New service supports families to keep children safe
Embargoed until 14 July 2010
Families in and around Dubbo and the far west of the state now benefit from a new support service being operated by UnitingCare Burnside.
The Dubbo Family Referral Service (incorporating parts of the Western Region) is one of three pilot programs established in New South Wales as part of the State Government’s ‘Keep Them Safe’ child protection reforms following the Wood Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW.
As well as the Dubbo service, Family Referral Services are also being piloted in Newcastle by The Benevolent Society and in Mount Druitt by Relationships Australia NSW.
UnitingCare Burnside CEO Jane Woodruff said, “What the service does is quickly and effectively link children, young people and families with the appropriate community services to address their specific support needs and help them stay together. This may mean putting them in contact with a service that provides training in parenting skills, or drug and alcohol counselling or simply help them to work out their finances. The main aim is to ensure that children are kept safe and families receive the services they need before things escalate and Community Services has to step in.”
In keeping with the primary, but not exclusive, focus of the Dubbo FRS to support Aboriginal children, young people and families, two thirds of the staff at the Dubbo FRS are Aboriginal. The Dubbo FRS connects families with relevant support services and keeps in touch with families to see how they are going.
Manager of the Dubbo FRS, Angie Weir said, “One of the challenges this pilot faces is that services are limited in many of the small and remote communities in this region and people have to travel long distances to access services. This also means that the Dubbo FRS is linking families to support services in communities that are located four or five hours away”.
The Dubbo FRS is an augmented referral service, which provides phone information and referrals, as well as a face-to-face service from a drop-in centre with an outreach service covering Blayney, Cobar, Gilgandra, Walgett, Bogan, Cabonne, Lachlan, Warren, Bourke, Coonamble, Narromine, Warrumbungle, Brewarrina, Dubbo, Orange, Wellington, Cobar, Forbes and Parkes.
The FRS pilot program is being launched by the Minister for Community Services, the Hon. Linda Burney MP at Mount Druitt Family Referral Service, Level 1, 15 Cleeve Close, Mount Druitt on Wednesday 14 July at 11:00 am.
Dubbo FRS operates from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday. Call 1300 339 016 for the cost of local call.
Jane Woodruff is available for comment on 0402 891 325
Angie Weir is available for comment on 02 6885 8810 or 0437 677 088
Media inquiries to Romola Hollywood 02 9407 3230 or 0447 258 722.
