Title: Family Strengths Conference
1 Presentation by Deborah Hartman The Family
Action Centre University of Newcastle February
2006
2The Family Action Centre
- Family Action Centre (FAC) aims to strengthen
families and communities in Australia by
influencing policy and the way in which services
to families are delivered. We combine community
service research dissemination and advocacy to
impact on policy and practice in relation to
supporting families and building communities in
Australia.
3Programs
- The Family Action Centre delivers a range of
programs including the following - Boys in Schools Program
- Engaging Fathers Program
- Home-Start
- Caravan Project
- Brothers Inside
- Communities for Children Raymond Terrace
Karuah - The FACs position is that policymakers
researchers service providers should be
challenged to focus on the strengths of families
the assets of communities as well as risk and
adversity.
4Key considerations
- Service Providers Policy Makers Researchers
Thinking Acting Differently to Strengthen
Families - In order to maximise outcomes for children and
families there needs to be effective integration
between service providers policy makers and
researchers - Key considerations are
- The importance of common purpose approaches
- The need for structures that facilitate dialogue
- Discovering what works not just what does not
work - Investing in resources for evaluation for service
providers
5The Family Action Centre
- Is FAC a facilitator implementation of
evidence in practice link between research and
practitioners - FAC combines functions of community service
research advocacy and dissemination - Our community services programs informs us what
are the issues on the ground stimulates action
and research.
6The Boys in Schools Program
- Boys in Schools Program (BiSP) has been
operating since 1996 - Government policy out of step with practitioners
and researchers - BiSP collected evidence in Australia and overseas
- Worked with schools
- Developed a newsletter disseminate effective
strategies - Developed resources
- Developed post-graduate course in Boys Education
- Provide staff training action research
- Conducted biennial national conference (April
2005 960 delegates).
7Literacy benchmarks
- Percentage of Year 3 and Year 5 students
(national) who performed at or above the literacy
benchmarks by gender (1997)
Source ACER (1997) Australian School English
Literacy Survey
8Year 12 completion rates
By locality and gender 1984 to 1998 ()
Source National Report on Schooling in
Australia 1997
9Apparent retention rates
Source Australian Bureau of Statistics February
2004
10Outcomes for life - BOYS
- Boys die at twice the rate of girls from injuries
- Juvenile males are nine times more likely to
commit serious assaults - Young males suicide at five times the rate of
girls - Boys are nine times more likely than girls to be
convicted on a drug charge - Young men are six times more likely to be killed
at work and seven times more likely than females
to be permanently disabled - 97 of those who are HIV positive are males
- 98 of deaths from AIDS are male
- On any one day in Australia there are 1100 boys
and 200 girls in custody
11What makes a successful boys strategy
- Data informed
- Strengths based
- Solution focused
12Boys doing well
- 3 crucial linked focus areas
RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
relationships
LEARNING
LEARNING
IDENTITY
learning
identity
13Boys doing well
Learning Opportunities to explore and expand
his Interests Demonstrated skills
Learning and assessment in ways he is
comfortable with Learning from taking risks and
failing safely Using sharing and expanding
repertoire of strengths in a group
Identity Opportunities to explore celebrate and
expand his Ideas of being male Empathy
Interests Strengths Cultural family
background Self concept and resilience
through success failure
Relationships Opportunities to explore and expand
his Working with others Negotiation skills
and resolving conflicts Male and female role
models Effective relationships see them and
try them out
14What was the data saying
- High suspension rates
- High classroom referrals
- Poor attendance
- Poor ELLA SNAP SC and HSC results
15HSH Program
- The Strategies Year 7
- The Camp
- Engaging dads
- Boy friendly units of work
- Positive rewards
- Learning styles electives
- Celebration Day
-
16What the data is telling us now
17SNAP growth data
18ELLA growth data
19Suspension rates
- General suspension data
- Semester 1 2004 142
- Semester 2 2004 115
- Semester 1 2005 94
- Term 3 2005 27
20Boys suspensions
- Semester 1 2004 74.6
- Semester 2 2004 70.4
- Semester 1 2005 68.1
- Term 3 2005 46
21Aboriginal suspensions
2003 84 students 52 suspensions 2004 103
students 43 suspensions 2005 135 students 23
suspensions
22Evaluating 2004
- What the boys said
- What kinds of things have the school and
teachers done this year to help you to achieve
success - Taught me well
Teachers helped us out heaps - Teachers sent out and yelled
Played footy - Commendation system Gave
us a happy learning environment - What would you like your teachers and school to
do next year to help keep you on track - Help with homework
Mixed classes - Explain more
More excursions - Friendly atmosphere
Get writing off tables - Cleaner toilets
Canteen (lines too long) - Better sausage rolls
More hot dogs
23Evaluating 2004
- 100 of parents who were present rated the
success achieved by their boys between 7-10 - 82 of boys rated their success in the range of
7-10 - 18 of boys rated their success in the range of
1- 6
24Evaluating 2004
- What the teachers said
- Ive changed my whole teaching style I have a
lot more fun with the boys now. Kirstin - Well the hands on stuff will always work with
boys. It works with me too. Ross - Ive really enjoyed this project. Its great
to have time to think about your teaching.
Rosemary - Im disappointed not enough dads got involved.
- I should have waited and done it properly. Phil
25The Engaging Father Program
- Worked with institutions (schools EC centres
health services) to develop appropriate
strategies to engage fathers in services better
outcomes for children - Little evidence of what works
- EF team collaborated with services to develop
action research approach to changing practice - Developed resources
- Report on Fatherhood Research in Australia
- October 2005 National Forum to bring together
practitioners policy makers and researchers
what are the competencies for effective father
engagement
26Fathers School Together (FAST) in Literacy and
Learning A Resource Manual for Schools
(Tranter 2004)
Skills and Strengths of Indigenous Dads Uncles
Pops Brothers DVD and posters
Bringing Fathers in Handbook How to engage with
men for the benefit of everyone in the family
(Fletcher 2004)
27The way forward
- A collaborative partnership between the Family
Action Centre and other service providers - A program combining research and practice that
links boys and men at key transition points in
their lives birth to babyhood transition to
pre-school transition to school transition to
work.
