Read the full annual report - Queensland Council of Social Service

Leadership, governance
and management
Governance and quality management were high on the agenda during 2010-11 with
the development of the new 2011-13 Strategic Plan, a quality management system
and the launch of our Reconciliation Action Plan.
During the year we increased our income to $4,904,760 and achieved a surplus of
$31,297, increasing our equity to $1,014,420. Our auditors gave us an unqualified audit.
We gained new Commonwealth funding for a range of projects for the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Coalition, new funding for our low
income consumer advocacy work and new funding for the resilience project we are
undertaking in conjunction with Griffith University.
Improved technology included a replacement telephone system, the roll-out of new
PCs in our Townsville office, the development and launch of a fresh-look website as
well as an intranet and an IT helpdesk system.
Lacreicha Major and Kate Lowah-Bond undertook
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeships
with QCOSS during 2010-11.
IT experts Leonard O’Sullivan and Dietmar Frick in the
QCOSS server room.
We invested a record $42,400 in staff training and development, with all staff
undertaking some development activities and 13 per cent undertaking a traineeship
or supported university study.
We had two identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traineeships and three
other traineeships.
There were no industrial disputes.
Our staff numbers rose by 24 per cent during the year. We now have a record 52
employees working in Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Ravenshoe, Mt Isa, Wide Bay,
the Gold Coast, Toowoomba and Caboolture.
We developed a new policy to support staff experiencing domestic and family
violence and implemented a new capability framework.
We continued to implement the 2009 Queensland Industrial Relations Commission
Pay Equity Decision, rectifying the historic, gender-based undervaluation of the work
of community sector workers.
There were no workplace injuries resulting in compensation, a new workplace health
and safety officer was appointed and workplace health and safety representatives
were elected for Brisbane and regional workers. Comprehensive occupational health
and safety audits were conducted in our Brisbane and Townsville offices.
The staff survey revealed 87 per cent of staff understand QCOSS goals and how we
are seeking to achieve them (up 9 per cent), 97 per cent of staff are interested and
involved in our work (up 8 per cent), 78 per cent have clear priorities and a program
of work (up 9 per cent) and 95 per cent of staff have a performance plan in place
(up 23 per cent).
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Annual Report 2010-11