Latest Training Sessions

Community Industry Group is proud to offer range of free training sessions for Goulburn, Queanbeyan, Cooma, Batemans Bay & Bega in June 2019. Leadership Matters – Facilitating groups to turn good ideas into great outcomes Marketing Matters – Promoting your organisation to clients and key stakeholders Same but Different – How to diversify your organisations income stream Change Management – Positioning your organisation in an ever-changing environment Get on Board – How to build and motivate Boards and Committees of Management Click here to book your place now! For a printable flyer click here.      

Our CEO, Nicky Sloan, took part in the final session of the NCOSS Investing for Good Conference on Thursday 8 May. The Great Debate, moderated by Julian Morrow, (Founder of The Chaser, Giant Dwarf & The Checkout) explored the topic Increasing demand for community services in the context of relatively static government investment in the sector means that rethinking of funding and financing is imperative. Private investment & philanthropic funds have a critical part to play. Do you agree? Ben Gales, (Executive Director, Economic Strategy Division, NSW Treasury) and Mary Delahunty, (Head of Impact, HESTA) argued for the affirmative, but Nicky and her colleague, Jenna Price (Senior Lecturer Journalism Program UTS & Fairfax columnist) won a resounding victory on behalf of the negative. Nicky and Jenna argued strongly that the premise of the proposal was flawed in two key ways: Firstly, that we cannot accept that government can keep funding […]

There are only a few tickets remaining for the Regional Aged Care Forum – Illawarra which is being held on Wednesday 15 May 2019 at Gerroa. This Regional Forum is aimed at CHSP and HCP Providers and the Regional Assessment Teams. Morning tea and lunch will be provided. Click here for the agenda. Click here to book your place now.      

Calling on the community to support our disability providers at the NDIS Make It Work Rally The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promises a brighter future for thousands of Australians. But that promise is falling short. Complicated planning processes, lots of red tape and inadequate funding in participants plans are causing problems. Providers and participants are calling on both major political parties to deliver on the promise.  Join disability organisations at the NDIS Day of Action Rally in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Friday 3 May 2019 Locations: 9.00am Nowra School of Arts, Berry St, Nowra 11.00am Premiers Room WIN Stadium, 46 Harbour St, Wollongong Click here for printable flyers.

2019 Federal Budget – No relief for the poorest in our region This year’s federal budget announcement contains little relief for the many vulnerable residents or the hard working community services organisations in our region. In fact it’s a cruel blow, that while high income earners will receive generous tax cuts, all people on pensions will receive is the $75 one off energy payment. Even this meagre measure has been denied to people on unemployment benefits, and there is once again no increase to Newstart and Youthstart, making it 25 years since any real increase in the Newstart allowance. We must continue to remind our political leaders that keeping people living under the poverty line is not conducive to employment outcomes. It is difficult to look for work while you are concentrating on day to day survival. There are few bright points for vulnerable people, but there are some Budget […]

Community Industry Group today highlights the impact that not being able to access transport is having on many people’s lives.   Public transport in regional areas falls well short of what is available in metropolitan areas, and Community Industry Group is calling on candidates to commit to measures which will increase affordable and accessible transport options across south east NSW. To read the full media release click here. For our other media releases click here. To see our social media video click here.

Community Industry Group is calling for access to safe, secure and affordable housing to be recognised as a key driver for social and economic outcomes by candidates in the upcoming NSW election. “Access to safe, accessible and affordable housing is the number one issue affecting families on low incomes in NSW,” said Nicky Sloan, CEO of Community Industry Group. “The reality is, that with waiting lists for social housing exceeding ten years, many people on welfare or on minimum wage are trying to navigate the private rental market. We need incentives to encourage more affordable private rental properties as well as an urgent investment in social housing.” “A safe, secure, long term home is a foundation for better social, economic and health outcomes,” Ms Sloan said. “Children are healthier, happier and achieve better educational outcomes when they know they have a secure long-term home to go to. They become less […]

Our fortnightly newsletter is full of information for people who work in the community services industry. It includes; Industry news Professional development opportunities Invitations to industry events Positions vacant Member news and events If you are a member of Community Industry Group you can email us your events and accomplishments for inclusion. Sign up here: http://communityindustrygroup.org.au/subscribe/  

We will be asking the 2019 NSW Election candidates to answer questions posed by our members, focusing our efforts on the five top issues that consistently arise from our membership: – The Right to a Home – Affordable Housing and Homelessness – Domestic and Family Violence – Transport – Mental Health – The future of small to medium community service providers We need specific questions from our members which will be sent to the candidates for comment and/or short case studies (200 words or less) to help illustrate the issues. As we receive the candidates’ responses we will publish them on our website here. Please email your questions and/or case studies to info@cigroup.org.au as soon as possible. 

Community Industry Group will be keeping you up to date with the 2019 NSW election news, focussing on the issues that affect those working with the community services sector and vulnerable individuals in our community. The Candidates Resources to assist members The Issues Questions from our members The Promises calculator Message from the CEO This is an important year in the political future of our state and our nation. Having a state election and a federal election in the one year brings the opportunity to highlight to our future representatives and leaders the issues which are important to our members and to their clients and communities, and to seek their commitment to address these issues in meaningful ways. The community services industry is at the vortex of a cataclysmic collision of reforms and direction changes at present. Last year marked a quarter of a century of service by Community Industry […]

Our training calendar has been updated for January to June 2019 with a wide variety of training courses designed specifically for people who work in the community services industry. For a printable version of the calendar click here.

The Federal Government has just announced a further $662 million investment in aged care, which is in addition to the recent Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) funding announcement late last year, bringing the total amount to approximately $1.3 billion. Both residential and home care providers will also be supported through a new $7.4 million business advisory service, to help improve their operations. With 126,000 people currently on the waiting list for the appropriate level of Home Care Package, the increase in funding is welcome, but we also recognise even more funding is needed to be able to provide the quality aged care services our older community members require. Additional funding for Home Care services includes: A further 10,000 home care packages across all levels – at a cost of $282.4 million; A 1.5 per cent increase to home care supplements for dementia and cognition and veterans – at a […]

All seniors are invited to learn weaving or painting (your choice) using Aboriginal contemporary processes. Tuesday 19 February 2019, 10am-12noon Kemblawarra Community Centre, Cnr Shellharbour Road & Parkes Street, Port Kembla Free event Please RSVP by 15 February to Joni Braham on 42564333. Booking are essential. This event is a collaboration project with Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation and is proudly sponsored by Community Industry Group.

Our 2017/18 Annual Report is now available. Click here to download your copy now.

Wishing all our members a happy, healthy holiday season! Please note our office will be closed from 21/12/18 to 2/1/19.

You are invited to our 2018 AGM We invite you to our 2018 Annual General Meeting on Thursday 13 December 2018, 9.30am for a 10am start at the Ocean Room, The Central, UOW Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong. Please RSVP by 7 December 2018 to info@cigroup.org.au. For a printable version of the invitation with full details click here.

My Aged Care Updates To provide greater transparency and assist consumers to more easily compare different service offers, all providers will be required to publish current pricing information on My Aged Care by the end of November 2018. Information comparing prices will become available on the My Aged Care website from April 2019. A government committee is considering putting a cap on home care package administration fees amid claims some providers are charging up to 45 per cent on top of service fees. Additional home care packages will be funded by reallocating unused residential care funding. The government announced in the budget that it would combine the residential and home care programs from 1 July 2018 to allow for greater flexibility in the allocation of aged care funding, allocating $1.6 billion over four years for the budget measure. Extra high-level packages in the budget followed the government’s decision to convert 17,825 […]

Organisations providing Commonwealth subsidised aged care services are required to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards (Quality Standards). This includes Home Care services, CHSP, Short Term Restorative Care, Residential Aged Care and the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program. Organisations will be assessed and must be able to provide evidence of their compliance with and performance against the Quality Standards from 1 July 2019. The Quality Standards focus on outcomes for consumers and reflect the level of care and services the community can expect from organisations that provide Commonwealth subsidised aged care services and are made up of eight individual standards: Consumer dignity and choice Ongoing assessment and planning with consumers Personal care and clinical care Services and supports for daily living Organisation’s service environment Feedback and complaints Human Resources Organisational governance. A webinar to support service providers to get to know the new standards […]

Community Industry Group is proud to offer this free webinar on The Housing Spectrum. This free webinar describes the steps of the housing spectrum (from homelessness to home ownership) and the definition of housing stress. It discusses homelessness, boarding houses, temporary accommodation and various resources.  

Today is the last day to book in for this event! Join us for Tea and Toast: Mentally Resilient Workplaces in our office at Oak Flats, Tuesday 30 October 2018, 9:30am – 11:30am, Free event for members $10 for non members. In support of Mental Health Month across NSW, Community Industry Group will be hosting ‘Tea, Toast & Talk: Mentally Resilient Workplaces’ on Tuesday 30 October from 9.30-11.30am. The event will highlight the importance of workplace wellbeing and resilience for employees of the not for profit sector, and will explore best practices in developing a mentally healthy workplace. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/tea-toast-talk-mentally-resilient-workplaces-tickets-51169190426?aff=ebapi

The latest Home Care Packages Data Report reveals that 64,668 people in the National Prioritisation Queue are still waiting for a higher level Home Care Package, 12,427 new people were able to access a home care package over the most recent quarter, and 30,281 new people were receiving support during the period 1 July 2017 to 31 March 2018. At 31 March 2018, there were 84,971 people in a home care package. A further 56,750 people on the queue were either not in, or assigned, a lower level home care package. Of those, it is estimated that around half were accessing CHSP services. Therefore, it is estimated that around 75% of people in the queue are accessing Government subsidised home care support to assist them to remain living in their home. The efficiency of home care package assignment and the accuracy of the wait-time calculator are reliant on the consistency […]

The Community Industry Group recently worked with Opal Residential Aged Care Denhams Beach, Red Cross and the NSW Health Dementia Behaviour Assessment & Management Service to pilot an Individualised Music Intervention Program. People with dementia maintain the ability to process music long after their ability to process verbal communication has deteriorated, and personalised music can be an intervention that provides a range of important benefits to individual residents, their family and staff. These guidelines were collated to enable other aged care service providers to offer similar programs. IMI Guidelines

Community Industry Group is proud to offer this free webinar on Working with Interpreters for community service organisations. It covers subjects such as: when to identify the need for an interpreter; how to engage an interpreter; maximising the interpreter and client experience; and interpreter services available within the Illawarra-Shoalhaven. For  information about our webinars click here.

Community Industry Group is proud to offer this free webinar on Good Governance for community service organisations. It covers subjects such as: Board roles and responsibilities Specific responsibilities for board officer positions Incorporation Good Governance Key terms For  information about our webinars click here.