Lower Mid North Coast
This year we helped 2,992 clients throughout the Lower Mid North Coast region.
We were very active over the past year building relationships in our region by supporting community events.
Our ‘Yap n Yarn’ program in Kempsey has been well received with other services joining in so that participants
can access the community in a relaxed way around a BBQ and feel connected to others. Our Aboriginal Liaison
Officer, Tony Clarke, ran the ‘Back to Basics’ programs at Chatham High School in Taree, meeting up with a
small group of men and supporting them to connect and participate in their community. Tony’s time has
also been spent working with this school in the design stage of an outdoor classroom. One of our Royal
Commission/ Family and Relationship practitioners, Vic Smith, has continued providing weekly services to
Kempsey at the Kempsey gaol and in premises in Kempsey for individual and couples counselling which has
been well received by the Kempsey community.
In Port Macquarie our Building Stronger Families caseworker, Shiree Sinclair, was chair of the organising
committee for the local Child Protection Week Teddy Bears Picnic. The event was attended by over 450
people, providing great opportunities to connect with community members and other services. Additionally,
our practitioner V ic Smith continues to operate the highly successful and well received ‘Mates Group’ monthly
program, helping men to come together in a relaxed environment to enjoy a meal, learn about things that help
them in their roles with their families and communities and connect socially.
Our Children’s Contact Service Coordinator (Helen) and our Area Manager (Eloise) have diligently worked to
improve service utilisation and service delivery in our Children’s Contact Service through increased marketing
strategies and an expansion of services to incorporate a new Contact Service co-located at our Taree office.
This has allowed residents of the Manning/Great Lakes/Gloucester areas to access contact services in their
local area and has been well-received. Staff in the Lower Mid North Coast region have embraced Interrelate’s
new “Paperless Penelope” client database, in turn contributing to our strategic goal of greater environmental
sustainability due to the reduction in maintaining paper files.
Our team is eagerly awaiting next year’s move to the new premises acquired for our Port Macquarie-based
services, which will mean providing services in a purpose-built building with more space for group activities.
This year our regional management team changed, namely with the appointment of our Area Manager (Eloise
Neylon), our Family Relationship Centre Manager in Taree (Jody Webster) and our Relationship Services
Manager in Port Macquarie (Lindsay Hobson). Additionally for the first time this year, we have established a
specialist Family Violence casework service, with our staff member Kim Knight establishing the role with great
credibility and skill, working collaboratively with the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service,
NSW Police Domestic Violence Liaison Officers, Hospital and Health staff, Family and Community Service staff
and other community partners. Referrals have increased incrementally as referral agencies and individuals
have benefited from this specialist intervention service.
We have also been working to strengthen
community partnerships and have developed
good working relationships and warm referral
pathways with the Women’s Domestic
Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS),
headspace (memorandum of understanding
to deliver counselling and casework services
to the families and carers of young people
presenting to headspace), the Family Referral
Service, Ability Links, Centacare community
services including Community Options,
the local Mental Health Service, Mid North
Coast Community Legal Centre, Family and
Community Services, Disability Advocacy, Port
Macquarie Neighbourhood Centre, Skillslink
and Endeavour Clubhouse.
Annual Teddy Bear’s Picnic
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