And just like that….it is February already!
January is a particularly busy time for the Family and Relationship Services sector. Dealing with an increased demand for services whilst managing staff leave over the holiday period, further exacerbated by COVID-19 and the significant increase in cases over the last 6 weeks, has been really challenging.
As always, organisations within our sector have taken all these challenges in their stride and have continued to ensure they are meeting the needs of the children, women, men and communities they work with. These are services essential to their health and wellbeing.
In an election year and a year in which Government/Opposition and others vying for Office make spending promises – a key message from FRSA is that there needs to be an increase in focus and expenditure towards prevention and early intervention. This should be in addition to and not to the detriment of tertiary or secondary services.
Further, for services in the family and relationship services sector, no real funding increase has been delivered over many years of operation, and as our Report in 2020 clearly identified – services are at the ‘efficiency frontier’. There is no more blood to squeeze out of the stone.
Strengthened family and community connectedness and support has been clearly identified in a number of recently released strategies and reports such as: the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy; the Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children; and, the Prevalence of Elder Abuse Study, as being critically important in aiding prevention and early intervention measures across each of these areas. These are not necessarily ‘tertiary end services’ however they are indeed vital and essential services for ensuring the wellbeing of children, women, men and communities across Australia.
These are key elements of FRSA’s Federal Pre-Budget submission lodged in January.
We have entered 2022 with great hope and optimism that we will have the opportunity to bring the sector together, face-to-face, for a National Conference in Adelaide scheduled for 16-19 May 2022. January has been a flurry of activity in progressing preparations for Conference. We have had a record number of abstracts submitted and are very close to releasing the concurrent session program, which promises to deliver something for everyone.
January also marks the month in which the Australia Day honours are announced – providing an opportunity for important and outstanding work in the community to be acknowledged. FRSA was delighted to see members and friends of FRSA recognised in these awards. At the same time, we know that 26 January marks a painful point in history that has had enduring consequences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I was moved by the statement released by SNAICC on 25 January, which paid tribute to the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and called on Australia ‘to spend Survival Day as a day of reflection’.
With 2022 well underway, just a reminder that the FRSA team is here to assist you. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch:
- Jackie Brady, Executive Director – ExecDirector@frsa.org.au
- Robyn Clough, Manager, Policy and Research – policy@frsa.org.au
- Narelle Kay, Events and Membership Officer – events@frsa.org.au
- Vanessa Lam, Communications Officer – communications@frsa.org.au
Or contact the National Office on 02 6162 1811.
