The Interagency provides a forum for service providers to build relationships and work collaboratively to improve outcomes for the Shellharbour, Kiama, Wollongong and Shoalhaven communities.
Last Friday night the Illawarra Interagency (Terri and Louise) were proud to win the small team Transformation and Reinvention section of the Community Industry Group, We Do Magic Awards for our work on the Illawarra Interagency.
It was a wonderful, fun night celebrating the amazing and wonderful work being done in our community services industry throughout the Illawarra (including Shoalhaven). We would like to congratulate everyone who were nominated, as well as the winners. We all do incredible work and it is important to take a breath and remember what we are achieving each and every day.
In regard to our work with the Illawarra Interegancy it is fulfilling to witness how the sector evolves, getting to know the amazing network of people, seeing new services emerge, the changes, challenges and how we all rise to meet them with the help of networking and tapping into the amazing brains-trust we have in this industry.
The bushfires and COVID were definitely a challenge we all faced, and through the Interagency we acknowledged this in 2020 with a focus on resilience and innovation. This sector is known for its ability to face challenges and deal with adversity, so with this as our backbone, we recollected and chose to see these challenges as opportunity. We researched technology and useful topics to not only see us through this period, but to also improve the way we convene our meetings.
We thank Shellharbour and Kiama Council’s for encouraging the Illawarra Interagency partnership which is so rewarding and successful. It’s amazing what you can achieve with trust, commitment and the sharing of resources and ideas.
We also acknowledge the amazing work of the Community Industry Group, their innovative – proactive approach to supporting our local sector and their passion for social justice has always been an inspiration. We are greatful for our award and the oppotunity to gather and enjoy a celebration of our amazing sector.
We are continuing on our Compassionate Communities venture to bring Death Cafes to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District and should be so happy and proud with all that we have achieved!
As a project group, we have completed Death Cafe events across the Local Health District and discussed ‘Death, Dying and End of Life’ with so many wonderful people!
We have taken Death conversations to the beach, to the Birth and Deaths Bar and been involved in public presentations and conversations about our project with groups such as the Illawarra Interagency, Parsons Funerals and the Community Industry Group Expo on More End of Life issues as well as talking with individual health professionals about our project. Radio interviews have also helped to increase our community engagement and local profile.
There are so many questions for us to ask ourselves such as :
How can we take our conversations into relationship with our aging community members?
Perhaps in aged care facilities?
How can we further engage with the men in our communities?
How can we open the space to teenagers and adolescents?
What other projects or areas of interest do you feel our communities would benefit from?
With the project approaching its final month of formal operation and support from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, where do you see our project going in the months ahead?
Please join us, bring a friend and come and share your thoughts with us.
We look forward to seeing you!
Next Meeting – SUNDAY 16 MAY 2021 from 3pm to 5pm
Please register here in Eventbrite for the meeting Joyce Wheatley Centre at 107 Terralong St, Kiama. You are welcome to bring a mug to save on recycling and landfill and a small plate of something to share 🙂
If you haven’t already, please join our Facebook group – Compassionate Communities Illawarra-Shoalhaven. The group is private so only the people in the group can see the posts and comments. Anyone interested in joining ComCom is able to join.
You are invited to our UoW Social Work Sunset Seminar series for 2021.
We will be hosting four seminars, two will be hosted on campus and two will be delivered on zoom. Seminars are free and open to all social work agencies; places are limited so RSVP early.
The first seminar is on 12th May details below. Seminar 1 Title Cultural humility in social work practice Date Wed 12th May Time 4pm Location Building 29, UOW Wollongong Campus (please RSVP via attached invite or link here)
Take note of future dates for your calendar. Further information will be sent out with RSVP link in June. Seminar 2 Title Introducing students to mental health as a field of practice: Recovery, stepped care and health promotion Date Wed 21st July Time 4pm Location Zoom
Seminar 3 Title Trauma-informed framework practice Date Wed 29h September Time 4pm Location Zoom
Seminar 4 Title Getting theory back into practice Date Wed 24th November Time 4pm Location Building 29, UOW Wollongong Campus
These topics respond to feedback from you about your interest about our research and teaching.
Every industry requires business professionals and this nationally recognised qualification will provide students with skills and knowledge to enhance employment prospects.
Students will gain practical skills to prepare for a range of business and administration roles.
Topics covered include: – customer service – popular software applications – preparing business documents and business correspondence – workplace technology and communication.
Students will have access to great support and the opportunity to undertake work placement
Subsidies & Fee-Free Scholarships are available for eligible students*
SUBSIDY INFORMATION *Subsidies and fee free scholarships are available for students who meet the eligibility requirements. The training is subsidised by the NSW Government. If you would like more information on Smart and Skilled please refer to our website or phone the Community College on 02 4232 1050.
Reduce Reuse Recycle Kiama is pleased to announce that due to the amazing efforts of its Kiama Boomerang Bag project that it is able to offer micro-grants up to the amount of $1500 to other local Not For Profit community groups or registered charities.
We are looking to support sustainability projects that are focused on reducing waste in the Kiama Municipality by encouraging people to work together, to educate and change the behaviours of residents and visitors towards waste.
We will also consider projects that that will improve the health and wellbeing of the local Kiama communities.
If you have a project but are not a registered charity or Not for Profit please do email us at admin@reduce-reuse-recycle-kiama.org and we may be able to incorporate your project within our remit.
knowledge and skills around the topics of sexual and reproductive health.
Naomi Viret
Kaitlyn Middleton
Health Education Officers from Caddyshack Project will deliver the session either face to face or via Zoom.
SHOE sessions can include;
Overview of current sexual health services and projects across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions
Free training, resources and projects your service can be involved in
Increase capacity and reduce stigma
Find out about different STI’s and contraception
We can also tailor a session to your service’s needs, please contact us to discuss any current issues or trends your service would like more information and support with.
Registrations are now open for ‘Dolly Doctor answers the Top Ten’ webinar.
Wednesday 5th May 2021 at 10.00am for 60 minutes
Associate Professor Melissa Kang, also known as Dolly Doctor will answer the top ten most Google searched questions on sexual health. Melissa’s career has been devoted to the health and health care of adolescents and young adults. She is an academic, a clinician, and an advocate. Melissa’s research has taken a population health approach, with major projects exploring access to health care, health system navigation, young people’s sexuality and sexual health (particularly sexually transmitted infections).
We are thrilled to host Melissa who will be Zooming in with us for this webinar.
In late 2020 Youth Educating Peers (YEP) launched an open online survey for young people aged 12-25. This was advertised via a sponsored add on Facebook, and via YEP’s other social media pages on Instagram and TikTok. Promotional emails were sent to the youth sector. YEP’s Youth Reference Group was supported to complete the survey and the YRG was encouraged to promote the survey. Key findings of the 2020 YEP Youth Survey here or https://theyepproject.org.au/blog/2020yepsurveyfindings/
The Out Of Home Care (OOHC) PlaySafe Program, is just one of many, that work towards improving sexual health outcomes for young people across NSW guided by the work of the State wide Sexually Transmitted Infections Programs Unit (STIPU).
Due to a likelihood of past trauma experiences, possible disrupted educational experiences and therefore less knowledge around sexual health and relationships, sexual Health needs should be considered through a trauma informed lens when
working with young people in the OOHC sector.
For these reasons, and to assist carers in increasing their knowledge around sexual health and their confidence in having these conversations with young people, a trauma informed training package was developed. The free online training module “Because you care: Fostering conversations about sexual and reproductive health” is now available at PlaySafe Pro.
Whilst targeted towards foster carers, the training is relevant to anyone interested in starting conversations around sexual and reproductive health, particularly with young people who may have had experiences of trauma.
The training takes approximately 90mins to complete and is made up of 3 modules which are self-paced and can be completed all together, or separately.
Topics covered include:
Sexually Transmissible Infections
Trauma informed care
Contraception
Conversation starters
At the completion of the 3 modules, participants receive a certificate of participation.
The Illawarra Interagency provides a forum for community organisations to build relationships, learn new skills and work collaboratively to improve outcomes for the Illawarra community. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in supporting the well-being of people who live, work or play in the Illawarra Region.
Our online meetings have been extremely successful so we’ll continue to hold some this year, but for this event, we think it’s time to see each other in person.
This is the Illawarra community sector’s annual opportunity to:
Meet other community organisations in the Illawarra
Showcase your organisation to the group with our mini-presentations
Connect and build relationships with peers in the sector you work in
Advise on your upcoming events or projects
Participate in a Collaboration Workshop with the opportunity to work on new project ideas
Offer a mini-presentation for a new event or project
Offer an idea for a project/program to workshop in our Collaboration activity.
Feedback from past events: ‘You provided an environment conducive to deeper connections and genuine working relationships.’ ‘It was great to learn about different thinking styles and valuing unique perspectives to resolve problems’
Community Industry Group is excited to present Diversity Australia’s unconscious bias workshop.
This interactive workshop aims to build awareness of the value of diversity and inclusion from an organisational perspective and will explore ways to recognise and challenge unconscious biases that inhibit diversity progress.
The workshop includes a range of experiential activities to engage the hearts and minds of leaders. Leaders will learn about fundamental concepts of inclusion and exclusion, in-groups and out-groups, biases and stereotypes, in a positive and engaging way.
