Dear Sir/Madam
Consultation with Key Stakeholders in the Drug and Alcohol, Family Support and
Child Protection Sectors
The Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin MP, recently announced the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. As part of this announcement, the Minister also advised that the National Illicit Drug Strategy, Strengthening Families Program (the Program) would be refocused to support vulnerable families and their children consistent with the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children.
I would like to invite you to participate in a consultation process being undertaken by the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) on behalf of FaHCSIA, involving stakeholders in the drug and alcohol, family support and child protection sectors about refocussing the Program to better meet the needs of vulnerable and at risk families and children who are affected by problematic drug and alcohol use.
The consultation will collect views on the most appropriate service models and investments to provide the best outcomes for these families and children at risk. The consultation will be an important opportunity to ensure your views are considered in the decision making process when refocusing the Program.
I encourage you to take part in this consultation and thank you in advance for your contribution.
Yours sincerely
Barry Sandison
Group Manager
Families
Att: Consultation Background Paper
PO Box 7576 Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610
Email Ÿ Facsimile Ÿ Telephone 1300 653 227
National Relay Service: TTY: 133 677, Speak and listen: 1300 555 727, Internet relay: www.relayservice.com.au
www.fahcsia.gov.au
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA)
Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD)
Consultation
Background Paper
Introduction
This paper provides some relevant background information to the consultation with the drug and alcohol, the family support and child protection services sectors being undertaken by the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) on behalf of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to guide the new focus of the Strengthening and Supporting Families Coping with Illicit Drug Use (‘Strengthening Families’) Program.
Strengthening Families Program
The Strengthening Families Program is a component of the broader National Illicit Drug Strategy (NIDS) and focuses on the specific areas of family support rather than the health, education or criminal aspects of the strategy. The program currently assists families; including parents, grandparents, kinship carers and children of drug using parents, by taking an early intervention and family-focused approach to dealing with the impacts of substance misuse on families.
A diverse range of services to support families are funded under the Program with 18 organisations currently funded to deliver 19 programs across Australia. Services include counselling, support, advice, information, advocacy and referral. A list of the currently funded programs and service providers funded under the Strengthening Families Program can be found at:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/gamblingdrugs/progserv/nids/Pages/default.aspx
The Strengthening Families Program has an annual funding allocation of $3.1 million
Refocusing of the program
As part of the recent announcement by the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin, on the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children, all existing Strengthening Families Program providers were offered an extension of funding until 30 April 2010.
The Minister also announced that from May 2010 the Strengthening Families Program will be refocused to support vulnerable families and their children consistent with the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children.
As part of the process of developing a new service model FaHCSIA is working with the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) to gain an understanding of the views and needs of the drug and alcohol, family support and child protection service sectors to inform the new approach for the Strengthening Families Program.
The consultation is expected to be completed by 30 July 2009. An open tender process under the new service model is then expected to be conducted between August and October 2009 with successful applicants announced in late 2009.
It should be noted that the decision to refocus the program has not been taken in response to any issues with the existing program but rather in order to direct resources to a key government priority in a time of increasing funding pressures.
The New Strategic Directions
The refocusing of the Strengthening Families Program is linked to two important initiatives of the Australian Government: The Family Support Program, a new umbrella program of which Strengthening Families will be a specialist part and the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children which will inform the refocused policy direction of the Strengthening Families Program.
1. Family Support Program
On 16 February 2009, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin, announced the formation of the Family Support Program.
The FSP brings together a number of community-based families, parenting and children’s services:
- Family Relationship Services Program
- Strengthening Families Program funded under the National Illicit Drug Strategy
- Communities for Children Initiative
- Invest to Grow program
- Child Care Links
- Indigenous Children Program
- Indigenous Parenting Support Services
- Playgroup Program
- Responding Early Assisting Children Program.
The Minister has brought these services together under a single umbrella program to join up a series of key policy and service delivery approaches that have been developed over time to address specific family and/or social issues. In bringing these services together, the FSP will build on the strengths and achievements of each of these individual initiatives to provide a more coordinated and flexible approach to delivering support to families and children.
Bringing these services together provides the opportunity to enhance policy development, coordination and service delivery across the FSP system. It is also the intention of this integration to strengthen links with the broader community services sector and other levels of government, as well as to rationalise service and policy domains.
The FSP comprises three core service streams:
- Family and Parenting Services: provides early intervention and prevention services and tools to families to build and strengthen relationships, develop skills and support parents and children navigating life’s transitions.
- Community and Family Partnerships: provides intensive and coordinated support targeted at significantly disadvantaged communities and families and especially vulnerable and at risk families and children.
- Family Law Services (Attorney-General’s Department responsibility): provides assistance to families to manage the process and impacts of separation in the best interests of children.
In addition, the 3 principles that underpin FSP are:
- Building the capability and resilience of Australian families and children in their communities.
- Working in the best interest of children.
- Responding to the vulnerabilities of families and their communities.
While many families seeking support may receive all the assistance they need from a single service stream, an increasing number of families and children present with multiple and complex needs. These children and families will benefit from bringing together the broad suite of FSP services in a tailored and coordinated way. Improved flexibility and tailoring of services will primarily be within the FSP streams in the first instance, however, the longer-term goal is to offer families and children access to tailored and coordinated services across the FSP streams and with other FaHCSIA programs and other levels of government.
The services offered through the core FSP service streams will work to build the resilience of:
- parents and children navigating life transitions
- vulnerable and at risk families and children in highly disadvantaged communities
- families and children experiencing separation and divorce.
FaHCSIA is currently undertaking consultations around the country on this new consolidated program. These broad consultations are being conducted concurrently to the ANCD’s consultations on the Strengthening Families program and each process will inform the other.
For a full copy of the Departmental Discussion Paper - Developing a Family Support Program please see:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/families/progserv/familysupport/Pages/DepartmentalDiscussionPaper-FSP.aspx
2. National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children
On 30 April 2009 Minister Jenny Macklin announced the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. This National Framework is an initiative of the Australian Government that has been developed closely with, and endorsed by, all State and Territory Governments.
The National Framework aims to deliver a more integrated response but does not change the relative responsibilities of governments. States and Territories retain responsibility for statutory child protection, as the Australian Government retains responsibility for providing income support payments. The National Framework also recognises the significant existing efforts and reforms which are being undertaken by governments across Australia in protecting children and supporting families. It also involves a commitment to better link the many supports and services provided across the family services, child protection and related sectors by avoiding duplication and ensuring that innovation and information are shared across the sectors.
The Framework is structured around six high-level supporting outcomes with associated strategies and indicators of change of which the most relevant for the drug and alcohol sector are:
- Supporting Outcome 2:
Children and families access adequate support to promote safety and intervene early.
In particular, the associated Strategy 2.4 to enhance services and supports for children and families to target the most vulnerable and protect children ‘at-risk’
- Supporting Outcome 3:
Risk factors for child abuse and neglect are addressed.
In particular, the associated Strategy 3.1 to enhance alcohol and substance abuse initiatives that provide additional support to families.
These supporting outcomes highlight the important role of drug and alcohol services in ensuring that children at risk are identified and assisted. This can be either as primary clients or as children of adult clients presenting at drug and alcohol services.
For a full copy of the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009–2020 please see:
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/news/2009/pages/nationalframeworkprotectingchildren.aspx
Consultation
As part of the consultation process being undertaken by the ANCD on behalf of FaHCSIA, the ANCD will provide the drug and alcohol, as well as the family support and child protection services sectors with an opportunity to ensure their views are considered in the decision making process of the Australian Government when redesigning and refocusing the Strengthening Families Program.
Given that the policy framework for the refocusing of the Strengthening Families Program has now been determined; this part of the consultation will be primarily focused on collecting the views of relevant services on the most appropriate service models, programs and investments that should be made within the national $3.1 million annual budget to provide the best outcomes for families and children at risk.