:30am. Aged and disability service providers are facing significant challenges attracting the right staff who are suitable and safe for direct support work. The Illawarra Workforce Action Group (IWAG) invites you to this online forum with representatives from a range of organisations related to the sector including: Residential and community support service providers Registered training providers Local Health District Government agencies The forum will drive discussion on aligning workforce strategies and priorities for providers in the region and seek to gain commitment across participating organisations to a Charter of Collaboration to strengthen the aged and disability service sectors. Click here to book your ticket now. Click here to view the agenda.

We’ve created a 2021 Calendar that includes the Parliament of NSW Sitting Dates and the NSW School holidays. Click here to download your pdf version.  

We are back in the office and look forward to working with, and advocating for our members in 2021. Community Industry Group: Voice – Influence – Leadership

Check out this short video highlighting all the work the Community Industry Group team achieved in the 19/20 Financial Year.

Our CEO, Nicky Sloan, has been appointed to the Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce for the Illawarra South Coast region. The Local Jobs Program supports tailored approaches to accelerate reskilling, upskilling and employment in 25 regions across Australia. The program will provide for 25 Employment Facilitators across 25 regions, a Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce in each region, a Local Jobs Plan developed for each region and projects funded through a Local Recovery Fund in each of these regions. Click here for more information about the representatives for the Illawarra South Coast region. View the Local Jobs fact sheet here.

To support the NFP sector across Southern NSW, Community Industry Group are extending an Expression of Interest for participants in a leadership program we would like to offer across the region commencing in March 2021. The Four Legs Leadership Program is a holistic leadership program designed to provide participants with the tools, skills and insights to build resilient, innovative and collaborative teams and deliver outstanding results. Exceptional leadership is the ability to deeply understand and effectively manage yourself, even in the most challenging times and create a psychologically safe environment where your teams can thrive and consistently deliver their best work. It’s about how you are able to influence all of the stakeholders you connect with. For more information please see: Community Industry Group EOI form and brochure here. Four legs brochure here. Expression of Interest Applications close 13 November 2020.  

NAIDOC Week 2020 runs from 8 to 15 November and the theme this year is Always Was, Always Will Be. Community Industry Group recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years and are proud of our ongoing commitment to support and promote NAIDOC week events. To find out about NAIDOC week events in your area click here.

Community Industry Group is calling for expressions of interest from Aboriginal people and organisations to be contracted as a Consultant as part of the Aboriginal Cultural Immersion Training Program (ACITP). The ACITP aims to prepare leaders and staff of non-Aboriginal organisations to engage with and work with Aboriginal people, families, children and communities through developing a greater understanding of the impact of structural racism on Aboriginal people. As part of the ACITP you will deliver workshops to non-government and government organisations working with vulnerable people and communities in the Illawarra Shoalhaven District. To read the full Expression of Interest document please click here.

We invite you to attend our AGM. It will be held on Tuesday 24 November 2020 commencing at 10am, featuring guest speakers, Dennis Moriarty and Dan Nahum. Join us as they discuss life after COVID-19 and the role of our community services. Click here for further details.      

We created this short video to highlight what we do as a peak body organisation for our members. Check out the other videos on our YouTube channel here.

This year’s federal budget announcement contains a mix of the good, the bad, and the downright ugly for the region’s many vulnerable residents and for the region’s hard working community services organisations, according to the Community Industry Group, the peak body for community services in southern NSW. Tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes will mean more in the pay packets of many of the hard working people in the community services industry. However unemployment is high across the Illawarra and NSW South Coast, and we must remember that tax cuts do nothing for those who don’t have jobs. It was good to see some new opportunities in the important community housing sector, but a higher investment in the social housing sector as well would have provided a real economic stimulus for the region. The doubling of free mental health therapy sessions from 10 to 20 is welcomed, particularly […]

We are very excited to have two Special Guest Speakers at our (virtual) Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 24 November at 10am. Addressing the theme REimagine, REenergise, REsilience we are pleased to introduce to you Dan Nahum & Denis Moriarty to talk about their observations on the future of community services post pandemic. Dan Nahum is Economist with the Centre for Future Work. His research interests include industrial transformation, labour markets in low-carbon economies, government finances, and inequity and inequality. Previous to joining the Centre for Future Work, he held roles in the Australian government in various social and economic policy fields, including Indigenous Affairs and the Office for Women. He holds a Masters of Political Economy from the University of Sydney, where he focused on the moral dimensions of climate change, and an Honours degree from Macquarie University. Denis Moriarty is the Group Managing Director of the Our Community […]

The Department of Communities and Justice have developed a highly interactive learning module to help organisations understand and develop program logics. It has functionalities that allow users to pause and check their understanding, embedded links to key targeted earlier intervention resources and examples of program logic. Click here for more information.

The impacts of social isolation have become a major concern since restrictions have been put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. For many people living on low-incomes, such as those with part time or casual positions, or people receiving income support payments like JobSeeker, it can be difficult to participate in social activities. Clothing, food or ticket prices can be out of reach for many people and even having friends over for dinner can be outside of the budget. Community Industry Group is conducting a survey to gain an understanding of how people keep connected when they’re struggling on insufficient income. Please participate in our survey, it is anonymous and should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CIGSIS2020 

Anglicare Australia has released a Special Update to their Rental Affordability Snapshot. The Snapshot highlights the lived experience of looking for housing on a low income, focussing on those on government payments or earning minimum wage. The report details a major disconnect between commentary on the rental market and how it works for those hardest hit by the pandemic. Affordability has actually become worse for people on low incomes. Governments need to take real action to ensure every Australian has a home. Click here to read the report.

South East NSW Bushfire Crisis – Impact, Response & Recovery Report Community Industry Group recently released the South East NSW Bushfire Crisis – Impact, Response & Recovery Report.  We worked directly with service providers in disaster-affected areas, and heard first-hand accounts of the impact on individuals, families and communities. We have heard about what has been and is currently being done, what should be done, and how bushfire affected communities are recovering and rebuilding. Our report also includes seven recommendations for recovery. Employment Issues Children, Families and Young People Aged Services Disability Housing and Homelessness Mental Health Community Development and Support Click here for our printable Recommendation Summary flyer. We are advocating for the recommendations to be implemented and encourage community service organisations and individuals to get involved. We need your help to get these recommendations implemented. We have created a template letter that you can use to send to your […]

We have received funding through the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) for a regional custom grant portal. NGOs will be able to visit the portal to find grant opportunities which are available in our region. Each grant will be summarised in a one-page template, and the portal will include search, planning and automated notification functionality. Members will be able to create a profile on the portal to store their grant info and preferences, and notifications will be sent when appropriate grants are available. The portal is accessible now and we will run training soon to help people navigate the site and get the maximum usage from it. We would like to give our grateful thanks to our funding partners, DCJ, for partnering with us to bring this great resource to our region. Click here to view the grant finder portal.

On 17 June 2020 the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment released a discussion paper Job-Ready Graduates Higher Education Reform Package 2020. The paper notes that Commonwealth subsidy for social work will drop and student contribution will rise from $6,684 to $14,500 per year. These changes will exacerbate already critical shortages of qualified Social Workers. The Save Social Work campaign is being undertaken by the Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work to encourage the Federal Government to reverse its decision about the funding formula for Social Work degrees. Signing the petition here https://www.savesocialwork.org/.  Questions about the campaign can be directed to savesocialworkaustralia@gmail.com.

South East NSW Bushfire Crisis – Impact, Response & Recovery Report Community Industry Group recently released the South East NSW Bushfire Crisis – Impact, Response & Recovery Report.  We worked directly with service providers in disaster-affected areas, and heard first-hand accounts of the impact on individuals, families and communities. We have heard about what has been and is currently being done, what should be done, and how bushfire affected communities are recovering and rebuilding. Our report also includes seven recommendations for recovery. Employment Issues Children, Families and Young People Aged Services Disability Housing and Homelessness Mental Health Community Development and Support We are advocating for the recommendations to be implemented and encourage community service organisations and individuals to get involved. For more information click here. Recommendation 5 – Housing and Homelessness Our recommendation is $5 million per year for 5 years ($25m) additional program funding for services which support communities in […]

2-8 August 2020 is Homelessness Week. This year the theme is Everybody Needs a Home. Homelessness refers to so much more than rough sleepers. Educate yourself about housing issues with our Housing Spectrum Fact Sheet available here. Please feel free to share this resource with your networks. Everybody Needs a Home.  

Community Industry Group, the peak body for community service organisations in south east NSW, commented on today’s announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenburg on the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payment. CEO Nicky Sloan expressed concern that the 1.6 million people currently depending on the JobSeeker payment will experience a $150 per week cut to the Coronavirus Supplement from September, with a further announcement about the future of the supplement by the end of the year. “While we are pleased that the Coronavirus Supplement will continue for another three months, we are disappointed that the amount of the supplement has been reduced,” Ms Sloan said. “But of even more concern is the lack of security about what people living on JobSeeker will receive from December.” “This is a missed opportunity to announce a permanent, adequate increase to a rate of income support which is widely condemned as insufficient […]

Check out our latest free micro course – Introduction to Volunteering. Volunteering can be very rewarding but there are some responsibilities too. This short micro course is designed to give you an overview of what it will be expected of you as a volunteer. At the end of the course there are many resources listed to help you find more information specific to your state or territory. http://communityindustrygroup.org.au/whats-on/online-training/