• Integrated Family Services promotes the safety, stability and development of vulnerable children, young people and their families, with a focus on building capacity and resilience.  It is a voluntary and fee free service which supports vulnerable young people and their families who are likely to experience greater challenges – as the child/young person’s development has been affected by the experience of risk factors and/or cumulative harm, and/or they at risk of concerns escalating and becoming involved with Child Protection – if problems are not addressed.
• Services will be provided through a strengths-based approach, including a comprehensive needs and risk assessment, and identification of pathways and key transition points that focus on earlier intervention, prevention and diversion.
• Interventions are determined by both an assessment of need, and the development of a child and family action plan. This plan determines the goals of intervention for the child and family and details the interventions to be undertaken.
• Intervention approaches may include outreach, in home support, family decision making/family group conferencing, group work, counselling, brokerage, accessing universal services and secondary consultations.

• The adolescent support program (ASP) supports young people who are in crisis and may be displaying challenging behaviours. The adolescent support program can assist them to live safely with their family or independently. The program also assists young people living out of home to address issues in order that they develop better family relationships enabling them to return home if appropriate.
• The adolescent support program provides a continuum of services depending on the needs of the young person, from early intervention strategies through to case management
• The ASP is a voluntary and fee free service for young people aged 12 to 17 years.

• The Finding Solutions program is a voluntary and fee free service which provides flexible support to teenagers and their families who may be experiencing difficulties or conflict.  The program aims to prevent the breakdown of families.
• Finding Solutions has the capacity to provide a case management role (if required) and direct case work. Case management may include case planning, coordination of involved services, referrals as required and case review. Case work can involve mediation, individual and/or family counselling, practical support, and related assistance to the young person and their family.

Family & Community Services aims to support positive outcomes for families through a variety of responses.

In Family Preservation and Reunification Response (FPRR), the Child & Family Practitioner works with parents on areas that may lead to, or have caused, their child to be placed in out-of-home care and helps build parents’ ability to safely care for their children.

FPRR is a voluntary program, which means clients can decide whether they want to engage or not. Your Child and Family Practitioner will work alongside you to identify goals while working in conjunction with Child Protection (CP) and other relevant services based on a family’s needs.

Child & Family Practitioners will work with families by:

• Supporting families to identify goals and creating a Family Action Plan. Areas of support could include:

  • Building the safety, stability, development and well-being of children and young people

  • Linking into Early Childhood services

  • Helping families to learn about childhood development

  • Linking into alcohol and drug services, mental health supports and family violence services, and helping parents understand the impacts of these on their child

  • Supporting children to attend and continue attending kinder, school and childcare

  • Supporting possible education and employment opportunities for parents

  • Helping with linking into disability support services (NDIS)

  • Supporting appropriate housing

  • Exploring ways to improve social connections

  • Exploring ways to increase financial stability

To help parents and carers achieve their goals, practitioners will:

• Visit you two to three times per week (depending on your needs)

• Support with tasks necessary to achieve your goals

• Work within a specific timeframe

• Regularly review and update your goals

• Work with other relevant services that you’re engaged with or would like to engage with

• Plan Care Team meetings so that you can have discussions with all services involved with your family

• Communicate with Child Protection and other relevant services