A MESSAGE FROM NCOSS CEO

Dear Colleagues,

Happy new year to NCOSS members, supporters and friends – although I realise that for many, 2022 hasn’t been the fresh start we were hoping for.

For services providing 24/7 care in residential settings and others who weren’t able to close down over the Christmas break, it’s been a particularly stressful and busy time.

Trying to keep staff and vulnerable clients safe in high-risk environments amidst changing public health requirements, unclear messaging, lack of access to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) and appropriate protective equipment, long queues for PCR testing and workforce shortages has been challenging to say the least. And as other services recommence, the need to reassess the operating environment, find safe ways of providing support, update risk management plans and keep the doors open can seem a never-ending task.

Along with other peaks, we are doing what we can to ensure that our sector is adequately supported, and its vital role appropriately recognised. On 3 January, a number of peaks wrote to the Premier to request that services involving higher-risk settings and particularly vulnerable groups be prioritised for free access to bulk supplies of RATs.

Following this, we were pleased to see that the Government’s distribution plan for the first batch of 100 million RATs includes Aboriginal communities, social housing tenants, rough sleepers and women’s refuges, children and young people in residential care, older people receiving home support and people with disability in supported accommodation. While for the most part tests have yet to arrive on the ground, this is nonetheless an important commitment which can’t come soon enough for those with the greatest need and which we will keep a close eye on.

Last week we again wrote to the Premier to highlight a broader range of issues including that non 24/7 services also need access to RATs and other essential equipment and supplies, as well as additional resourcing to meet ongoing COVID-related costs.

We also recommended the establishment of a high-level committee comprising DCJ, NSW Health, relevant regulatory and peak bodies and union representatives to ensure a ‘single source of truth’ and the provision of clear, consistent, expert advice to the sector as it navigates competing demands and priorities. We will keep you posted on the response. And of course, we are in regular communication with DCJ to keep them appraised of issues on the ground, provide advice and guide their response. As a result, DCJ is convening three workshops to be hosted by Rebbeck Consulting to support organisations in reviewing and updating their COVID-19 management plans, as well as promoting use of COVID-19 grants to buy required Personal Protective Equipment - click here for more information.

I know none of this is easy and our advocacy efforts don’t automatically translate to immediate improvements on the frontline. But please be assured that your peak bodies are back on the job and working hard for you as we navigate this next phase of the pandemic together.

On a final note, I am very proud to let you know that I am one of a number of people in the sector who have been nominated for Pro Bono Australia’s #2022Impact25 Awards. These awards aim to recognise innovators and collaborators making a positive impact in the social sector. For more information on the awards, how to nominate someone in the future, or to vote for any of the candidates (myself included!), click here.

- Joanna Quilty, NCOSS CEO

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