BUSHkids Annual Report 2019-20

ANNUAL REPORT 2019–2020

This was quite an achievement – especially with the potential for service disruption by the pandemic. Our teams worked hard to maintain connection and support for children and families across Queensland. Many service developments were impacted by the pandemic; however one exciting initiative which was realised during this time was the commencement of our ‘Bounce’ pilot project in Emerald. Thanks to our hardworking Friends of BUSHkids Emerald volunteer committee, funds were raised to employ a part-time Allied Health Assistant (AHA) for three years from September 2020. Our new AHA will supplement the work of the core team – particularly in the area of social-emotional development – and is a timely addition to our organisational capabilities. During this past year, we have built and strengthened many connections including the Queensland Children’s Health Collaborative , Reimagine (the former Early Childhood Intervention Australia) , Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) , Health and Wellbeing Queensland , Western Queensland Primary Health Network (WQPHN) , Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health (CACH) , Central Queensland University (CQU) and the Every Child Campaign . We also had the opportunity, in late 2019, to visit Parliament House in Canberra, hosted by the Hon. David Littleproud MP. We were able to discuss regional, rural, and remote services and opportunities with the Hon. Stuart Robert (Minister for Government Services and Minister for NDIS) and the Hon. Anne Ruston (Minister for Families and Social Services). The chance to discuss the work of BUSHkids and the needs of regional, rural and remote children and families with Queensland Government MPs Brittany Lauga (Deputy Minister for Education and Member for Keppel), Barry O’Rourke (Rockhampton) and Lachlan Millar (Gregory) was also much appreciated.

Whilst these unprecedented times undoubtedly stalled many of our plans, we were able to see some other important strategies through to fruition. In March 2020, BUSHkids achieved certification to the Human Services Quality Framework Scheme and Standards for our Service Centres funded by Queensland Health (Bundaberg, Dalby and Warwick) and our ‘Central Office Operations’ in Toowong. This represented a significant milestone, achieved through collaboration and hard work. And, although slightly delayed, our Strategic Plan 2021-26 has now been endorsed and we are looking forward to implementing this plan over the next five years. This document has been brought to life in an engaging visual style and has been included in the centrespread of this Annual Report. As we look to the next 12 months ahead, we expect challenges and we anticipate opportunities. BUSHkids will continue to improve the lives of Queensland children as the long shadow of the pandemic continues to impact our lives. We are implementing a leadership restructure in our clinical services to support our teams as we implement our new Strategic Plan. Due to our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of children, BUSHkids is in the process of joining the National Redress Scheme . We are currently working with the Commonwealth Department of Social Services in regard to the administrative processes required to be formally declared as a ‘participating institution.’ We are excited to be contributing to the reset of the NDIS Early Childhood Early Intervention Services and look forward to redesigning our services in line with expectations of an increased focus on the provision of early intervention for children from 2021. We are also looking forward to growing our AHA workforce – as we further develop this pilot role in Emerald – and to building upon our existing and newly emerging partnerships in the coming year.

I cannot express strongly enough my gratitude for, as well as my pride in, our volunteers, our Friends of BUSHkids , our BUSHkids Council members, operational management team, our contractors and our dedicated BUSHkids staff, who have worked so diligently and creatively to maintain services and connections for children across Queensland during these extraordinary times. I also thank our donors, funders, supporters and community partners for working with us to help bring Queensland children the opportunity to thrive. I invite you to take the time to read through the stories in this report as a celebration of triumph over adversity as we connected with and supported children and families across Queensland during this pandemic. Carlton Meyn Chief Executive Officer

TOPIC SECTION 9 CARLTON MEYN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER