The Uniting Church in Australia welcomes the opportunity to provide a response to the Royal Commission’s Issues Paper on Emergency planning and response. The Uniting Church thanks those across the life of the Church who provided information for this response, including Susan Stork-Finlay, Rev. Dr. Stephen Robinson (National Disaster Recovery Officer, Assembly of the […]
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Senate Select Committee on COVID-19
Overview The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far reaching, affecting all corners of society. We commend the Australian Government for decisive interventions that have helped to stabilise infection rates, prevent health systems being overwhelmed, and save lives. We also acknowledge that a range of bold measures have helped to buffer the economic effects […]
Aged Care Royal Commission – Investigation of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on aged care services
UnitingCare Australia welcomes the invitation from the Royal Commission to make submissions to enable an investigation of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on aged care services. Residential aged care services have served the country well in terms of preparing for the pandemic, and managing at a local level. The difficulty in containment of the […]
Aged Care Royal Commission: Future Program Redesign and Workforce – response to submissions of counsel assisting
This submission to the Aged Care Royal Commission provides UnitingCare Australia’s perspectives on future aged care services programs. It focuses first on context and intersecting issues in order to highlight what we see as some of the challenges of model design that must be considered as the Royal Commission continues its work. It also responds […]
National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Amount Credit Contract and Consumer Lease Reforms) Bill 2019 (No. 2)
This joint submission urges Parliament to pass reforms which would improve protections for people who use payday loans and consumer leases. Current laws are ineffective, enabling predatory lenders to charge excessive feeds and entrench people in a cycle of debt and disadvantage. The Stop the Debt Trap Alliance is a coalition of consumer advocacy organisations […]
2020-21 Pre-Budget Submission
In 2020, UnitingCare Australia urges the Federal Government to adopt a more equitable and sustainable Budget strategy: a strategy that tackles economic inequality, secures the revenue to guarantee essential services for our ageing population, repairs the social safety net, and supports justice and self-determination for our First Peoples.
Aged Care Program Redesign: Services for the Future
UnitingCare Australia has provided our ‘future vision’ document Ageing to our Full Potential1 to the Royal Commission. Ageing to our Full Potential represents the collective thinking of the organisations of the Uniting Church in Australia that are providers of aged care. Contents Introduction Leadership commitment Consumer and community involvement Encourage innovation Care Sector Partnership New […]
Religious Freedoms Bills (Second Exposure Drafts)
The Uniting Church in Australia commends efforts to strengthen legislative protections to prevent discrimination against people on the ground of their religion at the federal level. However, in seeking to achieve this, we believe the redrafted Religious Freedom Bills do not get the balance right. People should be able to enjoy their right to freedom […]
Aged Care: Workforce Issues
This submission should be read in conjunction with UnitingCare Australia’s submission to the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce on the development of the Aged Care Workforce Strategy. Caring for older people should not be a burden. We must place a new lens over processes, systems and attitudes. Care must add to the quality of someone’s […]
Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019
UnitingCare Australia welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019 (the Bill). The cashless debit card (CDC) compulsorily quarantines a portion of a person’s social security benefits, placing 80 per cent of their income support onto a card that cannot be used […]