The Western Australian Council of Social Service has received a grant from Lotterywest for a cross-sector project 100 Families, announced today by the Honourable Mark McGowan MLA Premier of Western Australia.
100 Families will engage with a significant social problem – entrenched disadvantage among families – and develop a comprehensive evidence base of the causes and structure of entrenched disadvantage in WA. The project seeks to answer the questions – “What stops people moving out of poverty? What do we need to do differently to provide families in need? Where is the system failing them?”
The project will be a collaboration between nine separate organisations, including the University of Western Australia, Anglicare WA, Ruah Community Services, Wanslea, Jacaranda, Centrecare, UnitingCare West, St. Vincent de Paul, and WACOSS.
The project will capture the lives of people with lived experience – those experiencing poverty, placed in vulnerable situations, and facing disadvantage – to provide a better understanding in order to drive more effective service design and delivery. The families involved will not just be subjects of the research; they will be research partners contributing powerful and compelling stories to enable more effective advocacy.
“We want to empower families, give them a voice, and for service providers to improve their ability to understand clients’ circumstances, and respond more effectively to their needs,” said Louise Giolitto, Chief Executive Officer, WACOSS.
“We welcome investment into this area which requires urgent attention, and look forward to working collectively with our partners, to assist those living in extreme disadvantage,” Louise Giolitto said.
Media contact: Laurene Coller, Communications Officer, 0419 316 557
To download a pdf of the media release click here.
