Lucy grew up in what she calls the ‘rougher end of Logan’ in Yugambeh country in Queensland. She has spent her life in an urban community where all forms of government ‘were missing the mark’ when it came to social disadvantage.

“Due to being a Black fulla and the massive oppression that has occurred for my father, my grandfather and my great grandmother who were taken off the country by force has always placed me in a position of disadvantage,” she said.

Early in her life, she understood the struggles of her Mob and the long road ahead to turn things around,

Lucy was raised by a single white mum who never shied away from the fact that her kids were Black.

“I was exposed to racism from a young age, and my mum was our biggest advocate. She would say to us kids ‘I would never understand what it feels like, but as your mother, I feel the pain and it is my responsibility to use every bit of my white privilege to give you the best start in life.’”

Lucy’s mum equipped her and her siblings with knowledge of politics and literature and showed what their force needed to grow into to become drivers of change.

“My mum is everything to us – she is the matriarch of the family.”

Today, Lucy champions her unique approach to change as the National RAP Manager for the Salvation Army.

“Some of the most inspirational women in my life have been my leaders and co-workers at Salvation Army, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. They’ve truly listened and allowed me to create spaces for women to speak up.”

The common thread in Lucy’s life has been strong women coming together to fight for a better tomorrow for First Nations Peoples across their lands – but often these women faced resistance across many facets of Australian society.

“Women from other Mobs are my sisters, we band together – from the commonality of the oppression we’ve all faced together. It is sad but it is the way it is.”

“In Aboriginal communities, women are the backbone. But their voices don’t always fit,” she reflected.

“Our men are on a real journey of reconstructing who they are because our women are so strong and have stepped up. But this is also the case in white culture – in politics, everyone struggles when a woman speaks up.”

In the weeks and months following the 2023 Constitutional Referendum, Lucy has hosted Voice-inspired sessions with Mob23 in partnership with local ‘Yes’ groups, continuing the fight for First Nations Peoples. Lucy is determined to turn disappointment into strength and optimism for her Mob.

Lucy cites her sister who summed up the defeat of the Voice beautifully, “We will never recover – we had a chance to recover, and we didn’t. However, we now have six million new friends – the six million who voted yes.”

The Gold Coast Afghan community hosted a barbeque one afternoon for Lucy’s Mob23 to give them hope after the vote, which also coincided with the beginning of the Gaza/Israel war.

“These Afghan brothers and sisters had taken the time out to host something for my Mob, and they didn’t mention once that their neighbouring country was entering a war and that they might have family there, or their struggles,” she reflected.

For Lucy, investing in women and ‘counting them in’, as is this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, is a no-brainer in helping solve some of the most critical issues Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women face today, such as domestic violence, incarceration rates and finding a path forward post-referendum.

“There is a real push towards accepting women and their stories in our community. If Australian governments are serious about closing the gap, they must change their structures to allow women to have their voice heard in different areas of society and positions of power.”

“My early years were tumultuous and catastrophic at times. I grew up violently poor and entrenched in my parent’s unhealed wounds. Police sirens, black eyes, dislocated from the motherland Papua New Guinea, I am driftwood, and my performances are earth, solid grounding. I exist and create because of healing.”

When Mel Ree responded to our request to be profiled as part of International Women’s Day, she spoke with her truth.  Her words were powerful and revealing, as she began her story with the heartbreak of her childhood.

Out of the chaos and trauma, Mel was clearly a woman who was destined to evolve, share herself and her talents and help heal others through art and performance.

The first to do many things in her family lineage, like attend university, live in a big city, and pursue a career in the arts – Mel has forged ahead with pride and courage, but it hasn’t been without sorrow and grief.

“I am the first to speak our families’ truths with pride. I have lifetimes of intergenerational trauma and negative programming I have to work through in all areas of my life … My art is my therapy and I have accepted the whole truth of my ugly and it is powerful and beautiful in its own way, and I am thriving because of it,” Mel said.

Upon graduating from acting school, she found herself embodying other people’s stories – but not her own. It was through her friend and creator, Ayeesha Ash, who opened the door to poetry, and another world opened for Mel. One that allowed her to start her own journey of healing.

Through Ayeesha, and her dearly departed mentor, butch Queen activist and storyteller, Candy Royalle, Mel began her journey in leading through her words and art.

“I wrote, I spoke fearlessly, I opened my heart and emptied its contents into the bodies who came to witness and hold space at our poetry events, and my heart always returned more full,” she said.

“Poetry is one of the last revolutionary spaces where the voice of the people in the trenches, the marginalised, the outcast and the ‘different’ – we gather here to speak truth.”

Mel’s poetry and performances speak to, and represent, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women and Queer communities – something that was historically missing in mainstream media for far too long.

“Imagine never seeing your reflection. You wouldn’t know yourself. Wouldn’t recognise the intricacies of the shape of you, wouldn’t know that when the sun hits your iris at a certain angle you can see all your ancestors gathered like petals in bathwater, gentle, overwhelming beauty.

We NEED to see ourselves to know ourselves! I have become the woman I needed when I was a child. My friends, all of them, I would DIE and be reborn to have seen them on my screens and magazines as a child. I would have been saved from years of self-loathing. I would have known then I was beautiful too.”

Mel’s stories are not only raw and heartfelt reflections of marginalised communities, but also the truth of her life as a Black woman.

“My story is the story of healing. Of black rise and revolution. When I perform my own work I offer this story, with every cell in my body, with the intention that I might inspire someone’s healing or at the very least, give them permission to stand in their truth.

When I am a part of someone else’s work, I wear my afro full volume, I speak eloquently, my chest is high and I let every woman know, there is no shame, stand proud my sister, I will open this door and build its foundations strong for when you are ready to come through.”

With so much to say, and with the prospect of touching so many lives, Mel’s words on International Women’s Day are a call to action for women of all communities.

“Let love lead.

We, the world, our leaders, are so broken, our most sacred spaces infiltrated by greed, power hungry toxic patriarchal systems. Women possess all the qualities to heal the world, but they do not know or feel they have a right to because they haven’t seen themselves reflected, represented, in all the spaces they are not, women should know, feel, SEE that they are entitled to, deserve to be there and take up space.

The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Let’s try something new then hey?

Let women lead.”

Mel Ree will be performing her show, Revolution Renegade, as part of the BEMAC program for 2024.

Mel also hopes to one day take her one-woman show ‘Mother May We’ nation-wide, which premiered at Sydney’s Griffin Theatre in 2022.

We are pleased to announce a new social enterprise from SSI – SSI Legal, a law practice specialising in immigration matters.

Through a long history of working with newcomers to Australia, we have identified the need for more ethical, trusted legal services to support people navigating Australia’s ever-changing and complex immigration system. We’ve established SSI Legal Pty Ltd to meet this need.

SSI acquired Mary Hanna Lawyers, a Melbourne-based migration law practice with extensive experience and a highly regarded reputation for delivering quality services in this space.

The transition of Mary Hanna Lawyers to SSI has enabled Mary Hanna to accept an appointment with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, while her clients, practice and team have all transitioned seamlessly to the new legal practice with SSI.

We are proud to continue to build on the respected work of Mary Hanna and be led by the same values and principles of our wider organisation, committed to putting people first with a focus on ethics, honesty and respect.

For more information or to speak to one of our dedicated immigration lawyers, visit About SSI Legal – SSI.

Aged care providers across Australia know firsthand the impact of the ongoing workforce shortages. Some aged care homes are working below capacity, meaning seniors needing care have no option but to remain in hospitals for extended periods. Overcoming this staffing gap is a collaborative effort across the sector.

As part of our Home Care Staffing Support (HCSS) initiative in NSW and the ACT, we’ve partnered with Hireup Australia’s largest NDIS-registered platform of support workers. Together, we’re working on cost-effective and flexible ways to connect more aged care providers with qualified care workers.

Focus Care Australia’s Service Operations Manager, Maria Paul recently shared insights into the benefits of the HCSS. She highlighted how key challenges are being solved to get more workers into jobs to care for Australia’s seniors.

Impact in action

“Focus Care provides in-home aged care, dementia care and disability support. We’ve experienced many different recruitment support programs across many regions. SSI and Hireup have been the ones that have made us the most hopeful by being the most effective solution for us,” Maria said.

She continued, “We’re a medium-sized company and passion is one of our biggest drivers – we thrive off it and promote that! The program has allowed us to be very responsive and given us the ability to maintain the consistency of our support to clients.”

Since joining the HCSS in June 2023, Focus Care has worked with approximately 30 different support workers, each helping to address their resourcing needs and working closely with case managers and Focus Care’s head office.

“Resourcing has been the biggest benefit for us. Our focus is always on building quality services, especially in terms of supporting our workforce as they carry out community care,” Maria said.

“Hireup makes that so much easier to do and has ensured our existing workforce isn’t spread too thin.”

“There are also financial benefits. SSI allows us to submit a 50 per cent rebate for the cost of paying Hireup support workers and with the money we’re saving, we can allocate more into helping both the people we support and our workers,” she added.

In a broader sense, the collaboration has given Focus Care a wider range of diverse expertise and personalities who can support clients. It has improved the quality of care that seniors receive and ensured that cultural contexts are considered when support workers provide aged care services.

Maria explained, “Almost 1,000 hours have been covered over the space of a few months. To us, that’s an unbelievable amount. If you think of it this way: without that workforce, that would be 1,000 hours where elderly people in our community would have gone without the fundamental care they need.”

In tandem with the Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP), the HCSS has given aged care providers and workers a greater degree of flexibility in the hiring process and prompt job placement. The HCWSP ensures that all workers are trained and job-ready, while the HCSS pairs workers with providers in need of staff, both directly addressing staff shortages.

“Giving us options or solutions to tackle workforce challenges confidently – unbeatable! That’s what the HCSS has done, it’s a great partnership,” Maria said proudly.

How it works

As part of the government-funded HCWSP program, the HCSS provides flexible resourcing options for eligible Aged Care Providers by giving them access to the thousands of care workers seeking work via the Hireup platform.

SSI provides eligible aged care providers with a subsidy to cover 50% of the wages of casual workers hired through the Hireup initiative.

At the core, the initiative creates more opportunities and shifts for support workers. The knock-on effect is a job-ready pool of carers available to look after senior Australians.

Since partnering with Hireup in March 2023, we’ve seen both the HCWSP and HCSS continue to grow and actively contribute to the industry’s workforce shortage.

Over the past few decades, we have witnessed the national narrative about January 26 gather in intensity and evolve from a straightforward day of celebration to a milestone that triggers debate on the duality of our nation’s complex history and experiences.

Personally, January 26 has always had special significance as the day new Australians become full citizens and are able to participate in all aspects of our society. It was also the day that, three years ago, I was made a member of the Order of Australia.

Yet there is a growing awareness and consideration among Australians, like me, of how this date also marks a historic trauma for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people— the arrival of the First Fleet, and the beginning of the loss of Indigenous land, people, and culture.

In the wake of the deeply disappointing failure of the Voice referendum, it is more important than ever that we respectfully take personal accountability to look outside ourselves and listen to First Nations experiences and voices.

Whether you recognise the day as ‘Australia Day’ or ‘Invasion Day’, January 26 is a day of mourning for our land’s traditional custodians. In recognition of this, I will not be celebrating next Friday. Instead, I will be taking the time to reflect on our nation’s Blak history and hold space to listen to the experiences of First Nations artists, storytellers, and leaders.

Many people making this shift personally is beginning to trigger businesses, organisations, and communities to reflect on their response to the day.

In 2022, only four councils across Australia chose not to hold Australia Day citizenship ceremonies. A year later at least 81 councils nationwide announced they would not be holding citizenship ceremonies on January 26.

Retailers are adapting too. Due to a gradual decline in demand, major retailers Woolworths, Aldi, and Kmart have decided not to stock Australia Day merchandise this year, alongside several other major chains.

And many organisations are changing their policies to allow staff to make their own decision on if they want to take part in the public holiday or work and choose another date to have time off.

This year, we are also working towards having flexibility around significant days like January 26 to reflect the values of the organisation and employees and needs of clients and communities.

Listening to First Nations communities and making these options available is important to me personally, and an important part of SSI’s reconciliation journey. As was taking an organisational stance to support The Voice.

SSI took a formal position to support the Voice because it strongly aligned with our mission—to empower individuals and groups to achieve their full potential—and that is what The Voice to Parliament was all about.

The disappointment of the referendum results has not deterred our commitment to reconciliation. SSI and I will continue to work with First Nations peoples to realise ‘Makarrata.’

As the duality of Australia Day becomes more evident, it is imperative that we navigate this complex terrain with empathy, openness, and a commitment to reconciliation.

By celebrating our strengths and acknowledging Australia’s complex history and its ongoing impacts, we can pave the way for a more inclusive, and cohesive national identity and future.

A career in home care offers many benefits for flexible work, a range of work options, and the potential to build a meaningful career.

We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers to help clarify what home care work can look like for you.

Home care is in-home professional daily living support for seniors.

Home care workers support seniors with simple tasks inside and outside the home. These include shopping, social outings, light household work, cleaning, helping with medications, cooking and food preparation, and ultimately, helping seniors to live at home for longer.

Working in home care is perfect for people looking for a fulfilling long-term career. You won’t need any prior qualifications and our free workforce support program will guide you through every step of the way.
If you have soft skills like empathy and patience, enjoy the company of seniors, and you live or can work in NSW or the ACT, a career in home care could be for you.
We also help you with gain requirements including;
● Driver’s licence
● First Aid training
● Connect you with a registered training organisation for additional training options such as Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability).

Home care roles can be full-time, part-time or casual. You can take on a workload best suited to your lifestyle and work fewer hours if needed. There are also roles available in a wide range of locations including regional suburbs, giving you the freedom to work where and when you want to work.

You don’t need any to begin, but SSI can support you with gaining new ones, including:
● Professional mentoring and career coaching
● Free accredited and non-accredited training
● Access to specified Home Care Traineeship, including a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) or Health Services Assistance.

Home care offers many different opportunities to progress in your career. We can help you upskill and move forward in:
● personal care work
● administration
● home care management
● nursing
● counselling
● care coordination
● allied health – health practitioners who are not doctors, dentists, nurses or midwives. e.g. psychologists, podiatrists, physiotherapists, pharmacists
● speech pathology, and many other career paths.
You can download our Home Care Career Roadmap to view an outline of the different development pathways and find the right one for you.

Following a decision by the Fair Work Commission, as of 30 June 2023, direct carers and certain senior food services employees nationwide have received a 15 per cent wage increase.
This means that working in home care is recognised for the value and quality of the work, while also matching the growing cost of living.

Home care offers the chance to do meaningful work that has a positive impact.
You can expect flexible working hours and the option to either work full-time or part-time. There are also positions available in many different locations, including regional areas, meaning you can work near where you live, work on a schedule that suits you and be able to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Through SSI’s Home Care Workforce Support Program, you can also receive a complimentary 12-month My NRMA membership that allows you to access discounts on fuel, electricity, dining, insurance and much more.

Yes, but SSI supports you with this process. Our team will walk you through the entire process and even reimburse the cost of Working With Children Checks and National Police checks.

Our Participant Service Delivery team supports you in the registration process and covers NDIS costs and background check costs. Where needed, we will also refer you to our training team for any further accreditation you may need.
We also assist with obtaining a driver’s license and car insurance, making sure you’re ready for the job.
We create a Care Profile for every participant that gathers information on your lived experience related to care and helps generate a one-page snapshot of who you are and what your skills are.

Within 24 hours of your initial query, our team will respond via phone, email or text to begin the eligibility screening process.
Depending on the provider, the placement process can take approximately six to eight weeks, however, we work tirelessly behind the scenes to expedite it as much as possible.
We also provide post-placement follow-up calls at one, three, six and twelve-month intervals that track your progress once you are paired with a provider.

Start your journey in home care by registering for the Home Care Workforce Support Program here.

Australia’s growing ageing population and workforce shortages impact all generations, not only seniors.

Through strategic recruitment efforts and getting passionate workers into care jobs, we can help seniors across the country receive the support they need now and in years to come.

Australians are expected to live longer and healthier than ever before. The number of people over 65 is set to double in the next 40 years, according to the government’s latest Intergenerational Report.

While living longer and healthier is great news, data from the National Mental Health Commission also shows that seniors are more likely to experience loneliness. This is reflected in having fewer close relationships in retirement, health conditions, and living alone in their own homes. In fact, nearly one in five (19 per cent) of people aged 75 and older reported feeling lonely.

A core part of home care work is providing support to combat loneliness. For many seniors, care workers provide the added benefits of developing and maintaining vital connections on a regular basis and encourage a sense of participation with friends, family and in the community.

According to the data, addressing loneliness can even help prevent further chronic physical conditions like heart disease, stroke and even dementia.

Seniors are increasingly choosing to live independent lives at home. Research by National Seniors Australia showed 92 per cent of Australians want to stay at home as they age.

Focusing on home care can potentially reduce seniors’ need to prematurely enter aged care homes. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of Australians receiving Commonwealth-funded home care packages — support from the government to cover the costs of accommodation and specific care needs — nearly quadrupled from 55,000 to 216,000.

This rise in seniors requiring support needs to be met with a proportional rise in the availability of people trained to provide support.

CEDA forecasts the need for care and support workers will continue to grow, and by 2030 the Australian care sector will need at least 110,000 more support workers.

Remedying the workforce shortage starts with the simple step of getting more people engaged in the sector. The government-funded Home Care Workforce Support Program (HCWSP) aims to do so by attracting, training and recruiting more aged care workers.

We are delivering the free-to-join program in NSW and the ACT, helping aspiring care workers access opportunities, apply for the roles they are best suited for and upskill with free training where needed.

On an individual level, home care work offers a wide range of flexible work styles that can be both indoors and outdoors, and create a work-life balance with casual, part-time and full-time roles.

Home care is one of the unique careers where you can witness first-hand the positive impact of your work. That sense of fulfilment and knowing you have made a difference in someone’s life is what support workers who are already in the care sector say is the highlight of their work.

If you are considering a new career, changing industries, or looking to help someone and make a difference, working in home care might be a great fit.

Start your journey today by registering your interest in the Home Care Workforce Support Program here, or call us on 1800 849 010.

Kerry took a leap into home care after a rewarding 25-year career in community pharmacy, driven by her unwavering compassion for helping seniors.

Having already spent much of her career in the pharmacy assisting older people, home care seemed a perfect fit.

Looking back on her transition, Kerry said the decision to join SSI’s Home Care Workforce Support Program was easy and she felt supported every step of the way.

“It took me about a month from the time I contacted SSI to starting my job. They made it simple and were very helpful. The staff called me every few days to see what was happening,” she said.

The transition from a strict five-day workweek in pharmacy to choosing her own work hours at Catholic Healthcare was ideal for Kerry. She liked to do other things three days a week, and on those days she would begin work at one o’clock, which suited her lifestyle. Gradually Kerry shifted back to full-time work as she enjoyed her new role helping the elderly so much.

In addition to embracing flexibility, one of the most rewarding aspects of Kerry’s work is the social connection she provides to those she cares for. Many elderly individuals do not get the opportunity to interact with others on a regular basis.

“Just by helping them to continue to live at home, where they feel most comfortable, I can brighten their day with my visits,” she reflected.

Kerry also recognised that while many elderly individuals had given so much to others throughout their lives, they now needed assistance to keep their independence.

“They’ve worked hard all their life and it’s nice to give back,” said Kerry.

For these seniors, Kerry’s visits aren’t just about chores; they are a chance to share stories, make connections and even enjoy a simple cup of tea together.

She enjoys getting to know the seniors she cares for and finding out what they’re interested in.

“By introducing their interests back to them, it gives them a purpose,” she noted.

One of the seniors Kerry supports once revealed that his father used to teach budgies to whistle. Because he lived alone, she seized the opportunity to help him get a budgie of his own.

“When I recently visited him, he told me, ‘I’m so happy I got a budgie. It’s made me so happy. I wouldn’t give him away for anything’,” she recalled.

Prior to his new colourful companion, Kerry’s client rarely got out of bed. Having a sense of purpose and something to care for every day has, in her words, ‘made a big difference’.

Watch Kerry’s full story here.

Learn how SSI’s Home Care Workforce Support Program can help you to build a meaningful care career here.