Confused about ‘tendering’ in transition from CSPG to Community Builders? Or any other part of the transition process?
A few agencies have contacted WSCF in confusions: The best information on this and other CSGP matters is on the Community Services website under frequently asked questions: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/for_agencies_that_work_with_us/csgp_realignment/csgp_tender.html
eg
Q) Do I need to tender for the funding I currently receive under CSGP if I am moving to Community Builders?
A) No. Service providers are not required to tender for funding they currently get under CSGP, or for the 20% alignment and one-off transition funding that existing CSGP service providers moving to the Community Builders program are to receive.
Western Sydney Community Forum wants to mark that today is July 1st, ending the Community Services Grants Program era.
Today are moving to the new streams of Community Strengthening and Direct Services for Child Youth and Families!
CSGP was established in 1988 /89 so is 21 years old. Along with all of you, WSCF has been part of a long process of CSGP Reviews and Reforms in these 21 years. We have had an extensive campaign to bring more resources into our CSGP services. We end the CSGP era with new funds for Neighbourhood Centres (yeh!) but with some uncertainty over additional funding for Family Support & other direct services to children, youth and families.
We go into the new era with a reviewed & reformed program that makes us much more secure in an anticipated changing political environment.
Can we remind you to write to your local politicians, if you haven’t already and thank them for their efforts in this campaign – Western Sydney State members were instrumental in convincing Treasury that the extra funds should be allocated. And … make sure your WSCF membership is up to date ( only $99.00 for 5 years).
We will keep you informed of the progress of the new streaming process.
The CSGP Roundtable representing community organisations are very pleased to announce the success of our campaign to support services funded under CSGP - ‘no funding, no reform’ this week became a reality with both
Streaming of the old CSGP into two – this week all organisations will have received a letter to inform a linking of all projects into either ‘Community strengthening’ or ‘direct services to children, young people and families’
An increase in funding for both new streams - $10 million for community strengthening and $4.5 million for direct services to children, young people and families’ programs. Click here for Linda Burney’s Press release.
This marks the end of the Community Services Grants Program as at 30.6.2010!
We ask that all organisations funded under this program take the time to celebrate this win, to write to your local member and thank them for their support (Western Sydney State Parliament members were instrumental in this success) and to ensure that your membership of Western Sydney Community Forum is up to date - a 5 year membership is only $99.00! Click here for membership registration form.
WSCF has put a lot of energy into this campaign over the past few years and we are always stronger with large membership. Community Development and capacity building is legitimised under the new arrangement – whatever fears we may have of a change of government, we are now ‘reformed’ and better resourced, with our work endorsed by many levels of government.
We are currently negotiating the rollout of the new funds and will keep you informed. Again, make sure you support the peaks who have worked to bring this to fruition - membership of your statewide peak NCOSS & LCSA, FamsNSW or YAPA is important to appreciate them in this work too.
For more information or assistance send an e-mail to Mary Waterford eo@wscf.org.au or to Semra Guler semrag@wscf.org.au or call 9687 9669.
Mary Waterford from WSCF, Dev Mukherjee from NCOSS and Brian Smith from LCSA discuss the proposed spilt of CSGP on Youtube. NCOSS, LCSA and WSCF (along with FaMS NSW & YAPA) have been part of discussions with Community Services on the proposed split and share their thinking with you in these three video clips.
For your background information: “The proposed way forward for CSGP reform involves separating CSGP services into two streams – services whose results relate to ‘community strengthening’ and services provided directly to children, young people and families. It is proposed that CSGP services with community strengthening results would be transitioned to the Community Builders program which contributes to building harmonious, resourceful and resilient communities. Services that deal with children, young people and families directly by providing counselling and other services will be part of separate process to align them more closely with the objectives of Keep them Safe: A Shared Approach to Child Wellbeing.” (NSW Government Human Services: Community Services)
From Annette Gallard, Chief Executive , Community Services
Community services have proposed an historical change in the CSGP funding, splitting the current CSGP into two streams:
services whose results have to do with ‘community strengthening’
services provided directly to children, young people and families
WSCF has been involved in the discussions and has broad support for the new framework, with some reservations with regard to availability of growth funding to support the ‘community strengthening’ stream. click here to download the Community Services Communiqué (PDF 453KB) and the LCSA Letter to the sector, which we see as a goodoverview of the strengths and risks of the proposal.
Brian Smith from the Local Community Services Association (LCSA) and Mary Waterford from The Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF) met to discuss the issues surrounding the future of CSGP funding following the Government response to the Wood Special Commission, "Keep Them Safe".
For more discussions between Brian & Mary, please go to the Forum Flash Youtube page
The Report was released on November 24, 2008, and is available from the DoCs website here
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/DOCS/STANDARD/PC_101761.html
If you watch our presentations below, you will see that we recommend reading Chapters, 10, 7 and 25 for the most CSGP relevant information.
WSCF has created two YouTube videos to help us understand the report and what to do next:
Part 1 |
Part 2 |
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What parts of the report should we read? |
What are the main ideas in the report and what happens next? |
WSCF has made a series of other videos documenting presentations and conversations with members of the CSGP Roundtable - the peak forum which is conferring with DoCS during the implementation of the CSGP Review. The videos feature Brian Smith from the LCSA, Alison Peters from NCOSS, Rey Reodica from YAPA and Mary Waterford from WSCF.
To view the rest of the videos, click here...
“Keep Them Safe” is the NSW Government’s response to the Wood Inquiry recommendations into Child Protection.
Click here for the report, (PDF 1.99MB)
This Report was released in March 2009.It has many good strategies welcomed by WSCF. Unfortunately it makes almost no reference to the Community Services Grants Program which is most frustrating to the community sector.
The CSGP Reform has been completely waylaid by the Wood Inquiry and the response there was no additional allocation in the State budget for the program.In early July we were informed that the CSGP Roundtable was to be disbanded, without consultation with the ngo members and that a new (another!) review of funding programs will follow.LCSA have written an excellent response to DoCs.
Here is the response document, (PDF 505KB)
WSCF remain hopeful that the work of the sector has raised the profile of CSGP amongst politicians and especially Minister Burney and Premier Rees. We have had some great champions for the program in our local Western Sydney politicians and will keep you infomed of future strategies. New utube videos will be available late next week.