Larissa Edwards

👂This was a great webinar with Merran and Tessa providing many insights into the latest research into family violence and its prevention in Australasia. It's well worth checking out if you can.

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"This wage increase had been decades in the making and is a victory for every early childhood educator and teacher ... as well as children and families," Georgie Dent told Dana Daniel at The Canberra Times. The Parenthood and other advocacy groups have welcomed the Anthony Albanese government's $3.6 billion wage boost for early childhood educators. Educators will get a government-funded 10 per cent pay rise in December and a further five per cent a year later, under a deal struck with unions pursuing industry-wide bargaining case that argues the award wage in the "feminised" sector is too low. “The recent wage increases in the aged care sector, funded by the Federal Government, led to a sharp decline in vacancies, highlighting that higher wages can help address workforce shortages," Georgie said in our media release. “We can expect this wage rise to have a similar effect by reducing the number of educators leaving the sector and attracting a higher number of aspiring educators.” Echoing the sentiments of the early learning sector and unions, Georgie said “early childhood education is one of the lowest paid professions in the country, and the sector is currently facing severe workforce shortages. “Educators are at the heart of the early learning system, and this wage increase marks the start of a stronger, more sustainable early childhood education and care sector. “Federal and State Governments have invested in training incentives for the educator workforce over the past few years. “The Parenthood commends the Commonwealth Government for investing in this profession which plays a critical role in shaping Australia’s future. The benefits of the wage rise will be seen in myriad ways – from higher early learning and preschool enrolment rates to better workforce participation for women; educators and working mothers alike.” Read our media release here: https://lnkd.in/gRNv5Z7P And the article in the Canberra Times here: https://lnkd.in/g_93aBK8

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New NDIS Legislation in Effect Today – 3rd October 2024! Starting today, new NDIS legislation is officially in effect, impacting what disability supports are funded. Find out what is not funded. Most supports will remain in place. We encourage you to stay informed and updated. Read our latest newsletter Whole Warrior Insider for detailed insights on these changes and how they might affect you as a participant or provider. Be sure to stay connected by subscribing to the Whole Warrior Insider for more updates, tips, and guidance! Read More & Subscribe Now! https://lnkd.in/gJa3Ua6R Let’s continue empowering futures, together!

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I understand that some people might support the overall vision of the NDIS review, and because of that, they feel like this particular NDIS Amendment Bill is either net good, mostly good or just plain good. But the Bill is not the review. The review claimed to be about putting people with disability back at the heart of the scheme. It proposed doing away with the 'unhelpful' focus on primary disabilities, and focusing instead on support needs of an eligible population. The Bill however, was drafted by Department of Social Services. Make no mistake, these people are not friends and these people come from an entirely different set of perspectives and principles than the creators of the NDIS. DSS are the people who brought you the Disability Support Payment Impairment Tables, you know the idea that you need 20 points from one impairment to be a CertifiedDisabledTM? DSS' NDIS Bill puts impairments back at the heart of the Scheme. Putting impairments back at the centre of the Scheme means walking away from an inclusion-focused, social-model approach. It means saying, "I don't care how much suffering is being caused because you can't walk, can't get out of bed, don't have the assistive technology you need to go to work, that's not your eligible impairment and it's not my problem." This is not the NDIS anyone fought for. An impairment-driven scheme, where bureaucrats tell us how much of which supports we need for our certified impairments, is not more certainty. I challenge supporters of the bill to consider it against, not the status quo, but against an alternate reform bill. A bill that didn't focus on raising debts against participants, entrenching the concept of an eligible impairment, putting people and supports into 'classes,' and limiting access to creative and mainstream supports. Imagine a bill that started with establishing navigators and foundational supports and cracking down on provider fraud. Think of how different the reaction might be? Think of what a different message that would send. There is always an alternative. If you've convinced yourself there isn't, look again.

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