Berry Street and Yooralla have merged! These are two of Australia’s longest-serving and most respected social service providers.

So many people living with disability are also experiencing the effects of trauma. So the union is historic and necessary when you consider just two of the many statistics that ring alarm bells.

• At least 50% of young people coming into out-of-home care have a visible or unseen disability

• Women with a disability are more likely to be impacted by family violence, typically experience more severe forms of violence and face greater barriers to accessing support.

Host Richelle Hunt is talking to the newly named CEO of Berry Street Yooralla, Terry Symonds, and Deputy CEO Jenny McNaughton, who we spoke to in episode one.

This really is a full circle episode because it demonstrates Berry’s Street’s hard work, innovation and commitment to openly discussing the needs of children and families facing harm and family violence, but also taking steps to make change, and being willing to make significant change.

It’s an obvious union when you consider that at least 50% of young people coming into out-of-home care have a visible or unseen disability. Women with a disability are more likely to be impacted by family violence, experience more severe forms of violence and face greater barriers to accessing support to better meet a range of intersecting needs.

KEY STATISTICS

• At least 50% of young people coming into out-of-home care have a visible or unseen disability

• Children in out of home care with a disability are amongst the most vulnerable populations in Australia. As at 30 June 2023 45,300 children were in out-of-home care in Australia. Disability status was known for 72% (32,500) of children in care, of whom 21% (9,700) had a disability. Many more have undiagnosed disability.

• 26% of adults with a disability are victims of intimate partner violence.

• Women with a disability are more likely to be impacted by family violence, typically experience more severe forms of violence and face greater barriers to accessing support.

Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

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Thousands of children and young people across Australia can’t live safely at home. They need to be removed and placed into out-of-home care. The best models are typically kinship care and foster care. However, there are serious pressures on these models.

We’re seeing a large decrease in the number of people willing to become foster carers. And the children and young people needing out-of-home care, presenting with ever more complex needs and behaviours.

And with a decrease in the number of people becoming foster carers, the pressure on residential care is increasing.

So, Berry Street has found a program that cares for traumatised young people, and maximises their recovery, it’s called PIC - Professional Individualised Care.

Implementing PIC in Victoria, however, is not a simple exercise.

In this episode of Stories from Berry Street, Richelle Hunt speaks to James Stubbs, Director of Berry Street’s Northern Region, about what PIC could mean for Berry Street and the people in need of extra special care right now. She also talks to Jarrod Wheatley, CEO of PIC in NSW, who explains the success he’s had with the program and the challenges around rolling it out.

IMPORTANT STATISTICS

• Nationally, approximately 46,200 children were in out-of-home care at 30 June 2021 – a rate of 8 per 1,000 children, of these nearly 3,500 were in residential care. (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2020-21/contents/out-of-home-care/how-many-children-were-in-out-of-home-care)

• According to the FCAV, there was a 26% drop in interested carers going through the accreditation process in 2023. This is coupled with more carers exiting the system (https://www.fcav.org.au/assets/docs/fcav-annual-report-2023.pdf)

• The total cost of protective intervention and OOHC services for children living in OOHC was $709 million in FY17-18 (https://www.berrystreet.org.au/uploads/main/Files/SVA-ResearchPaper-TheEconomicCaseForEarlyIntervention-2019.pdf)

Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Child Protection system is overburdened with more children being removed from their homes than ever. Vulnerable families and carers are struggling with the cost of living, housing instability and mental health issues. Early intervention is an area that if funded and resourced correctly, can help ease this burden and support families before they spiral out of control.

To explore the real-world benefits of early intervention programs, Richelle Hunt is talking to Tim Pedlow, Berry Street’s Regional Director in South East Victoria. Tim also oversees the Multisystemic Therapy program or (MST). Richelle also speaks to Laura Vainikka, Clinical Supervisor for MST.

Here too, are some sobering statistics that put the need for early intervention into stark focus:

- Investing approximately $150 million annually over 10 years, will deliver cumulative net savings of $1.6 billion to the Victorian child protection and out-of-home care system alone.

- Approximately 1,200 children would be prevented from entering out-of-home care or progressing to residential care every year.

SVA Report Summary, the Economic Case for Early Intervention 2019.pdf

• The cost of late intervention in Australia is modelled to cost $15.2 billion each year

Teager et al, 2019: How Australia can invest early and return more: A new look at the 15b cost and opportunity

Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.