BUSHkids Annual Report 2015-16

CASES

Case studies

(Names and details have been amended to maintain confidentiality)

3 The Gemfields The Gemfields are located west of Emerald and comprise Anakie, Rubyvale, Sapphire and The Willows. The population is approximately 1,700 with 1,300 people living in the four towns in the 900km 2 area and the remainder living in the rural surrounds. BUSHkids has been working in this community for nearly three years. An initial meeting between the Anakie school principal, BUSHkids team and Clinical Services Manager identified a high level of need among children and families in the local area, with only 30% attendance at kindergarten programs (approximately 40 minutes away) prior to school commencing. This was due to the distance, time and associated expense of accessing programs in Emerald. There were no daycare facilities available and limited support for children’s development and parenting. The principal noted that one of the strengths of the community was the existence of an informal playgroup run by two local mums. This playgroup provided a starting point and the BUSHkids team took a ‘soft entry,’ community capacity-building approach, with the FHSW and Psychologist attending the group in 2014-15. Initial aims were to establish rapport, identify strengths and explore how BUSHkids could contribute to children’s development. The team assisted the playgroup with school readiness activities, modelling strategies and supporting relationships between mothers with young children. In 2015, 50% of the children starting prep had informally accessed prep readiness support from the FHSW and Psychologist at playgroup. A need for speech and language therapy was identified and the team worked with the playgroup mums to arrange a screening day through the local Facebook page. Eighteen children between the ages of 18 months and four years attended the first session. In the later monthly attendance by the Speech Pathologist, three or four children presented for screening each week for four months. Many of these children went on to receive speech and language therapy and/or multidisciplinary team intervention as well referral and linking to other services. BUSHkids sessions took place at playgroup, at the school and in the BUSHkids Centre, with our Speech-Language Pathologist and FHSW providing weekly outreach to playgroup and the school. Read and Grow sessions were incorporated into playgroup and attendance rates increased. In 2016, the playgroup venue for The Gemfields was in need of repairs to ensure it met health and safety requirements for a safe place for children. With the playgroup parents, the BUSHkids team compiled a list of repairs required and facilitated links with The Gemfields RSL. A father who was attending the playgroup contacted council and created a running sheet of tasks to be completed and, together, council and community took on the job of bringing the venue back to good condition. The playgroup father took charge and with donations from local businesses and support from volunteers, the playgroup hall is now serviceable and BUSHkids has been able to continue its work in this community. BUSHkids is committed to working to build the capacity of communities and families to support all children to reach their potential. Our teams engage in a range of community capacity- building activities depending on the needs and resources available locally. We work collaboratively with other agencies, services and organisations to ensure needs are prioritised according to local requirements and strengths, services are not duplicated and that the greatest benefit is achieved with limited resources. This is aimed at three key areas: 1. Building the capacity of families, parents or carers to support their children’s developmental needs through the provision of information, education and support for parents and carers. 2. Building the capacity of the local workforce to support children’s developmental needs through the provision of high- quality Professional Development activities in regional locations in Queensland. 3. Working collaboratively with other organisations to ensure a holistic approach to meeting the needs of children within local communities (e.g. addressing other issues which impact on child development – adult mental health, disaster management, etc.) Source: BUSHkids Client Services Handbook

4 The ‘Jones family’ The Jones family has received support from its local BUSHkids team at several points during the past few years. When first referred to BUSHkids, the family was struggling with life in a new town and experiencing difficulty finding employment with a very limited support network. The mother presented to the Centre and indicated she was clinically depressed, expecting her fourth child and experiencing pregnancy complications. She also reported parental conflict and previous contact with Child Safety when living interstate. The mother was concerned about her older son’s (aged four) speech as his two year-old brother appeared to be catching him up. Initial Centre-based appointments were not attended and it soon became apparent that being pregnant and having three young children, with no car in a rural area was limiting this mum’s ability to access our service. Although Centre-based parenting group and speech and language therapy intervention were initially considered, an alternate strategy was required to provide a service which would meet the needs of the family. Initial links to informal supports in the community were made and some routine-based interviewing and problem-solving was undertaken with mum in the family home. As baby four was due to arrive, informal family support (mother) arrived from interstate and input with BUSHkids was deferred until a time more suitable for the family. A few months after the birth of the fourth child, contact was made with the family and a FHSW visit was arranged. Due to complexities in the family, the family was not at home at the arranged time of the visit. Following further telephone discussions with mum, a home visit was arranged on a day that both the mother and father could be home to be involved. This provided the opportunity for both mum and dad to contribute to planning and prioritising intervention. Sessions were then arranged at the Centre on a fortnightly basis to coincide with the father’s RDOs. These initial sessions focused on shared parenting strategies and toileting approaches. Flexibility and involving both father and mother were keys to success in achieving good results for this family. Since then, the three older children have received therapy intervention at BUSHkids. Assessment for one child supported a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and this has enabled the family to access ongoing therapeutic support through a private therapist. Two other children received Speech and Occupational Therapy services and this has contributed to successful transition into formal schooling. Parenting and communication strategies have enabled the parents to support their youngest child’s development and she is now meeting all of her milestones as a happy toddler and has not required any clinical intervention services. Family-centred service is made up of a set of values, attitudes, and approaches to services for children and families. Family- centred service recognises that each family is unique; that the family is the constant in the child’s life; and that they are the experts on the child’s abilities and needs. The family works with service providers to make informed decisions about the services and supports the child and family receive. In family-centred service, the strengths and needs of all family members are considered. https://www.canchild.ca/en/research-in-practice/family-centred- service CAN Child definition from website

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