National Coordination Group
The National Coordination Group (NCG) advises the Minister for Social Services on how the response to Emergency Relief, Food Relief and Financial Counselling can assist individuals in need affected by economic crises, including cost of living pressures and natural disasters. The NCG was established on 11 April 2020 and members of the NCG include senior representatives from the Emergency Relief, Food Relief and, Financial Counselling and Volunteering sectors and officers from the Department of Social Services (DSS).
The NCG is informed by state and territory sub-committees, and by locally focused Government Area Coordinators (GAC) who work closely with service providers to understand what is happening on the ground regarding demand for services and emerging issues.
The role of the NCG
The role of the NCG is to provide advice to the Minister for Social Services to inform decisions on Emergency Relief, Food Relief, and Financial Counselling funding in response to economic crises.
The NCG also conducts its own research and data analysis, and provides the Minister for Social Services with evidence-based advice.
The NCG does not review or assess funding proposals or allocate or distribute Emergency Relief funds. Funding decisions are a matter for the Minister for Social Services.
Membership
Members of the NCG include senior representatives from the following sectors:
- Emergency Relief
- Food Relief
- Financial Counselling
- Volunteering
Offers from the Department of Social Services are also members.
| Role in NCG | Name | Position and Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | Ms Claerwen Little |
National Director UnitingCare Australia |
| Member | Ms Liza Balmer |
CEO Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women's Council Aboriginal Corporation |
| Member | Mr Stephen Brown |
CEO Launceston City Mission |
| Member | Ms Brianna Casey |
CEO Foodbank Australia |
| Member | Ms Kasy Chambers |
Executive Director Anglicare Australia |
| Member | Reverend Stu Cameron |
Chief Executive Officer Wesley Mission |
| Member | Ms Lyndsey Fitzgerald |
CEO Jacaranda Community Centre |
| Member | Mr Stuart Foster |
General Manager Community Services The Salvation Army |
| Member | Mr Peter Gartlan |
Joint CEO Financial Counselling Australia |
| Member | Ms Vicki Mau |
Director - Australian Programs Australian Red Cross |
| Member | Mr Toby oConnor |
CEO St Vincent de Paul Society National Council |
| Member | Mr Mark Pearce |
CEO Volunteering Australia |
| Member | Ms Sharron Williams |
Chief Executive Aboriginal Family Support Services |
| Ex-Officio Member | Ms Letitia Hope |
Deputy Secretary Families and Communities Department of Social Services |
For Service Providers
If you have any questions, your first point of contact is your local GAC. Specific contact details are provided in your Grant Agreement. GACs can help you if you:
- are an Emergency Relief provider and have a question relating to your funding agreement of you want to raise a concern about an increased demand on your service
- want to let someone know about what is happening in your local area in relation to Emergency Relief, Food Relief and Financial Counselling.
For Individuals
If you are an individual wanting to access Emergency Relief, you can find a full list of Commonwealth funded Emergency Relief services on the DSS Grant Service Directory. Under Filter by Type, select ‘Financial Crisis and Material Aid – Emergency Relief’ from the dropdown menu. The search results will list all Emergency Relief providers and you can further filter your search by location.
Provider details are updated regularly. From time to time, service providers change their service locations, which may result in the locational information not being current at the time of your search.
For Financial Counselling, you can also visit:
- DSS Grant Service Directory and search for ‘Commonwealth Financial Counselling’ from the drop down menu
- the National Debt Helpline (or by calling 1800 007 007), where you can also chat online with a financial counsellor.
Enquiries and contact
- The NCG welcomes contributions and ideas from organisations to assist the group with its deliberations. You can send these to ncg.secretariat@svdp.org.au.
- For questions about specific funding proposals email fwc@dss.gov.au.
- DSS encourages all clients to provide feedback. Making a complaint, giving a compliment, or offering a suggestion can help DSS improve its services. To lodge a complaint about an Emergency Relief grant recipient please go to the department’s website.
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