The 2007-08 financial year was a significant year for the Family Relationship Services Program (FRSP). During this year the third and final year of the major selection rounds for the new services under the New Family Law Initiative was finalised. The sector established a single representative body, Family Relationship Services Australia (FRSA), and a new model of partnership through joint agency/sector Working Groups to address issues of significance for the sector, covering matters relating to performance management and data quality, sector workforce and contracts and funding.
Family structures and presenting needs continually change and the sector and agencies continued to work closely together to ensure that we are working in concert to offer the most effective service interventions to support families. During this year new self help tools were developed with the sector: Taking the First Step, Then We Were Three and Instant Families for distribution to families, and the DVD Remember Me: children’s voices after separation was produced for services dealing with separated families. Similarly, the web site service Family Relationships Online (FRO) and telephone service Family Relationship Advice Line (FRAL) continued to cement their place in the family relationship service system.
The partnerships approach established in 2007-08 has continued to strengthen across the 2008-09 year and we look forward to providing the next year’s report, which will for the first time be able to provide cross year trend data for the services.
Toni Pirani
Assistant Secretary
Dispute Management Family Pathways Branch
Attorney-General’s Department
Sue Pidgeon
Assistant Secretary
Family Pathways Branch
Attorney-General’s Department
Robyn Fleming
Branch Manager
Family Relationship Services Branch
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs