Brisbane South and Gold Coast Zone
Gold Coast Foster Carer Forum
The Child Safety Service Centre Managers, Zonal Planning and Partnerships Officer (ZPPO), representatives from the Out-of-Home Care Team, Community Support Team, Foster Care Queensland and placement services collaboratively planned the first Foster Carer Forum.
This forum was held on 18 August 2006 for all departmental, kinship and general approved carers servicing the Beenleigh, Gold Coast Mermaid Beach, Gold Coast Labrador and Gold Coast Nerang Child Safety Service Centres.
The child safety service centres and agencies provided information about their services and information was also provided on legislative changes in relation to the blue card.
A session was held on how new zonal arrangements for support of carers and zonal meeting arrangements could work best for carers. The carers decided to hold four forums a year to provide information to carers and updates from our child safety service centres and agencies.
All carers will be invited and will be surveyed before the forums to determine their key areas of interest. It was also discussed with carers how support would be provided on a local level through either our child safety service centre or agency and that these arrangements may vary across the zone.
It is planned to hold similar forums involving the Stones Corner, Mt Gravatt, Wynnum and Redlands Child Safety Service Centres. As well as forums being held in the north and south of the zone, planning is also occurring for a cross zonal working party consisting of departmental and agency staff.
Network arrangements
The following 'communities of interest' activities are happening in this zone's planning and partnership networks.
Child Placement Working Party
The Child Placement Working Party has been established in response to the need identified by Gold Coast West Child Safety Service Centre to develop alternative options for children and young people - for example, sibling groups or young people with challenging behaviours - who may be placed in inappropriate lodgings, such as commercial accommodation.
The membership includes our department, Department of Communities and relevant non-government organisations providing placement services. Members have taken the view that child protection is not the sole responsibility of the Department of Child Safety, and collaborate on providing more appropriate solutions.
The membership is currently discussing the use of a property donated by a private benefactor, utilising agency staff and combining government and non-government resources for short-term options until young people can be placed in more secure accommodation.
Leasing of properties from local churches is also being explored and a draft service model has been developed in conjunction with Department of Communities staff.
Indigenous Reference Group
The Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) has been formed to address the need to reduce over-representation of Indigenous children and young people within the zone.
The Zonal Planning and Partnerships Officer (ZPPO) works with the IRG, and in particular the Project Officer Indigenous Community Capacity Building (POICCB), to ensure the success of the IRG.
Key stakeholders have been identified, and the ZPPO and POICCB have commenced visiting potential participants, such as child protection services on Stradbroke Island.
An action plan will be developed by IRG to provide direction and priorities for future work with the Indigenous community within the zone.
Referral for Active Intervention Services - Beenleigh, Eagleby, Loganlea and South Gold Coast
A partnership has been developed with key Department of Communities staff including the Referral for Active Intervention (RAI) Principal Policy Officers and Regional Planners.
The Zonal Planning and Partnerships Officer is a member of this partnership and initial meetings have been held.
The partnership has commenced work on monitoring the delivery of child protection services and to assist with future service delivery planning. Community profiles are being produced with a range of information on demographics and local issues, to develop a comprehensive understanding of the catchment areas delivering RAI services.
Connections have also been made with some key Indigenous stakeholders to assist with the development of RAI services that meets the needs of Indigenous families with child protection concerns.
Culturally Appropriate Partnership
The Culturally Appropriate Partnership (CAP) was developed in response to concern in the zone that there are insufficient culturally appropriate placements for children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and the need for departmental staff and placements services to have access to suitable training on cultural diversity.
The CAP consists of representatives from key government and non government agencies to reduce culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) representation in the child protection system and ensure culturally appropriate service delivery.
A draft action plan has been developed to provide training for department and placement agency staff, community education, and strategies to recruit culturally appropriate carers to meet an emerging need, in particular with the Stones Corner and Mt Gravatt Child Safety Service Centres.
Further information
For more information, contact the Brisbane South and Gold Coast Zone ZPPO on telephone (07) 3884 8800
- Last updated
- 21 May 2008