The of
City
of Greater
Dandenong
City
Greater
Dandenong
Youth Services
Sharing the Learning – CALD Youth Inclusion Project
Katharina Verscharen and Aishling Fagan
Profile of Our Community - 2014
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Approximately 144,000 residents [2013]
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Most culturally diverse municipality in Victoria
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Residents represent 150 different birth places
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Between 2004-2014 refugee settlement primarily from Afghanistan,
Burma, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Thailand
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In 2012/13, 2,240 recently-arrived migrants settled in Greater
Dandenong, the highest number of settlers in any Victorian
municipality. A third (720) were humanitarian immigrants
Community Infrastructure
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Houses a number of state and federal government departments
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High concentration of local and regional community services
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Major transport hub
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Melbourne’s second largest retail and commercial centre, includes
over 7,000 businesses, large shopping complexes at Dandenong
and Keysborough, Dandenong Market
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Dandenong library has one of the highest levels of patronage
across Australia, approx 11,000 visits per week
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Key industries include, metal manufacturing and food processing
and distribution
Young People in Profile - 2014
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26,500 young people (12-25 years) in CGD
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Account for one in five residents
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46% or 13,200 were born overseas
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Long term projection of youth population for 2026 - 30,100
Challenges for Young People
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13% leave school before year 11 (10% for metropolitan Melbourne)
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12.6% unemployed (down from 18%) higher than metropolitan
Melbourne (9.7%)
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Proportion of young people who commit or are victims of violent
crime among the highest in Metropolitan Melbourne
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Substantiated abuse second highest in Metro Melbourne (DHS
Child Protection Data)
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High proportion of risk indicators including substance abuse,
mental health and violence
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Birth rate among teenage women 50% higher than the metropolitan
average
CALD Youth Inclusion Project
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Three year project which commenced in 2008
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One of several responses to the Connections for ‘At Risk’ Young
People report
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Project focused on issues relating to disengaged CALD and
refugee young people in the City of Greater Dandenong (CGD)
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CGD was responsible for leading and coordinating the project
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Jointly funded by Victorian Government and CGD
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Key premise of the project was to strengthen, coordinate and
support the vital work of local agencies and community groups in
responding to the needs of young CALD and refugee young people
CALD Youth Inclusion Project
1. LOCAL
ADVISORY GRP
2. BEING
HERE PLAN
3. FLEXIBLE
FUNDING
4. SPORTS
INCLUSION
CALD Local Advisory Group
Membership
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Membership comprised of community leaders, community groups,
agencies and young people
Role of LAG
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Promoting partnerships and collaboration
Guiding the implementation of the Being Here Plan (Local Action
Plan)
Ongoing advice on current and emerging local community needs
Assessment of flexible funding proposals
Being Here Plan
A community owned and informed plan, mobilised around six-key
themes, with accompanying actions
1. Health and wellbeing
2. Education, Training and Employment
3. Youth Participation & Engagement
4. The Settlement Experience
5. Personal and Community Safety
6. The Service System
A
A
A
A
Partnerships and Collaboration
LAG provided a regular forum / central point for building links
Discussion reflection, action and cross sectoral collaboration
Being Here Plan provided the structure and guided the direction and
the work of the group, formed the basis of brokering partnerships
Examples ~
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Victoria Police ‘Youth Leadership’ Program
Assertive Youth Outreach – [YSAS to present]
‘Race Around the Youth Community’
‘Community Links’
Workforce Development – Coordinated Training Calendar
Practice models adopted by our Youth Service
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Emphasis on embedding youth participation via youth led
committees, e.g. ‘holiday program leadership committee
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Engaging with young people where they meet and connect to elicit
their needs and aspirations
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Individual staff PD as well as whole-team training opportunities i.e.
Foundation House ‘Course for Incidental Counselling’
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Working with multicultural communities, the responsibility fits within
the scope of every staff member as opposed to ‘specialist workers’
Sports Inclusion
Use of sport and recreation as a means of engaging at risk CALD and
refugee young people
Sports Inclusion Program Development Committee
 Identified service gaps, partnership opportunities, facilitated
joint programs and events
 Young Women’s Gala Day } promoting female participation
 School lunch time activities } All Nations Cup
 Soccer and basketball } incorporating refereeing courses
 Water safety Program } Life guard / swim instructor
accreditation
Highlights
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Youth engagement practice warrants strong collaborative
partnerships between mainstream youth services and specialist
settlement services.
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Programmatic responses built on sound evidence and which
consider and embed evaluation from start to finish
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Jointly working to address service issues/gaps, drawing on local
knowledge/expertise, which includes a youth voice, collaborating
and avoiding duplication
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A focus on programs and activities which promote ‘experiential’
learning and foster links to the broader community e.g. ‘youth
leadership’, ‘community programs’, ‘independent living skills’,
accredited courses’, ‘employment prospects
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Emphasis on ‘creative’ and ‘innovative’ models of engagement,
which can potentially involve a number of services.
Partnerships
• Mission Australia
• ERMHA
• Centre for Multicultural Youth
• Catholic Care
• Medicare Local
• Victoria Police
• Foundation House
• WAYSS Housing Services
• South Eastern Migrant Resource Centre
• DHS – Child Protection
• SCABB – Youth Linxs
• DHS – Youth Justice
• Springvale Monash Legal Service
• DHS – Disability Services
• Youth Support and Advocacy Service
• DHS – Services Connect
• Headspace
• DEECED
• Monash Health – Community Health
• Connections
• Monash Health – Mental Health
• Windermere
• Berry Street
• LLEN
• Anglicare
• Secondary Schools
Questions