Winter Newsletter

NEWSLETTER WINTER EDITION

FCAWA FCAWA Staff Board Director Chairperson Fay Alford Larrissa Whiskin Team Leader | Senior Social Worker Vice Chair Advocacy & Support Officer Ann Hawke Rachel Jones Board Member Senior Social Worker Advocacy Natasha Rainbow & Support Officer Rebecca Mann Board Member Sue House Senior Social Worker Advocacy & Support Officer Board Member Cassie Walton Beth Harris Carer & Family Support Worker Board Member Kim Lee John Leone Carer & Family Support Worker Board Member Leah Atkinson Heidi Bentink Carer & Family Support Worker Board Member Natalee Payne Dion Gliddon Office Manager Helen Dale Marketing & Communications Consultant Freddie Povey 2

Business As Usual WA appears to be sitting pretty! The rains her community in her role as a high school are easing, the sun is warming with each teacher and youth leader, and now coming full passing day. Compared to the current Covid19 circle in her role a foster carer herself. FCAWA experience of some Eastern States, residents look forward to continued involvement in the of WA are still able to go about their everyday Achiever Awards for young people in care. business as per usual, no pun intended! I do reflect on our current levels of freedom The Foster Care Refresh Project was finally and try not to take this for granted in this tabled in Parliament on the 19th August unpredictable new world reality. Instead, I try and well received. The Report outlines the and focus on how lucky we are. findings from consultations with foster and family carers, and Communities staff, to Leah and I were honoured to represent FCAWA better understand the experience of carers at the recent 2021 Achiever Awards held at and the supports they need. This was a joint Boola Bardip Museum. The annual Achiever partnership between the Department of Awards provide financial assistance to young Communities, FCAWA, the Commissioner for people aged 15—25 years who have been in Children and Young People, and the Children the care of the Department of Communities and Family Alliance WA. This comprehensive and are undertaking further education and document identifies what is working well, training. areas for improvement and suggestions for change. The next phase of the project is to FCAWA have been involved in the Awards action the recommendations and actions. For since its inception in 1990. To date, more carers interested in reading the completed than 550 young people have been recognised report you will find this on the Department through the Achiever Awards program and for of Communities website: www.communities. the last five years FCAWA have provided the wa.gov.au/fostercarerefresh. Rise Up Regional Award, currently totally an award of $5000 to the recipient. Nominations Rachel Jones can be made by a parent, relative, foster carer, Team Leader teacher, case manager, education officer or FCAWA non-government representative. Eleven of this year’s award recipients are Indigenous. The Achiever Awards are typically an inspiring, moving, and uplifting highlight in the fostering calendar and this year was no exception! Congratulations to all 31 young Western Australians who were recognised at this year’s Awards. The importance of the Awards was summed up in the closing speech by 2019 winner Eva who stated, “It was a moment where the inner child who never felt seen or heard nor valued, during those years when life was chaotic, was finally told that she was seen and heard and valued”. Eva shared her passion for supporting young people in 3

2021 Achiever Awards 4

Foster Care Information Sessions FCAWA will be holding Fostering Information Armadale Sessions in 2021 throughout the metro area. These will be in addition to the Date: Tuesday, 19th October 2021 information sessions held by the Department Time: 10:30am-12:30pm of Communities and Community Sector Organisations. We are committed to the Venue: recruitment of foster carers throughout Armadale Community Family Centre Western Australia and hope, that with your 101 Challis Road, Seville Grove help, we will be successful in doing so. Dates will also be advertised on the Events page of our website and on Faceook. 5

Foster Care Morning Tea Kym Fenton, Community Facilitator from TSS is voluntary and will work on goals as CREATE Foundation attended FCA’s recent defined by the person they are supporting. This carer morning tea and provided information could include things such as accommodation, to carers about CREATE and the services driving lessons, navigating other systems (e.g. it provides to young people in care. Kym Centrelink, the Department), study, work, life also shared information on the Transitional skills, health- anything really! Support Service (TSS) that is available *The most important thing to know about TSS Leaving Care Service is to make sure a referral has been made for the young person at age 15! They have a huge In Perth, TSS (Transitional Support Service) waitlist (a couple of years) so making sure this run by the Salvation Army is the leaving referral is in for your young person. You can care support service. TSS can support young contact TSS directly to check this. people aged 15 to 25 with a care experience. They work one on one with young people and TSS - https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/ are awesome advocates ensuring that young locations/western-australia/w068c/youth- people get the support they are entitled to services-wa-and-transitional-support-service/ from the Department. 6

Free Activities For Children & Young People 7

FCAWA Morning Tea - November ~ Date To Be Confirmed FCAWA’s next morning tea scheduled Course Content: for November will include a first aid • St John DRSABCD action plan; demonstration for all general/family carers • Principles of first aid; attending provided by St John WA. This course • Recovery position demonstration; is designed for community groups who would • Respiratory system; like an introduction or basic refresher on first • Circulatory system; aid knowledge. It covers common injuries and • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) illnesses that can occur in everyday life. The course combines both theory and practical demonstration; demonstrations, including the recovery • Conditions affecting consciousness; position, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) • Bleeding; and fracture management. Details will be • Burns; emailed to all members shortly. • Fracture demonstration; • Bites and stings; and • Eye injuries. 8

FCAWA Morning Tea - February ~ Date To Be Confirmed We have a special treat for our FCAWA Morning From sheer glosses to wear with your lipsticks Tea scheduled for the beginning of February, to rich high-pigmented colours you can wear just after the kids go back to school. Join us alone, we create custom glosses that glide on for an interactive Self Care session featuring with ease and give you a flawless finish. Pick The Lip Lab, where carers can make their very a shade, add some shimmer, choose your own custom lip gloss. flavour, enjoy! It’s as simple as that. Lip glosses are a must-have for your makeup Full details will be emailed out to all carers bag and are great to apply through the day early in the new year. when your lips need some added hydration. The Lip Lab’s expert mixologists will sit down with you to create the perfect gloss to suit your skin tone. 9

2021 Foster Carers Week The staff at FCAWA were invited to attend the Mirrabooka district on the 25th August 2021, along with the Hon. Simone McGurk, Minister for Child Protection. The district organised a special morning tea event to recognise those foster carers who have been opening their hearts and homes to children and young people in the area for 10 or more years. It was a great opportunity to come together and celebrate the wonderful role that all foster carers do as part of WA Foster Carers Week. https://www.nofasd.org.au/contact-us or call their Helpline on 1800 860 613. 10

FCAWA Travels To Broome On the 4th August, Advocacy and Support FCAWA then went to Town Beach to check out Officers, Cassie Walton and Rebecca Mann, the festivities of National Aboriginal and Torre along with FCAWA’s cultural consultant, Ann Strait Islander Children’s Day. This was followed Hawke from Kinship Connections, visited by a meet and greet with Departmental staff sunny Broome. The purpose of our visit was at the Broome office which provided us with to engage with as many carers from the an opportunity to promote their services that region as possible. FCAWA met with carers are available to all carers across the state as from both the government and community well as provide feedback to the district. We services organisation sector over morning understand that regional carers do not get tea at Nyamba Buru Yawuru. Carers had the same opportunities to meet face to face the opportunity to debrief and share their with support staff compared to those carers in experiences in both a neutral and relaxed the metro area. We will continue to meet with environment. carers across our vast state with our next stop being Geraldton! 11

Care Team News Launch On Friday 16th July, the Placement Team from The Placement Team shared the positive The the Midland district invited FCA’s Director, Fay The Placement Team shared the positive Alford to the official launch of the bimonthly feedback that had already been received from newsletter ‘Care Team News’. A poster was carers regarding the first edition of ‘Care Team also launched to remind all workers of the News’. This validated that the newsletter is importance of valuing our carers. an additional strategy ensuring that carers feel informed, appreciated and part of the Fay was enthusiastic about Midland’s initiative care team. The poster that was also launched and commitment to building inclusive and highlighted the importance of forming and supportive relationships with foster and maintaining connections with carers. Copies family carers. Fay was pleased to see that the of the poster have been placed around the Midland District had taken this initiative and Midland office. expressed that the aims that the District hoped to achieve were in line with FCAWA goals. 12

Foster Care Training 13

Home Stretch On Wednesday 28 July FCWA staff attended out-of-home care, providing them with the Home Stretch Gallery Walk showcasing enhanced access to services and supports the outcomes of the Home Stretch WA Trial. from 18 years to when they turn 21 years of Held over two days at City Farm the Gallery age. Walk was an interactive opportunity to learn about the trial outcomes and provide input In recognition of the trial’s success, Mark and insights into what happens next. McGown made a $37.2 million election commitment to expand the Home Stretch The Home Stretch trial, run by Anglicare WA Trial across the broader service system. in collaboration with the Department of Communities, Yorganop, CreateWA, and other Follow the link to find out more; https:// key stakeholders, tested an enhanced support drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uHFQxz_ system for young people transitioning from PiMvlwaBvon8H4BdoSlWuJjuw. 14

FCAWA Family Christmas Party 15

www.fcawa.com.au Foster Care Association WA Level 1/20 Gibberd Road Balcatta WA 6021 Ph: 08 9242 4222 | 1 800 497 101 [email protected]

FCAWA Family Christmas Party 17

www.fcawa.com.au Foster Care Association WA Level 1/20 Gibberd Road Balcatta WA 6021 Ph: 08 9242 4222 | 1 800 497 101 [email protected]