Jingi Wala
Ngunya Jarjum have been directly impacted by the Flood event 28 February 2022. Our workers are delivering what services we are able - however our workplace was inundated with flood water and will take some time to make safe and secure for our teams again. Our switch phone is working 02 6626 3700 – we can receive calls and direct your messages.
Staffing: Some of our workers, their families and extended communities have suffered extensively as a result of the flood event, our staff availability has been directly impacted as we make space for these families to commence recovery processes. No one has been left untouched as a result of this disaster.
Donations: We are gratefully accepting donations to support recovery - if you would like to make a donation through PayPal to support recovery go to our webpage https://ngunyajarjum.com/
*Note all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Resilience: As an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organization (ACCO), not for profit, with a focus on families and children we have pride in our capacity to bounce back from adversity. We are the Oldest living culture in the world, our Ancestors who walked before us have shown us best how to survive – we depend on their strength to support us through this tough time.
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In this issue...
- NJ News: Spreading our wings - Evacuation Centres & Support Services, Household clean-up for after a flood or storm, Planning for Disaster, NJ Staff Meeting and Awards
- From the desk of the Out of Home Care Team: What happens to a child who is at immediate risk of serious harm?
- An Important message for our Carers: Monthly Home Visits
- Programs: Gumaguy, Balaa, Bugil Wernbe
- Upcoming Training: Responding to Trauma - Building Effective Responses for Carers, Grown-ups supporting Anxious Kids to Thrive
- Community News and Events: Deadly Walkers Group, Sign up to the PCYC StarJump Challenge
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Evacuation Centres & Support Services
If you or anyone you know need help or somewhere safe to stay, below is the list of all safe centres in our region:
(Current Wedneday 2nd Mar)
• Banora Point Salvation Army - Cnr Leisure & Woodlands Drive
• Southern Cross University - Military Rd, East Lismore
• Kyogle Memorial Hall - Cnr Summerland Way & Strathden St
• Murwillumbah TAFE - 146 Murwillumbah St
• Ocean Shores Country Club - 123 Orana Road
• Coraki Uniting Church - 50 Adams Street Coraki
• Maclean Showgrounds - 12 Cameron St, Maclean
• Kingscliff TAFE - 806 Cudgen Rd, Kingscliff
• South Grafton High School - Tyson Street, South Grafton - (Relocated from Grafton Racecourse)
• Mullumbimby RSL - 58 Dalley St, Mullumbimby
• Bellingen High School - 1125 Waterfall Way, Bellingen
• C.ex Woolgoolga - 18 Boundary St, Woolgoolga NSW
• Casino High School - 90 Queensland Rd, Casino
• Wardell Sport & Recreation Club - Bath Street, Wardell
• Xavier College High School- 2 Redford Drive, Skennars Head
• Lennox Head Cultural Centre - 1 Mackney Lane
• Brunswick Hotel - 4 Mullumbimby Street
• Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre (GSAC) - 50 Oliver Avenue, Goonellabah
There are a number of disaster relief and general support services available. A few suggestions are outlined below:
• SES Emergency Help - 132 500
• Other Emergency Help (Police, Fire, Ambulance) - 000
• Lifeline Crisis Counselling - 13 11 14
• Financial Support (Services NSW) - 13 77 88
• There is government funding available for Northern Rivers Flood affected people. Follow link for more info: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/northern-nsw-floods-february-2022-australian-government-disaster-recovery-payment
• Legal Support (Legal Aid NSW) - 1800 801 529. Free legal advice if you have been affected by floods in NSW, for instance if: your home has been damaged and you have insurance or repair problems. (help is available to both owner and tenant)
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Household clean-up for after a flood or storm
NSW Health has some tips on how to clean up after a flood or storm:
- Remember to practice basic hygiene during any clean-up period. Wash hands thoroughly after participating in any flood clean-up activities.
- Wear suitable protective clothing including boots, gloves and eye protection while cleaning up.
- When cleaning up, consider your personal health - do not wait until you are thirsty to drink plenty of fluids. Take frequent breaks. Stay warm when it is cold and be careful not to overheat when it is hot.
- Do not touch your face and eyes while using disinfectants. Always follow safety advice on labels.
- Wash mud, dirt and debris from your house with a hose, starting at the highest point and working down to ground level.
- Where possible, remove all wet items such as floor coverings, rugs, mats, furniture, bedding, linen and clothing. If floor coverings are removed, thoroughly clean and dry the floor underneath before new material is laid.
- Be alert to snakes, spiders and rats that may have taken refuge in your home.
- Begin drying out the house as soon as floodwaters recede.
- Open doors and windows during dry days.
- Fans may also help.
- Attempt to drain water away from under the house to increase airflow.
- Check for trapped water and mud in wall or floor cavities.
- Never use petrol or diesel-powered equipment (such as generators and pumps) in enclosed spaces.
- Each area affected by floodwater within the house needs to be cleaned, including empty refrigerators and cupboards.
- While cleaning up, be mindful of materials containing asbestos and take appropriate precautions.
- Mould or mildew may develop if items are not completely dried. Mould or mildew may be removed with household bleach, however the strength of the product may ruin some household items. Wear a mask when working with heavy mould.
Specific clean-up advice
- Hard-surfaced floors, walls, benches and sinks should be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water and disinfected by wiping or spraying surfaces with a chlorine bleach solution or a product labelled as a disinfectant. Once disinfected, allow to dry.
- Linen, blankets and clothing should be washed in hot water (if instructions allow) or dry-cleaned.
- Flood-affected mattresses are difficult to treat and may need to be discarded.
- Foam rubber mattresses may be thoroughly washed with a garden hose. A detergent solution should then be squeezed through the mattress before allowing it to dry. Other types of mattresses or furniture, such as lounge chairs, may be air dried in the sun then sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant solution. Consult a local furniture renovating company if you are unsure about their condition.
- Children's toys affected by floodwater should be discarded if they are soft toys or moulded toys with air injection holes.
- Solid toys should be washed and then disinfected.
- Floods may disrupt waste collection services. Contact your local council to find out how services in your area have been affected.
How to make disinfectant
To make up a 10 litre bucket (standard size) of disinfectant, put on gloves, fill the bucket with water and then add oneof the following:
- 50mls (quarter of a cup) of 4% chlorine (household bleach)
- 8-16mls (dessert spoon) of 12.5% chlorine (liquid pool chlorine)
Always follow safety advice on labels.
More information
More information about cleaning up after a flood is available from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Spreading our wings – Planning for Disaster
Ngunya Jarjum are pleased to announce the successful submission for funding through Primary Health Network - Healthy North Coast to develop a new project to support our communities in ‘Planning for Disaster’. Awaiting contracts, the 12 month project includes discussions with families about preparing for disaster, development of tools and linking to resources to support through disaster events. A worker will support families to plan for the unexpected, to better understand the crisis response services and what after disaster services are out there.
We have seen the impact natural disasters such as fire and flood continue to have in our District and see this as an opportunity to support our households, families and community to prepare well for when disaster strikes. The funding acquired through the ‘Community Wellbeing and Resilience program’ will develop for our community easy to use in home assessment tools to help families prepare well for times of trouble, with the aim to minimize the impact of disaster and promote faster recovery after events occur.
Natural disasters such as flood and fire are somewhat unavoidable living on the Far North Coats of NSW, how prepared we are / what resources we have in place and what plan we can action often make recovery and put us back on track toward normal again.
- We will be recruiting a project position – interested? – get your CV ready!
- Watch for further info and details of the project launch on the Ngunya Jarjum website and in the Newsletters.
More info? Contact Michelle Rogers, Partnerships and Engagement Manager
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NJ Staff Meeting and Awards
For the first time in a while NJ staff got together at the Lismore Workers Club for an all team meeting and to present the most recent staff awards for the October - December 2021 period. Congratulations to our Staff member of the Quarter Michelle Rogers, Our Rookie of the Quarter Krystal Ross and Matt Kenny who received both the Above & Beyond Award and People's Choice Award for this quarter.
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From the Desk of the Out of Home Care Team
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What happens to a child who is at immediate risk of serious harm?
Removal to a safe place
Communities and Justice (DCJ) is responsible for helping to make sure that children and young people are safe and being looked after. Under the law, FACS or NSW Police only remove children if they are considered to be “at immediate risk of serious harm”.
This is a serious action and a decision not taken lightly by DCJ.
DCJ may have to move the child or young person to a safe place. The safe place might be with a relative, trusted friend or foster carer, depending on the situation.
Read more information in removing children and young people from their parents' care.
What happens next?
Children's Court
If a child or young person is removed, DCJ needs to go to Children’s Court on the next available day.
A caseworker makes an application to the Children’s Court about why they believe your child was not safe with you, and explains what they intend to do. The Court makes the final decision if the child or young person is in need of care and protection.
You will be given a copy of this application, which will tell you what court you need to attend, the
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date, the time and the DCJ caseworker to talk to for more information.
We won't remove a child from home unless it can be proven to the Court that this is necessary for the child’s wellbeing, or unless we have your consent as the parent. In all cases, our primary concern is to act in your child’s best interests.
The Court decision
If the Court decides that your child should be cared for by someone else for a time, the Court will say whether the Minister for DCj or another person should be the "carer".
In this case, your child will be taken to a safe place – a relative, a friend, a foster carer, residential care or independent living arrangements. They won’t be able to return to your care without the consent of DCJor the Children’s Court.
The right to appeal
You have the right to appeal the decision of the Children’s Court and, wherever possible, the right to maintain contact with your child.
You will be told where your child is — unless DCJ believes this information would harm the safety, welfare and wellbeing of your child, or the carer and their family.
Where appropriate, your caseworker will arrange for you to see your child regularly while they're not living with you.
You will be given some information about where your child is, although you may not be told their exact location. See your rights as a birth parent.
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An important message for our Carers
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Monthly Home Visits
As a Carer you have agreed in your Carer Contact that you will be available for a Ngunya Jarjum caseworker to conduct monthly home visits. These visits are to help support carers on a regular basis and to allow the caseworker to discuss and sight the child or young person. Due to COVID-19 some Monthly Home Visits may be conducted online or over the telephone. It is important to still have these monthly meetings with your Caseworker.
The Caseworker meets with the child or young person to discuss:
- What’s going well
- Their worries
- Their achievements
- What they are looking forward to
- What they want
The Caseworker meets with the Carer to discuss:
- Their concerns about the child or young person
- The achievements and strengths of the child or young person
- Any issues which require early intervention to prevent possible placement breakdown
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When to contact us...
You should notify us about any changes effecting you, your partner or any household member.
- Moved to a new address?
- Changed or have a new contact number?
- Changed or have a new email address?
Change in personal circumstances and household movements
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Gumaguy
Gumaguy is a service aimed at reducing the risk to families, where children and young people have been identified by Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) assessment as being at risk of being removed from the family home. Families can only be referred to the program through DCJ.
Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm our Gumaguy team can be contacted through the Ngunya Jarjum switch. After hours, weekends and public holidays use the FREECALL 1800 325 081 or mobile 0438497743.
SOME FAMILY FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIES WITH IN THE GUMAGUY PROGRAM –
"I have engaged in Counselling and Parenting programs through the help from the Gumaguy Program." From a family that have been working with Gumaguy since 14/01/2020
"I have learned to better place items away which may be unsafe for my child and now learned to use other services through encouragement by the Gumaguy team." Client family who successfully engaged and exited the Gumaguy program on 17.05.2021
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Balaa
In the local Widjabul dialect, ‘Balaa’ means to ‘help’. We consider the name appropriate, as the services offered through Balaa are provided to compliment quality case planning for children and families and wrap-around the child and family to improve outcomes for Aboriginal families in Northern NSW across the whole of sector. Through referral to the Balaa services, you can access casework support services such as:
- Mapping Mob (helping you find links through families and kinship networks)
- Youth Mentoring
- Family Group Conferencing
- Cultural case and/or Care planning
- Transport services
- Aboriginal consultation
- Family time supervision
- Adolescent / Caregiver mediation services
- Individual / Specific services as requested
Simply call to ask for more detail about the services and/or request a referral form. (02) 6626 3700 or email intake@ngunyajarjum.com
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Bugil Wernbe - Targeted Early Intervention Tabulam and District
The Targeted Early Intervention (TEI) program delivers flexible support to children, young people, families or communities who are experiencing or at risk of being vulnerable. As the number of our children reported to be at significant risk of harm continues to grow, we are pleased to have secured this program to target support to these remote communities and will continue to seek out opportunities to get similar funding for other communities across the Far North Coast of NSW.
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Responding to Trauma – Building Effective Responses for Carers
This course aims to equip foster and kinship carers with basic knowledge, understanding, approaches and practical strategies to respond to traumatised children in their care. In particular, this course will explore the way that complex trauma resulting from experiences such as childhood abuse and neglect affects development, and describe trauma informed ways to care for children.
Additionally, materials in this course have been contextualised to meet the specific needs of Aboriginal carers and to increase the ability of non Aboriginal carers to understand the ongoing impacts of intergenerational trauma and to provide care that is culturally safe.
Entry requirements - No prior learning assumed. Course offered to foster and kinship carers.
Duration & Delivery mode - 2 half day online Zoom workshops 10.00am-2.00pm
Fees - $450 per person
Find out more & Register
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Community News and Events
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Deadly Walkers Group
Rekindling the Spirit have partnered with the Heart Foundation to offer the Deadly Walkers group. Join the Rekindling team and other deadly walkers for a 45 minute walk and yarn. Go a your own pace, have a chat, a laugh and give your heart a workout. 9:00am every Thursday meeting opposite McDonalds on Brewster Street Lismore. Contact Marilyn on 049048468 for more details and registration.
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Sign up to the PCYC StarJump Challenge 2022
Star Jump every day of Youth Week this April 3 - 10, and raise funds to support GRIT, PCYC's mental resilience program for young people. PCYC’s new preventative GRIT program builds mental resilience, by combining physical well-being and nutrition, with emotional and social intelligence skills. Because of your life changing support, you will make a difference to young people’s mental health. Sign up for the PCYC StarJump Challenge.
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Become a Member
It is important for people interested in the future of the corporation to be members and to attend the general meetings. A membership application form is available here.
If you are already a member and need to update your homes address, phone number or email address you can contact us by phoning 6626 3700 or emailing us at info@ngunyajarjum.com.
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Join our team of Foster Carers
Ngunya Jarjum is always looking for new carers to join the organisation and help ensure the wellbeing of all our jarjums. We need quality carers with a commitment to community, family and culture. If you, or someone you know, is considering the important role of becoming a foster visit our website for more information and to apply. https://ngunyajarjum.com/becoming-a-carer/
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Donate
We are a registered charity and rely on government grants and donations to keep operating. If you would like to make a donation you can donate via Paypal.
Visit our website to complete the form and you will be taken to our secure PayPal donation portal.
Make a donation
We do appreciate your support!
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