Just News
Welcome back to Just News. In today's edition: an exciting update from Perry House, a new CEO Communication, the Ecological Justice Hub scores a recycling grant, and that Victorian Treaty session we featured in Just News 156 is recorded and available to watch. Enjoy the edition.
Bigger capacity and stronger support for Perry House
You would have read about the exciting news of our Perry House refurbishment in Julie Edwards' email on 6 March – Just News sat down with Leanne and Kane from our housing and complex needs programs to learn more about this exciting work and what it means for participants.
Julie Edwards' March CEO Communication
Julie Edwards sent us a jam-packed CEO Communication on 24 March, updating us on key organisational milestones and activities – a short summary of the highlights and the link to the full pdf (including recent staff comings and goings) are linked below.
Ecological Justice Hub upcycles discarded lids into pots + cups
Read the Hub's coordinator Stuart in Australian Jesuits, where he shares an exciting update: a Sustainability Victoria grant has helped the Hub purchase three machines that shred single-use bottle caps and melt them into a resin to make beautiful and durable new items.
Victorian Treaty training + First Nations resources
The First Nations Assembly of Victoria delivered a great session to staff about Victoria's historic process towards a treaty between First Peoples and government on 8 March – find the session recording and other resources about current First Nations issues and news linked below.
A fantastic 2023 Annual Dinner
This newsletter comes hot on the heels of the successful 2023 Annual Dinner, which was attended by more than 250 people in Melbourne on 25 March. We'll have a wrap-up in Just News 158, and if you were there and took photos you'd like to share, please send them to Just News!
LPDU delivers training in Mparntwe (Alice Springs)
Following our Northern Territory team's trip to the Red Centre, the team responsible for strengthening our practice spent five days in the Territory delivering training to external stakeholders. Browse and book your own LPDU training at our staff training calendar.
Business Support Services
Important updates from our operations teams.
Five days, 112 interviewees, 387 indicators: Re-accreditation update
If you had an interview with the assessors or read Just News 154 closely, you'll remember we recently undertook re-accreditation!
Accreditation (and re-accreditation) is one of the ways we show we are committed to providing safe and quality services to our participants. It is an important process that looks at the way Jesuit Social Services approaches quality, safety, and continuous improvement – it's independent recognition of our good practice. We've been accredited since 2010, and re-accreditation happens every three years.
This round of re-accreditation took place from 20-24 February. Five assessors, based in our Richmond central office, interviewed 112 people:
- Participants x8
- Carer x1
- Board members x2
- Executive Directors (including CEO) x5
- General Managers x6
- Managers x18
- Coordinators x15
- Staff x29
- Rainbow Tick Staff Advisory Group members x6
- Volunteers x5
- Stakeholders x7
The assessors visited four other Jesuit Social Services locations, where they toured sites and spoke with staff:
- Perry House (Reservoir, Melbourne)
- Sunshine office
- Brunswick office
- Ignite Cafe (Camberwell, Melbourne)
What happens now? We've received the draft report from the assessors and we've met 377 out of 387 indicators (97%!). The 10 indicators we didn't meet include: the need to improve on the numbers of staff performance reviews completed; collecting evidence of supervision sessions held; and, in relation to Rainbow Tick, while they acknowledge the strength of our values and our commitment to inclusivity and promoting human dignity, they commented on the need for us to be more specific regarding how we give expression to these.
We now have until 4 April to review the report and provide any comments. If you have any questions about this process, you can contact our Gemba and Quality team at gemba@jss.org.au.
Media, news and events
Dates to add to your diary and Jesuit Social Services in the news.
Media
Constable Mella Opiew was one of the first Victoria Police recruits to come through our Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program – now, as we prepare to open a recruitment round in Melbourne's south-east, he's sharing his story with the Pakenham Gazette.
The United Nations' intergovernmental panel on climate change has released its latest report – an urgent reminder that Australia must take strong action to address climate change vulnerability. Read our media release calling for climate-resilient communities as an issue of justice.
Events
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, and Julie Edwards emailed us on 20 March to invite us to the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for Refugees. The walk this year calls for permanent visas for all, fair processes and income support for people seeking recognition as refugees. Find the event details in your city here, and if you're in Melbourne, a group including Jesuit Social Services, the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum and other Catholic schools and organisations will be meeting together at 1:00pm at the State Library of Victoria for a reflection and prayer by Andy Hamilton SJ before the event begins at 1:30pm.
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