Acknowledgement to CountryWangal clan of the Darug tribe

Prepared by:Tracey Brown, Manager Youthblock Youth Health Services,

Suwana Combo, Youthblock Aboriginal Health Education Officer

Sydney Local Health District

April 2015

Family Tribes

A program for young Aboriginal carers

Overview

� Background to the project

� The program delivered

� The resource card

� The outcomes for the young Aboriginal carers

� Lessons learnt

� Where to now….

Background

� Increased presentation of young Aboriginal carers to Youthblock

� Consulted with 4 young Aboriginal carers – still clients

� Program to be run in the Redfern area – Redfern Community Centre

� Aim of the program was to increase cultural connectedness/ support

and education and improve young carers health outcomes

� Food provided each workshop and transport provided

� Post program education course

� Development of the resource card

� Resources given – journals for evaluation/stationary/first aid

kits/Yhunger cook books/ Qi Gong DVD

yhunger Cooking Books

yhunger

yhunger

QiGong – Chinese yoga

The program

� Week one: Orientation - Aunty Beryl – well respected local

Aboriginal women within the Redfern/Waterloo Community

� Week two: Carers health and yarning circle – stress and

mindfulness – WEAVE and Redfern Community Centre

� Week three: Living skills and local services

Nutrition/budgeting/employment and driving – WEAVE,

Driving exchange

� Week four: Young Carers Health and Wellbeing – Linda

Burney ,Youthblock nurse, Elena Cortez (QiGong)

The Program cont.

� Week five: Employment/education and post program

course -Aboriginal Employment Strategy, Mundine group

� Week six: Outing to the Australian Museum – Derek Walker

– Aboriginal Curator, Youthblock social worker – reflection

exercise

� Week seven: Aboriginal art and dance workshop – Brendan

Kerin

� Week eight: Healthy relationships – workshop by

Youthblock Health promotion Officer

Program cont.

� Week nine: Art workshop to develop the resource card –

NSW Young Carers

� Week ten: final wrap up, deciding on post program courses

� Courses booked for April 2015

� Final session – to be held post courses in June 2015

Brendan Kerin Reegan Carr

Aboriginal artist, musician, Young Aboriginal

storyteller and dancer carer

Outcomes – courses completed

� Courses – 3 x Barista Master basics – level 1 and 2

2 x RSA/RCG package

1 x First Aid and CPR course

� Employment 1 Administration officer with an OOHC

service, part time casual.

1 Administration officer for Aboriginal Education

Consultative Group Inc

� Education – 1 x certificate 4 traineeship in marketing with the City of

Sydney through Aboriginal Employment Strategy

1 assisted to return to high school to complete year 11

and 12

Aboriginal Young carers resource card

Lessons learnt

� 10-12 weeks was to long – clients are time poor

� Trying to cook a meal together was impossible as time would run out

� Eating together at the table whilst the group was running was a great

way to engage the young carers, this also was a way of keeping

them at the workshop. We noticed that if we did break for lunch some

would leave.

� Transporting the young carers was important

� The carer’s did not want us to read their reflective journal

� Most were not aware of their local support services

Lessons Learnt� Due to most of young carer’s being placed into work or study and

their other personal commitments we were unable to hold a

graduation

� Having multiple guest speakers helped keep the young people

engaged and also inspired

� Try to keep all groups in the one spot as the young people were not

really interested in going on a field trip

� Bringing the cultural experience to the group was more acceptable

for the carers than going to the museum

� Designing of the resource card should take place from the start and

possibly setting 30 minutes aside per workshop would allow for more

input into the resource from carers

Where to now….

� Youthblock are moving to new premises in Redfern July

2015 and the new modified program will be run from here

� The Family Tribes project has been refunded for 2015/2016

� The program has been adjusted and redesigned according

to evaluations

� The program will now run for 4-6 weeks maximum based

on evaluations regarding timeframes

� The program will be run twice over the year

� The program will continue to be evaluated

References

(1) Australia Bureau of Statistics, Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: summary of findings. Cat, no. 44330.0, 2009, Author: Canberra

(2) Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and Australian Bureau of Statistics, The Health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 2008, 2008, Author: Canberra.

(3) Cass, B., Smyth, C., Hill, T., Blaxland, M. and Hamilton, M. (2009), ‘Young Carers in Australia: Understanding the Advantages and Disadvantages of Their Care Giving’, Social Policy Research Paper no. 38, Canberra: Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

(4) Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006 Census Community Profile Series: Indigenous Profile, cat. No. 2002.0, 2007, Author: Canberra

(5) Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011 Census of Population and Housing: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Indigenous) Profile, cat. No. 2002.0, 2011, Author: Canberra

Contacts

Tracey.brown@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Suwana.combo@sswahs.nsw.gov.au

Youthblock

Level 1, 97 Church St

Camperdown 2050

Ph: 9516-2233