– Program –

Meaningful change takes place at grassroots level. This was exemplified when the community of Indi, VIC mobilised a grassroots election campaign in 2013, and against all odds, claimed victory. ‘The Indi Way’ has since been at the heart of Cathy’s work. In this session, Cathy offers practical examples of local communities working together to resolve issues, and to turn a collective vision into reality.

In the aftermath of the Lismore-Bundjalung Country flooding this year, the team at the Koori Mail stepped in to support the community when government agencies could not. Naomi says that “Indigenous people and communities have always been capable of self-determining what care for our people looks like during a crisis”. In this keynote address, Naomi will speak about listening to local voices and local knowledge, collaboration, resilience, and self-determination.

When systems buckle under enormous stress, time and again we have seen communities rise when institutions flounder . In this session, we learn from a candid conversation between Dee and a panel of brilliant thinkers and ‘doers’ on just what it takes to gain traction and respond with communities, in communities before, during and after crisis hits.

Sector organisations impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires, major flood events and COVID-19 will share stories and reflections on what works, what doesn’t and what we need to do next.

A core focus of the Social Sector Transformation Fund (SSTF), and the work that organisations have done in the last two years, has focussed on organisational sustainability.

What do we know now about our sustainability? What do we need to do next, and how can we organise to embed sustainability throughout the sector, its funding, and the way we deliver services? This session will explore what sustainability looks like for the sector, what we’ve learned about sustainability through the SSTF and what needs to happen to support organisations and our sector to be stable, strong and thriving into the future.

Richard Denniss is known for his ability to translate economic gobbledygook into everyday language and has spoken with clarity about women’s economic security in the past. For this session, Richard crunches the numbers, and makes a candid case for changing the current economic narrative. Afterwards, Richard will be joined by a panel of sector representatives and experts, who will venture into the all-important question of- what society do we want to live in and how do pay for it?

Building on insights from Richard Denniss, a panel of sector thinkers will examine the workforce recruitment, retention and support challenges that we are confronting; identify the state and federal policy settings that will support our sector’s growth; and help us think through what organisations need to do to make their workplaces fit for purpose for the future.

In November 2020, the NSW Government rolled out the $50 million Social Sector Transformation Fund (SSTF) program, primarily in response to COVID-19. It acknowledged  that the sector was hit hard by the pandemic, with surges in demand and increased costs.  The SSTF has provided a unique insight into our sector and how we are faring with a wide range of services and supports. In this session, a panel of SSTF support providers will share stories and case studies and some strategic lessons from their work with the sector.

Technology has been a game changer for our sector during COVID-19, but still presents a challenge for organisations in terms of investment, development and sustainability. Meanwhile, the digital divide still means that when services go online, many vulnerable communities miss out. What have we learned from implementing the SSTF technology projects, and where can we go next? This panel will explore the possibilities for building on what we have learned through the SSTF investment and our experience during the pandemic.