Supporting children, families and educators in Cootamundra
Community Recovery Services
Supporting children, families and schools in communities affected by natural disasters.
When loss, change or disasters happen, children can be impacted in different ways, and it is important they are provided with the right support. The Community Recovery team – consisting of social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists – works alongside preschools and primary schools to provide this support.
Community Recovery Services is currently funded to deliver services in specific LGAs including Cabonne, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Dubbo, Forbes, Glen Ines Severn, Gunnedah, Snowy Monaro and Snowy Valleys. Services are delivered through partnership with specific primary schools and preschools, meaning only children attending these schools/preschools are eligible. However, some services can be offered across the LGA such as our online parent group programs.
How we support:
The program provides support for children aged 2-12yrs, and the adults around these children, to improve resilience and wellbeing and decrease the likelihood of long-term adverse impacts. Each community has unique needs. For this reason, the program offers a menu of options, allowing the participating school/preschool/community to select the services that best meet their needs.
These options include, but are not limited to, those detailed below.
Children’s groups in primary schools and preschools
Offering and outcomes:
- Delivered by health clinicians, the groups can help children who have experienced grief and loss – this could be following a disaster or other life changes.
- The team is trained in disaster support children’s programs (Stormbirds and Birdie’s Tree resources) as well as Seasons for Growth.
- An evaluation of the Program in 2021 has shown that 89% of children agreed they learnt “good ways to cope with [my] feelings”.
Educator support
Offering and outcomes:
- With access to a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, psychologist or social worker, a variety of support can be offered to educators. This can include topics such as: Supporting the School following Community Trauma, Supporting regulation for students in the classroom and Educator Wellbeing & Selfcare.
- Educators participating in the program report increased confidence to identify and respond to signs of psychological distress in children.
Parent and carer support
Offering and outcomes:
- Group and/or individual sessions, covering both parental wellbeing and how parents can support their child.
- Online Parent Group Programs including Circle of Security® and Tuning in to Kids®. Download our Parent Group Brochure to find out more
- 100% of parents noted they left the sessions with a better understanding of the importance of their own wellbeing to help support their child.
Telehealth therapy
Offering and outcomes:
- For those children who might need extra support, the program can provide Telehealth therapy based on the area of need – speech pathology, psychology or occupational therapy.
- Our clinicians are skilled in identifying the needs of children and what therapy could best assist them.
- Parents have said the therapy has provided their child with strategies to cope with change and difficult life events such as bushfires.
During 2020 and in response to the devasting Black Summer Bushfires, UNICEF Australia and Royal Far West formed a partnership to deliver customised support to children and young people impacted by these events.
The film created in partnership by Royal Far West and UNICEF Australia highlights Royal Far West’s Bushfire Recovery Program implemented in rural and remote regions, where 2 in 5 children were personally impacted by the 2019/2020 bushfires.
Community led recovery
Winner of the ‘Suncorp Resilient Australia’ and ‘National Community Awards’ for our Bushfire Recovery Program in 2021. Three-time Australian Charity Award ‘Outstanding Achievement Winner’, most recently in 2022 for our Bushfire Recovery Program.
Program development involved close consultation with local communities, including parents and carers, schools and preschools, councils, government and non-government organisations, health and social service professionals, Aboriginal services and leaders, and community volunteers. It is based on world best-practice community trauma recovery principles, adapted and refined to suit very specific local needs.
Bushfire Recovery Program Evaluation Findings
Summary of Bushfire Recovery Program Evaluation Findings
Find out more
If you are a local service provider interested in finding out more about our Community Recovery Services and how we can work in collaboration with local services, we would love to hear from you.
Please fill in the form and one of our team will be in contact.
Community Recovery Services Enquiry
Form that appears on the Community Recovery Services page on the Royal Far West website
Funded by the Australian and NSW Governments
Funded under the Disaster Ready Fund – an Australian Government initiative.
This program currently receives funding from the Australian Government and the NSW Government.