BATFORCE School Focused Youth Service

May 2012 Minutes

Next Meeting

Thursday 7th June 2012

10am to Midday

To Be Advised

AGENDA

Welcome / Peter Brown
Attendance / Around the Room
Host Presentation / Youth Partnerships
Ryac Report / Leigh Bartlett
SFYS Report / Greg Hansen/Mel Taylor
General Business

Minutes of the Meeting –May 2012

ATTENDANCE
Peter Brown / Chair / Lynn Longworth / BATForce
Anna Burke / DHS / Dave Moar / DEECD
Jody Dark / Bethany / Peta Chapotet / Bethany
Sonia Maloney / Bethany / Justine Davenport / YWCA
Clair Paterson / Barwon Youth / Tom Mullane – Grant / Golden Plains
Fiona Lorimer / MacKillop / Sarah Sutcliffe / TFY – Student
Monica Butler / COGG / Kaja Anderson / COGG
Michael Parker / Surf Coast / Sarah Lewis / DEECD
Jayde Mulder / Headspace / Pete Jacobson / DEECD
Cathy Holstie / Vic Police / Deb Cefady / MIF
Nicole Thompson / Bethany / Caz Gatti / Bethany
Apologies
Greg Hansen / BATForce / Leigh Bartlett / BATForce
Mel Taylor / BATForce / Jill Chapman / BCLS
Megan Williamson / Vic Police / Jill Meade / Barwon Youth
Barry Hocking / Diversitat

Host Presentation

Bethany Community Support

RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY VIOLENCE SERVICES – Nicole Thomson

The Relationships and Family Violence Services team aims to promote safe, equal and just relationships by privileging the safety of women and children, by listening to the voices of children and by a commitment to culturally sensitive practice. Service options are offered to Women, Children, Families, Individuals and Couples who want positive fulfilling relationships with their partners, children, parents, families, colleagues and self.

Barwon Child FIRST

Barwon Child FIRST (Family Information Referral and Support Teams) commenced operation on Monday 23rd April 2007, in line with the implementation of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005. Child FIRST is a Statewide initiative, aiming to provide an easily accessed and flexible entry point for families into Family Services.

Barwon Child FIRST is a centralised intake to Family Services. The primary function of Barwon Child FIRST is to undertake intake assessments of vulnerable children and their families and to then match the most appropriate services to meet those identified needs. Barwon Child FIRST also aims to divert vulnerable families, where there are concerns regarding the child’s safety and wellbeing, away from Child Protection by linking in the necessary supports in a timely manner.

A referral to Barwon Child FIRST may be the best way of connecting vulnerable children, young people and their families to the service they need to protect and promote their healthy development. Families and professionals alike can access Barwon Child FIRST for support.

Relationships and Family Violence Services

The Relationships and Family Violence Services team promotes safe, equal and just relationships by privileging the safety of women and children, by listening to the voices of children and by a commitment to culturally sensitive practice. Service options are offered to Women, Men, Children, Families, Individuals and Couples who want positive fulfilling relationships with their partners, children, parents, families, colleagues and self.

Family Services

Bethany's Family Services Case Work Program provides a range of support for families who are experiencing significant difficulty in caring for their children. The program provides an environment that meets all their needs by providing timely intervention for families at risk of entering or re-entering the Child Protection system.

Working in collaboration with other local services to support and strengthen families and their links with the community, the program also provides longer-term case management support to families on an assertive outreach basis.

Bethany Community Support offers a broad range of high quality services to families and individuals. These services include:

  • Barwon Child FIRST
  • Barwon Victims Assistance and Counselling
  • Children's Contact Service
  • Community Kitchens
  • Family and Schools Resources (Parent Education and Support)
  • Family Violence After Hours Service
  • Gamblers Help
  • Homework Clubs
  • Housing Services
  • Innovations Family Support Casework
  • Men and Family Relationships
  • New Parent Infant Network Early Years (NEWPIN)
  • Relationship Counselling
  • Saver Plus
  • Supporting Children After Separation

For more information on Bethany visit their website

Family Worker – Jody Dark - My role aims to provide support to families who are experiencing significant difficulty in caring for their children and providing a safe, nurturing and stable environment that meets all their needs. We work from a child centred family focused perspective with Best Interest principles at the forefront of our interventions and goals.

We are a voluntary service that provides in-home support with an outreach focus. We are caseworkers who work within a case management model linking families to other services to provide a holistically approach to supporting them.

Ultimately I aim to support, enrich and strengthen parenting capacity with a particular focus on the parent/child bond. I work alongside the family to support and assist them to make the changes according to the goals set by the family.

GENERAL BUSINESS

An opportunity to discuss new initiatives, introduce new workers, general youth agency news, trends in youth activities, raise issues of concern, ask questions, raise issues for the Policy & Planning Process.

Peter Brown on behalf of Time for Youth – ROUND 4 - CEEP Application OPEN

REGIONAL BROKERAGE FUNDING - CEEP

Barwon South West

In administering the brokerage funds the EET provider will consider the following:

•Storage-store the applications in line with the Information Privacy Act 2000.

•Data Collection-track, record and keep up to date and accurate information on brokerage applications.

•Record Keeping-record accurate client information and details of expenditure.

•Evaluation and Monitoring-contribute and support processes of evaluation and monitoring. It will be condition of funding that applying workers record and report the progress and outcomes of brokerage funding. It will be the responsibility of the EET provider to collect and record this information.

•Distribution of brokerage funds-It will be the key responsibility of the EET provider to administer the brokerage funding in a timely manner to approved applications.

Website:

Key administrator of Brokerage funding: Time for Youth

Enquiries: Alison Goodman. Business Manager (03) 5246 7501

Closing Date 25th May 2012

Monica Butler – COGG –Youth Stratergy Council –A program & opportunity for Young People to be involved with surveys to Improve Geelong. Forum to be held in June focused on ideas from survey. Surveys will take 10-15 minutes for more information contact Monica Butler on 5272 4683

Justin Devanport – YWCA – Proffessional Development Opportunity

Renew-Relax –Recharge – A creative and nurturing session for workers in the community services with Art Therapist, Ingrid Petterson. Wednesday 27th June 2012. 10am to 1pm. YWCA 74/78 Little Malop St. Geelong. Cost $50.

Empowerment for your Volunteers – Two days of training with YWCA only $40 – Topics include-

  • Communication
  • Assertiveness
  • Initiating change
  • Identifying strengths
  • Mind Mapping goals

Thursday 26th July and Thursday 2nd August. 10 – 3pm.

To enroll call Justine on 5221 6333 or email

Anna Burke – DHS – Youth Statements- Special Announcement - Government's Youth Statement

This is the first statement of the government’s vision for young people and the sector that supports them since the development of Future Directions in 2006. YACVic welcomes the release of Engage, Involve, and Create as an important articulation of the Baillieu Government’s vision for young Victorians. Particularly welcome from YACVic’s perspective is the emphasis on listening to young people to understanding their needs and aspirations. Follow the link below for more information.

Tom Mullane – Grant – Golden Plains – Open of Cultural Centre–A new Cultural centre is opening at the Golden Plains shire and rooms will be available for ad hoc bookings. For more information contact Tom on 5220 7111.

Sarah Lewis – DEECD – L to P program-The VicRoads L2P - learner driver mentor program assists learners under 21 years of age, who do not have access to a supervising driver or vehicle, to gain the driving experience required to apply for a probationary licence. Young people are matched with fully licensed volunteer mentors, and use a sponsored vehicle to gain supervised driving experience. L2P is free for eligible young people and is funded by the TAC. Geelong has trained 10 extra volunteers as mentors which has opened more spots for referrals.

Caz Gatti – Bethany – Responsible Gambling Awareness Week-“Just a reminder as to the responsible Gambling Awareness Week event focusing on young people – “A safer bet – Look after your mates”

This event is still open for booking as the closing date has been extended. Please consider attending, it is a great local opportunity for young people and workers with young people. The gambling issues are of special concern with internet and new IT options promoting gambling to our young people.”

Date Thursday 17th May

Time 10am – 1.30pm

Location – Geelong Football Club. Simonds Kardinia Park. Geelong. Fred Flanagan Room.

Meeting Closed 11.30am

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May 2012 – Bethany Community Support.