QCOSS

The ‘Adult Crime, Adult Time’ proposal will not make communities safer and is not consistent with Queensland’s human rights. Submissions on the Queensland Government’s ‘Making Queensland Safer Bill’ are now open and will close on Tuesday, 3 December at midday. Given the very tight turn-around time, QCOSS has developed this resource so that community organisations can make their own submission. Download the updated submission guide now: https://lnkd.in/gcTu_HpV

"The reason why we're talking about tough on crime now isn't because we haven't been tough enough on crime in the past, it's because we haven't been tough enough on poverty. We haven't been tough enough on ensuring that children have access to mental health services. And we haven't been tough enough on ensuring kids don't slip out of the education system." - QATSCIPP CEO Garth Morgan.   The Queensland Government’s ‘Making Queensland Safer Bill’ is not based on evidence of what works, it will overwhelmingly affect First Nations children, and it will not make our communities safer.   Submissions on the Bill are due this Tuesday 3 December at midday.   We have prepared a guide to help you plan your submission.   Take action on reforms - https://lnkd.in/gYm67Gp7   You can upload your submission here: https://lnkd.in/g3Za4wyF Natalie Lewis, Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Debbie Kilroy, Sisters Inside

Today, the Queensland Government introduced a Bill that will see children sentenced as adults, removes the principle of detention as a last resort, and overrides the state’s Human Rights Act. More than 90% of children in Queensland who leave detention will return to the youth justice system within the year. This Bill will not address the root causes of offending behaviour and it will not make the community safer. We are expecting a tight turn-around time for submissions, so we have developed a guide to help you plan yours in advance. You can also get in touch with our team to share your views: https://bit.ly/3ZsPKoM

Today was not a day to celebrate for people and organisations who care about the rights of children, want government to prioritise community safety and care about the rights of all victims, including children. The David Crisafulli MP government won the election in October on the basis of a promise to improve community safety. They have also promised to be a mature government, and one that listens. With this comes a responsibility to act on the evidence of what works to keep the community safe. Increasing the rates of detention of children in Queensland will not make the community safer. Each night Queensland already detains more children than any other jurisdiction, and we know the more contact children have with the criminal justice system the more likely they are to re-offend. Of the children who are sentenced to detention, 80% will be back in contact with the system within 12 months. We're urging the David Crisafulli MP government to urgently focus to the parts of their policy that will make a meaningful difference - early intervention, diversion and rehabilitation. I was proud to stand in solidarity with our Youth Justice Peak Queensland Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak Ltd CEO Garth Morgan Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC) Commissioner Natalie Lewis Queensland Human Rights Commission Commissioner Scott McDougall Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC) CEO and Chair Katherine Hayes and Damien Atkinson, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd Graham White 54 reasons Mena Waller and Sisters Inside Debbie Kilroy

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿? If you work in the community sector, we want your feedback on our discussion paper, exploring Excellence in Community Services. This discussion paper is the first step in the development of an Excellence Framework for the community services sector. QCOSS will use it to guide our workforce development programs and activities, along with sector development activities and advocacy. Download the paper and share your views: https://lnkd.in/gNsTnMhv

Congratulations to our CEO, Aimee McVeigh, who has been selected to take part in a ground-breaking national capacity building and leadership program with Social Impact Leadership Australia. As part of the program, Aimee will be taking a three-month sabbatical in 2025 to work with 23 other social impact leaders across Australia and grow her leadership skills. Our Executive Director, Operations, Annette Schoone, will act as CEO from 7 January to 6 April 2025. Together with our Board directors and the QCOSS team, Annette is looking forward to continuing to drive our movement toward equality, opportunity and wellbeing for all Queenslanders.

A beautiful night celebrating Queensland's community heroes! ❤️ More than 300 people joined us at the Queensland Community Impact Awards at Brisbane City Hall last night to celebrate the incredible work of the community sector. It was inspiring to stop and reflect on the work our sector is doing every day to change the lives of their communities. Congratulations to all the finalists and award winners, and thanks to all of you who made the night so special.

A huge congratulations to all of our winners at the Queensland Community Impact Awards! It was wonderful to celebrate your contributions to the community sector last night at Brisbane City Hall, together with our MC Trent Dalton and our special guest, Her Excellency, the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland. Thank you for all you do to improve the lives of your communities across Queensland. Human Rights Award: YETI - Youth Empowered Towards Independence Frontline Hero: Candice Hughes, YFS Ltd Social Impact Award: Luke Terry, Founder and CEO of White Box Enterprises Prevention Excellence Award: Centacare Post Release Services team Women’s Equality Award: Ending Violence Against Women Queensland - EVAWQ Management Committee Community Impact Award: Traction Special thanks also goes to our sponsors: 54 reasons, HESTA, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Queensland Public Trustee and Containers for Change QLD (COEX).

Did you know that domestic and family violence (DFV) is the leading cause of homelessness for women in Australia? It's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, which also marks the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.  There is still a long way to go to ending gendered violence and it starts with believing victim-survivors and challenging abusive behaviours, gender stereotypes and sexist comments. As Queensland's interim DFV Peak, we are calling on all levels of Government to show leadership and prioritise DFV prevention, resourcing, and community education. Find out more about our work: https://lnkd.in/ghihM4zE #NoExcuseForAbuse #16DaysOfActivism

Meet the finalists of the Community Impact Award Category at the Queensland Community Impact Awards! The Community Impact Award, sponsored by HESTA, recognises the extraordinary contribution of an organisation, team or individual in supporting or serving their community in Queensland. Our finalists are:    ✨BHC Creating Liveable Communities   ✨RizeUp Australia   ✨Traction ✨Kingston East Neighbourhood Centre   ✨The Carers Foundation Australia   The 2024 Queensland Community Impact Awards are proudly sponsored by 54 reasons, HESTA, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Queensland Public Trustee and Containers for Change QLD (COEX). www.qcoss.org.au/awards