Kids in Focus - Application Guidelines  

Following the application Closing Date, the Department will conduct an assessment of all applications.

To enable a comprehensive and accurate assessment of applications against the Selection Criteria, applicants must provide the information required in the format, and to the extent specified in the Application Guidelines and Application Form.

Current service providers will need to respond fully to the Selection Criteria in the Application Form and provide the information required in the format, and to the extent specified in the Application Guidelines and Application Form.

The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) will assess applicants for funding primarily on the basis of the information provided in the Application Form.  FaHCSIA may use information about an applicant that is, or becomes known to FaHCSIA in the course of FaHCSIA’s business, as well as any publicly available information.

Decisions on the parameters and methodology for assessment of applications will be final.

3.1 Principle

The overriding principle guiding the selection process is value in social service delivery to the Australian Government (See Glossary).  The Department has funding principles in place to guide Selection Processes.  The selection process will be conducted in accordance with these principles. 

3.2 Process

The process will be an open competitive selection process. 

3.3 Selection Criteria

The selection criteria has been designed to take into account the objectives of Kids in Focus, the skills and capacities of organisations to deliver projects, the needs of communities and organisational capacity.  The selection criteria are:

Service Delivery Model

1a.  Describe your proposed service and how this will be made operational to achieve positive outcomes for disadvantaged and ‘at risk’ children and their families affected by substance misuse within the allocated budget as indicated for your State or Territory in Section 2.4 of the Application Guidelines and how this service will be delivered.

Page 7 of this document illustrates some examples of the type of services that could be delivered under Kids in Focus.

1b.  Describe how the proposed services and service delivery model will provide and deliver:

• Services and activities (including intensive support) to support:
• children of drug using parents and families; and/or
• parents/carers dealing with substance misuse

1c.  Describe how your proposed service delivery model will provide a telephone advice/ support service to FSP providers across your State/Territory to identify and support children at risk of harm or long term disadvantage.

1d.  Provide the budget (based on the allocated budget for the State/Territory) illustrating the breakdown of what the funding will be spent on to deliver your proposed services under Kids in Focus.

Service Model Addresses Need

2a.  Where does your organisation propose to provide drug and or alcohol support services in and why is this location/community appropriate? 

2b.  How will your organisation engage families with substance misuse issues in your proposed area of need including Indigenous and CALD as well as other hard to reach families?

Experience with Drug and Alcohol Programs

3.    Demonstrate your organisation’s experience in developing and delivering effective substance misuse programs to achieve positive outcomes for disadvantaged and at risk children and their families.  Include information on how current programs are monitored, reviewed and evaluated?

Ability to Work Collaboratively

4.    Describe your organisation’s experience and approach to working collaboratively with local organisations (including Indigenous, Alcohol or Drug, Family Support Providers and Child Protection) local leaders and other key stakeholders to provide intensive parenting support services to families with substance misuse issues.

Qualification of Service Delivery Staff

5.    Demonstrated relevant expertise and qualifications of staff to undertake and deliver quality outcomes under Kids in Focus for the life of the Funding Agreement.

3.4 Stages in the Assessment Process

Assessments will be undertaken by the Department with input from relevant experts and conducted in accordance with the Assessment Tool.  The assessment will be conducted in accordance with the following stages:

• Stage 1 – Receipt and registration of applications, initial screening for compliance;
• Stage 2 – Assessment of applications against the Selection Criteria;
• Stage 3 – Financial Viability Assessment;
• Stage 4 – Selection of Preferred Applicant/s; and
• Stage 5 – Offer / Agreement of Funding.

Stage 1 - Receipt and Registration of Applications, Initial Screening for Compliance

Following the receipt and registration of applications, there will be an initial screening of applications to ensure:

• Eligibility of organisations;
• Applicants comply with the terms and conditions detailed in the Application Guidelines and Application Form; and
• Complete information has been provided in the Application Form to enable a fully informed assessment to be made.

Stage 2 - Assessment of applications against selection criteria

Assessment Teams will undertake assessment of applications and will consider the applicant’s response to each Selection Criterion against a 4-point (1 to 4) scale (see Table below).

Assessment Teams will assess applications primarily on the information provided in the Application Form.  Assessment teams may also use information about an applicant that is provided by referees nominated by the applicant.

FaHCSIA may use information about an applicant that is, or becomes known to FaHCSIA in the course of FaHCSIA’s business, as well as any publicly available information.

Table 1: four-point rating scale for selection criteria

Stage 3 – Financial Viability Assessments

Applications will be subject to Financial Viability Assessments.

Note: The Department may not fund applicants that are assessed as high-risk in terms of Financial Viability.

Information required from applicants for the Financial Viability Assessment is gathered via the information requested in Section 4 of the Application Form and in Addressing Selection Criterion 5 (Information on Financial Viability).  If your Service is part of a larger organisation or has a parent company, then these organisations must also provide the information requested in Section 4 of the Application Form. 

Stage 4 – Selection of Successful Applicants

Following assessment against the Selection Criteria and consideration of the Financial Viability Assessment the Department will take additional criteria into account (see below).  The stage 4 criteria are designed to achieve the best providers against the identified funding priorities (see Item 2.6). 

At stage 4, assessors will rank applications that have been successful from stages two and three in a draft Assessment Report.

The Department’s decision on, Successful Applicants will be finalised when the Minister or his/her Delegate indicate their acceptance of the final list of successful applicants.

Stage 5 - Entering into Funding Agreements

Successful applicants are then invited to enter into Funding Agreements with the Department.  The Funding Agreement will contain the entire agreement between the parties.  There is no binding agreement on any parties until the Funding Agreement is agreed to and signed by the Delegate and the Applicant’s Authorised Representative.

Unsuccessful applicants will be offered feedback (debrief) on their application. Any or none of the applications under this selection process may be accepted.