Local Services

Settlement Services Program

Sydney Multicultural Community Services has an office in Waverton providing settlement services for newly arrived refugees and migrants. For further details and to find out what is available across the Lower North Shore area, contact or visit: The Community Development Officer/Caseworker, Sydney Multicultural Community Services Inc, 96 Bank Street, Waverton.

Phone: (02) 9955 3952  
Email: sets1@sydneymcs.org.au
Web: www.sydneymcs.org.au

Services Australia (Centrelink)

Services Australia (Centrelink) are responsible for the delivery of advice and payments for social, health and child support services. Services Australia delivers Medicare, Centrelink and Child Support services and has translated materials about its services.

You can talk to someone in your language Monday to Friday between 8am to 5pm by calling:

• Multilingual Phone Service (13 12 02) about Centrelink payments and services
• Translating and Interpreting Services (13 14 50) for all Medicare or Child Support payments and services.

MOSAIC Multicultural Centre

Located in the Chatswood CBD, the MOSAIC Multicultural Centre runs a range of enjoyable and educational programs and events. The centre has four rooms for hire and has access to counselling, meetings, seminars, workshops, gentle exercise, singing and social functions. Contact MOSAIC on 9777 7952 (Mon-Fri, 9am-4.30pm) or mosaic@willoughby.nsw.gov.au.

Crows Nest Centre

The Crows Nest Centre runs many community services and supports older people to live at home. It runs the following services for people of culturally and linguistic backgrounds:

• English conversation classes for beginners and intermediate levels in Crows Nest, Mosman and Lane Cove.
• A Mother’s group for Japanese parents.
• Mothers Groups for Spanish Parents.
• Homework Help for Children from migrant backgrounds.
• Bollywood Music Social Group.

For more information call 9439-5122 or email cncadmin@crowsnestcentre.org.au

Harmony Week

Harmony Week is held every March. It is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians from diverse cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values and acknowledges the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination celebrated on 21 March. The LNS Multicultural Network teams up with North Sydney Council, the Crows Nest Centre and Sydney Multicultural Community Services to celebrate it every year. We’ll keep you posted in our Events Calendar and check out the photos from past events in our Gallery pages.

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is celebrated each year in June. All four LNS Councils are Refugee Welcome Zones. Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program is part of international efforts to protect refugees, respond to global humanitarian need and provide specialist support. Refugees are people subject to persecution in their home country for whom resettlement in Australia gets them out of a life-threatening situation. The Refugee and Humanitarian Program is made up about 6.7% of all arrivals into Australia. Each year the Government sets the number of visas that may be granted under the Program. In 2016-17, the Program included 13,750 places, increasing to 16,250 places in 2017-18 and 18,750 places in 2018-19. In recent years, the Government also provided an additional 12,000 places for people displaced by conflict in Syria and Iraq. The LNS Multicultural Network teams up with Councils and other partners such as Sydney Multicultural Community Services to celebrate Refugee Week. Craig Foster will be talking at our Refugee Week Breakfast on Tuesday 16th June, 2020 at 7.30 am until 9.00 am. We’ll keep you posted in our Events Calendar and check out the photos from past events in our Gallery pages.

The Asylum Seekers Centre is a place of welcome and provides practical and personal support for people living in the community who are seeking asylum. Its services include accommodation, legal advice, financial relief, health care, employment assistance, education, food, material aid and recreational activities. For all enquiries phone 02 9078 1900 email at contactus@asylumseekerscentre.org.au.

Interpreting and Translation Services

Any person unable to communicate in English with any level of government, a service, or a business can have access to an interpreter when speaking or a translator for written documents. Interpreting and Translation Services are available from:

TIS National

Multicultural NSW

For services and organisations, there are many benefits to communicating with non-English speaking Australian citizens and permanent residents by using interpreters. The Hints and tips for working with interpreters video provides information on how best to use an interpreter and make the link between English speakers and non-English speakers.

Multicultural Health

NSW has a Plan to promote health in the culturally and linguistically diverse communities and a Refugee Health Plan.

Multicultural health services are set up to deal with the different issues which affect NSW residents from multicultural and refugee backgrounds. They can provide health interpreters and multilingual health information. They have information on issues like:

1. HIV and viral hepatitis.
2. Problem gambling,
3. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and
4. Family violence.
5. Treatment of torture and trauma

Torture and Trauma

The NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) assist refugees and asylum seekers recover from experiences of torture and trauma and build a new life in Australia.

Domestic violence services for the culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Domestic and family violence is a crime, but sadly, can affect anyone, regardless of gender, race, culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual identity, age, disability, income or where you live.

Call 000 for emergencies and report domestic and family violence to the police.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic and family violence, help and support is available.

Call 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 to get help. A trained counsellor will provide support.

Lower North Shore Domestic Violence Network

The Lower North Shore Domestic Violence Network  has a website with information to support people who are experiencing domestic violence.

Women’s Shelters and support

There are two women’s shelters in the North Shore of Sydney supporting women and their children who need help because of domestic abuse:

1. Mary’s House – Call (02) 8937 2094 or info@maryshouse.org.au
2. Delvena Women and Children’s Refuge  Call 9428 4929 or 9971 4499

Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS) at CatholicCare

WDVCAS is a free and confidential service that provides support, advocacy, referrals and information for women experiencing domestic violence. WDVCAS helps women and children with information about domestic and family violence, and how to use the court to get legal orders. They see clients before, during, and after court. WDVCAS has a Multicultural Specialist Worker. Call 8425 8707 or 1800 938 227

The Australian Government has developed a Family Safety Pack for women and men coming to Australia. It includes information on Australia’s laws regarding domestic and family violence, sexual assault and forced marriage, and a woman’s right to be safe. The Family Safety Pack is translated into the 46 languages.

For a quick reference guide on local services, which is also translated into several community languages, please view these in Publications.