Here in Port Adelaide in South Australia we run a weekly Playgroup for Aboriginal children aged from birth to school age and their carers. 

 The focus is on children with developmental delay or disability, although all are welcome.  We have the support of a speech and occupational therapists on a monthly basis or more often if new families who have concerns start.  These experts are able to follow up with home visits if the family engages and requests help. 

We are lucky to have Gillian on staff to run the groups and do the intensive networking required to enable the families to attend.  Gillian is an Adnyamathanha woman from the northern Flinders Rangers area and a qualified Early Childhood Worker.  

We have two main groups who attend.  Local families who are often the children and grandchildren of the “stolen generation” who face the resulting issues such as search for identity, difficulties parenting, depression and substance misuse.  The second group are people who are visiting or moving from ‘the Lands’ in the north of South Australia and the Northern Territory.  The challenges for this second cohort are around language, as English is usually the second of third language, finding housing and adjusting to living in a new, busy city culture.  

The program this group is run by is UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide’s Indigenous Parenting Support Service and is funded by the Commonwealth Government.

Jan Fehlmann

Coordinator Aboriginal Programs

UnitingCare Wesley Port Adelaide

Phone 08 84402293

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For school staff, youth workers, youth offending services, social care services, residential care, community and voluntary services, probation services, police forces, local authorities, and human resource personnel

2-Day and 4-Day Restorative Justice Awareness and Facilitators Training (Jan 24, 25, 31st & 1st Feb) to be held in Lambeth. From COMMUNITIES EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

Restorative Justice is ‘…a process whereby all the parties with a stake in a particular offence (or incident) come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and the implications for the future’ (Marshall, 1999).

Communities Empowerment Network is holding a  two-day and a four-day training seminar next January/February aimed at school staff, youth workers; youth offending services; social care services; residential care; community and voluntary services; probation services; police forces; local authorities; and human resource personnel. 

Please contact me, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for further information, booking form and background to CEN's RJ training and opportunities. 

Dates: 2 Day and 4 Day Restorative Justice Awareness and Facilitators Training

London 24, 25th January (2-Day RJ awareness training) and 31st and 1st February 2012 (to complete the 4-Day RJ facilitator training)

The course will cover:

• Introduction to RJ
• RJ principles,
• Application,
• Demonstration conference,
• Skills, theories, emotions,
• introduction to script and phrases,
• Participant preparation,
• Skills practice

The training is intensive, highly participatory and you will walk away with an in depth understanding of RJ principles as well as the ability to deliver RJ in any setting.

Restorative justice seeks to repair the harm of an offence as opposed to just punishing individuals for the offence.   It seeks restoration of all involved rather than revenge, punishment, or the delivery of what someone deserves to get for their crimes. It doesn’t let people off the hook but instead forces them to take responsibility for their actions and deal with the impact of them. 

The impact of crime often extends way past the immediate people. If a house is burlged, it is not just the family that own that house that are the victims. The entire community gets put on fear alert. All become impacted by the crime. Restorative justice seeks to address the full impact of a crime such as violence or bullying in school. .

Training is to a nationally recognised standard and provides certification to particpants on completion.

Deuan German
Training Officer
Communities Empowerment Network
Unit 104, Shakespeare Business Centre,
245a Coldharbour Lane
London SW9 8RR
Tel: 020 7733 0297
Mobile: 07958 546 113

E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.compowernet.org

Are you interested in attending the free workshop 'How do you want me to talk to you? Recognising the challenges in communicating with children with exceptional healthcare needs'?

There are 13 free workshops in 9 locations across Scotland organised by the NMCN CEN together with local trained facilitators.

This workshop is especially suitable for practitioners who do not work with children with complex needs on a regular basis and practitioners early in their career. However, practitioners with experience of working with children with complex needs also found the workshop a useful opportunity to reflect on their own practice.

More information about the aims of the workshop, dates and registration can be found here