Tag: Social Justice

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News & Announcements

One step closer on national redress scheme

The president of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of a national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse in institutions.

“The Uniting Church strongly supports a single national redress scheme and I congratulate the Federal Government for its leadership on this issue,” said Stuart.

“A national approach has been identified by the Royal Commission as best meeting the needs of survivors.”

The scheme outlined by Social Services Minister Christian Porter will be led by the Commonwealth with states, territories and institutions invited to opt in on the principle that they fund the cost of their own redress claims.

The proposed scheme addresses concerns about funder of last resort arrangements where an institution no longer exists or has the capacity to pay.

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Living Stones campaign seeks justice for Palestinians

The Uniting Church in Australia has launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the plight of the Palestinian people among its church members.

The Living Stones campaign website was launched in Melbourne by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches Rev Dr Olav Fyske Tveit, who thanked the Uniting Church for its renewed commitment to peace and justice in the Holy Land.

“We as a fellowship of churches including you are committed to continue this journey as a pilgrimage to find a just and sustainable solution together with the Palestinian people and with all peoples living in this area,’ said Olav.

“Any solution must be a solution that is fair and just for all. We are called to give a new word of hope to those who are in chains, who are suppressed, who are blind, who are sick… as our perspective to a conflict. This is a situation where one party is the occupier and the other is the occupied. One party has driven the other party out of their homes.”

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Help stop Federal Government cuts to aged care health

The Federal Government is set to cut the Complex Health Care element of the Aged Care Funding Instrument (ACFI) by $1.2 billion over four years in the 2016-17 Budget. This is on top of $750 million which was cut in December 2015. Independent modelling commissioned by UnitingCare Australia suggests the real impact of the funding cuts to aged care will be more than $2.5billion.

Funding cuts of this magnitude will seriously impact services delivered by Uniting Church aged care facilities around Australia.

Should the cuts go ahead, funding will be reduced for each newly admitted aged care resident, or those whose needs are reassessed, by an average of $6,655 per year, with a reduction in funding of up to $18,000 for older people with the most complex needs.

Critical health care needs such as wound and skin care, mobility needs, arthritis treatment and end of life care are under direct threat. Aged care services will also be limited in their capacity to deliver the level of care to meet the needs of residents, reducing their wellbeing and quality of life.

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Evidence based investment approach to welfare reform has potential

UnitingCare Australia today welcomed the Government’s announcement of the Try, Test and Learn Fund as its first step to fundamentally reforming the welfare system.

Acting national director Martin J Cowling said the introduction of a well-researched evidenced based system offered the potential to achieve much needed system reform and improved outcomes for individuals.

“It is time for a fundamental change to how we approach disadvantage and the welfare system. Too often in the past, programs have been introduced with good intentions but little evidence to back them up. Not surprisingly, the results have been disappointing if not counter-productive.

“UnitingCare Australia believes that a well implemented Try, Test and Learn Fund offers the potential for meaningful reform and lasting improvements.

“Our services have significant experience in working with people experiencing disadvantage, including long term unemployment, and we are keen to work with Government and other stakeholders to put forward innovative solutions and employment programs and pathways.

“We welcome the Government’s recognition of the capacity and potential of the Not-For-Profit sector to make valuable contributions in this area. We look forward to being active participants in the Try, Test and Learn Fund,” Martin said.

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Social Impact

Uniting Church WA calls for new policy on social reinvestment

The Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia, has agreed at its annual meeting to support a change in WA’s approach to criminal justice, asking to move towards a more holistic, prevention-based approach that prioritises cultural, social and emotional wellbeing for people at risk of incarceration.

The Uniting Church WA will write to the West Australian Premier and Opposition Leader requesting their support.

The persistent and growing over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the justice system, particularly among young people in Western Australia, necessitates an urgent overhaul of West Australia’s policies relating to the criminal justice system.

The Uniting Church WA is a member of the Social Reinvestment WA working group along with leading agencies and organisations.

Social Reinvestment is a holistic and evidence based approach to improving community safety, the wellbeing of families and individuals, and reducing the number of people ending up in prison. The approach is based on the three complementary pillars of Smart Justice, Safe Communities and Healthy Families.

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Social Impact

WA needs to show its support for asylum seekers

At its annual meeting held over the weekend, the Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia decided to step up its advocacy for people in Western Australia who are seeking asylum.

The Synod agreed to write to the West Australian Premier and Opposition Leader expressing their dismay that some children in WA are not automatically entitled to enrol in state schools while their families are making an application for asylum. The church will also write to Uniting Church schools in WA, requesting them to consider education programs for asylum seekers and refugees.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child requires Australia to recognise the right to education of everyone under the age of 18 years. Australia is therefore committed to making education compulsory and free for all and the Western Australian government needs to make sure our public schools are providing that service. While arrangements have been made with the Catholic Education system, this is not always an appropriate solution for students, especially if they live far from allocated schools.

The Uniting Church WA will also request that asylum seekers and refugees without sufficient income will be granted concession status for use on public transport in WA. Other states already provide these basic education services and transport concessions to include asylum seekers, but Western Australia does not.

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Case studies show impact of Federal Government aged care funding cuts

Aged care residents in Australia will be hit hard by Federal Government funding cuts which threaten vulnerable and sick older people, Steve Teulan, chair of the UnitingCare Australia Aged Care Network, said.

Releasing new case studies showing the harsh impact of the cuts on people living in aged care facilities, Steve said aged care providers will struggle to meet the health care needs of vulnerable and sick older people.

“These cuts to the Aged Care Funding Instrument which the Federal Government is proposing would reduce funding by up to $18,000 per year for older people with the most complex health needs,” he said.

“Residents of aged care facilities with complex needs are amongst those who would be hardest hit by these harsh cuts.

“Under the proposed cuts, critical health needs such as wound and skin care, mobility needs, arthritis treatment and end of life care will be under direct threat.

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Action called following leaked Nauru files

Around 70 people gathered at the office of Julie Bishop MP, minister for foreign affairs, in Subiaco this morning to send a message to the Australian Government that the abuse and conditions detailed in recently released Nauru files must end.

They also called on the government to take responsibility for the culture of secrecy that has been created around immigration detention, and to shut down Australia’s offshore detention camps.

Last week, The Guardian Australia published more than 2 000 leaked reports of assaults, sexual abuse, self-harm attempts, child abuse and terrible living conditions from inside Australia’s detention centre in Nauru.

Peaceful protesters at the event, organised by the Christian group Love Makes a Way, placed paper dolls as a symbol of the people who have been affected by abuse. Attendees wrote on each doll excerpts taken directly from the leaked reports. People present took turns in reading out the harrowing accounts.

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A Safe Church welcome

The Uniting Church in Australia is often praised by its members and the wider community for its diversity.

With diversity comes a range of different opinions and viewpoints, and with all those differing opinions, people can be left vulnerable, abused, and out in the cold.

Safe Church training has been developed by the National Council of Churches in Australia  (NCCA) to help churches create a welcoming and safe environment for all people who come into  contact with it. While the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has increased the need for awareness, the training is not just about children; different cultural groups, the elderly, people living with a disability, people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ), people with differing theological opinions and those suffering from mental illness are all vulnerable to abuse.

The work of the church is to share the teachings and love of God in word and action. While sometimes that can be harder than we want it to be, it’s still our purpose.

Cindy Gorton is the Safe Church/Royal Commission officer for the Uniting Church WA. She’s been busy this year running Safe Church workshops all over the state.

She said that a safe church is one where people feel able to express themselves and be who  they are. This happens when a range of things are put into place; vulnerable people need to be protected, leaders need to be aware of safe practices, and church programs need to be planned and run inclusively.

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UnitingCare calls for leadership on homelessness

During Homelessness Week 2016, UnitingCare Australia calls on the Turnbull Government to show leadership on homelessness and housing affordability for low-income households.

“UnitingCare services across Australia are reporting increasing demand for homelessness services and a critical shortage of safe, affordable accommodation to house these people,” UnitingCare Australia chair, Peter Bicknell said.

“We want the Australian Government to take leadership on this critical national issue, to work with its state and territory colleagues, and the community sector, to develop a national response strategy.

“A national strategy needs to look at early intervention and responses to the full range of issues, from family breakdown and domestic violence, to mental health, drugs and alcohol, and loss of work, which can lead  to any of us finding ourselves without a home.

“Our community needs leadership from government to ensure services addressing these issues are effective and appropriately funded.

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