Acknowledgement of Country
Act for Kids would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where our Australian offices are based.
We would also like to acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging.
We seek to foster a culture of friendship and partnership between Act for Kids and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and communities.
Why Act for Kids exists. The social issue.
Act for Kids Group is comprised of two for-purpose organisations that deliver professional therapy and support services to children, young people and families who have experienced intergenerational trauma, child maltreatment, disability and disadvantage.
Intergenerational disadvantage, trauma and child maltreatment.
Key Highlights.
♥ Established in 1988.
♥ Supported more than 300,000 children, young people and families.
♥ 30 centres throughout Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
♥ 490+ committed and compassionate staff.
♥ Delivering a range of targeted therapy, intervention and support, and care services to vulnerable children and families.
Impact we want to create.
We want to help keep kids safe, heal from trauma, lead happy lives and thrive.
Our 10 Year Vision
IN 2034
we are a national organisation strongly focussed on improving the lives of children through prevention, treatment and advocacy. Our work addresses the intergenerational nature of trauma and disadvantage. We have a thriving organisational culture supporting our teams to deliver excellent services.
In 2034 we provide support to at least 90,000 people per year and operate in at least four states. We are financially strong and capable and make decisions based on evidence and data. We are considered thought leaders, policy influencers and credible advocates for children, young people and families and a great place to work.
In 2034, we have a carbon zero footprint and work towards improving environmental outcomes to create a better future for children.
“In ten years, we will be considered thought leaders, policy influencers and credible advocates for children, young people and families and a great place to work.”
Dr Katrina Lines, Act for Kids CEO Katrina Lines
2024 - 2027 Impact Strategy
In order to achieve our ten year vision, we need to focus on the impact we want to create and how we will achieve it. That’s why our plan is called an Impact Strategy, rather than a strategic plan.
There are three areas of impact we want to achieve in the 2024-2027 plan.
1. Impact from our services (Service Impact),
2. Impact created through advocacy activities and speaking up for kids and families (Advocacy Impact).
3. Positive impact on the environment so the world is a better place for kids (Environmental Impact).
In order to achieve Service, Advocacy and Environmental Impact, we need to build our capacity and capability. The most important focus for this is people. Support for and development of our teams underpins all our impact goals and is a key operational focus.
The following pages present the whole plan on a page and then each impact strategy in more detail across the three years. The last section outlines the areas we will work on to increase our capacity and capability to achieve our ten year vision.
How we will achieve impact
Impact Strategy 2024-2027 at a glance
Social Issue
Intergenerational disadvantage, trauma and child maltreatment
Impact we want to have
Service impact
Help keep kids safe, heal from trauma, lead happy lives and thrive
Deliver national services to achieve our purpose and address the intergenerational nature of trauma and disadvantage
♥ Design and implement intergenerational change model
♥ Transition residential services to community control
♥ Grow multi-year government funded services interstate
♥ Grow and diversify social enterprise
♥ Grow philanthropic for-purpose services
♥ Preventative psycho-education for all child clients 3–8 years
Advocacy impact
Environmental impact
Be a credible voice, thought leader, policy influencer and advocate for children, young people and families
Strive for a carbon zero footprint and do our part to improve environmental outcomes to create a better future for children
♥ Design and implement annual national advocacy and engagement campaigns
♥ Influence national policy and legislation
♥ Invest in influential partnerships
♥ Professionally assess greenhouse gas emissions and waste
♥ Create a net zero carbon goal
♥ Develop reporting measures
Service Impact
Deliver national services to achieve our purpose and address the intergenerational nature of trauma and disadvantage.
Achieving our purpose underpins our service impact strategy and all of our work is aimed at helping children have better lives.
However, if we only focus on children, we don’t address the intergenerational impacts of trauma from abuse, neglect and violence.
Current research provides compelling evidence of the benefit of designing neuroscience-based interventions that address BOTH child and parent/caregiver issues to break the cycle of abuse, neglect, violence and disadvantage.
This is because we now know about epigenetics – the impacts of traumatic experiences, particularly in childhood, on genes and behaviour across generations.
For the first time, we also have prevalence data for child maltreatment in Australia and the story is not good. More than 60% of Australians reported experiencing one type of child maltreatment or exposure to domestic violence as children.
This is a national disgrace and an imperative to act now. We must grow our services to help more children and families.
We must ensure that our services are delivered within world best-practice frameworks to create better outcomes for children, young people and their families.
Through a two-generational approach, we will increase the impact and benefits of our service efforts. Generational change is a new model for us to focus our efforts to help keep kids safe, heal from trauma and lead happy lives.
We must also ensure we are strong and sustainable so we can create the change we envision.
“Achieving our purpose underpins our service impact strategy and all of our work is aimed at helping children have better lives.”
Service Impact
01
Generational Change Program
Standalone generational change centre
♥ Prepare and plan – project oversight, evaluation and model planning
Trial adult therapy in existing programs
♥ Youthrive 3 clinics, ISS and ITS 1 trial each
Deliver national services to achieve our purpose and address the intergenerational nature of trauma and disadvantage.
02 03
Transition residential care to First Nations control Grow contract services nationally
Doomadgee
♥ Transition planning for safe house
Other communities
♥ Identify another community and start discussions
Victoria
♥ Accreditation achieved, Individual Support Services commence
Collaborate with partners
♥ Plan joint services
Queensland – as opportunities arise
NSW and VIC – grow relationships
Standalone generational change centre
♥ Implementation planning for one site
Trial adult therapy in existing programs
♥ Data-driven decisions about further modifications
Standalone generational change centre
♥ At least one fully established centre implemented by end FY
♥ Evaluation underway
Doomadgee
♥ Transition plan implemented
Other communities
♥ Continue to build capacity and commence transition as appropriate
♥ Identify another community and start discussions
Doomadgee
♥ Transition finalisation underway
Other communities
♥ Continue to build capacity in other communities and commence transition planning as appropriate
Victoria
♥ Submit tenders
Collaborate with partners
♥ Commence services
Queensland – as opportunities arise
New South Wales
♥ Individual Support Services commence
Victoria and New South Wales
♥ Successfully delivering contracted services
Collaborate with partners
♥ Evaluating services
Queensland – use evaluation data from generational change program to lobby government for funding
Service Impact
Deliver national services to achieve our purpose and address the intergenerational nature of trauma and disadvantage.
04 05 06
Grow and diversify social enterprise Grow philanthropic for-purpose services Preventative psychoeducation for all child clients 0-8 yrs
Individual Support Services growth plan
♥ Accreditation in VIC and commence services
♥ Grow credibility and services in Queensland
Youthrive
♥ Plan for resourcing and structure for productivity
♥ Diverse service offerings, commence psychology internship program
♥ Focus on recruitment and retention
Individual Support Services growth plan
♥ Victoria – consolidate and grow
♥ Continue Queensland growth
♥ Commence NSW
Youthrive
♥ Continue to seek service opportunities
♥ Enhance room utilisation to enable further growth
Individual Support Services growth plan
♥ Consolidation and growth in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales
Youthrive
♥ Consider further growth options
Prepare for growth
♥ Resource strategic oversight
♥ Develop plan for sustainable services, including fee-for-service arrangements to support growth
Establish Nambour Integrated Therapy Service
Safe Families
♥ Evaluation milestone
Nambour Integrated Therapy Service
♥ Evaluation milestone
Safe Families
♥ Evaluation milestone
♥ Market with goal of implementing in other location
Develop and train
♥ Prepare materials for brief educational interventions
♥ Develop training
♥ Implement training across relevant teams
Nambour Integrated Therapy Service
♥ Evaluation milestone
Safe Families
♥ Established in another location
♥ Analysis and preparation to lobby for implementation at scale
Establish practice in all services
Monitor progress and outcomes
Incorporate outputs into annual reporting
Embedded into practice
Advocacy Impact
Be a credible voice, thought leader, policy influencer and advocate for children, young people and families.
Service delivery is not the only way Act for Kids can influence positive change for Australian children and young people.
We can use our voice to speak up individually and collectively to influence public opinions, behaviours and actions towards a better future for children.
In this strategic plan, we strive for a greater voice with focused intent.
We have goals to increase our reach with key messages that are evidence-based and future focused and engage communities in our work and the desire to create a better world for kids.
Advocacy Impact
01
Be a credible voice, thought leader, policy influencer and advocate for children, young people and families.
02
03
Grow awareness and engagement through national campaigns Lobby for national policy and legislative change Create influential partnerships
Campaign
♥ Child Protection Week (CPW) focus
♥ Integrated awareness and engagement
♥ Survey to evaluate attitude change
♥ Increase reach from prior year
Campaign
♥ Build on annual CPW campaign to increase engagement, measure attitude
♥ Consider other aligned campaigns, eg domestic and family violence and partner campaigns
Resourcing
♥ Increase capacity to undertake strategic advocacy activities
Lobbying focus
♥ Nationally harmonised child protection policy and legislation
Resourcing
♥ Increase capacity to undertake social policy strategic activities
Lobbying focus
♥ Nationally harmonised child protection policy and legislation underway
♥ National Minister for Children
♥ National child wellbeing measure
Strategy and resourcing
♥ Develop partnership strategy and plan
♥ Increase capacity to work in partnership
♥ Ensure collaborative goals align with Act for Kids strategic goals
Campaign
♥ Build on annual CPW campaign
♥ Other strategic campaigns with partners
♥ Breaking the cycle campaign
Lobbying focus
♥ Nationally harmonised child protection policy and legislation achieved
♥ Minister for Children underway
♥ National child wellbeing measure being developed
Measure and evaluate
♥ Advocacy strategy outcomes
♥ Achievement of goals
♥ Report impact
Measure and evaluate
♥ Advocacy strategy outcomes
♥ Achievement of goals
♥ Report impact
Environmental Impact
Strive for a carbon zero footprint and do our part to improve environmental outcomes to create a better future for children.
Strive for a carbon zero footprint and do our part to improve environmental outcomes to create a better future for children
Delivering excellent services and speaking up are not enough to create a better future for children.
Young people today are very worried about the environment and what the future will be like for them and their children. Levels of anxiety and depression in children are high and being driven by fear of a future with a world severely impacted by climate change.
Act for Kids would not be living our values or delivering our purpose if we didn’t strive to reduce our environmental impact.
We want children and young people to have hope for the future and not to suffer the impacts of global heating and climate change.
Carbon Net Zero Goal
Professional assessment of Greenhouse Gas emissions and waste – baseline measure
Plan and develop ♥ Carbon net zero goal
♥ Reporting measures
Assess and monitor progress
♥ Annual professional assessment of Greenhouse Gas emissions and waste
Continue planned activities
Report annually against progress towards goal
Assess and monitor progress
♥ Annual professional assessment of Greenhouse Gas emissions and waste
Continue planned activities
Report annually against progress towards goal
Capability and Capacity
Capability and Capacity Drivers
Key Operational Plans.
We will develop operational plans to ensure we invest in resources that will allow us to act quickly and innovatively to achieve impact goals.
In order to achieve our impact goals we need to focus on growing our capability and capacity in four key areas:
PEOPLE
The most important part of our organisation.
DATA AND EVIDENCE
To drive decision-making, service delivery and advocacy.
TECHNOLOGY
To enhance efficiency, access to data and productivity.
SUSTAINABILITY
To ensure we meet our ten-year vision and growth into the future.
Focus on People
♥ Reconciliation Action Plan
♥ Workforce Plan
♥ Collaboration and Partnerships
♥ Lived Experience Engagement
♥ Service Model Review
Data and Evidence
♥ Data governance framework and data strategy
♥ Impact measurement and reporting
♥ Evaluation
♥ Policy and research
Technology
♥ AI driven service assistance
♥ Fit for purpose systems
♥ Data lake and Robotic Process Applications
Sustainability
♥ Capital investment plan
♥ Tied philanthropic funding
♥ Untied philanthropic funding
♥ Social enterprise growth strategy
