BUSHkids Annual Report 2019-20

ANNUAL REPORT 2019–2020

Locations

A selection of operational reports, case studies, staff highlights and media clips from across our organisation. Centres were provided with branded local scenery images to use as ‘virtual backgrounds’ in all ZOOM teleHealth services and client sessions, as well as in the ‘BUSHkids is here for you’ videos published on our website, social media and YouTube channels at the start of COVID-19 restrictions.

The team also had the opportunity to attend Options Day in Childers, a community event that brings together a wide range of disability suppliers, nonprofit organisations and health services, where we were able to engage with the local community and offer information about BUSHkids services and how we can help families in the area. The team maintained connections with the local community, in particular continuing monthly attendance at the Family and Babies group as well as with GPs and paediatricians, Child Development Services in Queensland Health and early learning centres to ensure that services for families were being delivered. During the pandemic restrictions the team continued to successfully deliver both individual services and group programs via teleHealth from home. Bundaberg • Case study: CAHS (OT) Tommy’s fear of germs Tommy* is a 5-year-old boy who loves farm animals, tractors, playing outside and most of all, digging in the dirt. His Mum had recently noticed the soap in the bathroom disappearing quicker than normal while Tommy had started to talk about being afraid of germs. She was concerned that his fears of Coronavirus would start to impact other areas of his life, so she contacted our Bundaberg Allied Health team for support. Tommy and our Occupational Therapist (OT) created a ‘worry tree’ – whenever he was feeling worried about something, Tommy could draw a picture of it and hang it on the worry tree at home, helping his Mum and Dad to know there were things worrying him. The OT also demonstrated to Tommy the importance of his skin. Using a lift-the-flap book about the body they discussed how his skin helps to keep the bad stuff — like germs — out of his body, and keeps the good stuff — like his blood — in. The OT drew little red dots to represent blood on the palm of Tommy’s hand and then covered them with PVA glue to represent the skin. The OT then drew with a green marker on the palm of Tommy’s hand to show germs and how the skin protects the blood from the germs. The following week Tommy’s mum said, “Tommy has been telling everyone at home about the skin and how important it is. He just got it! He wants to know if he can do the glue activity again?”

Agnes Water • CPSS

Our two staff are both local parents actively involved in their community and throughout the year this has greatly helped them form community connections. The team in Agnes Water connect with parents and children by attending local playgroups and focus on supporting emergent literacy development, singing nursery rhymes, reading books and working with the kids on fun extension activities to continue the conversation. During COVID-19, staff ensured playgroups and the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program ® – which strengthens attachment and interaction between parents or carers and their young children – could continue virtually, with parents receiving additional support by phone contact and text messages. The staff have successfully established relationships with the local primary schools and childcare centres and partner with the local child health nurse to deliver the program.

TOPIC SECTION 47 AGNES WATER • BUNDABERG LOCATIONS

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The Bundaberg team delivered outreach services to Gin Gin, Sharon, Childers and Cordalba, primarily to schools and childcare centres, in the first months of 2020. This consisted of individual and multidisciplinary sessions for children, and capacity-building for teachers and early childhood educators.