Family Referral Service Welcome !

Family Referral Service Funded by the NSW Department of Health in partnership with the Department of Human Services as 12 months pilots The Mt Druitt FRS is a telephone information and referral service to facilitate entry into a range of support services that: Assist with current issues Promote child well being Prevent escalation to crisis Foster the development of supportive, protective and nurturing environments for children and young people

Objectives of the FRS The objectives of the FRS are to: Facilitate access to support services for vulnerable families Identify appropriate support services to which clients may be referred in their local area Ensure that families reach the services that they are referred to use of warm referral and follow-up Improve links between services at the local level Working with local services/agencies to facilitate better re alignment of support services in local areas (recognising that this is a longer term objective) Provide culturally appropriate referral pathways for Aboriginal families

Outcomes Improved access to support for vulnerable children, young people and families who are below the threshold for statutory child protection intervention Improved co-ordination and realignment of services at local/regional level An optimal model is identified for state roll out

Location CAM (Centre for Addictive Medicine) 1st Floor, 15 Cleeve Close, Mt Druitt Opened 3 rd May, 2010 Official launch 14 July, 2010

Mt Druitt Projected CAR reports = 8,500 per annum Index of Social Disadvantage = Projected population growth = 4.6%

This Door is the Right Door The client gets help from a service that is approachable, engaging and meets their needs. = Call Centre Info/Data Tracking

FRS Characteristics The Mt Druitt Family Referral Service: Is respectful of individual rights including confidentiality Is culturally appropriate Facilitates pro-active, positive, and voluntary client engagement Involves children, young people and families in decision-making Provides inter- personal support (clients are not referred to a voice mail) Has knowledge of local community and local service network Is aware of services capacity in local area (clients are not referred to waiting lists), and is resourceful in finding innovative solutions to clients’ service needs Ensures there is a feedback loop to facilitate appropriate follow-up

FRS role ‘Intermediary gate opener’ Children, Young People and Families Service system professionals Support Service Providers Support Service Providers Intake Client Assess Needs Refer Client Monitor Uptake Share Knowledge

Community Reference Group Service Network Coordinated planning Referral protocols Data base Family Advisors Triage, assessment and referral Case management Family Referral Service ‘Intermediary gate opener’ Community Liaison Officer Relationship building Coordinated service delivery Referral protocols Program Coordinator Service development Effective operations Quality client service

Evaluation Externally evaluated by KPMG. Data items include: Client demographic data by locality Activity data – time, actions, support activities Support service referrals – given/taken up, CWU and others Clients above the threshold Use of interpreters

Service challenges Include: New service Short term pilot Getting known and gaining community trust Building relationships with other services Changing the way Community Services to business Relationships Australia as an organisation had not previously worked in Mt Druitt area Service concerns (keep them safe, resources & referrals) Reporting & data collection Telephone only Lack of clear indicators FRS impact on outcomes

Three different FRS models Similar Referral service with no case management Aboriginal identified positions Call centre included Number of staff Different Face to face services Brokerage funds Population and geographical area

Case study Michelle is 15 years old and her partner, John is 17 years old. They have a 7 week old baby boy. They are currently in Department of Housing temporary accommodation. Michelle has called the Mt Druitt Family Referral Service seeking assistance to find longer term accommodation for the family. They have a Community Services case worker. Challenges Both parents are under 18 years of age. They do not want to separate. Accommodation for families is limited.