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Developing a Family Support Program

 

Vision Statement

The Family Support Program will work with and support families and nurture children to enable them to better manage life’s transitions and contribute to building stronger, more resilient communities.

 

The Vision for the Family Support Program

The Family Support Program (FSP) provides a new opportunity for Government and the community sector to change the way they work together to deliver high quality, coordinated services that will better meet the needs of children and families.

By mid-2011 we will, together, have changed the way families and children receive services for relationship, parenting and/or separation issues. Families, either as individual members or as a family, can expect to:

People accessing FSP services will only need to tell their story once through the appropriate sharing of information between providers and families, with relevant consents in place. Clients will be confident that they will receive services from an FSP provider that is quality assured, sensitive to their circumstances and committed to continuous improvement. FSP providers will be confident in referring families and children to other FSP services and providers will have processes to link clients to other services including legal services and the courts and to follow up with local community services and other government provided services at the state/territory and local level.

Providers will work together with families and children in a strength-based, child focussed and non-threatening environment, where clients can be assured that they will be offered relevant support that will work to strengthen their resilience to better meet life transitions and challenges and ongoing parenting responsibilities. FSP services available in a service region will be based on the identified needs of the area.

All FSP services will operate from suitable sites that are easy for local people to locate and access. In areas identified as disadvantaged, specific services will work actively with the community to overcome locational disadvantage.

Families in each community will have access to information on the range of services available in their local areas. Information will be provided in ways that effectively reach local families needing assistance and support. The broader role of communities in working with families and children to help build family resilience is acknowledged and supported.

Service providers will have greater flexibility in delivering a range of services to meet agreed needs and outcomes in local areas and greater capacity to focus on meeting their client’s needs as a result of reduced administrative requirements of Government. Providers will also be given greater opportunity to influence Government’s policy directions for the program through the sharing of information, research and data. Providers will be consulted and engaged in the development of programs, new initiatives and service models to ensure services best meet the needs of families and children.

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