Caring Together - Issue 11

Caring Together

‘Outstanding’ young Ngarrindjeri woman Jacinta is a kinship carer for her

Celebrating carers across our state | Supporting children during end of year events | New legislation

For more news and stories, visit childprotection.sa.gov.au/carers

niece.

Message from the Chief Executive

Dear Carers,

What a jam-packed few months it’s been since our last edition of Caring Together. From the SA Child Protection Awards to Foster and Kinship Carer Week, there have been many opportunities to celebrate you, our carers, who are so dedicated to supporting children and young people to remain safe and achieve their goals.

This includes Kinship Carers of the Year Keshia and Dale Mildwaters, who care for their nieces and nephew, and Foster Carers of the Year Margie and Gary Ferrett, who have cared for more than 300 children.

We’ll also update you on some important initiatives and reform work, such as the Children and Young People (Safety and Support) Bill 2024 and the refreshed Statement of Commitment to Foster and Kinship Carers.

This edition also features a piece on supporting children and young people through the festive season, and is filled with information on opportunities, including fee free vocational education for First Nations students.

We hope you find this edition enjoyable and informative as we celebrate the outstanding achievements of some of our carers.

Jackie Bray Chief Executive, Department

for Child Protection

Making a Statement

The Statement of Commitment is a joint promise by the sector to work alongside carers to support you to look after children and young people in care.

We recently held consultations on the Statement of Commitment with carers and other impacted groups to help us bring this document up to date. Thank you to all of you who generously gave your valuable time to provide us with feedback - we were very encouraged by the great response we received.

Your input has contributed to a refreshed Statement of Commitment, launched at a special signing event on 22 October 2024. The new Statement builds on our commitment to inform, support, consult, value and respect all carers, and incorporates new elements, including aspects that reflect Aboriginal carers and carers of Aboriginal children.

All carers will be sent a physical copy of the new Commitment in the post, so keep an eye on your letterbox. We encourage you to use this as a guiding document to understand your role, and the roles of DCP, peak bodies and carer support agencies.

You can speak with your support worker if you have any questions, and visit DCP’s website to learn more about the Statement of Commitment.

Additionally Approved Carer program

A DCP pilot program has provided more than 1,000 nights of care for children and young people.

The Additionally Approved Carer Program began in January, identifying kinship carers who may be able to also provide care to a child or young person who is not related to them.

Hawker-based couple Louise and Doogal began caring for their niece when she was a teenager, first offering short term and holiday placement, before becoming her primary carers in 2018.

“We were able to provide a safe space for her and so it was easy to say yes,” Louise said of becoming a kinship carer.

Now 23, their niece is studying social work at university and still lives with Louise and Doogal.

The couple was approached by DCP to be a part of the Additionally Approved Carer Program and has provided extended care for three children, as well as respite and emergency care for many more.

“It has been very easy for us. Everyone is very easy to deal with and the support is always there,” Louise said.

“If you believe you’re in the position to help, please help. What we can do for those kids will forever change their life.”

If you are a kinship carer and think you could provide support to an additional child on an emergency, short term or long-term basis, please contact your kinship care worker.

Kinship carers and participants in the Additionally Approved Carer Program Doogal and Louise

Supporting children

Tip of the iceberg (what we can see)

The sun is shining, friends are on their way, favourite foods are being prepared… You had expected a fun and exciting day, yet your child is experiencing meltdowns, seems defiant and aggressive, and is demanding all your time and energy as you scramble to get the family ready. Or perhaps you are seeing your child withdraw, become depressed or anxious, and even act as though they are unappreciative or sabotage the event. These behaviours can be confusing for you as a carer, however when we dive beneath the surface, we can start to make better sense of them.

What is happening underneath the surface?

There are many reasons children and young people who have been harmed may find important events difficult at times. They might:

• become overwhelmed by all the activity

• struggle with big feelings (even positive ones)

• struggle with social expectations

• be reminded of the fact that they are in care

• have difficult memories of events in the past

• not believe they deserve good things.

Strategies to promote healing

There are things you can do to make celebrations easier for the children and young people in your care:

• Have realistic expectations Children and young people who have experienced harm may have developmental delays or experience setbacks when they are upset. This means they might act like a child who is several years younger than their actual age. Even ‘typically’ developing children may struggle to remain regulated during festivities − and adults can struggle too! Go easy on them and don’t expect too much at these times.

• Help the child or young person to prepare

Tell them what the event is, what is likely to happen there, who will be coming and how long it will go for. Let them know how they can join in or opt out of activities.

• Have a plan for the tricky bits

Work together with the child to plan ahead for difficult points, for example when somebody else is getting presents or when everyone is expected to sit quietly and listen. Making sure they have a calm space to retreat to, a digital device to ‘zone out’ for a bit, access to physically stimulating activities like chasey, and permission to opt out of listening to speeches and religious ceremonies can help.

• Avoid competitive games and activities

Organise games that prioritise participation over winning.

• Don’t create a fishbowl

For some children, it is important to limit intense attention on them. For example, when receiving and opening presents, you may want to stagger the giving of gifts, or choose to open them after the party is over.

• Enlist help from others

Your child might need you to be physically and emotionally available to them throughout the event to help them feel calm. It’s a good idea to have a few trusted people lined up to help ferry food and drinks to you and your child so you can avoid crowded food areas, or to tag-team engaging the child in physical games so that you can have a break. If you need to make a hasty exit, ask someone else to say goodbye and thanks to the host on your behalf so you can focus on supporting your child.

• Help them make sense of their behaviour

Often, children and young people do not understand why they find celebrations difficult. Describing their needs and reactions out-loud in a compassionate, non-judgmental way can help them to understand and reduce feelings of shame or self-blame.

A note about alcohol: Many children and young people who have experienced harm have seen adults behaving in frightening and unsafe ways after drinking alcohol. Consider not offering alcohol at the event, leaving early, or keeping distance from people behaving boisterously. The smell of alcohol on the breath of caregivers or other people can be a powerful trigger for many children and young people in care.

If you and the child in your care have different cultural backgrounds

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in your care, consider their specific cultural background and unique experiences in addition to the other strategies mentioned in the article, and how that may contribute to their wellbeing needs and behaviours. This is especially important if you are a non-Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander carer. The meaning and significance of some special events and celebrations may differ across cultures and communities and it’s important to approach these matters with cultural respect and sensitivity.

Children and young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds might celebrate cultural and religious events that differ from those of your own culture and community.

All children should have opportunities to participate in special events and celebrations that are important in their culture and play a key role in shaping their identity.

This article is a short summary. You can read more about supporting children and young people during special events and celebrations, and other topics, in the Iceberg Model trauma-informed guide on DCP’s website.

Child Protection Awards put our unsung heroes’ efforts on show

Young Ngarrindjeri woman Jacinta, who spent most of her childhood in care, started caring for her newborn niece when she was just 19 years old.

Now she’s determined to create a safe and peaceful family environment for her and has received the Outstanding Achievement of a Child or Young Person award at this year’s SA Child Protection Awards.

“Being 19 and seeing how disconnected I was from my own family and culture—I did not want that for my niece,” she said.

“When my niece was born, I had no idea what I was doing! But I had such a big village behind me that showed and taught me how to look after a newborn.”

“DCP is a big part of my life and my niece’s as well so having them as a support is really helpful.”

Jacinta is now nearing the end of a Certificate III in Community Services, with the aim of working in residential care to give children the support and encouragement they need to “be their best and strive for amazing opportunities”.

“I love my niece so much and I am so grateful that she is in my life. Even though this was a big decision I am so glad I have her and I get to watch her grow into a strong woman.”

Yorke Peninsula couple Margie and Gary Ferrett were named Foster Carers of the Year, while Keshia and Dale Mildwaters won the Kinship Carer of the Year award.

Margie and her husband Gary were carers for more than 30 years, before they recently retired. They looked after 107 children in South Australia, and about another 200 when they lived in the Northern Territory.

“To think that DCP and Uniting Country SA thought enough of us to be worthy of the award—it was fabulous to have even been nominated but we didn’t have a single thought of winning,” Margie said.

Keshia and Dale are kinship carers for their two nieces and nephew as well as having two biological children of their own at home, all under the age of 10.

“It is a very rewarding experience, especially watching them achieve their milestones with such happiness,” Keshia said.

“Every carer should be really proud of playing such an amazing and wonderful role for a child.”

The SA Child Protection Awards were held during National Child Protection Week. This year’s theme was ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go − Every conversation matters’.

Foster carers Margie and Gary Ferrett at the 2024 SA Child Protection Awards.

DCP Chief Executive Jackie Bray with Outstanding Achievement of a Child or Young Person Award winner Jacinta at the 2024 SA Child Protection Awards.

Carers Voice: Caring Together consultation update

Thank you to those of you who shared your feedback and ideas in response to our recent survey on how to improve Caring Together.

The information gathered will guide us in ensuring that content continues to be relevant to you in your caring role. A helpful piece of information we learned is that the majority of you would prefer to receive your newsletter by email. If you have previously told DCP that you prefer to receive communications from us in hard copy, then we will mail your newsletter to you with your carer subsidy slip. Otherwise, you can expect to see Caring Together in your inbox from now on. If you would like to change your communication preferences, please speak to your child’s case worker.

For a summary of the feedback received in the Caring Together survey, as well as information on more consultation opportunities, please visit Carers Voice on our website.

Care connections

The Minister recently met with Junction Australia to launch the Tiny Homes Campus, a $3 million collaboration with the state government which will provide 10 self-contained homes for young people to live in.

In September, the Minister celebrated First Nations foster and kinship carers who graduated with a Certificate IV in Community Services.

Minister Hildyard with the First Nations foster and kinship carer graduates of Certificate IV in Community Services.

Junction CEO Maria Palumbo with the Minister for Child Protection Katrine Hildyard.

Carer events providing opportunity for connection

Basket weaving, rock painting and op-shopping are among activities bringing kinship carers together to share advice and swap stories as they navigate their challenging but rewarding roles as carers.

Murraylands-based carers Marion and Laurence took in their three grandchildren in November, and say they’re enjoying the support and camaraderie they receive from the carer support events organised by DCP.

“(It’s) the realisation that we’re all in the same boat, (there’s) not too many with three kids like we have, but we all have similar stories to share,” Laurence said.

“It’s expanded our social network. It’s given us a larger sense of community and the worth of community in this town.”

More than 120 kinship carer engagement events are planned across the state in the next 12 months, ranging from roundtables and morning teas to art classes and bowling.

Kinship care worker Ginette Darke said it was important for carers to connect with people having similar experiences.

“It helps them understand that they’re not alone,” she said.

Marion and Laurence said chatting to other carers often provides them with practical advice to help with various situations they’ve encountered while caring for their grandchildren.

“After we speak with people with similar experiences it helps us to figure it out,” Marion said.

“And we’ve been able to help other carers out too,” Laurence said.

DCP Chief Executive Jackie Bray said: “Our kinship carers do such a remarkable job, and these events are an important opportunity to provide them with another branch in their support network.”

For information on the events in your area, contact your kinship care worker.

For all your latest news and updates, visit: childprotection.sa.gov.au/carers facebook.com/ChildProtectionSA

Murraylands kinship carers Laurence and Marion

Building a stronger system

New child protection legislation

The Children and Young People (Safety and Support) Bill 2024 was introduced to Parliament on 16 October 2024.

The Bill was developed following a review of the current legislation, including statewide consultation where nearly 1000 people provided their views. Consultation included targeted stakeholder meetings, public information sessions attended by more than 800 people, 42 written submissions, and 107 submissions of a YourSAy survey.

The new Bill reflects the feedback received and will redefine what the child protection system looks like going forward in a way that meets community values and expectations.

The Bill seeks to strengthen carer participation and support by incorporating carers’ wishes or preferences into a child or young person’s case plan. It would also ensure carers are given a reasonable opportunity to make submissions to a child or young person’s annual review in person, and supports the current policy position of providing payments to approved carers of a child or young person aged up to 25.

Feedback also indicated that some stakeholders were not supportive of the proposed additional complaints pathway in the draft Bill, which has now been removed. Further efforts and resources to support carers to access the Ombudsman about

Care concern reform

their complaints will be explored in consultation with carers. We are also providing new staff training and information to more effectively manage complaints at the earliest possible opportunity.

Complaints review completed

An independent review of DCP’s complaints process has helped us understand its strengths and areas for potential improvement. The review:

• looked at how effective DCP’s existing systems and processes are for managing complaints

• compared DCP’s approach against best practice and made recommendations to improve complaints management.

BDO Australia, which conducted the review, noted that DCP has effective processes, policies and procedures, and a capable Complaints and Feedback Management Unit (CFMU).

Recommendations included additional staff training, and making sure that carers and other key groups are aware of the complaints process.

Recent initiatives to support carers include plans to create a Director of Carer Services role, and the establishment of the Carer Council to elevate carers’ voices.

DCP is continuing work to reform how it manages care concerns.

Feedback from over 100 stakeholders has contributed to the design of a proposed new care concern management process. Once finalised, the proposed process will be released for public consultation and we encourage all carers to participate.

Keep an eye out for future updates in Caring Together and on Carers Voice, on DCP’s website.

Saying thanks to carers

It was another amazing Foster and Kinship Carer Week this year as we celebrated you, our carers, and all the work you do for our state’s children and young people.

We partnered with NGOs to host more than 20 activities across the state including lunches and morning teas.

Another big thank you to all the carers who filled out our survey on Carers Voice to give us feedback on the events and how we can best celebrate and acknowledge South Australia’s carers into the future.

Carers Susan, Grant and Leanne at Grünthal Brew in Verdun.

Left to right:

Aboriginal Family Support Services workers Di and Jodi and carer Dianne at the Riverland Steakhouse in Murray Bridge.

DCP’s Heidi Brook with carer Karen and her nephew Craig at Verdun.

Carer Sandy with DCP Chief Executive Jackie Bray at Henley Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Write a note of thanks.

To our wonderful carers of Key Assets Australia SA, as the Cultural Practice Lead, I would like to say a big, huge thank you for keeping our kids connected to community, culture, and Kin.

The work you do every day to support our kids in care is utterly amazing and inspirational.

I have seen ﬁrsthand the love, support, and devotion you put into caring for our kids and providing them with loving homes, so that they feel a part of your family and remain connected, I love seeing how you all support and encouraged them to be their best every day!

Thank you so much, with love from Chrystal Key Assets SA

Notes of thanks from across the sector.

To our amazing carers,

Thank you for opening your homes and hearts to the children in your care.

Your commitment to caring for foster children is truly changing lives.

Thank You! Deb

Dear Carers.

As workers, we see your joys and challenges as you provide a safe and loving environment for foster children.

Your commitment to others not only provides a safe haven but also inspires hope and love.

We truly appreciate all that you do, Deb

Thank you to all the wonderful carers who continually prioritise our precious children. Thank you for your endless attention, time and commitment and for helping to work towards a better today and tomorrow for kids and families.

Thankyou for the little things you do each day for those in your care!

They might not have the right words to say Thankyou but they feel your kindness in their hearts!

-CassandraUniting Country SA

Noticeboard

We have a number of Carer Connect sessions planned for the lead up to the new school year. During this busy season, take some time out to connect with other carers and DCP staff to receive advice and support on navigating:

• holidays and special events

• transitions, including starting at a new school.

Keep an eye on the DCP Facebook Page for registration details and further information.

Free study opportunities for First Nations carers and young people

Aboriginal carers and young people are encouraged to apply to a fee-free program offering diploma and certificate courses in a range of areas, including community services, youth work and mental health.

First Nations people aged 16 years and over who live or work in South Australia can enrol in online and in-person courses.

Fee Free for First Nations students is funded through the Department of State Development, Skills SA.

For more information, including the full list of available courses, you can call 1800 673 097 or visit: mytraining.skills.sa.gov.au/fee-free-courses

Free water safety and survival program

Children in care aged 3-12 can participate in a free five-day water safety and survival program through Surf Life Saving SA.

The program runs across South Australia during December 2024 and January 2025 and is a great way to keep children busy during the school holidays, while they learn valuable life-saving water safety skills.

Registrations are now open and can be completed by either a child’s carer or their case worker by visiting vacswimsa.com.au/dcp.

If you have any further questions, please speak to your child’s case worker or contact VACSWIM directly via vacswim@surflifesavingsa.com.au or 8354 6996.

International Day of People with Disability

International Day of People with Disability is on 3 December. This day aims to increase public awareness and promote the equitable inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of life.

For some carers and the children and young people in their care, disability is something they must navigate every day. This occasion provides all of us with an opportunity to reflect on how to strengthen our focus on the needs of children and young people with disability and their carers.

DCP is committed to ensuring our services are accessible and inclusive, and that we consider people who live with disability in the work that we do.

Check out idpwd.com.au for more information and planned events to bring together people with and without disability.

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