Creating Capable Communities
(CCC)
Southern Family
Life, Melbourne, Vic
Stronger Families Learning Exchange Bulletin No.5 Autumn 2004 p.54-55
Old Hands! One of the Stronger Families Fund projects which has featured several times in the Bulletins' update series reflects on the project's progress, and discusses how the project has changed the community, and plans to maintain and build on their work into the future.
What has the project been doing since the last report?
Plans were in the pipeline previous to this report for the commencement of a new community facility accessible to families living in the surrounding public housing estates. This initiative has really taken off. Since commencement of programs in September 2003, we have had at least 60 families utilise the facility. Apart from an initial Open Day, to launch the opening of the facility, families are participating in the programs largely by word of mouth. Families who are already well connected are telling others about the facility and bringing them along. From the outset, residents have been encouraged to see the facility as their own, to participate in the planning and to set the direction for the future. Formal mechanisms have supported this process and residents and facilitators meet on a regular basis to discuss programs and planning. The current programs are those which have been decided upon by residents and regular reviews and consultation with residents are paramount to providing what they feel is relevant.
Towards the end of our previous six month review, we interviewed parents and children who had participated in our Homework Club at the facility at Highett Estate. Their feedback indicated that much had been gained for their children particularly, in attending for the last 12-18 months. However, parents also felt that there were many families that we were not reaching who had no interest in attending the Homework Club. The parents of children who were regularly attending decided they would like to start a separate Parents group of their own to begin to discuss these issues in more depth and find ways of reaching these other families. Parents door-knocked their neighbours to invite them along. The group members doubled in one week as a result! These parents are currently working on a project which will help to welcome new families on the estate. This involves compiling a folder with information about the estate itself, local services and supports. They are also working on a list of rights and responsibilities which they wish to promote to the families living on the Estate.
How has the project changed your community? How do you know?
We are seeing residents play an integral part in the planning and running of programs. This is happening both through the formal mechanisms available such as regular meetings, and in informal ways which are a byproduct of families building relationships with one another and widening their social networks.
Residents already connected are informing others of the activities and opportunities available and encouraging them to participate.
Residents and not just workers are meeting to talk about and find solutions to the harder challenges such as how to get other families involved and building a community which promotes values of trust and safety.
This is now happening because the residents involved already feel safe and confident enough to take the initiative and hopefully bring along others with them.
Families who need additional supports are now more aware of what our service can offer or other supports in the community. More of these families are self-referring to these, or other families in their community are advocating on their behalf.
Partnering with local services, clubs, volunteers and other members of the community continues to provide a bridge for families into the wider community, and again build future opportunities for families to resource not only their needs, but also their contributions.
How do you plan to maintain and build on the work you are doing into the future?
It is evident from what we are observing and the feedback from residents, that there are small but significant changes happening. The reality of this is that change does take time. In the almost 3 years of the running of this project, we have come far enough to begin to see residents take ownership and initiative for some things. However, when residents were asked whether they felt these projects would continue without the backing of our service, they were not convinced at this stage that they would. This indicates that there is still a way to go in building the assets of the community to a point where residents are able to be autonomous.
The project is in its final stage of funding with no promise at this stage of continued funding. To build certainty and hope into a community and stop half-way because the resources are no longer available makes no sense at all. Residents and workers want the work to continue. Indeed, the consistency and momentum needs to be maintained for longer-term and sustainable success. Residents have indicated they still need our support with this and we will endeavour to provide it.
