Family Empowerment Report - January to March 2012 by Cape York Partnership

Family Empowerment 3rd Quarter Report, January to March 2012

ÂŠ2012 Not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Cape York Partnerships. Cape York Partnerships takes all care to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information in this report. Cape York Partnerships cannot guarantee complete accuracy and all materials are provided without warranty.

Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4 Operations Managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report.......................................................................................................................................... 4 Our family empowerment agenda .................................................................................................................................. 6 Opportunity Products currently in design ....................................................................................................................... 6 Opportunity Products available in our Opportunity Hubs ............................................................................................... 7 Aurukun Opportunity Hub .............................................................................................................................................. 8 MPower ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9 Student Education Trusts................................................................................................................................................. 10 Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 It takes a village to raise a child ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Coen Opportunity Hub .................................................................................................................................................. 14 MPower ........................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Student Education Trusts................................................................................................................................................. 16 Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 17 It takes a village to raise a child ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Hope Vale Opportunity Hub .......................................................................................................................................... 20 MPower ........................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Student Education Trusts................................................................................................................................................. 22 Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 23 It takes a village to raise a child ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Bush Owner Builder ......................................................................................................................................................... 25 Mossman Gorge Opportunity Hub ................................................................................................................................ 26 MPower ........................................................................................................................................................................... 27 Student Education Trusts................................................................................................................................................. 29 Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 30 It takes a village to raise a child ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Co-Design Studio Update .............................................................................................................................................. 33 Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................ 34

Foreword Our people in Cape York Peninsula share a common history. We were connected and related to each other in the days before the Europeans came. Our people used to walk long distances across the Peninsula to visit each other. East and West. North and South. When our grandparents and great grandparents were rounded up by police on the orders of government and put into missions and government settlements after 1897, we became isolated in the reserves that were strictly controlled by the superintendents and the Department of Native Affairs. Our people could not move in and out of the reserves without permission. We became isolated from our relatives and friends from other places in Cape York. Amazingly, this isolation continued for a long, long time. Cape York was probably the last region in the country where the Indigenous people got together and reconnected. It was really only in the 1990s that our people got organised about critical issues affecting our people: land rights, community development, economic development, social problems, health and education. Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, the Kimberleys, New South Wales and in every other region in the country had been organised since the early 1970s, if not before in some cases. We were a long way behind. We now have a number of strong organisations that have done some great work on behalf of our people. In the last 20 years we have made some major advances, especially in relation to the recognition of the land rights of our people, and more recently in embarking on our Welfare Reform Agenda. Our best and most important work lies ahead of us: solving our social problems through the development of a real economy for our families and communities. Yours in partnership

Noel Pearson Chairman

Operations Manager’s report I am very excited to be back at Cape York Partnerships and proud to be among such a committed and hardworking team. I am impressed with the results the team has achieved despite some of the ongoing difficulties and challenges we face in implementing welfare reform. Numbers only ever tell part of a story but these numbers indicate an impressive story:  181 new members signed up to MPower, bringing total membership to 941.  People independently accessed iBank 2,092 times. Our MPower team provided assistance a further 2,882 times and the training provided means more and more people are independently using iBank.  217 MPower Journey sessions.  99 Money Management Tools sessions.  27 Student Education Trusts were created, increasing the total to 702.

 Trusts were accessed 866 times to purchase educational items.  18 Pride of Place backyards were completed, exceeding targeted completions by three. Seventeen community based Positive Parenting Consultants and Home Crew were employed in It takes a village to raise a child, of which 15 are Indigenous. The program has received a positive response with 66 parents signing up following the launch in February. With the team trained and accredited, sessions are expected to significantly increase in the next quarter. Our family empowerment agenda is being achieved by our diverse team of 64. Fourteen are based in Cairns working on the design and management of our new projects; 10 make up our mobile support team who regularly work across and support the Opportunity Hubs; and 40 are community based. We are especially proud of our efforts to ensure the majority of our local based teams are Cape York Indigenous people, with seven out of twelve in Aurukun, eight out of twelve in Hope Vale, four out of seven in Mossman Gorge, and all seven in Coen. To ensure high quality of delivery and integrity we place significant importance on training and development. In this quarter the team received significant training in Triple P accreditation, Student Education Trust policies and procedures, implementing performance management, and holding ‘honest conversations’. The success of Opportunity Hubs relies on local Indigenous people embracing them as an integral part of their community. A local Indigenous leader is selected to manage each hub based on their capacity to role model positive behaviours by living CYP’s organisational values through action and leadership. Our Hub Leaders work collaboratively with local leaders, government representatives and service providers. We use a ‘radical management’ approach to increase levels of family engagement on a week by week basis. Targets are set for each team member, with weekly data submitted to the Opportunity Hub management team for review. The team, made up of the Hub Leaders and management, then get together for peer review and to consider strategies. Implementation has resulted in a steady increase in uptake, which I expect to continue in the coming quarter. The Mossman Gorge team were excited to move into their new Opportunity Hub, which provides more space for the team to work with families. Coen and Hope Vale remain challenged by inappropriate Opportunity Hub spaces. This places significant strain on the team’s ability to best support families. Hope Vale’s Opportunity Hub will relocate to the Business Precinct in the next quarter. CYP has been in negotiations with the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services for three years to utilise existing allocated grants to build the new Coen Opportunity Hub, but approval is yet to be granted. Another challenge has been the lack of suitable facilities to operate It takes a village to raise a child with no dedicated space in Coen, Hope Vale or Mossman Gorge. The team has organised some classes in the Wellbeing centres but it is not always available and this puts a strain on delivery of the program, impacting on our team’s ability to deal with families who want to participate. A space in Hope Vale will become available when the current Opportunity Hub team move into the new premises, however only until the end of the year. There is no immediate solution for Mossman Gorge or Coen. I would like to thank the Queensland and Australian Governments for their continuing support. I would also like to thank our business partners for their ongoing support, the families involved in our work for trusting us to support them, and to our wonderful team for all their hard work and effort. Thank you and kind regards

Donna Field Operations Manager 5

Our family empowerment agenda Village Opportunity Hubs are a Welfare Reform initiative replacing traditional welfare service centres with purpose-built ‘opportunity’ centres. Instead of individuals and families receiving passive welfare services, they can pursue a life-improving and empowering portfolio of opportunity products and programs that enable them to take responsibility for improving their lives. These customised ‘Opportunity Products’ are designed to support families as they embark on their journey out of poverty and disadvantage. Each product contains real incentives like a job, the chance at home ownership, or children getting a high-quality high-expectations education. These products also contain strong capability building through the transfer of knowledge and skills, and embedded responsibilities. Individuals make a commitment such as maintaining regular financial contributions, or providing their own ‘sweat equity’ to enhance their homes and support their families to move ahead. See over for full details on each product.

Opportunity Products currently in design Cape York Partnerships has a pipeline of Opportunity Products under construction in its Co-Design Studio. We codesign with our team, families, funders and professional partners. The direction of our leaders ensures we have the right intent, our families provide the voice of experience, and our team provide the design methodology. The following projects are in the pipeline to be completed by the end of 2012.

Green Box Red Box

First and Second Step Programs

 Food security through fortnightly food boxes

Addresses issues of well-being and unemployment

 Intends to break the feast and famine cycles

 First Step – enables people to take the first step in overcoming drug and alcohol addictions

 Teaches about nutrition; provides cooking classes

 Second Step – a pathway to sustainable employment opportunities.

Home Ownership

Work Opportunity Network

 Bayan –financial case management framework to transition families from renting, to preparing for a home loan, to owning a home

 Work Opportunity Port – employment mobility support for external labour market opportunities

 House to Home – switch on the ‘home gene’; renovating social housing with ‘sweat equity’ leading to home ownership

 Employment Case Management System – the foundation for a tailored approach to individual needs through assessment and support

 Home Ownership Opportunity Port – orbit for employment and build wealth by accessing a mobile Home Ownership on Indigenous Land subsidy.

 Youth Pathway Scheme – training, work experience, mentoring, transition support and placement in work.

Opportunity Products available in our Opportunity Hubs MPower

Wise Buys

Supports individuals and families to manage money for basic material needs; builds capabilities through financial literacy and behaviour change; and builds assets through saving and disciplined money management. Launched: April 2011. Membership: 941.

A retail internet portal that increases consumer knowledge and access to household goods and services at valuefor-money prices. Running since 2008. Membership: 54.

Student Education Trusts Supports parents to meet their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education and development needs from birth to graduation. Regular contributions ensure parents can meet educational expenses as they are needed.

Running since September 2007 through CYP and its sister organisation Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) with a total of 702 trusts.

It takes a village to raise a child

Baby College

There are three parts to this program: Baby College, Positive Kids and Strong Families. Each part provides customised opportunity services to support the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of the child from infancy to adulthood.

Expectant parents socialise and learn together while they travel on the journey to parenthood. Parents are supported by experienced aunties, uncles and grandparents in the community and from baby health and parenting professionals. To be launched: April 2012.

Positive Kids

Strong Families

Delivered through CYAAA, works with parents to encourage positive behaviour, management that optimises learning, and prepares students for success in secondary school. Launched: February 2012. Membership: 9.

Helps parents to develop Positive Parenting skills and engages at-risk families so that everything is done to ensure families stay together and stay strong. Launched: February 2012. Membership: 57.

Pride of Place

Bush Owner Builder

A backyard renovation project. Participants receive financial contributions towards improvements, and make their own financial and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sweat equityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contribution. Launched: October 2010. Membership: 118.

Designed to allow individuals and families to build environmentally, socially and culturally sustainable dwellings through the use of local natural resources and their own 'sweat equity' or labour. Launched in Hope Vale, May 2011.

Aurukun Opportunity Hub

The Opportunity Hub was busy this quarter with an increasing number of families accessing our range of Opportunity Products. Of particular note, 62 new members signed up to MPower with membership now being 483 of the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 793 adult residents (61 per cent). Participants accessed the iBank online and telephone banking services 3,068 times, which is about 50 visits per business day. Many of these families were in need of basic Centrelink support which they were unable to access through the local Centrelink office due to closure. This afforded staff a great opportunity to work with people who may not normally have come into the Opportunity Hub and sign them up to Opportunity Products. The down side was that it took staff away from being able to provide as much coaching and other key elements of the MPower offer. Thirty-two parents signed up to It takes a village to raise a child following the launch with Mark Bin Bakar, aka Mary G. The launch included a BBQ lunch at the PCYC shelter, followed by a separate school performance for the children to ensure they did not miss school to attend. Six new staff, including three local Indigenous Home Crew (It takes a village to raise a child) and one local Indigenous Cadet (MPower), were recruited this quarter. The team have been rolling out their new family engagement approach and we are expecting this will result in significant increases in participation levels in all Opportunity Products in the next quarter.

Aurukun resident Herbert Yunkaporta recently retired after a productive working life. Herbert worked with an MPower Consultant to develop a budget that best manages his finances and ensures his funds last throughout his retirement. Herbert also purchased a boat, trailer and safety equipment through Wise Buys and got the goods at reasonable prices and arranged for freight and delivery. Herbert is looking forward to enjoying many trips out on his country.

MPower Activity

January

February

March

New MPower members

Little ‘a’ sessions

128

iBank sessions (assisted)

600

740

729

2,069

iBank sessions (unassisted)

374

322

303

999

Money Management Tools sessions

Banking Products and Services – Referrals

Total MPower membership

Total 483

Membership Aurukun has a total of 483 members, which is a significant proportion of the adult population of 793 people. Membership continues to show a solid upward trend, with 62 new partners signed up for the quarter.

iBank There were 2,069 assisted iBank sessions. A large proportion of these sessions were a result of unstable local Centrelink services. MPower Consultants signed in 999 unassisted iBank users, which means the training provided by the team is paying off. Families are accessing their telephone and internet banking on their own and exercising greater control over the management of their finances.

Little ‘a’ sessions The team addressed 128 little ‘a’ issues with families. There was a slight increase each month indicating the growing trust among families to seek out the team for support in getting their finances in order.

MPower Journey MPower Journey sessions have increased, the team completing 70. Positive word of mouth increased demand, resulting in strong growth from just six sessions in January to 42 in March.

Money management support Fifty-four Money Management Tools sessions were held with participation levels increasing each month from five in January, to 25 in March.

Banking Services Although referrals to banking services were low, this is expected to increase with additional staff training on banking products and services, and new initiatives that will come online in the coming months.

Student Education Trusts Activity Total SET Membership

January

February

March

Total

Early Childhood

Primary School

148

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Total New Trusts

Total

SET Funds Balance (end of month)

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trusts

239 -

Early Childhood

$43,352.63

$44,215.39

$42,760.53

Primary School

$172,296.48

$173,577.43

$167,770.68

Secondary School

$81,095.64

$81,167.20

$79,825.53

Further Education

$2,847.17

$2,882.03

$2,628.04

Non-Active

$3,805.38

$3,917.60

$4,010.60

Early Childhood

Primary School

179

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Membership Trusts continue to be extremely well utilised, with another three sign-ups bringing the total to 239 children having trusts and approximately two adults per child regularly contributing. The breakdown is: early childhood (40), primary school children (148), secondary (49), further education (1) and non-active (1).

Trust balance The current trust balance is a healthy $296,995.38.

Trust expenditure The MPower team conducted a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;back-to-school blitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to coincide with the start of the school year so parents can ensure their children are school ready. As a result, trusts were accessed 210 times to pay for educational goods and services, family books, uniforms and boarding school needs.

Wise Buys Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total Wise Buys membership New Wise Buys members Total Number of purchases

Membership Three people signed up this quarter. Participation is expected to significantly increase in the next quarter as the catalogue has been improved and the team are now trained and ready to commence a sustained promotional effort.

Purchases A number of participants have now been trained on how to access goods and compare prices online. This led to 21 purchases being made including household items and a vehicle.

It takes a village to raise a child Positive Kids and Strong Families were launched in February with the initial phase focussed on registering participants, promoting the program and building trust with families. Given the short term, participants are continuing into the second school term, to allow sufficient time to complete the program and graduate.

Positive Kids Activity

January

February

March

Total

Number of registrations

Total number of sessions held

Total attendance at sessions

Number of home visits conducted

Number of graduations

Student Case Managers implemented Positive Kids at CYAAA campuses. It was agreed that in the first term, due to a high workload and staff changes, only one Student Case Manager would deliver Positive Kids. As per program design, the Student Case Manager was allocated a caseload of three participants. Three parents registered, one group session and seven home visits were undertaken. The Student Case Manager continues to engage parents, with the intention of improving session attendance rates in the next quarter.

One Cape York mother has successfully completed the Parenting Program and is expected to be reunified with her two children in the coming months. The mother, who was referred to It takes a village to raise a child by Child Safety participated enthusiastically in the program through to its completion. The Positive Parenting Consultant continues to provide the mother with ongoing support.

Strong Families Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total number of sessions held

Total attendance at sessions

Number of registrations

Number of home visits conducted Number of graduations

Registrations Strong Families commenced in mid February with 29 parents registered. These parents were primarily referred from the Family Responsibilities Commission. Promotions and engagement were undertaken to increase participation from both referred and non-referred families.

Sessions and Home Visits One of the Positive Parenting Consultants was on board at the start of the program. Ten sessions were held with 14 people attending and 27 home visits conducted. Team training impacted on delivery time with the Positive Parenting Consultant needing to spend a cumulative amount of four weeks in Cairns attending Positive Parenting training with Triple P. A second Positive Parenting Consultant is now on board and training for both consultants is largely complete. Sessions are expected to significantly increase in the next quarter.

Home Crew CYP employed three local ‘natural leaders’ to take on the role of Home Crew. Along with undertaking extensive Triple P training in Cairns, the Home Crew have focussed on assisting the Positive Parenting Consultants to build relationships within the community. Together with the Cairns Co-Design Studio, they created a Top Tips homecare booklet to be used in their daily work with families, and assisted with Home Care program development and feedback.

Great-grandmother Susie Yunkaporta is a big supporter of It takes a village to raise a child and is one of three Home Crew staff in Aurukun. During a recent trip to Cairns, Susie learnt different parenting strategies to take back to her community. ‘The skills give me the confidence to talk to family members and share my experience on being a good parent’, she said ‘This is a great program for our kids and our families.’

Baby College Baby College has undergone final design and transition tasks and is scheduled to start as a trial in April. The trial is part of a study conducted by Triple P and the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the University of Queensland to investigate ‘the usefulness of Baby Triple P, an adapted version of the successful Triple P Positive Parenting Program’.

Pride of Place Activity

January

February

March

Total

Number of new participants

Number of household projects completed this quarter

Total number of participants

Number of household projects completed to date

Number of individual backyard elements completed to date

Value of POP contributions this quarter

$240

$290

$270

$800

% of required contributions for completed households

100%

60%

55%

60%

57.5%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for

Participation rates One new household signed up bringing the total to 26 out of 168 households. This represents 15.4 per cent saturation. The completion of homes and their ‘Celebration’ (BBQ for family and friends to celebrate completion) is generating increased interest, with participant numbers steadily growing.

Work completed Five families progressed towards completion of their backyard (including landscaping and paving), with four families successfully completing their backyard projects that now include a pergola, swing set, BBQ and landscaped gardens. The four households completed bring total completions to ten with 77 individual elements completed to date. Outdoor work was a little slow to start this quarter given significant wet weather placing challenges around transporting supplies and undertaking work in the wet. The team are preparing to ramp up in the coming quarter, with expected improvements in the weather allowing more of both working days and regular delivery of supplies. At least three more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.

Partner contributions and obligations Participants make regular financial contributions and meet the sweat equity commitment (physical contributions by the participant, their family and friends) agreed upon sign up. $800 in contributions was received this quarter, representing fulfilment of participants’ financial obligations. Sweat equity reflected (on average) 57.5 per cent of the commitment made. This is an improvement that we expect to steadily increase next quarter, our team having undertaken training on ‘honest conversations’ in February to increase their capacity to enhance sweat equity.

Barbara Bandicootcha has a dream to open her own nursery. To support this, she signed up to Pride of Place after seeing posters displayed around town. Together with her partner, she sketched out a plan for their nursery. Having run a nursery in Weipa for four years Barbara is confident there is a market in Aurukun: ‘With the amount of new houses coming up I reckon I'd make a profit selling a variety of plants.’ Barbara has also signed up to MPower to save money towards the nursery: ‘We're also thinking of setting up a landscaping business so MPower can help us save money.’

Coen Opportunity Hub

Despite challenges associated with wet weather and a fuel shortage, there was an increase in enquiries from families around our Opportunity Products. Seventeen new members signed up to MPower, with membership now being 110 of the community’s 192 adults (57 per cent). Parents also purchased 228 items for their children using Student Education Trusts, ranging from school shoes and uniforms to laptops (four laptops being purchased this quarter). More than a quarter of Coen’s adult population attended the launch of It takes a village to raise a child with Mark Bin Bakar, aka Mary G. The launch included a BBQ lunch at the Wellbeing centre, followed by a separate school performance for the children to ensure they did not miss school to attend. Three new staff, all of whom are Indigenous, were recruited this quarter. The roll out of It takes a village to raise a child has shown a steady increase in participation across all Opportunity Products, which is expected to continue next quarter. The team is looking forward to construction of the new Opportunity Hub commencing.

Parents of two Coen school-aged children are accessing their trusts to make dreams a reality. Shiquea Creek and Mark Doolah were recently selected to play AFL for a representative team on the Gold Coast. Using their Student Education Trusts, Shiquea and Marks’ parents were able to cover the costs of flights, accommodation, food and uniforms for the trip, allowing the two students to personally excel while also representing their community.

MPower Activity

January

February

March

Little ‘a’ sessions

iBank sessions (assisted)

iBank sessions (unassisted)

MPower Journey sessions

Banking Products and Services – referrals

Total MPower membership

Total 110

New MPower members

Membership Membership continues to show a solid upward trend, with 17 new partners signing up bringing the total to 110 members. This is a significant portion of the adult population of 192 people.

iBank There were 97 unassisted iBank sessions, which means the training provided by the team is paying off. Families are accessing their telephone and internet banking on their own and exercising greater control over the management of their finances.

Little ‘a’ sessions The team addressed 59 little ‘a’ issues with families, with session numbers consistent across each month indicating ongoing trust among families to get their finances in order.

MPower Journey There were 31 MPower Journey sessions, of which 25 were in February. Engagement was affected in January and March by wet weather, fuel shortages and funerals.

Money management support Nineteen Money Management Tool sessions were held, with a strong increase across the quarter from just three sessions in January, to 13 in March.

Banking Services Although referrals to banking services are low, this is expected to increase with additional staff training on banking products and services, and new initiatives that will come online in the coming months.

Student Education Trusts Activity Total SET Membership

January

February

March

Total

Early Childhood

Primary School

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Total New Trusts

Total

SET Funds Balance (end of month)

Early Childhood

$72,142.39

$72,224.07

$73,637.60

Primary School

$99,176.52

$98,720.32

$98,134.52

Secondary School

$60,110.16

$59,620.40

$58,123.91

Further Education

$6,475.90

$6,617.11

$6,350.53

$26,258.68

$26,759.04

$25,736.50

Early Childhood

Primary School

142

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Non-Active Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trusts

164

Membership Trusts continue to be extremely well utilised with four more sign ups, bringing the total to 164 with approximately two adults per child regularly contributing. The four trusts signed up this quarter represent some of the hardest to reach families, demonstrating the trust built with MPower staff. The breakdown is: early childhood (46), primary school children (56), secondary (33), further education (4) and non-active (25). As Coen is close to saturation point, minimal sign ups are expected going forward.

Trust balance The current trust balance is a healthy $264,557.67.

Trust expenditure The MPower team conducted a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;back-to-school blitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to coincide with the start of the school year so parents can ensure their children are school ready. As a result, trusts were accessed 228 times to pay for educational goods and services, family books, uniforms and boarding school needs.

Coen parents continue to ensure their children are dressed and ready for school. Parents spent $4,170 on school uniforms at our â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Back to School blitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Wise Buys Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total Wise Buys membership

New Wise Buys members

Total Number of purchases

Wise Buys membership One person signed up this quarter. Participation is expected to significantly increase in the next quarter as the catalogue has been improved and the team are now trained and ready to commence a sustained promotional effort.

Purchases A number of participants have now been trained on how to access goods and compare prices online which led to 16 purchases being made including clothing, nappies, and a ukulele.

Positive Kids Positive Kids is scheduled to commence in Coen in the next quarter, to coincide with the recruitment of a new Student Case Manager at CYAAA who will deliver the program.

Strong Families Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total number of sessions held

Total attendance at sessions

Number of home visits conducted

Number of registrations

Number of graduations

Registrations Strong Families commenced in mid February with 11 parents registered. These parents were primarily referred from the Family Responsibilities Commission. Promotions and engagement were undertaken to increase participation.

Sessions and Home Visits Only one session was held and one home visit conducted as a result of staff health-related mobility issues that have made it difficult to follow-up and engage parents not attending sessions. Sessions and home visits were further impacted by the need for the Positive Parenting Consultant to spend a cumulative amount of four weeks in Cairns attending Positive Parenting training. A second Positive Parenting Consultant has been employed and training is largely complete. Sessions are expected to significantly increase in the next quarter.

Home Crew CYP employed two local ‘natural leaders’ to take on the role of Home Crew. Along with undertaking extensive Triple P training in Cairns, the Home Crew focussed on assisting the Positive Parenting Consultants to build relationships within the community. Together with the Cairns Co-Design Studio, they created a Top Tips homecare booklet to be used in their daily work with families, and assisted with Home Care program development and feedback.

Pride of Place Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total number of participants

Number of new participants

Number of household projects completed this quarter

Number of household projects completed to date

Number of individual backyard elements completed to date

Value of POP contributions this quarter

$50

$75

$175

% of required contributions for completed households

48%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for

60%

Participation rates Two new households signed up bringing the total to 15 out of 54 households. This represents 27.8 per cent saturation. The completion of homes and their ‘Celebration’ (BBQ for family and friends to celebrate completion) is generating increased interest, with participant numbers steadily growing.

Work completed Three families progressed towards completion of their backyard (including landscaping and paving), with one family successfully completing their backyard project that now includes a pergola, swing set, vegetable garden and outdoor furniture. The one household completed brings total completions to four, with 43 individual elements completed to date. Outdoor work was a little slow to start this quarter given significant wet weather placing challenges around transporting supplies and undertaking work in the wet. The team are preparing to ramp up in the coming quarter, with expected improvements in the weather allowing more of both working days and regular delivery of supplies. At least three more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.

Partner contributions and obligations Participants make regular financial contributions and meet the sweat equity commitment (physical contributions by the participant, their family and friends) agreed upon sign up. $135 in contributions was received this quarter, representing fulfilment of 52 per cent of participants’ financial obligations. Our MPower team is working with these families to ensure contributions are fulfilled next quarter. Sweat equity reflected 60 per cent of the commitment made. This is an improvement that we expect to steadily increase next quarter, our team having undertaken training on ‘honest conversations’ in February to increase their capacity to enhance sweat equity.

Hope Vale Opportunity Hub

Above middle: This photo was taken on a recent visit by Tony Abbott MP and Alan Tudge MP to the Hope Vale Opportunity Hub.

Families are increasingly accessing our range of Opportunity Products through our local Opportunity Hub. An impressive 83 new members signed up to MPower, taking membership up to 248 of the community’s 582 adult residents (43 per cent). Our Coaches conducted 103 MPower Journey sessions (the highest amount across our four communities) and the number of participants continues to grow. Six local staff joined our team on It takes a village to raise a child which was launched in late February by Mark Bin Bakar, aka Mary G. 150 people attended, including families not previously engaged with CYP’s Opportunity Products. The launch included a lunchtime BBQ at the PCYC building, followed by a separate school performance for the children, so they did not miss school. The team are rolling out their new family engagement approach and are expecting this will result in significant increases in participation levels across all Opportunity Products in the next quarter. The team will be moving into the newly constructed ‘Business Precinct’ in May.

Hope Vale resident Maude Olbar has found a new approach to shopping to make her money go further. With the help of an MPower Coach, Maude is now bulk purchasing her family’s food. During MPower sessions, Maude learned how to make bulk orders and arrange transportation through Wise Buys. She also created a savings account so that she could purchase a new fridge through Wise Buys. Maude is now following a savings plan so that she can achieve her ultimate savings goal of purchasing a vehicle.

MPower Activity Total MPower membership

January

February

March

Total 248

New MPower members

Little ‘a’ sessions

100

218

iBank sessions (assisted)

139

195

168

502

iBank sessions (unassisted)

317

301

331

949

Money Management Tools sessions

Banking Products and Services – Referrals

Membership Eighty-three new sign ups brought the total MPower membership to 248 people. This is 43 per cent of the adult population.

iBank iBank was used 1,451 times with 502 assisted and 949 unassisted sessions. Training provided by the team is paying off, with families accessing their telephone and internet banking on their own and exercising greater control over the management of their finances.

Little ‘a’ sessions The team conducted 218 little ‘a’ sessions with families, with significant increases over the quarter showing a growing trust among families to seek out our team for support.

MPower Journey A very high number of MPower Journey sessions (103) were conducted. This is a result of people enjoying the process and seeking out more sessions, and proactive engagement including Coaches visiting people in their workplaces and homes.

Money management support Eighteen Money Management Tool sessions were conducted, with an increase in volume over the period.

Banking Services People were referred 21 times to banking products and services. This is expected to increase with additional staff training on banking products and services, and new initiatives which will come online in the coming months.

Student Education Trusts Activity

Total SET Membership

January

February

March

Total

Early Childhood

Primary School

105

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Total New Trusts

SET Funds Balance (end of month)

179

Early Childhood

$28,979.33

$29,736.01

$29,437.53

Primary School

$68,754.05

$64,884.78

$62,214.39

Secondary School

$14,345.34

$13,177.66

$12,166.25

Further Education

$386.37

$267.96

$151.03

Early Childhood

Primary School

178

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trust

Non-Active

Membership Trusts continue to be well utilised, with an additional 11 created. This brings the total to 179 and is an excellent result, indicative of the promotional and engagement work being performed. Promotional work included a followup to the end of year Hope Vale Academy Awards as well as promotional posters in key locations around town. The majority of these trusts are for primary school children (105). An additional 45 for children in early childhood shows a strong commitment to provide for the quality education of children.

Trust balance The current trust balance is a healthy $103,969.20.

Trust expenditure The MPower team conducted a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;back-to-school blitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to coincide with the start of the school year so parents can ensure their children are school ready. As a result, trusts were accessed 255 times to pay for educational goods and services, family books, uniforms and boarding school needs.

Wise Buys Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total Wise Buys membership

New Wise Buys members

Total Number of purchases

Wise Buys Membership Two people signed up this quarter. Participation is expected to significantly increase in the next quarter as the catalogue has been improved and the team are now trained and ready to commence a sustained promotional effort.

Purchases A number of people have been trained on how to access goods and compare prices online, which resulted in 15 purchases including fridges, beds, a bassinet and bulk food orders.

Positive Kids Activity

January

Number of registrations Total number of sessions held Total attendance at sessions Number of home visits conducted Number of graduations

February

March

Total

3 3 3 -

1 1 -

3 4 4 -

The Student Case Managers implemented Positive Kids at CYAAA. As per program design, a caseload of three people was allocated to each Student Case Manager. Three parents registered, with four sessions conducted. After a period of leave in March, the Student Case Manager continues to engage parents, with the intention of building session attendance rates in the next quarter.

Strong Families Activity

January

February

March

Total

15 11 14 2

12 15 -

15 23 29 2

Number of registrations Total number of sessions held Total attendance at sessions Number of home visits conducted Number of graduations

Registrations Strong Families commenced in mid February with 15 parents registered. These parents were primarily referred from the Family Responsibilities Commission. Promotions and engagement were undertaken to increase participation.

Sessions and Home Visits Eleven sessions were held in February, with 14 participants attending. Twenty-three sessions and two home visits were conducted. Substantial team training resulted in a reduced program for this quarter, with Positive Parenting Consultants spending a cumulative amount of time of four weeks in Cairns attending Positive Parenting training with Triple P. With an additional Positive Parenting Consultant commencing over this period, a significant increase in sessions in expected in the coming quarter.

Home Crew CYP employed four local ‘natural leaders’ to take on the role of Home Crew. Along with undertaking extensive Triple P training in Cairns, the Home Crew have primarily focussed on assisting the Parenting Consultants to build relationships within the community. Together with the Cairns Co-Design Studio, they created a Top Tips homecare booklet to be used in their daily work with families, and assisted with Home Care program development and feedback.

Pride of Place Activity

January

February

March

Total number of participants

Total 58

Number of new participants

Number of household projects completed this quarter

Number of household projects completed to date

Number of individual backyard elements completed to date

Value of POP contributions this quarter

$745

$1,100

$1,200

$3,055

% of required contributions for completed households

100%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for

53.3%

75%

46.7%

56.25%

Participation rates Nine new households signed up bringing the total to 58 out of 180 households. This represents 32.2 per cent saturation. The completion of homes and their ‘Celebration’ (BBQ for family and friends to celebrate completion) is generating increased interest, with participant numbers steadily growing.

Work completed Seventeen families progressed towards completion of their backyard (including landscaping and paving), with eight families successfully completing their backyard projects that now include pergolas, decking, driveways, BBQs and landscaped gardens. The eight households completed brings total completions to 16, with 93 individual elements completed to date. Outdoor work was a little slow to start this quarter given significant wet weather placing challenges around transporting supplies and undertaking work in the wet. The team are preparing to ramp up in the coming quarter, with expected improvements in the weather allowing more of both working days and regular delivery of supplies. At least eleven more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.

Partner contributions and obligations Participants make regular financial contributions and meet the sweat equity commitment (physical contributions by the participant, their family and friends) agreed upon sign up. $3,055 in contributions was received this quarter, representing fulfilment of participants’ financial obligations. Sweat equity reflected (on average) 56.25 per cent of the commitment made. This is an improvement that we expect to steadily increase next quarter, our team having undertaken training on ‘honest conversations’ in February to increase their capacity to enhance sweat equity.

Bush Owner Builder Bush Owner Builder continues to attract attention in Hope Vale and is a very popular concept, especially for those who have the capability and resources. The pilot houses at Biniirrbigu (Billy Boil) are complete and 23 families have signed up to participate in future activities. The nature of this project prevents work being carried out over the wet season. As a result, the project has been dormant since late 2011, and will re-commence after May 2012. A small number of families have commenced contributions towards their $3,000 deposit, and are ready to commence construction. The first is ready to start in 2012 and funding partner, Mark Carnegie, is once again lending vital support to this year’s project.

Mossman Gorge Opportunity Hub

The new Opportunity Hub opened in February with a growing number of people visiting. Most notably, all but a handful of the 99 residents are now signed up to MPower, with Indigenous residents living in Mossman also participating. Pride of Place projects have also been completed in most of the homes in the gorge. With 15 new members registered, Wise Buys now has 24 members. Participants used Wise Buys to purchase clothes dryers, washing machines and refrigerators. Unfortunately, the launch of It takes a village to raise a child was cancelled due to the passing of an elder. Despite this, engagement levels are increasing in both Positive Kids and Strong Families with 16 home visits conducted in February and March.

Brian Toby has applied the skills he learnt in MPower Coaching sessions to save for a dryer, a mobile phone, a fridge, a television and a laptop. After just six months of saving, Brian was able to start purchasing goods at competitive prices through Wise Buys. Brian says: ‘MPower [and Wise Buys] helped me out when I didn’t have much money or food. Now I’m saving for a guitar and amplifier and I might get a new freezer.’

MPower Activity

January

February

March

Total 100

Total MPower membership New MPower members

Little ‘a’ sessions

iBank sessions (assisted)

212

iBank sessions (unassisted)

MPower Journey sessions

Money Management Tools sessions

Banking Products and Services – Referrals

Andrew Gibson of Mossman Gorge considers MPower to be the key to his financial and personal independence: ‘My car is my independence. If I didn’t have my car it would cut me off from getting to work – that’s my independence too.’ Using a budget and an automated payment set up with the assistance of an MPower Consultant, Andrew is making regular car payments. He is now to saving for an overseas holiday. ‘I’ll set aside an account with a set [savings] goal but will make sure all my bills are paid ... I’ve got a pretty good idea about how much I can save.’ He also thinks the Opportunity Hub’s local staff are key: ‘The workers are really good because they’re local staff.’

Membership Nineteen new members signed up to MPower. Of the 100 members signed-up, 33 are from the town of Mossman who heard of the program’s success from Mossman Gorge community members.

iBank There were 259 iBank sessions conducted. Additional training will be provided to participants so they can use the facilities independently.

Little ‘a’ sessions MPower staff experienced mixed results with only nine little ‘a’ sessions with families.

MPower Journey The MPower Consultant and Opportunity Hub Leader conducted 13 MPower Journey sessions.

Money management support Eight Money Management Tools sessions took place.

Banking Services One referral to banking services occurred during this period. This is expected to increase with additional staff training on banking products and services, and new initiatives which will come online in the coming months.

In a recent interview, one resident stated that MPower ‘has helped me to change what I spend money on, and helped me to spend less on habits that I shouldn’t spend money on [gambling]. It’s helped me sort my life out.’

Student Education Trusts Activity

Total SET Membership

January

February

March

Total

Early Childhood

Primary School

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

5 120

Total

New Trusts

Early Childhood

SET Funds Balance (end of month)

Early Childhood

$20,699.83

$20,015.72

$19,957.11

Primary School

$59,200.84

$55,516.29

$55,907.71

Secondary School

$24,582.79

$23,083.73

$20,960.91

Further Education

$2,542.90

$1,883.30

$1,488.11

Early Childhood

Primary School

125

Secondary School

Further Education

Non-Active

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trust

Membership An impressive 120 children in Mossman Gorge and the township have trusts. Nine new trusts were created by parents who heard of the program from other family members. Two of the new trusts were for children under five years old and seven were for primary school-aged children.

Trust balance The current trust balance is a healthy $98,313.84.

Trust expenditure A total of 173 items were purchased by parents using money held in trust. The majority of these were in January for back to school items and uniforms. The MPower team also conducted a book fair to coincide with the start of the school year.

Wise Buys Activity

January

February

March

Total

Total Wise Buys membership New Wise Buys members

Total Number of purchases

Wise Buys membership Wise Buys membership in Mossman Gorge is the highest of the four communities, with 24 members. Despite having the smallest population, the Mossman Gorge staff work hard to promote this Opportunity Product, and have signed up 15 new participants. This number is expected to increase further in the next quarter as the catalogue has been improved and the team are now trained and ready to commence a sustained promotional effort.

Purchases Mossman Gorge has the largest participation rate with 34 purchases, including a number of whitegoods and outdoor items.

Positive Kids Activity

Jan

Feb

March

Total

Number of registrations

Total number of sessions held

Total attendance at sessions

Number of home visits conducted

Number of graduations

The Student Case Managers implemented Positive Kids at CYAAA. As per program design, each is allocated a caseload of three participants. Three parents registered, four group sessions and 14 home visits were undertaken. The Student Case Manager continues to engage parents, with the intention of improving session attendance rates in the next quarter.

Strong Families Activity

Jan

Feb

March

Total

Number of registrations

Total number of sessions held

Total attendance at sessions

Number of home visits conducted

Number of graduations

Registrations Strong Families commenced in mid February with two parents registered. These parents were primarily referred from the Family Responsibilities Commission. Promotions and engagement were undertaken to increase participation.

Sessions and Home Visits Four sessions were held, with five people attending and two home visits conducted. Getting the team trained up to deliver meant a reduced program for this quarter as the Positive Parenting Consultant spent a cumulative amount of time of four weeks in Cairns attending Positive Parenting training with Triple P. Training is now largely complete and sessions are expected to significantly increase in the next quarter.

Home Crew CYP employed two local ‘natural leaders’ to take on the role of Home Crew. Along with undertaking extensive Triple P training in Cairns, the Home Crew have primarily focussed on assisting the Positive Parenting Consultants to build relationships within the community. Together with the Cairns Co-Design Studio, they created a Top Tips homecare booklet to be used in their daily work with families, and assisted with Home Care program development and feedback.

Pride of Place Activity

Jan

Feb

March

Total number of participants Number of new participants Number of household projects completed this quarter

1 2

$330 0%

$345 65%

$605 97.5% 70%

Number of household projects completed to date Number of individual backyard elements completed to date Value of POP contributions this quarter % of required contributions for completed households % of sweat equity achieved versus committed for

Total

19 1 5 9 69 $1,280 97.5% 54%

Participation rates One new household signed up bringing the total to 19 out of 28 households. This represents 67.8 per cent saturation. The completion of homes and their ‘Celebration’ (BBQ for family and friends to celebrate completion) is generating increased interest, with participant numbers steadily growing.

Work completed Six families progressed towards completion of their backyard (including landscaping and paving), with five families successfully completing their backyard projects that now include a pergola, garden beds, paving, water tanks and a BBQ. The five households completed brings total completions to nine, with 69 individual elements completed to date. Outdoor work was a little slow to start this quarter given significant wet weather placing challenges around transporting supplies and undertaking work in the wet. The team are preparing to ramp up in the coming quarter, with expected improvements in the weather allowing more of both working days and regular delivery of supplies. At least five more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.

Partner contributions and obligations Participants make regular financial contributions and meet the sweat equity commitment (physical contributions by the participant, their family and friends) agreed upon sign up. $1,280 in contributions was received this quarter, representing fulfilment of participants’ financial obligations. Sweat equity reflected (on average) 54 per cent of the commitment made. This is an improvement that we expect to steadily increase next quarter, our team having undertaken training on ‘honest conversations’ in February to increase their capacity to enhance sweat equity.

Trixie Kerr and her children now hold regular family get-togethers after the whole family chipped in to renovate their garden as part of Pride of Place. Trixie says this was a real family effort. Her son Alfred worked hard to lay the pavers in the pergola and assemble a new chicken shed. Trixie and the rest of the family filled garden beds with soil and tropical plants. ‘We all help each other out. This was a family effort for all of us.’

Co-Design Studio Update The Co-Design Studio commenced design of a number of new projects including a range of employment projects. Operational projects, such as MPower, Wise Buys and Student Education Trusts, continue to be refined and developed with new design features added and processes streamlined. The design of It takes a village to raise a child was signed off and the project launched.

MPower

Wise Buys

 Lockable Accounts workshop held with key Westpac management  Westpac providing update on Lockable Account design and technology challenges  MPower staff received training on MPower, SET and Wise Buys  Student Education Trusts

 New catalogue produced, and preferred suppliers established  Good Guys agreed to produce, supply and update a monthly catalogue and align internal processes to complement Wise Buys

 Transitioned from CYAAA to Opportunity Hubs  Contribution levels consolidated  Initial staff training completed on new processes and procedures  Focus on O-Hub staff to assist families with queries and purchases

 The Parenting Program was redesigned into It takes a village to raise a child  Redesigned program launched in three communities with entertainer Mark Bin Bakar aka Mary G. Over 300 people across communities attended.  A full-scale recruitment resulted in 17 staff being employed. All but two of these new staff members are Indigenous and from Cape York  Staff received formal accredited positive parenting training by external provider, Triple P

It takes a village to raise a child

Work Opportunity Port

Case Management System

 Strategy settled and design underway  Completed an overview of the service providers and stakeholders and commenced engagement  Commenced an analysis of the relevant research

 The strategy settled and design underway  Commenced a comparative of case management systems  Identified end users and developed overview of program components

Youth Pathways Scheme  Strategy complete and design underway  Overview of service providers complete and stakeholder engagement commenced  Commenced discussions with potential employers

First Step and Second Step  Strategy complete and design underway  Engagement with stakeholders and community leaders  Completed initial assessment of the Wellbeing Centres  Support from Toll Holdings to offer employment placements

Bayan  Design and operations team collected over 40 home ownership expressions of interest in Coen and Hope Vale  Design of Bayan concept underway  User stories and case studies for analytical research developed

Glossary Term

Definition

Backyard improvement In relation to Pride of Place, backyard improvement elements refer to an individual element within a elements backyard improvement, e.g. a brick BBQ or a swing-set. Backyard improvements

In relation to Pride of Place, backyard improvements encompass all elements in the Concept Design that are being delivered by the Pride of Place team. Previously referred to as design elements, or improvement elements.

Coaching

Coaching is one-on-one guidance provided to the Family Leader to address any concerns or issues with the progress of their nominated program. Focuses on capability and skills development. In relation to MPower, Coaching is also known as an ‘MPower Journey Session’.

Co-Design Studio

The Co-Design Studio is a core business unit of Cape York Partnerships that works collaboratively with Principal Partners to design projects and programs.

Home Crew

Home Crew are employees of Cape York Partnerships who support individuals and families participating in Baby College and Strong Families.

iBank

iBank is a customised self-service facility located in an Opportunity Hub. It offers independent or assisted access to telephone and internet banking and online shopping facilities.

‘Little a' problem

A ‘little a' problem refers to a small problem that motivates a client to visit the Opportunity Hub for assistance, e.g. a utility bill that is several months overdue and the service is about to be terminated.

Money Management Tools

In relation to MPower, money management tools are basic tools/services that develop skills and knowledge to address financial literacy. They support individuals and families in managing their daily finances, and in accessing and making the most of the Opportunity Products.

Opportunity Product

A Welfare Reform product tailored to bring about changes in behaviour, e.g. Student Education Trusts, Pride of Place, MPower and Bush Owner Builder.

Positive Parenting Consultants

Positive Parenting Consultants are responsible for delivering Baby College and Strong Families. They undertake the Strategic Conversation and assist parents to create and implement their Action Plans. They also liaise with the Family Responsibilities Commission to support parents if applicable.

Principal Partner

Used in place of the words client or customer, a Principal Partner is an Aboriginal person who engages with Cape York Partnerships to take up an Opportunity Product or service.

Student Case Manager A Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy employee who monitors the attendance and school readiness of students. Sweat Equity

Sweat Equity refers to the physical work undertaken by participants to complete projects that require manual labour as part of the family or individuals commitment.

Triple P

Triple P Parenting is included in the delivery of It takes a village to raise a child. Triple P is a parenting education approach that aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and confidence of parents in order to prevent behavioural, emotional and developmental problems in children. Triple P was chosen because of the universally strong evidence supporting its effectiveness.

Cape York Partnerships Cairns Head Office

Coen Opportunity Hub

Mossman Opportunity Hub

Level 3, 139 Grafton Street

1 Taylor Street

Kankarr Street

Cairns QLD 4870

Coen QLD 4871

Mossman Gorge QLD 4873

Phone: 4042 7200

Phone: 4060 1056

Phone: 4084 4400

Aurukun Opportunity Hub

Hope Vale Opportunity Hub

5 Kang Kang Road

Muni Street

Aurukun QLD 4871

Hope Vale QLD 4895

Phone: 4083 4505

Phone: 4060 9399