3 New Resources for Volunteer Leaders | September 2024

Discover new resources for volunteer leaders, including the latest reports:

#1: Mapping Economic Disadvantage in New South Wales Report  

The second Mapping Economic Disadvantage in NSW Report (April 2023) from NCOSS, supported by the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) is based on the 2021 Census data. The first report was launched in 2019, drawing on the 2016 Census data. 

The purpose of this project is to tell the story of poverty and economic disadvantage in NSW and the groups most impacted. The report draws on detailed data to highlight emerging trends in the nature and extent of poverty, and how the picture of significant economic disadvantage in NSW has changed since the 2016 Census.  

At first glance it appears that the overall rate of poverty for NSW has not changed since the 2016 Census, however there is a more complex underlying story of: 

• Poverty rates climbing upwards for some groups – renters, older people, part-time workers among them, while decreases for other groups are modest at best. People who were already struggling are being hardest hit, as they do not have the capital required to weather the storm. 

• The impact of discrimination and structural barriers compounding disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and people with disability. 

• Locations in western and south-western Sydney are going backwards, while well-off suburbs improved their position. Poverty continues to be more widespread in rural and regional NSW, despite improvements since 2016. 

This research marks a sobering milestone: almost 1 million people in NSW are now living in poverty. Of great concern is that the data is from 2021, so it can be expected that the situation today will be far worse. The additional government supports available through COVID-19 have ended, and the housing and cost-of-living crises have ramped up since the Census.  

The report is supported by two interactive tools:  

1. Online Mapping Tool – This allows users to filter the data for different population groups, by different variables, and to see the results for small geographic areas across NSW. Online Mapping Tool 

1. Data Dashboard – This allows users to drill-down into smaller geographical areas to see poverty rates for different variables, how they compare to NSW averages, and how they have changed since 2016. Data Dashboard  

For further information, download the Key Themes Report and the Research Report. 

#2 Report on Supported Playgroups 

The Department of Communities and Justice published a report (June 2024) summarising the evidence base for supported playgroups by Justice Family and Community Services Insights, Analysis and Research (FACSIAR).  

The report found that supported playgroups can improve child outcomes, including language, cognition, behaviour, socialisation, transition to school; and parent outcomes, including attachment, responsiveness, and social connection. 

The report looks at best practice elements that can guide playgroup design, service planning and implementation.  

For more information, read the full report and summary. 

#3 Infoxchange Online Resources

Infoxchange is a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering smart and creative use of technology for social justice, charities and community groups at Digital Transformation Hub.

The Infoxchange Cybersafe Hub provides practical cyber support for individuals and communities in its one-stop training centre for staying safe online.  

For more information about this resource Cybersafe Hub.

More Resources

Find all your volunteer management resources in one place, including editable forms, eLearning modules and training videos. Visit the Knowledge Base library.