Each year WACOSS hosts an Emerging Issues Forum. The online event is a future-focused scan, to analyse the most current and relevant trends affecting the sector, providing an opportunity for members of WACOSS to gather information on the evolving landscape of the community services sector in WA for their future planning needs.
Emerging Issues Forum will focus on the following key issues:
Moving to Aboriginal Service Delivery
Following a successful Day 3 at our Conference in May, we will focus on how we can work in partnership in moving to ACCO service delivery. This is a significant conversation to have, in light of the Referendum that will be held this year, and the positive impact it can have in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
With guest speakers:
- Jenny Sala, Executive Manager of Business Development, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
- Klaudia Shenton, Policy and Strategy Manager, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
- Cheryl Smith, Assistant Director General of Aboriginal Outcomes at the Department of Communities WA
Labour market and workforce trends, challenges and opportunities: Supporting workers facing disadvantage and building community sector capacity
Unemployment is at historically low levels and community sector organisations face particular difficulties in recruiting staff, notably in regional areas. At the same time there are many groups in the community who face barriers to work. This presentation considers current and future labour market and workforce trends and issues, focusing especially on addressing barriers for people who are excluded from jobs.
With guest speaker Dr Fiona Macdonald, Policy Director, Industrial and Social, Centre for Future Work
Collaboration: How does working together affect workforce wellbeing
We know collaboration helps social services address the complex needs they see in their clients, but could it also be the key to looking after the people delivering these services? This session will share the findings of Health Justice Australia’s involvement in the Global Burnout Survey and explore their implications for the design and delivery of services that look after their workforce as well as the communities they support.
With guest speaker Dr Tessa Boyd-Cain, Founding CEO, Health Justice Australia
Lived experience of a politically extremist world from the Trans perspective
In 2023, political extremism is becoming more and more an issue in Australian society. The rise of hate speech and bigotry is affecting Western Australians and changing our political landscape.
With guest speakers Dylan Green, Lived Experience Advocate
Dylan Green is a WACOSS employee and a passionate advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. Dylan is a transman raised in Perth who has presented on a number of panels for various organisations and Government Departments and has represented the trans community on consumer reference groups for the WA State Government.
The extremist landscape in 2023 – emerging challenges and considerations
This brief will outline three emerging and intensifying trends relating to issues of extremism within contemporary Australian society impacting social cohesion and safety for minority groups: the increasing impact of transnational networks; ‘Salad Bar’ ideology; and the growing role of influencer ecosystems.
With special guest speaker Dr Ben Rich, Co-director, Curtain Extremism Research Network (CERN), Senior Lecturer, International Relations and History, Curtin University
Recording of this webinar took place on Friday 25 August 2023, at 2:30pm AWST.
