12 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst Year in Review 2020 CatholicCare Director’s Report As many have said before me, this has been a year like no other. Along with the most difficult circumstances we as a country, a state and as local communities have experienced for many generations, there have also been some high points. The bushfires in north-eastern Victoria which ushered in 2020, caused great distress and disruption across towns and communities in that region, which fall within our Sandhurst Diocese. This gave us a particular responsibility to do what we could to support recovery, in a way that was informed by those communities. With financial assistance from Catholic Emergency Relief Australia, we focused on the recovery of children through the ‘Stormbirds’ program; we worked with local schools in a train-the-trainer model to support young people’s wellbeing following loss and grief experiences from natural disasters. The program enables children and young people to share their experiences of loss and change in safe and creative ways, to understand and attend to their feelings, and learn skills for adapting and recovering. This work has been very well received. With the onset of COVID-19 restrictions in March 2020, life changed for all of us. As staff, we migrated to the new experience of service delivery from our homes. Equipping all staff with the necessary equipment and training to deliver services and administration remotely was a big challenge over several months. This investment and training will have a continuing legacy, as online delivery will remain a part of our suite of services for people who prefer to engage this way; or for whom this form of access provides opportunities which did not previously exist. Another major commitment has been our engagement in the development of Sandhurst Catholic Early Childhood Education and Care, a partnership with Catholic Education Sandhurst and the Diocese, to establish a model of early childhood education and care which draws on the strengths of each partner. We are looking forward to our continuing role in this new venture and all the benefits which will increasingly be available to local families and communities as a result. Across this period, we have continued to actively participate in our national and state peak bodies: Family Relationships Services Australia (FRSA); Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA); and Catholic Social Services Victoria (CSSV). Each of these bodies has an important role to play in supporting our sector as we deliver a broad range of programs to people who are struggling or disadvantaged, keeping in front of governments the key issues which impact our services and the people we assist. A very significant piece of research and advocacy was undertaken by FRSA this past year, to address a ‘funding cliff’ for community services which would see the sector’s capacity cut by 20% if it was not addressed. Fortunately, this work resulted in a financial adjustment in the federal budget which has averted this crisis. Through CSSA, in collaboration with the Australian National University, we participated in an exciting research project ‘Mapping the Potential’, a project to understand the drivers of persistent community disadvantage across electorates in our regions. The project has delivered rich data, with the ultimate goal of informing and supporting community-led responses to community needs, so that we can work to build the potential within our local communities. CCS looks forward to our continuing role in the application of this research. CSSV and CSSA combined to hold a major national conference in February, ‘Serving Communities with Courage and Compassion’ which drew together many inspiring speakers and participants from academic, policy and coalface environments. The presentations included models of courageous and compassionate service and mission at the margins; implementing child safety; eco-justice; addressing homelessness; best practice in governance; and fostering emerging leaders. As it turned out, the timing was very fortuitous, with freedom of gathering before the impact of COVID-19 set in. In addition to these significant developments, our ‘business as usual’ commitments have continued. Our Sanctuary Model has proven to be a valuable tool for supporting staff during this time of physical separation from the workplace. We have continued to develop and engage with Reconciliation Action, Child Safety, Gender Equity and Quality improvement. It was pleasing to have a positive report at our mid-cycle audit. We have enjoyed our ongoing work with many partner organisations across our regions, within the limits of pandemic restrictions. Of note is our service delivery partnership with MacKillop Family Services, with whom we deliver ‘Cradle REPORTS “We are moving from strength to strength!”
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