Family Life: Strategic Plan Outline 2021 - 2025

Strategic Plan

Indigenous Acknowledgement

Family Life, and all the individuals who make up our organisation respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the country on which we live and work. We especially acknowledge the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong people, and other peoples of the Kulin nation on whose ancestral lands Family Life provides services to the community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge their living culture and centuries of custodianship of these lands, which were never ceded. We acknowledge that the land on which we stand always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Message from the Board

Message from the CEO

Family Life was established more than 50 years ago by people who wanted community change. Although our founders were a group of volunteers who met in borrowed spaces and each other’s homes, a world apart from the organisation we have become today, we are not so different. True to our initial intention, we are still a group of concerned community members, working to support and uplift families experiencing challenges and hardship in the local community.

As we look to the future, the Family Life Board continues to drive and support our work with government, community organisations, universities and businesses who are equally committed to address the root causes of social problems. We also value partnerships which ensure integrated responses to often complex, diverse issues confronting people who need our help.

With more than 50 years in the community creating change, we look forward with anticipation as to what we will be able to achieve in the coming three years and beyond.

Steve Walsh Chair - Family Life

It is with pleasure that we present our Strategic Plan. This document provides a structure of how Family Life will create positive community change and improve outcomes for children and families over the next three years.

It outlines our vision, focus, strategic goals and objectives, as well as the core values that guide our work with clients, colleagues and stakeholders.

Through its development, we have sought collaboration with our network of government stakeholders, partners, staff, peers, clients and volunteers. As a result we have developed a strategy that has strong alignment with the needs of our communities, takes into account the historical patterns of needs and emerging trends and can be implemented with a chorus of support from those who have felt their voices heard.

Our past strategic plan provided a foundation that allowed Family Life to respond in the extended period of upheaval that COVID forced upon us. As we look to a future with similar uncertainty, we are confident the vision provided in this plan will give us the stability our organisation will require to achieve its goals and thrive.

Allison Wainwright CEO - Family Life

Who We Are

Our Vision

CAPABLE COMMUNITIES

Adults, young people and children learn and participate within supportive communities.

Our Purpose

STRONG FAMILIES

Families experience positive wellbeing and strong and respectful relationships.

THRIVING CHILDREN

Children and young people experience optimal development and are safe from harm.

Transforming lives for stronger communities.

We Believe

Family Life believes that we are able to create more significant change by working together. When we channel the efforts of our many and varied partners and stakeholders, we can create lasting and transformative change in systems, policies and practice, and ultimately, improvements in the daily lives and futures of children, families and communities.

Family Life recognises how important it is to ensure that voices of children are heard and their best interests are always served. This is driven by evidence informed responses to the needs of traumatised children and their families.

Every child has the right to grow up safely in the care of their families with the support of a caring community.

Respect

Family Life embraces diversity and the rights of all people.

Community

We understand that Family Life exists as part of a network of relationships and interactions vital to everyone’s health and wellbeing.

Our Values

Inclusion

Family Life supports individuals and families to participate in their communities.

Empowerment

Family Life enables individuals, families and communities to make connections and achieve change.

Who do we serve?

Family Life works with individuals, families and communities. Whether that be by strengthening community capacity, developing programs to respond to growing trends or directly supporting clients and their families.

Family Life Way Principles

The Family Life Way principles are at the heart of the trauma informed work that we do. They guide us to achieve the best results for our clients and the communities we serve and exemplify our commitment to support our people to produce quality services and outcomes.

The Family Life Way

We deliver evidence informed services grounded in the principles of trauma informed care.

As part of our process to inform the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, Family Life hosted engagement sessions with different internal and community stakeholders. This engagement provided an opportunity for participants to share their perspectives about our vision, purpose and priorities for the next three years.

Interviews were also conducted with external partners and funders, peak bodies, thought leaders and university partners. All contributions were completely confidential with the purpose of securing the most honest feedback. A thorough analysis of the interviews and focus groups revealed the key opportunities our community wishes us to pursue. This was followed by a series of internal workshops to develop the first draft pillars of the plan.

Goals for the strategic planning sessions:

• to identify community need

• to deepen engagement and co-design with partners

• to deepen conversations about our focus on diversity and inclusion

• to provide an opportunity to hear from as many people as possible

• to determine how to work collaboratively with partners

• to enhance knowledge about the model of care; and

• identify strategic challenges and opportunities.

Family Life’s Theory of Change

Family Life supports it’s community through its Theory of Change. A Theory of Change is a methodology for planning, participation, and evaluation that is used in companies, philanthropy, not-for-profit and government sectors to promote social change. It defines long-term goals and then maps backward to identify necessary preconditions.

The change is that which Family Life wants to make in the world and the theory is how we will do so.

Long Term Outcomes

Transforming Lives for Stronger Communities

CAPABLE COMMUNITIES

Everyone learns and participates within sustainable, engaged, inclusive, thriving communities and responsive systems

Intermediate Outcomes

Organisations respond to the needs of their community

Individuals have social support and a sense of belonging within their community and culture

Individuals are engaged and contributing to their community through employment, training, education and volunteering

STRONG FAMILIES

Individuals reach their potential enabling families to experience positive wellbeing and strong and respectful relationships

THRIVING CHILDREN

Children are safe and reach their full potential

Short Term Outcomes

Organisations collaborate to provide a holistic response to families and individuals

Individuals are connected to culture and community networks

Individuals have trust and are empowered to seek support when needed

Individuals have the skills and support to contribute to their community

Actions

Initiatives that strengthen the community

Holistic services with families at the centre

Evaluate impact

Principles

Individuals and families experience optimal functioning and wellbeing

Families have healthy relationships and experience reduced conflict and violence

Individuals are empowered, resilient and able to manage individual and family challenges.

Children experience an environment that optimises their development, wellbeing and safety

Children have healthy relationships with their support network

Children use prosocial strategies to express themselves and have their needs met

Individuals make positive choices and decisions to address their health and wellbeing needs

Individuals are aware of the dynamics and effects of conflict and violence and implement strategies to improve safety

Individuals develop their ability to manage individual and family challenges

Caregivers experience parenting as positive

Community connection and activation

Hear the voice of the community (co-design)

Children have a range of support networks that enhance their mental health, wellbeing, learning and developmental needs

Children are supported to engage, learn and participate in their community

The child support network promotes healthy attachment relationships and creates a safe, stable and nurturing environment for children

Children have a sense of belonging, are empowered and confident

Advocate for social justice and equal opportunities to access services

Collaborate with other organisations

Build social capital through volunteering and social enterprises

Innovative programs to increase knowledge and skills

Context: Communities experience a range of vulnerabilities including family violence, social isolation and mental health concerns. Factors such as intergenerational trauma and inequality (e.g. gender, social, cultural) exacerbate vulnerability. Services can support communities to heal from trauma and develop resilience.

Notes:

1. Family Life acknowledges that families are remarkably diverse both in structure and dynamics.

2. Children include children and young people.

3. Individuals include those who receive our services and those who engage in our community capacity building activities.

4. Organisation could include: government departments, community organisations, schools, businesses, etc.

Over the next three years Family Life will work on five key areas, which we have identified as Pillars.

Service Excellence

Consistent high quality stakeholder experience

Our People

Develop a people-focused culture that embodies the Family Life Way

Five Strategic Pillars

Community Connection

All of organisation commitment to promote engagement and activation of our community

Financial Sustainability

A sustainable organisation

Expanded Impact

Increase impact and reach by diversifying service delivery digitally and geographically

Aim 1

Embedded evidence informed practice through continuous improvement

Service Excellence

Consistent high quality stakeholder experience

Aim 3

Engage and activate diverse communities well

Aim 2

Increased quality outcomes for clients and community

Our People

Aim 1

Establishing ourselves as an employer of choice

Develop a people-focused culture that embodies the Family Life Way

Aim 4

Embedded, proactive culture of supporting health and wellbeing of our people

Aim 2

Family Life Way is consistently evident

Aim 3

Empowered and capable frontline leaders

Aim 1

Community is engaged in client outcomes

Community Connection

All of organisation commitment to promote engagement and activation of our community

Aim 3

Contemporary and diverse volunteer program integrated throughout the organisation

Aim 2

Measurable increase in brand recognition and awareness, effectively engaging with each of our audience segments with cut through communications

Expanded Impact

A measurable increase in impact and reach

Aim 1

Strengths and opportunities guide our expansion in identified target areas

Aim 2

Grow digital capability to increase impact and enhance client experience

Aim 3

Activate community to drive place based impact

Aim 1

Grow and diversify our income streams and investment models

Financial Sustainability

A sustainable organisation

Aim 2 Increase donations and philanthropic contributions

Aim 4

Scale existing Social Enterprise model for increased economies of scale, innovation and environmental sustainability

Aim 3 Increase service income and partnerships through geographic expansion and digital channels

Family Life in 2025

We will have invested in earlier intervention and community activation programs to give community voice. Our partnerships with them will have kept children safely at home with their families, through the highest quality, evidence informed support.

We will have listened and heard the lived experience of those we work with and will continue to support the development of care systems that are responsive, respectful and empowering for the community as they strive for the best outcomes for themselves and their children.

Our culturally respectful and inclusive organisation will have been accessible to all, including those who have experienced historical trauma. We will have continued to strive for social justice and sought to level the playing field for those who experience disadvantage, lack of community connection, poverty, social exclusion and trauma.

Our staff, our greatest change makers, will have experienced well being and delivered person centred, evidence based and informed, trauma aware practice.

We will have worked to build the expansion of a broader sense of community, recognising that people want flexible support, including digital services. We will do more, and do better, by ensuring that we continuously grow and improve our services through agility, innovation and a strong ethic of care.

We will lead responsibly on behalf of our community to ensure sustainability and hold ourselves to account by being transparent and accountable to those who trust in us by measuring outcomes and performance.

At the heart of all we do, we will give the community inspiration, hope and dignity as key experts in their lived experiences.

In 2025 Family Life will have courageously partnered with our community to transform their lives.

“Complex social issues can only ever be resolved by strong family and community connections.”

Allison Wainwright CEO