Author Archives: VCOSS

Nov 13

Getting fair treatment when your car turns out to be a lemon

Getting a car dealer to fix a dodgy vehicle they should never have sold is currently too hard in Victoria.

Oct 31

The Coroner’s case for safe injecting

Revisit the moment that convinced Victorian Coroner Jacqui Hawkins of the need for a safe injecting trial in North Richmond.

Oct 30

Hope of a better deal on public housing repairs

New reforms should stop public housing tenants being slugged unreasonable costs for damages and repairs, writes the Victorian Public Tenants'

Oct 17

Sharing information for timely and effective interventions

The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) strongly supports the intent of the information sharing scheme to protect children from

Sharing information to protect against family violence

VCOSS members work with vulnerable Victorians in many different types of services. Work in community services requires trust between practitioner

Jun 15

Searching for ‘Justice Solutions’ in Missouri

While the United States’ approach to incarceration differs from state to state, some parts of the USA are leading the

Jun 7

Insights into social innovation

True social innovation is complicated and “not something that can be achieved in a policy speech”, economist and innovation leader

May 5

Victorian budget splash raises questions about privatisation

Prof. David Hayward examines how an increased spend in the Victorian Budget 2017-2018 is possible because of a big increase

Feb 27

Helping young people experiencing homelessness keep faith in ‘the system’

Young people experiencing homelessness often miss out on support because there’s no plan or specialist support associated with their mental

Dec 21

2016 Christmas Resources

Christmas is a time of stress, loneliness or other challenges for many Victorians. Learn how you can help out...

Dec 7

Youth justice reforms must be tough on the causes of youth crime

Victoria has a problem with the repeat and violent offending behaviours by a small number of young offenders. But we

Nov 29

Harnessing investor dollars to help women facing homelessness

A Melbourne social enterprise is providing an innovative solution to women's homelessness.

Sep 20

Five things I’ve learnt talking to kids

10,000 Victorian students are disengaging from education every year. But if we’re willing to listen and be flexible, we can

Aug 22

Keeping kids in school

The reasons kids become disengaged from school are often complex, and having the right supports in place is crucial to

Jul 20

Want to improve Aboriginal health and wellbeing? Involve Aboriginal people

A new Victorian strategy for Aboriginal health and wellbeing will need to involve Aboriginal people in all aspects, from development

Jun 29

Making the most of ‘spontaneous volunteers’

Managing volunteers who turn up after an emergency or during a crisis is crucially important, writes Volunteering Victoria CEO Sue

Jun 16

Repairing the lives of vulnerable young people

Australia’s first smash repair social enterprise, Mission Australia’s Synergy Auto Repairs is offering positive long-term outcomes for vulnerable young people.

Nanna deserves better: the fight for retirement housing standards

Unfair fees and poor dispute resolution are ruining retirement for some, warns the Consumer Action Law Centre.

Jun 9

A more accountable Victoria

VCOSS supports state government reforms contained in the Integrity and Accountability Legislation Amendment (A Stronger System) Bill 2015, recognising they

Jun 6

Groundhog Day for kinder funding (again)

A decade of policy failure must end. It’s time Australia’s political leaders provided certainty to our youngest learners, argues Early Learning Association Australia’s Shane

Jun 2

A fairer ride for homeless transport users in Victoria

While progress is being made, more should be done to protect vulnerable people from onerous fines and infringements, writes Justice

May 30

Journeys towards reconciliation

An increasing number of Australian community organisations are choosing to embed acts of reconciliation deep within their business practices, writes Melbourne City Mission’s

Apr 19

Housing for people with disability

VCOSS welcomes this opportunity to provide feedback to both the National Disability Insurance Agency and the Joint Standing Committee on

Rent, bonds and other charges

VCOSS welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on Consumer Affairs Victoria’s issues paper on rent, bonds and other charges. The

Tackling family violence and gender inequality

Family violence devastates families and communities across Australia. One in six Australian women have experienced physical or sexual violence and

Mar 30

Landmark family violence report a turning point in addressing the scourge of family violence

The Victorian Council of Social Service has said the report delivered by the Royal Commission into Family Violence is “a

Mar 17

Laying the foundations: VCOSS submission to Victoria's 30-year infrastructure strategy discussion paper

VCOSS’ submission to Infrastructure Victoria in response to the Laying the Foundations discussion paper welcomes the broad-ranging objectives and needs

Mar 3

Narrowing the Justice Gap

Narrowing the Justice Gap contains recommendations aimed to ensure people facing disadvantage across Victoria can access crucial legal support and

Feb 22

Still seeking truth and justice in Australia’s reconciliation process

The State of Reconciliation in Australia report is a clarion call to rethink our nation’s approach to reconciliation after more

Jan 4

What does ‘choice and control’ in service delivery really look like?

Mind Recovery College recently won a 2015 National Disability Awards for ‘Excellence in Choice and Control in Service Delivery.’

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