Their Lives, Our Work:building hope through practice excellence

Families SA and Good Beginnings, Australia Parents Plus/Access Plus:Agencies working togetherto build parenting capacity

Overview of Good Beginnings-Aust National Early Intervention Organisation

Commenced operation in 1997

Over 50 programs nationally

All programs use strengths based model

Salisbury North Early Years Centre

Salisbury North Connect

School based

Several core programs for families

Parents Plus History Parents Plus commenced in ’02

Collaborative project funded by Families SA

Positively evaluated by Department

Funding secured to ‘roll out’ to 5 sites

Purpose and Goals

To provide children with life long memories of positive times spent with their parents

To offer parents the best opportunity to develop their parenting capacity

Where ever possible work towards children being returned to the family home

What makes P+P different Relevance Children Long term Community setting Volunteers Transparency Support Flexibility

A Parents Plus Session

Occurs once a week for 3.5 session broken down into 4 sections

Parents reflections on their week Structured parenting information Playgroup with children Playgroup debrief

Learnings

Improved parenting knowledge, skills and confidence

‘ I asked myself am I worthy? The groups helped me bond with my girls and do what’s best for them because at first I was scared to see them’.

Learnings

Better understanding of Child Development

‘I thought that because my child was fed and clothed that I was doing all I needed to do – now I know that children need this and so much more’

Learnings Improved Relationships with Children and

Other Family Members

‘this group gives parents 1:1 time with their child. My daughter loves this group. She plays with other kids and I’ve made lots of friends too. I can now sit down and play with the tea set with her and that’s not something I did before. We can have fun together’.

Learnings Personal Growth and Emotional

Wellbeing

‘I feel that I’ve been heard, therefore I am willing to hear’

‘I have become more open and I don’t feel so alone anymore. These people understand what I am going through’.

Learnings Improved Supports – Networks and

Friendships

‘ I have more confidence and actually have a reason to get out of the house. I am slowly building friendships and this group will keep me up to date with parenting because I am going on past knowledge. I am getting to know what else is going on that I can access’.

Climbing the Mountain- parents stories

The first day I came here, I sat down and I told mywhole story. I was crying all the time, but it was good tobe able to get it off my chest with people who’d been inthe same situation. I could tell they weren’t judging me.I think I cried for an hour. It was an amazing relief. I justbawled my eyes out and the others just let me andcomforted me. It was the best remedy. I’d never seenthese people before in my life and yet I felt comfortableenough to tell them what had happened and to shed tearswith them.’

When I first came to this group I was withdrawn into myself. I had a lot of issues., I was very shy, and I’d keep my cap over my face.I wouldn’t say anything. I felt as if my heart had beenripped out of my chest. I’d lost my child, and I had such afeeling of helplessness. It took a long time before I couldspeak to people in a group. I am so much more confidentnow. I learnt to feel okay here. It’s a place where I’m notjudged by the rest of the world because I’ve had kidstaken from me. We’d all come in here and say thedifferent reasons for having had our kids removed and itmeant we could all relate to each other.’

Naomi

Recent History of Access in Families SA

Supervised access to children under the Custody or Guardianship of the Minister

Families Engaging Through Activities (FETA) 2004-2006

Modbury Families SA - a continuing evolution

School Holiday Program in 2006

An access visit (not in addition to an access visit)

Aim of the School Holiday Program

Modbury Demonstration Project – Access Plus NGO and GO Collaboration - A

partnership with Good Beginnings, Australia – 2006

What if…..

Project Aims

An innovative way of government and non-government working together to build parenting capacity

Access Plus – what’s different? Early intervention Transition In place of regular court ordered Access Formal feedback Social work participation Contracting meeting Review meetings A suite of programs Increase parenting ability/capacity

Suite of Programs

Play2Grow Parents+Plus (0-5) Parents+Plus (5-8) Intensive Family Support Individual Access School Holiday Program

Transition between programs

The changing family situation

Reunification

Other supports

General internal Families SA Supervised Access

Children under any Youth Court Orders and where contact is supervised

Supervised Access

Risk form to be completed

Parent’s Plus ProgramWhen children have been removed and placed in care due to abuse or neglect

Play 2 GrowRisk of child going into careReunified families (transition from Access Plus)Families where one or more child/ren in care and have a new child in the home

N O T

A G R E E

AGREED

Contracting via Youth Courtwith either Notations on Orders or Access Orders referring to purpose of referral to Access Plus to increase parenting capacity

Referral and CriteriaCompleted referral form (attached) for all programs belowChildren who are under I&A orders and 12 month GOM ordersReferral asap from intake

Contracting with the Family

reunification

Intensive Family Support Program

Capturing “at Risk” families at:1.Intake stage2.those who have children reunified3.those involved in Play 2 Grow4.if new baby in the home and where other children are in care and working with Access Plus

Modbury Families SA and Good Beginnings Access Plus

Evaluation/Outcomesincreased reunificationincreased parenting capacitydecreased risk of other children coming into caredecreased reabuse rates for other children in home

Challenges so far…

Referrals and communication

“Reporting back”

Open and transparent

The impact of knowledge

Where to now…

Review

Continuous learning

Evaluation of MDP

effectiveness as a Mandated program

improvement in relationships

savings