Inner West Multicultural Interagency

Inner West Multicultural Interagency Tuesday 23rd of June 2015

Ashfield Council

Meeting Minutes

CHAIR: Joy Siamoa–Metro Assist

Minutes: Tony Tonous –Metro Assist

Attendees: Refer to attendance List

Apologies: Refer to attendance List

Previous Minutes Motioned: Lynne Flynn-Wesley Mission Financial Literacy

Guest Speaker 1 – Jeremy Lindeck - Area Manager - Burwood and Campsie Navitas.

Navitas is an established multinational company with experienced and qualified staff that offer flexible learner needs.

Navitas assists new migrants settle in Australia, where AMEP provides 510 hours of free English classes and SLPET offers 80 to 120 hours. Navitas also provides distance learning arrangements, home tutors and flexibility of morning and evening classes.

AMEP Eligibiity includes:

-Clients must be below functional English level 4

-Register within 6 months of receiving visa

-Must complete course within 5 years.

Clients of Navitas must apply for a USI and have their English ability assessed prior to meeting with a pathway advisor to determine the course. Following this process clients are assigned to a class and undergo orientation.

The AMEP course consists of 4 levels and includes task based & practical components. The course can also be tailored to meet student specific needs.

The SLPET –Settlement Language Pathways to Employment Training – includes 140 hours of classroom activities & 60 hours of workplace experience. The SLPET assists clients to enter employment in a chosen field.

Navitas also provides support services including childcare, reimbursement of transport costs for registration, concession cards, Bilingual assistance,translation of documents and ability to access a range of social services.

Guest Speaker 2: Glenn Sibley | Community Engagement Officer | Office of the Children’s Guardian

The office of the Children’s Guardian was established under the Children and Young Persons (care and protection) Act 1998 to promote the interests and rights of children and young people living in out of home care. Inner West Multicultural Interagency

In 2013 legislative changes expanded the role of the office to be an independent government agency that works to protect children by promoting and regulating quality, child safe organisations and services. The office reports to the NSW minister for Family and community services and to parliament.

Under the legislation the Office of the Children’s Guardian

- accredits and monitors the designated agencies that arrange statutory out of home care (OOHC)

-Registers and monitors agencies that provide, arrange or supervise voluntary out-of-home care (VOOHC)

-Accredits non-government adoption service providers

-Authorises the employment of children under the age of 15, and child models under the age of 16, in the entertainment sector.

-Administers the Working With Children Check and encourages organisations to be safe when working with children

The Office of the Children’s Guardian works to improve the protection of children in NSW by helping organisations, employers and individuals understand the meaning, importance amd benefits of being child-safe. However, it does not deal directly with complaints or concerns of individual children.

For complaints or concerns about an individual child, contact:

NSW Ombudsman ph: 02 9286 1000, www.ombo.nsw.gov.au

To report suspected child abuse or neglect contact the Child Protection Helpline on 132 111 (TTY 1800 212 936) for the cost of a local call, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Children and young people in need of help can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800(toll free).

Since June 2013 people seeking to work or volunteer with children under 18 years in NSW have been required to possess a Working With Children Check (WWCC).

Employers, including sports clubs and associations, are also required to verify all WWCC’s through the new online system. However there are a number of important exemptions from the WWCC requirement, including volunteer parents or other close relatives of the child.

The Working With Children Check provides a unique number (the WWC number) to a person who has been cleared to work with children.

The WWCC application process involves a national police check and a review of findings of workplace midconduct.

The result is either a clearance to work with children for five years, or a bar against working with children. Barred applicants may not work or volunteer with children. If a person receives an interim bar, they must be immediately removed from their child-related position in the organisation.

The WWCC clearance lasts for 5 years and is continuously monitored for any new relevant offences.

All new applicants for paid child-related work (direct fact-to face contact with children), must provide a WWC application or clearance number to their employer.

This number must be verified online by their employer before they can commence work. Existing paid employees and volunteers (who are not exempt) are being phased –in to the new system. Inner West Multicultural Interagency

Only people in child-related work need to apply for a check. If you are currently in child-related work you will be required to obtain a new Working With Children Check as part of an industry phase-in schedule. To find out which sector you belong to and when you need to obtain a new Working With Children Check go to www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/check

To comply with the legislation, employers need to go online to verify the status of a Working With Children Check number for any paid or volunteer staff in child-related work. Employers must not rely on a notification or email from an employee or volunteer containing an application or clearance number, they must go online to check that it is current and valid.

Thank you to all our special guests and to our fellow IWMI members for your participation and attendance.

Meeting Closed 4pm