Family Empowerment Report - January to March 2012

Family Empowerment 3rd Quarter Report, January to March 2012

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©2012 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.

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Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4

Operations Manager’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


Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 17


Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 18

Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Hope Vale Opportunity Hub .......................................................................................................................................... 20

MPower ........................................................................................................................................................................... 21


Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 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


Wise Buys......................................................................................................................................................................... 30


Positive Kids ..................................................................................................................................................................... 30

Strong Families ................................................................................................................................................................ 31

Baby College .................................................................................................................................................................... 31

Pride of Place ................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Co-Design Studio Update .............................................................................................................................................. 33

Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................ 34

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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.

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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

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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 co-

design 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

Intends to break the feast and

famine cycles

Teaches about nutrition; provides

cooking classes

Addresses issues of well-being and

unemployment

First Step – enables people to take

the first step in overcoming drug

and alcohol addictions

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

House to Home – switch on the

‘home gene’; renovating social

housing with ‘sweat equity’ leading to

home ownership

Home Ownership Opportunity Port – orbit for

employment and build wealth by accessing a mobile

Home Ownership on Indigenous Land subsidy.

Work Opportunity Port –

employment mobility support

for external labour market

opportunities

Employment Case Management

System – the foundation for a

tailored approach to individual needs through assessment

and support

Youth Pathway Scheme – training, work experience,

mentoring, transition support and placement in work.

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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 value-for-money prices. Running since 2008. Membership: 54.

Student Education Trusts

Supports parents to meet their child’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 ‘sweat equity’ 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.

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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 community’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.

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MPower

Activity January February March Total

Total MPower membership 483

New MPower members 20 19 23 62

Little ‘a’ sessions 39 40 49 128

iBank sessions (assisted) 600 740 729 2,069

iBank sessions (unassisted) 374 322 303 999

Money Management Tools sessions 5 24 25 54

Banking Products and Services – Referrals - 1 - 1

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.

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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.



Total SET Membership

Early Childhood 40

Primary School 148

Secondary School 49

Further Education 1

Non-Active 1

Total 239

New Trusts Total - - 3 3

SET Funds Balance (end of month)

Early Childhood $43,352.63 $44,215.39 $42,760.53 $42,760.53

Primary School $172,296.48 $173,577.43 $167,770.68 $167,770.68

Secondary School $81,095.64 $81,167.20 $79,825.53 $79,825.53

Further Education $2,847.17 $2,882.03 $2,628.04 $2,628.04

Non-Active $3,805.38 $3,917.60 $4,010.60 $4,010.60

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trusts

Early Childhood 8 4 2 14

Primary School 98 73 8 179

Secondary School 11 5 1 17

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 ‘back-to-school blitz’ 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.

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Wise Buys


Total Wise Buys membership 6

New Wise Buys members 2 1 - 3

Total Number of purchases 13 4 4 21

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


Number of registrations 3 - 3

Total number of sessions held 1 - 1

Total attendance at sessions 1 - 1

Number of home visits conducted 4 3 7

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.

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Strong Families



Total number of sessions held 3 7 10

Total attendance at sessions 5 9 14



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’.

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Pride of Place


Total number of participants 26

Number of new participants - - 1 1

Number of household projects completed this quarter 1 2 1 4

Number of household projects completed to date 10

Number of individual backyard elements completed to date 77

Value of POP contributions this quarter $240 $290 $270 $800

% of required contributions for completed households 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for 60% 55% 60% 57.5%

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.’

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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.

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MPower





iBank sessions (assisted) 39 27 33 99


MPower Journey sessions 2 25 4 31

Banking Products and Services – referrals 3 0 3 6

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.


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.


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.

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Total SET Membership Early Childhood 46

Primary School 56

Secondary School 33

Further Education 4

Non-Active 25

Total 164

New Trusts Total - 2 2 4


Early Childhood $72,142.39 $72,224.07 $73,637.60 $73,637.60

Primary School $99,176.52 $98,720.32 $98,134.52 $98,134.52


Further Education $6,475.90 $6,617.11 $6,350.53 $6,350.53

Non-Active $26,258.68 $26,759.04 $25,736.50 $25,736.50

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trusts





Non-Active 1 2 1 4

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


Trust expenditure




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Coen parents continue to ensure their children are dressed and ready for school. Parents spent $4,170 on school uniforms at our ‘Back to School blitz’.

Wise Buys



New Wise Buys members 1 - - 1


Wise Buys membership

One person signed up this quarter. Participation is expected to significantly increase in the next quarter as the


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.

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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



Total number of sessions held 1 - 1

Total attendance at sessions 1 - 1

Number of home visits conducted - 3 3


Registrations



participation.


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



feedback.

Baby College





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Pride of Place




Number of household projects completed this quarter 1 - - 1



Value of POP contributions this quarter $50 $50 $75 $175

% of required contributions for completed households 48% - - 48%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for 60% - - 60%

Participation rates

Two new households signed up bringing the total to 15 out of 54 households. This represents 27.8 per cent



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.




At least three more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.



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.

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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.

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MPower







Money Management Tools sessions 3 9 6 18

Banking Products and Services – Referrals 1 12 8 21

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.


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.


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.

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Total SET Membership

Early Childhood 45

Primary School 105

Secondary School 28

Further Education -

Non-Active 1

Total 179

New Trusts Early Childhood 4 7 - 11


Early Childhood $28,979.33 $29,736.01 $29,437.53 $29,437.53

Primary School $68,754.05 $64,884.78 $62,214.39 $62,214.39



Non-Active $386.37 $267.96 $151.03 $151.03

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 follow-

up 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


Trust expenditure




23

Wise Buys



New Wise Buys members - 1 1 2

Total Number of purchases - 7 8 15

Wise Buys Membership

Two people signed up this quarter. Participation is expected to significantly increase in the next quarter as the


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





Number of home visits conducted - - -


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.

24

Strong Families





Number of home visits conducted 2 - 2


Registrations



participation.


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



feedback.

Baby College





Pride of Place



Number of new participants 4 3 2 9




Value of POP contributions this quarter $745 $1,100 $1,200 $3,055

% of required contributions for completed households 100% 100% 100% 100%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for 53.3% 75% 46.7% 56.25%

25

Participation rates

Nine new households signed up bringing the total to 58 out of 180 households. This represents 32.2 per cent



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.




At least eleven more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.



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.

26

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.’

27

MPower




Little ‘a’ sessions 8 1 - 9



MPower Journey sessions 2 7 4 13

Money Management Tools sessions 2 6 - 8

Banking Products and Services – Referrals - 1 - 1

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.

28


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.


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.’

29



Total SET Membership Early Childhood 25

Primary School 69

Secondary School 21

Further Education -

Non-Active 5

Total 120

New Trusts Early Childhood 4 5 - 9


Early Childhood $20,699.83 $20,015.72 $19,957.11 $19,957.11

Primary School $59,200.84 $55,516.29 $55,907.71 $55,907.71



Non-Active $2,542.90 $1,883.30 $1,488.11 $1,488.11

Number of Educational items purchased using Student Education Trust





Non-Active - - - -

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


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.

30

Wise Buys



New Wise Buys members 0 9 6 15


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


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






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.

31

Strong Families







Registrations

Strong Families commenced in mid February with two parents registered. These parents were primarily referred


participation.


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.

Baby College





32

Pride of Place







Value of POP contributions this quarter $330 $345 $605 $1,280

% of required contributions for completed households - - 97.5% 97.5%

% of sweat equity achieved versus committed for 0% 65% 70% 54%

Participation rates

One new household signed up bringing the total to 19 out of 28 households. This represents 67.8 per cent



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.




At least five more completions are scheduled to occur next quarter.



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.’

33

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

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

Student Education Trusts It takes a village to raise a child

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

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 First Step and Second Step Bayan

Strategy complete and design underway

Overview of service providers complete and stakeholder engagement commenced

Commenced discussions with potential employers

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

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

34

Glossary

Term Definition

Backyard improvement elements

In relation to Pride of Place, backyard improvement elements refer to an individual element within a 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.

35

Cape York Partnerships

Cairns Head Office

Level 3, 139 Grafton Street

Cairns QLD 4870

Phone: 4042 7200

Coen Opportunity Hub

1 Taylor Street

Coen QLD 4871

Phone: 4060 1056

Mossman Opportunity Hub

Kankarr Street

Mossman Gorge QLD 4873

Phone: 4084 4400

Aurukun Opportunity Hub

5 Kang Kang Road

Aurukun QLD 4871

Phone: 4083 4505

Hope Vale Opportunity Hub

Muni Street

Hope Vale QLD 4895

Phone: 4060 9399

Family Empowerment Report - January to March 2012

Documents

Transcript of Family Empowerment Report - January to March 2012