Volume 1, Issue 1 2020

C A S E F O R I N V E S T M E N TWE SUPPORT YOUTH IN THE NORTHERN BEACHES

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Over the past year The Burdekin Associationhave directly supported over 320 youngpeople across our core accommodation andsupport programs.

We work with the community to offer an integrated approach to solving issues of child and youth homelessness.

Young people experiencing homelessnesscan be difficult to reach.

Suite 6 & 7, 2 Victor Road, Brookvale, NSW 2100Phone & Fax: 02 8976 1777 | 02 9939 0377Email: burdekin.admin@burdekin.org.auWebsite: www.burdekin.org.au

CONNTACT DETAILS

For the past 10 years we have supportedapproximately 3,140 young people and theirfamily members – (based on CYMS, referraldata & Burdekin Statistics).

Our vision is that all children, youngpeople and their families are empoweredand supported to develop their fullpotential and have the life skills andopportunities to lead a full and active lifein our community

An integrated approach to issues ofchild and youth housing, interventionand support.

The Burdekin Association works withchildren and young people (12-24) who areexperiencing homelessness or are at risk ofhomelessness. We do this through five main programareas: Community and Family YouthHousing, Out of Home Care, Brokerage andAftercare/Outreach. Our Model of Care isinnovative and based on extensive research,understanding that the needs of the youngpeople we assist are far greater than simplysafe accommodation. Using innovative and industry-leadingsupport practices we help guide youngpeople aged 12-24 to fully functionaladulthood.

“The fact is that there arehomeless children and youngpeople dying in Australia, somefrom suicide, others fromneglect. That is not somethingour nation can ignore”.Professor Brian Burdekin, AO

We believe all kids and youth have a rightto live in safe, quality housing with careand support, education and communityengagement.

Children and young people experiencingisolation and homelessness due to familybreakdown and mental health issues canbe very difficult to reach. We provide accommodation, care andsupport and we go the extra mile tosupport our youth and their families. Most homeless kids feel safer on thestreets or on a friends couch than intheir own home.

Be part of the solution

Burdekin model proposed by ProfessorBrian Burdekin in the seminal 1998report: "Our Homeless Children".

The different facets of the programsupported over 37 different researchstudies and papers conducted aroundyouth housing issues.

Burdekin selected to coordinate the pilotNorthern Beaches Project, partneringwith schools in innovative earlyintervention.

Industry recognition

Burdekin selected to be the lead agencyin the Avalon Youth Hub.

62.7% Of our clients leave welfare orenter stable accommodation.

3,140 Young people and their familiessupported over 10 years.

A B O U T

Demographic statistics

The total cost to the Australian economy of additional health and justice services forhomeless young people aged 12-24 is estimated at $747 million annually. These costs donot include additional lifetime impact of early school leaving and low engagement withemployment’.

*The cost of youth homelessness in Australia, Research Briefing.

*The data from the graphs on this page has been collated from the FACS client information system, BA’s own clientinformation system and referrals

Out of Home Care Program

2019 has seen immense growth in our Out ofHome Care program, within our SupportedFamily Group Home model. We alsointroduced of a Supported IndependentLiving program enabling young people incare to extend their stay up to the age of 19.

Our OOHC program grew 167% - this is usresponding to community needs.

Within our OOHC program the quality of careand opportunities that the young peoplereceive are well above the state average foryoung people leaving care.

Community and Family Program

This program provides Family Interventionsupporting families with 12-24 year old’s toreduce stress and conflict, manageadolescent behaviour in positive ways andincrease the potential for familyreconciliation. Outreach supports areaccessible, practical and able to respondflexibly to the changing needs of the youngperson and their family.

Also in 2019 our Community Engagementprogram has been instrumental in thedelivery of The Avalon Youth Hub, a trulycollaborative and community-basedprogram. In the first year of service thisprogram has connected and enhanced thelives of young people and the community inthe Pittwater region.

Education and Employment

Upon young people exiting our Out ofHome Care program 95% of clients wereengaged in education.

In the previous 7 years we have providedintensive and long-term accommodationand support to 39 children and youngpeople. Of these 39, 44% continue toremain in our care (either the SFGH modelor SIL), of those that have exited our OOHCprogram 23% moved into our AftercareYouth Housing service often with the sameCase Manager supporting them into theirnew placement, 18% exited OOHC to familyand 9% exited to friends or previous carers.

Youth Housing

This program offers semi-supported,affordable housing for young people readyto make the transition to semi-independentliving. The level of support is tailored to theneeds of the young person or householdwhich will vary over time. Housing optionsfor teenage parents and their babies helpestablish new families and provideoptimum opportunities for a stable future.

Relationship and family breakdownCurrent issue with housing(eviction/lease ending/affordability)Mental healthFinancial difficultiesLack of family/community support

Top Five Reasons for Presentingto our Youth Housing Program:

0-5 years 2.3%16 years 3%17 years 15.8%18-19 years 36.1%20-24 years 42.8%

Age of Young People Supportedin Youth Accommodation:

Up to 14 weeks 7.7%14-26 weeks 15.4%

Length of time in accommodation

49.4% MALE 50.6% FEMALE

What happens when you become homeless?

Move away – you often move

schools, sometimes you stop going.

Lost connections – you often lose

contact and support from family and

friends.

Miss out – you miss out on basic

needs like food, clothes and doctors.

Become isolated – it is lonely and

frightening, you feel rejected and

often become ill – mentally and

physically.

Survive – you do what you can to

survive including numbing the pain

with drugs and alcohol.

Our core offerings are centred on thesupport of children and young people 12-24 who are at risk of homelessness. We know that the key drivers of this riskare related to school disengagement,family breakdown, mental health, drug and alcohol as well as financial pressures.

Why we are needed?

Our program areas are therefore focusedon disrupting the risk factors with ourcommunity and family interventionprogram and the delivery ofaccommodation and support for those inneed.

Overall we desire to build resilience andcapacity in young people to prevent therisk factors from emerging or taking holdas well as ensure young people that are inour accommodation are supported andequipped with the necessary tools topursue their goals and to leave theorganisation at a sustainable level ofindependence.

In 2019 The Burdekin Association hasdirectly supported over 320 young peopleacross our core accommodation andsupport programs.

The nature of a locally based communityorganisation results in an ability to be veryclose and in touch with the needs of thatcommunity. In addition, many staff andboard reside in our local community whichfurther enhances the delivery of a veryinformed and considered plethora ofprograms delivered.

The Burdekin Association isentering its 4th decadeof service delivery in theNorthern Sydney/Beachescommunity. From itshumble beginnings as asmall refuge and youthhousing provider we haveseen continued growth anddevelopment whichremains community andclient led. The strongthread of our relational andtherapeutically driven careand support remain a keyfocus for the organisation

2018 Notable awardsOur CEO Justene awarded with Pittwater CommunityService Award.

2018 - Northern Beaches ProjectBecame the lead agency in the Northern Beaches Project

2016 - Warringah Citizen of the YearCEO Justene Gordon

2018 - Avalon Youth Hub

Became the lead agency in AYH,supprting youth for the first time inthe Pittwarter region.

This year:

Funding or anything?

2004 - moved to new home in Brookevale

2019 - staff increased from 14 to 41

OOHC increased by 167%

Accommodating more staff

2nd organisation to gain accreditation through the Officeof the Children's Guardian.

Received a Certificate of Registration as a communityhousing provider under the Housing Act 2001 (NSW) as aclass 4 provider in 2009.

2009 Most Progressive

1997 - Central Office Dee WhyThe physical transition of all staff to a central office in Dee Why.

1998 - renamed The Burdekin Association IncAfter former Federal Human Rights Commissioner BrianBurdekin. (Brian wrote the 1989 ‘Our Homeless Children’report which detailed child poverty and abuse in Australia,and criticised governments for failing to look after childrenin their care.)

1997 - Community Care Program

OOHC developed and began accommodating young people. Early Intervention and Family Support and Outreach, Aftercareprogrammes were trialled. (Collaboration on a range of intra-agency projects were progressing, including the establishmentof a pregnant young women and young parents’accommodation project)

1980 - The Beginning - Granma'sIt all began in Granma’s crisis youth refuge in rural Inglesideopened by Neville Wran in 1980 and operated by ‘The Godmothers’.

Manly Warringah Youth AccommodationHanded to Manly Warringah Youth Accommodation Association(as an 8 bed crisis centre) until it closed down in 1997 following areview. (During the 1990’s the association also ran BirkleyCottage in Manly a 6 bed therapeutic medium and long-termrefuge accommodation, and a Youth Housing Scheme at DeeWhy operating 17 beds of semi-supported housing).

Burdekin was bornRecommendations following the review saw a radicalreorganisation of the whole service, which has ultimatelycreated the unique service known as Burdekin

FOUR DECADES

CAUSES OF

YOUTHHOMELESSNESS

ADVERSECHILDHOODEXPERIENCES

MENTAL HEALTH

REJECTION STATE CARE

FAMILYRELATIONSHIPBREAKDOWN

Disrupted living arrangements,neglect and physical, sexualand emotional abuse.

Diagnosed or undiagnosedmental health disorder:anxiety, depression, bi-polar orsuicidal thoughts.

Multiple care placements andschools, trauma, instability andunpredictability.

If family don't agree withlifestyle, gender identity orsexual orientation

Teenage years may be fraughtwith arguments, powerstruggles, lack of connectionand communication, risktaking, rebellion and parentalcontrol.

What causes youth homelessness?

Youth homlessnessis NOT

CHOICE

FANCIFUL

SPOILT CHILD

Youth homelessness IS

COMPLEX

HIDDEN

Young people say

WITHOUTBURDEKIN

I DON'T KNOWWHERE I

WOULD BEMY DAD WASVIOLENT HE

TOLD ME TO LEAVESO I DID

MY MUM WASN'T ABLE TO LOOK

AFTER ME

MY WELCOMEAT FRIENDS HOMES

WORE THIN

I GREW UP IN CAREWHEN I TURNED 18IT WAS TIME TO GO

IT FEELSLIKE NOBODY

LISTENSTO ME

Most youth homelessness ishidden. Often the youngperson doesn't even realisethey're homeless. Sleeping onfiriends couches orovercrowded accommodation.

"The transparency, efficiency, passion and outcomesthat The Burdekin Association achieve is to beapplauded. To work with them on a housing projectand see how they diligently and efficiently achievedvalue for money, which in turn ensured the childrenand carers were awarded with an amazing home wasa credit to the amazing staff."

Our  you

Ian Menzies, National Director, QuantitySurveyor, WT Partnership

"You are the true heroes and give kids with little hopean understanding that they still matter. Thank you forwhat you do. Because of your work kids can chase theirdream."

Former NSW Premier, Mike Baird via facebook

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL KIDS

Donate

MY PARENTS ARGUED ALL THE TIME

My Dad was violent. He told me to leave so I did.

I STAYED WITH FRIENDS FOR A WHILE.

Their parents said I had to leave. I sometimesstayed with strangers, I sometimes slept rough.

I FOUND BURDEKIN THROUGH A MATE.

They gave me somewhere to live, a case workerand helped me get back on my feet. I finishedschool and now I am studying at TAFE.

WITHOUT BURDEKIN I DON’T KNOW WHERE IWOULD BE TODAY.

It's still hard, but I feel safe and cared for.Burdekin are my family.

WITHOUT OUR SERVICES YOUNG PEOPLEHAVE NOWHERE TO GO

We need your support to give them a futurethey deserve!

2 Completed degrees in 2014

1Continuing with doubledegree, 3rd year 2015

First year pharmacy degreecomplete and anotherongoing 2015

1

2 have almost completednursing degrees2

1 started a teaching degreein 20141

5 young people completed their HSC in 2014 Please visit: www.burdekin.org.au/get-

involved/donate/ to make your pledge todayand help a young person who deserves a fairstart in life.

5

Our young peopleat a glance