Exploring Settlement: Life in Australia is a collaborative project of the NSW Settlement Partnership (NSP) to strengthen relationships and collaboration with clients, community partners and frontline workers,

By obtaining a collective insight into a client centred view of settlement the project aims to:

• clarify priorities for advocacy
• highlight possibilities for change and innovation
• identify opportunities for service improvement and increased collaboration

The heart of the project has been the design and facilitation of 56 listening conversations, where clients were invited to share their story of building a life in Australia.

More than 250 clients participated and the findings from these forms the core of the preliminary report.

Stage 1 of the project involved listening to clients, community and frontline workers as they shared their experience of settlement. The preliminary report contains the results of this listening, including initial commentary from NSP frontline workers and managers.

Stage 2 involves collaboratively identifying improvements and advocacy priorities based on client voice. The preliminary report is an invitation to work alongside the NSP in making changes from the ground up.

The NSP is excited to be sharing the voice of clients and inviting the settlement sector more widely into ways we can respond together.

Exploring Settlement - final report launch

The NSP recently celebrated a project milestone with the launch of the final report on the Exploring Settlement project.

The launch was attended by nearly 200 settlement sector colleagues, community members, and young people Wednesday 2nd November 2022.

The day included a great range of speakers, panels and presentations:

• Professor Peter Shergold spoke about the NSW Settlement strategy
• The "In their own words" panel shared their insights and experiences in settlement
• Members of the NSP gave a behind-the-scenes look into how the project developed
• Pino Migliorino shared reflections on current (and past) settlement practice
• The "Exploring settlement in action" panel shared their insights about settlement in action today
• Sandra Wright shared a sneak peek of SCOA's settlement blueprint
• We heard from inspiring young people about their hopes and dreams as they forge their lives in Australia
• Romy Vitalien shared information about the Community Refugee Sponsorship pilot
• Members of the NSP went into a few of the advocacy priorities developed through the Exploring Settlement project

The launch was informative, and hopefully inspiring and energising too.

Download a copy of the final report.

The NSP is now working with our communities and colleagues to implement the advocacy priorities developed through the client listening conversations.

For more information, or to arrange a deep dive into the data for your program area or division please contact Sky de Jersey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Preliminary report

Exploring Settlement Preliminary Report

The toolkit

The Reimagining Settlement ConversationsToolkit was prepared to enable NSP partners to host local conversations, listening to and supporting clients sharing their experience of settlement.

The NSP developed a few posters as part of this project, they may be of interest or use - they can be found here.

Client voice and responses from the Preliminary Report Forum

Call to action

To submit a question, request a deep dive, or express interest in making a local response, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.