Discover what's happening around Jesuit Social Services. No images? Click here Welcome to another edition of Just News. Up ahead: our Centre for Just Places will launch its community sector climate action plan, our Rainbow Tick training is here, there's a packed update from our Learning and Practice Development Unit, and – next week, here in inner Melbourne – it's the start of buath garru (grass flowering) season on the calendar of the Wurundjeri people, from whose country this newsletter is scribed, where the weather is warm and rainy, and we see feeding bats and fat brown butterflies. Stay safe, stay dry, and enjoy the edition. An important COVID-19 update came on 13 October from Phil Hodgson – please be aware our directions to all staff and volunteers across all states are now:
Please tell your line manager if you test positive for COVID-19. And if you're isolating, please discuss with your manager your capacity to work from home – and if you can't work from home and need to take leave, please record Personal Leave in Preceda and on timesheets. With any queries or concerns about this, please chat to your manager. Our regular, nourishing staff reflection is in about a week's time – keep an eye out for the Zoom link for the 8am AEDT session for Wednesday 2 November. All are welcome. And if you missed it in Just News 146, we'll once again receive three days of goodwill leave this year – bonus leave days for permanent staff, regardless of the length of their service. This is leave over and above our regular leave allocation, and is a great thing the organisation does to show how much it values staff. Find and select nominated days in Preceda using 'Goodwill Leave' as both the leave type and leave reason. NEWS | Rainbow Training: Enhancing Cultural Safety is here!You would have seen Julie Edwards' email on 19 October announcing Rainbow Training: Enhancing Cultural Safety – a comprehensive training package for all staff and volunteers demonstrating our commitment to robust and respectful relationships with members of the LGBTIQA+ community. This training is part of our progress towards Rainbow Tick accreditation – a dedicated and involved process that will ultimately demonstrate Jesuit Social Services is a safe and inclusive place for LGBTIQA+ staff, volunteers and participants. Find your enrolment for Rainbow Training: Enhancing Cultural Safety in your inbox, from sender Jesuit Social Services at do-not-reply@sentrient.online (or in last week's Rainbow Tick newsletter!). The training takes about two hours to complete, can be done individually or as a team, and must be finished by 31 December. If you have any questions, or if your team seeks support to facilitate this training, please contact staff.training@jss.org.au. NEWS | A shared vision for climate justice in Melbourne’s WestCommunity service and health organisations play a critical role in building resilience to the social and health impacts of climate change, but without the resources to plan and adapt the sector itself is highly vulnerable to climate impacts, posing a risk of flow-on-effects for the Victorians they support. Supported by Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places invites staff to attend the webinar launch of our Collaborative Action Plan, which articulates a shared vision for climate justice in the west of Melbourne. The Plan is a result of a year-long project which brought together a wide range of health, community service organisations, policymakers, and service and infrastructure providers to identify needs, opportunities, and a strategic direction for action and advocacy in this region. It launches online on Tuesday November 15, 11am-12pm AEDT. At the webinar, you’ll hear from Dr Catherine Brown OAM, CEO, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, and Julie Edwards, CEO, Jesuit Social Services, about the significance of this work for the community sector and the communities they work with. Susie Moloney, Executive Director of Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places, will provide an overview of the project’s findings and host a panel discussion featuring speakers who will share how this process of collaboration is being used to advocate for, and take action on, climate justice in Melbourne’s West. UPDATE | Recent activities from the Learning and Practice Development UnitOur Learning and Practice Development Unit (or the LPDU, if you're short on time) has had a busy couple of months. Recently, they've:
The Learning and Practice Development Unit is the dedicated team at Jesuit Social Services helping us enhance our practice and work more effectively. The team is based at central office in Richmond, and is your go-to for ideas about how to improve your work to ensure that participants get the best possible outcome. Gift Card Order FormThere's a new form to use when ordering gift cards (eg Coles vouchers). The purpose of the form is to ensure that the purchase and handling of gift cards – which are, effectively, basically the same as cash – is managed appropriately. It’s not intended to create barriers or obstacles to accessing gift cards, but to ensure proper security and tracking. The form is titled 3.8.2f Gift Card Order form and is available on Gemba. Volunteer SurveyA volunteer survey was recently sent out to all volunteers. If you volunteer with Jesuit Social Services please complete the survey by tomorrow, 26 October! New cause of death data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week shows suicide rates have increased over the last decade – a stark reminder that specialist support must be available to the thousands of people bereaved by the suicide of a loved one each year, like our Support After Suicide program, we said in our media release. You might have seen the Northern Territory's announcement that it will raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years – a step in the right direction that will help to keep more vulnerable children connected with family, culture and the community, we said, and an opportunity for all states and territories to commit to immediately raising the age to 14, in line with international standards, expert medical evidence, and the United Nations' recommendations. Finally, this year Jesuit Social Services celebrates our 45th anniversary! If you missed it in Just News 146, CEO Julie Edwards has recorded a video to mark the occasion, which you can view here or by clicking the image below, and if you're on Facebook, keep an eye out for our posts this week sharing the story of our 45 years. “It is such an important distinction between feeling depressed and sad because I had lost my son, but not feeling so depressed and sad that I would end up like my son. I cannot imagine where I would be without the [Support After Suicide] service."— John (not his real name), Support After Suicide participant If you've got an update or story to tell, or want to share your feedback, we're happy to hear from you. Use the buttons below to share your thoughts. |