SSI is a community organisation and social business that supports newcomers and other Australians to achieve their full potential. They work with all people who have experienced vulnerability, including refugees, people seeking asylum, and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, to build capacity and enable them to overcome inequality.
SSI draws on its expertise and experience to advocate for the people and communities it serves. Through the work they do, they empower people to change their lives. Through their advocacy and representation, they influence ideas and policy.
From a staff of one in April 2011, SSI now employs over 800 employees (including 180 bilingual guides) and over 350 volunteers. In 2018, SSI merged with Access Community Services. We now operate locally, nationally and internationally, with offices in metro and regional Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
The organisation’s vision is to achieve a society that values the diversity of its people and actively provides support to ensure meaningful social and economic participation and to assist individuals and families to reach their potential. Formed in 2000, SSI is also the state-wide umbrella organisation for 11 Migrant Resource Centres and Multicultural Services across NSW.
Their predominantly bilingual and cross-cultural workforce, which can speak 98 languages, enables them to overcome many cultural and language barriers that can inhibit access and good service delivery.
With its head office located in Ashfield, Sydney, SSI’s services are delivered from offices strategically located around NSW and Victoria, and from the placement of case managers, bilingual workers, and volunteers at Migrant Resource Centres in NSW.