Better Pathways Project Stakeholder Conference

1. Better Pathways ProjectStakeholder Conference welcome www.decd.sa.gov.au/speced2/pages/Betterpath/

2. Acknowledgement We acknowledge that the land we meet on today is the traditional land of the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

3. Conference purpose • meet other stakeholders: schools, service providers, agencies • share and explore the issues, challenges and outcomes to date • present and share practices and strategies that promote communication, partnerships and coherence across student planning, programs, and services • provide opportunities to share concerns and perspectives • identify opportunities for program implementation improvement

4. Table intros What is your connection to Better Pathways?

5. Background to Better Pathways • implemented in response to the 19 recommendations of the SA Social Inclusion Board’s 2009 report Choices and connections • The report highlighted that many young people with disabilities experience barriers that lead to them being at risk of not making a successful transition from school to activities that maximise their social and employability potential. • Better Pathwaysisnow incorporated in: Strong voices: a Blueprint to Enhance Life and Claim the Rights of People with a Disability. www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au strong voices.

6. Recommendation 9 • To increase flexibility and successful transition from school to adult life for students with disability, the Better Pathways and the ICAN models must be continued. • The Department of Education and Child Development, in partnership with independent and Catholic schools, must expand and enhance school transition plans between school sites and post-school pathways.

7. ‘Disability’ in the Disability Discrimination Act • physical • intellectual • psychiatric • sensory • neurological, and • learning disabilities, as well as • physical disfigurement, and • the presence in the body of disease-causing organisms. This broad definition is meant to ensure that everyone with a disability is protected against discrimination.

8. Students at risk • Have a disability or mental health issue as defined under DDA • Have early indicators of a disability or mental health issue • Other risk factors e.g. - Under the Guardianship of the Minister - ATSI - Refugee - low level of school attendance, engagement - low level of parent/caregiver or other external supports - have parents/carers/siblings with disability, illness

9. Student eligibility for Better Pathways • The Support, Training and Resource Tool (START) - assesses students in Year 9 in participating schools - prioritised communities i.e. Port Augusta, Playford and Port Adelaide-Enfield Council areas. • Interagency Teams have been established to review the profiles of students identified at risk through the START assessment. • In collaboration with school staff, they make recommendations about how to best support the young person and who will take the lead professional role in planning.

10. Better Pathways Program • With a focus on successful transition and post-school outcomes, eligible students are “best fitted” with a Better Pathways Worker who provides mentoring, advocacy and support from Year 9 to one year post school. • A goal of Better Pathways is to involve families throughout the process, wherever possible.

11. Participating trial schools • Port Adelaide-Enfield • Adelaide West Special Education • Centre • LeFevre High School • Mt Carmel College • Ocean View College • Open Access College • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart • (OLSH) College • Roma Mitchell Secondary College • St Paul's College • Windsor Gardens Vocational • College • LINK Program: RMSC, Unley HS Port Augusta • Caritas College • Carlton School • Port Augusta Secondary School • Port Augusta Special School Playford • Fremont Elizabeth City High School • Craigmore High School • Trinity College, Blakeview • Trinity College, Gawler River • St Columba College • Kaurna Plains School • Craigmore Christian School

12. Year 11 project 73 current year 11 students with diagnosed disabilities and mental health issues are registered in a sub-project to track post school outcomes for this group to January 2014. Participating sites: • Roma Mitchell Sec College • Adelaide West Sp Ed Centre • Pt Augusta Special School • Mary MacKillop Spec Ed Unit (Mt Carmel College)

13. Project services and agencies • Better Pathways Program: Leaders and Workers, Barkuma Inc. • START Project: University of Adelaide • Interagency Teams: CAMHS; Disability SA; Families SA; DECD Regional Support Services; Catholic Ed SA; SA Association of Independent Schools • Researcher/writer, evaluators • Better Pathways Project Team (DECD)

14. Keynote address strong voices. Dr Lorna Hallahan Senior Lecturer, Coordinator Social Work PhD and Post Qualifying Programs at Flinders University.

15. Project update The target for registration in Better Pathways is 500 students by December 2013. Currently, 187 students are registered. • 677 (40%) of the 1686 year 9 students assessed have been identified at risk • and referred to Interagency panels in 2011. This is higher than the rate for • 2010 (34%). • 228 (13.5%) of the total number of year 9 students assessed in 2011 have • been referred to Better Pathways. This is slightly higher than the rate for 2010 • (11%). • 228 (33%) of students identified at risk have been referred to Better Pathways • in 2011. This is slightly higher than the rate for 2010 (29%). • Outcomes for all students referred to Interagency panels and registered for the • Better Pathways Program in 2010 have been reviewed at the individual DECD, • Catholic and Independent school level. All year 9’s Students At Risk Better Pathways

16. Better Pathways student profile • 72% have diagnosed disability and/or early indicators of mental health issues. • 53% have diagnosed disabilities.

17. Disability • Learning / Communication………….. 51% • Intellectual Disability……………………14% • Physical/ Neurological………………….11% • Ongoing Health………………………. 14% • Autism Spectrum/ Aspergers…………. 6% • Sensory ……………………………… 5% • Acquired Brain Injury………………… . 1%

18. Mental health issues/early indicators Personal Vulnerability………………….43% • Coping Difficulties………………….30% • Anxiety………………………………28% • Depression………………………….18% • Pessimism…………………………..18% • Other…………………………..…….17%

19. Engagement • Less than 25%........................20% • 25-49%....................................24% • 50-74%....................................17% • 75-99%....................................11% • 100%........................................01% • Unknown……………………….26%

20. External pressures 46% of students have • limited parent/caregiver support and/or • parent/caregiver with diminished capacity and/or • a caring role. 12% have experienced trauma 14% have had a recent significant change in circumstances 4% have suspected abuse and neglect

21. Better Pathways Quiz • What is the purpose of the Better Pathways Program? • Where did the idea and the funding for the program originate? • In which council areas is it being trialled? • What is START? • What proportion of year 9 students have been identified at risk? • How many students are currently registered in the program? • What proportion of these have diagnosed or early indicators of mental health issues?

22. Morning tea

23. Consultation stories Susanne Koen Writer/researcher, Infoquest Pty Ltd.

24. Building program capacity

25. Integrated strategies • With a focus on engagement, it is important that Better Pathways integrates with and complements school-based learning and transition planning processes. • Better Pathways can help build the capacity of other approaches and programs to improve outcomes for students.

26. How can Better Pathways support…? • school priorities e.g. attendance, engagement, retention, L&N, outcomes for ATSI students etc? • student's course, career, NEP, ILP planning, and PLP/SACE, VET, mentoring, FLO etc? • accreditation towards SACE e.g. PLP goal setting, career research, transition planning, E-Portfolios, work experience, passport to safety, work journals etc? Better Pathways and relevant school staff are encouraged to explore these opportunities together……

27. Learning and transition pathways for students in years 10-12 Students studying towards the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) have the option to undertake: • A school based apprenticeship or traineeship • An Industry Pathway Program • Flexible Learning Options (FLO) There are also a range of modified SACE subjects that provide opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities.

28. SACE special provisions Students can apply for special provisionsto undertake subject assessments if they have an illness or impairment such as: • physical disability • vision or hearing impairment           • medical condition   • psychological illness  • learning disability

29. Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) • The PLP is a required SACE Stage 1 subject designed to help students make informed decisions about their personal development, educational and training. The aim is to prepare for work, future study and community life. The PLP is often undertaken by students in year10. • For students under the Guardianship of the Minister, the PLP also supports the young people to plan for leaving care. For these students, it is important the Individual Education Plan (IEP) Support Group work with the PLP teacher. To support this process Families SA has developed a resource called the My Stuff Kit.

30. The PLP’s five capabilities • Students develop knowledge and understanding of each capability • Students select and develop one capability relevant to their personal and learning goals citizenship Personal and learning goals communication personal development work learning

31. How can Better Pathways workers support PLP? • Find out when, how and by whom the PLP will be taught. • Liaise, coordinate, integrate e.g. work experience • Document activities undertaken through Better Pathways (e.g. photos taken at work experience, notes, records of phone calls, feedback, work journal, verbal records etc. etc.) that help students fulfil many PLP requirements. • Keep a document file and add to it over time until the student needs it for their PLP.

32. Effective communication Better Pathways Workers are encouraged to liaise with school staff who have particular responsibilities for the students they are working with. Relevant school staffare encouraged to seek the support and resources of the Better Pathways Worker to help plan for and achieve student learning and transition goals. This may also need to include other relevant personnel e.g. • Flexible Learning Options (FLO) Caseworker • Families SA Caseworker • Mentor

33. Who might be a point of contact? Ensure relevant/all school staff are informed about the program, especially as Better Pathways students transition from one year to the next. This could include: • Year Level Leader • Middle and Senior School Coordinators or Assistant Principals • Special Needs Coordinator • Home Group/PLP teacher • Vocation Education Training (VET) Coordinator • Aboriginal Education Teachers (AET) • Aboriginal Community Education Officer (ACEO) • School Counsellor

34. Table discussion • In your role: What do you do to build links and coherence between the Better Pathways Program and school based learning and transition planning processes and activities? • Record, feedback to whole group.

35. BP Quiz • Name three options students have re their learning and transition pathway through years 10-12. • Name three of the five capabilities identified in the SACE Personal Learning Plan that are central to student learning for planning and developing goals for the future • What is Barkuma Inc? • For people 18 years and over, who is the single government specialist disability service provider in South Australia? • Name 3 post school options for students with diagnosed intellectual disabilities. • What is the LINK Program? • How important is communication, networking and collaboration between schools, services and agencies when supporting students with disabilities and mental health issues to transition successfully from school?

36. Lunch

37. Consultation stories Susanne Koen Writer/researcher, Infoquest Pty Ltd.

38. Maximising social and employability potential Kerry Jones, Manager, Personnel Employment

39. Table discussion • From your perspective: What are some of the issues and barriers that can affect successful transition and post school outcomes for young people with disabilities and mental health issues? Give an example of how involvement in Better Pathways is assisting or has assisted a student in relation to any of these. What was your role in initiating or supporting this? • Record, feedback to whole group.

40. Preparing for 2012 • START surveys: teachers and students Roma Guscia, START Project Manager, University of Adelaide

41. In your school: - who needs to know? - handover? - admin/delegation? - funding?

42. What support can I expect?

43. From the Project Team in DECD Next week: • Summary of student 2010-11 review and progress data to date Next year: • Grants to support START and BP registration • Student profiles, Interagency meeting date/s • Summaries of Interagency recommendations for 2012 • Updates on which BP workers have been assigned to each student • A student review meeting with Sharon: - for all students identified at risk in 2011 - for all students referred to Better Pathways - a summary of this data

44. Parents hard to contact? • Where parents/carers are difficult to contact and/or engage in the registration process, under the Information Sharing Guidelines, principals can approve that parent contact details are provided to the contracted service provider.. • Not to do so can place a child further at risk and increase their existing level of disadvantage. • DECD principals have recently been advised that for students referred in 2010 and still unregistered, this is the only remaining option. An electronic copy the list of students will be sent to key school contacts on Monday. • See Options for seeking parent consent(folder and website)

45. BP Worker A partnership approach to help plan and achieve student learning and transition objectives: - for each student we are working with, who is now involved? - learning and transition processes/dates? - communication: how can BP support?

46. Information and support www.decd.sa.gov.au/speced2/pages/Betterpath/ Need help, or someone to speak to staff e.g. project purpose and update? Better Pathways Project Team 82263235 or Contacts on website

47. Contacts • any changes? Please let us know.

48. Evaluation Please…..

49. BP Quiz winners and presentation Congratulations…….

50. Close