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Annual Report
Being in service
Supporting the frontline:
Community Door COVID-19 coverage
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Community Door COVID-19 Coverage
As the peak body for community services in Queensland, one of QCOSS’ key communication goals is to ensure that the sector is kept up to date with the latest developments and all the information they need to manage community services.
Community Door is a one-stop portal of information, news and resources for the community sector. The site is managed by QCOSS on behalf of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services. In 2020, Community Door was relaunched with a fresh new look and updated search features, bringing all the latest sector news, up-to-date training, funding opportunities, government updates and more.
In times of crisis it is even more critical that the sector has all the relevant information needed to be able to continue delivering essential services and supports to people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage.
That’s why, within hours of widespread restrictions being announced by government in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, a special COVID-19 section was set up on Community Door to keep community services informed of relevant issues impacting the sector.
It included the latest updates from state and federal governments, frequently asked questions and checklists, templates and resources to help organisations manage their business during the crisis, as well as links to specific COVID-related information for service providers and information for clients.
The volume of information and advice that was being produced around the crisis was overwhelming, and it was changing hour by hour. It was challenging for services to keep up to date while continuing to deliver services in a safe manner for their staff, clients and communities.
One of the roles of the QCOSS communication team throughout this ongoing crisis was to curate information from various sources including governments, community organisations, other peak bodies, the Councils of Social Service network, industry sectors such as utilities, banks, telecommunications, and so on.
We sifted through the information to find what was most relevant to the sector and ensure that it was presented in an easy to read format and in a timely manner.
“You guys (QCOSS) were one of the first organisations to put together those COVID resources. We really appreciated that!”
QCOSS member feedback
QCOSS provided regular updates to the sector with summaries of the latest information and resources, including material on how to keep services running, providing business continuity and emergency planning templates, information on government economic support, resources to help clients, and updates on housing and homelessness issues.
QCOSS Chief Executive Officer Aimee McVeigh also represented the sector on a number of stakeholder groups including the Premier’s Industry Recovery Alliance, Community Services Industry Taskforce, Human and Social Recovery Group, COVID-19 Seniors’ Taskforce, and the COVID-19 Housing Security Subcommittee.
