Mackay Family Support Alliance | Community organisation

Mackay Family Support Alliance

Phone: +61 429 824 955

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25.01.2022 Great opportunities for learning more about Child Protection! #qldchildprotectionweek #protectingchildreniseveryonesbusiness

24.01.2022 Playgroup fun at The Neighbourhood Hub

23.01.2022 National Child Protection Week is fast approaching, and this year’s theme is 'Putting Children First'. For more information on ways that you can support #NCPW a...nd help heal little hearts - check out these great resources online. https://www.napcan.org.au/ncpw-get-involved/ #ncpw20 #playyourpart #ActforKids

22.01.2022 ATSICHS Art Work competition dates have been extended until Monday 23rd November, 2020.......

19.01.2022 Making time for play!

18.01.2022 Food handup 9:40-12 Wednesday-friday

17.01.2022 Mackay TAFE Trade Centre will be offering a new course for High School students for February 2021. The course RII20115 - Certificate II in Resources and Infras...tructure Work Preparation is an entry pathway for students that are interested in a Trade area or Mining industry. It is delivered on-campus 1 day a week over 30 weeks and is eligible to students in year 10, 11 and 12. We will also be offering the opportunity for student to study a White Card Course. Proposed dates: 8th September and 1st December. This will be the 2021 Year 10, 11 and 12 students. If your keen please have a chat with your YLC.

17.01.2022 The Mackay Children and Family Centre (MCFC) is providing a free Hearing Clinic for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged between 6 months and 5 years on 6th and 7th October, 2020. Please see flyer for further details.

16.01.2022 Spread the Christmas cheer Mackay!

14.01.2022 Get out and about with your Bub!

10.01.2022 Don’t forget to come down to Queens Park on Saturday 21 November 10am to 2pm for the Domestic Violence Free Family Fun Day! Hope to see you there ......

10.01.2022 National Child Protection Week Five practical tips on how organisations can put children first From 6 12 September 2020, National Child Protection Week will... celebrate its 30th year with the theme of Putting children first. It encourages all organisations, communities and individuals that work with children to consider how they can prioritise children and their safety. It goes to the heart of child safety strategies to create a child safe culture across the whole organisation and community. However, organisations often continue to struggle to put these ideals into practice. With competing priorities, how can organisations ensure children and their safety are put first? Creating a child safe culture Creating an organisational culture that puts children first involves setting child safety as a priority from the top and recognising the role that every person can play. Organisations need to do more than ‘set and forget’ policies and procedures. The ten National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (National Principles) drawn from the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Royal Commission) recognises the need for a multi-faceted approach to child safety and are a good starting point for organisations. The National Principles are currently considered best practice but will soon become a legal requirement for organisations that work with children in certain states. For example, Victoria is committed to amending the seven Victorian Child Safe Standards to align with the National Principles and New South Wales is considering the National Principles in the development of its own Child Safe Standards. 5 practical steps that organisations should take to foster a child safe culture include: 1 Ensure board buy-in the prioritisation of child safety needs to start from the top. A lack of support from leadership is one of the risk factors identified by the Royal Commission. It is important that in its consideration of strategy, risk and governance, child safety is a key factor. Board members should undergo child safety training, be responsible for approving child safety policies and ensure that child safety is a standing agenda item. 2 Engage your community organisations that work with children will struggle to achieve a child safe culture without obtaining the support of its broader community, including parents / guardians, stakeholders and of course, the children it works with. Organisations should consult with its community on its child safe strategy and policies and provide education to create broader awareness. 3 Go beyond policies and procedures while putting in place a comprehensive suite of policies is a key aspect of child safety, this is only the starting point. Organisations need to do more by ensuring implementation of the policies, training with its staff and volunteers on the documents and their responsibilities and a continuous process of evaluation and improvement. 4 Prioritise prevention simultaneous with taking a risk-based approach to monitor and manage risk, organisations should prioritise prevention. This includes strong HR policies and screening processes to ensure the right individuals are entering your organisation and putting in safeguards to prevent child abuse from occurring. 5 Learn and improve for many organisations, their child safety strategies and documentation are new. In light of the rapidly changing legislative landscape, organisations need to ensure a system for ongoing review and evaluation. As a community, we are all engaging in a process of continuous learning and adapting to the changing child safety environment. Empowering children Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of creating a child safe culture is the need to educate and empower children themselves. The Royal Commission found that organisations that failed to empower children created a greater risk of both the occurrence and length of time of child abuse. Organisations need to involve the children that they work with in their child safe strategy. This will often test assumptions that the organisation may erroneously hold. A key example of this is the increased use of technology by children and the associated child safety risks. If organisations are not aware of how children are interacting online, how can they mitigate these risks? Similarly, terms such as ‘child safety’ and ‘child protection’ are not commonly used by children. Without understanding what safety means to children and what makes them feel safe, an organisation will struggle to create a culture that fosters safety and wellbeing. As a starting point, it is worth organisations asking these questions of the children they work with and testing their assumptions. Organisations should seek to understand what safety means for their children, where they feel safe / don’t feel safe and how they feel the organisation can keep them safe. Consulting with children and allowing them to feel heard is a safeguard in itself as empowered children who understand their rights or feel that they have a voice are less likely to suffer abuse and more likely to speak up if they do.

07.01.2022 Breakthrough for Families Qld (BFFQ) supports families, significant others and loved ones of individuals experiencing substance use issues. Upcoming sessions for September, 2020 in Mackay, Nebo and Whitsunday area. Please see flyers for more details.

07.01.2022 Phone and online access to trained Psychologists when you need it most. Ask your GP how.

06.01.2022 Support is only a phone call away! Family and Child Connect (FACC) is a free and confidential service. Call 13 32 64

06.01.2022 A simple exercise such as finger breathing can support children to focus, manage feelings and bring a sense of calm.

06.01.2022 Centacare CQ in Mackay is moving.

06.01.2022 Does your child threaten, hurt or intimidate you? Do you feel you are loosing control and need to learn better ways to handle conflict? Then this group is for you! The Who’s in Charge? group is a FREE 8 week program for parents or carers of young people aged 10 - 18. See flyer for details.

04.01.2022 Welcome to Mackay, Bravehearts! We are thrilled to welcome your new service in collaboration with the Mackay Women's Centre. This is a much needed addition to support services for children and families in the Mackay region.

02.01.2022 Child Protection is everybody’s business! #qldchildprotectionweek

02.01.2022 3 day Men on Purpose Camp - 27 to 29 November, 2020. Camp is for all men, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Please see flyer for more details and how to book!

01.01.2022 School holiday fun!

01.01.2022 Spaces are limited. Please RSVP by close of business 1 October, 2020 by calling 49619596 or emailing [email protected]