Your Ngunya Jarjum February Newsletter

View this email in your browser

Jingi Wala

School holidays are finished and the jarjums are back at school for Term 1 2021. We wish all the kids good luck this year with their studies. All of our staff are also back from taking their breaks over the holidays and are ready to work hard this year. A quick reminder to all carers and families, that you can contact our team at any time, Monday to Friday. We are committed to promoting wellbeing, culture and community in our Jarjum’s lives.

In this issue...

From the Desk of the Out of Home Care Team: Leaving and After Care Planning
HR News: Message from HR manager, New staff member, Position Vacant
An important message to our Carers: National Police Checks
Programs: Gumaguy and Balaa updates
Talk n Walk on Country, Keeping Jarjums Safe - Community Information Sessions, Bundjalung Language Groups
Upcoming Training: Accidental Counselling, Caring for substance exposed infants and children
Community News and Events - Headspace Family and Friends Network, NAIDOC 2021 theme announced

Upcoming Training opportunity
READ MORE...

Position Vacant: Balaa (Casework Support) Worker
READ MORE...

Out of Home Care

From the desk of the Out of Home Care Team

Leaving After Care Planning
Ngunya Jarjum is committed to supporting you as you prepare to leave care at 18 years of age. Carers also having the supports and knowledge as you support a young person to transition from their adolescence towards adulthood.
Here is a bit for you to start to think about…
Are you ready to take charge of your life? Moving into adulthood is something we all do! Learning how to look after yourself and solve life’s little problems is part of growing up but are you ready to be independent? Or to live alone or share a house?
A checklist will help you work out what you can do already and what you should probably learn more about. You might think you know enough about things like money or how to look after your health but can you do everything in the checklist?
It doesn’t matter if you can’t! You have a lifetime to learn and you won’t be a failure if you can never do it all.
How can you you use a checklist?
It’s easy – just work through a list either by yourself or better still with a carer, parent or someone else who knows you well. This is because you can never be sure about what you don’t know. For example, when you talk to your carer about the cost of setting up a place to live you might find there are a lot of hidden costs you know nothing about. Check out the checklist here.

For each question, decide how much you know and then discuss it with your carer. Do they agree? Do they have any extra information? How can you learn more? In most cases you will be able to learn more from your carer or caseworker either by talking about their experiences or by being given opportunities to practice skills like cooking or saving for a goal.
Your carer can also read the Leading the Way guide on the Department of Communities and Justice Web site. This includes tips on how to teach living skills. You and your carers are not expected to have all the answers.
If you need help visit www.facs.nsw.gov.au and check out YOU or Your Next Step or talk to your caseworker. You should also talk to your caseworker about what entitlements and services are available to you.
As you work through these questions, mark off how much you know now. If you go through a checklist again in a year you will be able to see how much your skills have improved.

Talk with your caseworker at Ngunya Jarjum in the home visits …
it’s a great time in life and if you are supported in your goals you will have a great start.

HR News

A message from the HR Manager

We commenced 2021 with a number of our Deadly Team undertaking formal qualifications including Diploma of Leadership and Management, Diploma Business Management, Certificate 4/Diploma of Community Services, Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment and more to come throughout the year. Included in newsletter are our current vacancies and upcoming training. If you are interested in attending the "Accidental Counselling" delivered by Guunu Maana please send an email to info@ngunyajarjum.com or call 02 6626 3700 to register. I am looking forward to a great year for Ngunya Jarjum. Check in each month for a HR update.

Michelle Hicks
HR Manager

Position Vacant

Balaa (Casework Support) Worker
Lismore Office (service delivery area Tweed Heads to Grafton)
Casual opportunity - Ngunya Jarjum are currently looking to expand our Balaa team to support our suite of service delivery to Aboriginal families. This is a casual role working shifts requiring flexible working hours between 7am and 7pm weekdays and weekends. Hourly rates of $36.95 weekdays, $51.73 Saturday, $66.51 Sunday. These rates include casual loading. Find out more

New Balaa Worker

Hi my name is Laree Parsons (Close).
I'm a proud Githabul woman. I'm a mother to a beautiful 7 year old boy.
I've been a Dental Assistant for many many years within Aboriginal Medical Centres. I absolutely love working with NJ it's such a rewarding career, meeting and working with beautiful children and the ones around them.
I look forward to my new career and the places it will take me.

An important message for our Carers

Remember to renew or apply for your National Police Check

It is a requirement under legislation that all carers and household members over the age of 18 years have a current National Police Check.

National Police Checks is only current for 3 years at Ngunya Jarjum.

When your police check is due to expire or you are a household member turning 18, our compliance team will get in contact with you to remind you.

The fee for a National Police Check is a $30.34. A carer or household member can do their own police check by applying online here.

If you choose to apply online, it is important to have the correct ID documents and the photos must be clear as they’re uploaded to the online application. If you choice to do it yourself Ngunya Jarjum will reimburse you.

Alternatively, you can complete the National Police Check form (provided by your Caseworker or the compliance team) and return using one of the following options:

1. Email compliance@ngunyajarjum.com including copies of required documentation

2. Hand over the form and required documentation to your caseworker at your next scheduled home visit or post to Ngunya Jarjum.

If you have current National Police Check, please forward a copy to Ngunya Jarjum as soon as possible.

Programs

Gumaguy Update

The Gumaguy program is specifically designed to support families assessed by Dept of Communities and Justice as being at risk. Families referred to the program must be assessed in the first instance by Dept of Communities and Justice.

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.

s the Balaa program continues to expand we will be advertising this month for additional teammembers. Watch for the ads on Seek.com as well as on our Website and Facebook page. Two of our team have commenced supported in-house training last week to complete formal qualifications in Community Services.

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

Balaa Update

As the Balaa program continues to expand we will be advertising this month for additional teammembers. Watch for the ads on Seek.com as well as on our Website and Facebook page. Two of our team have commenced supported in-house training last week to complete formal qualifications in Community Services.

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

Talk n Walk on Country

Carers and Jarjums, Talking and Walking
On 27-28 Jan 2021 carers and Jarjums participated in a culturally loaded 2 day workshop, talking about culture in practice as well as taking a bus tour around the local area.

Led by Jargoon, feedback from carers and Jarjums was extremely positive as they were able to listen, experience and tour local Aboriginal cultural ways.

We look forward to hosting more of these sessions in the upcoming school holidays for those that may have missed this opportunity – watch for the dates in coming Newsletters, on our Website and on our Facebook site.

Keeping Jarjums Safe - Community Information Sessions

Our worker has returned to the role after a period of leave, we are pleased to advise that Community information sessions titled ‘Keeping Jarjums Safe’ will be offered across Communities of the Bundjalung and Yaegal Nations. These sessions update you on Ngunya Jarjums programs, changes and on child protection issues for our mob. It includes discussion points for the matters effecting our families:

• What to do when FACS (Family and Communities Services) Knocks?

• What is neglect?

• Childhood sexual assault?

• Family and domestic violence?

• The balance - Lore vs Law

• How do drugs and alcohol effect parenting and much more…

Are you curious? Would you like more information for your mob?

Please contact Mary Torrens-Bell through intake@ngunyajarjum.com

Bundjalung Language Groups

We are undertaking a review of the Bundjalung language program to get your feedback on days / times and locations that will best meet your family needs. Watch for a carer survey to be emailed in February and/or watch our Website for a link to the survey. Have your say – what works best for you and your family?

Upcoming Training

Accidental Counselling

Invitation to staff and carers to attend training session 'Accidental Counseling (our role in supporting mob)' run by Michele Laurie. Friday 19th March 2021 9am to 5pm. Venue to be advised.

Please send your expression of interest to attend this training to info@ngunyajarjum.com or ring reception on 6626 3700 to leave your contact details.

Caring for substance exposed infants and children

Substance misuse is a well-known risk factor for children being placed into foster and/or adoptive homes. Many of these children are directly affected by these substances during pregnancy. This course identifies the short and long-term implications for children who are substance exposed during pregnancy, and explores strategies that will help children to reach their potential. My Forever Family NSW training sessions are FREE to all carers in NSW. Register here

Community News and Events

Family and Friends Network

Are you a parent, carer, family member or friend of a young person aged 12-25 years old and passionate about making a difference?

Headspace Lismore is recruiting for their FIRST EVER Family and Friends Network where you can have your say and get actively involved in helping your community!

NAIDOC 2021 Theme Announced

The NAIDCOC 2021 theme is: HEAL COUNTRY! – which calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.

Country that is more than a place and inherent to our identity. Country that we speak about like a person, sustaining our lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.

Keep Reading

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/caring-for-jarjum/

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 adress you can contact us by phoning 6626 3700 or emailing us at info@ngunyajarjum.com.

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!

Ngunya Jarjum would like to pay respects to our Elders both past and present, also to our children, who will be the Elders future coming. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which we live and work in, the people of the Bundjalung Nation, as well as to all other Indigenous people who join us today. We would also like to acknowledge the survival of our ancient culture. May we continue to thrive, learn, and develop within so we may pass our knowledge down through generations to come.

Facebook

Website