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NSW Council of Social Service - NCOSS

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NSW Council of Social Service - NCOSS

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The NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) works with & for people experiencing poverty & disadvantage Our goals

1.

We are an independent, public voice collaborating, advising and advocating for a better deal for people experiencing poverty or disadvantage, and the social service sector that supports them. Amplify the experience of people affected by poverty or disadvantage to inform inclusive and equitable policy and decision making.

2. Identify and advocate for the foundations
of a sustainable, connected, strong and diverse social service sector.

3. Focus NCOSS on core priorities for impact and sustainability.

04/11/2026

“We need to help people when things first start going wrong, not after they’ve fallen apart.”

Those are the words of our Policy and Advocacy Director, Ben McAlpine, who spoke with Dom Knight this morning about an open letter NCOSS has signed urging the Minns Government to invest in social services that prevent crises before they occur.

Led by Uniting NSW.ACT and signed by 11 charities, unions and church groups, the letter launches the ‘Right Help, Right Time’ campaign, which calls on the NSW Government to target funding at people who are struggling and at risk of crisis.

Receiving the right support earlier could be the difference between an eviction turning into homelessness and keeping a roof over your head.

29/10/2026

Public consultation on Australia’s next open government plan is open until Friday 6 November.

There are seven proposals seeking input; feedback will determine which ones make the Fourth National Action Plan (NAP4).

Responses can be anonymous and you can comment on a single commitment.

Organisations across our sector are encouraged to respond, and ask for changes that would make a meaningful difference to their community and/ or organisation.

Make your voice count! ▶️ https://lnkd.in/gDfGKhYa

29/10/2026

And that’s a wrap!

On Tuesday night, twenty-seven finalists and eight recipients from across New South Wales were celebrated for their work in the social service sector at the NCOSS Awards 2026. ❤️

We had an absolute ball celebrating our recipients and finalists in front of their peers alongside MC Nas Campanella and MP Jodie Harrison last night at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.

As our CEO Cara Varian said, "Our sector is where trust gets built, one conversation at a time. That work rarely makes the headlines, because our greatest successes are the crises that didn’t happen."

We think that's worth celebrating.

Congratulations to all of our recipients and finalists, and a huge thank you to our sponsors Beyond Bank Australia NSW Reconstruction Authority Greenway Executive Partners NSW Department of Communities and Justice CORE Community Services and Sydney Policy Lab.

The recipients for the NCOSS Awards 2026 are:
⭐ Frontline Worker Award: Opal Harvey, Pete's Place, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW
⭐ Amir Bodenstein Lived/Living Experience Honorary Recognition: Kylie Sharp, Youth Off The Streets
⭐ Leadership Award: Reverend Stu Cameron, Wesley Mission
⭐ Small - Medium Organisation Award: New England Family Support Services
⭐ Large Organisation Award: New Horizons Enterprises Limited’s i.am program
⭐ Collaboration Award: Safe to Speak program Women Up North Housing Canterbury City Community Centre - 4Cs Full Stop Australia
⭐ Members' Choice Award (Individual): Kathryn Hammond, Richmond Community Services Inc (RCSI)
⭐ Members' Choice Award (Organisation): The Glen Rehabilitation Centre

26/10/2026

PART 3: NCOSS Awards 2026 finalists 🥳

26/10/2026

PART 2: NCOSS Awards 2026 finalists 🥳

26/10/2026

The countdown is ON to find out who the recipients are for the NCOSS Awards 2026...

❤️ 🏆 Tomorrow night, individuals and organisations from across New South Wales will be awarded for the impact they have made in their communities to improve the lives of others.

Times are undoubtedly tough, and that’s even more of a reason for us to celebrate the incredible individuals and organisations supporting people during hardship.

We can’t wait to celebrate our recipients, our finalists, and the social sector, alongside Minister Jodie Harrison, ABC disability affairs reporter Nas Campanella, and our members and friends, old and new.

If we aren’t seeing you in person tomorrow night at the Museum of Contemporary Art, stay tuned on our socials to find out who this year’s award recipients are. Otherwise, see you there!

21/10/2026

A huge thank you to the NSW Reconstruction Authority, who are proudly partnering with the NCOSS Awards as Foundation Partner for Regional Accessibility. 🙏

This partnership will cover the cost for more representatives from regional and remote NSW to attend the NCOSS Awards on 27 October.

This support helps improve accessibility, inclusion and representation at this important sector event, reflecting our shared focus on strengthening community connections and supporting the people and organisations working closest with communities across NSW. ❤️

21/10/2026

A huge thank you to the NSW Reconstruction Authority who are proudly partnering with the NCOSS Awards as Foundation Partner for Regional Accessibility.

This partnership will cover the cost for more representatives from regional and remote NSW to attend the NCOSS Awards on 27 October.

This support helps improve accessibility, inclusion and representation at this important sector event, reflecting our shared focus on strengthening community connections and supporting the people and organisations working closest with communities across NSW.

20/10/2026

This year’s GambleAware NSW campaign aims to tackle the stigma and shame that prevent people experiencing gambling harm from seeking support.

Gambling harm often reaches into every part of a person’s life, from relationships and finances to job security and housing.

It’s complex and often hidden, and it affects one in five people in NSW through their own or another person’s gambling.

Naming gambling harm and what it looks like makes it easier to recognise, talk about and seek support for. Now we see it. Let’s talk about it.

GambleAware Peer Support provides non-clinical support from trained Peer Support Workers with lived and living experience of gambling harm and recovery.

Share this post to help spread the word about the types of support available, including:
• gambling counselling
• financial counselling
• online and telephone support
• self-help tools
• peer connection opportunities
• culturally appropriate support

Contact GambleAware 24/7 via phone 1800 858 858, or find resources and information at gambleaware.nsw.gov.au

16/10/2026

Community organisations are central to building community resilience. The Community Organisations Disaster Adaptation (CODA) Project is strengthening the disaster readiness of communities and community service organisations.

Our new CODA Winter Update covers project activities from July to September 2026. It shares what’s working, including reaching the people the system misses, putting First Nations knowledge at the centre, person-centred planning, emergency service integration and building the sector’s own disaster capability.

It also names the systemic issues shaping community preparedness, and what needs to change:
- Fragmented, short-term funding
- From pilot to scaled practice: the missing pathway
- An unfunded mandate
- Working in silos
- Community-centred in principle, not in practice

📖 Read the Winter Update: https://ncoss.org.au/areas-of-work/publications/community-organisations-disaster-adaptation-report-winter-2026/

Thank you to the CODA project partners for all their work Local Community Services Association Resilient Lismore Monaro Family Support Service

The CODA Project is funded by the Australian Government and the NSW Government through the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF) Round 2.

Address

Level 1, 262 Liverpool Street
Darlinghurst, NSW
2010

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61292112599

Website

https://www.ncoss.org.au/

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