The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria // Annual Report 2012-13

The Youth Affairs Council of Victoria

Annual Report 2012-2013

Included in this publication are images taken from various events organised or facilitated by YACVic. YACVic gratefully acknowledges the support given by its members and participants of those events, including their permission for YACVic to use any associated images.

YACVic acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government.

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Contents

Chairpersons’ report Chief Executive Officer’s report About YACVic Guiding principles & organisational structure Who we are Membership Youth sector development Policy & research Participation Advocacy & communication Youth Referral and Independent Person Program (YRIPP) Victorian Rural Youth Services (VRYS) Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS) Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC) Koorie Youth Council (KYC) Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance (VYMA) Finance report Thank you Where we’ve been

Luc

Chairpersons

cas Ryan (left) and Chris Walsh

I am delighted to present the annual report for 2012-13 to YACVic’s valued membership on behalf of the Co-Chairs.

Our annual reports are our way of demonstrating the work enabled by the contributions of our members throughout the year.

The work of the Board this year focused on consolidation following a year of changes at YACVic. Of particular interest to the membership will be a series of new performance measures developed by the Board to be finalised towards the end of this year. These measures will give the Board more tangible indicators by which to monitor YACVic’s performance against its strategic plan.

Importantly, most of YACVic’s volunteers are young people. The members of YACVic as an association are its owners within the meaning of the law but an organisation such as ours must also acknowledge its moral owners. At YACVic, these are the young people of Victoria, for whose benefit the organisation exists. Our young volunteers provide a voice for our moral owners and I am proud that young people are involved at every level of our organisation.

This year also marks my final year in the Chair and on YACVic’s Board after five tremendously enjoyable years. Having been a member of YACVic since I was 16, I retire from my role feeling enormously proud of what YACVic has achieved during my time and with a great sense of optimism for its future.

This year we welcomed back Georgie Ferrari to the role of CEO following her year of maternity leave.

Georgie returned to her position with the great energy and enthusiasm characteristic of her work.

As always, I would like to thank YACVic’s volunteers, whose participation within our organisation is so vital to our work. I also thank and acknowledge the YACVic staff who, as a team and as individuals, are such an asset to our organisation.

Lucas Ryan Co-Chair

Chris Walsh Co-Chair

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Chief Executive Officer A collaboration between the Victorian Council of Social Service and YACVic, Building the Scaffolding drew on input from 213 community, school and government providers of services and support to young people and mapped out how to improve services.

Reform dominated the landscape in 2012-13 with multiple Victorian Government reform processes underway simultaneously, including Youth Partnerships, Services Connect, the Sector Reform Project, the review of School Focussed Youth Services, the LLEN Review, VET Reform, and the youth sector workforce review.

YACVic engaged actively in each of these processes, consulting with members as we developed submissions, engaging directly across government, creating space for direct dialogue between government and the sector, and advocating in the media.

YACVic’s call for reform was most comprehensively articulated in the report Building the Scaffolding: strengthening services to young people.

YACVic also published the report Vocational Education and Training (VET) and young Victorians: a way forward, highlighting the risks posed by cuts to VET for disadvantaged young people, in particular young women and rural and regional young people, and proposing the reforms needed to address these challenges. Each report generated both media attention and in-depth dialogue with Government.

Reform also continued apace nationally with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) passed into legislation. YACVic’s Youth Disability Advocacy Service contributed submissions, gained resources to develop housing models for young people, and hosted the first National Youth Disability Conference, at which young people from around Australia called for a national voice for young people with disabilities and addressed their concerns directly to Federal Minister and Opposition Spokesperson Jenny Macklin, Mitch Fifield and State Parliamentary Secretary Andrea Coote.

Kate Colvin, CEO - May 2012 to April 2013

I can’t claim much credit for the 12 months that this annual report covers given I was on parental leave for 11 of them. I am however indebted to Kate Colvin and the YACVic staff team, who achieved another great year for YACVic in my absence.

From the moment Kate was appointed to the role I knew YACVic was is great hands. Her appointment made leaving my role that bit easier. The great work that she and the YACVic team achieved over the time I was away made returning even easier. Under Kate’s guidance YACVic produced some excellent work – the report on the impact to the TAFE changes, our Building the Scaffolding report, the National Youth Disability Conference, the smooth transition of VIYAC to the Koorie Youth Council and the Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance coming under our auspice, to name a few.

I’m delighted to be back at the helm. While motherhood is a busy time, it also allows time for pause and reflection. I have returned feeling refreshed and with renewed enthusiasm for my role, the organisation and this great sector YACVic is blessed

Georgie Ferarri, CEO

to represent. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Board for their tireless hard work and support of me and the role of CEO. I would particularly like to thank Lucas Ryan for his fantastic leadership as Chair of YACVic. I cannot put into words how much I have enjoyed working closely with Lucas. I have appreciated his professionalism, his maturity, his humour and dedication to the role. Lucas has served on the Board for five years. He will be sorely missed. We also farewell Chris Walsh who has served ably as Co-Chair to Lucas and Victoria McLure and Keelia Fitzpatrick, two young members whose valued contributions will also be missed. To all the Board and the YACVic team: I thank you for your hard work and service over the last 12 months. It’s a delight to be working with you again.

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About YACVic

Our Vision

A Victorian community in which all young people are valued as active participants, have their rights recognised, and are treated fairly and with respect.

Who We Are

YACVic is governed by a volunteer board and managed by a paid secretariat.

We are a not-for-profit, member-driven organisation with our core funding coming from the Department of Human Services through the Office for Youth.

YACVic auspices and supports various projects, including the Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), the Victorian Student Representative Council (VicSRC), the Victorian Indigenous Youth Advisory Council (VIYAC), and the Youth Referral and Independent Person Program (YRIPP).

Mission

YACVic will work to achieve this vision by: • listening to and working with young people and the workers and organisations who support them • identifying issues that affect young people • advocating on issues that affect young people • supporting and resourcing the sector that works with young people • supporting young people’s participation and self-advocacy • maintaining an independent and robust relationship with government. In doing this YACVic will maintain a focus on those in our community who are most disadvantaged and marginalised.

Guiding Principles YACVic’s work will be guided by the following principles: Human Rights are the universal rights that every human being is entitled to enjoy and have protected. YACVic will work to protect the human rights of young people.

Participation is the active involvement of young people in all aspects of decision making. YACVic will work within the youth participation framework.

Organisational Structure

Collaboration is the process of a number of people or organisations collectively working together in a way that achieves a greater result than as a single unit.

Integrity guides the way YACVic staff and volunteers conduct themselves. We are committed to honesty and ethical behaviour at all times.

Inclusion. Recognising the diversity of young people and the sector that supports them, YACVic strives to consider the needs and views of all young people and those who work with them.

Empowerment. YACVic assists young people in gaining the skills they need to advocate for themselves.

YACVic works from a strengths-based approach, both with young people and the sector that supports them.

Leadership. As the peak body and leading youth policy advocate in Victoria, YACVic has a leadership role in the work we do with young people and the sector.

members nominate

elect

Youth Reference Group (YRG) 6-15 positions

appoint

advise

Board of Governance

nominate

Policy Advisory Group (PAG)

appoint

up to 10 positions including 5 young people

advise

6-15 positions

govern

Chief Executive Officer manage

Secretariat

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This Is Us

From left to right: Support & Advoc Participation & Se YACVic CEO; Kat for Georgie Ferra

: Dr Jessie Mitchell, Rural Youth Services cacy Officer; Linda Randall, Manager, ector Development; Georgie Ferrari, te Colvin, YACVic CEO (maternity leave ari).

From left to right: Jen Rose, Manager of Policy and Projects; Leo Fieldgrass, Youth Engagement Officer; Lisa Morstyn, Policy & Research Officer; Catalina Sinclair, Communications Officer (from February 2013); Liz Leahy, Office and Events Coordinator.

From left to right: Dr. George Taleporos, YDAS Manager; Rebecca Feldman, YDAS Project Worker; Jarrod Marrinon, WebWise Coordinator & Online Initiatives (YDAS); Jen Morris, Human Rights Officer (YDAS); Sally West, Finance Officer; Claire Wynn, Parks Victoria Youth Partnerships Coordinator (until March 2013); Greg Kennedy, KYC Statewide Coordinator.

From left to right: Clare Waldron, VMYA Coordinator; Claire East, VYMA Communications & Admin Officer; Kate Walsh, VicSRC Coordinator; Krista Seddon, VicSRC Coordinator (from June 2013); Kim Evans, Communications Officer (until Nov 2012).

Absent: Robert MacGuinness, KYC Project Officer.

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Membership YACVic had 371 members at the end of the 12/13 financial year. Achieving this number of members was aided by members having the ability to sign up and pay online for the first time. More members are taking advantage of the discount offer when signing up for multiple years of membership!

Membership totals for the 2012/13 Financial year total = 371 3 Additional Member 8 Associate Member

179 members (youth – under 25)

9 Individual Concession

42 members (individual)

22 Individual Member 22 Local Government Metro

under 25

26 Local Government Rural/Regional

indiv

6 Organisation less than 100k*

org

42 members (individual)

17 Organisation 1-500K

150 members (organisations)

19 Organisation 500k - 1M 47 Organisation 1M plus 13 Reciprocal

150 members (organisations)

177 Under 25 2 Youth-led *Annual income of organisation

179 members (youth)

Board of Governance Highlights 13 Announce editions 9 editions of YACVic updates Announce is a broad-reaching e-bulletin with over 1500 youth and sector recipients.

Back row from left to right: Chris Walsh, Jan Farrell, Anastasia Giggins, Dean Barnett Front row: Khan Churchill, Jerri Nelson, Lucas Ryan, Keelia Fitzpatrick Absent: Paul Bird, Victoria McLure.

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Organisations that were members in 2012/13 Alpine Shire Council Ararat Rural City Council Association for Children with a Disability Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies (ACYS) Australian Drug Foundation Australian Red Cross Victoria Awards Victoria Banyule City Council Banyule Nillumbik LLEN Barwon Adolescent Task Force (BATFORCE) Bass Coast Shire Council Baw Baw Latrobe Local Learning and Employment Network Bayside City Council Bayside Glen Eira Kingston LLEN Berry Street Brimbank City Council Brimbank/Melton LLEN Brophy Family & Youth Services Inc. Campaspe Cohuna LLEN Capital City LLEN Cardinia Shire Council Carers Victoria Castlemaine & District Community Health Centacare Ballarat Central Grampians LLEN Central Ranges LLEN Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) City of Ballarat, Youth Services City of Boroondara - Youth Services City of Casey

City of Darebin - Youth Services City of Greater Bendigo, Youth Services City of Greater Dandenong City of Greater Geelong - Youth Development Unit City of Kingston - Youth Services City of Melbourne City of Port Phillip City of Whittlesea City of Wodonga City of Yarra Cobaw Community Health Connect Student Magazine Connections UnitingCare CREATE Foundation Darebin Community Health Disability Professionals Victoria Doutta Galla Com Health EACH Social & Community Health East Gippsland Shire Council Employment Innovations Victoria Express Media Family Access Network Inc. Family Life Family Planning Victoria Inc FMPLLEN Inc Gannawarra Shire Council Gateway Community Health Geelong Performing Arts Centre Geelong Region LLEN Gippsland East LLEN Glenelg Shire Council Golden Plains Shire Council Goldfields Local Learning and

Employment Network Greater Dandenong Community Health Services Haemophilia Foundation Australia Hanover Southern Housing and Support Service Headspace Barwon Headspace Central West Gippsland Highlands LLEN Hobart City Council Hobsons Bay City Council Holmesglen Institute of TAFE Humans Vs Zombies Victoria Inc. Hume City Council -Youth Services Hume Whittlesea LLEN Incolink Inner Eastern LLEN Inner Northern LLEN Jesuit Social Services Job Watch Kids Under Cover Kildonan Uniting Care Knox Youth Services Latitude: Directions for Young People Macedon Ranges Shire Council MacKillop Family Services Manningham City Council Maribyrnong & Moonee Valley LLEN Maribyrnong City Council Marist Youth Care Maroondah City Council - Youth Services Melboune Uni Library Melton Shire Council- Youth service Member for Gembrook Merri Community Health Service

Mildura Rural City Council (Youth Services) Minister for Environment & Climate Change, Minister for Youth Affairs Mission Australia Mitchell Shire Council Moonee Valley City Council Moorabool Shire Council Moreland City Council Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Mount Alexander Shire Council Murrindindi Shire Council National Library of Australia NESAY Nillumbik Shire Council- Youth Service North Central LLEN North East LLEN North Richmond Community Health Centre Northern District Community Health Service Outer Eastern LLEN OZCHILD Post Placement Support Service (Vic) Inc Reach Foundation Rural City of Wangaratta Salvation Army - Crossroads/ Youth & Family Services Save the Children Australia Scouts Victoria Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Childcare Inc. (SNAICC) Shire of Campaspe South East LLEN South Gippsland Shire Council South West LLEN St Kilda Youth Service Inc

St. Lukes Anglicare State Library of Victoria Stonnington Youth Services Surf Coast Shire - Youth Services Swan Hill Rural City Council The Push Incorporated The Salvation Army - Eastcare The Salvation Army - Karinya ucayouth UN Youth Victoria UnitingCare Cutting Edge (UCCE) University of Ballarat Upper Yarra Community Health Victoria University - Youth Studies Victorian Applied Learning Association (VALA) Victorian Blue Light State Council Inc Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) Victorian Electoral Commission Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) Victorian Police Youth Affairs Unit Victorian Trades Hall Council Warrnambool City Council Whitelion Wimmera Southern Mallee LLEN Inc. Wombat Housing and Support Services Word and Mouth Wyndham City Council - Youth Service YMCA Victoria Young People’s Health Service Young UN Women Australia Youth Action NSW Youth Affairs Council of South Australia (YACSA) Youth Affairs Council of WA (YACWA)

Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) Youth Coalition of the ACT Youth Connect Youth Development Australia Ltd Youth Projects Ltd. Youth Research Centre Youthlaw YSAS Pty Ltd YWCA Victoria

Please note: for privacy reasons YACVic does not publish details of individual members.

YACVic would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our members for their ongoing support.

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Youth Sector Development

YPPN The Youth Participation Practice Network (YPPN) is convened by YACVic and is made up of people from across Victoria who are passionate about young people’s social, economic and civil right to participate in the community and in organisational and political structures. This year, network activities covered issues such as marketing youth participation activities; working with same sex attracted and sex and gender diverse young people; engaging older young people (18-25 years); youth participation and the arts; and youth participation in rural and regional Victoria.

The network attracted 65 new members in 201213, closing the financial year with 201 members.

Training YACVic remains committed to the development of a strong and vibrant youth sector. We also work to develop the capacity of organisations outside of the youth sector to involve young people in their work. Over the past twelve months YACVic has delivered professional development to youth workers, young people, community members, teachers, and students. This training spanned topics including youth participation, youth work ethics, volunteering, social action and consultation.

equal

HEY GRANTS

youth

healthy

promoting the mental health of same sex attracted & sex and gender diverse youth

HEY Project and HEY Grants YACVic continues to promote positive health and wellbeing outcomes for same sex attracted and sex and gender diverse (SSASGD) young people across Victoria through the Healthy Equal Youth (HEY) Project on behalf of the Victorian Government.

This includes coordinating the HEY Grants, a small grant round designed to set in motion projects that address homophobia and support young people’s health and wellbeing needs. Ten projects were funded through the HEY Grants in 2012-13 and will be delivered by local government, community organisations and youth-led organisations.

Parks Spending time in the natural environment – in places like parks – can have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of young people. This year saw YACVic continue an innovative partnership with Parks Victoria, the statutory authority responsible for managing a diverse estate covering more than seventeen per cent of Victoria.

The Parks Victoria Youth Engagement Project aims to inform, introduce and engage young people and those who support them to the benefits of parks.

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Policy and Research This year has seen significant work on the policy and research front at YACVic, including the release of a substantial report, in partnership with VCOSS. We’ve also been kept busy responding to a number of important reform processes and inquiries impacting on young people and the sector.

Building the Scaffolding: Strengthening support for young people in Victoria, in partnership with VCOSS (April 2013) This year, YACVic and VCOSS released the joint report Building the Scaffolding: Strengthening support for young people in Victoria. The report contains findings from a survey of 213 community, school and government service providers, exploring the availability of youth support services throughout Victoria, gaps in the provision of generalist and specialist services and the impact of these gaps on young people’s wellbeing. The report explores the role of community organisations and governments in providing support to young people in Victoria, and examines how policy, planning and the delivery of youth support services could be strengthened.

Key gaps were found in the areas of housing availability, flexible learning options, support for young people with mental health difficulties or disabilities, and generalist youth support services. The lack of policies and services to support children and young people in the ‘middle years’ (i.e. 8 to 12 years) was highlighted. Challenges experienced by youth support services included inflexible funding models, prescriptive funding criteria, and short term funding that hampers

the development of sustainable programs. The need for greater coordination and strategic service planning at a local, regional and state level was also discussed, with the report putting forward a detailed model for engagement in this process.

YACVic and VCOSS made a number of recommendations, which centred on the following key areas:

Building the Scaffolding holds relevance for a number of reform processes currently underway in Victoria, including the reforms stemming from the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children inquiry, the Service Sector Reform Project, and Services Connect, as well as the Youth Partnerships initiative. The report will provide the central framework to direct YACVic’s and VCOSS’s advocacy in the areas of sector development and reform in the lead up to the next State election.

• the development of more effective local, regional and state service planning, and governance arrangements,

• the development of a life course approach to policy and program development,

• strengthened early intervention support through effective education and community sector organisation partnerships, • the alignment of funding models with policy frameworks, • development of the capacity of the workforce that supports young people, and • the development of outcomes measurement tools to better measure service support.

Reports • Two Way Street: Young People Informing Improvements to Schools and Youth Services (October 2012) • Vocational Education and Training (VET) and young Victorians: a way forward (February 2013) • Building the Scaffolding: Strengthening support for young people in Victoria, in partnership with VCOSS (April 2013) • ‘What makes you Tweet?’ Young people’s perspectives on the use of social media as an engagement tool (Launched July 2013)

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‘What makes you Tweet?’ Young people’s perspectives on the use of social media as an engagement tool (Launched July 2013) On the 2 July 2013, YACVic released the report, ‘What makes you Tweet?’ Young people’s perspectives on the use of social media as an engagement tool.

The report includes a snapshot of recent research, as well as findings from an online survey of young people, focus groups with young people from diverse backgrounds, and case studies from a range of both youth services and youth led organisations.

The report highlights some of the ways young people are using social media including: • to make new connections and build communities, • take action and create change in their communities, and • access information and entertainment.

The case studies reveal ways in which youth sector organisations have been using social media to engage young people and facilitate greater participation.

The report then goes on to consider how the principles of youth participation may be applied to a social media context. As a resource for the sector, YACVic developed an information sheet, which may be used by organisations and government to ensure that the use of social media is empowering, purposefully engaging and inclusive for young people.

Response to the Service Sector Reform Project (April 2013) In April 2013, YACVic made a submission to the Service Sector Reform Project, one of the key reform processes taking place in Victoria.

Managed by the Department of Human Services,

in partnership with the Office for the Community Sector and VCOSS, the project aims to improve how government and community services work together and deliver outcomes to better support individuals experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage.

In YACVic’s submission, we highlighted the importance of greater resourcing of prevention and early intervention responses for children and young people, both early in a child and young person’s life as well as in the development of difficulties they may be experiencing, in order to bring about better outcomes (both short and long term). The submission also discussed the model put forth by YACVic and VCOSS in Building the Scaffolding: Strengthening support for young people in Victoria, designed to strengthen local youth service planning, coordination and delivery.

YACVic’s Policy Advisory Group (PAG) 2013.

Highlights 9 submissions 6 strategic briefing papers 4 reports

The model puts forward the need for regional planning through a youth outcomes taskforce, and local planning via youth outcomes coordination groups.

YACVic also outlined concerns regarding the adoption of an outcomes focus in relation to prevention and early intervention services, as well as more generally in relation to services that seek to support vulnerable young people. YACVic highlighted the value of local responsiveness, however warned of the need to ensure a level playing field across geographic areas by considering a range of factors that impact on placebased approaches such as the transience of people experiencing homelessness or the importance of continuing to cater for cultural difference. In addition, we also noted the importance of Government departments developing improved processes to support funded services, as well as evaluating and capturing the work done by these programs and services. This reform process is ongoing and YACVic will continue to facilitate discussion with the youth sector and inform the sector about developments.

Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy YACVic involved 75 young people from across Melbourne in a fun, interactive consultation. The results will contribute to the development of the Melbourne Metropolitan Strategy. Young people reported valuing the broad range of activities, festivals and events, the cultural vitality, and the unique mix of natural and built environments in Melbourne. Big issues young people were keen to see addressed in the final strategy included transport, housing affordability, and safety.

Diversion options for young offenders YACVic’s response to the discussion paper Practical lessons, fair consequences: Improving diversion for young people in Victoria found that diversion programs are most effective when they provide holistic support and work with young people to address the issues that lead to the offending behaviour. The report was produced in partnership with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) and is based on in-depth interviews with 14 young people with experience of the youth justice system.

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Submissions

Strategic Briefing Papers

• Response to the discussion paper, Practical lessons, fair consequences: Improving diversion for young people in Victoria (October 2012)

• Financial literacy and young people: a briefing from the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (September 2012), and Financial literacy and young people: discussion paper (September 2012)

• Consultation with young people in response to Practical lessons, fair consequences: Improving diversion for young people in Victoria (in partnership with CMY) (October 2012) • Response to DEECD and Youth Partnerships’ Inquiry into reforming support to vulnerable young people (February 2013) • Response the Education and Training Reform Amendment (School Attendance) Bill (March 2013) • Response to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy Discussion paper Melbourne, let’s talk about the future (March 2013) • Response to the Service Sector Reform Project (April 2013) • Response to the AYAC consultation paper, Defining Youth Work in Australia: It’s what you do (June 2013) • Response to the Service Sector Reform Project’s Interim Report (June 2013) • Response to the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation’s Inquiry into the temporary approval of unaccompanied minors on licensed premises (June 2013).

• Youth sector perspectives on business/youth service partnerships (October 2012) • Protecting Victoria’s vulnerable children: an analysis of priorities to support Victoria’s young people (December 2012) • Young people’s experiences of safety in the Melbourne CBD (March 2013); Supplementary information from Victoria Police provided with analysis in July 2013.

• Building the Scaffolding – Strengthening support for young people in Victoria (April 2013) • Young people in Melbourne’s interface areas and on the regional fringe (July 2013)

Policy Advisory Group (PAG) members for the 2012-13 year Philippa Cane, University of Ballarat (from January 2013); Morgan Cataldo, YACVic’s Youth Reference Group; Vicki Cooper, City of Whittlesea; Paul Daly, Brotherhood of St Laurence (until December 2012); Sarah Davis, The Reach Foundation; Keelia Fitzpatrick, Victorian Trades Hall Council; Lyn Fletcher, Berry Street; Robyn Freestone, Youth Support and Advocacy Service; Clare Griffin, City of Port Phillip (until December 2012); Paula Grogan, Victorian Council of Social Service; Roger Holdsworth, Connect – supporting student participation; Melinda Jeffery, YACVic’s Youth Reference Group; Willow Kellock, Centre for Multicultural Youth; Grace Langton, Victoria University; Stefan Lodewyckx, UN Youth Australia (until December 2012); Susila Naidu, School Focused Youth Service (until December 2012); Robbie Nyaguy, UN Youth Australia (from January 2013); Melanie Raike, Southern Directions Youth Services (until December 2012); George Taleporos, Youth Disability Advocacy Service; Marisa Uwarow, City of Port Philip

Outputs

Outcomes

• 213 community, school and government service providers in Victoria informed YACVic and VCOSS’ joint report, Building the Scaffolding: Strengthening support for young people in Victoria

• new federal protections from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity commenced on 1 August 2013. In 2010, 86 young people responded to a survey by YACVic to help inform our submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission supporting the introduction of these federal protections

• nine responses submitted to various reform processes and inquiries taking place in Victoria that will impact on young people and the youth sector.

• 171 young people participated in online surveys to inform the two strategic briefing papers about financial literacy and safety in the Melbourne CBD • at YACVic’s CEO Breakfast forum in January 2013, 55 attendees discussed models of governance and coordination of organisations working to support young people.

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Participation Youth Engagement Resources Project This project created new digital tools to support organisations to engage with young people and support young people to make change in their communities.

The project’s starting point was to refresh YACVic’s 2004 youth participation handbooks, Taking Young People Seriously. To inform the development of the new resources, YACVic carried out 20 consultations around the state, involving 127 young people and 138 youth, community and local government sector members. An additional 19 young people and 95 youth and community sector members contributed their ideas via an online survey. The project is guided by a Steering Committee comprised of 3 young people and 9 youth sector representatives. YACVic’s blog about the progression of the project received over 1200 views from 15 different countries.

The final resources are based around a website providing interactive learning opportunities and skills development, including case studies of good practice in youth participation and engagement from across the state.

This project is supported by the Victorian Government.

Highlights 149 young people and 242 youth, community and local government sector members contributed ideas to the Youth Engagement Resources Project.

The Youth Engagement Resources Project blog received over 1200 views from 15 different countries.

Youth participation and leadership workshops Facilitated three youth participation workshops for 40 young people attending Baw Baw Shire Youth Leadership forum, Warragul, June 2013.

Facilitated a youth leadership workshop for 16 young people attending the Cardinia Shire Young Leaders Program, Gembrook, June 2013.

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Cop That Last year’s major project, “Cop That”: bridging the gap between young people and law enforcement officers, a peer-led research project undertaken with Youthlaw, continues to have lasting impact. This year, the YRG were invited to discuss “Cop That” with the Office for the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, who commended the report and supported its distribution. Copies have been used for officer development purposes by Central Victoria Police and the YRG hope to meet with Victoria Police to discuss including the report in other police training.

The YRG also met with YACVic and Youthlaw to discuss how the report might be used to support workshops to increase positive interactions between law enforcement officers and young people.

YRG The Youth Reference Group (YRG) is a diverse group of young advocates who work with YACVic to address issues facing young people in Victoria.

This year the YRG have: • advised community organisations on youth participation; • met with YACVic’s Rural and Regional Steering Committee and representatives from the YDAS Steering Committee and Koorie Youth Council; • represented YACVic at the Australian UN Youth Representative National Launch; • created the YRG Facebook page, to help engage further with young people; and • contributed ideas to the Minister for Youth’s ‘Go Network’ and ‘Involve Network’ initiatives.

The YRG also spread the finding of “Cop That” to a national and international audience when they presented the report at the 2013 Australasian Youth Justice Conference in Canberra on 21 May 2013.

YOUth Untitled This year, the YRG’s major event was YOUth Untitled, a unique policy forum run for youth, by youth, to ensure young people’s voices were truly heard in policy debate. YOUth Untitled focused on youth participation, asking young people to discuss three key issues they had identified as priorities for change: Youth Wellbeing, GLBTQI Rights and Equality, and Secondary Education.

YOUth Untitled brought together over 80 young people and 25 youth sector workers. The findings and recommendations from the event were compiled into a set of policy briefings for the Victorian Government.

This year’s YRG members:

Co-Chairperson Adriana Mantzouranis Co-Chairperson Jack Coleman Secretary Jessica Dumble Treasurer Reece Carter Young Media Spokesperson Dean Barnett Policy Advisors Morgan Lee Cataldo & Mel Jeffery Rural and Regional Representative Jessica Moyle Promotions & Membership Managers Hasnain Sheikh & Sapphire Parsons Recruitment & Induction Officer Anastasia Giggins General Members Bernard Lumapas, Joshua Gilligan, Nic Kimberley, Samantha McClelland, Tim Ooi

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Advocacy and Communication YACVic is committed to producing and communicating diverse and engaging content on youth affairs to young people, government, and the sector.

We make use of traditional media, social media and our diverse networks, both digital and physical, to widely promote our policy voice across government and the community.

First tweet of the financial year: Range of issues being discussed at Youth Parliament today: same sex marriage, political correctness, depression #vicyp #springst #herehere

Communications Statistics

946 Facebook followers 1,455 Twitter followers 4 editions of the members’ newsletter Yikes!

20 media releases 27,093 visitors to yacvic.org.au 81,519 page views Visitors viewed an average of 3.01 pages per visit, and spent on average 2 mins 40 seconds on the site 94% of site visitors came from Australia 55.5% of visitors were new visitors and 45.5% were returning ones

Media Mentions Student council debate fires up, The Age, August 6 2012 University works to keep those on the fringe in the loop, The Age, September 18 2012

Last tweet of the financial year: Congrats Nichole Hussey of @ in2lifeinc announced Young Victorian of the Year for her work preventing youth suicide! http://bit.ly/1cG8cJj

Youth suicide help gets axe, The Age, November 21 2012 Labor’s head in the sand on Pacific detention, The Age, November 22 2012 Much remains to be done on bullying, study finds, The Age, November 26 2012 Middle years children-in-need ignored, The Age, April 30 2013 Defer and prosper, The Age, May 24 2013 Writing on wall for at-risk youth programs, The Age, June 16 2013

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Media Releases 02 Jul 2012 Let us vote!

27 Jul 2012 More Gen Ys in Local Councils (with VLGA) 06 Aug 2012 Focus on diversion a triumph of evidence led policy 13 Aug 2012 Innovation to mean more young people using parks 10 Sep 2012 Late night public transport important for young people’s safety 19 Sep 2012 New grants an opportunity for young people to shape their communities

18 Feb 2013 New report shows rural young people at greater risk of hardship 25 Feb 2013 Research shows young Victorians to be hit hardest by VET/ TAFE changes 14 Mar 2013 Young people plan for a bright future 7 May 2013 YACVic welcomes new money to encourage youth social enterprise and business skills 30 May 2013 Cuts to youth programs fail government’s own test (with VCOSS) 06 Jun 2013 Report shows most university deferrers return to study but regional Victorian students need more support (w LLEN)

24 Sep 2012 Young people with disabilities call for end to systemic discrimination in schools (with YDAS)

ebulletins

25 Sep 2012 Young people with disabilities to talk sex (with YDAS)

Announce is YACVic’s regular email news bulletin, going out to 1,500+ subscribers across Victoria with the latest news, training and events and employment opportunities. 13 editions of Announce were sent out to the sector. It is a broad reaching e-bulletin with recipients spanning from young people to academics.

27 Sep 2012 Young people with disabilities are new force to be reckoned with (with YDAS) 22 Oct 2012 Introduction of Victorian Commission a key step toward improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people 07 Nov 2012 Grants promote health and equity for young people 27 Nov 2012 New Victorian research reveals challenges faced by young people ‘dropping out’ of school 12 Dec 2012 YACVic member to represent State 10 Jan 2013 New report shows holistic support needed to cut youth crime

YACVic Updates is YACVic’s newsletter. There were 9 editions in the 2012-13 financial year.

Signposts is a bi-monthly email news bulletin produced by the rural initiative, with links to new research projects, opportunities for funding, surveys, submissions, news, events and examples of best practice. Seven bulletins were produced in 2012-13, with the recipient list reaching 428.

Young Media Spokesperson What a mad and wonderful year it has been as the Young Media Spokesperson. They say life is about experiences and growth, well there certainly was a lot of all the above.

It has been an interesting year of change and transition in the Youth Reference Group (YRG) and on the Board of Governance; watching people come and go from these roles as life dictates. This was my first time sitting on a board and I appreciated the opportunity to network and learn new skills.

Although I wasn’t always able to get my head around the finance talk, it was a good chance to see where I could improve on for the future.

The Youth Reference Group continues to find traction with the ‘Cop That’ report bridging the gap between young people and law enforcement officers; with YRG members flying to Canberra to give a presentation around the report and its recommendations at the 2013 Australasian Youth Justice conference. The report was well received and opened pathways to continue the conversation with

the Police force in Victoria. Members have also met with Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp and the heads of training at Victoria Police, whom now all have a copy of the ‘Cop That’ report and are aware that they can access it via the YACVic website.

The project the YRG have been working on feverishly this year is ‘YOUth Untitled’, a forum where we bring the youth sector together with youth from Victoria to discuss what is important to them. The three subjects being discussed are: mental health, education and LGBTQI. These discussion topics came from a youth led survey with over 70 respondents. The YRG intend to write a report and will be developing recommendations around these topics during the day with the attendees. Keep your eyes out for that!

Dean Barnett Young Media Spokesperson, YACVic’s Youth Reference Group

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“Victoria Police would struggle to meet the challenges without the incredible support provided by many volunteers who act as Independent Persons during police interviews.”

Victoria Police member

YRIPP YRIPP is the Youth Referral and Independent Person Program. YRIPP delivers a high quality system of adult volunteers called ‘Independent Persons’ who attend police interviews with young people in police custody when a parent of guardian is not available. YRIPP also seeks to divert young people from future offending through early intervention at the point of police contact.

YRIPP is a State Government funded initiative of the Centre for Multicultural Youth and the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria, delivered in partnership with Community Legal Centres, UnitingCare and Victoria Police.

YRIPP provides: • volunteer Independent Persons to attend Victorian police stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week • up-to-date training and ongoing support for volunteer Independent Persons • information about helpful support services for young people • resources about the youth justice system and support services for police and parents • access to 24-hour telephone legal advice for young people in police custody, provided by lawyers from Victoria Legal Aid.

Highlights 3163 young people (aged from 10-18 years) were supported by YRIPP in 2012-13.

Of these, 141 were provided with legal advice before they were interviewed by a lawyer from Victoria Legal Aid accessed through YRIPP. YRIPP provided a service at 130 police stations throughout Victoria. In 90% of cases, a volunteer attended the police station the police station within 60 minutes of receiving the call from the call centre (24/7).

“You have helped me more in 15 minutes than all the workers I have ever had, thank you!�

15 year old supported by a YRIPP Independent Person

In 2012-13, 373 volunteers were actively involved in YRIPP. 68 new volunteers were recruited and trained and became active with the program. As part of the annual volunteer survey, 98% volunteers report satisfaction with the program.

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Victorian Rural Youth Services (VRYS) The Victorian Rural Youth Services (VRYS) initiative undertakes research, training and policy development to support rural young people and the workers and services that assist them.

The initiative is funded by the Office for Youth and is guided by a network of rural and regional services. This year the rural initiative continued to expand its networks, keeping them in touch with news, research, events and opportunities. We have provided policy input to government on topics including rural young people’s sexual health, and engaging young people in regional centres, as well as running a workshop calendar for young people and workers around Victoria.

Highlights

11 training/PD workshops held

“Youth participation and engagement” (presented

by Roger Holdsworth and Leo Fieldgrass) • locations: Bendigo, Bairnsdale, Wonthaggi • 5 workshops held overall “Engaging sexually- and gender-diverse young people” (presented by Rainbow Network Victoria) • locations: Ballarat, Shepparton • 2 workshops held overall “Personal leadership, social outcomes” (presented by Project Rockit) • locations: Ararat, Stawell, Wangaratta • 4 workshops held overall

Bulletins

Signposts bi-monthly e-bulletin: 7 bulletins produced, sent to 428 subscribers

VRYS email list

67 items distributed, 88 list members

Policy briefing papers

• “Engaging young people in regional centres” • “Young people and sexual health in rural and regional Victoria”

Committees and working groups • State of Victoria’s Children Report steering group (DEECD)

• ‘Stepping out, breaking through’ regional conference, reference group (Deakin University, Geelong) • DEECD Community Sector Research and Evaluation Working Group • Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice working group, School of Law, Deakin University • Loddon Mallee Region Youth Partnership Governance Board • Victoria Law Foundation reference group

Vocational Education and Training (VET) and young Victorians: a way forward In 2012, the Victorian Government released its report Refocusing Vocational Training in Victoria. This significant new direction in vocational education and training (VET) seemed likely to have particular impacts upon young people, especially those experiencing, or a risk of, disadvantage. YACVic’s report seeks to identify what these impacts are likely to be, and to suggest future directions to deliver the best possible outcomes for young Victorians and their communities. Particular attention is given to the importance of supporting young women and young people in rural and regional communities.

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Youth Disability Advocacy Service This was a year of startling achievements and gobsmacking productivity at YDAS. Individual advocacy In our individual advocacy service, YDAS worked alongside more than 50 young people with disabilities.

Common advocacy issues included accessing disability support in education, as well as access to suitable housing and financial independence. Examples of advocacy success included advocating for a young woman to be paid a fair wage, assisting a young man to be more independent through securing an increase in his Individual Support Package, supporting a young person to find crisis accommodation and advocating against a DHS decision that a young person was to attend a special school against her wishes.

Youth Disability Rights Hub With support from a Legal Services Board grant, YDAS has been developing the Youth Disability Rights Hub. The Hub is a website containing over 260 questions and answers about rights and the law for young people with disabilities. It includes

plain-English text, video interviews with experts and links to relevant supports and contact agencies. To support the educational and empowerment goals of the Hub, YDAS has been running legal rights workshops for young people with disabilities. So far, seven workshops have been completed for 145 participants, including three in rural and regional areas (Leongatha, Bendigo and Shepparton).

“I want to say a very big thank you for fighting on behalf of myself and the rest who have been my voice for my individual package. It has been so hard but it’s nearly here.

The reward from your hard work is that I can’t thank you enough.”

David - individual advocacy client

Inaugural National Youth Disability Conference YDAS hosted Australia’s first ever National Youth Disability Conference (NYDC) in September 2012.

The conference was a huge success and brought together young people with disabilities from across the country. The conference was opened by Shadow Minister for Disabilities, Carers and the Voluntary Sector, Senator Mitch Fifield and Parliamentary Secretary for Families and Community Services, Andrea Coote. Young people at the conference called for their own national advocacy voice on vital issues including employment, education, sexuality and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The two-day conference, held in Melbourne, closed with more than 150 delegates from across Australia putting a national platform for action to the Minister Jenny Macklin, at her closing address. Media coverage included Radio National and ABC News.

YDAS developed a proposal for a National Youth Disability Council as an outcome of the National conference held. This 63-page proposal was presented to Minister Jenny Macklin and is currently being considered by DisabilityCare Australia.

The NYDC conference raised the profile of YDAS on a national level, and specifically the importance of young people with disabilities having their own voices heard by the Federal Government.

Moving On Out Housing Forum Moving On Out, our Housing and Independent Living Forum for People with Disabilities, Parents and Workers was held in December 2012 in the ANZ Pavilion at The Victorian Arts Centre. This event was supported by the City of Melbourne to celebrate International Day of People with a Disability.

The event was extremely well attended with over 250 people. A panel discussion about moving out experiences by people with disabilities and families was the highlight of the day.

In an effort to bring lots of information and resources to our participants, the event also included a number of exhibitor organisations including Consumer Affairs Victoria, Field, Tenants Union of Victoria, Neighbour-ring project North West, Independent Living Centre and DHS. We had some great feedback from the day, some of which is included below: “Very informative and enjoyable.”

“Great forum, very engaging.”

(My highlight was) “Being able to support YDAS (by attending the event as a YDAS Steering Committee Member) and finding out options for my own housing and independence.”

(My highlight was) the “Housing Resource and Support Service presentation and NDIS information”.

(My highlight was) “hearing about housing options and the NDIS”.

“Excellent, well run, informative”.

Systemic Advocacy YDAS coordinator, Dr George Taleporos was elected to the Premier’s NDIS Task Force in November 2012. In January and February 2013, YDAS made two submissions for the NDIS. The first was for the Senate Inquiry into the draft bill and the second was a response to the NDIS Regulatory Impact Statement.

YDAS also appeared before the Senate to advocate on important issues for young people with disability with respect to the draft bill. YDAS was thrilled with

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the news that Victoria signed up to the full role out of the NDIS, now known as DisabilityCare Australia, having advocated since 2007 for this reform. YDAS personally thanked the Prime Minister and Premier in face-to-face meetings with them this year.

Other highlights in systemic advocacy have included providing detailed input into the Victorian Disability State Plan (2013–2016), undertaking a survey of the concerns of young people with disabilities about taxis that informed our two submissions to the Victorian Taxi Inquiry. We also provided feedback to the Victorian Government about their Accessible Tourism Resource Kit, made a submission to the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2012 Review, and responded to the Federal Government discussion paper about improving the employment participation of people with disabilities in Australia.

YDAS also represented the interests of young people with disabilities on the Preventing and Managing Challenging Behaviour in Specialist Schools reference group as well as the Inclusive Education Advocacy Alliance. YDAS continued to serve on the Melbourne City Council Disability Advisory Committee and the Social Issues and Built Environment Working Groups.

Independent Review of Yooralla Services This year, YDAS was commissioned to undertake an independent review of services for the Victoria’s largest disability service organisation, Yooralla. As part of the review, we consulted with 73 people about the services Yooralla provides, including 35 Yooralla clients, 28 parents and carers, and 10 people who were not currently using Yooralla services.

Social Action Series November 2012 saw the concluding workshop in our Social Action series. This focused on building participants skills for activism using social media, particularly Twitter. Thanks to our presenters John Kelly (VCOSS) and special guest and twitter activist Asher Wolf.

Youth Radio In April 2013, thanks to funding from the City of Melbourne, YDAS commenced a partnership project with SYN Media (the youth-focused, youth run radio station housed at RMIT). The project has launched a new disability advocacy focused radio show on the station and we currently have two teams of young people (with and without disabilities) planning six months of challenging and entertaining radio.

Practical Design Fund This project was funded by the federal government to research the housing and support needs of young people with disabilities moving to independent living under an NDIS. Data collection is now complete, having conducted 28 individual interviews, a survey of over 170 people and 9 focus groups. Twelve disability representative groups were also interviewed. The 80-page report provided the Federal government with an analysis of the elements for success that should be considered and implemented by DisabilityCare Australia.

YDAS Steering Committee The YDAS Steering Committee met six times, including one open meeting, an opportunity for prospective members to see how the Committee and meetings operated. New members included Stuart Campbell, who at 16 is one of our younger members, and Tess Pearce. Stuart brings expertise and experience relating to dyslexia and the issues faced by young people (particularly in the education system) in relation to this. Tess is based in Ballarat and will strengthen our capacity to represent issues for young people with disabilities living in rural areas. This year we farewelled Madeline Sobb, a passionate Steering Committee member whose contribution will be missed.

Left: YDAS Manager George Taleporos at the NDIS launch Right: YDAS Manager George Taleporos at the Barwon NDIS launch site with Premier Napthine

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Victorian Student Representative Council The VicSRC has had a year filled with exciting opportunities, consolidating core projects and a little bit of change to keep everyone on their toes!

A very promising aspect of our work in 2012-13 was the growth of opportunities the VicSRC had to participate in and contribute to important education policy discussions with the State Government. It is great to see the VicSRC being increasingly recognised as a valued stakeholder in the education space in Victoria. Key highlights in 2012-13 include: • participating in stakeholder consultation sessions to discuss the deliverables for key Government policy outlined in Towards Victoria as a Learning Community (TVLC) initiatives • joining with YACVic in a combined submission regarding the Education and Training Reform Amendment (School Attendance) Bill • providing a submission to the Victorian Parliament’s Education and Training Committee inquiry into Music Education in Victoria • organising a face-to-face consultation with Parliament’s Education and Training Committee

members and students around students’ experiences with music education in Victorian schools • participating in reference group meetings for the Review of Governance in Victorian Government Schools.

Teach the Teacher The VicSRC was extremely pleased to receive funding from the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) to roll out our ‘Teach the Teacher’ program into ten Victorian schools in 2013. ‘Teach the Teacher’ is a school-based professional development program for teachers, led by students. It brings students and teachers together to explore ways to enhance student wellbeing and engagement with the curriculum through improvements to the classroom environment.

The ‘Teach the Teacher’ professional development program began with a resolution agreed to by students attending the 2011 VicSRC Congress. Students recognised the importance of the relationships built between students and teachers and were keen to become more involved with discussions around The result was an idea that students could run

professional development for teachers in ways that would provide other perspectives on what was occurring in the classroom. The VicSRC is excited to see a resolution created by students at the VicSRC Congress become a reality with funding from the DEECD to support this important work!

VicSRC Executive The VicSRC Student Executive continues to hold monthly meetings at the YACVic office. At these meetings, the Executive discuss the implementation of Congress resolutions, work on the operation of the organisation and direct the work of the VicSRC. The Executive attended two training camps over the year. The first camp, held in September 2012, was run to introduce the newly elected 2012/13 Executive to the VicSRC and to establish a work plan for the year ahead. The second Executive camp ran in April to allow the established Executive to receive skills training and do some in-depth planning around the 2013 Congress.

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Student events Conferences The VicSRC ran six Regional Student Conferences in 2013 in Eastern, Western, Northern, Southern and Bendigo regions. These conferences provide the opportunity for students to network with peers from others schools and develop skills to help make their SRCs more effective.

Students who attend Regional Conferences are also encouraged to keep in touch with each other and stay involved with the VicSRC through local clusters and by attending Congress.

Congress Congress is the primary decision making event for the VicSRC. Decisions are made democratically about what issues and projects the VicSRC tackles for the year ahead. During the 7th Annual VicSRC Congress at the start of August, 90 students from 35 schools across Victoria discussed and debated the state of education in Victoria and the priorities of their own school communities. Over the three day camp, members participated in a formal parliamentarystyle Congress, where proposals were put forward, discussed, amended and voted upon. Decisions made at Congress now form the basis of the work of the new VicSRC Student Executive for the coming year.

Recognition awards The SRC Recognition Awards continued in their fourth year during 2013. The VicSRC believes that it’s important for successful SRCs and projects to be recognised, allowing student representatives to make an even greater contribution to their schools and their communities. SRC Recognition Awards also give SRCs something to work towards, inspiring bigger and better projects and a greater sense of fulfilment.

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Rach Toora Alice 8, Ma Rosie Bund

012/13 VicSRC Executive

hel Cerar, Year 10, Braybrook College; Sammy Chapman, Year 9, Casey Grammar; Tiffany Chapman, Year 11, ak College; Casey Crouch, Year 9, Frankston High School; Zoe Crouch, Year 9, Frankston High School; Marleee Gorman, Year 10, Princes Hill Secondary College; Lachlan Hugo, Year 11, Blackburn High School; Jake Kearns, Year affra Secondary College; Tao Hing Lim, Year 11, Templestowe College; Sali Miftari, Year 10, Balwyn High School; e Mountjoy, Year 9, Koonung Secondary College; Braidan Pace, Year 10, Brauer College; Edison Ponari, Year 11, doora Secondary College; Rais Rashdan, Year 10, Minaret College; Michael Swift, Year 10, Padua College.

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Koorie Youth Council A new name – same commitment.

On the 16th November 2013 the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Honourable Jeanette Powell, launched the new Koorie Youth Council (KYC) at the Korin Gamadji Institute.

The KYC is a freshened-up model of VIYAC and is well placed to engage with Koorie young people through a ramped communication strategy and engagement tools.

The launch was attended by over 120 people from a broad cross section of the Koorie community, and event was lit up by performances by the Yung Warriors, Mauriel Sperim and the REAL Program hip-hop crew performance.

The KYC Team The KYC has appointed two new staff members to the team, Greg Kennedy as the State Coordinator, and Robert McGuinness as the new Project Officer to coordinate the business functions of the KYC. The KYC is also very pleased to have established a new reference group, who will provide strategic advice and guidance to the KYC in key areas of business. Representatives of the reference group come from community organisations, partnerships groups, previous KYC members and government.

Community Spirit Police Awards The KYC hosted two Community Spirit Police Awards in 2012-2013 recognising the positive change that two outstanding Victorian Police officers are initiating in their communities: Senior Sergeant Brooke Walker from Robinvale, and Snr Constable Les Power from Horsham.

The Community Spirit Police Award is an initiative developed by the KYC to recognise positive work by members of the Victorian Police in order to break down negative perceptions, and encourage relationships to flourish.

Above: Chief Commissioner Ken Lay presents the Community Spirit Police Award 2013 to Snr Constable Les Power (Photography courtesy of Steven Rhall).

Below left: KGI Official Dance Crew at the KYC launch

The KYC welcomed the partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service to strengthen the judging aspects of the award and provided a valuable advisory role.

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Strategic Move A key priority for the KYC has been to develop a new strategic plan to set a path for the next three years. The KYC engaged with Jenny Threthewey, the consultant who developed the KYC’s transition plan, to play a lead role in developing and implementing the new strategic plan.

The KYC has ensured that the State Council and the newly appointed Reference Group were involved in the development of the new plan holding a session in mid-June where both groups worked collaboratively in sharing ideas and setting the KYC’s agenda for the next three years.

Our Cultural Heritage – more than rocks!

The KYC, in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council and the National Trust, co-hosted the ‘Koorie Cultural Heritage: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow’, a youth specific cultural heritage forum to mark the opening of the Heritage Festival in April.

The forum was attended by over 40 young people who were immersed in cultural activities and presentations including cultural mapping, yarning circles, canoe making, scar tree identification, and archaeological perspectives.

The forum highlights the KYC’s commitment to ensure that young people are aware, strong and proud of their culture and identity.

Government value young voices The KYC has been as proactive as ever in ensuring the voices of young people are heard and embedded in government policy.

A key policy initiative that the KYC has been heavily involved in during 2012-13 is the development of the 3rd Phase of the Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA3). The AJA3 is a commitment by government to continue working with the Koorie community as an equal stakeholder, to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system.

The KYC is a long-term member of the Aboriginal Justice Forum which was a key driver in implementing the AJA3. We were honoured to be a signatory of the AJA3.

Left: Greg Kennedy of KYC signs the AJA3.

Far left: Savanna Kruger talking at the Youth Cultural Heritage Forum.

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Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance A new home for the VYMA Since 2006 the VYMA has provided support to youth mentoring programs across Victoria. Our vision is for strong, connected Victorian communities where young people have the opportunity to reach their potential through quality mentoring experiences.

2012/2013 marks the first year that the Victorian Youth Mentoring Alliance has called YACVic home.

In August the VYMA began operating under an auspice agreement with YACVic and made a seamless shift into the Flinders Street office. Longstanding Executive Officer, Sarah Johnson, left the organisation to pursue her new role as a mum, and Clare Waldron joined the team as the VYMA Coordinator. Clare Waldron and Claire East, VYMA Communications and Administration Officer, were warmly welcomed and pleased to be supported by YACVic team.

The VYMA Board was formally wound up and the VYMA would like to thank the following members for their contribution to the organisation: Amanda Pagan (Chair), Clare Wynne, Damien Collins, John Hood, Penny Wilson, Shelley Cussen and Sue Fowler.

The Quality Assurance Project The Quality Assurance project has been the highlight of VYMA’s year. After years of planning and consultation the QA Project was piloted in November and officially launched in February. The new initiative has been designed to assess mentoring programs against national standards and assist organisations to implement quality improvement measures. The pilot involved 13 organisations representing a wide range of mentoring programs with a variety of locations, organisation sizes and participant ages.

At the close of the financial year 20 youth mentoring programs had participated in the project, with 10 organisations successfully completing. Participating organisations will improve their mentoring programs in a range of different ways, from writing new policies and procedures to reviewing orientation activities for mentees. Many more organisations have expressed an interest in the project and the roll out will continue throughout 2013/2014.

The QA Project was showcased at the 2012 Australian Youth Mentoring Conference as well as at events in Melbourne, Horsham and Wangaratta.

2012/2013 VYMA Quality Members: Organisation

Program

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Melbourne City of Greater Geelong Federation of Australian Students and Youth Mallee Accommodation Support Program Mallee Family Care Maribyrnong Moonee Valley LLEN Tomorrow:Today Foundation

Community Based Mentoring L2P Learner Driver Program Igniting Dreams Together Kadoka Youth Mentoring Program E-mentoring Program Youth Mentor Assisted Pathways Connect 9

Whitelion World Vision YMCA Manningham

Leaving Care Program Kids Hope Aus YMCA Mentoring

The QA Project has been made possible by: Helen Macperhson Smith Trust, Ian Potter Foundation, Newsboys Foundation, RE Ross Trust, and the William Buckland Foundation.

“The Quality Assurance Project delivered by the VYMA was an incredibly valuable exercise for our mentoring organisation.

It enabled us to validate our current processes and feel confident we were delivering best practice while helping us to identify our limitations and to develop action plans for improving these into the future.

Well done to the VYMA for delivering such a wonderful project�

2012 pilot participant

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“I really appreciate the support they [VYMA] continually offer with regards to mentoring resources and programs.”

Wangaratta workshop participant

National Youth Mentoring Week The VYMA celebrated national Youth Mentoring Week in October by recognising the efforts of those who make mentoring programs possible. The VYMA provided celebration kits to organisations to help them prepare something special for the week. The VYMA were also pleased to award the annual Mentor of the Year Award to Kevin Clark for his outstanding contribution to the YMCA mentoring program over the last two years.

“I am keen to keep mentoring Nick for the long haul. I want to remain a part of his life, and provide him with a consistent role model who is always there for him,” said Kevin.

“I don’t volunteer for the recognition. But it would be sensational if this award grabs the attention of people my age, and encourages them to consider volunteering their own time to youth mentoring,” continued Kevin, a retiree and volunteer mentor with the YMCA.

Sector Professional Development The VYMA has delivered a number of events throughout the year, including professional development session run in conjunction with VACRO, the Australian Youth Mentoring Alliance and the LLENs. Together with mentoring organisations, the VYMA explored topics such as: mentoring young people with an incarcerated parent, ending mentoring relationships, volunteer recruitment and quality practice in mentoring. Participants reported the workshops gave them new ways of thinking and motivated them to make improvements to their programs.

Highlights VACRO Workshop Life After the Match Workshop Revitalise Recruitment, AYMN Forum Series Youth Mentoring Week Melton Council’s Youth Mentoring Program Gala Dinner Launch of FAMSY’s Igniting Dreams Together Youth Partner Network Round Table 2012 Australian Youth Mentoring Conference Good Shepherd Mentoring Training NRgize Training

VYMA 2012/13 Members

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Bayside Glen Eira Kingston LLEN Big Brothers Big Sisters Melbourne Bonnie Doon Community Group Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership C8 Camperdown College Cara Incorporated Charlton College Christian Brethren Community Care City of Greater Geelong City of Wodonga Dimboola Memorial Secondary College elev8 Youth Ltd Emerald Centre for Hope and Outreach (ECHO) Employment Focus Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth Future Foundations Limited Highlands LLEN Hobsons Bay Youth Services Hume Whittlesea LLEN IBM iRespect Youth Jesuit Social Services- Brosnan Youth Services Jewish Care Junction Support Services Inc.

Kids Under Cover Kildonan Uniting Care Lead On Ballarat Living the Dream Foundation Inc. Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation Mallee Accommodation Support Service Mallee Family Care Manningham YMCA Maribyrnong Moonee Valley LLEN Melton City Council Mission Australia Moira Youth Services New Hope Foundation North East LLEN South East LLEN Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre Spectrum Migrant Resource Centre Standing Tall The Bridge Youth Service The Helping Hand Project Tomorrow Today Foundation Uniting Care Gippsland Villa Maria Whitelion Workways Australia Limited World Vision Yarra Ranges Council YMCA YWCA

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Finance Report Balance sheet as of 30 June 2013 The 2012-13 financial year saw a 13% increase in total income from $1.65 million to $1.87 million due to an increase in projects and grants including ANZ trustees, RE Ross Trust and City of Melbourne; YACVic’s administration of other grants, such as the Hey Grants on behalf of the Department of Health; and a better than expected return on investments.

Together with good expenditure management, I am pleased to report that YACVic reported a surplus of $161,592 for the 2012-13 financial year, following the previous year’s surplus of $54,665.

Whilst some of this surplus will be spent on project commitments in 2013-14, the result is a welcoming strengthening of YACVic’s financial position with an increase in equity to $458,283.

My heartfelt thanks to Sally West, who managed YACVic’s finances for the last six years, and my welcome to Ian Johnson.

2013 - $

LIABILITIES

EQUITY Retained earnings

458,283

296,691

Accounts payab

Total equity

458,283

296,691

Other creditors

Represented by:

Sundry accruals

CURRENT ASSETS

Provision for co 1,391

1,968

Provision for an

20,887

45,917

Provision for lon

Cash at bank - NAB cash mgmt

9,129

147,379

Provision for pa

Cash at bank - NAB term deposit

39,451

39,451

Provision for GS

Cash at bank - NAB business cash maximiser

459,921

659,498

Grants in advan

Cash at bank - MECU term deposit

690,616

215,286

Memberships in

110

300

Conference reg

0

89,783

TOTAL LIABILIT

Accounts receiveable

99,847

242,322

TOTAL ASSETS

Prepayments/income not yet received

14,926

2,149

1,336,278

1,443,952

Office furniture and equipment

98,550

89,699

Less accumulated depreciation

-88,293

-81,020

Petty cash Cash at bank - NAB business mgmt

Deposits Sundry debtors

NON CURRENT ASSETS

Furniture and fittings Less accumulated depreciation

Paul Bird Treasurer

2012 - $

TOTAL ASSETS

10,257

8,679

14,294

14,294

-12,092

-11,447

2,202

2,847

1,348,737

1,455,478

Income statement for the year ended 30 June 2013 2013 - $

2012 - $

2013 - $

2012 - $

INCOME 46,777

44,613

Administration charge

8,400

6,500

5,379

19,134

Forums and training

9,392

13,369

28,229

21,213

Memberships

35,342

30,055

onferences/programs/relocation

39,715

40,965

Conferences

35,414

186,129

nnual leave

70,325

40,154

Interest received

50,582

35,456

ng service leave

56,378

71,668

Other income

26,958

24,802

0

43,717

Government grants

1,412,835

1,331,051

37,832

9,416

Other grants

295,008

23,934

580,236

839,720

25,583

28,288

0

0

TIES

890,454

1,558,888

S

458,283

296,691

ble

s

arental leave

ST/PAYG

nce

n advance

gistrations in advance

Profit on sale of non-current assets

103 1,873,931

1,651,399

Accommodation

97,505

83,719

Administration

105,115

70,795

Communication

59,589

49,330

Depreciation

7,919

5,485

Equipment purchase and maintenance

8,532

4,538

Leave provisions

7,934

42,979

Other staff costs

34,513

4,679

Publications and printing

21,990

36,660

7,642

12,321

Project costs

208,871

187,317

Salaries

959,401

855,350

Sector development and consultation

95,166

155,697

Superannuation contributions

87,073

74,539

Workcover

11,089

12,860

1,712,339

1,596,269

EXPENDITURE

Professional development training

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Statement of changes in equity ended 30 June 2013 Retained Earnings

Total

Retained earning at the beginning of the financial year

241,561

241,561

Profit (loss) attributable to the entity

55,130

55,130

Retained earnings at 30 June 2012

296,691

296,691

Surplus attributable to the entity

161,592

161,592

458,283

458,283

Retained earnings at 30 June 2013

Statement of cash flows ended 30 June 2013 2013 - $

2012 - $

1,951,572

1,878,950

45,087

35,456

-1,875,851

-1,652,495

120,808

261,911

Payments for property, plant and equipment

-8,852

-4,840

Net increase in cash held

111,956

257,071

Cash at beginning of the financial year

1,109,799

852,728

Cash at end of the financial year (note 1)

1,221,755

1,109,799

2013 - $

2012 - $

1,221,755

1,109,799

2013 - $

2012 - $

161,592

55,130

7,919

5,485

(Increase)/decrease in trade receivables

231,374

-181,666

(Increase)/decrease in other current assets

-11,643

1,115

-238,348

401,041

-30,086

-19,194

120,808

261,911

Cash flow from operating activities Receipts from customers Interest payment Payments to suppliers and employees Net cash provided by operating activities Cash flow from investing activities

Note 1. Reconciliation of cash Cash at bank

Note 2. Reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to operating profit Surplus for the year ended Depreciation Change in assets and liabilities

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables Increase/(decrease) in grants in provisions

55

Notes to the financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2013 Note 1 // Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Preparation The financial statements are special purpose financial statements prepared in order to satisfy the financial reporting requirements of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012. The committee has determined that the association is not a reporting entity.

The financial statements have been prepared on an accruals basis and are based on historical costs and do not take into account changing money values or, except where stated specifically, current valuations of non-current assets.

The following significant accounting policies, which are consistent with the previous period unless stated otherwise, have been adopted in the preparation of these financial statements.

The financial statements were authorised for issue on 15 October 2013 by the committee.

Accounting Policies (a) Revenue Revenue is recognised on the following basis: -- Revenue from the rendering of a service is recognised upon the delivery of the service to the customers.

-- Interest revenue is recognised on a proportional

basis taking into account the interest rates applicable to the financial assets -- Membership revenue is recognised progressively over the period to which the membership relates.

Any portion of membership received relating to the following financial year is brought to account at balance date as income in advance.

-- Government revenue is derived from services and programs performed on behalf of state, commonwealth and local governments. These are recognised in the period in which the services are provided, having regard to the stage of completion of activities and targets within each program as specified in the funding and service contracts.

Any funding received for services which have not been performed is recorded as funding in advance in the statement of financial position.

All revenue is stated net of the amount of goods and services tax (GST). (b) Good and Services Tax (GST) Revenues, expenses and assets are initially recognised net of the amount of GST, except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Receivable and repayable are stated inclusive of the amount of GST receivable or payable. The net amount of GST recoverable from, or payable to, the ATO is included with other receivable or payables in the assets and liabilities statement.

(c) Income Tax The association is exempt from paying income tax under section 50-45 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and subsequently has not been charged any income tax expense. (d) Cash on Hand Cash on hand includes cash on hand, deposits held at-call with banks and other shortterm highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. (e) Property, Plant and Equipment Leasehold improvements and office equipment are carried at cost less, where applicable, any accumulated depreciation.

The depreciable amount of all PPE is depreciated over the useful lives of the assets to the association commencing from the time the asset is held ready for use.

Leasehold improvements are amortised over the shorter of either the unexpired period of the lease or the estimated useful lives of the improvements. (f) Impairment of Assets At the end of each reporting period, the committee reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have been impaired.

If such an indication exists, an impairment test is carried out on the asset by comparing the recoverable amount of the assets, being the higher of the asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use, to the asset’s carrying amount. Any excess of the asset’s carrying amount over its recoverable amount is recognised in the income and expenditure statement.

(g) Accounts Payable and Other Payables Accounts payable and other payables represent the liability outstanding at the end of the reporting period for goods and services received by the association during the reporting period, which remain unpaid. The balance is recognised as a current liability with the amount normally paid within 30 days of recognition of the liability. (h) Employee Provisions Provision is made for the association’s liability for employee benefits arising from services rendered by employees to the end of the reporting period. Employee provisions have been measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liability is settled. (i) Comparative Figures Where required by Accounting Standards comparative figures have been adjusted to conform with changes in presentation for the current financial year.

When any entity applies an accounting policy retrospectively, makes a retrospective restatement or reclassifies items in its financial statements, a statement of financial position as at the beginning of the earliest comparative period must be disclosed.

57

59

Thank you

City of Maroondah City of Monash City of Moreland City of Whitehorse

Alex Prado and Sayle Johnston (Mount Alexander Shire Council)

City of Whittlesea Youth Services

Anglicare

Clunes Youth Group (Hepburn Shire)

Anthony Osborne, Humans vs Zombies Victoria, Inc.

Council to Homeless Persons

City of Wyndham Youth Services

Hugh Stephens - Director, Dialogue Consulting Hume Whittlesea LLEN Ian Gould Ian Potter Foundation Jane Barclay (Hepburn Shire) Jaqueline Piper (City of Whitehorse) Jesuit Social Services John Bonnice, St Lukes, Anglicare

Associate Professor Tim Corney

Daniel Donahoo, Director, Project Synthesis (until late May 2012)

Ballarat Youth Services

Deb Tsobaris

Banyule Youth Services

Dr Michelle Blanchard, Young & Well CRC

Berry Street

Dr Philippa Collin, Young & Well CRC

Bill Kendall (City of Monash)

Emma Crichton

Capital City LLEN Cardinia Shire Council Youth Services

Emily Mellon and Chris Parkinson (City of Yarra)

Catchment Youth Services

Emma Firth (Cardinia Shire)

Leonie Farrell, Banyule Youth Services

Carmel Guerra, Centre for Multicultural Youth

Erin Ashmore, Way Out — Rural Youth and Sexual Diversity Program

Liana Harding (Reach Foundation)

Chantelle Miller and David Wain (Department of Health)

Erin Young, VicSRC Conference Facilitator

Lothar Wahl, Harald Klein, Carol Mayall and the Office for Youth team

Foundation for Young Australians

Lottie Turner, Rainbow Network Victoria

Cherry Grimwade, City of Yarra

Global Voices

MacKillop Family Services

Chris Bush

Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service

Chris Pyecroft: social entrepreneur (young person)

Hanadi Hoblos

Malgorzata Klatt, John Polesel and our deferment study partners

City of Casey Youth Services City of Greater Dandenong City of Hume

Heather Cummings (City of Maroondah) Helen Macperhson Smith Trust Hope Street Youth Refuge

Jurgen Scaub: Senior Manager Information Systems, Berry Street Karla Fitzpatrick (City of Hume) Kate Duncan (City of Darebin) Kerrie Loveless (City of Casey) Kristie Togni (Kildonan Uniting Care) Lauren Oliver (Berry Street)

Mark Carter (City of Greater Dandenong) Mark Watt Matthew Haworth: Manager, Youth Central, Victorian Office for Youth

Mayibuye

Stefan Lodewyckx, UN Youth Australia

Way Out

Melbourne Citymission

Stride Foundation

Whitelion

Melton City Council Youth Services

Susanne Prosser (City of Greater Geelong)

Young people who took part in YACVic consultations throughout the year

Tass Mousaferiadis

Youth Connect

The Blossomproject

Youth Support & Advocacy Service

The Bridge of Hope Foundation

Youthlaw: Young People’s Legal Rights Centre

Members of the Inner City Regional Youth Affairs Network Middle Years Working Group Members of the YACVic’s Policy Advisory Group Micah Scott, Minus 18 Minister for Education, Martin Dixon.

Minus 18 Mornington Peninsula Shire Youth Services Natalie Taylor, Anthony Lucato, Holly Pereira and Alex Smart (Decibel Records) Newsboys Foundation Nillumbik Youth Services Nuray Jarkan (City of Moreland) Paula Grogan and Carolyn Atkins, Victorian Council of Social Service Pip Smith (City of Knox) Rainbow Network Victoria

The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare The CREATE Foundation The Interface Council Youth Reference Group The members of the VRYS steering committee The Salvation Army The Victorian Council for Social Service The William Buckland Foundation The Yerp Steering Committee Tiffany Overall and Emma Breheny, Youthlaw UN Youth Australia

Smart Justice for Young People

VicSRC Volunteers: David Mould, Roger Holdsworth, Scott Duncan, James Tonson, Lou Mapleston, Zack Pretlove, Georgia Kennelly, Elizabeth Kalas, Megan Shellie, David Rose, Rachel Maissan & Ruth Perry

Sophie Dixon (South Gippsland Shire)

Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

South East LLEN

Vikki Sinnott

St Luke’s Anglicare

VRYS steering committee

RE Ross Trust Sally Reid, Centre for Multicultural Youth

61

Where we’ve been

Sydney (NSW)

Sydney (NSW) Canberra (ACT) Gold Coast (QLD)

Canberra (ACT) Gold Coast (QLD)

Hobart (Tas)

YACVic Youth Engagement Ballan Wonthaggi YACVic Youth Engagement Broadmeadows Broadford Ballan Wonthaggi Narre Warren Mornington Broadmeadows Broadford Bendigo Pakenham Dandenong NarreBallarat Warren Mornington Shepparton Bendigo Bendigo Pakenham Sydney Broadmeadows Ballarat Dandenong Castlemaine (YPPN) Frankston Shepparton Bendigo Horsham (Parks Victoria) Stawell Sydney Broadmeadows Jells Park (Parks Victoria) North Geelong Castlemaine (YPPN) Frankston Yarra Ranges (Parks Victoria) Horsham (Parks Victoria) Stawell Mornington Peninsula (Parks Victoria) Jells Park (Parks Victoria) North Geelong Geelong (Parks Victoria)

Yarra Ranges (Parks Victoria) Mornington Peninsula (Parks Victoria) Geelong (Parks Victoria)

YDAS Wodonga YDAS Traralgon Wodonga Ballarat Traralgon Geelong Bendigo Ballarat Shepparton Geelong Leongatha Bendigo Hobart Shepparton

Leongatha Hobart

VicSRC Mornington VicSRC Portland Mornington Edenhope Portland Malmsbury Bendigo Edenhope

Malmsbury Bendigo

VRYS Bairnsdale VRYS Bendigo Bairnsdale Wonthaggi Bendigo Wangaratta Ararat Wonthaggi Stawell Wangaratta Ballarat Ararat Shepparton Stawell Castlemaine Ballarat Warragul Shepparton Geelong Castlemaine Yea Warragul Creswick

Geelong Yea Creswick

Hobart KYC (Tas) VYMA Benalla Mildura VYMA KYC Frankston Robinvale Benalla Mildura Geelong Swan Hill Frankston Robinvale Horsham Echuca Wangaratta Portland Geelong Swan Hill Canberra Heywood Horsham Echuca Gold Coast Hamilton Wangaratta Portland

Canberra Gold Coast

Heywood Hamilton