Australian Council of Social Service
 | |
| Company type | Non-profit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1956 |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people |
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| Website | acoss |
The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce poverty and inequality, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia. It was formed in 1956.[1]
ACOSS is active in areas of social policy, including community sector policy, climate and energy, economics and tax, income support and employment, health, housing and homelessness, and poverty and inequality.
The current ACOSS CEO is Dr Cassandra Goldie who was previously the Director of the Sex Discrimination Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission (HREOC).
The ACOSS CEO is often interviewed by Australian media for comment and analysis on social matters and policies of the Government of Australia.
Governance
ACOSS has a 9-person volunteer Board of Governors, elected according to the Rules of Association adopted in August 2017.
Presidents
- January 2016 - current: Tony Reidy
- January 2015 - December 2016: Micaela Cronin
- December 2013 - January 2015: Francis Lynch
- November 2009 – November 2013: Simon Schrapel
- May–November 2009: David Thompson (interim)
- 2005-May 2009: Lin Hatfield Dodds
- 2001-2005: Andrew McCallum
- 1997-2000: Michael Raper
- 1993-1997: Robert Fitzgerald
- 1989-1993: Merle Mitchell
- 1985-1989: Julian Disney
Members
State and Territory Councils of Social Service
- ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS)
- NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS)
- South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS)
- Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS)
- Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS)
- Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS)
- Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS)
- Western Australia Council of Social Service (WACOSS)
National organisation members
- Adult Learning Australia
- AIDS Trust of Australia
- Anglicare Australia
- Australian Association of Social Workers
- Australian Baha’i Community
- Australian Catholic Social Justice Council
- Australian Council of State School Organisations
- Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations
- Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
- Australian Men’s Health Forum
- Australian Neighbourhood Houses & Centres Association
- Australian Psychological Society
- Australian Red Cross
- Australian Unemployed Workers' Union
- Australian Youth Affairs Coalition
- Baptist Care Australia
- Brotherhood of St Laurence
- Carers Australia
- Catholic Social Services Australia
- Children and Young People with Disability Australia
- Community Colleges Australia
- Community Housing Industry Association
- Community Mental Health Australia
- Consumers Health Forum of Australia
- COTA Australia
- Disability Advocacy Network Australia
- Down Syndrome Australia
- Family Relationship Services Australia
- Federation of Ethic Communities’ Councils of Australia
- Financial Counselling Australia
- Foodbank Australia
- Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand
- Good Shepherd Microfinance
- Goodstart Early Learning
- Homelessness Australia
- HOST International Ltd
- Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency
- InfoXchange
- Jobs Australia
- LGBTIQ – Support & Protection Services
- Life Without Barriers
- Mission Australia
- MS Australia
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS)
- National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
- National Association of Community Legal Centres
- National Association of People with HIV Australia
- National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum
- National Rural Health Alliance
- National Shelter
- National Social Security Rights Network
- Playgroup Australia
- Public Health Association of Australia
- Reconciliation Australia
- Relationships Australia
- Secretariat of National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care
- Settlement Council of Australia
- Society of St Vincent de Paul National Council
- The Benevolent Society
- The Salvation Army East and Southern Territories
- The Smith Family
- UnitingCare Australia
- Volunteering Australia
- WESNET
- Willing Older Workers
- YMCA Australia
- YWCA Australia
National constituency organisation members
- National Council of Single Mothers and their Children
- People with Disability Australia
- Women With Disabilities Australia
References
- ^ Philip Mendes Inside the Welfare Lobby: A History of the Australian Council of Social Service