Research reports, articles and submissions across a range of advocacy topics.
Poverty and cost of living
In 2023, Anglicare provided a submission to the Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into the extent and nature of poverty in Australia.
We argued, first, that poverty is a policy decision, not an inevitable fact of life. Secondly, we discussed the nature of poverty as a web of disadvantage that impacts every aspect of people’s lives. We highlighted to the Committee some of the stories shared with us through two short surveys, capturing the experiences of people experiencing poverty and the workers supporting them.
This document was followed by a further submission in 2024 to the Australian Government Select Committee on the Cost of Living. Our submission drew heavily upon the lived experience of our clients and staff in managing during the current cost-of-living crisis.
Housing and homelessness
Rental Affordability Snapshot
Southern Queensland
Brisbane metropolitan area
Parity (Council to Homeless People)
The ache for home: rental affordability in Brisbane (Nov 2017)
‘Now it’s my time’: of being an expert in one’s own life (Nov 2017)
The outsiders: more than one way to criminalise homelessness (June 2019)
Home Stretch Queensland: Triggering Change (Feb 2021)
Review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement
Anglicare provided a submission into the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (March 2022).
Our submission emphasised the need for a rights-based, strategic national policy approach and associated funding to address the housing crisis now and into the future. We reiterated that a core problem in the housing and homelessness context continues to be income insufficiency. Income support measures such as JobSeeker and Commonwealth Rent Assistance remain inadequate for those in need – particularly now, when COVID is impacting on housing availability, surging rents, the looming termination of NRAS subsidies, and lengthy wait lists for social housing.
The Productivity Commission report on the review was published on 30 September, and can be accessed here.
Consultation on a National Housing and Homelessness Plan
Anglicare provided a submission to the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) consultation to inform a National Housing and Homelessness Plan.
In our submission, we address not only the interventions and supports that need to be part of a national plan, but also ask the bigger question: Do we want to ‘reduce’ or ‘manage’ homelessness — or do we want to end it?
Mental health
Anglicare provided a submission to the Queensland Government Mental Health Select Committee’s 2022 Inquiry into Opportunities to Improve Mental Health Outcomes for Queenslanders.
Our submission emphasised an active, strengths-based approach that enables a dialogue on how to build mentally healthy and resilient communities, and embed mental health services within them. We suggest that this approach steers away from targeting ‘high risk’ groups, to position mental health as a universal concern for all community members, supported by a continuum of services that offers early and easy access, reduces stigma and has the flexibility to address the particular needs of individuals and groups to ensure equity of access and culturally appropriate care.
Children and young people
Youth justice
Anglicare has provided many submissions over the years to multiple youth justice inquiries and consultation rounds.
Most recently (2023-24), we provided a submission to the Queensland Government Youth Justice Reform Select Committee inquiry into youth justice reform. Our submission drew heavily on the voices of the young people from our Intensive Bail Initiative program in Logan and on the Gold Coast, recognising that there are relatively few opportunities for young people themselves to offer insights into what would deter them from offending behaviours. This submission provided one way for Government to hear their voices.
We also contributed to the consultation regarding the Queensland Community Safety Bill 2024. Our submission focused on provisions of the Bill that potentially provide opportunities for even more media negativity and sensationalism about youth offending. We argue that such reporting encourages stereotyping of young people and influences community perceptions, as well as action such as ‘Facebook vigilantism’ that alienates young people from their communities. This in turn undermines the possibility of community ties and support acting as key protective factors for young people in steering them away from potential offending behaviours.
This submission also drew upon a University of Queensland student partnership project that examined media representations of youth offending.
Early Years
Anglicare provided a submission to the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS) consultation in 2023 to inform a new Early Years Strategy, in recognition of the vital importance of the first five years of every child’s life.
We also made a 2024 submission to the Queensland Government consultation to inform the proposed Putting Queensland Kids First package, and how it will deliver better outcomes for young Queenslanders.
Home Stretch
On the Home Stretch to a new beginning (with Jodie Senbruns and Chantell-Marie Inglis, 2021)
Home Stretch Queensland: a safe bridge to adulthood (with Madison Rath, 2021)
Home Stretch Queensland: Triggering Change (with Aimee, youth advisor to the Home Stretch steering group, 2021)
Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility
Anglicare provided a submission to the 2021 Queensland Government Inquiry into raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years.
As part of the national #RaisetheAge campaign, we believe that the current age of 10 years of age is totally inconsistent not only with medical advice, but also with social norms and expectations about protecting children.
Youth Voices
Final Report (2017)
Social isolation and loneliness
Our submission to the Queensland Government’s 2021 Inquiry into Social Isolation and Loneliness in Queensland offers examples of successful Anglicare programs, services and activities that contribute to the protective factors that we know mitigate social isolation and loneliness; and suggests ways in which existing programs can be leveraged to benefit Queenslanders at risk.
Women
Anglicare staff from Homelessness Services (Women & Families), INSYNC youth services, Children & Families (Foster and Kinship Care), members of our senior management and Executive team, and our Mental Health and Family Wellbeing program area provided input to a new Queensland Women’s Strategy.
See our submission here.
Domestic and family violence
With the Anglican Church Southern Queensland, Anglicare provided a submission to the Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General consultation into a domestic and family violence perpetrator strategy.
Our response is written in the context of our deep commitment to stop domestic and family violence in all its forms and to care and support those impacted by violence.
Decriminalisation of public intoxication
Anglicare staff from the Managing Public Intoxication Program in Townsville provided input to our submission to this 2022 Queensland Government inquiry.
Our submission focused on four key points:
- We draw on the deep expertise and experience of Anglicare SQ staff to affirm our belief that a health- and welfare-based response is a more effective and humane way to address public intoxication than a criminal justice response.
- We are strong supporters of holistic, collaborative models of service provision that leverage worker and organisational expertise and resources, and enable individualised, wraparound responses to those we work with.
- We recognise the value of localised responses that reflect the nature, issues and strengths of local communities in helping them to address their own problems.
- We are confident that learnings from other jurisdictions have much to offer in flagging potential problems, identifying opportunities, and suggesting innovations that could be adapted and trialed in Queensland.
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