Settlement Council Of Australia

The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is the national peak body representing migrant and refugee settlement agencies across Australia.

The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is the national peak body representing migrant and refugee settlement agencies across Australia. We aim to bring these settlement service providers together at a national level in order to create cohesion amongst our members, and improve collaborative and strategic planning processes for the settlement sector.

SCOA’s goal is to help ensure the best possible settlement outcomes for migrants and refugees. SCOA’s vision is an equitable, respectful and inclusive Australia where effective settlement outcomes provide every opportunity to humanitarian entrants and migrants to fully participate in society and realise their full potential.

SCOA provides a credible and informed source of knowledge and advice on migrant and refugee settlement issues, settlement planning, service delivery and related policy and program matters. We work closely with the Department of Social Services (DSS), and a range of other government and non-government stakeholders.
Our members include over 80 settlement agencies, with 3, 500 staff, and 6, 500 volunteers. They are involved in a wide range of direct projects with migrants and people of refugee backgrounds. As advocates and service providers, the settlement sector has a unique knowledge of the realities of the settlement experience over time, across the country, and among hundreds of different ethno-cultural communities.