LCSA, along with 7 other peak organisations have called on The Hon Dominic Perrottet, Premier of NSW, and other relevant NSW Government Ministers, for greater ongoing support for the social services sector and the communities they serve during the pandemic.

While steps taken by the NSW Government to provide one-off COVID-19 grant programs to services and the recent commitment to prioritise the distribution of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) to some essential frontline organisations are welcome, there is a much broader and diverse range of services that are facing increased demand, staff shortages and additional costs because of current COVID-19 conditions.

In a joint letter from NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS), Homelessness NSW, Domestic Violence NSW, Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA), AbSec, Australian Services Union NSW & ACT (ASU), Fams and Local Community Services Association (LCSA), peak organisations have urged the NSW Government to:

  • Include non-24/7 organisations providing essential services and support in the community in the rollout of RATs
  • Provide further funding to extend programs beyond their original timeframes that assist vulnerable people impacted by the pandemic
  • Support safe and continued service delivery by resourcing organisations with higher grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and provide isolation or sick leave pay for workers who currently don’t have access to such entitlements
  • Coordinate and convene a committee of Government and community sector representatives to meet regularly to ensure consistency and clarity of advice and best practice for frontline organisations.

View Joint Letter