Berry Street Web Docs Annual Report 2010 | Page 15
An elderly woman was subject to attacks from
her violent adult son, who had substance use
and mental health issues. The woman refused
to have her son excluded from the property
and there were grave fears for her safety.
With our advocacy and support, a personal
alarm was installed and she now knows she
can call for help should she need it.
Angie was pregnant with her second child
when she was referred by Child Protection
to our Family Services program in the North
& West. A refugee and sole parent without
family and community support, Angie was
so desperate that she thought she should
relinquish her baby. Our staff recognised
that Angie had many strengths. They slowly
earned her trust and helped her build her
confidence and find people who could support
her. A grant from our Positive Memory Bank
enabled Angie to purchase some books and
toys reflective of her culture. Two years on,
Angie is working part-time, the children are
progressing well and there is no need for Child
Protection involvement.
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Maintaining Relationships
We know that maintaining important family
relationships is critical for the child to develop
and understand ‘who they are’.
Our three Children’s Contact Services
(in Richmond, Shepparton and Watsonia)
supervised access or assisted with
changeovers of 431 children from 362
families. Each of the Contact Services is
designed to be a welcoming and safe place,
where we can maximize the opportunity for
the child to have a positive time with their
non-residential parent. Wherever possible,
we help parents learn how to manage their
access themselves. However, the mental
health issues of an increasing number of
parents means that we may need to stay
involved for a longer period of time.
In Shepparton, we also run education
sessions for parents post separation and
a groupwork program for children to help
them deal with the impact of their parents’
separation.