AUGUST 2021

The latest news from the BSL Research and Policy Centre (RPC) includes a webinar about building young people's capabilities and a call for research participants in a survey about services for people with disability outside the NDIS. 

Also featured are BSL policy submissions regarding young people as care workers, income support for migrants, child protection, moving away from gas in Victoria and disability support pensions, and an article about COVID-19 impacts on long-term financial wellbeing.

You can read more about our current work at www.bsl.org.au/research and also browse our research and policy publications.

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WEBINAR: BUILDING CAPABILITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS

The COVID-19 pandemic has put additional strain on young Australians already in housing stress. While services often focus on young people’s deficits, a recent webinar explored an alternative ‘capabilities’ approach to supporting young people at risk of homelessness to identify their abilities and establish goals and positive pathways. It featured BSL’s Joseph Borlagdan and  Emma Cull with Anita McCurdy and Brea Dorsett from the Shepparton Education First Youth Foyer.

Watch, listen  or read a transcript of the webinar Supporting young people to reduce housing stress and start a future that means something to them

RESEARCH: PARTICIPATING WITHOUT NDIS FUNDING

A joint study by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, the Melbourne Disability Institute and Baptcare aims to capture whether and how people with disability aged 18–64 years who are not receiving NDIS funds are finding and using the support and services they need to participate in the community and the economy.

Two online surveys – one for adults with disability, the other for their families and carers – are open through August and September.

Find out more about this research project  and responding to the surveys.

POLICY: CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CARE WORKFORCE

Young people could help to meet the demand in the care labour market, and that growing demand could help to address youth unemployment. However, achieving this will require many kinds of change.

Read our Response to the National Skills Commission Care Workforce Labour Market Study discussion paper (PDF, 278 KB)

POLICY: MISGUIDED LONGER WAITING PERIODS FOR MIGRANTS’ BENEFITS

BSL believes that the proposed Bill to extend new migrants’ waiting periods for certain social security payments is flawed policy that not only would harm newly arrived migrants but is not in Australia’s public interest. In particular, it would have a disproportionate impact on women and children and would heighten the risk of family violence.

Read our submission to the Senate inquiry into consistent waiting periods for new migrants (201 KB)

POLICY: DRIVING REAL CHANGE IN CHILD PROTECTION

Regrettably, there has been no significant reduction in the incidence of child abuse or neglect in the ten years since creation of a National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. BSL  urges the Commonwealth Government to drive real sustained change by devising a successor plan that commits to universal preventive services as well as targeted interventions. Families should be involved in designing and implementing the new plan to ensure its effectiveness.

Read our submission re the successor plan to the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children (238 KB)

POLICY: PLANNING TO MOVE AWAY FROM GAS AS AN ENERGY SOURCE

Victoria’s transition away from dependence on gas must provide support and certainty to low-income households, and retraining opportunities for decent well-paid jobs outside the gas industry. It must also be consistent with commitments to limit global warming to well below 2 °C.

Read our submission re Victoria’s Gas Substitution Roadmap (PDF, 232 KB)

POLICY: IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY OR CHRONIC ILL-HEALTH

BSL is concerned that many people living with a disability or chronic condition cannot access the Disability Support Pension (DSP) because of narrow eligibility and onerous application processes. They are consigned to the inadequate JobSeeker Payment, with little prospect of finding suitable work in a competitive labour market.

Read our submission to the Senate inquiry into the purpose, intent and adequacy of the Disability Support Pension (238 KB)

ARTICLE: HOW COVID-19 WILL AFFECT LONG-TERM FINANCIAL WELLBEING

BSL research examining financial wellbeing shows that many Australians who entered the COVID-19 crisis with limited savings or other assets face the prospect of long-term financial insecurity unless steps are taken to build employment and provide an adequate social safety net.

Read Emily Porter’s article 'Long COVID' threats to financial security in ANZ’s bluenotes
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Catch up on the research report  Shocks and safety nets (PDF, 549 KB)

Our project, Financial lives in uncertain times, is supported by ANZ through the ANZ Tony Nicholson Fellowship.

​The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is a social justice organisation that works to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia. You are receiving this email as you have previously subscribed to the BSL Research and Policy Centre e-newsletter. To unsubscribe, please click on the link below.