Family Empowerment Report - January to December 2014

Cape York Partnership has undergone a major renewal in 2014 to form a unique group dedicated to the next phase of the Cape York Agenda and

building economic opportunity and employment.

Following a process of restructuring our regional organisations into a single corporate and management

structure, we are now the Cape York Partnership. Our touchstone remains our partnership with

individuals, families and communities as they strive for lives of value, freedom and prosperity. The Family

Empowerment Report is published quarterly and serves to monitor and measure and communicate the

achievements and challenges of those living and working in Cape York Welfare Reform communities.

©2015 Not to be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of Cape York Partnership. Cape York Partnership takes all care to ensure the accuracy and quality of the information in this report. Cape York Partnerships cannot guarantee complete accuracy and all materials are provided without warranty.

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General Manager’s Foreword

Individual and family development

Hubs for opportunity

QUARTER 1

Aurukun O-Hub Q1

Coen O-Hub Q1

Hope Vale O-Hub Q1

Mossman Gorge O-Hub Q1

QUARTER 2

Aurukun O-Hub Q2

Coen O-Hub Q2

Hope Vale O-Hub Q2


QUARTER 3

Aurukun O-Hub Q3

Coen O-Hub Q3

Hope Vale O-Hub Q3


QUARTER 4

Aurukun O-Hub Q4

Coen O-Hub Q4

Hope Vale O-Hub Q4


contents 4

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GENERAL MANAGER’S FOREWORD We make no secret about our aim to end the scourge of passive welfare dependency and its disastrous consequences for our Indigenous people of Cape York.

While there is a long way to go, the Cape York Welfare Reform initiative in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge has had a significant impact. The independent evaluation in 2013 by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Service and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) concluded that it has achieved a level of progress rarely evident in previous reform programmes in Queensland’s remote Indigenous communities.

A year on from this evaluation we can report a continuation of this trend, steady but sure progress. This document provides quarterly data recorded by our O-Hub (formerly Opportunity Hub) staff who work with and alongside partners. Both staff and partners share their highlights, successes and challenges. This report imparts only a snapshot of the standout individuals and families embracing change and influencing those around them. It’s these personal insights that epitomise the impact that our support and products are having on their lives and the lives of their children.

These stories also validate our belief that programmes conceived on the philosophical foundations of passive welfare impede progress and make bad problems worse. Our reform principles demand mutual obligation, and the development of capabilities through products and programmes that provide opportunity and foster responsibility.

The progress made by families in Mossman Gorge is testament to our tenet that our people will take up opportunities and transition out of welfare and into the real economy if solutions are driven from the ground up and designed in collaboration with those they are meant to benefit.

The community of Mossman Gorge has further demonstrated the critical advantage of economic opportunity in achieving positive change. The Gateway Tourism project brought about under the Welfare Reform initiative has enabled Mossman Gorge residents to step off the welfare pedestal into a new world of financial independence. Almost all families in the Gorge are making their children’s education a priority through Student Education Trusts, becoming financially responsible through MPower, and taking care of their home and families through Pride of Place, Home Pride and Parenting programmes. The power of a job and opportunity for economic independence must not be underestimated and needs to be a priority for all Cape communities and governments over the coming years.

Women are proving to be proud agents of change on Cape York. It is acknowledged globally that women play a crucial role in solving the most persistent development problems facing the world today. It’s also recognised that education is a key to ending the cycle of poverty. Combine the powerful forces of education, women and children in Cape York and we see green shoots of change.

In our Cape York Welfare reform communities, 738 young people have a Student Education Trust (SET) accounts, which means money is put aside for educational and school needs. That’s 58 per cent of all young people aged 0–24 years. Eighty per cent of SET donors are women. The education of children is a priority for women in our communities. I am particularly impressed by dad Peter Gibson in Hope Vale who is aware of the disparity between men and women when it comes to their children’s education and is advocating for fathers to get on board and support education as a priority.

These people are a leading example not only to those living in Cape York, but to families all over Australia.

In 2014 Cape York families have saved $303,998.49 towards their children’s education. Since 2006 families in these four communities have saved an astonishing $2,144,496.78 for future educational needs. In the past 12 months parents have spent $247,122.64 on educational products to ensure their children are school ready. A total of 2522 individual items were purchased with these funds—mostly uniforms, school resources such as bags and stationery, books, readers and educational toys and games.

Many women are also working hard to improve their parenting skills, representing 83 per cent of all members signed up to ITAV Parenting. Our staff are taking a tougher approach and having hard conversations to encourage men to step up. This has seen males represent 17 per cent of all ITAV Parenting members in 2014. We hope to see this proportion rise as both men and women take responsibility for raising happy and healthy children.

Our Opportunity Products show a steady climb in membership across the board indicating that more and more people are actively participating in the reform agenda. At the end of 2014, a total of 1804 individuals were signed up to at least one Opportunity Product. Of these, 39 per cent were signed up to two or more Opportunity Products. Since the total combined population of Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge was only 2,489 as at the 2011 Census date, we now have approximately 74 per cent of the total population participating.

Across all four communities approximately 97 per cent of the adult population (>15 years of age at the 2011 Census

Cape York women in Welfare reform communities are putting children first to ensure

they get the education that they deserve.

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date) are engaged with MPower, a nine per cent increase on 2013. While we believe that active membership means people are proactively engaging with their finances, it’s our aim to support partners in gaining the skills and capability needed to ensure that they are living within their means and meeting the needs of their family. Those who are signed up to MPower are also likely to be signed up to other products designed to increase financial literacy and planning behaviours, including Wise Buys and SET.

Growing participation in ITAV Parenting has been a challenge due to the stigma attached to ‘parenting classes’ as if an admission of ‘failure’. To help break down this barrier we made a commitment to employ local people. Employing local people can and does present skill and experience deficits. To fulfil the roles it means they themselves must first have the capacity to manage their finances or parent well in order to impart skills and knowledge onto others as MPower or ITAV Parenting consultants.

We entered 2014 with a goal to further grow local Indigenous capacity within our Parenting and O-Hubs and have invested heavily in mentoring and training local people for local jobs.

We are steadfast in our commitment to build local capacity to enable locals to perform this valuable role in their community. This is an area that Cape York Partnership is leading the way and we advocate at all levels of government to work towards empowering local people to fill local positions. We are continuing to see the proportion of Indigenous employees across our organisations grow. For example, the O-Hubs now boast 63 per cent Indigenous staff while the Cape York Leaders Program now has 100 per cent Indigenous staff. Our partnership with Cape York Employment, the new Remote Jobs and Communities Program provider in Aurukun and Coen, has also enhanced our efforts to recruit local Indigenous staff and to cross promote opportunities such as MPower and Pride of Place to job seekers. Eighty-nine per cent of all Cape York Employment staff are now Indigenous. We look forward to seeing these proportions increase as we continue to lead the way in growing local Indigenous capacity.

FIONA JOSE

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND RESPONSIBILITY

• Currently, 83 per cent of SET donors are also signed on to MPower. These members are taking responsibility for their children’s education and also seeking to improve their financial literacy and behaviour.

• Currently, 97 per cent of Wise Buys members are also signed on to MPower. Members seeking to improve their financial literacy and behaviour are also learning about better purchasing options.

WISE BUYS314

SET589

MPOWER1659

486 305

PETER GIBSON “I signed up for SET so that my kids will have funds to pay for their education.” Speaking with an MPower coach, Peter Gibson learned of the benefits his kids would have if he set up a Student Education Trust for his children.

“I realised that the SET would pay for their education. My kids are not at school yet, but I’ll be using their SET for their high school education. I want to see my kids with a good education and a better future.”

Peter said since taking up SET, he felt “a weight lifted off my shoulders”.

“More fathers need to sign up for SET to help their kids with their education and dreams.”

MPOWER1659

305 486

WISE BUYS314

SET589

ITAV HOME PRIDE76

ITAV PARENTING

249153

57

40

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL LITERACY AND RESPONSIBILITY

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION TO BUILD STRONGER

FAMILIES

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION TO BUILD STRONGER FAMILIES

• Currently, only 53 per cent of Home Pride members are also members of Parenting.

• Since ITAV Parenting and Home Pride complement each other well in terms of building a holistic skill set for good parenting, these figures highlight an opportunity to cross-product promotions and referrals for these two programmes.

ITAV HOME PRIDE

76

ITAV PARENTING

24940

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Our work is devoted

to enabling the people

of Cape York to make

choices and have

opportunities that improve

their lives and their

children’s lives. While we

grasp the potential of

individuals, we nurture the

importance of strong and

harmonious families.

developmentINDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY

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Land Reform & Home Ownership

Recognition & Reconciliation

Individual &Family Development

Employment & Economic

Opportunity

EducationCape York

Welfare Reform

Language& Culture

Leadership

Families

A FAMILY CENTRED APPROACH

Cape York Partnership pursues Indigenous empowerment. The long hand of government intervention in the lives of Indigenous people has too often smothered Indigenous initiative, leadership and responsibility. Cape York Partnership is an Indigenous organisation that has stood up to lead a comprehensive reform agenda to turn this on its head. We want to ensure that Indigenous rights and responsibility exist

in proper balance, and Indigenous people are truly enabled to be the masters of their own destinies.

Our touchstone is our partnership with individuals, families and communities as they strive for lives of value, freedom and prosperity. We believe in the potential of all people. We place our children’s rights to a better future at the forefront.

OUR VISION | The people of Cape York have the capabilities to choose a life they have reason to value.

OUR COGS OF CHANGECREATING OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, GROW AND PROSPER

• Innovative policy, research and on-the-ground reforms are the lifeblood elements of Cape York Partnership.

• Each policy and operational area of the Cape York Partnership is like a cog in an engine—each plays an important role in the functioning of the machine that drives our reform agenda.

While Cape York Partnership aims to get all of the cogs moving, this Report focuses on individual and family development and progress and observations in this regard from our O-Hubs in Cape York Welfare Reform Communities of Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge.

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INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT“Children and families are at the heart of everything we do”

It is individuals and families, not communities, who are the key agents of change in the move from passive welfare to self-reliance and economic freedom.

From our beginning, in 2000, we have argued that social policy had been wrongly focused on the misguided concept of ‘community’ and that the individual and family are too frequently subsumed under the vague notion of ‘community development’. We felt the focus of innovation needed to be on family development and empowerment rather than ‘community development. Communities are uplifted only when widespread individual and family change occurs.

‘Push’ and ‘pull’ factors are needed to get individuals and families to change from passivity, dependence and dysfunction, to responsibility, self-reliance and functioning. Push factors might include increasing the conditionality of welfare payments; pull factors must include providing opportunities and investment in capability-building. Our innovation is in ‘opportunity’—creating opportunity for self-reliance and responsibility rather than passive services that compound dependency.

INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT UNDER CAPE YORK WELFARE REFORMAs part of the Welfare Reform initiative Cape York Partnership established O-Hubs in communities which opted in to the reform agenda—Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge.

Our O-Hub staff focus on empowering individuals and families, so they can change their own and their children’s lives. We recognise we can’t make change happen for people; but we can support, inspire, and assist people to learn and grow so they can do it themselves.

Some standard features of programmes and products include:

• real incentives like the chance at home improvement

• capability building through the transfer of knowledge and skills, and embedded responsibilities

• strategic conversations that empower individuals and families to imagine brighter futures and inspire them to take control of their journey

• working with individuals and families to move aspirations from ‘down there’ to ‘up here’

• quid pro quo commitments on individuals and families to contribute their money, labour or time, e.g. by maintainingregularfinancialcontributions,orproviding‘sweat equity’.

The work of the Family Responsibilities Commission is also focused on restoring positive social norms and building individual and family capability. The Family Responsibilities Commission holds people to account when they breach key social norms, such as failing to get children to school, through conferencing led by local Commissioners. During conferencing, Commissioners talk with individuals and families about making changes in their lives, and refer people to the O-Hub and other support services to help them change their behaviour.

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O-Hubs assist families to become competent and confident in managing their money, and caring for their family.They are a one-stop-shop for Opportunity Products designed to encourage and support individuals and families to manage and take responsibility for their finances, health and their children’s education. It has replaced the traditional welfare service centres that previously created dependency by delivering passive services to families.

Our O-Hub staff are seeing people take control of their lives and pursue bigger dreams and a better existence. It might be that the first step was taking control of money through MPower, or deciding to work out how to have a more satisfying relationship with children through our parenting programmes.

The focus of the O-Hubs is to support welfare dependent individuals and families to live at a level of basic functionality through:

SUPPORTING FAMILIES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

opportunityHUBS FOR

• Engaging in their children’s education

• Positive parenting

• Pride in the family home

• Budgeting and income

• Engaging in family health

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MPOWERProvides support to manage money for basic material needs, build capabilities through financial literacy and behavior change, and to build assets through saving and disciplined money management.Launched: 2011 Membership: 1548

STUDENT EDUCATION TRUSTStudent Education Trust (SET) supports parents to meet their child’s education and development needs from birth to graduation. Many family members can contribute to a child’s education trust promoting positive reciprocity.Launched: 2007 Students: 828 Donors: 567

WISE BUYSA programme to assist people to identify value for money household goods and services and access them independently.Launched: 2012 Membership: 242

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILDA suite of specialised opportunities for parents and carers to learn how best to support a child’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development from infancy to adulthood. Launched: 2012 Membership: 209

HOME PRIDEAn interior decorating do-it-yourself project designed to grow skills in running a household, strengthening family relationships, cook healthy meals and maintaining a home.Launched: 2013 Membership: 63

PRIDE OF PLACEA backyard renovation project where families make a financial and physical contribution or ‘sweat equity’ and in return receive labour and materials to help complete their project.Launched: 2010 Membership: 285

BUSH OWNER BUILDER An initiative that enables family members to collectively contribute financially and physically to build a shack on traditional homelands. Available in Hope Vale only.Launched: 2011 Builds: 2 completed, 2 in progress

OPPORTUNITY PRODUCTSOpportunity Products are designed to activate and encourage self-reliance and responsibility and often include quid pro quo commitments from individuals and families to contribute money, labour or time.

The products are in a constant state of review and improvement as community needs evolve.

It takes a village to raise a child

Pride of Place


Q12014



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Green shoots continue to appear in Aurukun with many

families stepping up to take control of their finances and

their family life. Terry Woolla and Mildred Karyuka are a fine

example of the positive change we see each week. Terry

and Mildred are taking a team approach to their parenting

and attending sessions together. They say it’s good for the

kids and good for their relationship. Read more about their

progress on page 15.

The official end to the wet season enabled roads to be

re-opened. With this comes a high movement of families

outside of the township to visit family. Despite this the

O-Hub continued to see a steady increase in membership

across Opportunity Products—Student Education Trusts

and MPower in particular.

ITAV parenting started touch football games as a means of

engaging families, men in particular. The Best Garden in the

Village competition in March drew a good number of entries

and stimulated a hive of activity in backyards throughout

the community with both competitors and non-competitors

getting involved.

A SET fair was held to coincide with the opening of the new

Business Precinct. The stall was well patronised with almost

$2,000 in school and educational supplies purchased.

The POP team has been busy helping families to complete

projects held up by the wet season. Only a small number

of POP projects have been scheduled this quarter but we

expect this to increase as the rain activity lifts.

The Aurukun teams are focused on increasing proactive

engagement and providing more touch points for residents

to easily learn about the opportunities available through

the Parenting and Opportunity Hubs.

AURUKUN O-HUB Q1 POINTS OF INTEREST• A SET Fair saw many parents purchasing school items

for their children• The Best Garden in the Village Competition attracted

14 garden nominations and a good standard of entries

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Roads have re-opened following the lift in the rainy

season. As a result there has been increased movement of locals travelling outside the township to visit family. The road opening has also increased the trafficking of alcohol into the community, and consumption has resulted in unrest.

• An accidental shooting tragedy involving the death of a child heavily impacted on the community mood with several weeks of low engagement.

• Late wet season resulted in delayed deliveries for POP making projects difficult to complete.

• Theft and damage to CYP assets interrupted services at several periods throughout this quarter.

• Staff resignations created periods of low proactive engagement.

DEMOGRAPHIC POPULATION (AT CENSUS 2011)

Overall 1190

Adult (15+) (MPower eligibility) 811

Adult (18+) 750

Children (0–14) 379

Youth (0–25) (SET eligibility) 617

Early childhood (0–4) 126

Primary school (5–11) 203

Secondary school (12–17) 113

Tertiary/further education (18–25) 175

Households 179


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AURUKUN Q1PARTNER PARTICIPATION SUMMARY

The Aurukun O-Hub has been abuzz this quarter as membership continues to increase across most of the Opportunity Products. Community members are continuing to engage well with MPower and SET. An increasing number of families are signing up and seeing real benefits from participating in these programmes. ITAV staff will continue to evolve their engagement approach and, as a result, we hope to see greater programme participation over the coming months and years—both for women and men. Finally, only a small number of new POP activities were scheduled this quarter as the POP team was busy assisting community members to complete projects from late 2013. We anticipate that new POP activities will increase in the coming months as last year’s activities are completed.

STUDENT EDUCATION TRUST (SET)

• SET membership continues to rise—263 Aurukun students now have a SET account.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 154 Aurukun adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $18,783.62 during Q1— a significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Aurukun students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 11 in Q1 2013 to 80 in Q1 2014. Aurukun adults have a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The six Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as clothes, dining furniture and mattresses.

PRIDE OF PLACE (POP)

• Eleven new community members have signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 78 from 62 households. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q1, though POP staff conducted six Pop-up Visits and 12 in the previous quarter.

• Four Backyard Blitz projects were completed in Q1, during which partners contributed a total of four hours sweat equity.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD (ITAV) PARENTING

• Sixty-two Aurukun community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These strong men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• ITAV staff members have been busily engaging with the community to spread the word about the importance of parenting and to encourage parents/carers to support one another.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD (ITAV) HOME PRIDE

• There are currently 13 Home Pride members in Aurukun. These members are interested in making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—713 people are now signed up and are committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Sixty-two per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESPARENTING TOGETHER “Things are starting to change.”

Terry Woolla signed up to ITAV Strong Families to support his partner, Mildred Karyuka, as she starts using positive parenting strategies at home.

“We’ve signed up to find a way to stop the kids mucking up too much,” Terry says.

Mildred and Terry have started attending sessions together so that they’re on the same page with parenting techniques at home.

“I like to attend sessions as well—it straightens things out in my mind too. I’m glad I went because now I feel like I don’t need to yell out to my children to get them to respond to me.”

Terry is optimistic for his family’s future—“I think it will get better with time —we’ll stick with the parenting programme.It’s great that we get to have a strong relationship with our children which is the most important thing to us.”

As they begin to see changes at home, Terry is spreading the word about It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.

“People ask why we go to the Parenting Hub and what it’s like. We say that it is good for the kids and it is helping us to raise them in a good way.”

Terry Woolla and Mildred Karyuka are taking a team approach to parenting.

SET MAKES SAVING EASY“I know the money is there when I need it.”

Almost all, 94 per cent, of contributions to Student Education Trusts in Aurukun are made by women. Many of these women not only contribute to their own children’s Trusts but to children in their extended families.

Mother of five, Bertha Wolmby of Aurukun, is one of the many Cape York aboriginal women making a difference for their children and making education a priority.

“I’ve tried to save but it’s hard. My children needed uniforms to go to school. The SET account helps to buy the school things when we need it—uniforms, bags, school trips.

“I know the money is there when we need it, they can take it from our SET.

“I tell my kids to work hard at school and show respect the teachers, to listen and sit quiet for the teachers.

“I have my children on my mind all the time. I look after my children. I am so proud of them.”

Bertha Wolmby is dedicated to her children and ensuring they get a good education.

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MPOWER INDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION

MPower supports individuals and families to manage money for basic material needs, build capabilities through financial literacy and grow their asset base through saving and disciplined money management. Since its launch in April 2011, MPower has assisted community members to learn: Internet banking skills through iBank; and skills for budgeting, debt reduction, banking, wealth creation and bill payments through Money Management Tool (MMT) sessions.

1 Money Management Tools (MMTs) are sessions where partners are taught skills that assist them to build their financial literacy. 2 ‘Unknown’ is where data are not available or captured.3 iBank is an Internet and online banking facility situated within the O-Hub. Partners can receive advice and assistance to use iBank for paying bills and manage their finances more generally.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS

TOTAL NUMBER OF MPOWER MEMBERSQ2 2011 TO Q1 2014

• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 713 MPower members in Aurukun.

MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were 15 new sign-ups during the quarter.

• Of the 713 members signed up to MPower by the end of Q1, 362 members (51%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. Members are regularly using the product.

• Over the last year the largest proportion (62%) of new MPower members have been family, friend or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.

REFERRAL SOURCES FOR MPOWER Q1 2013 TO Q1 2014

WHAT MEMBERS DID: MONEY MANAGEMENT TOOLS (MMT)1

• Seven MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, all of which focused on Internet and Phone Banking.This is slightly up on the previous quarter, where the three MMT sessions held focused on Budget Support.

• Over the period January 2013–March 2014 all MMTs aside from Loan Support were used at least once with Banking and Budget Support being used most often (see below). Loan Support, Payment Support and Wealth Creation Support have been used least often.

TOTAL MMT SESSIONSQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 1638 iBank sessions in Q1—a very

slight decrease from Q4 2013. Thirty-seven per cent of these sessions were unassisted—up from 30 per cent in Q4 2013. As illustrated below, we have seen the proportion of unassisted iBank sessions increase over time as partners build the skills they need to independently manage their finances. This is a promising trend.

IBANK USAGEUNASSISTED AND ASSISTED SESSIONS AS A PROPORTION (%) OF TOTAL SESSIONS Q2 2011 TO Q1 2014

6

16

1

1

0

22

3

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT

INTERNET & PHONE BANKING

WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

1000

800

600

400

200

0

713 Aurukun MPower

members

FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2

O-Hub staff/Centrelink

10%

62%

21%

7%

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013

Unassisted Assisted

63%

37%

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WISE BUYS INDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION


• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 80 Wise Buys members in Aurukun. This represents an additional 69 members who have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Aurukun want to make better-informed purchasing decisions.

TOTAL NUMBER OF WISE BUYS MEMBERSQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

1 Each unique partner can make more than one purchase within the period.2 ‘Needs’ include basic items such as food, shelter, clothing, white goods (e.g. washing machine/fridge/freezer), health (e.g. medicine, wellbeing), beds, mattresses, transport (e.g. car

necessary for employment opportunities).3 ‘Wants’ include items that are not an immediate need, including televisions and stereos.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 80 members at the end of Q1 2014, 27 (34% of all

members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during Q1. This level of engagement by Wise Buys members indicates that Aurukun adults are increasingly interested in receiving the support they need to make well-informed purchasing decisions. We hope to see engagement continue to increase in the coming months and years.

In remote communities, it is often difficult to purchase quality goods and services at reasonable prices. Wise Buys is a retail Internet portal designed to increase consumers’ knowledge so that they can get the best possible value-for-money when purchasing household goods and services. O-Hub staff members support Wise Buys members to understand how to use the purchasing portal, conduct research into purchases they want, and complete purchases when they are ready. Since being launched in June 2012, more and more Wise Buys members are learning to be smart with their money and are accessing basic need items like fridges, washing machines, beds, food and shelter at value-for-money prices.

69 additional members since the same quarter last year

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

80 Aurukun

Wise Buys members

WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of four unique1 partners made a total of

six purchases through Wise Buys. Of these six purchases: - five were classified as ‘needs’2; one was classified as a ‘want’3

- a total amount of $1,407.28 was spent, including $1,315.33 on needs and $91.95 on wants.

• ‘Needs’ items purchased included clothes, dining furniture and mattresses.

• The 27 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 94 times. Most visits (51%) were to conduct research on future Wise Buys purchases (see below).

ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS WHO VISITED THE O-HUBDURING Q1 AS A PROPORTION (%) OF TOTAL VISITS (N=94) 6% 39%

51%2%

1%

Initial consultation

General support

Research on purchase

Make a payment

Purchase

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STUDENT EDUCATION TRUSTS INDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION

HOW MANY SET ACCOUNTS ARE BEING USED AND HOW REGULARLY?

• Out of the 256 SET accounts remaining open since the commencement of the programme in 2007:

- 10 (4%) had been used to make both contributions and purchases during the quarter—these accounts are meeting the gold standard for activity

- 75 (29%) had received at least one contribution or had been used to make at least one purchase during the quarter—this still represents a good level of activity

- 110 (43%) where no contributions or purchases were made during this quarter, but where a contribution or purchase had been made in the previous 12 months

- 61 (24%) where no activity had occurred in more than 12 months.

• Most of the least active SET accounts have very small or nil balances. For instance, of the 61 accounts that had no activity over the past 12 months,

- three have a balance of $0.00

- 18 have a balance between $0.01–$1.00

- 24 have a balance between $1.01–$1,000

- 14 have a balance between $1,001–$5,000

- two have balances between $5,001–$10,000.

• These less active accounts have a total balance of $59,595.61. There is a need for O-Hub staff to encourage these donors to re-activate their SET usage and/or close these accounts.

NUMBER OF SET ACCOUNTS AND PROFILE OF TRUSTEES• At the end of Q1 2014 there had been a total of 263 SET

accounts established.

• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Aurukun, indicating that more families are making a clear decision to make their children’s education a priority.

TOTAL SET ACCOUNTSQ1 21013 TO Q1 2014

• The large majority (n=256, 97%) of the 263 SET accounts remained open at Q1 2014, while seven (3%) had been closed.

• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=154, 60%) are for primary school aged children1.

TOTAL SET ACCOUNTS BY LEVEL OF SCHOOLINGQ1 2014

Student Education Trust (SET) seeks to change social norms around education by shifting responsibility for the provision of school materials and other educational expenses back to parents, carers and kin. It also provides opportunity for positive reciprocity—for family members to support each other financially in a helpful way. SET promotes the value and importance of educational opportunities and provides the basis for greater investment in schooling and further education. Through SET, parents, carers and kin are able to regularly set aside money to pay for their children’s educational needs.

Q12013

Q2

280

260

240

220Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

263 Aurukun SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)

200

150

100

50

0Primary School(5–11)

Secondary School(12–17)

Tertiary/Further Education

(18–25)

Finished/ Left School

(18–25)

23

154

620 11

154 PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDRENin Aurukun have a SET account

1 The age ranges for SET accounts are as follows: early childhood = 0–4 years; primary school = 5–11 years; secondary school = 12–17 years; tertiary/further education = 18–25 years.

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SET ACCOUNTS END OF QUARTER BALANCE, CONTRIBUTIONS AND PURCHASES

BALANCE• At the end of Q1, there was a total balance of $402,689.30

across all Aurukun SET accounts (see below).1 This was three per cent more than the total balance at the close of the previous quarter.

• The total balance for Aurukun SET accounts at the end of Q1 includes $2,328.09 interest, which has accumulated since Q4 2013.

TOTAL BALANCE OF SET ACCOUNTS BY LEVEL OF SCHOOLINGQ4 2013 AND Q1 2014

CONTRIBUTIONS• During Q1 2014 a total of $18,783.62 was contributed

to SET accounts in Aurukun. This is slightly less than the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below), but still represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.

TOTAL VALUE OF QUARTERLY SAVINGSQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

PURCHASES• A total of 69 purchases were made from SET accounts

in Q1 2014. The total value of these purchases was $10,431.11. Most (n=42, 61%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 15 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, we typically see a higher number of purchases towards the end of the year. This is most likely due to the fact that we encourage partners to make purchases in Q4 so that their children are ready for the new school year in Q1. Otherwise, we have seen in past years that many SET donors wait until the last minute before preparing their kids for school.

TOTAL NUMBER OF PURCHASES MADE USING SETQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

1 The balance of SET accounts is an outstanding balance of all trusts to the end of the quarter. It takes into consideration all contributions and purchases of each to date and thus, it is not a cumulative total.

2 OnedonorcancontributetomorethanoneSETaccount.However,forthepurposeofthisfigure,theyareeachcountedasoneuniquedonor.

DONOR PROFILE • At the end of Q1 2014 there were a total of 154

unique donors2 contributing to 256 SET accounts. Six new donors have signed up since Q4 2013.

• Ninety-four per cent of Aurukun SET donors are female, with most (73%) being the recipient’s mother. Aurukun women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.

94%of Aurukun SET donors are female

Last quarter This quarter

$95,723.00Secondary School

$96,589.78

$4,169.52Early Childhood

$4,853.84

Primary School

$211,491.91

$228,155.43

$0.00Tertiary/Further Education

$0.00

$80,623.65Finished/Left School

$73,090.25

Q12013

Q2

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

$21,

822.

85

$20,

191.

12

$21,

000.

51

$15,

879.

93

$18,

783.

62

Q12013

Q2

500

400

300

200

100

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

65 95

414

6923

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Parenting is not easy—all parents could use help and advice. By signing up to ITAV, men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be. It Takes a Village to Raise a Child (ITAV) seeks to encourage and promote high-quality parenting as a key ingredient for achieving a happy family life. ITAV consists of the following elements: 1) Baby College (launched in April 2012)—where expectant parents socialise and learn together while they travel on the journey to parenthood; 2) Strong Families (launched in February 2012)—where at risk families are assisted to build positive parenting skills; 3) Handicraft (launched in February 2012)—where parents are encouraged to join in with ITAV activities as well as share stories and support one another.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 62 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting.

While we have only had two new members sign-up during Q1, 15 new members have signed up since the close of Q1 2013.

TOTAL NUMBER OF ITAV PARENTING MEMBERS Q1 2013 TO Q1 2014

• Out of the 62 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 59 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - three partners are signed up to the Baby College programme.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• These engagement activities assist our staff to spread

the word about the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 26 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=20, 77%);

information sessions (n=4, 15%); and home visits (n=2, 8%).

• The Parenting Hub was broken in to and extensive damage done during Q1. This disrupted our work for a short period. Despite these setbacks, we hope to increase the level of community engagement over the coming months.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Two ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter—

both were group sessions for the Strong Families programme. During these group sessions, partners worked on: - understanding the importance of making time to regularly

talk with their children (session one) - activities to build skills around spending time with their

children, including the importance of this for sound childhood development (session two).

• Four members participated in session one, while two of those four members also went on to participate in session two.

• Overall, fewer sessions were held during Q1 due to staff turnover, community tensions and closure of the O-Hub over the Christmas and New Year period.

• A new male Parenting Consultant started in Aurukun this quarter and has started a men’s group and men’s activities. He has also been successful in holding several group sessions with the women, and has been working closely with the Wellbeing Centre and Child Safety on several child reunification cases.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD—PARENTINGINDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION

15 NEW MEMBERS

since the same quarter last year.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

100

80

60

40

20

0

62Aurukun ITAV

members

STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q1, Aurukun ITAV staff spent a combined total of

162 hours and 33 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.

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IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD—HOME PRIDEINDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION

Home Pride is a part of ITAV and delivered by Home Crew staff. It assists families to build the knowledge and skills needed to create the best home life for their children. Healthy cooking classes and ‘do-it-yourself’ home improvement projects that make the home a happier and healthier environment are some of the components of Home Pride. Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched in April 2013.


TOTAL NUMBER OF ITAV HOME PRIDE MEMBERS Q1 2013 TO Q1 2014

• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 13 Home Pride members in Aurukun. Membership has remained stable since Q3 2013.

• Of these 13 partners: - twelve partners are signed up to complete a House Blitz2

- one is signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched in April 2013. It has been relatively slow to progress in Aurukun due to community tensions and challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been nine house visits by Home Crew this quarter

which is an increase on the three that were conducted in Q4 2013. This increase is due to a newly appointed local female Home Crew staff member, who has bolstered the engagement capacity of the O-Hub.

• Because Home Pride is only new in Aurukun, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members needed to undertake activities inside the home, and in large numbers. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we hope to see activities increase.

PERSONAL PROGRESS STORY1

1 Some details have been altered to ensure this partner cannot be identified. 2 Through ‘House Blitz’, families are assisted to make their homes happier and healthier spaces. The Home Crew staff work with families on interior design ideas to transform living spaces, as

well as providing support and motivating families to complete household projects. Families must commit to providing the necessary sweat equity for House Blitz activities. 3 Through ‘Home Maker’, families learn practical household skills such as housekeeping schedules, routines for kids, planning meals, cleaning techniques and how to create natural cleaning

products. The Home Crew staff work with families in their homes to build confidence, and help families create a healthier home environment.

A Partner joined ITAV before the birth of one of their children, expressing a desire to be able to avoid intervention by Child Safety. The partner often resorts to loud and aggressive methods when dealing with their children and has also been a victim of domestic violence.

Through attendance at ITAV, the partner learned how attachment is formed with infants, as well as the importance of spending time to talk with children as a way of showing love and support. The partner is still dealing with a variety of issues.

However, they continue to attend ITAV and are receiving the necessary support that will enable them to make positive changes for themselves and their children.

12OUT OF13of the partners signed up to Home Pride are signed up to complete a House Blitz

20

15

10

5

0

13Aurukun Home Pride

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

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PRIDE OF PLACE INDICATORS OF PARTNER PARTICIPATION

Pride of Place (POP) assists families to create healthier outdoor living environments where they can spend quality time together. Through POP, participants save money and make a financial and ‘sweat equity’ contribution towards backyard renovation projects. The POP Enablers assist and support members to undertake their projects. The increasing number of sign-ups since POP was launched in April 2013 indicate that a growing number of community members are striving to take greater pride in their yards and create healthier living spaces for their families.

1 For the purposes of POP, ‘members’ include those who have signed a formal membership form since it was introduced in early 2013, but also those who had agreed to participate in POP prior to these formal membership forms being introduced (i.e. 15 persons who began participating in POP prior to January 2013). .

2 The POP Enabler does home visits to: promote participation in POP, discuss membership benefits and processes; offer free plants, seeds and magazines; assist in planting and provide advice on plants; and/or support with ongoing yard upkeep.

3 The POP Enabler runs Garden Club events to: hold discussions and demonstrations on gardening; discuss gardening design ideas; teach methods for maintaining gardens and growing plants, including fruits and vegetables; and/or up-skill partners around gardening tool use and maintenance

4 ‘Backyard Blitzes’ are garden renovation projects partners can sign-up for as a POP member. Members work with a POP Enabler to develop a design for their garden and to discuss contributions.5 ‘Backyard Blitz elements’ are individual items that members choose to include in their garden renovation project such as (but not limited to) pergolas, decking, sand pits, garden beds, swing

set, tables, chairs and lattice screens.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 78 partners signed up to POP. This is a

substantial increase from the 42 members who had signed up by Q1 2013 (see below).1

TOTAL POP MEMBERSQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been 23 Backyard Blitzes4 completed

in Aurukun, four of which were completed this quarter. During these four Blitzes, partners provided a total of four hours sweat equity and assisted in the completion of 12 separate Backyard Blitz elements5, including: the design and construction of garden beds, bamboo screening, sandpits, veggie tanks, play gardens and pergolas. Partners also laid screed and pavers. The completion of these individual elements has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for four families.

• POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $100 towards their combined target contribution of $4,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were six Pop-up Visits2 conducted this quarter (see

below). However, there were no Garden Club3 events scheduled. We hope to see activities increase over the coming months as POP staff finish up work on the remaining 2013 projects.

TOTAL NUMBER OF POP-UP VISITSQ4 2013 AND Q1 2014

23 BACKYARD BLITZES

have been completed in Aurukun to date

Q12013

Q2

100

75

50

25

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

78 Aurukun POP

membersThis quarterLast quarter

50

40

30

20

10

0

126

TOTAL NUMBER OF POP HOUSEHOLDSQ1 2014

62Aurukun households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families


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Due to the wet season closing roads and confining

residents to town, there has been a high level of visitation

to the O-Hub and participation in money management, and

parenting activities. MPower membership in Coen reached

saturation point in 2013, based on the 2011 Census

population data. Since then, membership has continued to

grow as more and more community members choose to

take steps to improve their financial literacy. Productivity

was so great at times during the quarter that staff members

had to provide the use of their own computers to partners

needing access to iBank and Wise Buys.

We are buoyed not only by the increased capability of our

members but by their ambition. Those who engage regularly

with MPower, including Rosie Johnson, are increasingly

motivated. Rosie has plans for Home Pride and Pride of

Place as soon as she has her own house. She is proud of

her achievements and the control she has over her finances

which has enabled her to purchase a commendable range

of goods that have enhanced her family life. (Read more on

page 25)

Almost all school children in Coen have a Student

Education Trust (99%). Donor contributions have been

reasonable this quarter, with a third of donors making their

target contributions. A huge number of SET purchases

were made this quarter to get children ready for the school

year. Staff were kept busy providing families with access

to SET accounts for new uniforms, class packs and

boarding school needs including quilts, towels (bath and

beach), sheets, running shoes, backpacks and suitcases.

Wise Buys was also in full swing with parents and carers

shopping for the new school year.

ITAV Parenting held an increased number of sessions this

quarter. More parents have learned the skills they need to

COEN O-HUB Q1


Overall 264


Adult (18+) 161







Households 47

create happier home lives for their children. ITAV Home Pride has also seen a dramatic increase in activity as a result of a new staff member joining the team.

Our commitment to employing local people in O-Hub jobs means we strongly support capacity building opportunities. A Coen MPower Coach/Consultant began a Certificate III in Community Services, which will be completed this year.

POINTS OF INTEREST• A SET stall was held at the school, which sold

lunchboxes and school uniforms. The take-up of these products was very high, in fact the O-Hub was unable to keep up with the demand for lunchboxes and socks.

• A new and open line of communication has been forged with Remote Housing which means that residents experiencing rent arrears and or face eviction as a result will receive budgeting support through MPower and learn how to better manage rent payments and other expenses.


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COEN Q1PARTNER PARTICIPATION SUMMARY

MPower membership has continued to grow in Coen as more community members choose to take steps to improve their financial literacy. SET donors continue to make substantial contributions to the educational futures of Coen children while purchases made during Q1 have ensured Coen students have the uniforms, backpacks, lunchboxes, books and other items they need to succeed at school. Wise Buys activity has been relatively low during Q1, which is common in the aftermath of the holiday season. POP membership continues to increase, with 42 Coen households now signed up. Finally, ITAV Parenting has seen increased activity: more parents have learned the skills they need to create happier home lives for their children. ITAV Home Pride has also seen a dramatic increase in activity.


• SET membership continues to rise—196 Coen students now have a SET account.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 167 Coen adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $16,708.78 during Q1—a significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Coen students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 22 in Q1 2013 to 43 in Q1 2014. Coen adults have a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• This quarter, most members who visited the O-Hub did so to conduct research on future purchases. These members are taking the time to weigh up their options and make well-informed purchasing choices.


• POP membership has remained stable this quarter at 46 members from 44 households. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q1, though POP staff conducted a total of six Pop-up Visits—fewer than the 14 completed last quarter.

• One Backyard Blitz project was completed in Q1, during which partners contributed a total of 35 hours sweat equity.


• Forty-one Coen community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These strong men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• ITAV staff members have been busily engaging with the community to spread the word about the importance of parenting and to encourage parents/carers to support one another.


• There are currently 14 Home Pride members in Coen. These members are interested in making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—194 people are now signed up and are committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Forty-four per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESGETTING AHEAD“I am proud of the way I am improving.”

Donna ‘Rosie’ Rose Johnson, is a Community

Engagement Officer at Cape York Employment

(CYE). Born in Mareeba, Rosie moved to Coen

after finishing high school and worked on her

family homestead, Glengarland.

Rosie has been signed up to MPower since

November 2011 and learned about these products

while attending activities run by the O-Hub.

“I signed up because I wanted to save my work

money and wanted to learn easier banking.”

Rosie says she found budgeting quite difficult,

and she needed to stop giving money out to

friends and family. “Now I am confident to say,

‘I can’t give money out because I’ve got to do this

with it’.”

After taking up MPower, Rosie said she feels more

responsible. “I now know that you don’t need

to spend all your money in one day when you

get paid.”

To date, MPower has enabled Rosie to buy a

laptop, iPad, DVD home theatre set, sheets,

pillows and also $2,000 worth of clothes.

“I am proud of the way I am improving. I have

enough money from week-to-week. Then I have

money left over to enjoy the weekends and take

my family out for a picnic.

“When something new comes out, I know I can

buy it as I budget and save.”

Over the next 12 months, Rosie hopes to move

into a home of her own and buy a car. “When

I move into my home, I want to sign up for [ITAV]

Home Pride and House Blitz.”

On the work front, in 2015 Rosie will be

undertaking a Diploma of Management, with

aspirations to manage and lead others at Cape

York Employment (CYE). “I am also very keen to

be on the Cape York Leaders Program.”Rosie Johnson uses MPower to help her get ahead.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF MPOWER MEMBERS Q2 2011 TO Q1 2014

• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 194 MPower members in Coen.

Q2 Q3

250

200

150

100

50

0Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013

194 Coen MPower

members

MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were five new sign-ups during the quarter.


• Over the last year the largest proportion (44%) of new MPower members have been family, friend or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2


44%

35%

21%


• Three MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking and Budget Support. This is similar to the previous quarter, where the three MMT sessions held focused on Budget Support.

• Over the period January 2013–March 2014 all MMTs aside from Loan Support were used at least once with Banking and Budget Support being used most often (see below). Loan Support, Debt Reduction Support and Wealth Creation Support have been used least often.


10

11

1

9

0

8

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 157 iBank sessions in Q1—a slight

increase from Q4 2013. Sixty-five per cent of these sessions were unassisted—up from 45 per cent in Q4 2013.

• The trend in ‘unassisted’ versus ‘assisted’ iBank sessions in Coen reflects membership trends. For example, in 2012, 51 new members signed up; at the same time assisted sessions also increased because new members likely required more assistance with the product than older members. Through 2013 membership then stabilised and the levels of assistance required reduced. A reduction in assistance needed over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in independently managing their finances.


100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013

65%

35%


Unassisted Assisted

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WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, there were no Wise Buys purchases made.

However, Wise Buys members used the O-Hub for other activities. For instance, of the 25 visits Wise Buys members made to the O-Hub this quarter, most (88%) were used to conduct research on future Wise Buys purchases (see below).

ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS WHO VISITED THE O-HUB DURING Q1 AS A PROPORTION (%) OF TOTAL VISITS (N=25)




• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 43 Wise Buys members in Coen. This represents an additional 21 members who have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Coen want to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


Q12013

Q2

50

40

30

20

10

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

43 Coen Wise Buys

members

Initial consultation1

General support


Make a payment1

Purchase1

12%88%

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 43 members at the end of March 2014, seven (16%

of all members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during Q1. These seven members came in to the O-Hub 25 times and are clearly seeing value in Wise Buys. However, overall usage levels are relatively low for Wise Buys in Coen when compared with other Welfare Reform communities. O-Hub staff will assess possible reasons for this to determine if this is seasonal or a result of issues related to client engagement/understanding/or need for this product.

1 Each of these categories=0% during this quarter and are therefore not illustrated on the above graph.


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• Out of the 160 SET accounts remaining open since

the commencement of the programme in 2007:


- 54 (34%) had received at least one contribution or had been used to make at least one purchase during the quarter—this still represents a good level of activity


- 28 (18%) where no activity had occurred in more

than 12 months.

• Most of the least active SET accounts have very

small or nil balances. For instance, of the

28 accounts that had no activity in more than

12 months,

- six have a balance of $0.00

- one has a balance between $0.01–$1.00


- six have a balance between $1,001–$5,000

- one has a balance between $5,001–$10,000.

• These less active accounts have a total balance

of $20,030.71. There is a need for O-Hub staff to

encourage these donors to re-activate their SET

usage and/or close these accounts.



• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Coen, indicating that more and more families are making a clear decision to prioritise their children’s education.

TOTAL SET ACCOUNTS Q1 2013 TO Q1 2014

Q12013

Q2

210

200

190

180

170Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

196 Coen SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)

70605040302010 0

Primary School(5–11)



(18–25)


(18–25)

4560

344 17

• The large majority (n=160, 82%) of the 196 SET accounts remained open at Q1 2014, while 36 (18%) had been closed.

• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=60, 38%) are for primary school aged children1, though Coen also has a greater proportion of Early Childhood accounts (n=45, 28%)

than the other Welfare Reform communities.


60 PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDRENin Coen have a SET account


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BALANCE• At the end of Q1, there was a total balance of $248,382.88

across all Coen SET accounts (see below).1 This was three per cent less than the the total balance at the close of the previous quarter.

• The total balance for Coen SET accounts at the end of Q1 includes $1,476.86 interest, which has accumulated since Q4 2013.


CONTRIBUTIONS• During Q1 2014 a total of $16,708.78 was contributed to

SET accounts in Coen. This is relatively consistent with the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below) and represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.


PURCHASES • A total of 270 purchases were made from SET accounts

in Q1 2014. The total value of these purchases was $25,657.58. Most (n=187, 69%) were for primary school aged children. These typically included uniforms, school bags, readers and other books.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least

15 months (see below).


35%

DONOR PROFILE • At 31 March 2014 there were a total of 167

unique2 donors contributing to 196 SET accounts. Six new donors have signed up since Q4 2013.

• Sixty-fivepercentofCoenSETdonorsarefemalewith most (42%) being the recipient’s mother. Coen women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.

• Conversely, 35 per cent of Coen SET donors are men, with around 23 per cent being the recipient’s father. This is a much larger proportion of male SET donors than in the other Welfare Reform communities, indicating that Coen men are stepping up to improve the educational outcomes of Coen kids and students.

of Coen SET donors are male



$70,887.49


$24,166.89

Primary School

$108,406.22

$103,871.95

$3,796.05Tertiary/Further Education

$2,926.67

$48,377.84 Finished/Left School

$46,529.88



Q12013

Q2

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

$14,

959.

00

$17,

258.

71

$15,

934.

43

$12,

925.

64

$16,

708.

78

Q12013

Q2

300

200

100

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

173 168

250

184

270

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 41 partners signed up to ITAV

Parenting. While we have had only one new member sign-up during Q1, seven new members have signed up since the close of Q1 2013.

TOTAL NUMBER OF ITAV PARENTING MEMBERSQ1 2013 TO Q1 2014

Q12013

Q2

50

40

30

20

10

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

41 Coen ITAV members

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been busily engaging with

the community—including both members and non-members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to spread the word about the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 132 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=66, 50%); home visits (n=35, 27%); handicraft sessions (n=11, 8%); community events (n=9, 7%); workshops (n=8, 6%); and information sessions (n=3, 2%).

• Telecommunication issues during Q1 meant the Parenting Hub was closed for a full day. Staff absences due to leave have also affected the overall number of engagement activities undertaken during the quarter. Despite these setbacks, engagement remains relatively high.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Twenty-two ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the

quarter, including: - 18 Strong Families sessions - three Positive Kids sessions - one Baby College session.

• Ten unique members participated in these sessions (some partners attended more than one session, including some group sessions). During the sessions, partners worked on: - understanding the importance of spending special time

with children - when and how to seek emotional and practical

parenting support - the importance of showing affection, including the most

appropriate ways and times to do so.

• A new staff member was employed for Home Pride during the quarter, but has also assisted with running Parenting sessions. This has boosted session activity overall during the quarter.

• Out of the 41 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 37 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - four partners are signed up to the Baby College programme.

7NEW MEMBERS


STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q1, Coen ITAV staff spent a combined total of



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The partner reported that their child was having behavioural problems at school, and that the family had been contacted by the authorities.

After a long absence, this partner recently re-engaged with ITAV. There is much work to do, but they are committed and enthusiastic about improving their parenting skills. The partner’s specific aim is to improve the bond they have with their child, including by making the time to ensure the child feels special and loved. With this express commitment and their hard work, things will undoubtedly continue to improve.



• Home Pride signed up its first Coen members this quarter, with a total of 13 members having joined.

• Of these 13 partners: - all are signed up to complete a House Blitz2

- six are signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Progress has been relatively slow across the communities, including in Coen, due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. With the recruitment of a new Home Crew member this quarter, we hope to see membership and activities increase over the coming months.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been 31 engagement house visits by Home

Crew this quarter. None were conducted in Q4 2013. This increase is due to a newly appointed local female Home Crew staff member, who has bolstered the engagement capacity of the O-Hub.

• Because Home Pride is only new in Coen, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members needed to be able to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we expect to see activities increase.




ALLof the partners signed up to Home Pride are signed up to complete a House Blitz

20

15

10

5

0

13Coen Home Pride members

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

CYP450 FER Q1_V20.indd 31 2/04/15 9:11 AM



GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 46 partners signed up to POP. Since Q1

2013 we have seen four new members sign up (see below).



50

40

30

20

10

0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

46 Coen POP members

44

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• No Pop-up Visits1 or Garden Club2 events were conducted

this quarter.

• We hope to see activities increase over the coming months as POP staff finish up work on the remaining 2013 projects.


30

20

10

0

14

0This quarterLast quarter

WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been eight Backyard Blitzes3 completed

in Coen, one of which was completed this quarter. During this Blitz, partners provided a total of 35 hours sweat equity and assisted in the completion of five separate Backyard Blitz elements4, including: the construction of a dog kennel, design and construction of fences and the mulching and planting of garden beds. Partners also laid pavers. The completion of these individual elements has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for four families.

• The two POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $342.18 towards their combined target contribution of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

8 BACKYARD BLITZES

have been completed in Coen to date


2 The POP Enabler runs Garden Club events to: hold discussions and demonstrations on gardening; discuss gardening design ideas; teach methods for maintaining gardens and growing plants, including fruits and vegetables; and/or up-skill partners around gardening tool use and maintenance.

3 Backyard Blitzes are garden renovation projects partners can sign-up for as a POP member. Members work with a POP Enabler to develop a design for their garden and to discuss contributions.4 ‘Backyard Blitz elements’ are individual items that members choose to include in their garden renovation project such as (but not limited to) pergolas, decking, sand pits, garden beds, swing


Coen households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families

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Community Action Fund/People Action Network community and volunteer initiatives are taking off. These projects include the construction of landscaped gardens around the old cemetery site and are carried out in collaboration with Hope Vale Shire Council and My Pathways.

Bush Owner Builder is an Opportunity Product on trial in Hope Vale. It enables local families to build a shack on their homelands. Several families are saving to build under the programme.

POINTS OF INTEREST• Two new MPower graduates (local Indigenous people)

are progressing well in their roles and are expected to be retained as full time employees.

• A contingent from the Kimberley visited to gain a better understanding of welfare reform, how the O-Hub’s function, and how they might implement in their region.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Power blackouts in the aftermath of Ita interupted

operations.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita hit Hope Vale cutting power and telecommunications for several days and interupting supply over the following weeks in some areas. The community rallied to clean up and the entire POP team converged on Hope Vale to assist. The O-Hub was operational within days.

MPower’s impact continues to steadily increase. Three-quarters of Hope Vale’s adult population are members. We’ve learned that many partners, like Donita Woibo (pictured in this report) are attracted to MPower through Wise Buys, and the desire to purchase something new for their family.

Our engagement this quarter has focused on SET, BOB, MPower, and ITAV Parenting, and in particular, how to gain more traction with Home Pride, our newest Opportunity Product. Susan Baru and her partner Phillip are one of the firstpartners to tryHomePride, jazzingup the interior oftheir home. Susan says the family loves it and are taking care to keep it that way, which pleases her.

The O-Hub manager initiated talks with Child Safety to better coordinate processes for ITAV Parenting Consultants working with parents subject to Child Safety intervention. These talks were successful and will link with coordination efforts between Cape York Partnership and the Child Safety regionalofficeinCairns.

SET had a busy start to the school year. In collaboration with the local newsagent a new purchasing process was established to make it easier for parents to access their child’s SET account when buying school packs from the newsagency. While purchasing was high this quarter with a sell-out SET stall, contributions were also high.

POP participants spent almost 60 hours of sweat equity to complete their yard projects. This activity is having a ripple effect and growing the popularity of Garden Club. The POP

HOPE VALE O-HUB Q1


Overall 931


Adult (18+) 589







Households 208


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HOPE VALE Q1PARTNER PARTICIPATION SUMMARY

A total of 485 Hope Vale adults are now signed up to MPower—which signals that a large number of community members have made the decision to take control of their finances. A substantial contribution has been made to SET during Q1 while purchases have also been high, with SET donors seeking to prepare children for the beginning of the new school year. Wise Buys purchasing activity has remained stable—community members continue to use their buying power to get value for money on the goods they need and make their dollars stretch further. POP has seen an increase in project elements being completed while there has also been a dramatic increase in ITAV Parenting activity. Q1 has seen a record number of ‘Strong Families’ and ‘Baby College’ sessions being held. ITAV Home Pride has also seen an increase in activity, coinciding with a rise in house visits during the quarter.


• SET membership continues to rise—219 Hope Vale kids and students have now benefitted from SET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 146 Hope Vale adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $17,795.54 during Q1— a significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Hope Vale’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 13 in Q1 2013 to 38 in Q1 2014. Hope Vale adults have a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The five Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as washing machines and a fridge/freezer combination.


• Two new community members have signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 129 members from 100 homes. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q1, though POP staff conducted a total of 15 Pop-up Visits—fewer than the 62 that were completed in Q4 2013. Most of our staff members’ time was spent assisting members to complete Backyard Blitz projects.

• Nine Backyard Blitz projects were completed in Q1, during which partners contributed a total of 59.5 hours sweat equity.


• Seventy-five community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning positive parenting the skills. A record number of ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 31 members (41% of total membership) participating.


• There are currently 25 Home Pride members in Hope Vale. These members are interested in making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—485 Hope Vale adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Seventy-three per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their money.

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familySTORIES

GETTING WISE WITH MONEY“I know where my money is going.”

Donita Woibo wanted to buy all three of her children a brand new bed, but was worried about how she could afford it. She said she felt relieved to find out about NILS, the No Interest Loan Scheme.

“I saw a poster outside of the O-Hub that promoted Wise Buys, so I came in and talked with one of the staff who told me about Wise Buys and NILS.

“It was an easy and convenient way to purchase three new beds for my kids as quickly as possible and I would not need to worry about delivery.”

Donita said she is proud of getting the beds and having her house furnished with brand new furniture. “I plan to finish paying my NILS and then get more new furniture for my house.”

Donita also said she would like to return to the O-Hub office to do up a new budget.

“This will help me with my money management so that I know where my money is going.”

Donita Woibo’s desire to buy new beds for her children set her in the right direction.

HOME MAKEOVER“The best thing is... seeing my family happy.”

Susan and Phillip Baru have been living in their home along Hope Vale’s beach road for more than 20 years and they feel that it needed a facelift to ‘make it feel better’. Susan and Phillip have attended Parenting sessions and thought it was a great idea to sign up to Home Pride as well.

“I need help in decorating and organising my home for me and my family.”

Susan was interested to learn new tips and tricks about cleaning and designing. She was also keen to have a more comfortable, enjoyable and decorative lounge room and children’s room.

“I joined the Home Pride programme to help decorate and organize my home.

“I am really pleased with my progress in interior decorating. I’ve painted walls, we’ve made new shelving, artworks, and I’ve made curtains. They are all in our home.

“I now have a happy clean and bright home that we all enjoy. My family think is it nice and lovely and want to do the same thing.

“The best thing is seeing the end result and seeing my family happy. The even better thing is them wanting to help look after the house too.”

Susan and Phillip Baru are refreshing their parenting skills and their home.

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4%

73%

14%

9%





• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 485 MPower members in Hope Vale. Over time more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.

MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were 24 new sign-ups this quarter.

• Of the 485 members signed up to MPower by the end of Q1, 171 members (35%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. This shows that members are regularly using the product.

• Over the past year the largest proportion (73%) of new MPower members has been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2

O-Hub staff/CentrelinkWHAT MEMBERS DID:

MONEY MANAGEMENT TOOLS (MMT)1

• Five MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Internet and Phone Banking and Budget Support. This is slightly up on the previous quarter, where the two MMT sessions held focused on Internet and Phone Banking and Banking Support.

• Over the period January 2013–March 2014 all MMTs, apart from Loan Support and Wealth Creation Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 373 iBank sessions in Q1—a very

slight decrease from Q4 2013. Fifty-eight per cent of these sessions were unassisted—stable from Q4 2013.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming more self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Hope Vale indicates that unassisted sessions began to outstrip assisted sessions in late 2011 (see below). However, as we get greater influxes of new members we see assistance levels also fluctuate—new members are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.


Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

485 Hope Vale MPower

members

28

9

0

9

0

37

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013

Unassisted Assisted

42%

58%


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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 38 Wise Buys members

in Hope Vale. Twenty-five additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Hope Vale want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of five unique1 members made a total of

five purchases through Wise Buys. All five purchases were classified as ‘needs’2 rather than ‘wants’3. A total amount of $1,476.00 was spent.

• ‘Needs’ items purchased included four washing machines and one fridge/freezer combination.


ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN BY MEMBERS WHO VISITED THE O-HUBDURING Q1 AS A PROPORTION (%) OF TOTAL VISITS (N=28)

1 Each unique member can make more than one purchase within the period.2 ‘Needs’ include basic items such as food, shelter, clothing, white goods (e.g. washing machine/fridge/freezer), health (e.g. medicine, wellbeing), beds, mattresses, transport (e.g. car


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 38 members at the end of Q1 2014, 12 (32% of

all members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter.


General support


Make a payment

Purchase

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

38 Hope Vale

Wise Buys members 21%7%

7%

14%

50%


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- 17 (8%) had been used to make both

contributions and purchases during the

quarter—these accounts are meeting the gold

standard for activity

- 63 (30%) had received at least one contribution

or had been used to make at least one purchase

during the quarter—this still represents a very

high level of activity

- 89 (43%) were untouched with no contributions

or purchases made during this quarter, but

did register activity by way of contribution or

purchase in the previous 12 months

- 39 (19%) accounts had no activity in more than

12 months.


small or nil balances. For instance, of the 39

accounts that had no activity for over 12 months:


- five have a balance between $0.01–$1.00


- one has a balance between $1,001–$5,000







• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Hope Vale, indicating that more and more families are making a clear choice to make their children’s education a priority.


• The large majority (n=208, 95%) of the 219 total SET accounts remained open at Q1 2014, while 11 (5%) had been closed.

• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=114, 55%) are

for primary school aged children.1


Q12013

Q2

240

220

200

180Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

219 Hope Vale SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)

120

100

80

60

40

20

0Primary School(5–11)



(18–25)


(18–25)

25

114

651 3

114PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDRENin Hope Vale have a SET account


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BALANCE• At the close of Q1 2014, there was a total balance of

$146,783.09 across all Hope Vale SET accounts (see below).1 This represents a slight decrease of 0.8 per cent from the total balance at the end of Q4 2013.

• The total balance for Hope Vale SET accounts at the end of Q1 includes $853.47 interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q4 2013.


CONTRIBUTIONS• During Q1 2014 a total of $17,795.54 had been contributed

to SET accounts in Hope Vale. This is an increase from Q4 2013, but is still slightly less than the amounts contributed for most of 2013 (see below). This still, however, represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.



2 One donor can contribute to more than one SET account. However, for the purpose of this figure, they are each counted as one unique donor.

84%

DONOR PROFILE • At Q1 2014 there were a total of 146 unique2

donors contributing to 219 SET accounts. Eight new donors have signed up since Q4 2013.

• Eighty-four per cent of Hope Vale SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Hope Vale women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.

of Hope Vale SET donors are female

PURCHASES • A total of 280 purchases were made from SET accounts in

Q1 2014. The total value of these purchases was $19,853.79. Most (n=218, 78%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 15 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, we typically see a higher number of purchases at the beginning

of the school year in preparation for term one.



$36,594.48 Secondary School

$33,889.44

$13,457.36 Early Childhood

$14,716.24

Primary School

$87,154.76

$86,945.44

$343.26 Tertiary/Further Education

$49.38


$11,182.59

78%of purchases were for primary school aged children

Q12013

Q2

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

$18,

646.

96

$20,

024.

30

$19,

209.

45

$13,

164.

43

$17,

795.

54

Q12013

Q2

300

200

100

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

224

145 135

145

280

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During Q1 we have had 18 new members sign-up and overall, we have signed up 26 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a very pleasing result.


• Out of the 75 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 57 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - 18 partners are signed up to the Baby College programme

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff have been busily engaging with the

community—both members and non-members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to spread the word about the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 120 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=70, 57%); home visits (n=36, 30%); handicraft sessions (n=4, 5%); workshops (n=5, 4%); community events (n=4, 3%); and an information session (n=1, 1%).

• Telecommunication issues during Q1 meant that the Parenting Hub was closed for more than a full day, which affected the number of engagement activities being undertaken at this time. Despite this setback, engagement remains high in Hope Vale.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Seventy-nine ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the

quarter, including: - 50 Strong Families sessions - 29 Baby College sessions.

• During these sessions, partners worked on: - understanding the importance of making time to regularly

talk with their children - building skills around making special time for their

children, as it links to sound childhood development, and much more.

• Thirty-one members participated in these sessions, with some members participating across multiple sessions.

• ITAV staff participated in intensive training in February to refresh their programme facilitation skills. The increase in sessions we have seen during the quarter can be attributed to the renewed enthusiasm and innovation our staff have felt since participating in training.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

100

80

60

40

20

0

75 Hope Vale ITAV

members

26NEW MEMBERS


STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q1, Hope Vale ITAV staff spent a combined total

of 550 hours and nine minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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Partner joined ITAV at a time when they and their family were dealing with grief and sadness. The partner identified a need to improve their parenting skills so that they may be able to re-unite with their children, who are in care.

The partner was assisted by ITAV staff to contact Child Safety and discuss pre-requisites for their re-uniting with their children. The partner continues to complete Strong Families sessions and learn about providing a secure and safe environment for their children. The partner still has much work to do, but has continued to attend ITAV sessions and engage with Child Safety in an effort to improve their chances of reunification.



• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 25 Home Pride members in Hope Vale. One new member has signed up since Q4 2013.

• Of these 25 partners: - 22 partners are signed up to complete a House Blitz2 - three are signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been 36 house visits by Home Crew this

quarter which is an increase on Q4 2013, where zero were conducted due to staffing challenges.

• A total of four House Blitz activities, three Home Maker activities and three Strategic Conversations were also completed during Q1.

• This increase is due to: - Home Crew staff making a dedicated effort to follow up

partners who have reached their target contribution for a House Blitz project

- an ongoing review and revitalization of the ITAV engagement strategy

- intensive training conducted with all ITAV Parenting staff (including Home Crew staff) in February.





40

30

20

10

0

25Hope Vale

Home Pride membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

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substantial increase from the 90 members who had signed up by Q1 2013.




in Hope Vale, nine of which were started in Q4 2013 and completed this quarter. During these nine Blitzes, partners provided a total of 59.5 hours sweat equity and assisted in the completion of 11 separate Backyard Blitz elements4, including: the laying of screed and pavers, construction of a cement shed floor and planting. The completion of these project components assisted in creating outdoor living spaces designed by these families.

• Nine new POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in Q1 2014 and have so far contributed a cumulative total of $3,344.12 towards their combined target contribution of $9,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Overall, there were fewer POP engagement activities during

Q1 due to POP Enablers focusing their efforts on completing the remaining Backyard Blitzes from 2013.

• There were no Garden Club1 events scheduled for this quarter. However, fifteen Pop-up Visits2 were conducted.


48BACKYARD BLITZES

have been completed in Hope Vale to date

Q12013

Q2

150

100

50

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

129 Hope Vale POP

members

100Hope Vale households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families

80

60

40

20


62

15





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42


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The families of Mossman Gorge are leading by example

with their MPower membership continuing to grow

despite census data showing it is at saturation point. This

illustrates that as the population turns over, new community

members follow the trend of learning to self-manage their

funds. These Gorge families are also putting substantial

amounts towards their children’s education, the highest of

all communities, through Student Education Trusts.

Despite being in the aftermath of Christmas there was a

substantial number of Wise Buys purchases this quarter,

which could signal sensible Christmas spending. Eighty-

five per cent of homes have undergone or are undergoing

a backyard renovation project through Pride of Place.

The community continues to get involved in parenting

programme activities and give their homes a facelift

through ITAV Home Pride.

The ITAV Parenting programme moved to vacant offices in

the Wellbeing Centre providing more space for workshops

and privacy for parenting sessions. Our ITAV Consultant

has commenced a weekly after-hours group session for

women—to build skills in parenting behaviours and build

emotional/practical supports with an inter-generational

focus. A group of a dozen women are building a strong

core group from which to grow.

The stigma around attending parenting programme, once

considered an embarrassment, has been all but broken

down in Mossman Gorge with high and regular attendance

at activities and one-on-one sessions. Local mum Janet

Ross-Kelly is spreading the word about the tricks and

tactics she is learning at her sessions. She said that she

was struggling with bad behaviour at home but is now

implementing ‘happy’ ways to manage behaviour. (See

page 45)

MOSSMAN GORGE O-HUB Q1 Most O-Hub staff members including MPower Consultants, ITAV and POP took part in training during the quarter which is an essential component of community capacity building and ensuring retention of local Indigenous staff. One of our consultants will soon take on a role of MPower Exemplar—promoting increased competency/building capabilities across our MPower staff teams.

The delivery of POP Community Action Fund /People Action Network community and voluntary projects in Mossman Gorge are on track. A new community playground and garden are expected to be completed by the end of June. While POP leads these projects community members pitch in to get them done.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Minimal impacts from Cyclone Ita—power outages over

the weekend and minor flooding.


Overall 101


Adult (18+) 71







Households 31


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MOSSMAN GORGE Q1PARTNER PARTICIPATION SUMMARY

In Q1, MPower membership continued to grow as more community members demonstrate their desire to improve their financial literacy. SET contributions this quarter have been the highest of all communities with community members contributing a considerable amount of money towards their children’s educational needs. A healthy number of Wise Buys purchases were made despite the usual lull following Christmas. To date 26 Gorge homes have had backyard make-overs through POP, and more families signed on this quarter. ITAV activities have remained consistently high this quarter while ITAV Home Pride house visits have also remained stable. Overall, Q1 has been busy in Mossman Gorge.


• SET membership continues to rise—150 Mossman Gorge children and students have now benefitted from SET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 100 Mossman Gorge adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $16,899.54 during Q1—a significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Mossman Gorge’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 47 in Q1 2013 to 81 in Q1 2014. Mossman Gorge adults are demonstrating a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The 10 Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as washing machines, a dryer and a fridge/freezer combination.



• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q1, though POP staff conducted a total of 52 Pop-up Visits—an increase on the 48 that were completed in Q4 2013.

• One Backyard Blitz project was completed in Q1, during which partners contributed a total of 61 hours sweat equity.


• Thirty-one community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Fourteen ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with seven members (23% of total membership) participating—some multiple times.


• There are currently 11 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. These members are making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—156 Mossman Gorge adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Fifty-six per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESLESS STRESSED ABOUT MONEY“It’s made life better for me and my family.”Katrina Douglas has taken responsibility for her finances and is in control.

“I use MPower and Wise Buys, it is better for me, I get better quality stuff for a cheaper price. Because I get things for a better price I have been able to buy more—table and chairs, TV, couch and bed.

“SET has also been beneficial because it covers school fees and school uniforms.

“Recently, my son Zion attended a school camp and I was able to use the money from his SET account to pay for it.

“I have learned how to manage my money. I found that hard before, I was in debt.

“MPower has also made it easier to save money—the money I got saved up I can’t touch it, which I find better. I know every year I’ll have more money than the previous year.”

Katrina saved for Christmas and says she was able to buy more things than previous years.

“MPower is one of the best services for me and my family and I reckon other families should sign up to MPower for their service and support.

“It’s made my life better for me and my family. There’s no other service that can provide us with that. It’s good to have a service in the community to help my community.”

Katrina Douglas is a member of MPower, SET and Wise Buys and says she is in control of her finances.

POSITIVE PARENTING“I’m proud of myself for seeking help.”

It’s normal for kids to act out and test the boundaries as they grow up but this can be challenging and very stressful for parents.

Janet Ross-Kelly was struggling with her son’s behaviour so she turned to It Takes a Village to Raise a Child for support.

“I needed help—someone to talk to about some of the not-so-nice behaviours happening at home.”

During her Strong Families sessions, Janet is learning positive parenting strategies to use at home.

“I’m learning tips on how to manage my time, how to talk to my kids so they understand, and tips on how to properly use a behavioural chart.

“I feel good about what I’m doing and how much I am improving.

“I’m giving my children quality care. I am learning how to manage my children in a happy way.

“I tell lots of people about parenting, I think it can benefit a lot of community parents.”

As she learns more about positive parenting and gains confidence, she’s interested in also working with children outside of the home.

“I would like to work with children. I am studying to be a teacher and looking for jobs dealing with children and families as well.”

Janet Ross-Kelly would like to work with children in the future.

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56%

33% 4% 7%





• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 156 MPower members in Mossman Gorge. Over time more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.

MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were three new sign-ups this quarter.


• Over the last 15 months the largest proportion (56%) of new MPower members has been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• One MMT session was conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support. This is down on the previous quarter, where the eight MMT sessions held focused on Internet and Phone Banking, Banking Support, Wealth Creation Support, Debt Reduction Support and Budget Support.

• Over the period January 2013–March 2014 all MMTs, apart from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 405 iBank sessions in Q1—a very slight

decrease from Q4 2013. Forty per cent of these sessions were unassisted—slightly less than Q4 2013.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Mossman Gorge indicates that the proportion of unassisted sessions is continuing to increase over time (see below). However, as new members sign on we see assistance levels fluctuate as new members are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.


Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

200

150

100

50

0

156 Mossman Gorge

MPower members

8

6

9

5

0

12

9

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013

Unassisted Assisted

60%

40%


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in Mossman Gorge. Thirty-four additional members have

signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise

Buys membership indicates that a growing number of adults

in Mossman Gorge are valuing money and want support to

make better-informed purchasing decisions and to make their

dollar stretch further.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of nine unique1 members made a total of

10 purchases through Wise Buys. Of these 10 purchases: - six were classified as ‘needs’2 - four were classified as ‘wants’.3

• A total amount of $5,375.99 was spent, including $4,003.84 on needs and $1,372.15 on wants.

• Needs items purchased included a lounge suite, fridge/freezer combination, dryer, washing machine, bamboo screen fencing, new car tyres, a UHF and car radio, laptop, television and electrical appliances.

• The 31 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 74 times. Most visits (45%) were to receive general support (see below).




ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 81 members at the end of Q1 2014, 31 (38% of all

members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter.


General support


Make a payment

Purchase

Q12013

Q2

100

80

60

40

20

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

81 Mossman Gorge

Wise Buys members

45%

1%

22%

23%

9%


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• Out of the 139 open SET accounts remaining open

since the commencement of the programme in 2007:


contributions and purchases during the quarter—

these accounts are meeting the gold standard

for activity



during the quarter—this still represents a high level

of activity

- 25 (18%) have had zero contributions or

purchases this quarter, but have had contributions

or purchases in the previous 12 months

- 33 (24%) have been dormant for more than

12 months.

• Most of the least active SET accounts have very small

or nil balances. For instance, of the 33 accounts that

had no activity in more than 12 months,

- eight have a balance of $0.00

- eight have a balance between $0.01–$1.00


- two have a balance between $1,001–$5,000

• These less active accounts have a total balance of

$4,818.51. While the balance in these less-active

accounts is relatively small, there is still a need for

O-Hub staff to encourage these donors to re-activate

their SET usage and/or close these accounts.



• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Mossman Gorge, indicating that more and more families are making a clear choice make education a priority.



• Of those accounts open, most (n=89, 64%) are for primary school aged children.1

• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 139 because the schooling status of three SET students is unknown. These students are aged between 14 and 17 years and have a combined total amount of $1209.22 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with donors for these accounts to

determine schooling status.


Q12013

Q2

160

140

120

100Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

150 Mossman Gorge

SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

100

80

60

40

20

0

10

89

290

8 89PRIMARY SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

in Mossman Gorge have a SET account


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78%of purchases were for primary school aged children


BALANCE• At Q1 2014, there was a total balance of $98,033.54

across all Mossman Gorge SET accounts (see below).1 This represents a slight decrease of around six per cent from the total balance at the close of Q4 2013.

• The total balance for Mossman Gorge SET accounts at the end of Q1 includes $584.80 interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q4 2013.



SET accounts in Mossman Gorge. This is $7,638.99 more than the amount saved in Q4 2013 and is slightly more than the average amount being saved since Q1 2013 (see below). This is a pleasing result and represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 15 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, we typically see a higher number of purchases at the beginning

of the school year, in preparation for term one.





80%


donors contributing to the 139 open SET accounts. Three new donors have signed up since Q4 2013.

• Eighty per cent of Mossman Gorge SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Mossman Gorge women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.

of Mossman Gorge SET donors are female


$33,630.11


$4,543.62

Primary School

$59,959.77

$55,727.08


$0.00


$4,132.73

Q12013

Q2

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

$12,

029.

38

$13,

261.

75

$13,

374.

19

$9,2

60.5

5

$16,

899.

54

Q12013

Q2

300

200

100

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

284

162 131

130

285

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 31 partners signed up to ITAV

Parenting. During Q1 we have had two new members sign-up and overall 15 new members have signed on since the close of Q1 2013. This is a pleasing result.


• Out of the 31 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 28 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - three partners are signed up to the Baby College programme. WHAT MEMBERS DID

• Fourteen ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter, including: - nine Strong Families sessions - five Baby College sessions.

• During these sessions, partners worked on: - strategies to show affection to and praising children to

make them feel special - understanding the importance of sending children to

school so that they can get the best start in life - strategies to make bedtime and potty training easier for

young ones - understanding the value of spending special time with

children, and more.

• Seven members participated in these sessions, with some members participating across multiple sessions.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

40

30

20

10

0

31 Mossman Gorge

ITAV members

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been busily engaging

with the community—both existing members and potential members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to spread the word about the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 40 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=30, 75%); home visits (n=8, 20%); and community events (n=2, 5%).

• During Q1, Parenting relocated from the O-Hub to new office space at the Wellbeing Centre, which disrupted activities for a short time and may have impacted the overall volume of engagement activities. The new office space provides greater privacy for parenting members.

15 NEW MEMBERS


STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q1, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff spent a combined total

of 188 hours and six minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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Partner was having regular panic attacks due to the stress of looking after their baby. They worked with parenting consultants to identify strategies for coping with their panic attacks, but also to learn strategies for toilet training their child and developing bedtime routines.

The partner has learned to cope with the panic attacks. Their child is now trying to use the potty and is settling more easily at bedtime.

Things have improved dramatically.



• At the end of Q1 there were a total of 11 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. Membership has remained stable since Q4 2013.

• Of these 11 partners: - all 11 partners are signed up to both the House Blitz2 and

Home Maker3 components.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been five engagement house visits by Home

Crew this quarter which is stable from Q4 2013, where five visits were conducted.

• Because Home Pride is in its infancy in Mossman Gorge, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and this rapport is built, we look forward to seeing engagement activities increase.




ALLof the partners signed up to Home Pride are signed up to Home Maker and to

complete a House Blitz

20

15

10

5

0

11Mossman Gorge


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

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substantial increase from the eight members who had signed up by Q1 2013.


TOTAL NUMBER OF POP HOUSEHOLDSQ1 2014 WHAT MEMBERS DID

• To date there have been 16 Backyard Blitzes3 completed in Mossman Gorge, one of which was completed this quarter. During this quarter’s Blitz, partners provided a total of 61 hours sweat equity and assisted in the completion of eight separate Backyard Blitz elements4, including: the design and building of a pergola and cyclone shed; construction, planting and mulching of garden beds.

• The two POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 and have so far contributed a cumulative total of $402.47 towards their combined target contribution of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to strive towards this target over the coming months.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Overall, there were fewer POP engagement activities during

Q1 due to POP Enablers focusing their efforts on completing the Backyard Blitzes from 2013.

• There were no Garden Club1 events scheduled for this quarter, however, fifty-two Pop-up Visits2 were conducted.


Q12013

Q2

40

30

20

10

0Q3 Q4 Q1

2014

32 Mossman Gorge

POP members

26

100

75

50

25


48 52

16 BACKYARD BLITZES

have been completed in Mossman Gorge to date

Mossman Gorge households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families

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Q22014

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The Aurukun O-Hub was well attended this quarter, recording a steady growth across all Opportunity Products. The team concentrated efforts on exploring new engagement strategies. A local Indigenous MPower Consultant held successful promotions for MPower products, paying particular attention to proactive follow-ups. Having been an MPower graduate herself, this young Indigenous consultant is able to articulate and connect the benefits. The team is particularly pleased with the increase in the number of MPower coaching sessions, Money Management Tools sessions and Simple Budget sessions which signals a commitment for self-improvement beyond basic skills.

In 12 months Wise Buys membership has increased from 11 to 100 people. We believe a stable and full staff can be attributed to improved outcomes.

With almost half of the adult population contributing to SET it is the norm to set money aside for education and to make it a priority. Primary school students in particular are benefiting from SET at a rate not seen before. Almost 80 per cent of primary school students have a SET account for educational needs.

Parents and carers are catching on to the social and trade benefits of ITAV, with more members signing on than ever before and attending group and one-on-one sessions. One particularly dedicated parent/carer attended five separate sessions during the quarter. The growth can be attributed to improved engagement and working collaboratively with FRC, Child Safety and CYAAA Student Case Managers. The parenting team is working closely with Student Case Managers to improve school readiness, attendance rates and practical support for parents/carers of school-age children.

Pride of Place moved into a new phase of engagement this quarter as all projects from 2014 were finalised in the previous quarter. Family preparations for 2014 Blitzes

AURUKUN O-HUB Q2 got underway. Community/voluntary (CAF/PAN) projects started in 2013 were completed this quarter and talks got underway around 2014 community/voluntary projects. Garden Clubs were planned for Q4 this year including a garden project within the HACC property.

POINTS OF INTEREST• SET Fair was held in conjunction with the opening of

Aurukun’s new Business Precinct. It provided SET with good exposure. CYAAA joined our team at the SET Fair to help with the sale of school uniforms. Stock to the value of $1,700 was purchased on the day.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• While Aurukun wasn’t directly hit by Cyclone Ita the

community took precautions and bunkered down, slowing traffic through the O-Hub over several days.

• Staff movements caused significant disruption as new staff settle in and build trust with partners.

• MPower consultants from other sites have back-filled vacant positions during this quarter.


Overall 1190


Adult (18+) 750







Households 179


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AURUKUNPARTNER PARTICIPATION SUMMARY (Q2)

The Aurukun O-Hub remains a bustling centre as membership continues to increase across most of the Opportunity Products. A total of 726 Aurukun adults (≥15 years of age) are now signed up to improve their financial literacy through MPower. SET membership has also increased to 268 school children with accounts that fund their educational needs. Wise Buys membership has increased again and the number of parents and carers learning critical parenting skills through ITAV has grown. Seventeen ITAV members participated in 25 single and group sessions during the quarter, with one parent/carer attending five separate sessions. This illustrates real commitment to personal growth. Finally, Pop-up Visits and other POP engagement activities have picked up again during the quarter after ongoing projects from late 2013 were finalised in Q1 2014.


• SET membership continues to rise—268 Aurukun kids and students have now benefitted from SET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for student educational needs, with 153 Aurukun adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $20,322.28 during Q2. This represents a significant sum of money being put aside to meet the educational needs of Aurukun’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 11 in Q1 2013 to 100 in Q2 2014. Aurukun adults have demonstrated a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• Wise buys members focused on research for future purchases this quarter. No purchases were made.


• One new community member has signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 79 from 63 households. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q2, though POP staff conducted a total of 21 Pop-up Visits—more than the six that were completed last quarter.

• Although no Backyard Blitz projects were completed in Q2, the eight members who have signed up continue to contribute towards meeting their financial targets of $1,000 each.


• Seventy-seven community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Ten ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with eight members (10% of total membership) participating—some multiple times.


• There are currently 13 Home Pride members in Aurukun. These members are making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—726 Aurukun adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial understanding and skills.

• Sixty-two per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission). These partners are seeking to take responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESEDUCATION TOP PRIORITY“I’m now saving for Pride of Place.”

Laurelle Poonkamelya is the mother of five children. While four have now finished school each child has had a Student Education Trust to help support their educational needs.

Her youngest son, George Ngallametta is still in school and using his SET account.

“SET has been very useful. It helps to save money for all of my kids…when at boarding school they need things like a computer, bedding, uniforms, stationery and linen which SET helped me to buy.”

George starts high school next year which could bring on some larger expenses.

“SET means when he goes to boarding school and needs a laptop, I can say, yes. I can get you one because of SET.”

Laurelle said she also encourages others to sign up to SET. “I tell them they can get something for their kids so they can learn.”

In the future, Laurelle is looking to sign up for Pride of Place. “I like doing gardens and cleaning the yard so I will be saving for Pride of Place.” Putting money aside for education has been a

priority for Laurelle Poonkamelya.

A HELPING HAND“I got the help I needed at the O-Hub.”

Dawn Koodumbin of the Winchanum clan came

to the O-Hub for assistance accessing her

deceased partner’s money held with the local

Art Centre.

“I had help to fill out a Stat Dec saying that I was in a

relationship, how long we were together and the number of

children we had together.

“I talked with Lorraine (MPower Consultant) about him and

our life together.

“I was having big problems with this issue and

I got the help that I needed at the O-Hub.”Dawn Koodumbin came to the O-Hub for help with a

complicated family estate matter.

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• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 726 MPower members in Aurukun. Over time more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.



• Over the last 18 months the largest proportion (62%) of new MPower members have been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking more responsibility for their own finances.



• Twelve MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Internet and Phone Banking Support, Debt Reduction Support and Banking Support. This is an increase from the previous quarter, where the seven sessions focused on Internet and Phone Banking Support and Banking Support.

• Over the period January 2013–June 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Banking and Budget Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 1487 iBank sessions in Q2—a decrease

from Q1 2014. Forty two per cent of these sessions were unassisted—up slightly from Q1 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming more proficient at independently managing their finances. The trend in Aurukun indicates that unassisted sessions are trending up and assisted sessions are trending down (see below). However, as we get influxes of new members we see assistance levels also fluctuate—new members are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2


Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2

1000

800

600

400

200

0

726Aurukun MPower

members

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2

42%

58%

11%

62%

19%

8%

8

16

1

1

0

31

4

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

Unassisted Assisted

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• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 100 Wise Buys members in Aurukun. Ninety-one additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Aurukun want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 100 members at the end of Q2 2014, 11 (11% of all members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter.


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

100 Aurukun

Wise Buys members

WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, no purchases were made.




General support


Make a payment1

Purchase1

72%28%


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1 The age ranges for SET accounts are as follows: early childhood = 0–4 years; primary school = 5–11 years; secondary school = 12–17 years; tertiary/further education = 18–25 years. 2 ‘Active’ accounts are those where at least one purchase and/or contribution has been made during the quarter.


• Out of the 259 SET accounts remaining open since the commencement of the programme in 2007:

- six (2%) had been used to make both contributions and purchases during the quarter—these accounts are meeting the gold standard for activity

- 86 (33%) had received at least one contribution or had been used to make at least one purchase during the quarter—this still represents a high level of activity

- 102 (39%) had no contributions or purchases made during this quarter, however did receive a contribution or purchase in the previous 12 months

- 65 (25%) had been dormant for more than 12 months.

• Of the 65 accounts that had no activity for over 12 months,

- two have a balance of $0.00



- 12 have a balance between $1,001–$5,000


• These less active accounts have a total balance of $49,741.63. Given this large amount of money in accounts that have not been active for more than 12 months, contact should be made with the account holders as a matter a priority to encourage these donors to re-activate their SET usage and/or close these accounts.



• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Aurukun, indicating that a growing number of families are making their children’s education a priority.


• The large majority (n=259, 97%) of the 268 total SET accounts remained open at Q2 2014, while nine (3%) had been closed.

• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=158, 61%) are for primary school aged children.1



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

280

260

240

220


Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

200

150

100

50

0

24

158

600 11

• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 259 because for six trusts, the schooling status of the recipients is unknown. These students are 16–17 years of age and have a combined total balance of $3,759.06 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

35%of SET accounts have been active2

during the quarter

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across all Aurukun SET accounts (see below).1 This represents a slight increase from the total balance at the close of Q1 2014.

• The total balance for Aurukun SET accounts at the end of Q2 includes $2,328.21interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q1 2014.

TOTAL BALANCE OF SET ACCOUNTS BY LEVEL OF SCHOOLINGQ1 2014 TO Q2 2014


SET accounts in Aurukun. This is consistent with the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below) and represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.


PURCHASES• A total of 144 purchases were made from SET accounts in


• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, covering 18 months we typically see a higher number of purchases at the beginning of the school year, in preparation for term one.





donors contributing to 259 SET accounts.

• Ninety-three per cent of Aurukun SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Aurukun women have demonstrated a strong commitment towards the education of their children by making sure they have the materials they need to succeed at school.



Early Childhood


$101,293.28

$4,853.84

$5,823.18

Primary School

$228,155.43

$227,943.85


$0.00


$71,210.94

153 are now contributing to Aurukun SET accounts

DONORS

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2

$21,

822.

85

$20,

191.

12

$21,

000.

51

$15,

879.

93

$18,

783.

62

$20,

332.

28

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

500

400

300

200

100

0

65 95

414

6923

144

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During Q2 we have had 15 new members sign-up and overall, 30 new members have signed on since the close of Q1 2013. This is an exciting result.


• Out of the 77 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 74 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - three partners are signed up to the Baby College programme.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV Parenting staff members have been busily engaging with


• This quarter, a total of 39 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=31, 79%); handicraft sessions (n=4, 10%); information sessions (n=2, 5%); a home visit (n=1, 3%) and workshop (n=1, 3%).

• The volume of engagement activities during Q2 has been affected by ongoing community unrest and sorry time.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Ten ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter,

including:

- nine Strong Families sessions - one Baby College group session.

• During these sessions, partners worked on: - understanding how parents can influence a baby’s

development, through healthy eating and lifestyle - activities aimed at building skills around spending special

time with their children, and linking this with understanding around sound childhood development

- understanding the importance of making time to regularly talk with their children.

• Eight unique members participated in these sessions, with some members participating across multiple sessions. One partner showed an extraordinary level of commitment to building her parenting skills this quarter, having attended five separate sessions.

• Members also attended 15 case management activities during the quarter.


74PARTNERSare signed up to Strong Families in Aurukun

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

100

80

60

40

20

0

77Aurukun ITAV

members

STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q2, Aurukun ITAV staff spent a combined total of



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• Of these 13 partners:

- twelve partners are signed up to complete a House Blitz2

- one is signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been eight engagement house visits by Home

Crew this quarter which is a slight decrease from the nine conducted in Q1 2014.

• Because Home Pride is new in Aurukun, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members needed to undertake a larger number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we hope to see activities increase.





When partner joined ITAV, they were receiving reports from school about their children’s behavioural problems. The partner learned about how attachments are formed with children through bonding. They identified a need to spend more quality time with their children and learned how to set up a more consistent bedtime routine.

The children’s school attendance has now improved and there are fewer reports of behavioural issues. The partner now reports that they are ‘feeling good inside’ and that things have settled down in their home. The partner spends special time, colouring in or doing other activities with their children. Nowadays, when the partner’s children go to bed they get a hug and kiss, and are told ‘I love you’.


20

15

10

5

0


membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2

CYP450 FER Q2_V9.indd 63 30/03/15 2:33 PM







GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 79 partners signed up to POP. This has

increased from 42 (almost doubled) since Q1 last year.



WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been 23 Backyard Blitzes3 completed in

Aurukun, including 205 separate Backyard Blitz elements.4 The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating some fantastic outdoor living spaces for Aurukun families. Although no Blitzes were completed this quarter, we look forward to seeing Blitz activities increase again over the coming months.

• Four of the eight POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $1,043.07 towards their combined target contribution of $8,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were 21 Pop-up Visits1 this quarter—an increase from

Q1 where six were held.


23 BACKYARD BLITZES


Aurukun households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

100

75

50

25

0

79 Aurukun POP

members

63

50

40

30

20

10


6

21

• There were two Garden Club2 events held this quarter with 16 participants. Participants completed activities in relation to boxing, concrete preparations and concreting.

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64


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65

A dynamic suite of engagement exercises provided many touch points for partners to engage with staff and opportunity products.

MPower consultants set up stalls at community events to educate and promote the personal benefits of proactive money management and Wise Buys. As a result a number of household items such as fridges, freezers and beds were purchased through Wise Buys. Freezers enable partners to stock up ahead of the wet season when roads can be cut from supply routes for months on end. This reduces reliance on the local shops which fly or ship in ‘necessity’ items and on sells at very high prices. During the wet season when roads are cut, it can cost more than $8 for a loaf of bread. Our advice to partners is to ‘stock-up’.

SET membership has remained relatively stable, with 86 per cent of the Coen adult population now donating to at least one SET account. Purchases were high again this quarter: school children received a total of 216 separate items through SET to ensure their readiness for school.

Many Coen partners are demonstrating advanced money management behaviours checking in with the O-Hub staff several times each week for the latest money saving Wise Buy opportunities. Many are learning to confront bill payment and debt issues and are prioritising their spending which includes a commitment to their child’s education. Daveena Thomas (pictured in this report) is a fine example of a partner working hard to make her money work for her family.

POINTS OF INTEREST• MPower consultants visited homes as a way of

re-connecting with partners.

• A SET stall was held in the O-Hub grounds selling educational items such as jigsaw puzzles, books, art supplies, as well as poster charts and placemats, which assist children with learning numbers, the alphabet, times tables and colours. The stall was a great success, with the stall selling out of all products.

• An Easter parade and Easter egg hunt was held at the Wellbeing Centre in collaboration with the O-Hub, which had strong attendance by the children of Coen.

• A Mothers’ Day morning was well attended by mums, grandmothers and carers. They gathered as a talking circle and made cards and hats.

• ITAV Parenting activity has continued to increase with an increase in sessions—23 Strong Families and six Baby College sessions, Healthy Cooking Contests which incorporates Wise Buys for cooking products.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Several weeks throughout this quarter were

understaffed due staff movement and staff training, resulting in our consultants spreading themselves to ensure all areas were covered.

• An experienced MPower consultant in Coen assisted with MPower staff training in Aurukun, one week in every month, this quarter. The opportunity to impart knowledge and skills has assisted both the trainees and the trainer. This is an important part of Indigenous empowerment—empowering local people in local jobs.

COEN O-HUB Q2


Overall 264


Adult (18+) 161







Households 47


66

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MPower membership in Coen has continued to grow during Q2. SET membership has remained stable while purchases were high again this quarter. School children received a total of 236 separate items through SET to ensure their readiness for school. Wise Buys activity has remained relatively low, with only a few purchases being made during the quarter. This dip is to be expected, particularly in a small community where ‘big ticket item’ purchases are not frequent. The number of POP activities remained stable and included a Garden Club event held this quarter. ITAV Parenting activity has continued to increase —Q2 saw an overall increase in sessions.


• SET membership continues to rise—198 Coen kids and students have now benefitted from SET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for student educational needs, with 152 Coen adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $23,222.23 during Q2—this is significant sum of money being put aside to meet the educational needs of Coen students.

WISE BUYS


• The three Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as a bed and mattress.


• POP membership has remained stable at 46 members from 44 households this quarter. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• One Garden Club event was held in Q2, with nine participants working to develop a community market garden including laying soil and mulch. POP staff also conducted a total of three Pop-up Visits— fewer than the six that were completed last quarter.

• Although no Backyard Blitz projects were completed in Q2, the four members who have signed up continue to contribute towards meeting their financial targets of $1,000 each.


• Forty-six community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Twenty-nine ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 14 members (30% of total membership) participating—some multiple times.


• There are currently 14 Home Pride members in Coen. These members want to make their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—198 Coen adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Forty-five per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESMAKING MONEY STRETCH FURTHER“I talk to the O-Hub about where I can save dollars.”

Daveena Thomas’ goal is to live a healthy and happy life with her partner and to provide a good quality education for her son Davis. She has been a member of MPower for several years, shops regularly through Wise Buys and uses her Student Education Trust to keep her son Davis in educational supplies.

“Davis (12 years) was just a few months old, learning to crawl when I started his SET.”

“It saves me the stress if we want anything for education—I just take the paper work to Tracey at the O-Hub—books, uniforms, a whole heap of things, back to school pack, all the educational stuff.

“We got his suit for graduation, a formal suit.”

“I remember going to school and because we only had a little money we would just window shop (in Mareeba). I would say ‘Oh, I love that’. I would be looking at all the pretty school stuff. I so love that. If I get money I’m coming back for that we would say.

“Now I can just get them. We’d always go for second hand stuff, or the cheapest brand.

“I know money is being put to use in a good way. I know it’s a positive thing and that’s my kid. I’d do anything for my kids to get a good education.”

Davis is off to Marist Brothers in Brisbane this year and Daveena says that his SET will help to fund everything he needs.

Deveena works for Centrelink, her office is co-located in the O-Hub building

“I use Wise Buys for online shopping for groceries, clothes, and I shop around for anything. I talk to the O-Hub a lot about good deals and where I can save dollars.

“MPower helped me to organise my banking. I have two accounts. One to pay the bills, and one pays for shopping, things for the house and clothes.

“MPower gave me ideas on how you can save and where there is a better place to shop for better deals, give you better options for your money. I don’t know where this community would be without this office.

“The problem is with some people, who have a budgeting problem, they still don’t want to grow up. Still want to have that fun time and spend money on alcohol, like you are acting like a teenager.

“We’re not perfect but we pay our bills off. I have learned to contact people to let them know I can’t pay that but I can pay a portion this week to save us getting into trouble.

Daveena says in 2015 she’ll be putting money away for flights to visit Davis at boarding school in Brisbane mid-term. “I don’t like flying but I’ll pray before I get on the plane and thank God when we get there!”

Daveena Thomas said her son Davis was just a few months old when she started a Student Education Trust.

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• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 198 MPower members in Coen. Over time more and more community members are choosing the take better control of their finances.

MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were four new sign-ups this quarter.

• Of the 198 members signed up to MPower by the end of Q2, 66 members (33%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. This shows that members are regularly using the product.

• Since Q1 2013 the largest proportion (45%) of new MPower members have been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Nine MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Internet and Phone Banking Support, Banking Support, Budget Support and Payment Support. This is an increase from Q1, where the three MMT sessions held focused on Banking Support and Budget Support.

• Over the period January 2013–June 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support, Banking Support and Budget Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 135 iBank sessions in Q2—a slight reduction

from Q1 2014. Seventy-three per cent of these sessions were unassisted—eight per cent more than in Q1 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming more self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Coen reflects membership trends (see below). For example, in 2012, 51 new members signed up; at the same time the proportion of assisted sessions also increased because new members likely required greater assistance than older members. Through 2013 membership stabilised and levels of assistance again reduced. Over time, we expect to see assistance levels gradually reduce as iBank users become more self-sufficient.



100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2

27%

73%

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2

250

200

150

100

50

0

198 Coen MPower

members

45%

34%

21%

12

12

1

9

0

12

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

Unassisted Assisted

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• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 45 Wise Buys members in Coen. Twenty-three additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Coen want support to make better informed purchasing decisions.





necessary for employment opportunities).3 ‘Wants’ include items that are not an immediate need, including televisions and stereos.4 Each of these categories=0% during this quarter and are therefore not illustrated on the above graph.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, one unique1 member made a total of three

purchases through Wise Buys. All three purchases were classified as ‘needs’2 rather than ‘wants’.3

• A total amount of $601.90 was spent.

• Needs items purchased included a bed and mattress.

• The 14 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 41 times. Most visits (83%) were to conduct research on potential future purchases (see below).



General support4


Make a payment4

Purchase

10%7%83

%Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2

50

40

30

20

10

0

45 Coen Wise Buys

members

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• Out of the 162 SET accounts that remain open since



contributions and purchases during the quarter.

These accounts are meeting the gold standard

for activity



during the quarter—this still represents a good

level of activity

- 67 (41%) had no contributions made or

purchase transactions this quarter, however did

record purchase or contribution in the previous

12 months

- 22 (14%) had no activity in more than 12 months.



had no activity in more than 12 months,




- four have a balance between $1,001–$5,000








• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Coen, indicating that more and more families are making a clear decision to make their children’s education a priority.



• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=58, 36%) are for

primary school aged children.1



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

210

200

190

180

170


Early Childhood

(0–4)

70605040302010 0




(18–25)


(18–25)

47 5836

4 17

45%of SET accounts have been active2 during the quarter

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across all Coen SET accounts (see below).1 This represents a decrease of around two per cent from the total balance at the close of Q1 2014.

• The total balance for Coen SET accounts at the end of Q2 includes $1,458.42 interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q1 2014.



to SET accounts in Coen. This is $6,513.45 more than the amount saved in Q1, and is slightly higher than the savings made each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.


37%


donors contributing to the 162 open SET accounts. Fifteen donors have left SET since Q1 2014.

• Sixty-three per cent of Coen SET donors are female, most (74%) being the recipient’s mother.






$72,874.17


$27,845.44

Primary School

$103,871.95

$97,704.42

$2,926.67 Tertiary/Further Education

$2,943.95


$46,532.42

152are now contributing to Coen SET accounts

DONORS

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$14,

959.

00

$17,

258.

71

$15,

934.

43

$12,

925.

64

$16,

708.

78

$23,

222.

23


Q2 2014—slightly fewer than in Q1. The total value of these purchases was $25,163.13. Most (n=186, 78%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least

12 months (see below—being for 18 months).


300

200

100

0

173 168

250

184

270

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

237

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During Q2 we have had five new members sign-up and overall we have signed up 12 new members since the close of Q1 2013.



ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV Parenting staff members have been busily engaging

with the community—including both members and potential

members of ITAV.

• This quarter, a total of 35 engagement activities were

undertaken. These included: handicraft sessions (n=13,

36%); informal discussions (n=9, 25%); community events

(n=5, 14%); home visits (n=4, 11%); workshops (n=3, 8%);

and information sessions (n=1, 3%).

• The total volume of engagement activities this quarter was

affected by staff turnover and community unrest. We hope to

see activities increase over the coming months.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Twenty-nine ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the

quarter, including: - 23 Strong Families sessions - six Baby College sessions.

• During these sessions, partners worked on: - understanding the types of activities that can be used to

promote children’s development - strategies to deal with infant and toddler’s crying - how to encourage appropriate behaviour, including when

raising teenagers - understanding why children behave the way they do.

• Fourteen members participated in these sessions—some attending multiple times, including for group sessions. Session participation has increased since Q1. This is a desirable trend.

42PARTNERSare signed up to Strong Families in Coen

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

50

40

30

20

10

0



203 hours with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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The partner was stressed and struggling to cope with their teenage children. They were also called to the school to address behavioural issues with their younger children and had reached a point where they felt like they were ‘out of ideas’ about how to manage.

The partner discussed the specific problems they were having with ITAV Parenting Consultants. They learned about how to cope with teenagers, including the main causes of behavioural issues during teenage-hood. Although the partner still feels stressed, they are beginning to spend more ‘special time’ with their children, stating ‘It makes [the partner] happy to see them happy’. The partner continues to engage with ITAV and learn more about how to create a happier family life.



• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 14 Home Pride members in Coen. One new member has signed up since Q1 2014.

• Of these 14 partners: - all are signed up to the House Blitz2 and Home Maker3

components.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. We hope to see membership and activities increase in the coming months as staffing issues are resolved.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been six engagement house visits by Home Crew

this quarter. This represents a decrease from Q1, where 31 visits were conducted. The Home Pride team member appointed in Q1 has been moved to another team resulting in a vacancy in the Home Pride team and a gap in capacity.

• Because Home Pride is new in Coen, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we would expect to see the number of activities increase.




Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

20

15

10

5

0




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74



GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 46 partners signed up to POP. We have

had four new members sign up since Q1 2013 but over the previous 12 months, membership has stayed the same.



ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• One Garden Club1 event was held this quarter, with nine

participants attending. During the event participants worked to develop a community market garden, including laying soil and mulch.

• Three Pop-up Visits2 were also conducted during Q2—more than last quarter, where zero were conducted.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been eight Backyard Blitzes3 completed in

Coen. The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for many Coen families.

• The four POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $2,263.42 towards their combined target of $4,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target over the coming months.

8 BACKYARD BLITZES




3 ‘Backyard Blitzes’ are garden renovation projects partners can sign-up for as a POP member. Members work with a POP Enabler to develop a design for their garden and to discuss contributions.


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

50

40

30

20

10

0

46 Coen POP members

44

30

20

10

030

This quarterLast quarter


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75

The Hope Vale O-Hub continues to grow its membership with more than 500 people engaged in MPower. Wise Buys was accessed for the purchase of general household necessities, including fridges and washing machines. The O-Hub team is pleased to witness the strong personal growth amongst many individuals. One MPower member, Cheryl Cannon, became the first homeowner on Millers Block and has inspired others to consider homeownership as a real possibility.

Saving for children’s education remains a priority for a large number of Hope Vale families with contributions to SET this quarter in excess of $20,000.

Pride of Place (POP) Garden Club is very popular with 90 people attending one or more in a series of workshops including making gabion gauge posts, preparation of new garden, layout and installation of timber and edging, how to design a feature fence, as well as planting and mulching. POP Backyard Blitz projects were at a standstill awaiting financial contribution targets to be reached. Work is expected to get underway in the coming months.

A large number of ‘Strong Families’ and ‘Baby College’ sessions have been run through ITAV Parenting, with almost 80 attendees. This is a very encouraging level of participation. ITAV Home Pride staff members have continued to assist partners to undertake mini interior projects to freshen up their homes.

POINTS OF INTEREST• ITAV Parenting in collaboration with the Wellbeing

Centre held a Mother’s Day Luncheon.• High participation in parenting activities including

Women’s Group meetings, curtain making, cooking classes and a gratitude workshop.

• Parenting staff provided a BBQ meal at an information evening about the Banana Farm

• A SET stall was held during the school holidays, selling arts and crafts, educational toys, games and posters, with all items being purchased.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Staff movement disrupted operations for short periods

this quarter.

HOPE VALE O-HUB Q2

Home owner Cheryl Cannon


Overall 931


Adult (18+) 589







Households 208


76

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MPower membership has continued to grow, with 505 members now signed up. SET contributions have remained steady while purchases have decreased, which is expected in Q2. Most Hope Vale parents/carers purchase the year’s school supplies at the beginning of Q1 to get their children ready for the new school year. Wise Buys purchases were made during Q2 for general household necessities, including fridges and washing machines. POP participants are saving for their target contribution which will mark the start of work on their Backyard Blitz projects. A large number of ‘Strong Families’ and ‘Baby College’ sessions have been run through ITAV Parenting, with 29 attendees overall and many participating multiple times. Finally, ITAV Home Pride partners have continued to work with staff to undertake mini projects to make their homes more safe and comfortable for their families.


• SET membership continues to rise—222 Hope Vale children and students have now benefitted from SET.

• With 143 Hope Vale adults now contributing to at least one SET account, putting money aside for educational needs is almost the norm.SET donors saved $21,916.83 during Q2. A significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Hope Vale’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 13 in Q1 2013 to 44 in Q2 2014. Hope Vale adults are wanting to learn about make better purchasing options.

• The eight Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as cookware sets, fridges, microwaves, kitchen utensils and furniture totalling $8,207.00.


• Three new community members have signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 132 from 102 households. By signing up to POP, these members are taking steps to create family outdoor living spaces.

• To date, 48 homes in Hope Vale have completed a Backyard Blitz through POP. Although no Backyard Blitzes were scheduled for this quarter, 18 Pop-up Visits were held.

• Five Garden Club activities were also held and attended by 90 people (some people attending more than once).


• Eighty community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting.

• Seventy-eight ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 23 members (29% of total membership) participating.



MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—505 Hope Vale adults are now signed up and engaging in improved financial management practices.

• Seventy-three per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are self/friend/family referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility and the steps needed to better manage their finances.

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familySTORIESGETTING SAVVY WITH TECHNOLOGY“It feels good to learn online banking.”

Leanne Finley has recently learnt how to use internet banking via iBank. She previously only used telephone banking.

“It feels good to learn online banking. It’s new technology for me and it’s good I can now check my balance on the computer. I can see how much I’ve got in my account and where my money goes.”

Leanne has also recently completed her first No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) application in order to buy herself a bed.

“MPower has helped me a lot. I know I can ask for support to help me out with things.”

Leanne Finley feels more in control of her banking with access to internet services.

HELPING OUR FAMILY“We are both growing and learning.”

Sherona and Travis Bally Olbar are getting their life in

order. Since taking over the responsibility for a house

and paying rent, they say they have become more

self-reliant.

“Our skills in parenting are better and it has helped

dealing with daily life challenges at home.

The Parenting Consultant says the couple are

dedicated to the Strong Families program and

attend all sessions. Sherona has joined the women’s

group which meets at the Wellbeing Centre.

“We both are growing, and are learning to build a safe

and happy home that allows family members to stay

with us,” Travis said.

Sherona and Travis still have a few parenting sessions

to go, and are enjoying being parents and learning

new skills through the program.

“We are learning new things and it is helping

our family.”

Sherona and Travis Bally Olbar say the ITAV Parenting sessions have made life easier.

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• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 505 MPower members in Hope Vale. Over time more and more community members are taking steps to improve their financial literacy and management.



• Over the last 18 months the largest proportion (73%) of new MPower members have been self/friend/family- referred These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Fifteen MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Internet and Phone Banking and Payment Support. This is up on the previous quarter, where the five MMT sessions held focused on Internet and Phone Banking and Budget Support.

• Over the period January 2013–June 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support and Wealth Creation Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking and Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 329 iBank sessions in Q2—a very slight

decrease from Q1 2014. Seventy per cent of these sessions were unassisted—up from Q1 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Hope Vale indicates that unassisted sessions began to outstrip assisted sessions in late 2011 (see below). However, new members needing assistance causes this statistic to fluctuate.



Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2

600

500

400

300

200

100

0


members

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2

70%

30%

29

9

0

13

0

47

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

3%

73%

15%

9%

Unassisted Assisted

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in Hope Vale. Thirty-one additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that a growing number of residents want support to make better informed purchasing decisions.



necessary for employment opportunities).3 Each of these categories=0% during this quarter and are therefore not illustrated on the above graph.



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

44 Hope Vale

Wise Buys members

WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of four unique1 members made a total of

eight purchases through Wise Buys. All eight purchases were classified as ‘needs’2 purchases. A total amount of $8,207.00 was spent.

• ‘Needs’ items purchased included cookware sets, fridges, microwaves, kitchen utensils, and electrical appliances.




General support


Make a payment

Purchase

8%17%

42%

33%

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- nine (4%) had been used to make both






during the quarter—this still represents a good

level of activity

- 91 (44%) had zero contributions or purchases

this quarter, but had received a contribution or

purchase made in the previous 12 months

- 35 (17%) had no activity in more than

12 months.



accounts that had no activity for over 12 months,





These less active accounts have a total balance of







• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to grow in Hope Vale, indicating that more and more families are making education a priority.






Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

240

220

200

180


Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

120

100

80

60

40

20

026

118

611 3



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BALANCE• At Q2 2014, there was a total balance of $157,475.32 across

all Hope Vale SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of $10,692.23 from the total balance at the close of Q1 2014.



CONTRIBUTIONS• During Q2 2014 a total of $21,916.83 was contributed to SET

accounts in Hope Vale. This is up from the previous quarter and is relatively consistent with sums being contributed since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months. For example, as shown in the below graph covering 18 months, we typically see a higher number of purchases at

the beginning of the school year, in preparation for term one.




83%


donors contributing to the 209 open SET accounts. Three donors have left since Q1 2014.

• Eighty-three per cent of Hope Vale SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Hope Vale women are setting an example by making education a priority and making sure the children around them have everything they need to succeed at school.



$39,218.97


$16,182.83

Primary School

$86,945.44

$92,462.90


$254.33


$9,356.29

143 are now contributing to Hope Vale SET accounts

DONORS

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$18,

646.

96

$20,

024.

30

$19,

209.

45

$13,

164.

43

$17,

795.

54

$21,

916.

83

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

300

200

100

0

224

145 135 145

280

143

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During Q2 we have had five new members sign-up and overall, we have signed up 31 new members since the close of Q1 2013.


• Out of the 80 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 62 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - 18 partners are signed up to the Baby College programme.


the community—including both members and non-members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to promote the benefits of the programme.

• This quarter, a total of 102 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=52, 51%); home visits (n=36, 35%); community events (n=6, 6%); workshops (n=5, 5%); handicraft sessions (n=2, 2%); and an information session (n=1, 1%).

• The volume of engagement activities during Q2 was impacted by prolonged absences of staff as well as sorry time, which saw some community members and staff traveling away from community to attend funerals.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Seventy-one ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the

quarter, including:

- 57 Strong Families sessions

- 12 Baby College sessions

- two Positive Kids sessions.

• During these sessions, partners worked on:

- understanding the impact of parental behaviour on child behaviour including ways to encourage children to use good manners

- understanding the connections between sleeping patterns and child behaviours

- understanding the importance of good nutrition for child development and growth.

• There were 78 participants across all sessions, including 23 unique members—many of whom participated multiple times including in group sessions.

62PARTNERSare signed up to Strong Families in Hope Vale

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

100

80

60

40

20

0

80 Hope Vale ITAV

members


of 568 hours and six minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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The partner joined ITAV after their children were taken into the care of Child Safety. They identified that they needed to work on their anger issues and general parenting skills to have a chance at reuniting with their children.

Through ITAV, the partner has learned about establishing routines for children and the importance of instilling good habits in them that set them up for successful lives. After working hard to improve their parenting skills, the partner was reunited with their children. The partner continues to attend ITAV sessions regularly for general support and to keep improving parenting skills. Life has improved dramatically for this family.



• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 27 Home Pride members in Hope Vale. Two new members have signed up since Q1 2014—a pleasing result.

• Of these 27 partners: - 23 are signed up to complete a House Blitz2

- four are signed up to the Home Maker3 component.


HOUSE VISITS• There have been 34 home visits by Home Crew this

quarter which is a slight decrease from Q1 2014, where 36 were conducted.

• During these home visits, Home Crew staff assisted partners with orders for kitchen packs and painting kits, and to develop action plans for their upcoming projects.

• Engagement is expected to remain high over the coming months as partners begin to put their project plans into action.




40

30

20

10

0

27Hope Vale


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2


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substantial increase from the 90 members who had signed up by Q1 2013.



• There were five Garden Club2 events held this quarter attended by 90 participants (some partners attended more than one event).

• Garden Club participants at the event in May prepared the Indigenous Knowledge Centre new garden layout and installed timber edging, planting and mulching.

• In June Garden Club participants learnt how to design a feature fence and how to make gabion cage posts.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were 18 Pop-up Visits1 conducted during Q2 2014, up

from 15 in the previous quarter.


48BACKYARD BLITZES


Hope Vale households have now signed up to make healthier living spaces for their families



3 Backyard Blitzes are garden renovation projects partners can sign-up for as a POP member. Members work with a POP Enabler to develop a design for their garden and to discuss contributions.

150

100

50

0

132 Hope Vale POP

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2

102

80

60

40

20

0

15 18



in Hope Vale. The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating lovely outdoor living spaces for many Hope Vale families.

• The nine POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $7,843.35 towards their combined target contribution of $9,000 ($1,000 each). Three of the nine members have already reached their individual $1,000 contribution targets. The remaining six members will continue to contribute towards reaching their targets over the coming months.

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84


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85

Mossman Gorge residents continue to demonstrate a

commitment to family and personal development as

membership continues to steadily increase as new members

join from surrounding areas or return to the community. A

significant sum of money is being put aside for student

educational expenses. The majority of families in Mossman

Gorge are investing in their children’s education. More than

140 children have a Student Educational Trust.

The MPower team reported encouraging progress in

Coaching and iBanking

A record amount of money has been invested in value-for-

money household goods through Wise Buys. Partners were

supported to take advantage of Government subsidies on

MOSSMAN GORGE O-HUB Q2

Governor General visits Mossman Gorge

4–5 Star fridges and washing machines, which was coming to a close.

Mossman Gorge ITAV Parenting is a shining light with high patronage. The ITAV team and partners have settled in well into the new office space within the Wellbeing Centre. ITAV numbers are growing as more ladies join the special parenting support sessions held in the evenings each week.

MPower staff attended Matrix on Board (Cert III Community Services) training as part of an ongoing development programme.

POINTS OF INTEREST• The O-Hub hosted His Excellency Sir Peter Cosgrove

and Lady Cosgrove introducing the couple to O-Hub work and local families experiencing the benefits. The team collaborated with the local leadership and other service providers to ensure valuable engagement for their Excellencies and the people of Mossman Gorge.


Overall 101


Adult (18+) 71







Households 31


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MPower membership has reached 161 in Q2 and a consistently high level of contributions have been made to SET. Mossman Gorge residents have made a strong commitment to investing in their children’s education. Wise Buys purchases have increased, with a record amount being spent on purchasing value-for-money household goods. POP activities to enhance the liveability of outdoor spaces have continued, while the overall number of ITAV Parenting sessions has remained strong. Mossman Gorge parents and carers are resolute in their commitment to grow their parenting skills. ITAV Home Pride is working to convert house visits from Q1 and Q2 to projects in the coming months.



• With 98 Mossman Gorge adults now contributing to at least one SET account it is becoming the normal practice to put aside money for educational needs.

• SET donors saved $18,735.61 during Q2—this is a significant sum of money put aside to meet the educational needs of the local students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 47 in Q1 2013 to 90 in Q2 2014. Mossman Gorge adults are keen to learn about value-for-money purchasing options.

• The 27 Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as washing machines, beds, fridges, freezers, a lounge suite and outdoor settings.


• POP membership has remained stable this quarter at 32 members from 26 households. By signing up to POP, these members are demonstrating their desire to enhance their outdoor living spaces.

• Although no Backyard Blitzes were completed in Q2, POP staff conducted 26 Pop-up Visits.

• Two Garden Club events were also held, with five participants attending. Participants planted vegetables and herbs and helped to construct a community garden.


• Thirty-five community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Six ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with five members (14% of total membership) participating—some multiple times.


• There are currently 11 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. These residents are making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER


• Fifty-six per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are self/friend/family- referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission) —these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESOPEN TO LEARNING“I am still learning and growing with my parenting.”

Jason Soloman and Patricia Olbar say you are never too old or have too many children to learn better parenting skills.

“We had done the Strong Families programme before, but our children have now grown up and now that we have a new baby we wanted to come back to the programme and get more support from a Parenting Consultant.”

The couple attend sessions and activities regularly and were proud winners of the Mossman Gorge Baby Contest for their division.

“I am still learning and growing with my parenting. We like to learn new ways of dealing with behaviour.

“We are learning new skills, getting support for my family and building positive relationships with each other and our children.” Jason and Patricia say you are never too

old to learn new parenting tricks.

The Mossman Gorge Women’s retreat at Cape Tribulation was a fitting end to a 10 week Women’s Conversation Circle. The Conversation Circle meetings were held once a week in the lead up to the retreat and carefully planned to coincide with the full moon, which was the theme of the camp—the Kija (Moon) Story. The Kija Story is a Kuku Yalanji dreamtime story, and is the birthing story for the local Bama people. The camp was held near the vicinity of where the birthing story begins.

The retreat was attended by a dozen women including camp co-ordinator, ITAV’s Julie Williams and Ellie Starkey, Community Development Officer/Counsellor at Mossman Gorge Wellbeing Centre.

Many topics were covered over the duration of the camp, these included—Generational Mapping, Kija Story, Mother Legacy, Two Hours of Complete Silence, The Wild Women’s Nature, Family Roles, and Feeling Good About Yourself. The women also pulled out their crystal collections that were acquired through a recent workshop and used these to amplify their intentions of letting go, and creating new and positive situations in their lives. This was done by writing down on a piece of paper what they needed to let go, and

on another piece of paper what they wanted to bring forth. These were then placed under their crystal grids for the duration of the camp.

Some braved the cold water and went for swims in the creek, others went for walks on the beach, joined Yoga sessions or just enjoyed being immersed in the sanctuary of the rainforest.

MOSSMAN GORGE WOMEN’S RETREAT CAPE TRIBULATIONThe “Kiji Story” Retreat

The Kiji Story Retreat was designed for the women to reflect, let go and grow for the future.

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MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were five new sign-ups this quarter.


• Since Q1 2013 the largest proportion (56%) of new MPower members have been self/friend/family-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Ten MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Budget Support, Debt Reduction Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support and Payment Support. This is an increase on Q1, where the one MMT session held focused on Banking Support.

• Over the period January 2013–June 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 368 iBank sessions in Q2—a slight

decrease from Q1 2014. Thirty-one per cent of these sessions were unassisted—less than Q1 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming more independent in managing their finances. The trend in Mossman Gorge indicates that the proportion of unassisted sessions is continuing to increase over time (see below). However, as we get new members we see assistance levels fluctuate as new members are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.



Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2

200

150

100

50

0

161 Mossman Gorge

MPower members

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2

31%

69%

28%

13%

56%

3%

11

7

9

6

0

15

11

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

Unassisted Assisted

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in Mossman Gorge. Forty-three additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Mossman Gorge want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of 20 unique1 members made a total of

27 purchases through Wise Buys. Of these 27 purchases: - 18 were classified as ‘needs’2 - nine were classified as ‘wants’.3


• Needs items purchased included beds, fridges, freezers, a lounge suite, outdoor settings and washing machines.

• The 44 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 92 times. Most visits (48%) were to make purchases (see below).







General support


Make a payment

Purchase

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

100

80

60

40

20

0

90 Mossman Gorge

Wise Buys members

48%

2%23%

17%

10%

CYP450 FER Q2_V9.indd 89 30/03/15 2:33 PM

90

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14









for activity



during the quarter—this still represents a very high

level of activity

- 33 (23%) where no contributions or purchases

were made during this quarter, but where a

contribution or purchase had been made in the

previous 12 months


than 12 months.



had no activity for more than 12 months,












• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Mossman Gorge, indicating that more and more families consider education a priority.



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

160

140

120

100

152 Mossman Gorge

SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

100

80

60

40

20

0

12

89

300

7



• The total trusts in this figure do not add to 141 because the schooling status of three SET students was unknown. These students are aged between 14–17 years and have a total combined balance of $1,216.39 (the balance of one trust is zero). This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.



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across all Mossman Gorge SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of around eight per cent from the total balance at the close of Q1 2014.




SET accounts in Mossman Gorge. This is slightly more than the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below) and represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are,

therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months.



1 The balance of SET accounts is an outstanding balance of all trusts to the end of the quarter. It takes into consideration all contributions and purchases of each to date and thus, it is not a cumulative total.2 One donor can contribute to more than one SET account. However, for the purpose of this figure, they are each counted as one unique donor.

80%

DONOR PROFILE • At Q2 2014 there were a total of 98 unique2 donors

contributing to the 141 open SET accounts. Two donors have left SET since Q1 2014.

• Eighty per cent of Mossman Gorge SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Mossman Gorge women are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



$36,926.95


$5,768.57

Primary School

$55,727.08

$59,277.71


$0.00


$4,385.38

98are now contributing to Mossman Gorge

SET accounts

DONORS

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$12,

029.

38

$13,

261.

75

$13,

374.

19

$9,2

60.5

5

$16,

899.

54

$18,

735.

61

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

300

200

100

0

284

162 131

130

285

112

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During Q2 we have had four new members sign-up and overall, we have signed up 19 new members since the close of Q1 2013—a pleasing result.



ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been busily engaging

with the community, including both members and potential members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to promote the benefits of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 94 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=42, 45%); home visits (n=33, 35%); workshops (n=12, 13%); handicraft sessions (n=3, 3%); community events (n=2, 2%); and information sessions (n=2, 2%).

WHAT MEMBERS DID• Six ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter, all of

which were for the Strong Families programme.

• During these sessions, partners worked on a number of areas including: - strategies to set appropriate rules and boundaries for

children - understanding the importance of relaxation and other

techniques to cope with the stress associated with parenting - understanding the importance of showing affection to children.

• Five unique members participated in these sessions, with some members participating multiple times.

31PARTNERSare signed up to Strong Families in Mossman Gorge

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

40

30

20

10

0

35Mossman Gorge

ITAV members

STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q2, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff spent a combined total

of 341 hours and three minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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Partner signed up to ITAV as they were experiencing behavioural issues with their children. The partner was stressed and having trouble coping with their baby.

The partner has now learned how to establish bedtime routines, understands the importance of child nutrition, and knows how to support their child in day care. One child’s behaviour at day care has improved and the partner reports spending more quality time playing with their children. While much improved, the partner at times experiences distress and requires ongoing support. The partner enjoys attending ITAV sessions and to participates enthusiastically.





• At the end of Q2 there were a total of 11 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. Membership has remained stable over the past three quarters.

• Of these 11 partners: - all 11 partners are signed up to both the House Blitz2 and

Home Maker3 components.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched mid-2013. It has been slow to grow due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been six engagement house visits by Home Crew

this quarter which is slightly more than Q1, where five visits were conducted.

• Because Home Pride is new in Mossman Gorge, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members that is needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilizes and this rapport is built, we look forward to seeing engagement activities increase.






20

15

10

5

0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2

11Mossman Gorge

Home Pride members

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substantial increase from the eight members who had signed up by Q1 2013.




in Mossman Gorge. These Mossman Gorge families have created lovely outdoor living spaces.

• The two POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far saved a cumulative total of $80 towards their combined target amount of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to save towards their targets over the coming months.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Two Garden Club1 events were held this quarter, with five

participants attending. Participants planted out herb and vegetable patches, and created a community garden.

• Twenty-six Pop-up Visits2 were also conducted during Q2.


16 BACKYARD BLITZES



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2

40

30

20

10

0

32 Mossman Gorge

POP members

26

100

75

50

25


52

26

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Q32014



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97

The Aurukun O-Hub continues to see a steady increase

in the number of people using our development products.

More than 730 people are signed on to improve their money

management skills and participation in Student Education

Trust is heartening. A high number of educational items

were purchased this quarter, 135 in total.

The number of families purchasing furniture and household

items through Wise Buys was also high signalling careful

money management. More than 90 people have joined

Wise Buys since the same quarter last year, growing from

11 to 103. Locals are catching on to the benefits of Wise

Buys and wanting to learn about better buying options to

help make their dollar stretch further.

Families came together for the community-wide ‘Celebrating

Family Day’ event coordinated by ITAV Parenting. Children,

parents and carers enjoyed a range of fun activities.

Attracting families to the parenting programme has been

difficult due to a stigma attached to mandated referrals. In a

bid to overcome this stigma and attract voluntary members

we have employed local staff and invested heavily in staff

‘engagement training’. This in itself presents challenges as

the skill and experience level of local staff is often limited.

It requires a strong commitment to (local) capacity building

to ensure these people can perform this valuable role now

and into the future.

Pride of Place participants have been making contributions

to their project deposits and two have started work, tallying

almost 11 hours of sweat equity so far. The POP team

has also been working on the development of community/

voluntary projects in Coen and Aurukun.

AURUKUN O-HUB Q3POINTS OF INTEREST• Attracting more than 200 people, the Celebrating

Family Day was a great opportunity for families to socialise and have fun with children.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• There have been periods of high tension in the

community this quarter which impacts on O-Hub operations, particularly programmes involving projects in and around the home such as ITAV Home Pride and Pride of Place.


Overall 1190


Adult (18+) 750







Households 179


98

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Membership for MPower in Aurukun continues to expand, with 739 community members having now signed up to improve their financial literacy. Access to SET accounts is again high with a total of 136 educational items being purchased. Wise Buys activity has picked up this quarter with purchases again being made. These community members are using their buying power to get the best value for money on the goods they need. ITAV Parenting hosted a community-wide ‘Celebrating Family Day’ event this quarter. Families came together to participate in a range of fun activities. ITAV Home Pride activity has been low due to issues within community. Finally, POP participants continue to input to their project deposits and two have already begun work, contributing almost 11 hours of sweat equity so far.


• SET membership continues to rise—271 Aurukun kids and students have now benefitted from SET.

• It is becoming common practice to put aside money for student educational needs, with 153 Aurukun adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $20,332.95 during Q3. This represents a significant sum of money being put aside to meet the educational needs of Aurukun students.

WISE BUYS


• Three purchases were made during Q3, including a dining table and chairs.


• One new community member has signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 82 members from 66 households. By signing up to POP, these members are taking action to create family outdoor living spaces.

• Two POP members began work on their Backyard Blitz projects in Q3, setting up maintenance kits and starting their designs.

• POP staff conducted 50 Pop-up Visits—a dramatic increase from the 21 conducted in Q2.

• Two Garden Club events were held during Q3 with 16 participants attending. Participants undertook painting, planting, propagation and also built a community garden.


• Seventy-nine community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Two ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with two members (3% of total membership) participating. There were fewer sessions held this quarter due to staff turnover and periods of high community tension.


• There are currently 13 Home Pride members in Aurukun. These members are making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—739 Aurukun adults are now signed up and taking steps towards improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Sixty-four per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are self/friend/or family—referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission).

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familySTORIESCELEBRATING FAMILY DAYCelebrating Family Day in Aurukun was a great opportunity for the community to come together to pay tribute to their strong family cultural values.

It was a time for mums, dads, aunties and uncles to join their children for an afternoon of fun and games. More than 200 joined in the breakie and treasure hunt at the landing, lunch at the oval, and Kup Murri in the park in the evening, where footy was a hit with the kids. The slip and slide was the most fun, courtesy of the local fire volunteer fire truck, as children tried to cool down from the Aurukun heat that had come in earlier than hoped.

SETTING AN MPOWER EXAMPLE“I want to show a good example to others in my community.”

Sandra Grace Bowenda said she is currently saving money so that she can buy a lawn mower, car, bed and mattress.

“I found out about these things from family members and decided to sign up for myself so that I could learn to manage my money and show a good example to others in my community.

“I contribute to my granddaughter’s SET account. She is seven years-old and will need that when she moves further through school so she can get what she needs at school. It’s very important for her to be in school.”

Sandra said in the future she would like to sign up for Pride of Place as she has a keen interest in gardening.

Sandra Grace Bowenda is a member of MPower and saves for

family and household items.

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• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 739 MPower members in Aurukun. Over time more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.


• Of the 739 members signed up to MPower by the end of Q3, 388 members (53%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. These members are regularly using the product.




• Thirteen MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Budget Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support, Payment Support and Wealth Creation Support. This is a slight increase on the previous quarter, where the 12 sessions focused on Internet and Phone Banking Support, Debt Reduction Support and Banking Support.

• Over the period January 2013–September 2014 all MMTs were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 2158 iBank sessions in Q3—a large

increase from 1487 in Q2 2014. Thirty-one per cent of these sessions were unassisted—down from 42 per cent in Q2 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Aurukun indicates that unassisted sessions are trending up and assisted sessions are trending down (see below). These figures do fluctuate as new and inexperienced members come on board.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2


Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2 Q3

1000

800

600

400

200

0

739Aurukun MPower

members

11%

64%

18%

7%

8

19

2

2

1

27

3

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3

Unassisted Assisted

69%

31%

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• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 103 Wise Buys members in Aurukun. Ninety-two additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Aurukun want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.





WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of two unique1 partners made a total of

three purchases through Wise Buys. Of these three purchases: - one was classified as a ‘need’2 - two were classified as ‘wants’3.


• ‘Needs’ items purchased included a dining table and chairs (counted as one item).




General support


Make a payment4

Purchase

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

103 Aurukun

Wise Buys members 9% 37%

54%



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• Out of the 258 SET accounts that remain open since the commencement of the programme in 2007:


- 81 (31%) had received at least one contribution or had been used to make at least one purchase during the quarter—this still represents a very good level of activity

- 102 (40%) had no contributions or purchases made during this quarter, but did register activity—a contribution or purchase—in the previous 12 months

- 61 (24%) recorded no activity in more than 12 months.





- 10 haves a balance between $1,001–$5,000


• These less active accounts have a total balance of $44,185.70. Because this is such a large amount of money, O-Hub staff should contact the account holders as a matter of priority to encourage these donors to re-activate their SET usage or close these accounts.



• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Aurukun, indicating that more and more families are choosing to make their children’s education a priority.


• The large majority (n=258, 95%) of the 271 total SET accounts remained open at Q3 2014, while 13 (5%) had been closed—four of which were closed during Q3.


• The total trusts in this figure do not add to 258 because the schooling status of 23 SET students was unknown. These students are aged between 13–17 years and have a total combined balance of $34,788.26. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

280

260

240

220


Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

200

150

100

50

0

16

158

49 0 12 was contributed to Aurukun SET accounts this quarter

$20,332.95

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The total balance of all SET accounts in Aurukun at the end of the quarter was



all Aurukun SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of $7,816.85 from the total balance at the close of Q2 2014.

• The total balance for Aurukun SET accounts at the end of Q3 includes $2,392.30 interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q2 2014.



SET accounts in Aurukun. This is consistent with the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below) and represents a substantial sum of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months (see below, covering 21 months).





donors contributing to 258 SET accounts.

• Ninety-three per cent of Aurukun SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Aurukun women are setting a good example to their children and their community by making education a priority.

• Through SET they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



Early Childhood


$105,139.47

$5,823.18

$6,923.58

Primary School

$227,943.85

$229,225.66


$0.00


$72,799.39

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

$21,

822.

85

$20,

191.

12

$21,

000.

51

$15,

879.

93

$18,

783.

62

$20,

332.

28

$20,

332.

95

$414,088.10

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

500

400

300

200

100

0

65 95

414

6923

144

136

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• Therearecurrently79partnerssigneduptoITAVParenting.

DuringQ3wehavehadtwonewmemberssign-upandoverall,wehavesignedup32newmemberssincethecloseofQ12013.Thisisaverypleasingresult.

TOTAL NUMBER OF ITAV PARENTING MEMBERS Q12013TOQ32014

• Outofthe79partnerssigneduptoITAVParenting:- 74partnersaresigneduptotheStrongFamiliesprogramme- fivepartnersaresigneduptotheBabyCollegeprogramme.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAVparentingstaffmembershavebeenactivelyengaging

withthecommunity,bothmembersandpotentialmembers.TheseengagementactivitiesassistourstafftopromotethebenefitsoftheprogrammeincludingtheassistanceandsupporttheycanreceivethroughtheITAVprogramme.

• Thisquarter,atotalof59engagementactivitieswereundertaken—asubstantialincreaseonthe39undertakeninQ2.Theseincluded:informaldiscussions(n=35,59%);‘other’engagementsincludingfamilygames,youthdancegroup,familynightandmiddayactivities(e.g.movies)(n=11,19%);communityevents(n=5,8%);handicraftactivities(n=4,7%);women’sgroups(n=3,5%);andmen’sactivities(n=1,2%).

• TenpartnersparticipatedinthefourHandicraftsessionsheldduringthequarter,makingmobilesforbabies,jewelryandloombands.Handicraftsessionsaredesignedtobesociallyinteractiveandtogetparents/carerstogethertobuildrelationshipsandsupportoneanotherintheirparentingjourneys.

• OneofthecommunityeventsheldinlateSeptember—a‘CelebratingFamily’day—attracted89participants.Thiswasaday-longeventaimedatencouragingcommunitymemberstohavefunwiththeirchildrenandotherfamilies.Activitiesincludedtraditionaldancing,story-tellingandcookingcompetitions—lotsoffunwashadbyall.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• TwoITAVParentingsessionswereheldduringthequarter,

bothfortheStrongFamiliesprogramme.• Duringthesesessions,partnersworkedon:

- understandingthekeyskillsneededtocommunicateanddiscusschildren’sneeds(sessionone)

- understandingthecausesofchildhoodbehaviour(sessiontwo).• Twomembersparticipatedinsessionone,whilethosesame

twomembersalsowentontoparticipateinsessiontwo.• Overall,fewersessionswereheldduringQ3duetostaff

turnoverandperiodsofhighcommunitytension.

PRACTICAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT1

• DuringQ3,AurukunITAVstaffprovidedpracticalandemotionalsupporttoclientson10occasions.Thisincludedsupportaroundliaisingwithandattendingotherserviceproviders,understandingstrategiestokeepchildrensafefromviolenceinthehome,andgeneralemotionalsupportforpartnersexperiencingdifficultfamilycircumstances.

CASE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES1

• DuringQ3,AurukunITAVstaffalsoundertook15casemanagementactivities,includingcaseconferencingandstrategicconversations.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD—PARENTINGINDICATORSOFPARTNERPARTICIPATION

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

100

80

60

40

20

0

79AurukunITAV

members

STAFF CONTACTHOURS• DuringQ3,AurukunITAVstaffspentacombinedtotalof

561hoursand49minuteswithITAVmembersacrosstheParentingandHomePrideprogrammes.Duringthistime,staffundertookengagementactivities,ongoingcasemanagement(e.g.providingemotionalandpracticalsupport),deliveredparentingtrainingsessionsandworkedwithHomePridepartnerstocreatehappyandhealthyfamilyhomes.

1 RulesaroundthecollectionofactivitydatawereamendedatthebeginningofQ3.ThusthisactivitymeasureisunavailableforQ1andQ2.

Parentingisnoteasy—allparentscouldusehelpandadvice.BysigninguptoITAV,menandwomenarelearningtheskillstheyneedtobecomethebestparentstheycanbe.ItTakesaVillagetoRaiseaChild(ITAV)seekstoencourageandpromotehigh-qualityparentingasakeyingredientforachievingahappyfamilylife.ITAVconsistsofthefollowingelements:1)BabyCollege(launchedinApril2012)—where expectant parents socialise and learn together while they travel on the journey to parenthood; 2)StrongFamilies(launchedinFebruary2012)—where at risk families are assisted to build positive parenting skills; 3)Handicraft(launchedinFebruary2012)—where parents are encouraged to join in with ITAV activities as well as share stories and support one another.

89PARTICIPANTSattendedCelebrating Family Day event

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• Of these 13 partners: - twelve partners are signed up to complete a House Blitz2 - one is signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• Engagement house visits have not been conducted during

the quarter due to high levels of community tension and sorry time, which have affected our partners.





Upon signing up to ITAV, the partner stated that they were shy and unable to be assertive enough with their children. They also asked for assistance around how to talk with their children and show affection at the right times. The family was having trouble with school attendance.

The partner learned about the types of conversations they could have with their children, as well as different activities they could engage the children in. They also worked to implement strategies that would assist them to get their children to attend school, including behaviour charts at home. The partner was recently encouraged by the fact that their children have begun showing increased affection at home. Ongoing support and training is needed, but things are beginning to improve for this partner and their family.

20

15

10

5

0


membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3


CYP450 FER Q3_V6.indd 105 30/03/15 4:25 PM








almost doubled from the 42 members who had signed up by Q1 2013.




Aurukun, including 205 separate Backyard Blitz elements.4 The completion of these Blitz projects has created enhanced outdoor living spaces for Aurukun families.

• During Q3, two POP members began new Backyard Blitz projects by setting up their maintenance kits and beginning their designs. These two participants have already contributed almost 11 hours of sweat equity—a great effort so far. We look forward to seeing these partners continue their projects over the coming months.

• The seven POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $3,720.30 towards their combined target contribution of $7,000 ($1,000 each). (Since Q2, one member has decided not to go ahead with their Backyard Blitz). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were two Garden Club1 events Held this quarter with

16 participants. During the first event held in July, participants undertook planting, painting and learned how to propagate plants. During the second event held in August, participants worked together to build a community garden.

• There were 50 Pop-up Visits2 this quarter—a dramatic increase from Q2 where 21 were held.


23 BACKYARD BLITZES



Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

100

75

50

25

0

82 Aurukun POP

members

66

50

40

30

20

10


50

21

FAM

ILY

EM

PO

WE

RM

EN

T R

EP

OR

T Q

3 20

14

106


FAM

ILY

EM

PO

WE

RM

EN

T R

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OR

T Q

3 20

14

107

Participation in ITAV Parenting was at a record high this

quarter with an increase in sessions that can be attributed

to a new local staff member who has shown great

enthusiasm in promoting the programme and working with

our partners. Through the sessions parents and carers are

improving their knowledge and skills through informal/social

discussions and activities, workshops and home visits.

Coen held combined celebrations for NAIDOC week

and the 150-year anniversary of the Queensland Police

Service. The community acknowledged the contribution of

Indigenous law enforcement officers, as well as the positive

interaction between law enforcement and Indigenous

people in Coen. These events also coincided with the

retirement of Queensland’s last Indigenous Tracker, Barry

Port, who had been working with Coen Police since 1981

and was central to solving a number of important cases. The

community turned out in great numbers to the celebration,

with highlights including a school band performance and

family activities such as a jumping castle, face painting and

pony rides. O-Hub staff made the most of the opportunity

to promote the suite of Opportunity Products.

SET continues to be well utilised with many students

updating their lunchboxes, boarding school students

purchasing new laptops and parents selecting educational

toys for their 0–3 year olds—174 items in total.

With tax returns due to arrive in Coen the MPower team ran

a campaign to encourage saving and/or well-considered

purchases. The campaign resulted in Wise Buys usage

which shows partners actively seeking to find value-for-

money deals and broadening their purchasing options.

MPower consultants stepped up engagement this quarter

undertaking more home visits. As a result MPower

membership continued its steady growth.

As part of Pride of Place, Bama Services, an Indigenous building and landscape business, began building pergolas at partner homes. This has inspired families to get more involved in the building process. POP activity overall picked up during this quarter as a result of Pop-up Visits and a Garden Club event. The POP Enabler also worked with various community agencies on potential community/voluntary project work in both Coen and Aurukun.

POINTS OF INTEREST • A SET stall selling art supplies was held at the Wellbeing

centre. As per previous quarters, this had great success, with stock being sold out in less than an hour.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• Our MPower Coach/Consultant assisted with training

at the Aurukun O-Hub for three weeks—one week for every month in the quarter.

• The O-Hub had visiting staff from Hope Vale, Cairns and Aurukun to assist with ITAV Parenting and MPower.

• Secondees from Jawun joined the team for six weeks to examine Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) to ensure appropriate procedures were in place.

COEN O-HUB Q3


Overall 264


Adult (18+) 161







Households 47


108

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MPower membership has increased again this quarter as more community members become aware of the benefits of MPower and take control of their finances. A substantial contribution has been made to SET accounts and 174 individual items were purchased to ensure Coen kids are school-ready in Q3. While Wise Buys purchases were made this quarter, most members who visited the O-Hub researched future purchases. POP activity has picked up during Q3 as did ITAV, whereby parents attended a record number of sessions during the quarter. Conversely, ITAV Home Pride activity has been low due to their being no dedicated Home Crew staff members stationed at Coen during the quarter. As staffing vacancies are filled in the coming months, we hope to see activities increase.



• With 150 Coen adults now contributing to at least one SET account, it is becoming the norm in this community to put aside money for student educational needs.

• SET donors saved $19,366.27 during Q3— a significant sum of money is being dedicated to meet the educational needs of Coen students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 22 in Q1 2013 to 46 in Q3 2014. Coen adults are keen to learn how to access better options.

• The three Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as groceries.


• POP membership has remained stable this quarter at 46 members from 44 households. By signing up to POP, these members are taking action to create enhanced family outdoor living spaces.

• Although no Backyard Blitzes were completed in Q3 and no Garden Club events were scheduled, POP staff conducted 29 Pop-up Visits—an increase from the three visits conducted in Q2.


• Forty-seven community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Forty-four ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 13 unique members (28% of total membership) participating, some multiple times including in group sessions.



MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—201 Coen adults are now signed up and taking steps towards improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Forty-five per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are self/friend/or family referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESWOMAN ON A MISSION“The kids have got what they need for school.”

Cindy Thompson has set herself a goal to save money for laptops and to get her kitchen Home Blitz finished.

Cindy is a member of MPower, ITAV Parenting, Wise Buys, POP as well as SET.

“I signed up to SET to help with my kids schooling and their education and to meet their needs for school.

“I came into the O-Hub and an MPower Consultant came and talked to me about SET,” explains Cindy on how she found out about this opportunity product.

“As a carer, I am proud knowing the kids have got what they need for school.”

Cindy Thompson is proud to be putting education first and to be putting money aside for her home.

CREATING CHRISTMAS CHEER“I have learned how to manage money better.”

Kayla Kulla Kulla is setting a good example for other

young mothers in Coen.

She heard through friends and family about Opportunity

Products at the O-Hub and thought she’d see first-hand

what they were talking about.

Now a member of MPower, SET and a regular iBank user,

she feels like she is in control and making progress.

“I have learned a lot. I have learned how to manage money

better through budgeting, and how to do internet banking.”

“My SET helps me to put money aside for my son

Phoenix’s schooling, his uniform and other educational

things that you can buy at the SET stalls.

“I am working on savings to buy Christmas presents—

a bike, trampoline and toys for my son and I have five

nieces and three nephews I want to buy presents for.”

Kayla is working with Lionel Perrier, a Coen MPower

Consultant to put money away to make Christmas

everything she is hoping for. Kayla Kulla Kulla is focussed on providing for her son.

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MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were three new sign-ups this quarter. • Of the 201 members signed up to MPower by the end of Q3,

45 members (22%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. These members are regularly using the product.



FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Only one MMT session was conducted this quarter, focusing on Internet and Phone Banking Support. This is a decrease from Q2, where the nine sessions held focused on Internet and Phone Banking Support, Banking Support, Budget Support and Payment Support.

• Over the period January 2013–September 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 104 iBank sessions in Q3—a reduction

from the 135 held in Q2 2014. Sixty-four per cent of these sessions were unassisted—nine per cent fewer than in Q2 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Coen reflects membership trends (see below). For example, in 2012, 51 new members signed up—at the same time the proportion of assisted sessions also increased because new members likely required greater assistance than older members. Through 2013 membership stabilised and levels of assistance again reduced. Over time, we hope to see assistance levels gradually reduce as iBank users become more able to independently managing their finances.



• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 201 MPower members in Coen. Over time more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2 Q3

250

200

150

100

50

0

201 Coen MPower

members

12

12

1

9

0

13

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

45%

33%

23%

Unassisted Assisted

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3

36%

64%

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• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 46 Wise Buys members in Coen. Twenty-four additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Coen are keen to make better-informed purchasing decisions and to learn about different purchasing options.






WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, three unique1 members made a total of three

purchases through Wise Buys. Of these three purchases: - two were classified as ‘needs’2 - one was classified as a ‘want’.3

• A total amount of $514.52 was spent, including $176.38 on needs and $388.14 on wants.

• Needs items purchased included groceries. Two of the three purchases were recorded as ‘other’ and no further details were recorded.

• The 14 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 32 times. Most visits (84%) were to conduct research on potential future purchases (see below).



General support


Make a payment4

Purchase

3%13%

84%Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

50

40

30

20

10

0

46 Coen Wise Buys

members

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during the quarter, which is considered a very

good level of activity

- 59 (38%) had no contributions or purchases

during this quarter, however a contribution or

purchase had been made in the previous

12 months

- 22 (14%) where zero activity had occurred in

more than 12 months.

• Of the 22 accounts that had no activity in more than

12 months,
















• Of those accounts remaining open, most (n=64, 41%) are for

primary school aged children.1


• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 157 because for two trusts, the schooling status of the recipients is unknown. These students are 15 years of age and have a combined total balance of $1,472.42 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q3Q2

210

200

190

180

170


was contributed to Coen SET accounts this quarter

$19,366.27Early

Childhood(0–4)

70605040302010 0




(18–25)


(18–25)

30

64

38

1 22

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all Coen SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of around one per cent from the total balance at the close of Q2 2014.




to SET accounts in Coen. This is $3,855.96 less than the amount saved in Q2, but is relatively consistent with the savings made each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money dedicated to fund student educational needs.



in Q3 2014—fewer than in Q2. The total value of these purchases was $19,187.87. Most (n=143, 80%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months (see below—covering 21 months).


36%


donors contributing to the 157 open SET accounts. Two donors have left SET since Q2 2014.

• Sixty-four per cent of Coen SET donors are female, most (72%) being the recipient’s mother. Coen women are making education a priority and setting afineexampletotheirchildrenandthosearoundthem. They are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.






$70,356.53


$32,117.08

Primary School

$97,704.42

$99,910.58


$2,960.96


$44,215.85

The total balance of all SET accounts in Coen at the end of the quarter was

$249,561.00

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$14,

959.

00

$17,

258.

71

$15,

934.

43

$12,

925.

64

$16,

708.

78

$23,

222.

23

$19,

366.

27

300

200

100

0

173 168

250

184

270237

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

179

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During Q3 we have had one new member sign-up and overall we have signed up 13 new members since the close of Q1 2013.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been actively engaging

with the community—including both members and potential members. These engagement activities serve to promote the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 27 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=20, 74%); handicraft sessions (n=6, 22%); and a workshop (n=1, 4%).

• The total voloume of engagement activities undertaken this quarter was affected by sorry time and school holidays—whereby many families, including Parenting members, spend prolonged periods of time away from the community. Staff turnover also had an effect on engagement. As these issues resolve, we anticipate that an overall increase in community engagement activities will follow.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Forty-four ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the


• During these sessions, partners worked on: - understanding when and how to seek emotional and

practical parenting support - understanding the importance of showing affection, and skill

building around the most appropriate ways and times to do so - understanding the importance of spending special time

with the children in their care.

• Thirteen unique members participated in these sessions—some attending several, including group sessions.


• During Q3, Coen ITAV staff did not log any practical and emotional support sessions with our ITAV members.


• During Q3, Coen ITAV staff also undertook one case management activity—case conferencing—with members.

• Out of the 47 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 42 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme - fivepartnersaresigneduptotheBabyCollegeprogramme.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

50

40

30

20

10

0




1 Rules around the collection of activity data were amended at the beginning of Q3. Thus this activity measure is unavailable for Q1 and Q2.


44PARENTING SESSIONS

held in Coen this quarter

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Partner was incredibly stressed when first attending ITAV sessions. They were stressed about their family and the fact that their partner was not helping them with parenting responsibilities.

After talking to the ITAV consultants about the nature of stress and how to identify it in the body, the partner reported that they were more able to identify and cope with the symptoms. The partner now feels less stressed about their parenting role and is feeling confident enough to teach their family about their responsibilities to help. The partner now spends more special time with their children, including talking to their daughter. ‘My children are my angels, so I show them a lot of affection’



• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 14 Home Pride members in Coen. Membership has remained stable since Q2 2014.

• Of these 14 partners: - all are signed up to complete a House Blitz2 though none

are currently signed up to the Home Maker3 components.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to grow due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. We hope to see membership and activities increase in the coming months as staffing issues are resolved.

HOUSE VISITS• There was one engagement house visit by Home Crew this

quarter. This represents a decrease from Q2, where six visits were conducted.

• The low level of engagement during Q3 can be attributed to the fact that there were no dedicated Home Crew staff members in Coen during the quarter. Once staffing issues are resolved, we expect to see home visits increase again.

• Because Home Pride is new in Coen, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members that is needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we look forward to seeing activities increase.




Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

20

15

10

5

0


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116




had four new members sign up since Q1 2013.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• No Garden Club1 events were scheduled for this quarter.

However, POP staff did undertake 29 Pop-up Visits2— a dramatic increase from the three that were conducted in Q2.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been eight Backyard Blitzes3 completed

in Coen. The families completing these Blitz projects have greatly enhanced their outdoor living space.

• Of the four POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz from the previous quarter, two pulled out during Q3 and withdrew their savings to date.

• The two remaining POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $1,690.00 towards their combined target of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target over the coming months.

8 BACKYARD BLITZES







44

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

50

40

30

20

10

0

46 Coen POP members

30

20

10

03

29



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117

This quarter Parenting and MPower staff immersed

themselves in community events helping to create and

organise a week of activities within the CYAAA school Club

and Culture programmes, which draws parents and carers.

They also hosted a Celebrating Family Day. The Family

Day was held at the CYAAA Multi-Purpose Centre, which

included novelty races, a SET Fair and each classroom had

their own games and food stores to raise funds for school

excursions. The activities were designed to encourage

parents to play with their kids. This day was also combined

with the weekly school parade where awards are presented

to students for attendance and hard work.

The week-long CYAAA activities coordinated by the

O-Hub included arts and crafts, story telling with elders,

photography and a fashion parade with a theme of past,

present and future. These events help to nurture community

relationships and show that we too are members of the

community and care about our future.

ITAV Parenting community engagement occurred mostly

through these community initiatives this quarter in addition

to bi-weekly handicraft workshops, weekly Home Pride

DIY workshops and parenting workshops.

POP Garden Club held a number of workshops, such as

how to turn recycled tyres into pot plants. This inspired

workshop attendees to return to their gardens to create

pot plants in all manner of shapes and creations from

swans to teapots. The POP team also reported traction

on a town mapping exercise with My Pathways, Hope Vale

Shire Council and Congress.

HOPE VALE O-HUB Q3POINTS OF INTEREST• The Family Day celebration was a wonderful way to

unite with our families to relax and have fun.

• Hosted Westpac executives

• Hosted a contingent of Northern Territory government officials seeking to better understand Cape York’s welfare reform in action, to see how the O-Hubs function, and take their findings back to their regions.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• An MPower Graduate/staff member left to do further

study which we support.

• Several power blackouts lasting several days interrupted capacity.


Overall 931


Adult (18+) 589







Households 208


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A total of 530 Hope Vale community members have now signed up to MPower and are taking steps to take better control of their finances. SET contributions have remained steady and 142 purchases of school uniforms, books and educational toys and games have contributed to Hope Vale children’s school readiness. Wise Buys purchases increased this quarter. While ITAV Parenting engagement activities were lower during Q3 due to staff taking leave, 41 per cent of members participated in parenting sessions. ITAV Home Pride staff members have been working intensively with families to complete House Blitz and Home Maker projects during the quarter. These families are working towards making their homes happier and healthier.


• SET membership continues to rise—229 Hope Vale kids and students have now benefitted from SET.

• With 146 Hope Vale adults now contributing to at least one SET account, it is becoming the norm to put money aside for student educational needs.

• SET donors saved $22,174.50 during Q3. A significant sum of money is being dedicated to meet the educational needs of Hope Vale students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 13 in Q1 2013 to 59 in Q3 2014. Hope Vale adults are keen to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The 11 Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as kitchen utensils, furniture, white goods, a car, bed and fridges.


• One new community member has signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 133 from 103 households. By signing up to POP, these members are taking action towards creating healthier outdoor living spaces.

• Although no Backyard Blitzes were completed in Q3, POP staff conducted a very high number of Pop-up Visits—66 in total, up from 18 in the previous quarter.

• There was one Garden Club event this quarter attended by 20 participants.


• Eighty-two community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Twenty-five ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 17 unique members (21% of total membership) participating.


• There are currently 27 Home Pride members in Hope Vale. These members are taking action towards enhancing their interiors for a happier and healthier lifestyle.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—530 Hope Vale adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Seventy per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family/ or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIES

A PROUD MUM “I recommend SET to other parents—it helped me out a lot financially.”

Paula Fullagar says before SET she always had to budget to reach the amount of money she needed to buy uniforms and shoes and could only afford to buy individual items a bit at a time.

She says through SET she has learnt budgeting skills and is a lot more organised, building up her money and saving it for important purchases.

“It makes me feel proud of myself. I feel a better person—especially when I’m on top of everything and the new school year is just around the corner.”

Paula’s mother told her about SET after a workshop was held. Paula says, “Other kids were buying things like educational books and toys and I wanted the same for my kids.”

“I feel pretty independent now and not seeking handouts from family.

“I am trying to stay ahead of the due date knowing that I have money to cover everything.” Paula Fullagar said SET has helped to take the

stress out of saving for school items.

ANYONE FOR TEA?Irene Bambie’s garden is turning heads in Hope Vale—“They love it”.

Irene started with a Pride of Place project and there’s now no stopping her.

“Pride of Place and the POP Garden Club gave me ideas about how to complete my garden. It has been good motivation and encouragement for others who have got ideas. Many locals say they love it and they it is giving them ideas about doing things in their gardens.

“I plan to keep doing more work with tyres, now I’m completing what I started. It’s very nice having people come by, stopping and looking at it, and admiring it.”

POP Garden Club member Irene Bambie has created a tourist attraction with her sense of garden fun.

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MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were 25 new sign-ups this quarter. • Of the 530 members signed up to MPower by the end of

Q3, 154 members (29%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. Members are regularly using the product.

• Over the last 21 months the largest proportion (70%) of new MPower members have been friend/family/or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances. There has been an increase of four per cent in unknown referrals this quarter. O-Hub Staff will take measures towards ensuring accurate referral data is maintained.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2

O-Hub staff/CentrelinkWHAT MEMBERS DID:

MONEY MANAGEMENT TOOLS (MMT)1

• Twenty MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Budget Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support and Payment Support. This is slightly up on the previous quarter, where the 15 MMT sessions held focused on Internet and Phone Banking, Banking Support and Payment Support.

• Over the period January 2013–September 2014 all MMTs, aside from Wealth Creation Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 291 iBank sessions in Q3—a decrease

from Q2 2014. Sessions have been decreasing throughout 2013 and 2014. This downward trend in use will be investigated.

• Sixty-eight per cent of iBank sessions were unassisted—down from 70 per cent in Q2 2014. A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in managing their finances. The trend in Hope Vale indicates that unassisted sessions began to outstrip assisted sessions in late 2011(see below). However, an influx of new members as in this quarter sees assistance levels swing as new and inexperienced members require greater iBank assistance than older members.


1 Money Management Tools (MMTs) are sessions where partners are taught skills that assist them to build their financial literacy.

2 ‘Unknown’ is where data are not available or captured.3 iBank is an Internet and online banking facility situated within the O-Hub. Partners can receive

advice and assistance to use iBank for paying bills and manage their finances more generally.

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2 Q3

600

500

400

300

200

100

0


members

Unassisted Assisted

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3

68%

32%

36

12

0

17

1

52

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

3%17

%

70% 10

%

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 59 Wise Buys members in

Hope Vale. Forty-six additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Hope Vale want to learn how to make better-informed purchasing decisions.






WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of eight unique1 members made a total

of 11 purchases through Wise Buys. Ten purchases were classified as ‘needs’2 while one was classified as a ‘want’.3

A total amount of $20,933.35 was spent including $19,493.35 on needs and $1,440.00 on wants.

• ‘Needs’ items purchased included furniture, white goods, kitchen utensils, a car, bed and fridges.




General support


Make a payment

Purchase

7%

17%

53%

22%

2%

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

59 Hope Vale

Wise Buys members

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- 104 (48%) recorded zero activity during this

quarter, but had been accessed for contribution

or purchase in the previous 12 months

- 33 (15%) recorded zero activity in more than

12 months.








- zero have balances between $5,001–$10,000.



accounts is relatively small, there remains a need for

SET staff to encourage these donors to re-activate




• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Hope Vale, indicating that more and more families are choosing to make their children’s education a priority.







Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q3Q2

240

220

200

180


Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

120

100

80

60

40

20

031

115

511 3

was contributed to Hope Vale SET accounts this quarter

$22,174.50• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 215

because the schooling status of 13 SET students is unknown. These students are aged between 13–17 years and have a combined total amount of $7,755.51 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with donors for these accounts to determine schooling status.

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to SET accounts in Hope Vale. This is slightly up from the previous quarter and is relatively consistent with sums being contributed since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the course of a year due to changing financial circumstances of donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months. For example, as shown in the below graph covering 21 months, we typically see a higher number of purchases at the beginning of the school year, in preparation

for term one.




84%


donors contributing to 215 open SET accounts.

• Eighty-four per cent of Hope Vale SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. This is a strong indication that Hope Vale women are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



$41,233.54


$18,102.38

Primary School

$92,462.90

$99,069.15


$494.56


$10,044.84


The total balance of all SET accounts in Hope Vale at the end of the quarter was

$168,944.47

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$18,

646.

96

$20,

024.

30

$19,

209.

45

$13,

164.

43

$17,

795.

54

$21,

916.

83

$22,

174.

50

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

300

200

100

0

224

145 135 145

280

143

137

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During Q3, two new members signed on and overall there have been 33 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a pleasing and encouraging result.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been actively engaging

with the community, both members and potential. These engagement activities assist our staff to promote the importance of positive parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter a total of 94 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=72, 77%); women’s groups (n=8, 9%); community events (n=5, 5%); handicraft sessions (n=6, 6%); and workshops (n=3, 3%).

• The volume of engagement activities undertaken during Q3 was affected by sorry time and the prolonged absence of many Parenting members from community during the school holiday period.

• Women’s group activities were introduced in Hope Vale during Q3. The groups have been popular so far, involving: discussions around how dance can improve overall health and wellbeing; self-harm and suicide, including how members can seek help; and family craft activities. One group session was jointly run with the Wellbeing Centre and involved a camping weekend away. The main theme was spiritual values/beliefs, and activities included Tai Chi, healthy cooking and making homemade beauty products. A total of 81 women attended.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Twenty-five ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the


• During these sessions, partners worked on parenting aspects including: - understanding the importance of nutrition, and growing

skills including cooking nutritious food for toddlers - strategies to build strong parent-child relationships and

deal constructively with behavioural problems - understanding how it important it is to spend quality time

with children • Thirteen unique members participated in these sessions, with

some members participating across multiple sessions.


• During Q3, Hope Vale ITAV staff provided practical and emotional support to clients on 21 occasions. This included support provided to parents and families to attend other support services, discussions around strategies to ensure children get to school, and other general emotional support around difficult family circumstances.


• During Q3, Hope Vale ITAV staff also undertook 21 case management activities, including case conferencing and strategic conversations and recording case notes.


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

100

80

60

40

20

0

82 Hope Vale ITAV

members



of 649 hours and 38 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


81ATTENDEESA camping weekend run by ITAV and the Wellbeing Centre attracted

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The partner was referred to ITAV by the Family Responsibilities Commission. They were experiencing problems with their children’s behaviours and were having trouble getting them to attend school.

The partner learned about the importance of spending quality time with their children, including making time to sit and yarn with them. The partner is working hard to set a good example for their children, including making a stronger effort to get them to school. They have continued to attend ITAV sessions to further build their parenting skills.



• At the end of Q3 there were a total of 27 Home Pride members in Hope Vale. Membership has remained stable since last quarter.

• Of these 27 partners: - 23 are signed up to complete a House Blitz2 - four are signed up to the Home Maker3 component.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we expect to see participation grow.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been 15 engagement house visits by Home Crew

this quarter which is an increase on Q2 2014, where 34 were conducted. Home Crew staff have been focused on working more intensively with fewer families this quarter, resulting in fewer house visits overall.

• We expect to see activities increase as our Home Crew team stabilizes.





40

30

20

10

0

27Hope Vale


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

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slight increase from the 127 members who were signed up at the same time last year. Membership has been static for the last 12 months.



• There was one Garden Club2 event held this quarter. This event was attended by 20 participants, who learned how to recycle tyres as pot-plant holders.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were 66 Pop-up Visits1 conducted during Q3 2014, up

from 15 in the previous quarter. This substantial increase is due to POP Enablers having completed the remaining Blitzes from 2013 in Q1 2014 and having the capacity to focus their efforts on visits during this quarter.


48BACKYARD BLITZES






103WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been 48 Backyard Blitzes3 completed

in Hope Vale. Families completing these Blitz projects have created lovely outdoor living spaces.

• While no Backyard Blitz projects were completed during Q3, plenty are underway. Eight participants have finalized their garden designs and ordered their maintenance kits. Three participants have ordered pergolas and lattice screening while five have ordered paving materials. We look forward to seeing these projects move towards completion in the coming months.

• The nine POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $9,106.47 towards their combined target contribution of $9,000 ($1,000 each)—six members have exceeded their individual targets. The remaining three members will continue to contribute towards reaching their targets over the coming months.

150

100

50

0

133 Hope Vale POP

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

18

80

60

40

20

0

66


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14

126


FAM

ILY

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WE

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EN

T R

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3 20

14

127

The commitment that families in Mossman Gorge are making to better their financial literacy is commendable.

MPower membership has increased by a further eight per cent since the previous quarter, demonstrating a clear ambition to make the most of their earnings and to get ahead. Wise Buys activity was high again this quarter again displaying an engaged community seeking to spend carefully and get the most out of their income.

Families from Mossman Gorge commit significant sums from their income to educational and school equipment for their children. This level of contribution to SET remained stable.

Pride of Place continues to be well utilised in the Gorge. An increase in the number of home visits by POP staff this quarter helped to keep the interest alive and maintain uptake of this opportunity product designed restore value in the home/family environment. Eighty-four per cent of households have completed a Pride of Place project.

While ITAV Parenting has run fewer formal sessions than last quarter, the number of proactive engagement activities has remained high. ITAV Home Pride staff members went door-to-door to promote Home Pride, which is an interior makeover initiative designed to support families to create healthier and happier home environments. The Home Pride initiative is relatively new and not well understood. The best way to promote the opportunity has been face-to-face through home visits.

POINTS OF INTEREST• The level of confidence amongst partners to engage

with their money in a proactive sense is difficult to measure but rewarding to observe. In our observation more and more partners are looking ahead and planning for their future with growing ambitions for themselves and their children.

• The parents and carers engaged with ITAV are connecting well during the activities and conversations, comfortable sharing in reflective and self-development discussions.



Overall 101


Adult (18+) 71







Households 31POP member Katrina Gibson and brother Andrew


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MPower membership has continued to rise throughout Q3. The level of MPower participation in Mossman Gorge is testament to a community invested in improving their financial futures. SET contributions remained stable, indicating that Mossman Gorge donors are still committing large proportions of their income to ensure their children are properly equipped for school. Wise Buys activity was again high this quarter, while POP home visits increased dramatically. ITAV Parenting has run fewer sessions than last quarter, though engagement activities overall have remained high. Finally, ITAV Home Pride staff members were particularly active this quarter, undertaking a much higher number of home visits to encourage community members to engage with Home Pride as a means of creating healthier and happier home environments.



• With 98 Mossman Gorge adults now contributing to at least one SET account, it is considered the norm to dedicate money for student educational needs.

• SET donors saved $14,690.26 during Q3—a significant sum of money set aside to meet the educational needs of Mossman Gorge students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 47 in Q1 2013 to 92 in Q3 2014. Mossman Gorge adults are keen to learn about cost effective purchasing options.

• The 26 Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as fridge/freezer combinations, cars, mattresses, beds, clothing and an outdoor shed.


• POP membership has remained stable this quarter at 32 members from 26 households. By signing up to POP, these members are taking action to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• Although no Backyard Blitzes were completed in Q3, POP staff conducted 90 Pop-up Visits—a significant increase from the 26 conducted in Q2.

• Two Garden Club events were also held, with 12 participants attending. Participants harvested and re-planted a community garden, learned how to strike plants from cuttings and created pots, vases and timber sculptures.


• Thirty-six community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Ten ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 10 members (28% of total membership) participating.


• There are currently 13 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. These members are making their homes more comfortable for their families.

MPOWER


• Sixty-one per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family/or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESLEADING BY EXAMPLE“Without MPower I guarantee I wouldn’t have a car”

It was the vision of Kuku Yalanji elder Roy Gibson to capture the tourism market at Mossman Gorge to create employment and a better future for his people. His vision was brought to life with the Mossman Gorge Centre, an Indigenous eco tourism development and gateway to Mossman Gorge.

He has another driving ambition, to own his own home. Roy talks here about his personal journey towards financial empowerment and his commitment to MPower.

“Without MPower I guarantee I wouldn’t have a car—here now where I am today. MPower is the best. You don’t see money grow, but with MPower grows just like a tall tree in the forest until it reached the sky. It’s just suddenly there, something you never believe you could have—it’s unreal to me. As I got more involved with tourism, I needed a brand new car, and asked Reggie at the O-Hub ‘can you do this thing for me?’ I fall in love with walks and talks—I didn’t see the goal—I didn’t see the money.

“More of our people must and should go to MPower and fulfill their stories and dreams—they will fulfill their dreams so fast they won’t believe it! I know when I worked all my life in tourism, I didn’t have much money to spend, MPower turned that around in a different way.

On challenges with MPower and saving“Computer is hard for me, I’m not a computer guy. The hardest part is people have to go and ask for help and understand if you can’t read and spell, they will support you. MPower is not a bank but they help you put your money away safe towards something. You realize that it’s going to take time, but you’ll achieve it.

On recent changes in the community“The changes that I see, is that some people have got cars, washing machines and kids have got more toys, presents that I never see before.

“I think what we need to do more, is to make them change into more employment and using MPower to reach goals. We need to get more of our people that live in community to start thinking of the future more, thinking about family and the younger generation—making them go to school more and get a better education and go away for school for better education. Then they have the Gateway Centre to come back to, to come back home, working and taking over the operation in the Centre. You can tell them the history of coming from there to here.”

Next steps“Home ownership. I want to pay my car off in three years and then chuck another seed in the forest and watch that grow until I’m ready to reach out and grab it—the house. I don’t care how long it takes, but I’m going to get it. And then I’m going to try and make the rest of our people understand it’s not hard. MPower will help put you on the right track.

In 5–10 years time“I want to buy land somewhere someday. I want to be free and relax and start training about the culture—keep the culture alive—and just go fishing. I did what I did now for my people with the Gateway Centre, and now I want to see my people understand we can go higher.”

Roy Gibson worked closely with MPower to achieve his goal of buying this “beast”—his car. His next goal is home ownership.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF MPOWER MEMBERS

Q2 2011 TO Q3 2014


MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were seven new sign-ups this quarter.


• Since Q1 2013 the largest proportion (61%) of new MPower members have been friend/family/or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Seven MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Payment Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Banking Support, Wealth Creation Support and Debt Reduction Support. This is a slight decrease from Q2, where the 10 MMT sessions held focused on Banking Support, Debt Reduction Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Budget Support and Payment Support.

• Over the period January 2013–September 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3

• There were a total of 408 iBank sessions in Q3—a slight increase from Q2 2014. Thirty-six per cent of these sessions were unassisted—five per cent more than in Q2 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming more able to independently manage their finances. The trend in Mossman Gorge indicates that the proportion of unassisted sessions is continuing to increase over time (see below). However, influxes of new members see assistance levels also fluctuate as they are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.



Unassisted Assisted

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2 Q3

200

150

100

50

0

168 Mossman Gorge

MPower members

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3

64%

36%

23%

13%

61%

3%

13

7

10

7

0

17

12

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

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in Mossman Gorge. Forty-five additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Mossman Gorge want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.



26 purchases through Wise Buys. Of these 26 purchases: - 17 were classified as ‘needs’2 - nine were classified as ‘wants’.3


• Needs items purchased included fridge/freezer combinations, cars, mattresses, beds, clothing, a desktop computer, television and an outdoor shed.

• The 23 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 50 times. Most visits (46%) were to make purchases (see below).







General support


Make a payment

Purchase

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

100

80

60

40

20

0

92 Mossman Gorge

Wise Buys members

26%

14%

14%

46%

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was contributed to Mossman Gorge SET accounts this quarter

$14,690.26








quarter—these accounts are meeting the

gold standard for activity





- 50 (35%) were not accessed for contributions

or purchases during this quarter, but did record

activity in the previous 12 months

- 33 (23%) recorded zero activity in more than

12 months.



had no activity for more than 12 months:








accounts is relatively small, there remains a need

to encourage these donors to re-activate their SET




• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Mossman Gorge, indicating that more and more families are making their children’s education a priority.






Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q3Q2

160

140

120

100

153 Mossman Gorge

SET accounts

Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

100

80

60

40

20

0

1277

380

7

• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 141 because for six trusts, the schooling status of the recipients is unknown. These students are 14–17 years of age and have a combined total balance of $1,677.71 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

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The total balance of all SET accounts in Mossman Gorge at the end of the quarter was

$110,840.81SET ACCOUNTS END OF QUARTER BALANCE, CONTRIBUTIONS AND PURCHASES


across all Mossman Gorge SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of around four per cent of the total balance at the close of Q2 2014.




SET accounts in Mossman Gorge. This is slightly less than the amount saved in Q2, but is relatively consistent with the savings made each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund student educational needs.


PURCHASES• A total of 114 purchases were made from SET accounts

in Q3 2014—the same number as in Q2. The total value of these purchases was $10,833.03. Most (n=102, 89%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesof donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, covering 21 months, we typically see a higher number of purchases at






80%

DONOR PROFILE• At Q3 2014 there were a total of 98 unique2 donors

contributing to the 141 open SET accounts. This total has remained stable from last quarter.

• Eighty per cent of Mossman Gorge SET donors are female, most being the recipient’s mother. Mossman Gorge women are setting a strong example by making education a priority. They are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



$40,182.20


$6,744.79

Primary School

$59,277.71

$60,323.74


$0.00


$3,590.08

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$12,

029.

38

$13,

261.

75

$13,

374.

19

$9,2

60.5

5

$16,

899.

54

$18,

735.

61

$14,

690.

26

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

300

200

100

0

284

162 131 130

285

112 114

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During Q3 we have had one new member sign-up and overall, we have signed up 20 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a very pleasing result


• Out of the 36 partners signed up to ITAV Parenting: - 32 partners are signed up to the Strong Families programme. - four partners are signed up to the Baby College programme.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Ten ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter, all

of which were for the Strong Families programme.

• During these sessions, partners worked on:

- understanding the causes of particular childhood behaviours

- understanding the importance of spending special time with children, including the impact on childhood development, and more.

• Ten members participated in these sessions.


• During Q3, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff provided practical and emotional support to clients on 33 occasions. This included support provided to parents and families attending other support services, discussions around strategies to ensure kids attend school, as well as general emotional support provided to families that had experienced grief during the quarter.


• During Q3, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff also undertook 26 case management activities, including case conferencing, strategic conversations and arranging referrals.

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

40

30

20

10

0

36Mossman Gorge

ITAV members

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV Parenting staff members have been busily engaging

with the community, both members and potentials. These engagement activities assist our staff to promote the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 75 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=42, 56%); home visits (n=20, 27%); women’s groups (n=6, 8%); handicraft sessions (n=4, 5%); community events (n=2, 3%); men’s activities (n=1, 1%).

• The volume of engagement activities undertaken in Q3 was impacted by a period of sorry time during September. Telecommunications problems also disrupted activities for a short time.


STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q3, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff spent a combined

total of 358 hours and seven minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


20NEW MEMBERS

since the beginning of 2013

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The partner was having problems dealing with their children’s behaviour and came to ITAV because of concerns about Child Safety intervention. The partner required intensive support.

The partner learned about the value of quiet time and time out for their children. The partner also learned about the importance of communicating with children – particularly babies, during their first year. Now, the partner has developed a routine for their children and has been able to stick to it most of the time. The partner still experiences troubles with the children, but things will keep improving as they continue to do the learning and practice required.



• There are currently 13 partners signed up to ITAV Home Pride.

• All 13 partners are signed up to both the House Blitz2 and Home Maker3 components.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to grow due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership build. This programme has a commitment to employing from the local community.

HOUSE VISITS• There have been 34 house visits by Home Crew this quarter

which is much higher than Q2, where six visits were conducted.• Fifteen Home Maker sessions were also held this quarter.

One partner who is signed up to a House Blitz has begun a series of ‘do-it-yourself’ projects, including sewing curtains and cushions for their home.

• Because Home Pride is new in Mossman Gorge, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport with community members needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team has stabilised and established this rapport during Q3, we have seen visits begin to increase. We hope to see this trend continue into the future.




20

15

10

5

0

13Mossman Gorge


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 32 partners who have taken part in

POP. Although this is a substantial increase from the eight members who had signed up by Q1 2013, membership has stabilised over the past nine months.



WHAT MEMBERS DID

• To date there have been 16 Backyard Blitzes3 completed in Mossman Gorge. The families who have completed these Blitz projects have created creating lovely new outdoor living spaces.

• The two POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $1,565.00 towards their combined target of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target over the coming months.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Two Garden Club1 events were held this quarter, with 12

participants attending (including 10 unique partners—two partners attended both events). At the first event held in July, participants harvested then re-planted the local community garden. Harvested goods were used to cook with. At the second event held in August, participants made timber sculptures and designed creative pots and vases. Cuttings were also taken and struck to grow new plants.

• Furthermore, 90 Pop-up Visits2 were conducted—a dramatic increase from Q2.


16 BACKYARD BLITZES



26

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014Q2 Q3

40

30

20

10

0

32 Mossman Gorge

POP members 100

75

50

25


26

90

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Q42014



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139

The Aurukun O-Hub is usually a busy place and this quarter was no exception with approximately 260 visits by partners to the O-Hub in just one fortnight in December (1–12). The majority of partners came to use the iBank, for coaching, budgeting and money management sessions. SET experienced a spike in new memberships which can be attributed to targeted engagement on this product, including strategy meetings with the school. MPower staff report an increase in the need for partner support around deceased estates, superannuation and taxation. These conversations have been useful in setting up coaching, budgeting, Wise Buys and other MPower programme opportunities.

ITAV has been moving in the right direction consistently running workshops and networking across all the relevant agencies. Our new Parenting Consultant/Home Pride Lead has been holding regular sewing classes with 6–12 partners attending each day. Several have shown great dedication in producing hand bags, pillows and curtains with a high standard of quality. Some of these partners are also displaying leadership potential, which we intend to nurture by working with them to plan and run classes.

Participation by partners in POP Garden Club events has been minimal so we intend to unite with Cape York Employment to produce and develop a community garden alongside the Parenting Hub. Plans are also in place to build a greenhouse for a nursery, compost system and garden decorations. Partners have started planting seeds for propagation and will also work on cuttings.

A Friday scrapbooking workshop entitled ‘Keeping Memories’ started this quarter. Participation is slowly growing with partners bringing in photos of family past and present to preserve.

Staff use these workshops to stimulate ‘family/parenting’ conversations.

AURUKUN O-HUB Q4 POINTS OF INTEREST• Costa Georgiadis, host of ABC TV’s Gardening Australia

programme spent two days in Aurukun judging the Best Garden in the Village Competition. Costa made a touching connection with our community partners, Cape York Employment, the local Council and other stakeholder organisations. Costa said that he is keen to stay connected with our work and our communities.

• ITAV coordinated a fashion parade at the Community Christmas party. The children and parents did a magnificent job in rehearsals and walking the catwalk on the day, striking poses to show off the clothes.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• All staff completed week long training in Cairns. O-Hub

operations were supported by backfill staff• Currently seeking two Aurukun MPower staff following

recent departures • Community tensions escalated at times affecting

operations. The O-Hub was recently vandalised.


Overall 1190


Adult (18+) 750







Households 179


140

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Aurukun O-Hub has been relatively quiet across most of the Opportunity Products in Q4, which is usually expected leading into the holiday period. Even though visits and activities have been slightly fewer this quarter, membership continues to increase across nearly all of the Opportunity Products. MPower membership increased by 18 during Q4—more and more community members are taking responsibility for improving their financial literacy.WiseBuysactivitywas relatively lowwhileSETmembership reachedanewhigh,with284kidsnowhavingbenefittedfromaSETaccountand161Aurukunadultsdonatingtoatleastoneaccount.ITAVmembership remained stable and activity was relatively low, though Home Pride activity increased dramatically. Twenty-six engagement activities were conducted including home visits and workshops—three House Blitz projects were also conducted. This is a great effort. POP membership continues to slowly increase and activity remains stable. As 2014 comes to a close, we wait in anticipation for what the New Year will bring. As long as community members keep stepping up and taking responsibility, we are optimistic for the future.


• SET membership continues to rise—284 Aurukun kidsandstudentshavenowbenefittedfromSET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 161 Aurukun adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $21,862.75 during Q4. Thisrepresentsasignificantsumofmoneyisbeing put aside to meet the educational needs of Aurukun’s students.

WISE BUYS


• Although no purchases were made during Q4, members continued to visit the O-Hub to research future purchases and to receive general support.


• One new community member has signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 83 members from 79 households. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• POP staff conducted 51 Pop-up Visits—a slight increase from the 50 conducted in Q3.

• One Garden Club event was held during Q4 with seven participants attending. Participants undertook weeding and planting activities.


• Seventy-nine community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Session activity was low during Q4 though case management was ongoing, with 21 meetings occurring. We hope to see session activity increase again over the coming months.


• There are currently 18 Home Pride members in Aurukun. These members are interested in making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

• Q4 saw 25 engagement activities by Home Crew staff to encourage community members to participate in Home Pride. Three House Blitz projects were also conducted, during which staff worked with partners to develop the design and layout of their projects, as well as research required materials.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—757 Aurukun adults are now signed up and committed to improvingtheirfinancialknowledgeand skills.

• Sixty-fivepercentofnewMPowermembers (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission). These partners are taking responsibility for theirownfinances.

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familySTORIESLEARNING THE SECRETS OF SAVING“I wanted to buy good things for the kids.” Shirley Wolmby is a member of MPower and regularly uses iBank.

“People told me what good deals they get from talking with MPower.

“I spoke with the MPower staff and decided to sign up so that I could put money away in a savings account.

“I wanted to buy a new vehicle and good things for the kids.”

Shirley is currently working with Mpower consultant Haylene Agie.

“MPower has taught me how to balance money and put money into a savings account rather than keeping it in a transaction account.

“I tell people who are not signed up for MPower to visit the O-Hub and talk to the friendly staff that have patience. They help you with the paper work and the computers.

“In the future I would like to sign up for Pride of Place, I want to do planting, keep the garden healthy and take good care of it.”Shirley works with MPower staff to reach

her savings goals.

COMMUNITY COMPLIMENTS“Pride of Place is just the start.”

Anthony Yunkaporta will have his Pride of Place project completed in time for Christmas celebrations.

“I signed up for Pride of Place this year and it has helped my family in a big way because they’re learning about gardening and the kids want to help when I’m pushing the wheelbarrow, which is good exercise,” Anthony said.

“I had seen it from other people and it’s not a bad idea because you only have to put a bit of money in,” Anthony said.

“Everyone should have Pride of Place if they want a good garden. It’s also something to do after work, instead of sitting around.”

Although the garden is still a work in progress, Anthony said he enjoys the paved area the most. “It’s a place where you can relax and have your own time. It’s my relaxation square.”

A lot of people in the community have also responded positively to the garden. “People are asking where I got this stuff and I say, ‘Pride of Place’. They say to me, ‘I’m going to sign up next year’.”

Anthony has ambitious plans for his backyard. “In the future I would like to build a waterslide, swimming pool and fountains in my garden… Pride of Place is just a start.”

Anthony Yunkaporta said the kids are keen to help in the new garden and friends and family

are paying him nice compliments

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MPower supports individuals and families to manage money for basic material needs, build capabilities throughfinancial literacyandgrowtheirassetbasethroughsavinganddisciplinedmoneymanagement.Since its launch in April 2011, MPower has assisted community members to learn: Internet banking skills through iBank; and skills for budgeting, debt reduction, banking, wealth creation and bill payments through Money Management Tool (MMT) sessions.

1 MoneyManagementTools(MMTs)aresessionswherepartnersaretaughtskillsthatassistthemtobuildtheirfinancialliteracy.2 ‘Unknown’ is where data are not available or captured.3 iBankisanInternetandonlinebankingfacilitysituatedwithintheO-Hub.PartnerscanreceiveadviceandassistancetouseiBankforpayingbillsandmanagetheirfinancesmoregenerally.



• At the end of Q4 there were a total of 757 MPower members in Aurukun. Over time more and more community members aretakingresponsibilityforimprovingtheirfinancialliteracy.



• Since Q1 2013 the largest proportion (65%) of new MPower members have been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide andaretakingresponsibilityfortheirownfinances.



• Twenty-four MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Budget Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support and Payment Support. This is an increase from the previous quarter, where the 13 sessions focused on Banking Support, Budget Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support, Payment Support and Wealth Creation Support.

• Over the period January 2013–December 2014 all MMTs were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 2067 iBank sessions in Q4—slightly

fewer than the 2158 held in Q3 2014. Forty per cent of these sessions were unassisted—up from 31 per cent in Q3.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank usersarebecomingself-sufficientinindependentlymanagingtheirfinances.ThetrendinAurukunindicatesthatunassistedsessions are trending up and assisted sessions are trending down (see below).


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2


Unassisted Assisted

15

21

2

5

3

48

4

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

1000

800

600

400

200

0

757Aurukun MPower

membersQ2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

40%

60%

65%

11%17%

7%

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• At the end of Q4 there were a total of 106 Wise Buys membersinAurukun.Ninety-fiveadditionalmembershave signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Aurukun want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 106 members at the end of Q4 2014, eight (8% of all members) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. This

level of engagement is lower than we have seen in previous quarters. O-Hub staff should work to determine the reasons for this.

Inremotecommunities,itisoftendifficulttopurchasequalitygoodsandservicesatreasonableprices.WiseBuys is a retail Internet portal designed to increase consumers’ knowledge so that they can get the best possible value-for-money when purchasing household goods and services. O-Hub staff members support Wise Buys members to understand how to use the purchasing portal, conduct research into purchases they want, and complete purchases when they are ready. Since being launched in June 2012, more and more Wise Buys members are learning to be smart with their money and are accessing basic need items like fridges, washing machines, beds, food and shelter at value-for-money prices.

WHAT MEMBERS DID• No purchases were made through Wise Buys this quarter.

However, partners continued to visit the O-Hub to conduct other Wise Buys activities.

• The eight Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of nine times. Most visits (67%) were to conduct research on future Wise Buys purchases (see below).



General support


Make a payment1

Purchase1


120

100

80

60

40

20

0

106 Aurukun

Wise Buys membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

33%

67%

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- three (1%) had been used to make both contributions and purchases during the quarter—these accounts are meeting the gold standard for activity

- 88 (33%) had received at least one contribution or had been used to make at least one purchase during the quarter—this still represents a very high level of activity


- 64 (24%) where no activity had occurred in more than 12 months.





- 15 haves a balance between $1,001–$5,000


• These less active accounts have a total balance of $53,843.62. O-Hub staff should contact the account holders as a matter of priority to encourage these donors to re-activate their SET usage or close these accounts.



• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Aurukun, indicating that more and more families are making a clear decision to prioritise their children’s education.





Student Education Trust (SET) seeks to change social norms around education by shifting responsibility for the provision of school materials and other educational expenses back to parents, carers and kin. It alsoprovidesopportunityforpositivereciprocity—forfamilymemberstosupporteachotherfinanciallyinahelpful way. SET promotes the value and importance of educational opportunities and provides the basis for greater investment in schooling and further education. Through SET, parents, carers and kin are able to regularly set aside money to pay for their children’s educational needs.

Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

200

150

100

50

0

17

170

47 0 12

300

280

260

240

220


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

• Thetotaltrustsinthisfiguredonotaddto270becausetheschooling status of 24 SET students was unknown. These students are aged between 12–17 years and have a total combined balance of $35,767.10 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

were made from Aurukun SET accounts this quarter

130 PURCHASES

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all Aurukun SET accounts (see below).1 This represents a gross increase of $7,839.07 from the total balance at the close of Q3 2014.

• The total balance for Aurukun SET accounts at the end of Q4 includes $2,225.98 interest, which has accumulated since the close of Q3 2014.



SET accounts in Aurukun. This is relatively consistent with the amount being saved each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below) and represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 15 months.






• Ninety-three per cent of Aurukun SET donors are female, most (77%) being the recipient’s mother. Aurukun women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



Early Childhood


$107,353.29

$6,923.58

$8,709.47

Primary School

$229,225.66

$231,562.19


$0.00


$74,302.22

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3

$21,

822.

85

$20,

191.

12

$21,

000.

51

$15,

879.

93

$18,

783.

62

$20,

332.

28

$20,

332.

95

Q4

$21,

862.

75

The total value of Aurukun purchases made from SET accounts this quarter was

$16,249.66

500

400

300

200

100

0

65 95

414

6923

144

136Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

130

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Although no new members have signed up in Q4, overall we have signed up 32 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a fantastic result.





• This quarter, a total of 51 engagement activities were undertaken—a slight decrease from the 59 undertaken in Q3. These included: informal discussions (n=22, 43%); home visits (n=16, 31%); community events (n=4, 8%); men’s activities (n=2, 4%); handicraft sessions (n=4, 8%); ‘other’ activities, including a conference with Child Safety (n=2, 4%); and a women’s group (n=1, 2%).

• The volume of engagement activities during Q4 was affected by prolonged staff absences from community due to leave, ongoing security issues at the O-Hub, and also by severe community tensions often fuelled by alcohol. A mechanical fault on the Parenting Hub air conditioning unit that was unabletoberepaireduntilafterQ4alsomadeitdifficultanduncomfortable for members to participate in activities run by the Parenting Hub in the summer heat and humidity. We hope to see engagement activities increase as these issues resolve.

• Nine partners participated in the four Handicraft sessions held during the quarter, undertaking crocheting, scrapbooking and sewing. Handicraft sessions are designed as a way of getting parents/carers together to build relationships and support one another in their parenting journeys.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• There were no ITAV Parenting sessions held during the quarter.

• We look forward to seeing session activity increase again in the coming months as we move beyond the holiday season.


• During Q4, Aurukun ITAV staff provided practical and emotional support to clients on four occasions. This included support provided to families that were struggling to get their kids to attend school, as well as support in attending other community service providers.


• During Q4, Aurukun ITAV staff also undertook eight case management activities, including case conferencing and strategic conversations.


100

80

60

40

20

0

79Aurukun ITAV

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

51ENGAGEMENTactivities were held this quarter


STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q4, Aurukun ITAV staff spent a combined total of 329 hours and 42 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and

Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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Partner is having a lot of trouble getting their child to attend and stay at school during the day while the partner goes to work. The problem has been ongoing for some time and the partner is very stressed and has also come to the attention of the Family Responsibilities Commission.

Partner attended ITAV and learned about the importance of spending special time with their child whilst also being calm and assertive about correcting bad behaviours. With the assistance of other family members and behaviour charts, the partner is working hard to encourage their child to attend school. ITAV staff members are also assisting the partner to work with the school to ensure that the partner’s child receives the attention they need. There is still much hard work to be done, but this partner is becoming familiar with the tools they need to get the best outcomes for their child.

ANNUAL SNAPSHOT• Between Q1 and Q4 2014, Aurukun staff members have spent

a combined total of 1296 hours and 48 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. Contact hours during Q1 were relatively lower due to small staff numbers in the community, while contact hours increased towards the end of the year as a result of recruitment efforts improving the number of available staff (see below).

• It is important to note that ITAV is committed to employing and building the capabilities of local people in local roles.

TOTAL STAFF CONTACT HOURSQ1 2014 TO Q4 2014

• When considered as an average contact rate per staff member, the level of contact our staff have had with partners has remained high throughout the year (see below).

TOTAL STAFF CONTACT HOURS AS AN AVERAGE RATE PER STAFF MEMBER2

Q1 2014 TO Q4 2014

1 Somedetailshavebeenalteredtoensurethispartnercannotbeidentified.2 Backfillpersonnelaretreatedas0.2fulltimeequivalentforthepurposeoftheseanalyses.

242.73

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

162.55

561.82

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

HOURS

329.70

173.38

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

162.55

468.18

500

400

300

200

100

0

149.86

HOURS

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• There are currently 18 partners signed up to ITAV Home Pride.Q4sawfivenewmemberssignup.

• Of these 18 partners: - twelve partners are signed up to the Home Maker1 and

House Blitz2 components - six are signed up to the Home Maker component only.

• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched mid-2013. It has been slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. As the programme matures over the coming months and years, we look forward to seeing membership grow.

HOUSE VISITS• Home Crew staff conducted a total of 25 engagement

activities during Q4. These included: - six engagement home visits—a welcome increase on the

zero conducted in Q3 - seven workshops, which focused on building sewing skills - twelve informal discussions within and beyond the O-Hub.

• Three House Blitz sessions were also conducted during Q4, during which partners: conversed with staff around the design and layout for their projects, were assisted to conduct research on their future projects, including identifying materials needed and comparing prices.

• After a relatively slow start since it was launched in April 2013, Home Pride activities are beginning to increase. We hope to see this continue over the coming months.

1 Through ‘Home Maker’, families learn practical household skills such as housekeeping schedules, routines for kids, planning meals, cleaning techniques and how to create natural cleaning products.TheHomeCrewstaffworkwithfamiliesintheirhomestobuildconfidence,andhelpfamiliescreateahealthierhomeenvironment.

2 Through ‘House Blitz’, families are assisted to make their homes happier and healthier spaces. The Home Crew staff work with families on interior design ideas to transform living spaces, as well as providing support and motivating families to complete household projects. Families must commit to providing the necessary sweat equity for House Blitz activities.

20

15

10

5

0


membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

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Pride of Place (POP) assists families to create healthier outdoor living environments where they can spend quality time together. Through POP, participants save money and make a financial and ‘sweat equity’contribution towards backyard renovation projects. The POP Enablers assist and support members to undertake their projects. The increasing number of sign-ups since POP was launched in April 2013 indicate that a growing number of community members are striving to take greater pride in their yards and create healthier living spaces for their families.


2 ThePOPEnablerdoeshomevisitsto:promoteparticipationinPOP,discussmembershipbenefitsandprocesses;offerfreeplants,seedsandmagazines;assistinplantingandprovideadvice on plants; and/or support with ongoing yard upkeep.




almost doubled from the 42 members who had signed up by Q1 2013.




Aurukun, including 205 separate Backyard Blitz elements.4 The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for Aurukun families.

• The seven POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $5,900.00 towards their combined target contribution of $7,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There was one Garden Club1 event held this quarter with

seven participants. Participants undertook planting and weeding activities.

• There were 51 Pop-up Visits2 this quarter—relatively stable from Q3 (see below).


23 BACKYARD BLITZES



60

40

20


5150

100

75

50

25

0

83 Aurukun POP

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

79

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With the wet season just around the corner the O-Hub team

has been encouraging partners to stock up. Residents

cannot rely on local shops for stock. During the 2013 wet

season each household was limited to purchasing one roll

of toilet paper as the local stores hadn’t stocked up. Staff

from fly-in-fly out service providers were bringing in cans of

food and other necessities for the elders because no one

had thought to order extra for them. We are encouraging

families to order their food online but it’s a challenge to get

people to plan in advance.

Our Home Crew (Lutonya Creek) has facilitated some great

activities including craft sessions to make decorations for

the Community Christmas Party.

POP finished the year on a high note. The team has agreed

to upgrade the garden at the Wuthulpu Cultural Centre as

part of 2015 POP community/voluntary project. Our new

Coen POP Enabler (Thomas Clubb) has ordered the plants

and the irrigation system for this project. Thomas also

finished the last pieces of work on Marilyn Kepple’s gazebo,

which means that all POP Blitzes have been finalised for the

year. (Pictured page 152)

We were all hands on deck in preparation for the

Community Christmas Party, which was followed by Carols

By Candlelight and a service by Pastor David Spanagel

from the Lutheran Church.

POINTS OF INTEREST• All service providers united for Christmas Lunch at

the Wellbeing Centre to say farewell for the Christmas

break, and to form an Events Committee that will plan

and lobby the Cook Shire Council for community events

funding in the future.

COEN O-HUB Q4 NOTABLE IMPACTS• Currently recruiting for vacant Parenting Consultant

position.

• MPower has been slow due to MPower staff fluctuations over the last several weeks with training and annual leave


Overall 264


Adult (18+) 161







Households 47



MPower membership remained stable during Q4 while SET membership continued to rise—more and more Coen students are reaping benefits from SET. A substantial amount of money was put aside again this quarter to fund Coen students’ educational needs. Wise Buys had one new sign-up, though there was no purchasing activity during Q4. Despite this, members continued to visit the O-Hub, particularly to research potential future purchases. ITAV continues to slowly increase in Coen. Home Pride membership has also increased, while Home Crew staff continued to conduct workshops and community events. We expect these engagement activities will increase as ongoing issues with recruiting local suitable staff are resolved. Finally, POP members were relatively active during Q4, having completed a Backyard Blitz project and continued with ongoing community engagement. While 2014 has been a busy year overall, we look forward to even busier times ahead.



• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 151 Coen adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $15,715.50 during Q4—a significant sum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Coen’s students.

WISE BUYS


• Although no purchases were made during Q4, Wise Buys members continued to visit the O-Hub to conduct research on future purchases.



• One Backyard Blitz project was completed in Q4, during which partners contributed a total of 14 hours sweat equity—a great effort. No Garden Club events were scheduled though POP staff conducted 14 Pop-up Visits—a slight decrease from the 29 conducted in Q3.


• Forty-eight community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Fifteen ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 10 members (21% of total membership) participating. We hope to see session activity increase next quarter as staffing issues are resolved.



MPOWER

• MPower membership has remained stable during Q4—201 Coen adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financial knowledge and skills.

• Forty-five per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibility for their own finances.

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familySTORIESCELEBRATING FAMILY DAYCelebrating Family Day in Coen was a great opportunity for the community to come together to pay tribute to their strong family cultural values.

It was a time for mums, dads, aunties and uncles to join their children for an afternoon of fun and games in the school yard. The event was opened by the fabulous school band.

OUR FAMILY YARNING SPACE“My kids and I are excited about doing the Pergola up.”

“MykidsandIareproudtofinallyhavesomewheretocallhome.

We wanted something different like having a pergola added to our back yard because it looked bare

We love the Pergola, and what we hope to do with it during the summer monthsistakefulladvantageofitlikehavingBBQandjustfindingtimetogoandsitthereintheeveningsjusttoyarn,relaxandreflect.

My kids and I are excited about doing the pergola up like putting some climbingplantsaroundthebeams,findingsomenicelightingtoputupfor the evenings and some beautiful potted plants to put around the outside and maybe putting up some water proof curtains for privacy.

It wasn’t hard to save as I nominated a certain amount to be deducted out of my account and deposited into the POP account each fortnight

The building part of it wasn’t hard too because my boys got in and helped as well.”

By Marilyn Kepple The whole family got stuck into building the pergola and love the new yarning space.

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MPower supports individuals and families to manage money for basic material needs, build capabilities throughfinancial literacyandgrowtheirassetbasethroughsavinganddisciplinedmoneymanagement.Since its launch in April 2011, MPower has assisted community members to learn: Internet banking skills through iBank; and skills for budgeting, debt reduction, banking, wealth creation and bill payments through Money Management Tool (MMT) sessions.



MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were no new sign-ups this quarter.


• Since Q1 2013 the largest proportion (45%) of new MPower members have been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide andaretakingresponsibilityfortheirownfinances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Only one MMT session was conducted this quarter, focusing on Budget Support. This is stable from Q3, where the one session held focused on Internet and Phone Banking Support.

• Over the period January 2013–December 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support and Budget Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK1 • There were a total of 89 iBank sessions in Q4—a reduction from

the 104 held in Q3 2014. The usage of iBank has been trending down now for three quarters. Fifty-three per cent of these sessions were unassisted—11 per cent fewer than in Q3 2014.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank usersarebecomingself-sufficientinindependentlymanagingtheirfinances.ThetrendinCoenreflectsmembershiptrends(see below). For example, in 2012, 51 new members signed up; at the same time the proportion of assisted sessions also increased because new members likely required greater assistance than older members. Through 2013 membership stabilised and levels of assistance again reduced. However, it is concerning that there appears to be a downward trend in unassisted levels despite membership not changing during Q4. O-Hub staff should keep an eye on this trend—over time, we hope to see assistance levels graduallyreduceasiBankusersbecomemoreself-sufficientinindependentlymanagingtheirfinances.


1 MoneyManagementTools(MMTs)aresessionswherepartnersaretaughtskillsthatassistthemtobuildtheirfinancialliteracy.2 ‘Unknown’ is where data are not available or captured.3 iBankisanInternetandonlinebankingfacilitysituatedwithintheO-Hub.PartnerscanreceiveadviceandassistancetouseiBankforpayingbillsandmanagetheirfinancesmoregenerally.

• At the end of Q4 there were a total of 201 MPower members in Coen. Over time more and more community members are takingresponsibilityforimprovingtheirfinancialliteracy.

Unassisted Assisted

12

13

1

9

0

13

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

45% 33

%

22%

250

200

150

100

50

0

201 Coen MPower


2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

47%

53%

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• At the end of Q4 there were a total of 48 Wise Buys members in Coen. Twenty-six additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Coen want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• Of the 48 members at the end of Q4 2014, seven (15% of



WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, no purchases were made through Wise

Buys. However, members visited the O-Hub to undertake other activities.

• The seven Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of eight times. All eight visits were to conduct research on potential future Wise Buys purchases.

• Overall, member activity has been relatively low during Q4. The holiday season is often quieter with families choosing to save for Christmas and with some families leaving community. We hope to see activity pick up again in the New Year.



General support1


Make a payment1

Purchase1

50

40

30

20

10

0

48 Coen Wise Buys

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

100%

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for activity








previous 12 months


than 12 months.

• Of the 22 accounts that had no activity for over

12 months,






These less active accounts have a total balance


encourage these donors to re-activate their SET usage

and/or close these accounts.









• Thetotaltrustsintheabovefiguredonotaddto158because for two trusts, the schooling status of the recipients is unknown. These students are 15 years of age and have a combined total balance of $1,477.60 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

Early Childhood

(0–4)

70605040302010 0




(18–25)


(18–25)

31

64

381 22

210

200

190

180

170


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

were made from Coen SET accounts this quarter

155PURCHASES

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SET ACCOUNTS END OF QUARTER BALANCE, CONTRIBUTIONS AND PURCHASESBALANCE• At Q4 2014, there was a total balance of $252,309.17 across

all Coen SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of around one per cent from the total balance at the close of Q3 2014.




to SET accounts in Coen. This is $3,650.77 less than the amount saved in Q3, but is relatively consistent with the savings made each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.



in Q4 2014—fewer than in Q3. The total value of these purchases was $14,301.11. Most (n=133, 86%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least

12 months (see below).


36%


donors contributing to the 158 open SET accounts. One new donor has joined SET since Q3 2014.

• Sixty-four per cent of Coen SET donors are female, most (69%) being the recipient’s mother. Thirty-six percent are male donors. Coen has the highest number of male donors across all four communities. It’s great to see that in Coen men and women are both contributing to children’s education costs.






$84,043.05


$30,102.91

Primary School

$99,910.58

$93,079.17


$2,081.48


$43,002.56

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$14,

959.

00

$17,

258.

71

$15,

934.

43

$12,

925.

64

$16,

708.

78

$23,

222.

23

$19,

366.

27

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

$15,

715.

50

The total value of all Coen purchases made from SET accounts this quarter was

$14,301.11

300

200

100

0

173 168

250

184

270237

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

179 155

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During Q4 we have had one new member sign-up and overall, we have signed up 14 new members since the close of Q1 2013.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• This quarter, a total of 14 engagement activities were

undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=8,

57%); home visits (n=2, 14%); a community event (n=1, 7%);

women’s group (n=1, 7%); handicraft session (n=1, 7%);

and ‘other’ activity, which involved contacting a member to

arrange an appointment (n=1, 7%).

• The volume of engagement activities this quarter has been

affected by staff turnover, intermittent telecommunications

issues and sorry time. As these issues resolve over the coming

months, we hope to see activities increase.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Fifteen ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter,

including: - 10 Strong Families sessions - fiveBabyCollegesessions.

• During these sessions, partners worked on: - understanding how the behaviour of parents can impact the

behaviour of their children - understanding the importance of spending special time with

children, including showing children love and affection on a daily basis.

• Ten members participated in these sessions—some attending multiple times.


• During Q4, Coen ITAV staff did not log any practical and emotional support sessions with our ITAV members.


• During Q4, Coen ITAV staff also undertook two case management activities, both of which involved case conferencing.


50

40

30

20

10

0

48Coen ITAV members

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4



90 hours and 31 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.


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Partner was distraught that their children had been removed by Child Safety and wanted to see how they could improve their parenting skills to get their children back. The partner admitted they need to learn how to better control their anger.

The partner has been working with ITAV staff members to improve their parenting skills and learn some techniques to better cope with their anger. ITAV has also assisted the partner to liaise with Child Safety where possible. The partner still has a lot of hard work to do before things can dramatically improve, but they appear willing and able to do the legwork required.

1 Somedetailshavebeenalteredtoensurethispartnercannotbeidentified.2 Backfillpersonnelaretreatedas0.2fulltimeequivalentforthepurposeoftheseanalyses.3 OnefulltimestaffmemberresignedtwoweeksintoQ4anduntilanewparentingmemberwassought,backfillstaffdeliveredITAVinCoen.Incombination,thesestaffmembershavebeen

treated as 1.0 full-time equivalent staff.

ANNUAL SNAPSHOT• Between Q1 and Q4 2014, Coen staff have spent a combined

total of 723 hours and 47 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. Although staff are continuing to spend a good deal of time with members, we have seen a decline in total contact hours during 2014 (see below). This downward trend has most likely been caused by ongoingstaffingtransitions.



• When considered as an average rate per staff member, the level of contact our staff have had with partners has actually remained relatively high throughout the year (see below). However, as our team is revitalised in 2015 we look forward to seeing contact hours increase again.


Q1 2014 TO Q4 2014

203.00

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

251.41178.85

300

200

100

0

HOURS

90.52

169.17

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

125.71178.85

200

150

100

50

0

90.523

HOURS

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• Home Pride is a relatively new programme, having only been launched mid-2013. It has been relatively slow to progress due to challenges in attracting and retaining suitable local staff. We hope to see membership and activities increase in thecomingmonthsasstaffingissuesareresolved.

HOUSE VISITS• No engagement house visits were conducted this quarter,

though a workshop and community event were held. During the workshop, members worked together to make pots and Christmas cards.

• After having no dedicated Home Crew staff in Coen during Q3,staffingremainedproblematicinQ4.Asaresult,activitieswerelow.Oncestaffingissuesareresolved,weexpecttoseehome visits increase again.

• Because Home Pride is only new in Coen, it will also take time for our staff to build the rapport that is needed with community members to be able to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team stabilises and builds this rapport, we look forward to seeing activities increase.

20

15

10

5

0


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4



CYP450 FER Q4_V4.indd 159 2/04/15 10:24 AM




had four new members sign up since Q1 2013 but over the previous 12 months, membership has remained stable.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• No Garden Club1 events were scheduled for this quarter.

However, POP staff did undertake 14 Pop-up Visits2—decrease from the 29 visits that were conducted in Q3.


WHAT MEMBERS DID• To date there have been nine Backyard Blitzes3 completed

in Coen, one of which was completed during Q4. During the completion of the most recent Blitz project, members contributed a total of 14 hours of sweat equity—a great effort. The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for multiple Coen families.

• The two members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz in 2014 have already saved a cumulative total of $1,830.00 towards their combined total target amount of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members will continue to contribute towards reaching this target over the coming months.






9 BACKYARD BLITZES


44

50

40

30

20

10

0

46 Coen POP members

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

30

20

10


2914

160

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161

Hope Vale has a long history of taking great pride in

gardens so the Best Garden in the Village Competition is

hotly contested with very high quality entries. There were

nine entries ranging in style from tropical to quirky and

gardens to eat. Irene Bambie’s garden, inspired by POP

Garden Club, won her Most Interesting Garden (see picture

in this report).

A Wise Buys Christmas campaign was executed to

encourage saving ahead of Christmas and value for money

purchases. While there are more people engaging in simple

budgets, we struggle to get partners to commit to coaching

sessions. MPower staff plan to tap into the ITAV workshops

and include money management training as part of their

DIY and Parenting workshops in 2015.

There has been an increase in partners attending ITAV

Handicraft and workshops in the past month, the majority

of them being the old ladies who bring with them the

younger mothers.

We are concerned and are investigating the rise in the

number of partners taking up high-interest, pay-day loans—

they are particularly problematic in Hope Vale. We are also

scoping a range of No Interest Loan Schemes offered by

charitable organisations such as St Vincent De Pauls.

Backyard Blitz has been full steam ahead with 10 partners

participating, however due to the work commitments of

our partners there have been difficulties in securing family

sweat equity.

The ITAV team assisted CYAAA with their Year 6 and 7

Graduation Evening. It was great to see the students

flanked by parents, their grandparents and godparents in

some instances.

HOPE VALE O-HUB Q4 POINTS OF INTEREST

• MPower staff completed training in Cairns this quarter. Staff feedback and evaluations show high confidence in the MPower program and improved confidence in their own abilities.

• Local girl Sha-lane Gibson is working with us during her university break and will be concentrating on SET

• Two of our MPower Team members have become first home owners. Khandra Stafford is building at Millers Block and will move in early 2015. Zeila Wallace and her husband moved into their first home in Cooktown.

NOTABLE IMPACTS• There is limited space for Parenting and Home Pride

workshops in the Parenting Hub and we go begging to other organisations for space. Our partners have suggested that they lobby Council through a petition to urge them to find a bigger space.

• There has been substantial community concern around ice and marijuana in the community which is hindering on our capacity to make a greater impact.


Overall 931


Adult (18+) 589







Households 208


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MPowermembershiphascontinuedtoincreaseduringQ4whilethenumberofHopeValekidsbenefittingfromSET has also increased. More adults than ever before are also donating to SET accounts to prepare Hope Vale kids for school. Wise Buys membership has increased and purchasing activity is ongoing. POP has more members than ever before while ITAV has also seen an increase in members—more and more Hope Vale parents and carers are making a strong commitment to improve their parenting skills. Finally, Home Pride activities have picked up during Q4 as the Home Crew team begins to stabilise. Staff have made a high number of engagement visits and conducted Home Maker and House Blitz sessions to assist members to create happier and healthier home environments.


• SET membership continues to rise—232 Hope Vale kidsandstudentshavenowbenefittedfromSET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 147 Hope Vale adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SET donors saved $22,428.86 during Q4. Asignificantsumofmoneyisbeingputasidetomeetthe educational needs of Hope Vale’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 13 in Q1 2013 to 66 in Q4 2014. Hope Vale adults have a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The two Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included a washing machine (‘need’ item) and television (‘want’ item).


• One new community member has signed up to POP this quarter, bringing the total membership to 134 from 106 households. By signing up to POP, these members are expressing a clear desire to create healthier outdoor living spaces.

• No Garden Club events were scheduled for Q4, though POP staff conducted a very high number of Pop-up Visits—57 in total, slightly down from the 66 conducted during the previous quarter.

• Although no Backyard Blitzes were completed this quarter, participants contributed 53.3 hours of sweat equity to projects that are ongoing.


• Eighty-fivecommunitymembersare now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Twenty-one ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 23 members (27% of total membership) participating.



MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—542 Hope Vale adults are now signed up and committed to improving theirfinancialknowledgeandskills.

• Seventy-one per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners are taking responsibilityfortheirownfinances.

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familySTORIES

PROUD HOME OWNER“The house is a joint family venture.”

Cheryl Cannon retired from teaching to build a family home.

“I did a budgeting course through MPower, found out that I was spending on silly things. I didn’t need to go to Gilled and Gutted every weekend. Now I drive past and no big deal.

“It took six months for me to save the deposit.

“I wanted to show my community and family that you have to care for your home that you don’t have to run to council for everything.

“I’veplantedoutthefrontyardwithflowersandbushtress,and the backyard with edible varieties, Tahitian limes, lemon, mandarins and bananas.

“The house is a joint family venture—my youngest daughter will inherit it.

“We’ve been busy done landscaping. I was mowing on a right angle, so my son made it level for me with rocks. Every time I’m in Cairns I look around for a new plant.”

But retirement wasn’t enough for Cheryl. She still wanted to help her community.

Now, she’s a Family Responsibilities Commissioner and hasherfirstsitting,inOctober,underherbelt.Ratherthan

being like a courtroom, she was surprised it was such a ‘two-way learning’ experience.

“All the aggro is gone, and people are willing to accept consequences and talk through problems and be helped through issues.”

She says income management is the only way to get some people to take responsibility.

“Those who are income managed always have food on the table, and bills paid.

“When we were growing up we had elders that would support our families. That respect for elders is returning. As FRC Commissioners, we are there for families to talk to and help.”

WISE BUYER“I had empty pockets.” Like most of us, Hope Vale’s Delma Darkin found herself short on funds on a regular basis, especially in ‘slack week’.

These days she’s got her money matters under control.

“I didn’t know anything about money and I was struggling to afford things for my children. I had empty pockets and now there is money there for them at all times.

“If they lose their uniform or shoes, I can pop in and buy from their Student Education Trust.

“I buy products from the SET stalls which means the kids can learn at home which has helped as the kids grow.”

Delma is an O-Hub regular and is signed on to MPower, Wise Buys as well as SET.

She says these opportunity products have helped her a lot.

“Wise Buys has also helped me to buy a washing machine and I am saving to buy a box freezer.

Delma Darkin no longer needs to wait for pay day, she has the money when she needs it.

“I am very proud of what I have got today—the washing machine and that money is there for what my children need. I don’t need to wait for my next pay.”

Cheryl is helping her family to build wealth for generations to come.

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MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were 12 new sign-ups this quarter—a strong result. • Of the 542 members signed up to MPower by the end of

Q4, 144 members (27%) had visited the O-Hub at least once during the quarter. Members are regularly using the product.

• Over the last two years the largest proportion (71%) of new MPower members have been friend/family- or self-referred. These members are aware of the assistance MPower can provide and are taking responsibility for their own finances.


FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Seven MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support and Payment Support. This is a decrease from the 17 sessions held in Q3, which focused on Banking Support, Budget Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Loan Support and Payment Support.

• Over the period January 2013–December 2014 all MMTs, aside from Wealth Creation Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3 • There were a total of 336 iBank sessions in Q4—an increase

from the 291 sessions held in Q3. • Fifty-six per cent of iBank sessions were unassisted—down

from 68 per cent in Q3 2014. A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in independently managing their finances. The trend in Hope Vale indicates that unassisted sessions began to outstrip assisted sessions in late 2011 (see below). However, as we get greater influxes of new members like we have had this quarter we see assistance levels also fluctuate—new members are more likely to require greater iBank assistance than older members.



Unassisted Assisted

36

12

0

19

2

56

1

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

600

500

400

300

200

100

0



2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

44%

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12011 2012 20142013

Q2 Q3 Q4

56%

15%

71%

11%

3%

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• At the end of Q4 there were a total of 66 Wise Buys

members in Hope Vale. Fifty-three additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Hope Vale want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.






WHAT MEMBERS DID• This quarter, a total of two unique1 members made a total

of two purchases through Wise Buys. One purchase was categorised as a ‘need’2 while the second purchase was classifiedasa‘want’.3 A total amount of $1,103.00 was spent including $725.00 on needs and $378.00 on wants.

• The ‘needs’ item purchased was a washing machine, while the ‘want’ item purchased was a television.

• The 24 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 52 times. Most visits (65%) were to receive general support from O-Hub staff (see below).



General support


Make a payment4

Purchase

4%

31%

65%

80

60

40

20

0

66 Hope Vale

Wise Buys membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

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- four (2%) had been used to make both











previous 12 months


than 12 months.















• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has continued to rise in Hope Vale, indicating that more and more families are making a clear decision to prioritise their children’s education.







Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

120

100

80

60

40

20

033

115

521 3

240

220

200

180


Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

• The total trusts in the above figure do not add to 218 because for 14 trusts, the schooling status of the recipients is unknown. These students are 13–17 years of age and have a combined total balance of $8,549.58 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

were made from Hope Vale SET accounts this quarter

46 PURCHASES

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to SET accounts in Hope Vale. This is slightly up from the previous quarter and is relatively consistent with amounts being contributed since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.




• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesof donors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 12 months. For example, as shown in the below graph covering 24 months, we typically see a higher number of purchases at





84%



• Eighty-four per cent of Hope Vale SET donors are female, most (80%) being the recipient’s mother. Hope Vale women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.




$46,939.11


$21,011.48

Primary School

$99,069.15

$107,750.46


$383.81


$10,484.69

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0

$18,

646.

96

$20,

024.

30

$19,

209.

45

$13,

164.

43

$17,

795.

54

$21,

916.

83

$22,

174.

50

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

$22,

428.

86

The total value of all Hope Vale purchases made from SET accounts this quarter was

$5,749.26

300

200

100

0

224

145 135 145

280

143 137

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

46

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During Q4 we have had three new members sign-up and overall, we have signed up 36 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a pleasing result.


ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• ITAV parenting staff members have been busily engaging with the

community—including both members and non-members of ITAV. These engagement activities assist our staff to spread the word about the importance of parenting, encourage parents to support one another, and advise community members of the assistance and support they can receive through the ITAV programme.

• This quarter, a total of 74 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=37, 50%); home visits (n=16, 22%); community events (n=7, 9%); women’s groups (n=5, 7%); ‘other’ activities, including practical and emotional support (n=4, 5%); handicraft sessions (n=3, 4%); and workshops (n=2, 3%). During the three handicraft sessions held, partners worked together to make corsages for graduation, Christmas decorations and candles.

• Q4 has been a tumultuous time in Hope Vale, with multiple periods of sorry time. Telecommunications issues, power outages and staff turnover have also disrupted ITAV engagement activities. As these issues subside, we look forward to seeing engagement increase.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Twenty-one ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the

quarter, including: - 15 Strong Families sessions - six Baby College sessions.

• During these sessions, partners: - discussed the importance of showing affection to children, includingtheimpactofthisonchildren’sself-confidenceand overall wellbeing

- worked to create behaviour charts to assist them to manage their children’s behaviour.

• Twenty-three members participated in these sessions, with some members participating across multiple sessions and in group sessions.


100

80

60

40

20

0

85 Hope Vale ITAV

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4




• During Q4, Hope Vale ITAV staff provided practical and emotional support to clients on 21 occasions. This included beingalisteningearforpartnerswhoarefindingitdifficulttocopewithdifficultfamilycircumstances,workingwithpartnersto ensure their case plans are satisfying their needs, and speaking to partners about the importance of children having good role models.


• During Q4, Hope Vale ITAV staff also undertook 14 case management activities, including case conferencing and strategic conversations.

STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q4, Hope Vale ITAV staff spent a combined total of

631 hours and 17 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.

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Partner was having trouble getting their children to attend school, as well as managing their children’s behaviours. They were receiving little support from the children’s other parent, and were stressed about what the future would hold.

The partner has consistently attended ITAV sessions for the last couple of years, working on improving their parenting skills to give the best lives they can to their children. Early on, the partner reported that the things they had learned were making a positive difference to their relationship with their kids. They were less stressed and felt more able to cope. Since then, things have continued to improve.

1 Somedetailshavebeenalteredtoensurethispartnercannotbeidentified.2 Backfillpersonnelaretreatedas0.2fulltimeequivalentforthepurposeoftheseanalyses.

ANNUAL SNAPSHOT• Between Q1 and Q4 2014, Hope Vale staff members have

spent a combined total of 2399 hours and 10 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. Contact hours have remained relatively stable throughout 2014, with a slight positive trend upwards during Q3 (see below).


• When considered as an average rate per staff member, the level of contact our staff have had with partners has remained relatively high throughout the year and improved during Q4 (see below).


Q1 2014 TO Q4 2014

568.10

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

550.15 649.63

700600500400300200100

0

HOURS

631.28284.05

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

275.08 270.68

350300250200150100500

315.64

HOURS

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• Out of these 27 partners: - 23 are signed up to complete a House Blitz1 and Home

Maker2 component - four are signed up to the Home Maker component only.


HOUSE VISITS• There have been 41 engagement house visits by Home Crew

this quarter which is a large increase on the 15 conducted in Q3. Other engagements also included: informal discussions (n=53), workshops (n=6) and a community event (n=1).

• FourHomeMakerandfiveHouseBlitzsessionswerecompleted during Q4. A further four DIY sessions were held, focusing on sewing, curtain making, cleaning and storage. An additional three sessions involved strategic conversations with partners.

• As our Home Crew team continues to stabilise and build rapport with the community, we hope to see activity increase.

40

30

20

10

0

27Hope Vale


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4



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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 134 partners signed up to POP. Seven

new members have signed up since the same time last year—a promising result.



• No Garden Club2 events were held this quarter.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• There were 57 Pop-up Visits1 conducted during Q4 2014,

slightly fewer than the 66 conducted in Q3.


48BACKYARD BLITZES







in Hope Vale. The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for multiple Hope Vale families.

• While no Backyard Blitz projects were completed during Q4, participants contributed 53.5 hours of sweat equity to their ongoing projects during the quarter. We look forward to seeing these projects move towards completion in the coming months.

• The nine POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have so far contributed a cumulative total of $9,650.00 towards their combined target contribution of $9,000 ($1,000 each)—seven members have met their individual targets while the remaining two partners have exceeded these targets. This is a fantastic effort—we look forward to seeing these Blitz projects go ahead over the coming months.

150

100

50

0

134 Hope Vale POP

membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

80

60

40

20

0

57


66

106

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Partners in Mossman Gorge are more engaged than ever before with their money management development. Over a seven week period this quarter MPower averaged 3.5 budgets and coaching sessions each week. This is a high level of intensive coaching that shows a high level of commitment on the part of partners.

Community members are readily using Wise Buys to purchase whitegoods and other household items. Over a seven-week period this quarter there were 18 purchases valued at $13,263 for an average purchase of $736.00. Partners are still utilizing the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) as the smart alternative to rental companies and high interest short-term loans.

Moving into the school holiday period SET activity slowed but parents were checking their balances ahead of the new school year.

ITAV Parenting has been focused on Case Management activities over the past month and working more closely with the FRC. Home Crew have stepped up the number of workshops held and are paying particular attention to engage with individuals who in the past have been reluctant to participate. House Blitz celebrates its first sign up, scheduled for early 2015.

Work started on the final two POP Blitzes of the year, which means 97 per cent of available homes in Mossman Gorge have participated in POP. Seven home gardens were


entered in the Best Garden In the Village competition which, for a small community, was a very pleasing result.

POP has completed its contribution to the CAF/PAN Project, landscaping and building a retaining wall at a community playground. The playground is set to open after Christmas as BBN Board awaits Building Certification on the installation.

POINTS OF INTEREST• Our O-Hub team is collaborating well with the BBN

Board and strengthening our relationship with the FRC

• We are currently looking for a suitable local MPower Cadet candidate.


Overall 101


Adult (18+) 71







Households 31


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173


The Mossman Gorge O-Hub was busy during Q4, with membership increasing across most Opportunity Products. MPower membership and activity has remained high, while SET members again put away a substantial amount of money to ensure the educational needs of Mossman Gorge students are taken care of. Wise Buys purchasing activity remained strong as families continued to use their buying power to get great deals on furniture and products for their homes. During ITAV Parenting sessions, partners worked on understanding the effects of different experiences, including trauma, on the behaviour of children. Partners were also excited to learn about strategies for developing positive and respectful relationships with their children. Home Pride activity has increased, which is great to see. Two POP members have begun their Blitz projects, while Pop-up Visits were ongoing. It has been a strong and energetic end to the year, with partners as enthused as ever in their participation.


• SET membership remains high—150 Mossman Gorge kidsandstudentshavenowbenefittedfromSET.

• It is becoming the norm to put aside money for students’ educational needs, with 98 Mossman Gorge adults now contributing to at least one SET account.

• SETdonorssaved$13,032.97duringQ4—asignificantsum of money is being put aside to meet the educational needs of Mossman Gorge’s students.

WISE BUYS

• Wise Buys membership has increased from 47 in Q1 2013 to 93 in Q4 2014. Mossman Gorge adults have a clear desire to learn how they can make better purchasing decisions.

• The 18 Wise Buys purchases made this quarter included ‘need’ items such as washing machines, chest freezers, lounge suites, fridge/freezer combinations, a bed and a dryer.



• After reaching their target savings of $1,000 each, two members began work on their Backyard Blitz projects during Q4. So far, 38 hours of sweat equity has been contributed—a very pleasing effort.

• One Garden Club event was also held, with seven participants attending. Participants cleaned up and painted a veggie tank to get it ready for a new crop.


• Thirty-eight community members are now signed up to ITAV Parenting. These men and women are learning the skills they need to become the best parents they can be.

• Eleven ITAV sessions were held during the quarter with 11 members (29% of total membership) participating.


• There are currently 13 Home Pride members in Mossman Gorge. These members are interested in making their homes happier and healthier for their families.

• Twenty-four engagement activities were conducted this quarter, including house visits and cooking and sewing skill building workshops.

MPOWER

• MPower membership continues to increase—172 Mossman Gorge adults are now signed up and committed to improving their financialknowledgeandskills.

• Sixty-one per cent of new MPower members (since Q1 2013) are friend/family- or self-referred (as opposed to referrals from the Family Responsibilities Commission)—these partners aretakingresponsibilityfortheirownfinances.


174

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familySTORIES

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT“I am looking at growing paw paw, mint and spinach.” Susan Joyce Bamboo ‘Joyce’ signed up for Pride of Place (POP) to make the garden look “beautiful”.

“My father was a keen gardener and would grow all sorts of fruit and veges and I want to do the same. I grow wild tomatoes and chillies. The tomatoes are good to eat—we cook them or put them in a salad.

“Since joining up I’ve learned a lot about gardening, how to look after it, water it and keep it in good shape.”

Joyce says that Barry Preston, POP Supervisor at Mossman has inspired her with lots of good ideas.

“Barry showed us a garden with Mexican chillies, grapefruits and beans. I am looking at growing paw paws, mint and spinach.”

Susan won ‘Best Edible Garden in the Village’ in 2012 and will nominate for the 2014 Garden Competition.

TAKING PRIDE “Get to know people by doing a lot of activities.”

Trixie Kerr is a Home Pride star sewing her own curtains and cushions. Her latest piece of artwork included an image transferring activity. She chose a photo of her late husband which is now proudly displayed in her home.

“I’m enjoying Home Pride, I get to know people by doing a lot of activities together.”

MOBILE MAKES IT EASY“It’s much easier to pay bills.”

Clive Kooka is a man on the move and pleased to learn how to use his mobile phone to check his bank balance whenever he needs.

“I signed up to MPower so that I can do internet banking and order over the phone and pay for things. It also makes it much easier with paying bills.

“I learnt how to do internet banking and the new one for me is the mobile—checking my bank details using my mobile.

“My goal is to save up for a house. I also think others should sign up if they have an interest in doing internet banking.” Clive Kooka loves internet banking

and checking details on his phone.

Susan Bamboo loves to grow a garden she can cook with and gets lots of ideas from POP.

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MEMBERSHIP REFERRAL SOURCES AND TURNOVER• There were three new sign-ups this quarter.




FRC referred

Family/Friend/Self

Unknown2



• Nine MMT sessions were conducted this quarter, focusing on Banking Support, Debt Reduction Support, Internet and Phone Banking and Payment Support. This is a slight increase on Q3, where the seven MMT sessions held focused on Payment Support, Internet and Phone Banking Support, Banking Support, Wealth Creation Support and Debt Reduction Support.

• Over the period January 2013–December 2014 all MMTs, aside from Loan Support, were used at least once with Internet and Phone Banking Support being used most often (see below).


WHAT MEMBERS DID: IBANK3

• There were a total of 405 iBank sessions in Q4—a slight decrease from the 408 held in Q3. Thirty-six per cent of these sessions were unassisted—stable from Q3.

• A reduction in assistance levels over time indicates that iBank users are becoming self-sufficient in independently managing their finances. The trend in Mossman Gorge indicates that the proportion of unassisted sessions is continuing to increase over time (see below).



Unassisted Assisted

16

7

10

8

0

19

15

BUDGET

DEBT REDUCTION

BANKING

PAYMENT


WEALTH CREATION

LOAN

24%

12%

61%

2%

200

150

100

50

0

172 Mossman Gorge

MPower membersQ2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2011 2012 20142013Q2 Q3 Q4

64%

36%

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in Mossman Gorge. Forty-six additional members have signed up since the end of Q1 last year. The growth in Wise Buys membership indicates that more and more adults in Mossman Gorge want support to make better-informed purchasing decisions.



18 purchases through Wise Buys. Of these 18 purchases: - 13wereclassifiedas‘needs’2 - fivewereclassifiedas‘wants’.3


• Needs items purchased included washing machines, chest freezer, lounge suites, fridge/freezer combination, a bed and dryer.

• The 26 Wise Buys members who had visited the O-Hub this quarter visited a total of 39 times. Most visits were to conduct research on future purchases (46%) and to make purchases (46%) (see below).







General support


Make a payment

Purchase

46%

8%46

%

100

80

60

40

20

0

93 Mossman Gorge

Wise Buys membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

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- two (1%) had been used to make both contributions

and purchases during the quarter—these accounts

are meeting the gold standard for activity



during the quarter—this still represents a very high

level of activity




previous 12 months


than 12 months.



had no activity for over 12 months,












• Since it was launched in 2007, the number of SET accounts has risen dramatically in Mossman Gorge, indicating that more and more families are making a clear decision to prioritise their children’s education.






• Thetotaltrustsinthisfiguredonotaddto138becausetheschooling status of six SET students was unknown. These students are aged between 14–17 years and have a total combined balance of $1,684.34 in their SET accounts. This is a concern and O-Hub staff should follow up with the donors for these accounts to determine the schooling status of these students.

Early Childhood

(0–4)




(18–25)


(18–25)

100

80

60

40

20

0

1274

390

7

160

140

120

100

150Mossman Gorge

SET accountsQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

were made from Mossman Gorge SET accounts this quarter

85PURCHASES

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across all Mossman Gorge SET accounts (see below).1 This represents an increase of around six per cent from the total balance at the close of Q3 2014.




SET accounts in Mossman Gorge. This is slightly less than the amount saved in Q3, but is relatively consistent with the savings made each quarter since Q1 2013 (see below). This represents a substantial amount of money being put aside to fund students’ educational needs.


PURCHASES• A total of 85 purchases were made from SET accounts in Q4

2014—fewer than the 114 purchases made in Q3. The total value of these purchases was $6,550.97. Most (n=78, 92%) were for primary school aged children.

• SET saving and purchasing trends are often uneven over the courseofayearduetochangingfinancialcircumstancesofdonors and seasonal costs of schooling. Quarterly rates are, therefore, best considered over the span of at least 15 months. For example, as shown in the below graph, we typically see a higher number of purchases at the beginning

of the school year, in preparation for term one.



80%

DONOR PROFILE• At Q4 2014 there were a total of 98 unique2 donors

contributing to the 138 open SET accounts. This total has remained stable for the last three quarters.

• Eighty per cent of Mossman Gorge SET donors are female, most (79%) being the recipient’s mother. Mossman Gorge women have taken a strong stand when it comes to their children’s education—they are committed to ensuring their children have everything they need to succeed at school.



$42,930.80


$8,058.18

Primary School

$60,323.74

$63,330.77


$0.00


$3,609.32

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0Q1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

$12,

029.

38

$13,

261.

75

$13,

374.

19

$9,2

60.5

5

$16,

899.

54

$18,

735.

61

$14,

690.

26

$13,

032.

97

The total value of all Mossman Gorge purchases made from SET accounts this quarter was

$6,550.97

300

200

100

0

284

162 131

130

285

112 114

Q12013

Q2 Q3 Q4 Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

85



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During Q4 we have had two new members sign-up and overall, we have signed up 22 new members since the close of Q1 2013. This is a fantastic result.





• This quarter, a total of 57 engagement activities were undertaken. These included: informal discussions (n=25, 44%); home visits (n=21, 37%); handicraft sessions (n=7, 12%) including painting, sewing, baking and making positive affirmationcards;‘other’engagements,includinganATODSFamily Support Workshop (n=1, 2%); a women’s group (n=1, 2%); a community event (n=1, 2%); and a workshop (n=1, 2%).

• The volume of engagement activities undertaken during Q4 was affected by multiple periods of sorry time in the community, two power outages and ongoing community tensions.

WHAT MEMBERS DIDSESSIONS• Eleven ITAV Parenting sessions were held during the quarter,

all of which were for the Strong Families programme.

• During these sessions, partners:

- discussed the effects of intergenerational trauma on how children behave

- worked to understand and develop strategies for developing positive relationships with children, including spending special time with them—even when they are very young.

• Eleven members participated in these sessions.

40

30

20

10

0

38Mossman Gorge

ITAV membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4




• During Q4, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff provided practical and emotional support to clients on 36 occasions. This included supportprovidedtoparentsandfamiliesarounddifficultfamily circumstances particularly coming up to the Christmas period, providing a general listening ear and supporting partners to attend relevant additional support services.


• During Q4, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff also undertook 16 case management activities, including case conferencing and arranging referrals.

STAFF CONTACT HOURS• During Q4, Mossman Gorge ITAV staff spent a combined

total of 296 hours with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. During this time, staff undertook engagement activities, ongoing case management (e.g. providing emotional and practical support), delivered parenting training sessions and worked with Home Pride partners to create happy and healthy family homes.

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A partner was incredibly stressed and fatigued after continuously caring for their grandchildren. They were not coping well and needed strategies to improve their situation.

The partner came to ITAV to understand how they could better manage the stress of caring for their grandchildren and also help their own children to be better parents. The partner has worked continuously with ITAV staff to understand the importance of relaxation and meditation in calming themselves. They have also asked for ongoing advice on how to assist their children to parent more effectively. The partner has shown great dedication to learning new skills and improving their situation. Things improving for this family.

ANNUAL SNAPSHOT• Between Q1 and Q4 2014, Mossman Gorge staff members

have spent a combined total of 1183 hours and 17 minutes with ITAV members across the Parenting and Home Pride programmes. Contact hours increased during the middle of the year and have decreased only slightly during Q4 (see below).



• When considered as an average rate per staff member, the level of contact our staff have had with partners has remained relatively high throughout the year (see below).


Q1 2014 TO Q4 2014

1 Somedetailshavebeenalteredtoensurethispartnercannotbeidentified.2 Backfillpersonnelaretreatedas0.2fulltimeequivalentforthepurposeoftheseanalyses.3 One fulltime staff member left at the end of November and are thus treated as 0.7 full-time equivalent staff for the purpose of these analyses.

Q1

113.68

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

62.70119.37

150

100

50

0

109.633

HOURS

341.05

Q12014

Q2 Q3 Q4

188.10358.12

400

300

200

100

0

HOURS

296.01

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HOUSE VISITS• There have been 24 engagement activities undertaken by

Home Crew this quarter, including 11 house visits—fewer than the 32 visits conducted in Q3. The seven workshops held involved various activities, including making Halloween decorations,Christmastrifle,Christmasdecorationsandtrees, sewing new clothes, making alterations to clothes and vision board activities.

• Two Home Maker sessions were also held this quarter.

• Because Home Pride is only new in Mossman Gorge, it will take time for our staff to build the rapport that is needed to undertake a large number of home visits. As the Home Crew team began to stabilise and build this rapport during Q3, we saw visits begin to increase. It is hoped that the slight dip in activity is seasonal.



20

15

10

5

0

13Mossman Gorge


2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP TRENDS• There are currently 32 partners signed up to POP. Although

this is a substantial increase from the eight members who had signed up by Q1 2013, membership has stabilised over thepastfifteenmonths.



WHAT MEMBERS DID

• To date there have been 16 Backyard Blitzes3 completed in Mossman Gorge. The completion of these Blitz projects has assisted in creating fantastic outdoor living spaces for Mossman Gorge families.

• The two POP members signed up to do a Backyard Blitz project in 2014 have reached their target contribution amount, saving a cumulative total of $2,015.00 towards their combined target of $2,000 ($1,000 each). These members have begun work on their Backyard Blitz projects, contributing a total of 38 hours sweat equity in Q4. This is a fantastic effort. Although these Blitz activities are not yet complete, they are well on their way.

ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY• One Garden Club1 event was held this quarter, with seven

participants attending. During the event, partners cleaned up and painted a veggie tank.

• Thirty-fivePop-upVisits2 were also conducted in Q4— a decrease from the 90 conducted in Q3. This decrease is due to POP staff members spending increased time assisting partners to plan and begin their Backyard Blitz activities.


16 BACKYARD BLITZES



26

35

100

75

50

25


90

40

30

20

10

0

32 Mossman Gorge

POP membersQ1

2013Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1

2014Q2 Q3 Q4

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Family Empowerment Report - January to December 2014

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