Just News
Step into this fortnight's edition of Just News, the internal newsletter for the vibrant community of Jesuit Social Services, highlighting current happenings and inspiring stories.
Welcome back to the new-look Just News.
In today's edition: wrapping up the event we held in Melbourne's west to mark Homelessness Week, engaging with place through the Koori Heritage Walk, and celebrating the re-opening of Open Pantry – the affordable grocery store and community hub we run in the Western Sydney community of Blackett. Enjoy the edition.
Reading
Andy Hamilton SJ analyses the annual Catholic Bishops' Justice Statement, which reflects on listening, learning and loving ahead of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Acknowledging Homelessness Week
A frank and solutions-focused discussion about challenges and opportunities in housing was front and centre at our Homelessness Week event on Thursday 10 August, which acknowledged our staff's tenacious efforts.
Open Pantry supports affordable nutrition
The rising cost of living hurts us all, and is felt acutely in Western Sydney – where we were able to re-open the affordable grocery store Open Pantry after its closure was feared following staffing changes. See how it happened.
Connecting with culture on Koori Heritage Walk
As part of our Engaging with Place project, which connects us to First Nations place meaning, Melbourne staff were invited on a guided walk near our central office, to learn about the area's Aboriginal history and significance.
Business Support Services
Important updates from our operations teams.
Jesuit Social Services is now fully accredited!
We're thrilled to announce we've been awarded full accreditation against four sets of quality standards! This accreditation demonstrates Jesuit Social Services meets stringent quality standards across areas including our service delivery, governance, management, and key elements of our organisational culture.
You'll remember we were audited at the beginning of this year, and came away with a handful of corrective actions that needed to be addressed. Thanks to the hard work of many, we were able to close out those actions, and have been accredited against:
- National Standards for Mental Health Services
- Human Services Standards (DFFH)
- Rainbow Tick Standards (ED 3)
- QIC Health and Community Services Standards 7th Ed v1.1
Accreditation is valid for three years, from 6 March 2023 to 6 March 2026. Congratulations to everyone who helped achieve this important milestone.
A draft Collective Agreement has arrived!
A fresh draft of our Collective Agreement arrived in our inboxes on 23 August. Our Collective Agreement is a document that affects all of us – it sets employees' working conditions, including relating to leave and pay – and is an agreement made between the organisation and employees that covers most staff (all employees, except for Ignatius Learning Centre staff, will be covered by the Collective Agreement).
It is important to note that the organisation is not seeking to remove or reduce any current conditions or entitlements. Jesuit Social Services seeks to negotiate in good faith and we look forward to a constructive bargaining process. We will keep you informed as the negotiations progress.
Please email JSSEBA@jss.org.au, or contact Human Resources if you have any questions.
Sharepoint help and Teams best use
A couple of key pieces of information from Trent McDonald will help us maximise use of our new Sharepoint and Teams communications systems.
For help with Sharepoint (which we use for sharing and editing documents), there's a new dedicated Teams channel for asking questions and seeking advice. Find that here.
And while we're on Teams, Trent's email from 23 August reminds us our use of workplace messaging services like Teams are subject to our ICT Acceptable Use Policy. We're encouraged to use Teams in our work, and reminded to limit our message volume and keep our conversation to work-related topics (which Just News hopes includes notifying us next time Richmond north wing brings in biscuits!).
Photo | St Ignatius Feast Day mass, held 2 August 2023
Ecological Justice
How we're enacting our commitment to ecological justice across the organisation – acknowledging the intersection of social and environmental justice in everything we do.
In the era of global boiling, a just transition must focus on keeping people out of prison
From mid-June to mid-July, at least 23 people died in Texas prisons from cardiac arrest or undetermined illnesses, in stiflingly hot cells amid world record-breaking heatwaves across the northern hemisphere.
While Texas has not reported a heat-related death in prison since 2012, former inmates and family members say heatwaves are cooking people alive. And here in Australia, outdated, uninsulated and overcrowded prisons without air-conditioning are also a threat to people’s lives.
Executive Director of our Centre for Just Places John Ryks wrote recently for Croakey Health Media, arguing that we must support incarcerated people to adapt to extreme weather, but more fundamentally, we must reorient our justice systems to focus on keeping people out of prison in the first place.
Media, news, and events
Jesuit Social Services in the news and events to add to your diary.
News
Bail reform a welcome step in the right direction
We welcomed the Victorian Government's bail reform, which we said will contribute to ensuring the criminal justice system keeps people who pose no risk to the community away from the harms of the prison system.
Strengthen supported housing for people with complex needs
Our Homelessness Week media statement called for greater investment in supported housing for people with multiple and complex needs, including the cohorts we support in our programs, plus increased social housing stock.
Events
Wear It Purple Day
We acknowledged Wear It Purple Day, which strives to foster supportive and inclusive environments for rainbow young people, sharing examples of how our work promotes LGBTIQA+ inclusion and encourages diversity.
World Suicide Prevention Day
10 September is World Suicide Prevention Day, and our Support After Suicide and Standby programs are hosting community events across Victoria to raise awareness and support. All are welcome to join.
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