March 2016
March 2016
Contents
Contents 3
Purpose of this document 4
Background 4
Funding per package 5
Principles for the distribution of flexible packages 5
Examples 7
Packages per catchment 8
Administration 8
Implementation support 8
Review and Evaluation 9
Purpose of this document
These guidelines provide information for Child and Family Services Alliances and department staff regarding implementation of flexible packages for families receiving a Child FIRST or Family Services response.
These guidelines explain the background, value, purpose, monitoring and reporting requirements of flexible packages.
The guidelines also provide advice for Alliances about:
· how to determine which families will receive a flexible package;
· identification of goals and outcomes to be met;
· the type of goods or services which could be purchased as part of the package; and
· the acquittal required.
These guidelines also include advice about the type of mechanism within which the Alliance could undertake this.
The guidelines will be revised periodically to reflect learnings about effective approaches to assisting families through the delivery of flexible packages and how they support service provision. The implementation of the packages will be monitored by a working group, and formally evaluated in July 2016.
Background
The 2015-16 State Budget provided $48.1 million over four years to strengthen Child FIRST and Family Services. Funding was allocated to respond to increasing demand, to provide flexible packages of support for children, young people and their families and to establish a performance monitoring framework.
The flexible package provision is $2.25 million per annum (recurrent with indexation) and is to be used to support the implementation of Child and Family Action Plans. The funding allows for the provision of at least 1,650 packages at a notional price of $1,300 per package, including 2.5 per cent for agency administration.
Full year funding and targets will be provided for 1 July 2015–30 June 2016. First allocation funds will be backdated to 1 July 2015 with full year affect service provision expected by 30 June 2016.
On 6 August 2015 the Minister for Families and Children announced the Roadmap for Reform: Strong Families; Safe Children project (the Roadmap).
Consistent with one of the reform directions to be promoted through the Roadmap, implementation of the flexible packages will be monitored through a working group and informal feedback, with a formal review in July 2016.
Funding per package
Flexible packages are notionally $1,300 each. However, the use of these funds is flexible and can be used to deliver a number of packages, provided the minimum number of packages are met, and funds fully expended within the financial year. There is no minimum or maximum size of flexible packages.
Alliances can use 2.5 per cent of their flexible package funding as a contribution towards administrative costs. Alliances will determine how this 2.5 per cent is used. This contribution as well as whether there were enough or too many packages available will be considered as part of the evaluation in July 2016.
Note that funding to Alliances is based on a package price of $1,363.64 (the exact price when dividing the total funding available by the total number of packages required, this is,$2.25 million divided by 1650 packages). The average package should be $1,300; packages can be larger or smaller. The only requirement for the Alliance is that the minimum number of targets must be met.
Principles for the distribution of flexible packages
Alliances will be responsible for determining the prioritisation and allocation of Flexible Packages within their catchment.
Alliances can use an existing function, such as the allocations meeting, to determine which families will be provided with a flexible package.
The mechanism chosen must ensure that all substantive cases in the catchment are considered, regardless of whether they entered through Child FIRST or via a local agency intake in the Alliance.
The lead agency (or facilitating partner of the Alliance - usually Child FIRST) will hold flexible package funds. This agency will be responsible for the distribution of the funds in accordance with the decision making mechanism determined by the Alliance; and therefore must not act as a gatekeeper for the funds.
Consistent with the budget funding announcement, flexible packages will support the implementation of individualised Child and Family Action Plans. Packages should enable families to make positive and enduring change that will promote the safety and wellbeing of their children and young people.
Flexible packages may be used to provide a one off package of support to families who receive a service through Child FIRST (that is, substantive cases). Families may receive a package even if they do not receive a service through Family Services and therefore may not have a Child and Family Action Plan. This may be because Family Services allocation is not required, there is no allocation capacity, or support needs have been met during active holding and therefore closed prior to allocation.
The department, Child FIRST and Family Services providers must move towards measuring outcomes as well as outputs. This was noted in the Victorian Auditor General’s performance audit report, Early Intervention Services for Vulnerable Children and Families, which stated ‘the department does not know whether the services provided are effectively meeting the needs of vulnerable families’.
Therefore, flexible packages must be developed with an outcomes focus and clearly link to the achievement of specified goals in the Child and Family Action Plan.
In the case of flexible packages, an output refers to what a package provides to a family. For example, if a school uniform was purchased to enable attendance at school, the output would be the school uniform.
Outcomes refer to the impact on the life of the client, so in this same example, the outcome of purchasing the uniform (output) would be to improve learning and development and school attendance of the child.
An excerpt from the outcomes framework utilised in Services Connect partnerships is provided as Attachment 1. The high level ‘outcome areas’ and ‘outcome indicators’ can be used to inform thinking and assist with outcomes planning. Note that this framework is currently being tested and reviewed.
In considering goals and outcomes for flexible packages, Alliances should consider what it is the packages are designed to achieve and whether this has been achieved with the provision of the flexible package. This should be monitored and recorded in the ‘Flexible packages acquittal tool’ (Attachment 2).
Flexible packages must be made available to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal families.
Allocation of packages must be prioritised based on an assessment of greatest need, and anticipated outcomes and positive impacts on children’s safety, stability and development.
Vulnerable children and families with multiple and complex needs receiving packages will include, but not be limited to, those families:
· where extensive family services intervention has been provided but has been unable to evoke change
· who are proving difficult to engage
· who are first time referrals
· who have re-presented
· who are first time referrals from Child Protection
· who have been re-referred from Child Protection
Alliances are required to expend the full funding allocated to them within the financial year.
There should be clarity about the nature of the funding, and its timing (over what time frame it will be used), purpose and expected outcome.
Except in exceptional circumstances, Alliances should provide no more than one package per family per episode of support. Alliances may use their professional judgement to determine if more than one flexible package per episode of support should be provided. In this instance a rationale must be documented as part of acquittal.
Families who have received a package from other programs are not precluded from receiving a flexible package through Child FIRST or Family Services. The exception is Cradle to Kinder, as it is part of the wider family services system response and includes its own brokerage.
Vulnerable families who receive a service through a Services Connect Partnership are eligible to be considered for a flexible package. This is because these families would otherwise receive a service through Child FIRST and Family services (as targets have been temporarily realigned during the Services Connect Partnership trial). A Services Connect partnership representative should be included in the relevant catchment’s flexible package allocation meeting/mechanism. The representative should present the families, which they believe are appropriate for a flexible package, for consideration amongst the other families presented, and should collaborate regarding which families will receive a package.
Flexible packages cannot be used for the following purposes:
· illegal activity
· gambling
· products or services not identified in the Family Action Plan
· free or low-cost services readily available within the community
· to replace or duplicate supports available through other funding sources.
Flexible support packages can be used where available supports (for example, local, state or Commonwealth government services) cannot be provided in a timely manner.
Examples
Some examples of how flexible packages might be applied are noted in the table below.
Concern / Flexible package use / Outcome area / Outcome indicator / IRIS goal /Parents’ ability to safely transport the children to school / Pay for mechanics service of the family car to get it operational, thus enabling the parents to drive the children to school / Learning and development / School achievement.
Increased attendance and learning at school. / Education: Non-attendance-interrupted school
Hoarding and unsafe physical home environment / Hire of rubbish skip and a cleaner to clean and declutter the house, so that the children can live in and learn about the benefits of a physically safe and hygienic home environment. / Physical health / Behavioural.
Child in safe physical home environment and able to learn positive behaviours about a positive safe home environment for later in life. / Household management: Household cleanliness-hygiene
At risk of social isolation / Pay for registration fees to a sporting club or music lessons to improve a young person’s connection to community and reduce social isolation. / Social and cultural wellbeing / Social involvement.
Young person involvement in community activities. / Relationships: Adult - Youth
Parents’ alcohol and drug use impacting upon parenting capacity / Purchase specialist service –where wait lists for local drug and alcohol counselling are too long – to counsel and educate parents about managing drug use so as to reduce improve parenting capability. / Behaviours. / Alcohol and drug use.
Improved understanding about alcohol and drug use and the impact on the family. / Alcohol and other Drugs: Adult - primary carer
Child is suffering following a recent traumatic event / Purchase specialist trauma counselling – where this service is not available through Medicare via GP referral– to assist the child to manage their mental health. / Health. / Mental health.
Child equipped with additional skills to manage their mental health. / Mental Health: Child: diagnosed
Lack of financial stability / Driving lessons to enable mother to drive a car to a place of employment. / Behaviours. / Financial stability.
Improved financial stability due to earning an income. / Financial: Material aid
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and that these are examples only
Packages per catchment
Local Connections will advise of the exact funding and notional packages available in your catchment.
Administration
In recognition of the administrative commitment for organisations these packages include a 2.5 per cent administration contribution. For example, if an Alliance receives ten packages (total value of $13, 000), it may use $325 of this towards administration purposes. The remaining $12,675 must be provided to families as packages. The Alliance will determine the use and allocation of these funds.
Funding will be provided to the lead agency/facilitating partner through SAMS2 under its own sub-activity, Flexible Packages, under activity Integrated Family Services (31245). The minimum number of targets will noted with the funding provided.
Alliances are required to acquit every six months against the funds and packages spent, using the acquittal tool. The tool records family details, goal, outcomes, goods/services purchased, and amount expended for each item, and whether or not the purchase had the intended impact.
This tool must be completed and provided to Local Connections by 14 January and 14 July each year. The first will be due 14 July 2016, for the full 2015-16 funding). Local Connections must provide to the Early Pathways Unit by 21 January and July. Agencies must keep their receipts on file for audit purposes.
Allocated workers for families receiving a package must update IRIS to record that the family has received a flexible package, what is being purchased, and the goal that the purchase is linked to. The department is considering enhancements to IRIS, which may include a specific button and field for recording the purpose of the package, as well as a report which can be run by Local Connections for Alliances.
Alliances should consider including flexible packages as a standing agenda item at the Operations and/or Executive meetings to update members on the allocation of packages.
Implementation support
Local Connections are the implementation and support contact for Alliances. Where Local Engagement Officers require further information or support, they can contact the Early Pathways Unit.
Review and Evaluation
A statewide mechanism will be established to discuss the practice and learnings from the use of the flexible packages. This group will include representation from the department and sector. This group will meet twice in the first six months of 2016. It will provide feedback to Alliances and make any required updates to the guidelines and acquittal tool.
The implementation of flexible packages will be formally reviewed in July 2016. This review will include consideration of the contribution towards administration and how effective the packages have been in achieving identified outcomes. Results will be provided to Alliances.
Flexible Packages Guidelines March 2016 Page 1