The Sexual Assault Support Service Inc (SASS) Annual General Meeting was held on Monday 17 October 2022 at the office of WLF Accounting & Advisory.
Our CEO Jill Maxwell spoke of a busy year that she described as one of amplifying voices for change.
“During the past 12 months, SASS has actively represented the collective voices of clients, past and present, at the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Governments’ response to child sexual assault in institutional settings.
“The Inquiry has been challenging, emotional and difficult to listen to but our perseverance towards change and our belief that the Inquiry must be the impetus for this change has renewed our sense of purpose” said Jill.
“We have also worked with the State Government following their announcement of the establishment of multidisciplinary centres, which will provide a more connected and coordinated response for victim-survivors of sexual violence.”
This year we have continued to see a significant increase in referrals for our counselling services. Jill noted that this increase is evident of more survivors being “ready to report, and ready to be heard.”
Another key milestone this year was our first community research project – taking us back to community to hear their voices. We commissioned the research through the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies at UTAS, with a focus on identifying the types of sexual violence occurring, the services needed and ways to address issues. We will be working with community to implement recommendations from this research report over the coming years.
Jill went on to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of all staff at SASS, as well as the support and guidance from the SASS Board and Chair.
“I continue to be inspired by the efforts and achievements of our team at SASS. Our vision is to achieve a community free from sexual violence, and I believe that together - as a team and as a community - we can achieve this.”
The following documents are now on our website.
Financial Statements for 2021-2022
SASS Strategic Plan, 2023 to 2026