Acknowledgment of Country

We acknowledge the cultural, spiritual and economic sovereignty of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

We understand that ongoing violation of this sovereignty harms Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health, wellbeing and aspirations.

We are committed to strengthening the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities.

We recognise that respecting and nurturing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a benefit for all Australians.

We especially honour the Kaurna Elders of the Adelaide Plains and the Elders of the River Murray and Mallee Region, which includes Ngaiawang, Ngawait, Nganguruku, Erawirung, Ngintait, Ngaraite, Ngarkat and small parts of Maraura and Daanggali, upon whose land our offices are located.

Messages from our President and CEO

President’s message | Franco Camatta

The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for the whole community, negatively affecting emotional wellbeing as well as creating financial pressure for many families.

Relationship services which assist families to deal with the intensity of stress resulting from the pandemic have never been more important. The launch of four major new services – Ngartuitya Family Group Conferencing, Social Emotional Wellbeing in Residential Aged Care Facilities, ASK PEACE and rebuild – Counselling for Victims of Crime, are a reflection of the continued demand for Relationships Australia South Australia (RASA) services.

CEO’s message | Claire Ralfs

The months of social distancing makes many of the pictures in this report feel like they belong in a very distant past, but they are a reminder of the strength of connections that have been the basis for RASA’s successful navigation of this pandemic year. COVID-19 restrictions challenged our working relationships by requiring us to work from home and adapt our service models to incorporate technology and social distancing. The agility demonstrated by RASA staff, who continued to provide high quality services as well as deal with the impact of COVID-19 on their own families, is a testament to their commitment to our work.

The efforts of the Information and Data Management Team, Client Service Officers, Communications Team and RASA’s COVID Response Committee enabled us to move more than 70% of our staff into effectively working from home.

The success of these changes, implemented in the last two weeks of March, is reflected in the staff survey results. We learnt that 88% of staff reported they continued to feel supported and connected to their team during the COVID-19 restrictions.

I am confident that that many of our achievements from this complex year will help RASA services in the post-pandemic years to come.