Just News

Welcome back to Just News, and to those of us who took some leave over the holiday period, welcome back to work. We hope you had a safe and restful festive season. In today's Just News: a CEO Communication from Acting CEO Sally Parnell, updates from our Centre for Just Places, and our story-packed summer newsletter is online. It's the start of the sunny, dry biderap season on the calendar of the Wurundjeri people, whose land this newsletter is written from, and we hope you're keeping cool.

Business Support Services

Important updates from our operations teams.

Key documents updated reminder

Although all policies are equal, some are more equal than others. These key documents have recently been updated:

• 6.1.6b Consent Form for Program Participants has been updated to include ‘Consent withdrawn’ to the table on page 2. Please ensure you are using this version, which is version 12. 
• 6.1.8b Participants’ Rights and Responsibilities Poster, which was updated based on participant feedback we sought. It now includes a QR code which links to the feedback and complains page on our website (where there is an electronic form), and includes the right for participants to receive culturally sensitive services and the right for participants to be their authentic self.
•  Meeting agenda templates have been updated with new acknowledgement of country wording. The meeting agenda templates also include a number of standard agenda items (eg child safety, cultural safety, family violence etc) which are important to discuss at all program, site, and general meetings. Please ensure that you are using the most up-to-date templates – this would include transferring agendas for existing meetings, which are rolled over from one meeting to the next, into the new template. 

Two MARAM tools for assessing family violence risk have been adapted for Jesuit Social Services:

• 6.1.30i MARAM Family Violence Brief Assessment Tool
• 6.1.30j MARAM Family Violence Intermediate Risk Assessment Tool

These assessment tools complement the screening tool and safety planning tool, which is already on Gemba. 

And the Business Support Services Guide (BSS Guide) has recently been updated and is on Gemba. Processes are now listed alphabetically, to better help you find the support you're seeking.

Media, news and events

Dates to add to your diary and Jesuit Social Services in the news.

Media

We're encouraged to see media reporting that Victoria is considering raising the age of criminal responsibility – an issue we have long advocated for, which you can read more about at our blog. 

Also on our blog this month is Andy Hamilton SJ's annual Christmas reflection, where he writes that in a time of uncertainty, the things people often do at Christmas can be a source of strength – which is particularly pertinent in a time of climate change, COVID-19, the dangers of war and rising interest rates and their threat to housing.

Events

If you missed our December Lunchtime Learning session navigating us through our new website, fear not: it'll run again on Thursday, 16 February, 12pm-12:30pm AEDT. Keep an eye out for the Zoom link in your inbox.

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