Snapshot of supports for at risk young people in our region

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This Regional Snapshot aims to help build understanding about the profile of young people, including at risk young people, in the Cockburn, Melville and Fremantle region and insights about issues, needs, responses and emerging initiatives. The Snapshot also includes information on the wider context impacting young people, state and local strategies and plans, youth homelessness and service responses.

The Snapshot was prepared for Imagined Futures and St Patrick’s Community Support Centre (St Pat’s) by Pauline Logan Consulting to share with the Imagined Futures network and to inform the St Pat’s Youth Place Review and exploration of opportunities and gaps for supporting at risk young people in the region.

The Snapshot draws on demographic information, research and consultations by YACWA for the City of Cockburn, City of Fremantle, City of Melville to inform their respective Youth Strategies, a brief desk top exploration and insights from the Imagined Futures network and consultations with the Imagined Futures – Youth Initiative Working Group, and representatives from CREATE Foundation, Y-Shac (Anglicare), SMYL Community Services, headspace Fremantle, Cockburn Youth Centre (City of Cockburn) and the City of Fremantle (Community Development team).

Click here to download the Final Regional Snapshot 2024

Help us share Where is the door? key messages

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Imagined Futures Where is the door? project has developed a campaign to share key messages which address barriers for people who may be reaching out for support. We need your help to share the key messages of the campaign in Cockburn, Fremantle and Melville as the more people involved in sharing these messages, the more impactful the campaign will be.

A Community Toolkit has been developed with a step-by-step guide to download tiles and share the key messages of the campaign. You can choose from a range of tiles that can be shared through social media, e-newsletters and other online platforms to encourage people to reach out for support.

Click here to download the Community Toolkit

Where is the door? Project Introduction

Imagined Futures Where is the door? program helps people navigate local services to find the right support at the right time. The program is targeting people living in local government areas of Cockburn, Fremantle and Melville.

The Where is the door? is responding to an increased need from community due to higher costs of living, housing pressures and other demands creating increased stress for individuals and families. Many people find themselves looking for support for the first time and do not know where to start.

The Where is the door? website shows people where they can access mental health, family and domestic violence, financial wellbeing and other supports, connecting community members to a range of local free and low-cost services, including face-to-face, phone support, online resources and contacts for further support in navigating services.

Where is the door? Key Messages:

FREE and low cost supports available in Cockburn, Fremantle and Melville
The earlier you reach out, the more options are available
A range of options to suit you: face-to-face, phone support, online support and resources
You may be eligible for more than you think
There’s support available to help you navigate complex problems

Imagined Futures supports frontline workers to tackle burnout!

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This week, the Imagined Futures Community of Practice hosted a workshop, Exploring Burnout and Activating Self-Care, for frontline workers in the South West Metro region. This interactive training session, led by RDP Enterprise Solutions, focused on understanding stress, compassion fatigue and burnout, including recognising signs and symptoms and exploring prevention strategies such as boundaries and self-care.

This training was in response to increased pressure reported by frontline workers who are supporting more and more people needing assistance with the increasing costs of living.
Thank you to Neami National, who funded the training, and the City of Melville for providing the venue.

We got some great feedback from our 19 participants, who attended from ten different organisations including local government and community agencies.

“This training was well presented and resourceful. I leave more confident about how to set and keep my boundaries in my personal and work life.”

“Great training with very useful tools and techniques.”

“Was useful to stop and reflect on my own behaviour and that of people I work with and my family and friends.”

Imagined Futures launches new website to connect people to the right support at the right time

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Imagined Futures is pleased to introduce a new website – Where is the door? This is a key step in progressing the Where is the door? Framework a multi-pronged approach to help people better navigate community services in the local government areas of Cockburn, Fremantle and Melville.

With cost-of-living pressures hitting individuals, and families, harder than ever, more people are reaching out for support; many for the first time. Where is the door? is a free, simple to use resource to help people to find the help they need, at the right time, in the right place – our local community!

Where is the door? shows people where they can access mental health, family and domestic violence, financial counselling and other supports in their community. It also provides tools and pathways for people to access specific and multiple forms of support eg: support for parents while waiting for a child’s specialist medical appointment, or financial counselling to help ease stress during tough times.

The website connects community members to first point of contact for a range of local supports including crisis lines, local and mostly free face to face services, vetted telephone and online supports. Where is the door? shares information about our region for service providers to make appropriate referrals and better understand the service mix in Cockburn, Fremantle and Melville.

Click here to veiw the Where is the door? website.

Davis Park Recipe Book Volume 2

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The Davis Park project is run by Imagined Futures who have been operating in Davis Park since 2014. Imagined Futures work with the community to create a community where residents feel safe and supported; where children and young people are engaged in educational, vocational, and recreational activities. We work together to create a good place to live, providing a place and time for residents to meet and connect. It is at these gatherings that local community matters are discussed, problems and joys are shared. Volume 2 of the Davis Park Recipe Book is to share the healthy, affordable, and yummy meals we have been serving up each Friday for the Davis Park community.  The recipe book can be found here

Imagined Futures Annual Story

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2023 marked the 10th year anniversary of the Imagined Futures partnership.

It is a remarkable milestone given that, despite delivering on strategic priorities, most of its work sits outside of established funding pathways. Remarkably, four members of our Leadership Group have been on our journey since the beginning – Michael Piu, Leanne Hartill, Julie Mitchell, and Claire Heffernan. Many others have served for several years. Michael Piu, in his role as Chair, has made an especially significant contribution by embodying the qualities that underpin collaborative working and in doing so, leads by example.

The ongoing commitment of our members towards working beyond the scope of their individual agencies toward shared objectives is the foundation of the partnership’s success.

This Annual Story is a testament to the vision and shared commitment of them

 

Navigating Children’s Mental Health Services in the South West metro region

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The Imagined Futures Community of Practice delivered another impactful workshop today – this time aimed at building the capacity of service providers to navigate the service system to improve support for children experiencing mental ill-health and their families.

This collaborative effort brought together 40 people from 22 agencies spanning government, non-profit agencies, and private practice.

As the keynote speaker the Commissioner for Children and Young People the Hon. Jacqueline McGowan-Jones spoke with eloquence and passion about the need for young person’s voices to be heard, the urgency for action to address childhood poverty and trends such as the rapid increase in numbers of young people from multicultural communities requiring support.

Following the keynote address, participants engaged in roundtable Q and A sessions with local providers of support for families and children including:

  • Just Kids Health
  • South West Metro Parenting Network,
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service,
  • Connecting Communities for Kids
  • Uniting WA’s Attach program and
  • Youthcare

This event is part of an ongoing series of workshops with each one responding to specific community needs, ensuring our efforts are timely and relevant.

The success of these events is a true reflection of the calibre and commitment of the Community of Practice members*, which is ably led by Sue Nickisson from Communicare.  The workshops are put together on an extremely small budget because each of the members’ contributions are largely in kind – for example the in this case the venue was provided by the City of Cockburn.  Each of the CoP members worked together to organize logistics and promote the event. Imagined Futures contributed to the catering costs through the Where is the Door? Project funding.

*Imagined Futures Community of Practice is comprised of Sue Nickkison, Communicare (Chair); Sakina Bindahneem, Fremantle Women’s Health Centre; Evie Devitt-Rix, City of Fremantle; Linda Walker, City of Cockburn; Kriz Brander, Library Connect (St Pat’s/ City of Fremantle) with backbone support from Karen Silverthorne, Imagined Futures.

 

Djeran Day

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Imagined Future’s Djeran Cultural Connections Day, was a special event connecting Aboriginal kids in care with family, community and culture. The event brought together 58 children in care and their families and carers and local service providers.

It was an emotional day, with some children meeting their siblings for the first time, but above all it was a chance for kids to be kids and celebrate their proud cultural heritage with dancing, art, games and more thanks to the Stephen Michael Foundation Ltd.

Thank you to Uncle Gerrard Shaw for the Welcome to Country, to Tim Kelly and his family for sharing Dreamtime stories and getting us up and dancing and to Neami National and the Department of Communities WA for making this wonderful initiative happen.

The Cultural Connections Days are an ongoing opportunity for Aboriginal children in care to connect to culture, family and community in the South West Metro region.

Understanding Family and Domestic Violence

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The Imagined Futures Community of Practice hosted a second workshop, Understanding Family and Domestic Violence, for frontline workers in the South West Metro region. This interactive training session, led by Communicare, focused on understanding the signs of abuse and practical strategies to safely support someone experiencing family and domestic violence.

The City of Fremantle provided the venue, with 28 participants attending, representing ten different organisations including local government and community agencies.
Some great feedback from participants:

“Amazing presentation, really informative!”

“Presenters were very knowledgeable. Thank you”

“The content of the presentation was engaging especially learning from other service providers and lived experience.”

This event was delivered through the Community of Practice, which is a group of local human services workers who come together to collaborate and address gaps in services in the South West Metro region. The Community of Practice events are generally low budget, with each of the members contributing in kind. Thanks to the City of Fremantle and Communicare for their contributions to this event and the Community of Practice for their commitment to providing training and networking opportunities for frontline workers.

*Imagined Futures Community of Practice is comprised of Sue Nickisson Nickkison, Communicare; Sakina B., Fremantle Women’s Health Centre Evie Devitt-Rix, City of Fremantle; Linda Walker, City of Cockburn; Krizanne Brander-Cuffe, Library Connect (St Pat’s/ City of Fremantle) with backbone support from Karen Silverthorne, Imagined Futures.

Imagined Futures sets its priorities for 2024

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The Imagined Futures Leadership Group recently came together to plan its work for the coming year.  The group not only agreed key focus areas, but also identified how the partnership can foster catalysts that will increase our collective impact across all the priority areas.

To read the Plan click here