Tweddle Child + Family Health

Service has continued to develop

and evolve in response to

community need throughout its

proud 93 year history in Footscray.

One constant in that history of

development and change has been

its uncompromising focus on health.

This plan sets direction for further

development in its focus on

vulnerable families and children.

The health focus remains as

important, if not more so, into the

future. Health is fundamental to

wellbeing in all aspects of our

lives and is intrinsic to healthy

resourceful families connected

to their communities.

Tweddle offers interventions to

infants, children and their families

to promote the restoration of

health and wellbeing where there

is distress and disruption in the

infant-parent relationship.

With this in mind Tweddle’s priority

is to provide community resources

and therapeutic support and

intervention.

Tweddle operates statewide and

prioritises its services to families with

children up to school age who live in

the north and west of Victoria. Services

are delivered either in partnership with

other organisations or directly

in the community.

Tweddle services include:

Childbirth education

Residential parenting programs

Community-based day programs

Group therapeutic support programs

In home breastfeeding support

Parenting and relationships

education and support for both

mothers and fathers in prisons

Parenting assessment and skill

development service

Parenting advice and support

through publications and multimedia

Professional support and advice in

the areas of child and family health

Advocacy on key parenting issues

facing families in our community.

AboutUs

2012 - 2017

Tweddle is a statewide early intervention and prevention health service.

Our purpose is to provide parenting support to families during pregnancy

and with children from birth to school age, resident in the north and west

of Victoria.

As a result of our work families will:

Acquire sound parenting skills

Develop parenting confidence

Improve health and early childhood development outcomes

Enhance relationships and attachment

Connect to support networks in their local communities.

Families will receive services from Tweddle that are collaborative, accountable,

evidence based and subject to external evaluation and national accreditation.

Our highest priority is to provide assistance to families that are facing multiple

challenges and are in urgent need of therapeutic support and intervention. These

challenges are commonly underpinned by isolation compounded by health issues,

addiction, family instability and violence, sleep deprivation, feelings of being

unable to cope and the complexities that can arise from financial stress, age,

ethnicity and other factors.

OurPurpose

OurVisionStrategicPlan

Healthy families

53 Adelaide Street Footscray Victoria 3011 AustraliaTel + 61 3 9689 1577 Fax + 61 3 9689 1922 Web www.tweddle.org.au

Tweddle Child + Family Health

Service has continued to develop

and evolve in response to

community need throughout its

proud 93 year history in Footscray.

One constant in that history of

development and change has been

its uncompromising focus on health.

This plan sets direction for further

development in its focus on

vulnerable families and children.

The health focus remains as

important, if not more so, into the

future. Health is fundamental to

wellbeing in all aspects of our

lives and is intrinsic to healthy

resourceful families connected

to their communities.

Tweddle offers interventions to

infants, children and their families

to promote the restoration of

health and wellbeing where there

is distress and disruption in the

infant-parent relationship.

With this in mind Tweddle’s priority

is to provide community resources

and therapeutic support and

intervention.

Tweddle operates statewide and

prioritises its services to families with

children up to school age who live in

the north and west of Victoria. Services

are delivered either in partnership with

other organisations or directly

in the community.

Tweddle services include:

Childbirth education

Residential parenting programs

Community-based day programs

Group therapeutic support programs

In home breastfeeding support

Parenting and relationships

education and support for both

mothers and fathers in prisons

Parenting assessment and skill

development service

Parenting advice and support

through publications and multimedia

Professional support and advice in

the areas of child and family health

Advocacy on key parenting issues

facing families in our community.

AboutUs

2012 - 2017

Tweddle is a statewide early intervention and prevention health service.

Our purpose is to provide parenting support to families during pregnancy

and with children from birth to school age, resident in the north and west

of Victoria.

As a result of our work families will:

Acquire sound parenting skills

Develop parenting confidence

Improve health and early childhood development outcomes

Enhance relationships and attachment

Connect to support networks in their local communities.

Families will receive services from Tweddle that are collaborative, accountable,

evidence based and subject to external evaluation and national accreditation.

Our highest priority is to provide assistance to families that are facing multiple

challenges and are in urgent need of therapeutic support and intervention. These

challenges are commonly underpinned by isolation compounded by health issues,

addiction, family instability and violence, sleep deprivation, feelings of being

unable to cope and the complexities that can arise from financial stress, age,

ethnicity and other factors.

OurPurpose

OurVisionStrategicPlan Healthy families

53 Adelaide Street Footscray Victoria 3011 AustraliaTel + 61 3 9689 1577 Fax + 61 3 9689 1922 Web www.tweddle.org.au

Tweddle Child + Family Health

Service has continued to develop

and evolve in response to

community need throughout its

proud 93 year history in Footscray.

One constant in that history of

development and change has been

its uncompromising focus on health.

This plan sets direction for further

development in its focus on

vulnerable families and children.

The health focus remains as

important, if not more so, into the

future. Health is fundamental to

wellbeing in all aspects of our

lives and is intrinsic to healthy

resourceful families connected

to their communities.

Tweddle offers interventions to

infants, children and their families

to promote the restoration of

health and wellbeing where there

is distress and disruption in the

infant-parent relationship.

With this in mind Tweddle’s priority

is to provide community resources

and therapeutic support and

intervention.

Tweddle operates statewide and

prioritises its services to families with

children up to school age who live in

the north and west of Victoria. Services

are delivered either in partnership with

other organisations or directly

in the community.

Tweddle services include:

Childbirth education

Residential parenting programs

Community-based day programs

Group therapeutic support programs

In home breastfeeding support

Parenting and relationships

education and support for both

mothers and fathers in prisons

Parenting assessment and skill

development service

Parenting advice and support

through publications and multimedia

Professional support and advice in

the areas of child and family health

Advocacy on key parenting issues

facing families in our community.

AboutUs

2012 - 2017

Tweddle is a statewide early intervention and prevention health service.

Our purpose is to provide parenting support to families during pregnancy

and with children from birth to school age, resident in the north and west

of Victoria.

As a result of our work families will:

Acquire sound parenting skills

Develop parenting confidence

Improve health and early childhood development outcomes

Enhance relationships and attachment

Connect to support networks in their local communities.

Families will receive services from Tweddle that are collaborative, accountable,

evidence based and subject to external evaluation and national accreditation.

Our highest priority is to provide assistance to families that are facing multiple

challenges and are in urgent need of therapeutic support and intervention. These

challenges are commonly underpinned by isolation compounded by health issues,

addiction, family instability and violence, sleep deprivation, feelings of being

unable to cope and the complexities that can arise from financial stress, age,

ethnicity and other factors.

OurPurpose

OurVisionStrategicPlan Healthy families

53 Adelaide Street Footscray Victoria 3011 AustraliaTel + 61 3 9689 1577 Fax + 61 3 9689 1922 Web www.tweddle.org.au

Tweddle Child + Family Health

Service has continued to develop

and evolve in response to

community need throughout its

proud 93 year history in Footscray.

One constant in that history of

development and change has been

its uncompromising focus on health.

This plan sets direction for further

development in its focus on

vulnerable families and children.

The health focus remains as

important, if not more so, into the

future. Health is fundamental to

wellbeing in all aspects of our

lives and is intrinsic to healthy

resourceful families connected

to their communities.

Tweddle offers interventions to

infants, children and their families

to promote the restoration of

health and wellbeing where there

is distress and disruption in the

infant-parent relationship.

With this in mind Tweddle’s priority

is to provide community resources

and therapeutic support and

intervention.

Tweddle operates statewide and

prioritises its services to families with

children up to school age who live in

the north and west of Victoria. Services

are delivered either in partnership with

other organisations or directly

in the community.

Tweddle services include:

Childbirth education

Residential parenting programs

Community-based day programs

Group therapeutic support programs

In home breastfeeding support

Parenting and relationships

education and support for both

mothers and fathers in prisons

Parenting assessment and skill

development service

Parenting advice and support

through publications and multimedia

Professional support and advice in

the areas of child and family health

Advocacy on key parenting issues

facing families in our community.

AboutUs

2012 - 2017

Tweddle is a statewide early intervention and prevention health service.

Our purpose is to provide parenting support to families during pregnancy

and with children from birth to school age, resident in the north and west

of Victoria.

As a result of our work families will:

Acquire sound parenting skills

Develop parenting confidence

Improve health and early childhood development outcomes

Enhance relationships and attachment

Connect to support networks in their local communities.

Families will receive services from Tweddle that are collaborative, accountable,

evidence based and subject to external evaluation and national accreditation.

Our highest priority is to provide assistance to families that are facing multiple

challenges and are in urgent need of therapeutic support and intervention. These

challenges are commonly underpinned by isolation compounded by health issues,

addiction, family instability and violence, sleep deprivation, feelings of being

unable to cope and the complexities that can arise from financial stress, age,

ethnicity and other factors.

OurPurpose

OurVisionStrategicPlan

Healthy families

53 Adelaide Street Footscray Victoria 3011 AustraliaTel + 61 3 9689 1577 Fax + 61 3 9689 1922 Web www.tweddle.org.au

Tweddle acknowledges that the process of rapid change in early intervention and prevention services is ongoing and strongly reflected in government policy and reviews, including the “Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry” (PVVCI). Services need to continue to be underpinned by evidence-based practices and services that meet the highest standards of quality accreditation. This plan enables the Tweddle team, our leaders and staff, our clients and our stakeholders to be part of the next stage of organisational change and development. Tweddle has found that vulnerable families are the most in need of our services and support and that has become and will remain the primary focus of our work. These families

require specialist and intensive services delivered either in a multidisciplinary model or in partnership with organisations that provide complementary services and supports.

The Tweddle 2012-2017 strategic plan will be implemented within the following context:

Goals:Our

Child + family health promotion and advocacy

Many families, not only vulnerable families, seek support with parenting especially in the first few years of a child’s life. Tweddle is well known as a provider of advice and support. With our focus on vulnerable families we will continue to provide support and resources on parenting in the early years that will be trusted and accessible to the broader community.

We will:Further develop our social media presence.

Participate in research partnerships to continue the development of evidence based practice in early parenting.

Share quality research findings within professional and community settings.

Maintain strong contemporary communications as a means of influence and connection with stakeholders and community.

1 Support parents with existing challenges

Tweddle recognises that some people come to the job of parenting with considerable challenges. Tweddle will provide supportive and preventative services in order to meet the complex needs of these families which may include:

Very young parents.Parents with intellectual disabilities or a mental illness.Parents who are drug or alcohol dependent.Families that are homeless.Families with previous child protection reports.

Service support will be provided to regional maternity hospitals and ChildFIRST alliances by allocating existing residential beds for priority referral. Existing services will be developed to increase access to comprehensive, evidence based parenting support.

We will:Provide priority access to families identified by regional maternity hospitals and regional family services and ChildFIRST alliances as needing intensive early parenting support.

Continue to build partnerships with community agencies, health services and hospitals that work with vulnerable groups.

2 Support parents with emerging challenges

Tweddle will place high priority on meeting the needs of families with problems that emerge during pregnancy or following the birth of a child such as:

Infant development or disability.Post natal depression/perinatal mental health issues.Emerging mental illness.Family violence.Major events like loss of income, change of family structure or death.

In most cases these families will have some contact with universal health services and networks such as kindergartens and child care centres.

We will:Strengthen relationships and referral pathways with primary health care professionals.

Exchange knowledge and evidence informed practice approaches with other professionals to support families.

Ensure clinical practice models are meeting the needs of vulnerable families.

3

Deliver services in areas of most need

Tweddle will work to develop at least one place-based parenting support program. Monitoring indicators of vulnerability can help us direct resources to areas of greatest need.

We will:Analyse prevalence indicator data to inform the introduction of a population-based prevention initiative.

Continue to deliver our current place-based programs and initiatives.

Seek seed funding for implementation of an area focused parenting support program.

Develop and implement place based service models to operate in priority communities.

4 Capacity Building

Quality service initiatives can only be delivered with high quality teams and supporting infrastructure. In recognition that service delivery in a changing environment can be challenging.

We will: Build on existing quality expertise with a major professional development program for all staff.

Continue to seek ways of improving facilities and service reach.

Continue to support research and development to ensure increasing understanding of early childhood development and parenting.

Foster staff wellbeing.

Provide a safe and healthy work environment.

Further develop understanding of cultural differences and values in family and parenting.

5 Working Together

When working with higher levels of complexity it is increasingly important to ensure services are easy for families to access and get the support they may need from a range of services. We must actively work together across government, community and health education services to ensure quality and cost effective service delivery.

We will: Deliver the Tweddle action plan for supporting aboriginal families and communities.

Continue to develop and promote our brand and reputation as a specialist health service.

Grow relevant community and health services partnerships.

Work collaboratively with governments and other key stakeholders to ensure that services evolve to meet changing health priorities.

Pursue national partnerships, especially in the development of evidence informed practice.

Influence public policy affecting families.

6

2. We will continue to provide services within the public health model which prioritises services for those most in need. Whileworking within this supply-based system of ‘at risk’ parent referrals, Tweddle will investigate and adopt new methods of encouraging participation of parents with pre-existing challenges.

1. The decision to extend our services and support to families with children from 0-4 years to families during pregnancy and with children from birth to school age.

3. A move to the provision of coordinated or integrated services / ”wrap around” services to improve service access.

4. Services will be cost effective to ensure ongoing sustainability and viability.