VCOSS Congress
VCOSS holds a biannual social policy congress to explore emerging ideas and challenges for community sector practice and policy. The Congress brings together VCOSS members, government, not for profit policy makers, community sector leaders, academics and philanthropics for debate, discussion and innovation.
Congress 2009
VCOSS Congress 2009 explored the challenges and opportunities for promoting social equity during the economic downturn.
Presentations
Bruce Argyle, Philanthropy Australia - Getting to know philanthropy: Face to face with potential donors- Robbi Chaplin, Inner South Community Health Service - Stating the obvious: The value of early intervention
- Sara Charlesworth, Centre for Applied Social Research, RMIT University - Keeping the 'Big Picture' in Perspective
- Kimberley Flanagan, Connections UnitingCare - Stating the obvious: The value of early intervention
- Hartmut Fuenfgeld, ICLEI - Going green on a budget
- Wayne Gorst, Hanover Welfare Services - Going green on a budget
- Sharon Granek, DARU - How to get stuff for free
- Ken Guthrie and Katrina Woolfe, Sustainability Victoria - Going green on a budget
- Graeme Hodge, Monash Centre for Regulatory Studies - As easy as ABC? Privatisation and the public good
- Russell Hopkins, City of Whittlesea - Stating the obvious: The value of early intervention
- John Knowles, Cambridge Integrated Services - Making WorkCover work for you!
- Dean Lombard, VCOSS, Larry Stillman, Monash University and Richard Vines, CPS - IT sustainability for the community sector
- Karlo Milosevic, Gallagher Bassett - Making WorkCover work for you!
- Trevor Pearce, Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place - Close the gap: Mainstream organisations taking action
- Monica Pfeffer, Department of Human Services - How to win friends and influence people: Advocacy for social change in Victoria
- Adam Posner, Directivity - 6 steps to a corporate partnership
- David Pugh, St. Luke’s Anglicare - Making space for communities: Opportunities for planning and social equity
- Janet Rice, Sustainable Melbourne Alliance - Making space for communities: Opportunities for planning and social equity
- Peter Ruzyla, EACH - Close the gap: Mainstream organisations taking action
- Anne Somerville, Health and Wellbeing Director, G21 - Keeping the 'Big Picture' in Perspective
Julia Unwin, CEO, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, UK - Leading Through the Downturn- John Wiseman, McCaughey Centre - Resilient responses: Communities in a time of climate change and economic downturn
- Chris Wootton, Helen McPherson Smith Trust - Getting to know philanthropy: Face to face with potential donors
Congress 2007
In 2007 Australia celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum recognising Indigenous Australians as citizens. VCOSS Congress 2007 reflected on the true meaning of citizenship in Australia, and considered the challenges of ensuring access to all communities in Victoria to the rights and resources to engage in all aspects of our society.
- The Hon. Peter Batchelor MP, Minister for Victorian Communities - Opening address
Mr Paris Aristotle AM, Director, The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and Trauma - Rebuilding Shattered Lives: The Value of Citizenship in the Resettlement of Refugees and Emerging Communities- Muriel Bamblett, CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) - Making Victoria a just place for Indigenous people: Implementing self-determination and cultural competence
- Muriel Bamblett, CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) - Doing it the ‘rights’ way: culture and self-determination as the basis of a new Indigenous child and family services system
- Maria Batchelor, Executive Client Manager - Community Services, WorkSafe Victoria - Risks and rights: redressing the imbalance
- Grace Blau, Policy Officer (VicHealth Inequalities Network), VCOSS; Mark Boyd, Senior Project Officer, (Health Inequalities), VicHealth - Addressing health inequalities: Lessons from an advocacy agenda
- Professor Linda Briskman, Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University - Challenging mutual obligation through human rights
- Matthew Carroll, Manager – Human Rights Unit, Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission - Advocacy and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities - a multifaceted relationship
- Mark Daniels, Community Enterprise Development Manager, Brotherhood of St Laurence - Equity in response to climate change: Programs to assist disadvantaged Australians
- Gavin Dufty, Manager Policy and Research, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria - Will the response to the climate debate turn up the heat on low income households?
- Jessica Fritze, Transport, Climate Change and Drought Policy Officer, Victorian Council of Social Service - Climate change and equity – policy implications
- Jessica Fritze, Transport, Climate Change and Drought Policy Officer, Victorian Council of Social Service - Impacts of climate change and climate change policy on low income and disadvantaged Victorians and the role of the community sector
- Linda Hancock, (Director), and Lucinda Horrocks, (Researcher), Corporate Citizenship Research Unit - Giving structure to strategic philanthropy: elaborating the MacroMelbourne Project framework
- Adjunct Professor Andrew Hollows, Manager Research & Policy, Penny Harris and Miranda Webster, Hanover Welfare Services - Homelessness and the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
- Kate Incerti, Housing Information & Support Worker, City of Port Phillip; Melanie Mills, Home & Community Care, Housing Support Worker, City of Knox. - Community well being begins with appropriate housing - reflections of local government responses
- Maree Ireland, Systemic Advocate, Action for Community Living (ACL); Linda Smith, Convenor, ACL Attendant Support Action Group (ASAG); Cath McNamara, Advocacy Coordinator, Action for Community Living (ACL); George Taleporos, Coordinator, Youth Disability Advocacy Service and member of ASAG - Risk and rights: making services responsive to clients in a climate of risk aversion
- Rhonda Joseph, Client Support Officer (Strategy & Service Development Team); Jo Watson, Senior Speech Pathologist (Statewide Specialist Services Team) SCOPE (Vic) Ltd. - Challenging Incompetence
- Kathy Landvogt, Social Policy and Research Officer, Good Shepherd Youth & Family Services; Xris Reardon, Facilitator, Theatre for Living, Taking Up Space Project
- Carmel Laragy, Lecturer, School of Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University - The rights of people with a disability to control their lives
- Elizabeth McGarry, EO and Yassin Mahmoud, Community Development Worker; Migrant Resource Centre North West Region - Bringing the law to the community
- Rebecca Morton, Coordinator South West Community Transport Program, Western District Health Service - The role of transport in rural health inequalities
- Anne Pate, Research & Social Policy Officer, Research & Social Policy Unit, Melbourne City Mission - Count us in! The growing role of learning support programs in achieving education outcomes for disadvantaged students
- Kerrilie Rice, Policy Officer, Women's Health Victoria - Systemic advocacy within a gender and health framework
- Karen Scobell, Senior Officer: Membership and Strategic Projects, Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare; Shaun Coade, Aboriginal Senior Clinical Practitioner, Berry Street Victoria - Good practice in child and family welfare services for Aboriginal children, young people and families
- Violet Kolar, Senior Research Officer, Hanover Welfare Services - The right to vote: so what’s happening for people who experience homelessness?
- Richard Vines, Knowledge Broker, Centre for Excellence in Child & Family Welfare - Towards a knowledge futures strategy within the Victorian community services sector: ‘A futures perspective’
- Tim Watson, Belonging in Australia Coordinator, City of Yarra - Completing the Jigsaw together - coordination and collaboration amongst settlement services
- Sue West, Research Fellow, The McCaughey Centre - Community Indicators Victoria: A tool for community engagement, policy and planning
- Graham Wilson, Occupational Health & Safety Officer, Australian Services Union - Community services workers and OHS rights in Victoria – A union perspective