Evaluation of Find and Connect Services Final Report
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Evaluation of the Find and Connect Services Final Report July 2014 Acknowledgements The Evaluation of the Find and Connect services and this resultant Final Report were funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS). This report would not have been possible without the cooperation and support of many. In particular, the authors (Australian Healthcare Associates) would like to thank all those directly involved in this evaluation who gave their time and made valuable contributions. We would particularly like to thank the Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants who shared very personal information in order to convey how well services were meeting their needs and their suggestions for possible improvements. Special thanks also goes to the state-based Find and Connect service providers and the Child Migrants Trust; DSS staff responsible for administering the program; the Melbourne University staff involved in the web resource, and the many advocacy organisation representatives and other stakeholders who were consulted during the course of the evaluation. i Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Evaluation objectives ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Methods ........................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Summary of findings ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.7 Concluding remarks .......................................................................................................................... 6 2 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Background to the Evaluation .......................................................................................................... 7 2.2 The Find and Connect model ............................................................................................................ 7 2.3 Evaluation components and objectives .......................................................................................... 10 3 Evaluation Approach and methods ................................................................. 11 3.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Development of consultation tools ................................................................................................ 11 3.3 Data sources ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.4 Sampling and recruitment .............................................................................................................. 13 3.5 Issues related to participant recruitment and how they were resolved ........................................ 16 3.6 Stakeholder participation ............................................................................................................... 17 3.7 Data analysis process ...................................................................................................................... 18 3.8 Evaluability issues ........................................................................................................................... 19 4 Implementation of the service delivery model ............................................... 23 4.1 Program vision and intended characteristics ................................................................................. 23 4.2 Service approach variations ........................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Changes and developments ........................................................................................................... 25 4.4 Context issues ................................................................................................................................. 26 4.5 Additional facilitators and barriers to implementation ................................................................. 27 4.6 Gaps and suggestions for improvement ......................................................................................... 29 4.7 Service delivery and uptake profile ................................................................................................ 31 4.8 Usage of the Find and Connect web resource ................................................................................ 34 5 The Client Experience ..................................................................................... 35 5.1 Profile of informants ....................................................................................................................... 35 i Table of Contents 5.2 Survey findings ............................................................................................................................... 37 5.3 Barriers and facilitators to service uptake ...................................................................................... 52 5.4 Assistance received by service users from the Find and Connect services .................................... 56 5.5 Service users’ perceptions of what is good about the Find and Connect services ......................... 57 5.6 Areas for improvement .................................................................................................................. 58 5.7 How Find and Connect services could better meet the needs of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants .................................................................................................................... 62 5.8 Summary of findings ....................................................................................................................... 63 6 Alignment with Service Design Principles ....................................................... 66 6.1 Design Principle 1: Clients drive the design of services and activities ........................................... 66 6.2 Design Principle 2: A system for feedback loops is provided ......................................................... 67 6.3 Design Principle 3: The way services are offered ........................................................................... 68 6.4 Design Principle 4: Services offer flexibility in access..................................................................... 69 6.5 Design Principle 5: Services are respectful of the different histories and needs of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants .......................................................................................... 72 6.6 Design Principle 6: Services employee specialist skilled staff to deliver services .......................... 73 6.7 Summary of findings ....................................................................................................................... 74 7 Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................... 78 7.1 Achievement to date ...................................................................................................................... 78 7.2 Challenges and areas needing further attention ............................................................................ 79 7.3 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 80 Original Focus Group Questions ............................................................................................................... 94 Revised Focus Group Questions ............................................................................................................... 95 Elm Place (SA) ........................................................................................................................................... 97 Lanterns (WA) ......................................................................................................................................... 101 Lotus Place (Qld) ..................................................................................................................................... 105 Open Place (Vic) ...................................................................................................................................... 110 Relationships Australia (ACT) .................................................................................................................. 116 Relationships Australia (NT) .................................................................................................................... 121 Relationships Australia (Tasmania) ......................................................................................................... 126 Wattle Place