Sexual Violence Awareness Month (SVA Month) is held during October each year to raise community awareness about sexual violence, promote the support options available to people affected by sexual assault and sexual abuse, and uphold  a clear message that sexual violence will not be tolerated in our communities.

Sexual violence can happen to anybody, regardless of age, gender, race, culture, socioeconomic status, ability, sexual orientation or location. First Nations women and girls, and women and girls with disability, are especially vulnerable.

  Sexual violence is a violation of human rights and is unacceptable.  All of us have the ability to look out for each other’s safety and play a role in preventing this form of abuse in our communities.

If you have been impacted, or know someone who has been,  our Legal Service provides legal advice for matters relating to domestic violence which can often involve sexual violence.

For persons who have experienced institutional child sexual abuse we may be able to assist  through our Redress Support Service . Go here to find out more https://www.tascnational.org.au/redress-scheme-support/.

Catch up with the team at TASC on Tuesday 11 Oct for cuppa, a chat and the chance to do some wellbeing activities. Did you know TASC offers a Mental Health Advocacy Service? If you or someone you know experiences mental health challenges and needs advocacy assistance please contact TASC on (07) 4616 9700 or visit tascnational.org.au for more information.

Indigenous Peoples are distinct social and cultural groups that share collective ancestral ties to the lands and natural resources where they live, occupy or from which they have been displaced. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Indigenous peoples of Australia. They are not one group, but rather comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is celebrated globally on 9 August. On this day, people from around the world are encouraged to promote and promote the rights of indigenous peoples.

This year’s theme is “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”. Indigenous women are the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities and play a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of traditional ancestral knowledge. They have an integral collective and community role as careers of natural resources and keepers of scientific knowledge. The reality, however, remains that indigenous women are widely under-represented, disproportionately negatively affected by decisions made on their behalf, and are too frequently the victims of multiple expressions of discrimination and violence.

TASC is funded by the Queensland Government to deliver legal advice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women living in or around Toowoomba, Ipswich or Roma. To access this service simply visit https://www.tascnational.org.au/services/ or call 07 4616 9700 for a confidential discussion with one of our legal team.

Transparency and clarity represent core aims for most businesses and organisations.  For organisations in the Not for Profit space and which rely on government funding it is vital.

TASC  is no exception and earlier last month (July 2022)  was rewarded for walking the talk on transparency and clarity in their corporate communications with a Silver award at the Australasian Reporting Awards (ARA) for their 2020/21 Annual Report.

Other organisations to receive a Silver award in 2022 included: CSIRO, DFAT, Mission Australia and Australian Red Cross Society among others.  To be included with so many high profile and large organisation puts in context the level TASC’s achievement.

What are the ARA?

The ARA have been operating for over 70 years and were introduced to improve the quality of annual reporting in Australia and raise awareness of the purposes of organisations and their achievements.  The awards have been expanded and are open to organisations in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.   More information is available at About the Australasian Reporting Awards — Australasian Reporting Awards (arawards.com.au)

How are they judged?

According to the ARA:

“Reporting, the annual report especially, is an essential mechanism of accountability, a vital element in the governance process….  Good reporting requires an open willing attitude, attention to detail and accuracy, a sensitivity and responsiveness to stakeholders, a willingness to put in the effort to communicate effectively and a commitment to achieving and improving upon standards.”

Reports are assessed on six criteria:

• Overview of the organisation, its context and objectives
• Review of operations or activities with a focus on progress towards achieving objectives
• Coverage of the organisation’s governance approach and its effectiveness
• Coverage of the organisation’s human resources management approach and effectiveness
• Details and analysis of financial performance and financial statements
• Presentation and navigation

Congratulations to everyone at TASC who contributed to the Annual report. Pictured are current Marketing and Communications Coordinator Naish Nand with former colleague and report editor Amy Clark with a copy of the annual report.

Coinciding with NAIDOC week in the first week of July, Strategic Indigenous Awareness training was presented by Gooreng Gooreng Man, Grant Sarra to the team at TASC. The day delivered some powerful and at times confronting insights for attendees to take with them into their work and daily lives. To understand our present, we must understand our past.

Interacting with the child protection system can be an intimidating experience for children, parents and carers so knowing what your rights and responsibilities are is vital.

In June Queensland launched a Charter of Rights for parents involved with the child protection system in Queensland, becoming only the second state in Australia to do so.

The Charter recognises that parents have the right to:

• Life-long relationships with their children connected to community, Country and culture

• Self-determination and autonomy over decisions that impact their children and families

• Natural justice and the time and space to respond to the concerns made about their parenting

• Support services that decrease the need for departmental intervention.

The full document is available here: https://www.cyjma.qld.gov.au/…/charter-of-rights-for…

TASC Legal and Social Justice Services offers free legal services including family law matters. As we are Government funded some eligibility criteria apply. To book an appointment or find out more please visit tascnational.org.au or phone 07 4616 9700.

Congratulations to Principal Solicitor and Legal Services Manager, David Manwaring and Social Justice Advocate, Simone Rodgers on their 5 Years of service at TASC.  Over the past 5 years David and Simone through their roles at TASC have positively impacted the lives of many people across the community.  A hearty and well deserved thank you to you both.