AUGUST 2024
After some very cold weeks and short nights, Melbourne is beginning to see some light again. We have all been rushing outside at lunchtime to replenish our vitamin D.
In this issue you can register for our upcoming BSL Talks to hear Prof. Sabina Alikire talk about the importance of measuring poverty; read outcomes from the formative evaluation of the SEED Project; read our submissions on Centrepay reform and Victorian rental standards; and learn about our second Executive Director, Geoffrey Sambell.
You can read more about our current work at www.bsl.org.au/research and also browse our policy submissions.
Please share this social policy and research update with your colleagues and encourage them to subscribe.
BSL TALKS: WHY MEASURING POVERTY MATTERS
Wednesday 21 August 2024, 3 pm to 4 pm
University of Melbourne (Parkville Campus) and online
We are delighted to invite you to attend a special edition of BSL Talks.
Internationally renowned expert in poverty measurement, Oxford University Professor of Poverty and Human Development, Prof. Sabina Alkire, will present a summary of her work on the Multidimensional Poverty Index and discuss its potential application in Australia.
Professor Alkire will be in conversation with Travers McLeod, Executive Director of BSL, and join an esteemed panel of Australian experts: Prof. Roger Wilkins, Deputy Director, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research; Jenny Davidson, CEO, Council for Single Mothers and their Children; Dr Nicole Bieske, Director, Social Policy and Research Centre, BSL.
REPORT: INVESTING IN WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
Margaret Kabare, Senior Research Officer in our Work and Economic Security team, recently undertook a formative evaluation of the Sustaining Economic Empowerment and Dignity (SEED) Project. This assessed the implementation stage (from November 2022 to December 2023) of the project and looked at to what extent the project is making progress towards intended outcomes. Her data analysis was framed by the concept of empowerment as a process of increasing women’s ability to exercise choice, and the five dimensions of power (‘power within’, ‘power with’, ‘power over’, ‘power to’ and ‘power through’) which are commonly used to capture how power can be expressed at the individual, community and society levels.
The findings indicate that the SEED Project has been implemented successfully in Seymour and has potential to be scaled up to other suitable locations.
Read the full report by Margaret Kabare, Investing in women’s empowerment: formative evaluation of the SEED Project in Seymour, Victoria (PDF, 526 KB)
POLICY: CENTREPAY REFORM
BSL made a submission to Services Australia on the reform of Centrepay. In the submission we commend its commitment to reforming Centrepay and on improvements made to date to strengthen customer protections and to deliver on the policy intent of Centrepay. Feedback from our program participants indicates that Centrepay is generally considered to be a useful tool for financial management. However, without active stewardship, Centrepay has become an avenue for exploitation and the submission notes several opportunities for improvement.
Read BSL’s recommendations in the full submission: Submission to Services Australia on Centrepay reform (PDF, 201 KB)
POLICY: VICTORIAN RENTAL STANDARDS
BSL strongly supports the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards for rented homes in Victoria. In our submission to Victorian Department of Government Services and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) we suggested some improvements to their Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS):
- BSL strongly supports the standards as recommended in the RIS, although we recommend stronger options for the draught sealing, insulation and heating/cooling standards.
- BSL recommends that the Victorian Government sets a long-term date after which all hot water and heating systems in rentals must comply with efficiency requirements.
- BSL recommends reforms to ensure:
• proper compliance with the standards without the onus for enforcement being on tenants • tenants are protected from unreasonable rent increases and eviction.
Read our submission: Submission to regulatory impact statement on efficiency standards for rental properties VIC (PDF, 365 KB)
MEDIA RELEASE: DISABILITY ROYAL COMMISSION
BSL is deeply disappointed by the Australian Government’s response to the Final Report of the Disability Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission).
The Final Report called for a radical shift to ensure the rights of people with disability are adequately protected, that their autonomy is respected, and that government services are truly inclusive. However, the government response does not meet the ambition set by people with disability. Although the Final Report was released in September 2023, there also remains uncertainty around the status of the majority of recommendations.
We note that the response is not adequately linked to the Independent Review into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Both the Disability Royal Commission and NDIS Review have significant implications for people with disability and it is important that a wholistic government response considers both in a coordinated manner.
BSL urges government to provide a comprehensive and coordinated response to both the Disability Royal Commission and the NDIS Review that include clear timelines and plans for implementation.
Read the full media release published 2 August: BSL statement on the Australian Government Response to the Disability Royal Commission
EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE: SAMBELL ORATION
An Anglican priest who later became Archbishop of Perth, Geoffrey Sambell was the second BSL Executive Director (from 1954–1969). Sambell had a keen interest in social services. While at BSL he revived the Victorian Council of Social Service as its president (1956–1958), was a member of the Australian Council of Social Service and was the first manager to employ trained social workers. In 1957 he introduced the salvage (donated goods) division to BSL, which is still going strong.
Sambell went on to become archdeacon of Essendon (1955), of Melbourne (1961) and archbishop of Perth (1969).
Since 1981, the year after Geoffrey Sambell’s death, BSL has held the Sambell Oration. BSL will host the 2024 Sambell Oration with guest speaker Prof. Sabina Alkire on 20 August.
The BSL Library catalogue houses all the past Sambell Oration transcripts and responses.
Have you got a question or research project? Contact the library at library@bsl.org.au
Kelly Fawcett joined BSL in 2024 as the Senior Policy Advisor, Disability working across SPARC and Disability Services. As a proud disabled woman Kelly is passionate about disability justice and ensuring that people with disability are included in all social justice movements and all policy making that impacts them.
Prior to BSL Kelly worked at the critical policy intersection of disability and family violence with Safe and Equal, leading a groundbreaking project that mapped the need for family violence services in Victoria and the capacity of services to meet those needs.
She has also worked at the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) supporting youth-led campaigns, on the Teach Us Consent consent education campaign and researched school-to-work transitions for young people.
Previously, Kelly worked with residential aged care facilities to understand and audit their government funding and ensure they received everything they were entitled to. This critical work resulted in millions of dollars being back-paid to facilities to better support their residents.
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Phone: (03) 9483 1183
Email: research@bsl.org.au
Web: www.bsl.org.au/research
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The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is a social justice organisation that works to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia. You are receiving this email as you have previously subscribed to the BSL Social Policy and Research Centre newsletter. To unsubscribe, please click on the link below.