BUSHkids 2016-17 Annual Report

L&D

The range of education and development programs and workshops being delivered by BUSHkids teams continues to grow, with both considerable experience obtained in the delivery of proprietary, external programs and, more excitingly, the consolidation of increasing expertise in BUSHkids’ own, internally-developed materials. Learning and Development

CSM

A Steady Start to School (ASS2S) A Steady Start to School is a parent workshop developed by BUSHkids based on the best available evidence in supporting parents to support children’s development with the aim of children making a successful transition into formal education. The ASS2S Program enables BUSHkids to provide high quality universal information to whole communities. When a child experiences a positive and successful transition to primary school they are more likely to experience positive social, emotional and academic outcomes at school and in later life. During the workshop, parents/carers are offered this information along with evidence-informed strategies. Parents (and those in a parenting role) are encouraged to think about how the information applies to their child and family, and have the opportunity to practise some of the key strategies as the first and most significant teacher in a child’s life. The ready-to-use workshop (two hours) is delivered by BUSHkids’ professional staff and Early Intervention Facilitators and can also be utilised by skilled and trained volunteers. The ASS2S package consists of a presenter’s manual, PowerPoint presentation, participant workbook and a suite of tip sheets related to child development and parenting. Participants are also provided with a take-home bag including tools for starting school. The workshop was trialled at three sites in November 2016. Feedback from participants and presenters was used to make necessary adjustments. From observation of the three trials we identified a need for standardised training for staff to competently and professionally present ASS2S. A training package was developed for staff including: reference library, practice manual and training video. Staff are required to read research papers, watch a two-hour training video, present three sections of the presentation to a supervisor and sit an exam prior to presenting the group. The rollout of the program to the communities began in terms 3 and 4 of 2017. BUSHkids will use the SCORE (Standard Client / Community Outcome Reporting) to collect outcome measure data from each presentation. The development of this package has been an exciting project for BUSHkids in moving our service model towards universal supports for all families in regional, rural and remote locations of Queensland. ASS2S will also be tested in our telehealth research project to investigate the effectiveness of this mode of service delivery as part of our options for reaching greater numbers of children in our huge and geographically dispersed state.

Play Project – Learning to Play Play is how children learn many skills they will need to succeed in formal education. Adult-mediated play, playing with peers and independent play all perform a vital role in children’s development. Play helps children develop social and emotional skills, health and safety awareness, language, cognitive development, cultural knowledge and motor skills. Many parents who attend BUSHkids do not have a full understanding of the importance and value of children’s play. Funding via the Gambling Community Benefit Fund Queensland was provided to assist children in rural and remote locations learn skills that will prepare them for school. Research shows that early years learning should be play-based and recognises parents as first teachers. The Learning to Play project goal was to develop a pick up and go training package that staff could use to educate parents and early childhood carers about the importance and value of play in early childhood development. The target audience are parents or carers of children in the 0-5 age group. The aims of the workshop are for participants to: Feel supported in their role as first teachers Learn the value and importance of play and adult-mediated play Feel more confident in their own ability to support a child’s developmental needs Gain some theoretical knowledge and practical strategies to adopt in the home or care facility Know who to contact if they have developmental concerns Experience a closer connectedness with children as a result of play Become invested and interested in their children’s play Support children who are more likely to develop to their full potential in the years prior to school. Lou Keevers, who has extensive early years teaching experience, has been the key project worker under the supervision of OT Karlee Wiles and Social Worker Marianne Taylor. The project is currently on track to deliver our second universal program after ASS2S, with pilot workshops planned for 2018.

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