Looking for fun activities for the kids? Wandana Community Centre has you covered!

• Dance + drama workshop

Bust some moves on the dance floor and take a drama workshop with a VIP Dance instructor at Wandana Community Centre next week.

Cost: FREE
When: Tuesday, July 18
Ages: 5 years and above
Time: 11am-12pm

• Paper mache + Lego extravaganza

Whip up a paper mache creature and use Lego to bring your imagination to life! Be as creative as you like! We’ve split this create + make session into two age groups so nobody misses out.

Cost: FREE
When: Thursday, July 20
Ages: 5 years and above
Time: 10am-12pm

Ages: 9 years and above
Time: 1-3pm

Ask John Lochowiak why family matters and he recalls childhood trips with his grandfather to the Pitjantjatjara lands.

“We’d sit down and he’d nod and say `there’s your brother over there’. I’d meet him for the first time but straight away we’d behave as brothers,” says John, a Wati (initiated man).

“In traditional settings we don’t use names. We use how we are related and behave accordingly and it strengthens that relationship.

“Uncles and aunties don’t exist because they become our mothers and fathers, and cousins become your brothers and sisters, so our extended family is huge ’’

Family is at the core of the Aboriginal world view, says John, Manager of Centacare’s Aboriginal Services, but he believes this should not preclude non-Aboriginal families from caring for vulnerable children.

The rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care is almost 10 times that of other children, and continues to grow.

The causes of over representation are complex, including the legacy of past policies of forced removal, intergenerational effects of separation from family and culture, poor socioeconomic status and perceptions arising from cultural differences in child‐rearing practices.

The national Family Matters campaign highlights these difficulties and the need for change so that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture.

“Our family structure is a bit different, but really we are not dissimilar to white families,’’ John says.

“The challenges and dynamics that impact non-aboriginal people impact us too; the need to work and live in dignity and contribute to society is equally as important to our culture.

“I think we need to look closely at how we can better support Aboriginal families to increase their capacity to foster children.

“That support should start with cultural training for Aboriginal people so that they re-engage with their culture because a lot of our people have lost it.’’

John says it just takes one person – black or white – to believe in a vulnerable child in order to make a difference.

“Western culture will talk about significant others and emotionally that children will be stable if someone believes in them.

“That’s replicated a hundred fold in the Aboriginal culture because everywhere they turn they have someone to share in the responsibility of raising them.

“If every child is loved, they have the chance to be good citizens.’’

Centacare’s domestic violence services are taking part in a forum today to examine the development of targeted perpetrator interventions in South Australia.

If women and their children are to be safe, perpetrators should be held to account through effective interventions that stop their violence.

The forum, organised by the Office for Women, is part of the implementation in SA of the National Outcome Standards for Perpetrator Interventions (NOSPI), endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in late 2015.

The standards will guide and measure the outcomes achieved by perpetrator interventions across the nation.

Identifying shortfalls in the SA system around responses to men’s violence against women is one focus of today’s meeting.

It will also explore ways to develop a framework for the best model of interventions for perpetrators, supported by evidence and best practice.

“Just because a perpetrator goes to an intervention program doesn’t necessarily mean his behaviour changes,’’ said Desi Alexandridis, Senior Manager, Domestic Violence & Homelessness Services.

“From our perspective, it’s really important that perpetrator interventions are conducted in conjunction with women’s services.

“If the victim’s experience is not part of that intervention, then how are we actually going to keep him accountable?’’

Centacare’s culture, client-focussed approach, values and community influence have been independently recognised as exceeding expectations for quality improvement.

Recently our organisation was awarded Quality Innovation Performance (QIP) accreditation  against the Quality Innovation Council (QIC) Standards.

Accreditation against these standards recognises our commitment to continually review, evaluate and improve services, and provide quality support and outcomes for our clients.

The process follows a rigorous, independent, whole-of-organisation review by a Quality Innovation Performance assessment team, in September last year.

The QIP team found Centacare’s management, client-centred focus, sector collaboration, mission, care, safety, support of staff, and community leadership, reach and influence, underpin our excellence in service delivery.

“This is a huge achievement for Centacare,’’ said Director Dale West. “It is an acknowledgment of the commitment and dedication of staff who strive, every day, to provide the best possible support to clients who are always at the centre of everything we do.’’

Centacare was assessed as exceeding best practice ratings for the following standards:

• Management systems
• Safety & quality integration
• Focussing on positive outcomes for clients
• Confirming consumer rights
• Collaboration & strategic positioning
• Incorporation of and contribution to good practice
• Community & professional capacity building

“There is no tokenism in the way this organisation operates or works,’’ the QIC accreditation report states.

“There is a strong and clear congruence between the values and mission of the organisation and what the organisation does, and how it does it.’’

AGPAL Group CEO, Dr Stephen Clark, commended Centacare for this achievement.

“Centacare has clearly worked very hard and successfully implemented a range of policies and procedures to ensure continuous improvement within their organisation,’’ he said.

For the past 74 years, Centacare has worked to support people in reaching their full potential so they can participate in the community, regardless of their circumstances.

Today, we deliver more than 80 services – underpinned by the values and principles of Catholic Social Teaching – in 35 sites across metropolitan and regional South Australia.

Centacare first earned QIC accreditation in 2004.

External accreditation assessments occur every three years. Centacare strives to consistently meet and exceed practice ratings for standards across the organisation.

headspace Woodville is excited to announce it is relocating to Port Adelaide.

“Moving the centre to Port Adelaide will provide access to youth-friendly mental health services to young people who may not have been able previously visit us,” said Stacey Roy, Centre Manager, headspace Woodville.

“We look forward to providing a safe and welcoming space where young people, their families and friends, can come and seek help on mental health, physical health, alcohol and drugs and work and study.”

The new headspace Port Adelaide centre will be located at 78-80 St Vincent Street, Port Adelaide, and will open on Monday 27 February. headspace Woodville will remain open until Wednesday 22 February.

If you need to speak to someone during the closure of the centre, please contact eheadspace on 1800 650 890 or online at www.eheadspace.org.au.

For further information phone Stacey Roy 08-8243 7900 or email sroy@centacare.org.au. Follow headspace on Facebook at 

*Further information on headspace Port Adelaide official launch event will be distributed at a later date.

Child protection leaders across South Australia are stepping up to keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children safe with their families, communities and culture.

Centacare recently hosted the state’s inaugural CEO forum on Family Matters, a national campaign to eliminate the over-representation of Indigenous children in out-of-home care within a generation.

In South Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (aged 0-17 years) make up 3.5 per cent of the child population yet they account for 30 per cent of all children in out-of-home care.

The CEO forum explored ways to progress jurisdictional plans for legal, policy and practice change to reduce the number of ATSIC children in the child protection system.

The aim is to influence governments at state, territory and national levels to change their policies in relation to child protection, and to refocus resources on prevention and family support services.

The Family Matters vision is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people to grow up safely in their home, receive a good education, and be proud of who they are.

For more information, visit the campaign website.

#FamilyMatters

Leaders of non-government organisations recently met in Adelaide to workshop the Family Matters campaign.

“We have enormous respect for the contributions Aboriginal people make to our community. We support any opportunity to celebrate our heritage and demonstrate our commitment to cultural diversity.’’

    Dale West, Director, Centacare Catholic Family Services

Centacare is proudly supporting the inaugural Riverland NO:RI Music Festival which will bring together some of the nation’s most prominent and emerging Aboriginal artists in memory of Ruby Hunter.

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Ruby Hunter. Picture: James Penlidis

The first Aboriginal woman to be signed to a major record label, Ruby empowered people through music. She dreamed of creating a platform to help foster the talent of other singer-songwriters and showcase their tradition and culture to the wider community.

Ruby’s life-long partner, Archie Roach – one of Australia’s most loved and revered musicians – will perform at the one-day festival at the Bonney Theatre, Barmera, on October 2.

Joining Archie will be:

• Kevin Kropinyeri
• Bunna Lawrie and Coloured Stone
• David Arden Band
• Ringo Rigney Band
• Katie Aspel
• The MERRg
• Dakoda
• Mon Cherie
• Kutcha Edwards
• Owen Karpany

The festival will be a celebration of Ruby’s life and her love of performing.

With Archie, Ruby took her music around the world and sung alongside greats Tracy Chapman, Paul Kelly and Bob Dylan. Together they inspired a new generation of Aboriginal artists and were a powerful voice for the Stolen Generations.

Ruby released the first of three albums, Thoughts Within, in 1994. During her career, she was nominated for two ARIA Awards – Best Indigenous Release and Best Blues and Roots Album.

To buy tickets to the event, visit the Riverland NO:RI Music Festival website

For more information about Ruby, visit the Ruby Hunter Foundation Inc

To hear Ruby sing, watch this video created by her grandson, Wesley Brigham.

For regular festival updates, see our Facebook page.

“This festival is a tribute to Ruby and a celebration of our culture. Thank you for supporting the event and bringing Ruby’s vision to life.”

Eric Richards, Chairperson, Ruby Hunter foundation

‪#‎NORIMusicFestival‬ ‪#‎RubyHunter‬

For all its seasonal produce, flowers, herbs and sprawling raised beds, Wandana Community Garden is less about plants and more about people.

“The garden is 10 per cent gardening and 90 per cent about community,’’ says caretaker, Alan Shepard.

“It provides an opportunity for people to socialise and come together to talk about what’s going on, not just in the garden but in their lives generally.

“There’s an acceptance here and that’s really important given it’s a low socio economic area with different challenges.’’

The all-organic garden itself has overcome significant hurdles in order to thrive.

When the community centre relocated from Wandana Ave to Blacks Rd, Gilles Plains, the gardeners went with it.

“We had to start again from scratch,’’ Alan says.

“The site was unbelievably bad because of the worst type of clay soil in Adelaide. We tried to add compost but it just wasn’t working so we put in raised beds about two years ago and that made a huge difference.’’

Today the garden boasts 22 fruit trees including almond, pomegranate, quince, lemon, loquat, plum, mulberry and the vanilla-tasting ice cream bean, to name only a few, as well as dozens of bird-attracting species, such as salvias, and more than 200 indigenous plants, many of which are host plants for native butterflies.

Seasonal vegetables and herbs are abundant. Sometimes these are offered for sale from the propagating shed – built by local TAFE students – where the public can buy succulents and other varieties each week to raise money for new seedlings and garden equipment.

Currently the garden is flush with winter varieties, including broad beans, rainbow chard, kale and spinach.

Every Monday, volunteers and community members meet at 9am and work through to midday, only stopping for morning tea.

“That’s the most important part of the morning!’’ Alan says.

If you would like to join Wandana Community Garden or become a volunteer, please phone 8261 8124.

Juggling work and home life can be tricky without the support of family and friends.

When life gets busy for foster families, respite carers step in.

“In many ways, they are the backbone of the foster care system,’’ says Kirsty Drew, Executive Manager, Family Outreach and Relationship Services.

“They provide backup support to full-time foster parents and give them the time they need to nurture their own wellbeing, safe in the knowledge their foster child is being cared for by a familiar face.’’

Centacare is now recruiting respite carers, aged 25 to 70 years, to host children for short-term stays, such as on weekends, during school holidays and, sometimes, at late notice.

“If a full-time foster parent falls ill, they need to have the flexibility of someone to call on to help out,’’ Kirsty says.

“At the same time, respite care gives children and young people an opportunity to forge meaningful relationships outside of their foster home, as they experience new adventures in the company of others.’’

Centacare provides the training, assessment and ongoing support required to become a respite carer, and there are no out-of-pocket costs.

Respite care is a good way to start for people who want to help vulnerable children aged 0 to 12 but are unable to make a full-time commitment.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re single, married, retired, or employed full or part-time, if you have room in your heart and home, consider becoming a respite carer,’’ Kirsty says.

For more information on becoming a respite foster carer, visit our Foster Care website’s information sessions page, or phone the foster care team on 8159 1400.

Suicide and depression will be explored through drama when Out Of The Blue tours regional South Australia next month.

Centacare Catholic Family Services is bringing the play to town as part of its Drought Assistance Program.

Out Of The Blue tells the story of a group of men who get together at the local footy club to pay tribute to a mate they have lost to suicide.

Reflecting the harshness of life in the bush, the story is relevant to men everywhere – and their partners. It is the story of heartache, laughter and good old Aussie mateship.

Written by Stig Wemyss, the production is the work of renowned Melbourne-based theatre company, HealthPlay, and is based on a Bass Coast Shire project set up to address rising suicide rates in country Victoria.

HealthPlay producer Margot Knight says Out Of The Blue aims to stimulate conversation around a difficult topic and encourage locals to link-up with community services – and support one another.

Each performance will be followed by a public forum lead by a panel of health specialists. The panel will debrief the performance with the cast and audience, and talk about challenges people may be experiencing.

“Suicide is a national crisis now,’’ Margot says. “The rate of suicide among men is just so high, especially in rural and remote Australia.

“It’s not enough to talk to people and say, `Get some help’. A play and a forum somehow cracks people open because it is just so moving. The actors are wonderful and people really feel what is happening to them.

“It allows the local health workers to follow up with people and make those connections. I always say it’s what happens after we’ve gone that’s most important.

“We are there for one night, but the play and the forum opens the door for work that will have a lasting impact.’’

The play is free and will tour Tailem Bend, Meningie, Tintinara, Meadows and Mount Barker. It is suitable for adults, and children aged 15 or over. A crèche will be provided at each venue.

“Some of these communities are doing it really hard and the play, whilst it touches on suicide, also explores other challenges such as depression, anxiety, financial hardship, caring for elderly parents and relationship breakdown,’’ says Lynne Thorpe, Centacare’s Manager of Family and Relationship Outreach Services.

“All communities face these challenges, but they are particularly relevant to rural communities.’’

Centacare’s Drought Assistance Program is funded by the Federal Government to provide counselling and mental health support to families, individuals and the communities they help to sustain.

Out Of The Blue tour dates:

·         Sunday, April 3

Tailem Bend Town Hall, Railway Tce, Tailem Bend

Free sausage sizzle at 5.30pm

Performance at 6pm

·         Monday, April 4

Meningie Area School Hall, 1 North Tce, Meningie

Free sausage sizzle at 6.30pm

Performance at 7pm

·         Tuesday April 5

Tintinara Soldiers’ Memorial Hall, Becker Tce, Tintinara

Free sausage sizzle at 5pm

Performance at 5.30pm

·         Wednesday, April 6

Meadows Memorial Hall, Mawson Rd, Meadows

Free sausage sizzle at 6.30pm
Performance at 7pm

·         Thursday, April 7

Mt Barker Town Hall, Stephen St, Mt Barker

Free light lunch from 12pm

For more information, please phone myself or Centacare’s Murray Bridge office 08 8215 6320.