Hello, and welcome to another edition of Just News. A focus on some of our justice work in this edition – we've got an interview with Kane Apelu, who manages our housing programs for justice-involved young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness; some exciting announcements from our Worth A Second Chance campaign about our upcoming webinar and podcast launch; and, in topically related news, a great photo of our most recent graduates from the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program, which helps Victoria Police staff a force that truly reflects and represents the community it serves. Make a cuppa, and enjoy the edition.

You would have seen CEO Julie Edwards' email yesterday acknowledging NAIDOC Week, which celebrates the history, culture and achievements of First Nations people. Read Andy Hamilton SJ's reflection on this important event at our website.

An important date for your diary: our next all-staff day is happening this week! We'll be meeting online on Thursday, 7 July, with a Zoom link in the calendar event in your Outlook. Join us on Thursday afternoon to learn more about topics including relevantly our Reconciliation Action Plan and our progress made against it to date.

And a scam alert from our ICT Manager Trent McDonald: if you received a text telling you to collect your free COVID-19 test kit, it's malicious! Immediately delete the SMS, and don't click the link – it's a scam to steal personal information and bank details.

PHOTO | NAIDOC Week knitting

The knitting group at the Willmot Community Hub in Western Sydney has decorated this tree behind our Ignite Food Store for NAIDOC Week!

STORY | How our housing support helps self-belief grow

For our winter fundraising newsletter, we spoke to our Housing Programs Manager Kane Apelu (pictured above) about his team's important work at Perry House, Dillon House and in the Link Youth Justice Housing Program, which give young people in contact with the justice system the support and stability they need to get their lives on track.

"Participants can present with a sense of hopelessness and helplessness because they’ve always been pushed to the side," Kane told us. "Our role as practitioners is to let them know that we believe in you... Over time you start to see the self-belief within participants grow as they see there’s an organisation that believes in them and wants to make a difference and give them opportunities for a better life.”

UPDATE | Worth A Second Chance next webinar and podcast launch

In March, we learnt about the important role education plays in getting young people out of the justice system and onto a different path, in our Worth A Second Chance youth justice advocacy campaign's School Not Prison webinar. But what happens when school isn't the best option for a young person in trouble? What role can training and work play – and how can we support young people when the odds are stacked against them?

Worth A Second Chance's next free webinar explores the challenges and opportunities of connecting young people with suitable and supported training and employment, and is open to everyone. It's on Wednesday, 20 July, with the Zoom link and recording available to anyone who registers here. 

And if you prefer a video-off experience, we're thrilled to announce the popular Worth A Second Chance podcast returns this week! We unpack the stories and issues from the frontlines of Australia's youth justice systems, speaking with the people who know what needs to change – including Victoria's Principal Children's Commissioner Liana Buchanan, who speaks with us in episode one. Find new episodes every second Wednesday, wherever you get your podcasts, and consider giving us a five-star review if you enjoy what you hear.

NEWS | Celebrating Refugee Week 2022

You'll remember our commemoration of World Refugee Day and Refugee Week from Just News 138, where staff gathered in our central office to share snacks and reflections on what's needed for a more effective and compassionate welcome for people seeking refuge in Australia. To continue this discussion, the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) – an alliance we co-convene with Jesuit Refugee Services Australia – has kindly prepared some reflective prompts for us to access here.

World Refugee Day is an annual occasion to build empathy and understanding and recognise resilience, and the week that follows raises awareness and understanding between different communities. Read on to see how we commemorated the week, and head to CAPSA's website to learn more about our ongoing advocacy for refugees and people seeking asylum.

PHOTO | Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program new graduates

Congratulations to the 13 newest graduates of our Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program, who were presented with their course completion certificates at a ceremony in West Melbourne last Tuesday, 28 June. 

Reimbursements

When you need to be reimbursed for work-related expenses, we want it to happen as smoothly and quickly as possible. Here's what you can do to help:

• For vehicle reimbursement (use of your vehicle for work purposes): please email the completed and approved Vehicle Travel Reimbursement Claim Form to payroll@jss.org.au
• For all other reimbursements: please send your request to accounts@jss.org.au with the completed and approved Employee Reimbursement Form

Get ready for some super exciting Super changes!

Employer superannuation contributions will increase to 10.5% on 1 July 2022, in line with the legislated changes which increase employer super contributions to 12% by 2025.  And all employees over the age of 18 can now be eligible for super regardless of how much they earn, as the eligibility threshold is being removed. 

Completing FlexiPurchase transactions

At the end of every month, everyone who holds a FlexiPurchase card need to ensure that they mark all transactions on their card as ‘complete’. This is the only way that the transactions will show properly as expenditure for us to either claim or acquit against our funding agreements. If you don't complete the transactions, our Finance team will need to spend valuable time chasing people up – which is particularly tricky with the end of financial year. Find FlexiPurchase instructions when you're logged into Gemba here.

Preceda tips and tricks

When logging into Preceda, please make sure your credentials are correct and there are no spaces before or after what you type in. Ticking the box 'remember username' will make it easier to log in next time.

If you're a manager logging in to approve leave, you'll need to use the Google authenticator app (this one's different from the Microsoft authenticator we use to log into the network!). Find instructions at Gemba for managers here and employees here.

Preceda password help

Here are a few password tips that might help you in accessing your Preceda account:

• Creating your password: must have a minimum of eight, maximum of 10 characters, must begin with an alpha character and contain at least one number, and special characters (#, &, !, etc) are allowed.
• If the password doesn’t work twice, you can reset by clicking ‘forgotten password?’, before it locks you out on the third attempt.
• If you’re locked out of the system, please email Payroll with the subject: URGENT: Preceda Account Reset Required, and your account will be unlocked.

The Standby Support After Suicide program, which we run in Melbourne and Victoria's east, was profiled in the Ballarat Courier last week, with a thoughtful focus on how community strength and care can wrap around a person bereaved by suicide. 

Ahead of our Worth A Second Chance podcast season launch and webinar date, you can revisit the podcast's first season - where we discussed topics including restorative justice, community-based solutions, and what kids in trouble need - and head to our YouTube to watch the School Not Prison webinar in full or in a short highlights clip. 

And turn to the blog section of the Jesuit Social Services website to read our recent articles, including a piece about Victoria's carbon emissions target and Andy Hamilton SJ's reflective piece on Refugee Week. 

“Hearing about the hardship a refugee endures at every step – escaping their country of origin, travelling in dangerous conditions and being treated so inhumanely once arriving in Australian detention – was really eye-opening. The [Refugee Week] discussion really made me think about the amount of scrutiny our society puts refugees through just to experience the simple human freedoms others take for granted.”

 — Xavier Balkin, Jesuit Social Services NDIS Business Manager

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.