Unitingcare australia

MANDATE

(revised 7/3/00 by the UnitingCare Australia National Reference Committee)

Agency/Committee

UnitingCare Australia

Responsible To

Assembly

Reporting Arrangements

Mission

To Assembly Standing Committee and the Assembly

UnitingCare Australia’s Mission is to voice the Uniting Church’s commitment to supporting individuals, families and communities through advocacy and the enhancement of community service provision.

Mandate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandatory Requirements

of

Each Agency

of the National Assembly

of

the Uniting Church

To develop and reflect on the policies and practices of the Uniting Church in community services.

To take up community service issues within the framework of the social justice perspectives of the Uniting Church.

To pursue appropriate community service issues within the Uniting Church, with other churches, with the Australian community and with governments.

Acting within guidelines set from time to time by the Assembly or the Assembly Standing Committee, UnitingCare Australia will:

  1. encourage theological reflection on the church’s community services work;
  2. enable exchange of information across synods and Uniting Church service providers on community service matters;
  3. seek to enhance the quality of service provision by the Uniting Church;
  4. advocate within the church and community those policies and practices which enhance the dignity of people;
  5. represent the views of Uniting Church service providers to governments;
  6. initiate research on community service issues;
  7. work as appropriate with other churches and peak organisations in the community services field;
  8. act on requests and referrals from synods and the Assembly.
  1. Focusing the activities of the agency on the vision of the assembly as a whole;
  2. Advising the assembly and/or the Assembly Standing Committee on policy matters within their area of responsibility;
  3. Making policy decisions where the Assembly or the Assembly Standing Committee has delegated authority for certain policy areas, either through the agency mandate or by resolution;
  4. Assisting the National Director and staff of the agency in the implementation of policies determined by the Assembly and/or the Standing Committee;
  5. Ensuring that appropriate pastoral support is offered to agency staff members; and
  6. Participating in cross agency projects and teams established from time to time by the Assembly or Assembly Standing Committee.

Relation with other agencies

UnitingCare Australia will maintain regular contact with other Assembly agencies, , to ensure co-ordination of the church’s actions and advocacy in community service matters.

Power to appoint

UnitingCare Australia has the power to appoint advisory committees and to delegate responsibilities.

Membership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature of Agency

Source of Authority

 

 

Members will be appointed by the Standing Committee as follows:

3 persons from each of NSW, Qld and Vic, on the nomination of their synods;

2 persons from each of SA and WA, on the nomination of their synods;

1 person from each of the Northern Synod and the Synod of Tasmania on the nomination of their synods;

1 person on the nomination of - Frontier Services, and National Social Responsibility and Justice.

Standing Committee will ensure that the head of each synod’s community services department is included in the membership.

The Standing Committee may co-opt up to 5 additional members on the nomination of UnitingCare Australia.

Co-option will be used to ensure that the diverse range of Uniting Church community service functions are represented as appropriate.

The Chairperson will be appointed by the Standing Committee on the nomination of Community Services Australia.

 

Permanent

Standing Committee

 

 

 

 

ORIGINAL APPROVED BY COMMUNITY SERVICES AUSTRALIA NOVEMBER 1992

To be submitted to the Assembly Standing Committee for approval September 1993

AMENDED AND APPROVED BY UnitingCare Australia

March 2000