school focused youth service · the sfys program links with youth partnerships, student support...
TRANSCRIPT
School Focused Youth Service
School FocusedYouth ServiceProgram Guidelines 2012-2013
School Focused Youth Service
Published by the Communications Division for Service Development Division Department of Education and Early Childhood DevelopmentMelbourneMay 2012
© State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) 2012
The copyright in this document is owned by the State of Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development), or in the case of some materials, by third parties (third party materials). No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, the National Education Access Licence for Schools (NEALS) (see below) or with permission.
An educational institution situated in Australia which is not conducted for profit, or a body responsible for administering such an institution, may copy and communicate the materials,
other than third party materials, for the educational purposes of the institution.
Authorised by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002.
Also published on: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/wellbeing/sfyouthservices/default.htmchildren.vic.gov.au/ys/library/publications/sfys_program_guidelines
School Focused Youth Service1
Contents
Part A: background
1. Introduction 2
2. Policy Context 2
3. Partnership Approach 3
Part B: guidance
4. Evidence-based Strategies 4
5. Governance 4
6. Service Boundaries 4
7. Regional Strategic Planning 5
8. Target Group 5
9. Brokerage 5
10. Accountability and Reporting 6
Appendix: Links to Other Resources 7
References 9
School Focused Youth Service
Part A: Background
2
1. Introduction
Adolescence is a time of great change. Young people experience significant physical, social and emotional development and are confronted with many issues.
Most young people transition through their adolescence well. However a range of risks factors can lead to a young person becoming vulnerable and at risk of poor learning, development, health and wellbeing outcomes.
School Focused Youth Service Program
The School Focused Youth Service (SFYS) program strengthens the support for 10–18-year-old vulnerable children and young people by facilitating partnerships and coordination of services between schools and community organisations at a local level.
Objectives of the SFYS ProgramThe objectives of the SFYS program are:
•Thedevelopmentandstrengthening
of partnerships between schools and
community organisations to support
vulnerable children and young people.
•Thedevelopmentofstrategies
including coordination of services
and development of innovative local
projects to address the identified
needs of vulnerable children and
young people. Brokerage funds may be
provided to support projects.
Improved collaboration is expected to result in:
•improvedlocal planning
•better connected schools and
community organisations that can
better support vulnerable children and
young people who require prevention
and early intervention strategies to
assist their learning, development,
health and wellbeing.
Vulnerability is difficult to measure and describe because it often results from a combination of factors affecting a child, their family and their environment. Vulnerability is not static as children and their families can be more or less vulnerable at different times and as different life events occur. However, there are specific factors that can accumulate and make a child more vulnerable… [Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Report, p.31].
Many factors impact on a child or young person’s engagement in school and general wellbeing. Clear warning signs include poor school attendance, contact with police, difficulty with peers and experimental alcohol or drug use, and family breakdown.
The earlier risk factors are identified and addressed, the more effective the intervention and less likely they are to escalate, for instance from low level truancy and family conflict to disengagement from school and family.
The SFYS program is inclusive of all school sectors: Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria, and Independent Schools Victoria.
2. Policy Context
2011 Victorian Families StatementThe 2011 Victorian Families Statement highlights the importance of families and the Government’s role in helping families to achieve their aspirations. The Statement also emphasises that Victorians should have access to services and opportunities wherever they live.
Victoria as a Learning CommunityIn November 2011, Minister for Education, the Hon. Martin Dixon, MP gave a speech entitled Victoria as a Learning Community outlining the Government’s vision for school education reform in Victoria. He spoke about the principles that guide the Government’s vision: choice, local decision-making and school-community integration. In Victoria as a Learning Community, Minister Dixon also highlighted the importance of school partnerships.
Engage, Involve, CreateIn April 2012, the Victorian Government launched the Engage, Involve, Create Youth Statement. It outlines the Government’s vision that all young Victorians experience healthy, active and fulfilling lives and have the opportunity to:
•beengagedineducationand/or
employment
•beinvolvedintheircommunitiesand
decisions that affect them
•createchange,enterpriseandculture.
The Statement also emphasises the need for services that meet the needs of young people, and the importance of working in partnership with young people, families, the community sector, business, and philanthropic organisations to achieve the best outcomes for young people.
A consistent theme in recent government policies has been the focus on collaboration between community, government, non-government and business to develop locally tailored solutions to meet identified needs. The SFYS program is consistent with this direction as it aims to provide a coordinated response for vulnerable young people between 10 and 18 years of age.
School Focused Youth Service3
Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children InquiryProtecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry investigated systemic problems in Victoria’s child protection system and made recommendations to strengthen the protection and support of vulnerable children and young people. The Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry Report was tabled in Parliament in February 2012. It listed 90 recommendations including the need for a whole-of-government Vulnerable Children and Families Strategy.
In May 2012, Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Directions Paper was released outlining the Victorian Government’s response to the Inquiry’s recommendations. It emphasises the need to work together to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families, and identifies actions areas such as
•buildingeffectiveandconnected
services
•enhancingeducationandbuilding
capacity
•introducingaccountabilityand
transparency.
It is anticipated that a Vulnerable Children and Families Strategy will be released in 2013.
These policy documents provide a context for the work of the SFYS program, and highlight the importance of partnerships in supporting children, young people and their families to improve their learning, development, and health and wellbeing outcomes.
Links to other networksThe SFYS program links with Youth Partnerships, Student Support Services, Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) and local government area youth services planning.
To maximise the effectiveness of the SFYS program, it must fit strategically within the range of education, youth, community, health and local government services currently available.
3. Partnership ApproachThe SFYS partnership approach strengthens the capacity of schools and community organisations to collaborate, develop and coordinate prevention and early intervention strategies as part of a service continuum for vulnerable children and young people.
Schools and community organisations derive many benefits from forming partnerships, including the ability to develop collaborative responses to supporting vulnerable children and young people.
Effective education partnerships Effective education partnerships:
•haveclearlydefined,mutualgoals
•havegoalsandactionsthatare
supported by evidence
•arethoroughlyandstrategicallyplanned
•haveclearlydef ined roles and
responsibilities
•areanintegralpartofboththeschooland organisation’s culture
•encouragecollaboration,consultationand shared decision-making
•havestrongleadership
•areequitableandsustainable
•haveasoundevaluationprocess,and
•areabletorespondtochange.
Partnerships between schools and community organisationsPartnerships between schools and community organisations are integral to the effectiveness of the SFYS program.
There are many benefits including:
•Buildingpartnershipsbetween
schools and community organisations
facilitates collaboration and the
coordination of support for vulnerable
children and young people.
•Facilitatingservicelinkageswith
schools increases the capacity of
schools and community organisations
to work more effectively.
•Buildingthecapacityoflocalschools,
community organisations and planning
networks enables them to better meet
the needs of young people.
•Identifyingemergingissuesandservice
gaps enables the development of collaborative strategies to address the identified needs of vulnerable children and young people. Schools and community organisations can consider purchasing services to meet those gaps if they cannot be filled by current resources.
School Focused Youth Service 4
4. Evidence-based StrategiesDEECD is committed to adopting evidence-based strategies and innovative practices to improve the outcomes for children and young people. Funding decisions should be based on solid quantitative and qualitative data, contain measurable outcomes and be rigorously evaluated.
5. GovernanceDEECD Regional Offices
DEECD regional offices are responsible for overseeing the delivery of the SFYS program in regions and for supporting and monitoring funded agencies to ensure they meet the program requirements.
Statewide Advisory Group
The SFYS Statewide Advisory Group provides advice as required to support program and policy development.
Regional Advisory Group
Regions are encouraged to convene a Regional Advisory Group (RAG) to provide high-level strategic planning and support the work of the Local Advisory Groups (LAGs).
Representation should comprise, at minimum:
•educationservices
•localgovernment
•healthservices
•familysupportservices
•youthservices
•otherrepresentativesidentifedat
regional level.
Additional partners may include representatives from organisations and programs such as Victoria Police, Secondary School Nursing program, specialist youth services and Department of Human Services.
In regions where it is not practical to have a RAG, an alternative planning structure (e.g. a LAG) can support a coordinated and high-level strategic planning approach.
Local Advisory Group
The LAG has responsibility for guiding and supporting the planning and development of innovative strategies addressing identified local needs, including:
•identifyingemergingissuesandservice
gaps at a local level
•planningatalocallevel(informed
by and informing regional strategic
planning)
•monitoringandevaluatingthe
effectiveness of strategies at a local
level
•makingdecisionsaboutbrokerage
allocation.
Funded agencies
The funded agency is responsible for the delivery of the SFYS program within a defined catchment. This includes the employment and support of a SFYS coordinator.
The funded agency is responsible for maintaining a LAG and supporting regional planning processes.
SFYS coordinators
It is expected that SFYS coordinators work in a full-time capacity to:
•facilitatepartnershipsbetweenschools
and community organisations
•assistschoolsandcommunity
organisations to develop projects that
address identified local needs and have
the capacity to become sustainable
(projects may or may not require
brokerage funding)
•provideinformationandresourcesas
required.
6. Service BoundariesKey factors that may influence the boundaries of SFYS catchments include:
•localschoolnetworks
•presence of other service and planning
networks e.g. Youth Partnerships
demonstration sites, Primary Care
Partnerships, LLENs, Regional Youth
Affairs Networks (RYANs), Child FIRST,
etc.
•localgovernmentareas
•numberofschoolsandstudent
populations within each catchment
•presenceofhigh-needslocalitiesand
populations
•geographicalareaanddistance
between schools and community
organisations
•presenceofgrowthcorridorswith
developing populations and few or
remote services.
Part B: Guidance
School Focused Youth Service5
7. Regional Strategic PlanningThe development of a regional strategic plan should drive the work of the SFYS program within the region. Ideally, the document should be developed by the RAG, be informed by LAGs and complement existing regional plans.
The regional strategic plan should be informed by local data including SFYS regional data reports and DEECD Adolescent Community Profiles to assist targeting of service delivery.
Regional DEECD staff will be responsible for overseeing and monitoring quarterly reporting processes and using program data to monitor the implementation of the strategic plan.
8. Target GroupThe SFYS program targets young people aged between 10–18 years, with a focus on 10–16 year olds. Prevention and early intervention strategies targeting these young people reduce risk factors and increase protective factors, to enhance the likelihood of better learning, development, health and wellbeing outcomes.
The target group of young people are considered vulnerable to one or more risk factors such as:
•violence
•offending
•depressivemoodanddepressive
disorders
•self-harm
•substanceabuse
•socialandgeographicalisolation
•sexualityandsexualbehaviour
•earlyschoolleavingandschoolfailure
•physicalorpsychologicaldisabilities
•socioeconomicdisadvantage
•familyproblems
•youngpeopleexperiencingdifficulties
from Indigenous and Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse communities.
9. BrokerageBrokerage funds are to be used to address identified local needs.
Decisions about the allocation of brokerage funds are made by LAGs. LAGs can only approve the allocation of funding to projects which meet the brokerage funding criteria listed in the program guidelines.
Brokerage Funding Criteria Brokerage funding criteria are:
Applications for brokerage funding should meet the following criteria:
•beofdirectbenefttovulnerable young
people
•align with the priorities of the LAG and
RAG
•havedefinedcommencementand
completion dates (additional funding is
not available)
•offeropportunitiesforsustainability
beyond the initial funding, particularly
of partnerships with local community
organisations
•beevidence-basedbestpractice,which
is innovative and offers opportunities for
broad application
•includetwoormorepartners
•offervalueformoney
School Focused Youth Service 6
Brokerage dollars should not be used for:
•projectswhichduplicateexisting
initiatives, eg. cybersafety projects in
government schools
•thepurchaseofservicesfortheindirect
benefit of young people (for example,
the professional development of SFYS
staff, teachers, agency personnel or
other stakeholders)
•thepurchaseofagencyinfrastructure
(for example, computers, cars or office
equipment)
•fundingschoolstoworktogether
without a community partner
•feeforserviceprojectsfromprivate
business providers, unless they are
sustainable or there is no appropriate
community option.
Individual brokerage applications are discouraged.
SFYS service providers need to ensure all individuals working directly with children and young people as part of a SFYS project have valid Working with Children Checks. Applicants should be informed of this requirement at information sessions and the details included on application forms.
For further information see: http://www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren/
Additional Criteria for Projects over $15,000
For projects over $15,000, three additional criteria apply:
•howtheprojectfitswithinregional
priorities and needs
•sustainabilityoftheproject
•consultationwiththerelevant
regional manager (prior to the project
applications being presented to the
LAG).
10. Accountability and ReportingFunded agencies should utilise a range of data to inform service delivery planning and enhance accountability.
Funded agencies are subject to the terms and conditions of their service agreement. They are accountable for their funding, and are required to submit quarterly service delivery data to DEECD. Intended outcomes of projects should link to the Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System.
School Focused Youth Service7
Adolescent Community ProfilesAdolescent community profiles draw on data compiled through the Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System. They profile local level information on the learning, development, safety and wellbeing of young people aged 10 to 17.
For further information see:http//www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/children/vcams/adolescent_community_profiles.htm
Child FIRSTChild FIRST (Child and Family Information Referral and Support Teams) provide a community-based referral point into Family Services.
For further information see: http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about–the–department/documents–and–resources/reports–publications/child–first–information
DataZoneDataZone contains data to assist planning. It can be accessed by DEECD staff at: https://portal.eduweb.vic.gov.au/datazone/pages/default.aspx.
Education Partnerships ResourceThe Education Partnerships Resource provides checklists, case studies and resources to help schools form partnerships.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/partnerships/resource/default.htm
Evidence-based Interventions Examples of evidence-based interventions for adolescents are available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/childyouth/catalogue/default.htm
Local Learning and Employment NetworksLLENs help improve education, training and employment options for young people aged 10–19, especially young people at risk of making poor transitions from compulsory schooling to the next stage of their lives.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/senseyouth/llennetworks.htm
Regional Youth Affairs NetworksRYANs bring together community members, youth service providers, young people and all levels of government with an interest in improving the lives of young Victorians.
For further information see:http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/plans,-programs-and-projects/plans-and-strategies/youth-specific/regional-youth-affairs-networks
SFYS WebsiteAn overview of the SFYS program is available at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/wellbeing/sfyouthservices/default.htm
AppendixLinks to Other Resources
School Focused Youth Service 8
Smarter Schools National PartnershipsThe Council of Australian Governments has agreed to work together on the Smarter Schools National Partnerships (NPs) that aim to improve the quality of Australian schooling and student outcomes. There are three NPs focusing on literacy and numeracy, low socio-economic status school communities and improving teacher quality.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/nationalpartnerships/smarterschools/default.htm
Student EngagementEffective Schools are Engaging Schools: Student Engagement Policy Guidelines is available at:http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/respectfulsafe/ default.htm
Student Mapping ToolThe Student Mapping Tool is used by many government schools to inform planning.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/sensecyouth/careertrans/smt
Student Support ServicesStudent Support Services assist children and young people to achieve their education and development potential through the provision of specialised support in government schools.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/healthwellbeing/support/ssso.htm
Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring SystemThe Victorian Child and Adolescent Monitoring System is the comprehensive monitoring system that enables
measurement and reporting against 35 outcomes for Victorian children and young people.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/vcams/
Youth PartnershipsYouth Partnerships is a Victorian Government initiative that will design and test new ways for services to work together more collaboratively to support vulnerable young people aged 10 -18 years. Seven demonstration sites have been established to trial new approaches. The initiative is due for completion in June 2013.
For further information see: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/sensecyouth/youthpartnerships/default.htm
School Focused Youth Service9
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2011 Victorian Families Statement – Starting the discussion on what matters to families. Victorian Government, Melbourne – http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/images/stories/documents/mediareleases/2011/Families-Statement-pdf-document.pdf
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2011, Victoria as a Learning Community, Victorian Government, Melbourne – http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/commrel/about/learningcommuityspeech29NOV.pdf
Cummins, P., Scott, D., & Scales, B., 2012, Report of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry, Melbourne – http://www.childprotectioninquiry.vic.gov.au/report-pvvc-inquiry.html
Victorian Government, 2012, Victoria’s Vulnerable Children – Our Shared Responsibility Directions Paper, Victorian Government, Melbourne – http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/about-the-department/news-and-events/news/general-news/victorias-vulnerable-children--our-shared-responsibility
Victorian Government, 2012, Engage, Involve, Create - Youth Statement, Victorian Government, Melbourne – http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/digitalAssets/82871_Engage_Involve_Create_Victorian_Government_Youth_Statement_2012.pdf
References
School Focused Youth Service