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Annual Report
Indexation announcement (September 2022) at Yeronga Community Plus+: (L to R) Yeronga Community Plus+ Service Manager Melinda McInturff, Hon Leeanne Enoch MP, Hon Mark Bailey MP, Neighbourhood Centres Queensland CEO Em James, QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh, and Queensland Treasurer Hon Cameron Dick MP.
Being in service
QCOSS successfully advocated for
an increase to sector funding
more in line with indexation.
We provided sought after
skills and training workshops
to community service organisations.
Improve the business environment and working conditions for community organisations and workers in Queensland
Social Services Category Council (SSCC):
QCOSS participated in the Social Services Category Council (SSCC) Industry Reference Group. The SSCC governs the category strategy for the social services spend across the Queensland Government.
Increase indexation for the community services sector:
QCOSS and partner community organisations commissioned the University of Western Australia to author the report: Queensland’s Cost Indexation for Government Purchasing of Human Services. It was released in March 2023. The report highlights that the current approach to calculating indexation is not adequate for community services. A briefing paper accompanying the report proposed an indexation rate rise.
On 15 June, at the QCOSS Queensland Budget Breakfast, Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade Investment, the Honourable Cameron Dick, announced the indexation support rate for non-government organisations was rising from 3.88 per cent to 5.63 per cent.
This represented a
funding injection of
$50 million
for Queensland’s community organisations.
Indexation announcement (June 2023) at the Queensland Budget Breakfast: Queensland Treasurer Hon Cameron Dick MP.
Supporting the
attraction and retention
of a skilled workforce
Queensland Care Consortium:
QCOSS was invited to join the Queensland Care Consortium (QCC), a partnership between Jobs Queensland and peak bodies from the Health and Community Services sectors that aims to support industry-led, government enabled activities that improve workforce development, attraction and retention. In 2022-23, the QCC supported a competitive funding round that saw seven successful applications funded to a total value of more than $1 million.
Growing Workforce Participation:
Funded by the Queensland Government’s Growing Workforce Participation Fund, QCOSS’ Supporting diverse workforces project was a sector strengthening program of work designed to develop the human resources capability of Queensland community service organisations.
The project delivered a series of four Community of Practice workshops that stepped participants through the value of genuine diversity and inclusion in the workforce, the development of a human resources strategy, how to implement and maintain a strategy, and what inclusive recruitment practices look like. It had 226 registrants.
The project was championed by diverse and inclusive workplaces expert, Christine Mudavanhu,
Paralympian and social worker,
Karni Liddell
and Indigenous Workstars
recruitment specialist,
Lachlan Anderson.
Strengthening the operation of community services
Governance and leadership:
In 2022-23, QCOSS developed and launched a new online library dedicated to governance. Resources included templates, guides and a video series featuring community services and First Nations organisations around Queensland. The page was accessed 4,201 times by 2,662 users. QCOSS also partnered with Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and Whitsundays Stronger Communities to deliver tailored governance workshops.
Energy and Water:
QCOSS provides policy makers with input into policy decisions and regulations related to essential energy and water services and helps to educate the sector on issues and policy changes. Advocacy work in 2022-23 included calling on the Queensland Government to help low-income households access the energy transformation, energy subsidy awareness and educating renters about their rights around energy and water issues.
Community Door:
The Community Door website provides news, resources and information for Queensland’s community sector, including a fortnightly newsletter. More than 470 news items featuring updates, events and resources were published on the site during 2022-23.
The website was viewed 191,745 times by 105,455 users.
Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF):
The HSQF assesses and promotes improvement in the quality of human services for the Queensland Government.
To help organisations implement quality systems and prepare for their quality assessment activities, QCOSS provides one-on-one and small group support, as well as information and resources, including an HSQF eTraining course and policy templates.
In 2022-23 the Quality page on Community Door was updated with a suite of new video resources; the page had 1,039 views.
More than 20 organisations received one-on-one HSQF support, and QCOSS hosted regional HSQF workshops as well as providing HSQF auditor training.
Quality Collaboration Network (QCN): The QCN meets monthly to support enhancing collaborative practice in the human services sector by identifying and discussing common issues and compliance matters, as well as sharing information, resources and learning.
In 2022-23 QCN meetings had more than 700 registrants overall. They focused on topics ranging from cybersecurity to how to talk to your board about quality and compliance.
A QCN Microsoft Teams channel was also launched to support peer-to-peer engagement and collaboration. It grew to 117 engaged users. The 2022 annual QCN evaluation survey reported that 100% of QCN participants would recommend the network to a colleague.
Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW):
QCOSS, in partnership with the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT), delivered tender writing workshops and webinars to both support the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative and build sector capacity to apply for funding.
During 2022-23, QCOSS delivered 22 webinars and in-person sessions across Queensland to 645 people.
In Conversation:
QCOSS’ In Conversation event series, delivered in partnership with the QUT Centre for Justice, gives the community service sector exclusive access to big ideas from Queensland’s political leaders and policy makers. In 2022-23 we welcomed:
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Hon. Mick de Brenni MP | Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan
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Queensland Treasury Corporation CEO and former Under Treasurer Leon Allen | Budget edition
Hon Mick de Brenni MP
Leon Allen
Support the transformation
to a human rights respecting, culturally competent sector
In 2022-23, QCOSS developed resources to support the sector’s understanding of the submission process and how to write a submission. These were downloaded 269 times during the year.
We formed a partnership with Caxton Legal Centre to deliver a three-part series on decision-making and capacity, and we relaunched our Human Rights in Action newsletter. Newsletters were delivered to more than 2,300 recipients.
In 2022-23, 681 people registered to attend our Human Rights in Action events.
These included:
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Decriminalisation of Public Offences
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Discussing delegated authority in the Child Protection Act
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Supported decision making and the Public Trustee of Queensland
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Understanding the Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework with the Australian Human Rights Commission
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Accidental Advocates
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The role of a functional entity
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How do you prepare and write a submission?
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Anti-Discrimination Act Review with the Queensland Human Rights Commission