2015 autumn newsletter

Parkerville Children and Youth Care (Inc)
AUTUMN NEWSLETTER
MARCH/AUTUMN 2015
CE Message
Each year I promise myself
I'll take a holiday to some
picturesque winter
wonderland in the
northern hemisphere to
escape the February heat;
and each February I find
myself right here in Perth
sweltering through
another week of 38 degree temperatures. I
think we can all agree that this past February
has been particularly hot and uncomfortable;
bring on Autumn I say!
It's been a busy start to the year for us here at
Parkerville with a big focus on Out of Home
Care. We have been working closely with the
Department for Child Protection and Family
Services to develop their five-year strategic
plan and I was invited, in my capacity as Chief
Executive of a non-profit organisation working
in the sector and Chair of the Community
Sector Roundtable, to give evidence for the
Federal Senate Enquiry into Out of Home Care
practices. Internally, there has been a renewed
focus on recruitment for our Out of Home Care
Services Directorate with a roadshow held in
Geraldton in February which included an
information evening for those interested in
becoming foster carers; an information stall at
a local shopping centre and presentations to
other non-government agencies working in the
Midwest.
Elsewhere, the 'Harmony at Parkerville' land
development opposite our historic Parkerville
Campus is progressing well with a number of
lots now sold. Funds from this development
will provide sustainable funding for our
programmes and services across the
Organisation for a number of years to come.
In this latest edition of our newsletter we
introduce our new Chair, the Right Reverend
Jeremy James, and interview one of our
experienced Case Managers about her work in
our Family Preservation Service. You will also
find information about upcoming events
including this year's Charity Lunch, tickets for
which are now on sale, and a breakfast event
in June that will be of particular interest to
those working in the child welfare sector. I
hope you enjoy the articles on offer.
With Easter fast approaching, I'd like to take
this opportunity to wish you a safe, peaceful
and relaxing Easter holiday.
Basil Hanna
Meet the New Chair
Following the retirement of Bishop
Tom Wilmot from the Parkerville
Children and Youth Care Board in
December 2014, the Right Reverend
Jeremy James was appointed Chair.
Jeremy is an Assistant Bishop in the
Diocese of Perth; Canon of St
George's Cathedral and serves on
the Wollaston Education
Commission. He holds a Bachelor of
Arts in Theology from Oxford
University and a Master of Arts in Applied Theology from the
University of Newcastle (UK).
In an effort to get to better know our new Chair we thought
we'd ask him some hard-hitting questions…
Q. Where were you born and where did you grow up?
A. I was born and raised in Sidmouth, Devon - heart of dairy
country (and cream teas!) in the southwest of England
Q. What is one of your fondest childhood memories?
A. Dropping sticks off one side of the bridge and then
running across to see them appear at the other.
Commonly referred to as Poohsticks I believe and now an
official sport, complete with a World Championship
event.
Q. What makes you laugh (other than Kitty Flanagan)?
A. Humour which teases; I love slapstick, but can't stand
humour which is hurtful or derogatory.
Q. Who inspires you and why?
A. Martin Luther King is a great inspiration for me, despite
the mountains of prejudice that man encountered he just
kept on singing and moving forward.
Q. What led you to becoming a priest and a career in the
church?
A. Feeling someone outside of me drawing me outwards
and onwards to a big adventure.
Q. What are your passions outside of work?
A. My wife Lynne and our big black Labradors, Kiwi and
Thommie
Q. What is your favourite holiday experience?
A. Relaxing on a boat sailing down Milford Sound on the
south island of New Zealand. The tranquillity coupled
with the steep cliffs and dense rainforest is captivating.
Q. What is one of the most important lessons you've learnt
in life?
A. Two ears and one mouth should be used in that
proportion! It is so important to first listen before
speaking or acting.
Q. What are you most looking forward to in your new role
as Chair of Parkerville Children and Youth Care?
Beacon Road Parkerville WA 6081
Tel: (08) 9290 1200 Fax: (08) 9295 4099
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.parkerville.org.au
A. The challenge of working with an elite team specialised in
providing quality care for some of Western Australia's
most vulnerable families, children and young people.
Family Preservation Service: a Case Manager's perspective
In our last newsletter we gave an insight into the life of a Foster Carer here at Parkerville Children and Youth Care, in
this edition we've had a chat with one of our experienced Case Managers working in our Family Preservation Service
(FPS) to give readers a snapshot of the type of work undertaken by FPS and the sort of people who pursue a case
management career in Social Work.
FPS is a tertiary service with the primary aim of preventing children entering into care by supporting families to
safely remain together. Our model of service differs from traditional models of Intensive Family Support Services
insofar as it relies on a 'staggered down', longer intervention model spanning twelve months. FPS employs a team of
five highly specialised staff including a Programme Manager, two Case Managers, a Family Support Worker and
Psychologist.
Holly Pearce
Case Manager, Family Preservation Services
Q. Tell me, how long have you been
practising Social Work?
A. I had been practising for 4 ½ years before I
came to Australia and commenced with
Parkerville as a case manager. I have been
here 2 ½ years.
Q. What made you want to be a Social
Worker?
A. I grew up in a family of police officers,
probation workers and lawyers, so from
quite a young age I had an interest in social
justice and issues that affect our society.
Originally I decided I wanted to get into
law so went and did my undergraduate
degree in law and criminology, thinking
that perhaps I could effect change on that
macro level in terms of law reform and
policy. I loved studying law but, the more I
studied law, the more I became interested
in social justice and the different levers of
power in our society and where the system
is flawed. I realised I wanted to work with
people to try and effect change and make
an impact however small in the lives of
people and be able to advocate for
disadvantaged people. After I graduated
from law, I volunteered for juvenile justice
and did some work in disability services. I
realised that social work was for me and I
wanted to pursue a career so went back to
uni and did my masters in social work.
Q. Have you seen a philosophical shift in
social work in the last seven years; any
dramatic changes in the philosophy in
how we train our social workers?
A. There has been a real push towards
prevention services in trying to intervene
to prevent children from coming into out
of home care. Still a long way to go; more
money needs to be spent in that area, but
there is a recognition now that, where
possible, children should be cared for by
their families, by their communities. I have
also noticed since I have been at
Parkerville, how more and more people
are becoming aware of the impact of
trauma on a child's brain development and
I think that is relatively new.
Q. The area you work in, Family Preservation
Services, strives to keep children at home.
Neglect, which constitutes 50% of out of
home care cases, argues for investing into
in-home care rather than out of home
care, how does Family Preservation do
that?
A. We take an empowerment approach; we
don't go in with solutions straight away;
we go in with the tools, information and
resources that they need to empower
themselves to make changes and,
essentially, become the best version of
themselves that they can be to reach their
own potential. We say to families, you are
the expert of your own lives; you know
what is working well in the family; you
know the things you want to change. We
are here to help and support you; we will
walk alongside you to help you make those
changes. It's about empowering families,
because they are often feeling
disempowered, they are scared, they are
vulnerable; they've often had very poor
experiences of child protection services.
They may have grown up in care
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themselves. We develop that relationship
of trust, of mutual respect. It is not all
about the interventions we run with the
families; it is about building up the
relationship, because a lot of these
families have never had anyone believe in
them.
Building up a relationship, empowering
them and giving them hope that they
have the capacity to change, is that
right?
Yes absolutely; once you have done that it
is about providing information and using
your own experiences and knowledge to
hopefully increase their skills, but mostly
it is about giving them the belief in
themselves that they can make a
difference.
You look after out student placements.
What is your motivation behind that?
I was lucky and had two very positive
placements when I was a student social
worker, so I have seen how important it is
to have those really positive placement
experiences. Social work is not something
you can learn from a book, you need to do
it, to learn from people and you need to
see it happen first hand. Being the
student coordinator, I can have an impact
on students' placements; I can make sure
they are meaningful and have skilled
supervisors so that the student can have a
really great experience and, most
importantly, stay in the profession.
What advice would you give to a young
man or woman coming in to social work?
I would encourage them to give a lot of
careful thought as to the reasons why they
want to come into social work, what
inspires them; are they motivated to do it
because it is not easy work and it is not
the most glamourous of work. They will
put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it,
but if they are motivated and genuinely
believe in the profession, it will be so
rewarding. I think that a lot of us that
want to become social workers want to fix
people, we want to make things better
and we rush in without stopping and
thinking and really listening to clients and
families and truly understanding what
they are going through and what they
need. I would tell people not to be afraid
of not having the answer straight away;
don't be afraid to just sit with a family for
a while and figure out what you need to
do and what the family needs, then offer
your advice and try and create the
intervention. Slow down, breathe and
listen!
What do you get up to when you are not
immersed in helping families cope and
work better with their kids?
I've changed a lot since coming to
Australia, because when I was in the UK, I
was not very fit and healthy, I did not have
a very active lifestyle; over the last two
years I have developed a lot of new
interests. I have started cycling; I got
myself a bike and have spent lots of time
going up and down the coast with my
partner; we love going to the beach and
swimming and I have recently started
jogging to lose weight for my wedding
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next year. Just generally being outside,
going on picnics, doing all the things that I
cannot do back in the UK.
Is there anything that you particularly
have a real passion for outside of work;
get fanatical about?
I am not fanatical about any particular
sport. I am not good at dancing, but I have
always been interested so recently started
learning Salsa and that gets me excited.
Brothers and sisters?
I have two sisters, we are all very different.
My older sister is a sport fanatic and
became a PE teacher. My little sister is a
beauty therapist. They are still back in
England.
You are getting married this year, when
and where.
Getting married in November in the Swan
Valley. This is where we want our future to
be; we recently put an offer on a house in
Canning Vale. There's lots of family and
friends coming over for the wedding.
Have you anything planned for the
honeymoon?
We can't decide. Chris, my partner, has not
done much travelling; he has always been
quite interested in South East Asia. We
might head somewhere there, not sure yet.
I really want to go to Canada. I have never
been to Canada and I would like to go
exploring and hiking. I am pushing for
Canada and he is pushing to lie on a beach
somewhere.
Tell us a little bit about your husband to
be.
He is probably the kindest man I have met;
he puts everyone before himself. He has a
really soft nature and is very patient and
loving. I can be quite fiery at times and
quite challenging, but he is always so calm
and reasonable in the way he deals with
situations. He is a web designer; fanatical
about anything to do with IT and
technology. He loves his family, family
means a lot to him. He is Welsh, from
Carnarvon. Welsh is his first language, but
he does not have a strong Welsh accent.
He is just a really great guy, thoughtful and
loving and I cannot wait to marry him.
You mentioned you come from a family of
social justice/law enforcement; who is the
biggest influence in your life; who shaped
what Holly is?
I would say my mum. There are a lot of
strong women in my family; my nanna was
one, but I would say my mum shaped me
the most. She has always taught me to do
what I believe in first and foremost and
what I love. She has always been so
supportive of anything I wanted to do.
When I decided Law was not for me and
elected to go into social work, she was my
biggest advocate. She has always said do
what you believe in, do what feels right to
you and the rest will fall into place. That is
generally the philosophy I live by. She has
always taught me to be ambitious, to strive
to be successful but, first and foremost, to
try and be someone of value. I am
ambitious, I do want to be successful, but I
hope people view me as being a fair and a
kind person as well.
Hannah Baker:
a young Western
Australian's raw
insights into child
abuse
By Natalie Hall, Director
Research and Quality,
Parkerville Children and
Youth Care
Hannah Baker (name changed), now aged 26, grew up in Western
Australia. As a child, she experienced ongoing sexual and physical
abuse at home.
I first heard Hannah speak in September 2014, when she delivered
a number of presentations for local services and government
departments. I was one of over 200 people challenged, confronted
and inspired by what she had to say.
Hannah's story is remarkable. As a teenager she had to navigate the
service systems on her own to protect herself, seek support, pursue
justice and work on the impact of her traumatic experiences. Her
story is a wake-up call for every practitioner, service manager,
policy maker, politician and community member.
To coincide with her next visit to WA, Hannah is releasing three
new resources for the sector. The first is a book for professionals
based on her diaries as a young girl and experiences of the services
system, which includes a number of her thought-provoking
questions, such as:
“What can be done to get rid of demeaning courtroom practices
which compound the trauma and abuse already experienced by
young people? I cannot fathom why I was forced to read out a pile
of birthday cards and Father's Day cards that I had given my Dad,
as though this was proof that he had not abused me. I also don't
know why I was questioned several times about the fact that Dad
had helped me with my maths homework. Why are such illinformed questions allowed?”
Hannah has also written a book for children age 10+ who have
suffered abuse, to help them discuss their feelings; and a book for
older teens about sexual abuse. She is donating fifty percent of the
sale proceeds from each book to Kids Helpline, who supported
Hannah for many years, and Parkerville's George Jones Child
Advocacy Centre as she feels it is important that part funds are
directly supporting WA kids so that, in her own words, “…they can
have a better experience than I did.”
“I want to help services and government departments to
understand how hard it is for kids and young people”, says Hannah.
She has declined many public speaking invitations in other parts of
Australia. “This isn't a career for me. I really just want to do what I
can, especially for WA, because this is where things went wrong for
me on so many levels. I have now met some great people working
in these systems, which gives me hope that things can be better,
but there is still a long way to go. People need to be willing to listen
to the many young people who have gone through these systems if
they really want change.”
In June 2015, Perth audiences will have two opportunities to hear
Hannah speak before she retires from public speaking.
“These will be my final public speaking engagements so that I can
move on with my life, knowing that I have achieved exactly what I
wanted and more. I never thought so many people would listen to
a nobody like me. Thank you to everyone who has.”
Don't miss your chance to hear Hannah speak. Parkerville Children
and Youth Care are hosting a breakfast to launch Hannah's new
books on Tuesday, 23rd June at the University Club of Western
Australia.
Tickets are $80 per person which includes full breakfast and a copy
of Hannah's latest book. Additional copies will be available for
purchase on the day. Please contact Yvette McGuinness on 9391
1900 or [email protected] to book your ticket.
Hannah is also a keynote speaker at the 'Children: A Resource Most
Precious Conference' (24th- 26th June), hosted by Edith Cowan
University, details at www.childrenwa.org.au.
For more about Hannah visit www.dealingwithsexualabuse.com.au
2015 Charity Lunch sure to
be a barrel of laughs
Friday, 16 October 2015 will again see the return of the
Parkerville Children and Youth Care Annual Charity Lunch
to the Crown Perth Grand Ballroom. This is Parkerville's
key fundraising initiative for the year with money raised
going to directly fund the many programmes and services
we provide for children, young people and families
affected by abuse.
Details for the 2015 Charity Lunch are coming together
quickly and this year's event is shaping up to be bigger
and better than last year's. With such great feedback
received following 2014's event, we have decided to stick
with the theme 'child abuse is no laughing matter' and
bring guests some of the best comedic talent Australia
has to offer, ensuring an afternoon of great food, good
company and plenty of laughs.
Headlining the 2015 Charity
Lunch will be home-grown
talent Joel Creasey. Joel is
currently starring on Channel
Ten's 'I'm a celebrity get me
out of here' and is a regular
contributor on The Project.
He has opened for Joan Rivers
and has just completed a
stellar season of solo shows
Off-Broadway, following his
sold-out Festival season
across Australia in 2014.
Joining Joel on the bill will be
Dave Callan. Dave is a Perth
raised Irishman whose
comedic talents have seen
him feature on Rove, Spicks
and Specks, The Comedy
Festival Gala, Good Game and
Good News Week. He has
performed at the Edinburgh
Festival and toured Britain,
South East Asia and the US.
Rounding out the
entertainment for the
afternoon will be vocalist and
singer songwriter Reigan
Derry. Reigan placed fourth
on the 2014 season of The X
Factor Australia and
subsequently received a
recording contract with Sony
Music Australia, releasing her
debut album, All of the
Pieces, in December 2014.
The 2015 Charity Lunch will,
of course, feature a live and
silent auction, raffle and the
return of the
Starfish Pledge,
giving guests the
opportunity to
directly assist a
child or young
person currently
awaiting
therapeutic
treatment for
trauma. If you'd
like to know
more about the
Starfish Pledge
and how you
can make a
pledge today,
please visit www.parkerville.org.au.
Tickets and tables are always in hot demand so don't
miss your chance to partake in this great event! Tables
(10 people) are $2500 and Gold Table packages are
$3500, individual tickets can also be purchased. Book
your tickets now by emailing [email protected]
or calling 9290 1200.
How will you 'Give Back' in 2015
Current figures on volunteering across Australia suggest that more
than 6 million, or one in four, of us regularly donate our time to
community and non-profit organisations each year. Why do these
people feel the need to give back?
People volunteer to connect with people in their community,
develop new skills, add experience to their resume, as a
teambuilding exercise and, at the most basic level, to help those less
fortunate or because they believe in a cause; and research tells us
that these people are actually happier as a result of having
volunteered their time to an organisation, group or cause that is
close to their heart. So, how will you give back to your community
this year?
At Parkerville Children and Youth Care our volunteers are a most
important resource, helping us to improve the lives of the many
children, young people and families, affected by trauma from abuse,
who avail of our services. These volunteers come to us from all walks
of life, as individuals and in groups, all with different skills,
experiences and wisdom to share. They give of their time in various
capacities and at numerous locations throughout WA, all at varying
levels of commitment. Some volunteer weekly, others fortnightly or
on an ad hoc basis when and where required.
We regularly need help from volunteers with:
· Maths and literacy tuition
· Mentoring for children and young people
· Assistance with the set-up, pack-down and running of events
· Facilities and grounds maintenance
· Programme support
· Transport
development (e.g. cooking and other domestic skills;
· Skills
trade skills – basic carpentry, mechanics etc.; fitness, health
and wellbeing; music etc.)
People also choose to support us through their own initiatives like
fundraising on our behalf through their workplace with morning teas
or casual dress days, or providing the opportunity for a Parkerville
representative to present to their work colleagues about the work
we do. Others tap into their personal networks gaining support and raising funds from friends and family when competing in
community events like the City to Surf, HBF Run for a Reason or the Rottnest Channel Swim.
Parkerville also has a well-established Corporate Volunteering Programme backed by a dedicated team which organises the
experience for our corporate supporters and works alongside them throughout the day to give guidance on the task at hand and
generally answer any questions volunteers may have. The programme works with the staff and young people in our Education,
Employment and Training (EET) programme so it is a great opportunity for volunteers to directly engage with some of the young
people who will benefit from their hard work and gain a better understanding of the needs, wants and aspirations of the young
people who access Parkerville services.
We welcome any support offered and are open to new and exciting ideas that individuals or corporates may have to enrich the lives
of our clients. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or corporate supporter please call 9290 1200 or email
[email protected]. For more information on our programmes and services please visit www.parkerville.org.au.