STRATEGIC PLAN 2014 – 2017

Our vision: Building a just society

Our mission: Standing in solidarity with those in need, expressing a faith that promotes justice

Our values: Welcoming – forming strong, faithful relationshipsDiscerning – being reflective and strategic in all we do

Courageous – standing up boldly to effect change

Our purpose:We work to build a just society where all people can live to their full potential - by partnering with community to support those most in need and working to change policies, practices, ideas

and values that perpetuate inequality, prejudice and exclusion.

Jesuit Social Services is a social change organisation guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the values of the Australian Jesuit Province, and the Jesuit commitment to a ‘faith that does justice’ and that seeks to care for the natural environment on which all life depends.

IntroductionJesuit Social Services’ starting point is one of gratitude for all we have received, including the gift of life itself. From this foundation of gratitude we strive to work generously to build a just society, finding ways to innovatively bring extremely marginalised people from the margins into our community and standing by them as they develop their potential.

We support people who are excluded and isolated – for whatever reason.

Jesuit Social Services has had many successes over the years; and we are now seeking to draw on our tradition of innovation to think and act differently in order to effect change and to live out our vision in the current context.

ContextJesuit Social Services strives to tackle entrenched, stubborn problems with an innovative way of thinking and operating. We aim to be solution finders.

In a period of declining revenue, governments continue to expect the community sector to achieve more with less financial resources.

The world is changing rapidly and so too must Jesuit Social Services, while being both grounded in local communities and mindful of the multiple global forces that impact on our world.

Our efforts extend to working with our colleagues in the Jesuit network beyond Australia, supporting them in our shared mission.

Who we work with - extremely marginalised peopleExtremely marginalised people struggle to be heard, their social and economic circumstances are often dire, they often lack the skills and expertise to emerge from their disadvantage, and in the mainstream they attract little understanding of their circumstances.

Extreme marginalisation is usually the result of chronic, complex and severe disadvantage. It is usually not the result of one factor, but rather a combination of problems that encompass poor physical and mental health, an absence of family or social support, lack of education, long term unemployment, a lack of economic resources and involvement in the justice system.

Strategic priorities 2014–17Jesuit Social Services has a strong track record in identifying and developing innovative responses to entrenched and emerging social problems. Building on this experience, we are committed to discerning improved approaches to address long term social challenges. Through a range of key partnerships we aim to deliver on the following five strategic priorities:

1. Removing the barriers that keep extremely marginalised people frommeaningful participation in the community

2. Promoting a deeper understanding within the community of the livesof people at risk of, or living with, extreme marginalisation

3. Building communities of justice

4. Creating a contemporary and sustainable organisational model thatrespects ecological justice

5. Developing more diverse funding streams.

GoalsJesuit Social Services has two key goals - to do and to influence:

A. Removing the barriers, in partnerships with others, that keep extremelymarginalised people from meaningful participation in the community.(Strategic priority 1)

B. Promoting a deeper understanding within the community of the lives ofpeople at risk of, or living with, extreme marginalisation.(Strategic priority 2)

We strive to achieve our goals of intervening and influencing by building communities of justice, creating a contemporary and sustainable organisational model that respects ecological justice and developing more diverse funding streams.(Strategic priorities 3, 4 and 5)

Jesuit Social Services | 326 Church St (PO Box 271) Richmond Vic 3121T: (03) 9421 7617 | F: (03) 9421 7699 | E: jss@jss.org.au | W: jss.org.au

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Making a difference

We w

ork to build a just society through supporting extremely m

arginalised people from a position of poverty or exclusion

to meaningful participation in society. W

e do this through the channels of comm

unity, programs and advocacy.

Who are w

e working w

ith, 2014-17?

We w

ork with those w

ho are most

in need – people without hope;

people on the edges of society; people w

ithout supports.

We w

ork with extrem

ely m

arginalised people within:

1.The justice system

2.Aboriginal com

munities

3.D

isadvantaged comm

unities

4.Asylum

seeker and refugeecom

munities.

Comm

unityBuilding relationships and fostering a sense of belonging is at the heart of all our

work. In everything w

e do we aim

to build comm

unity capacity and to strengthen social cohesion, engagem

ent, participation and the leadership of individuals and groups.

We reach out offering assistance, and respond w

ith action when invited.

We recognise that w

e are part of the comm

unities with w

hom w

e work, and our

comm

itment includes caring for the natural environm

ent, on which all of life depends.

Programs

We aim

to empow

er the extrem

ely marginalised to

participate meaningfully in

society. Our priority programs are:

•Justice and crim

e prevention

•M

ental health and wellbeing

•Settlem

ent and comm

unitybuilding

•Education, training and

employm

ent.

AdvocacyW

e aim to be an influencing voice across the

comm

unity and government, standing up for

the rights of extremely m

arginalised people.

We stand up boldly to effect change.

We advocate for im

proved comm

unity understanding and better policies and program

approaches to extrem

ely marginalised people.

Our advocacy is informed by our on-the-ground

experience and research.

We advocate for ecological justice and

acknowledge that environm

ental damage

impacts m

ost harshly on the most

disadvantaged people in society.