It’s been an action-packed year – headlined by two election campaigns and our most successful conference ever – and our team has handled challenges with passion and energy. Thank you for everything you do.
Thank you, also, to all of our dedicated board members, who give their valuable time and expertise to steer our organisation. We want to applaud them and every one of our members, who show up and do the best they can for the people in our community who need us the most.
Being part of WACOSS means that your voice, concerns and expertise are heard on both a state and national level. Together, we have the ability to influence policy decisions, advocate for meaningful change and shape the future of social services in WA.
Over the past year – and especially during the recent WA Election – we have achieved some great wins through our relationships, campaigning and advocacy with the State Government. These include:
- Targeted cost-of-living relief, such as:
- Boosts to the Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS),
- The expansion of breakfast programs in WA public schools,
- Cheaper public transport, and
- The extension of eligibility for the Hardship Utility Grants Scheme (HUGS) to include water for social housing tenants.
- Important support for quality Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services, such as:
- The creation and resourcing of the Office of Early Childhood.
- More sustainable funding for community services, such as:
- Funding uplifts for Child Sexual Abuse Therapeutic Services (CSATS), family and domestic violence services, financial counselling, and homelessness services; and
- Numerous increases in the indexation rate for service agreements (achieved over the past three years with our advocacy partners, Community Employers WA).
We know that commissioning delays and unsustainable funding have been affecting the ability of services to operate. We understand the continued challenge for organisations to live their values and purpose through the services they provide for people doing it tough. That’s why sustainable funding and commissioning will continue to be at the forefront of our advocacy.
It was wonderful to bring our community from the sector together at our sell-out 2025 WACOSS Conference in May. From the opening day – where we explored how to create truly trusted relationships with our partners from the Council of Aboriginal Services Western Australia – to the closing minutes; there were important lessons and ideas about the social change we can all make.
We celebrated those people and organisations whose work has had an outstanding impact at the 2025 Community Services Excellence Awards.
It’s important to stop and mark these achievements because the work that we do is never quite done. Now, more than ever, we need to come together to help lift the voices and needs of those most disadvantaged so that they are a priority for this State Government.
WACOSS is committed to continuing this journey with you and doing our absolute best to advocate for better. Better for our communities, better for vulnerable people, and better resources for our vital community services.
The Annual Report highlights our achievements during the 2024-25 financial year.
Download a copy of the Report.
Annual Report Snapshot
