With more than 200 delegates and 50 speakers, the first-of-its-kind conference in NSW put the emphasis on discussing issues and challenges specific to people with disability from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.

Settlement Services International has been acknowledged as an inclusive recruiter organisation by the Australian Network on Disability (AND) after completing AND’s Disability Confident Recruiter (DCR) program. 

Settlement Services International is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Sonia Vignjevic as its Victorian State Director – Strategy, Growth and Partnerships. In this new position Ms Vignjevic will investigate opportunities for SSI to develop partnerships in Victoria.

At SSI we excel in providing essential services to new arrivals in Australia, but to achieve the best outcomes for our newcomers we must take our role a step further: we want to drive conversations about settlement and migration, and use our knowledge and expertise to lead discussions that will inform policy and help millions of people all over the world.

Forty-one people from a refugee background, needing financial assistance for their education or attaining local recognition for their qualifications, will get the support they need as part of the Settlement Services International (SSI) and Allianz Australia 2018 Refugee Scholarships.

It is important to have an established day, like March 21, for Harmony Day as it provides us with an opportunity to again reflect on the importance of harmony in our nation.

Harmony Day, March 21, has become a significant day of the year when Australians are encouraged to celebrate the cultural diversity of our country.

Discussions about levels of immigration following ABC TV’s Four Corners and Q&A last night are essential in an inclusive and democratic country like Australia, however we do not want to compromise our successful multicultural cohesion by focusing only on impacts to planning and infrastructure, according to Violet Roumeliotis, CEO of Settlement Services International (SSI).

Learning English, connecting with the community, and finding employment and housing will be the key priorities for refugee families arriving in Armidale in the coming months, according to a leading settlement expert. Yamamah Agha, the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) Manager for community organisation and social business Settlement Services International (SSI), said in the 16 years she had been working with refugees, those areas consistently rated among new arrivals’ top goals for life in Australia.

Six projects supporting refugee communities in south-west Sydney have today received a boost from not-for-profit Settlement Services International’s $50,000 Community Innovation Fund. SSI announced today the first six recipients of grants from the ground-breaking fund, which honours the unsung heroes who contribute to Australian society by offering grassroots support to newly arrived members of the community.

The opportunity to provide a more holistic housing service to people at risk of homelessness is greatly welcomed by Settlement Services International (SSI), after the announcement today by Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Social Housing Pru Goward that SSI has been selected to provide Supported Temporary Accommodation (STA) in the Illawarra. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said the decision by NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) to move away from using low cost motels and caravan parks for temporary accommodation was a great step toward achieving better social outcomes for vulnerable people.

Refugee communities in south-west Sydney will benefit from a spate of innovative new projects when Settlement Services International (SSI) unveils the recipients of its Community Innovation Fund on Australia Day 2018. SSI opened the first round of applications for the $50,000 fund in September 2017 to celebrate the strength and resilience of the community of south-west Sydney and to encourage innovative ideas to support newly arrived refugees.

Settlement Services International (SSI) CEO Violet Roumeliotis has described Allianz Australia winning the annual Human Rights Business Award as a triumph for partnerships between business and humanitarian organisations seeking to support vulnerable members of the community. The Human Rights Awards, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission at an event in Sydney on December 8, is the pinnacle of human rights recognition in Australia.

Not-for-profit leader and 2017 Telstra Business Woman of the Year Violet Roumeliotis has today been honoured for outstanding service to the community. Ms Roumeliotis, the CEO of Settlement Services International (SSI), received the title of Community Fellow from Western Sydney University in recognition of her contribution to the betterment of society and the eminence she has achieved in her field.

An innovative not-for-profit organisation has today launched in Coffs Harbour, where it will support newly arrived refugees as they begin their lives in Australia. The federal government has selected Settlement Services International (SSI) as the Coffs Harbour provider of the new Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP), which supports refugees from the moment they arrive at the airport until they are established in the community.

Violet Roumeliotis has been recognised as the 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year.

An eclectic group of Sydney’s newest community members took centre stage at an arts and culture festival in Darling Harbour over the weekend.   On Saturday November 18, Sydney’s iconic Darling Harbour hosted Settlement Services International’s (SSI) New Beginnings Festival in Spring, where thousands of Sydneysiders gathered to enjoy the musical, culinary and artistic talents of people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.  

The 2017 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year has urged corporate Australia to partner with their entrepreneurial peers in the not-for-profit sector to address commercial and social challenges. As the CEO of not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International (SSI), Violet Roumeliotis has overseen innovative diversification leading to more than 1,100 per cent revenue growth to $113 million over five years.

2017 NSW Telstra Business Women’s Award winner calls for corporate Australia to look to the not-for-profit sector to find the innovative solutions it needs to address workforce shortages and inspire entrepreneurial thinking.  Violet Roumeliotis, CEO of Settlement Services International (SSI), who won the 2017 Telstra NSW for Purpose and Social Enterprise Award, said her organisation, which she has grown in revenue from $9m to $110m in only four years, is built on an entrepreneurial spirit that has led to innovative approaches to supporting migrants, people seeking asylum and refugees start businesses, join large corporations and fill important gaps in the workforce.

A new resource showcasing an innovative, unique not-for-profit service delivery model was launched in Sydney today. The NSW Settlement Partnership in Focus is replete with success stories of this unique partnership, which is the first of its kind in the settlement sector.