Celebrating nine years of the NSW Settlement Partnership 

Last month, members of the NSW Settlement Partnership gathered in Sydney to celebrate nine years of shared achievements, as the consortium comes to an end. 

Settlement providers from across the state gathered with SSI staff in Parramatta to mark the end of the groundbreaking consortium, which was established in 2015. 

Head of Settlement Services Dor Akech Achiek said the unique and innovative model created an opportunity for organisations with a history in settlement service delivery to work collaboratively to address the objectives of the Department of Home Affairs’ Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program. 

“Refugees and migrants require an ecosystem of support to ensure the best settlement outcomes. Through the NSP service delivery model, we provided efficiency, guidance and support, managing key areas such as governance, reporting and government liaison.  

“At the same time, the model safeguarded local service delivery and the important role migrant resource centres, multicultural services and smaller community organisations play in the settlement journey of migrants and refugees,” he said. 

The NSP began life in 2015 through a guided co-design process. Over time, the consortium has evolved to include different organisations, with a central aim being to support all partners to grow in their service delivery, probity and governance. 

The consortium came to a natural conclusion earlier this year when the SETS contract re-tender presented an opportunity for NSP partners to forge an independent path forward, supported by the knowledge and skills gained in the consortium’s nine-year tenure. 

“NSP partners are united in a collective focus on settlement service delivery, oriented to the needs and nature of the community in their area. While we will no longer work together through a formal service delivery arrangement, our partnership will continue well beyond the end of this consortium,” said Dor. 

Dor said SSI’s NSP team had played an invaluable role in the success of the consortium, bringing extensive knowledge and experience that uplifted the capacity of partners and, ultimately, led to better settlement outcomes.