Late last month, the Collective Impact project group held a workshop to update key stakeholders on the project progress and to also seek input into the update of the 2016 State of the Children Report. The project brings together participants from diverse sectors within the same community. These participants have a shared commitment to solve a specific social issues through a structure that focuses on collaborative planning, implementation, monitoring and review. It is based on the belief that no single policy, agency, organisation or program can tackle the increasingly complex social problems we face. The project focus is on the how we can better address the complex issues affecting the development of 0-12 year olds in Cairns south (Early Years cohort).

The workshop was opened by Mission Australia’s North Queensland Area Manager, Dr Phil Flint, and bought together key stakeholders across the region, including State and Federal Government, Non-Government organisations, NGOs, and the Cairns Regional Council.

The 2016 State of the Children Report highlights data surrounding adolescence in the Cairns southern suburbs including health, child protection, education and special needs. Kristy Hill, one of the authors of the report, discussed how the previous data was collected and analysed. Stakeholders were then invited by The Cairns Institute’s Professor Allan Dale to provide input into what data should be included in the update and how we could work collaboratively to source the most relevant information.

Allan Dale also outlined the progress that has been made on the 5 strategic change projects otherwise known as ‘big babies’.

1. Integrated Child and Family Needs Analysis: This project is looking to explore opportunities to improve the current system of the child and family needs analysis and coordinated response. Core oversight groups have been formed and a detailed mapping exercise is currently being undertaken by senior researcher, Fiona Alison.
2. Schools as the Centre of Network Building around the Child: This project is being progressed by Education Queensland through their ‘Whatever it Takes’ initiative.
3. Build Stronger Systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People: This project is supporting the ‘Southern Cairns Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organisation for Families and Youths’ to deeply engage the local community.
4. Place-based approaches to Building Civic Capacity, Leadership and Workforce Development: This project will ramp up in 2019, exploring ways to improve civic and workforce capacity in Cairns South.
5. Cairns South Community Services Hub: This project will explore the potential to use the Cairns South Health Facility with the potential to draw more human services into the Cairns South area.

The workshop held at Hambledon House in Edmonton also gave Government Departments and service providers the opportunity to highlight some of the services they deliver and share success stories.

The Cairns Institute would like to thank our stakeholders for their ongoing engagement in the Collective Impact project. We look forward to working together to increase support and enhance outcomes for children and their families in Cairns South.