Annual Report

In 2020-21, Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) has worked hard towards our vision of equality, opportunity and wellbeing for all Queenslanders, with a strong focus on ensuring Queensland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic benefited disadvantaged and vulnerable communities across our state.

A strategic priority this year was to ensure our advocacy and policy development was clearly informed by the day-to-day experiences and emerging needs of our members. The QCOSS team have worked hard to capture members’ voices and knowledge in their work, and their success is evidenced by the broad range of research reports, policy submissions and advocacy campaigns they have delivered. Each piece has contributed to furthering the work of our community service sector, a sector that represents more than 5,000 not for profit organisations, 140,000 employees and 324,000 volunteers in Queensland.

These efforts culminated late in the year with the launch of the Town of Nowhere campaign, which called for more government investment in social housing as a response to Queensland’s ongoing housing crisis. Developed in response to member feedback and sector research, the campaign worked with QCOSS members to effectively advocate across government in the lead up to the 2021 Queensland Budget. 

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the QCOSS team for their hard work supporting our sector.

I would also like to acknowledge the ongoing support from the Queensland Government, the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, and our many other partners.

Finally, I thank our more than 500 members. Your commitment to QCOSS allows us to achieve significant outcomes for the communities we serve. QCOSS reflects your passion, vibrancy and energy and looks forward to deepening our engagement as we seek to achieve our vision.