Improving Outcomes with South Sudanese Australians a Co-Design Project to Build on Community Strengths and Initiate New Solutions
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Improving Outcomes with South Sudanese Australians A co-design project to build on community strengths and initiate new solutions September 2018 Acknowledgement of traditional land owners As guests, vistors, migrants and refugees we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land. We offer our deepest respect to the ancestors and elders of these traditional lands, and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island peoples past and present. Written by Farida Machar, Co-designer Acknowledgement of the South Sudanese Australian Community It was a great privilege for us to work with and hear the stories of all participants within the South Above: Young women who participated in co-design consultations Sudanese Australian Community. This work would not have been possible without their generosity in sharing experiences, insight and wisdom. The pathways presented on the following pages reflect what was heard from and created by members of the South Sudanese Communities of Western Metropolitan Melbourne. We pay our respects to South Sudanese Australian Community leaders and elders of the past present and future and are committed to collaboratively working toward a better future for all. Improving Outcomes with the South Sudanese Community 2 Community Co-designers The work presented here was conducted in cohealth is a not-for-profit community health collaboration with a Community Co-design organisation that provides vital local health and team: support services including medical, dental, allied Ariik Arok, Anyuop Dau, Farida Machar, Flora Chol, health, mental health, aged care and counselling, John Jok, Sebit Gurech and Ez Eldin Deng. and many specialist health services across Melbourne’s CBD, northern and western suburbs. Community Governance Group Caz Healy / cohealth Michael Apout, Natalina Acinkoc, Poni Peter [email protected] Lee Kennedy / cohealth [email protected] The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI) partners with government, not-for- profits, philanthropy and business to develop and spread innovations that change lives. We believe The Department of Health and Human Services the best solutions emerge from working with develops and delivers policies, programs and the people facing the challenges we’re trying to services that support and enhance the health resolve. and wellbeing of all Victorians. Our vision is to achieve the best health, wellbeing and safety of all tacsi.org.au Victorians so that they can lead a life they value. Mark Stracey / DHHS TACSI Project Team [email protected] Lauren Weinstein / Project Director, TACSI Celia Gahan / DHHS [email protected] [email protected] Lucy Fraser / Project Manager, TACSI Richard Deng / DHHS [email protected] [email protected] Summary Report Prepared by The Australian Centre for Social Innovation 3 Contents Glossary Glossary 4 Moving forward 47 DHHS The Department of Health and Human Services, Victoria Strategy for next steps 48 Executive Summary 5 (Project Commissioner) Initiatives and Outcomes 6 Appendix 49 Consultation Cohorts 50 cohealth Overview of the four initiatives 7 (Project provider) Research Methods 50 High Demand 8 Other opportunity Areas 51 TACSI Talk with me 12 The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (Project What works in collaboration 52 working team) Culture Curators 16 The South Sudanese Australian Community Community Lab 20 In this document, ‘The South Sudanese Australian Key expected and unexpected outcomes 24 Community’ refers specifically to those living in Western Metropolitan Melbourne. Many of the challenges and Project Background 26 opportunities, however, would be similar for those living in other cities in Australia. Community Context 27 Initiatives Background, intent & stakeholder 27 The initiatives co-designed in this project Focus on Transitions 27 The project Project approach 28 “Co-designing better outcomes with the South Sudanese Australian Community of Western metropolitan Co-design and Collaboration 28 Melbourne” Project Stages 29 Co-designers Who we’ve consulted 29 South Sudanese Australian staff employed by TACSI on the working team Learning from The South Sudanese Austra- lian Community 30 The Governance Group Members from The South Sudanese Australian Stories from The South Sudanese Australian Community, cohealth, The Australian Centre for Social Community 31 Innovation and The Department of Health and Human Insights from The South Sudanese Australian Services who informed key project decisions Community 31 Improving Outcomes with the South Sudanese Community 4 Executive Summary The South Sudanese Australian Community is a strong, Together, these stakeholders co-designed four initiatives and striving community, and Melbourne is home to to improve outcomes in The South Sudanese Australian the largest South Sudanese Australian population in Community. The initiatives, shared below, focus on the country. However, the South Sudanese Australian supporting people and building their resilience so that Community faces many, complex challenges, including when challenges arise people have the resources and those faced by other migrant groups. In the years leading strengths they need to negotiate a way through. up to, and throughout this project, The South Sudanese Australian Community experienced increasing scrutiny The initiatives require collaboration between The from media, public and political spheres, in a way that The South Sudanese Australian Community, providers and South Sudanese Australian Community felt was divisive, government, including in human, financial and cultural racist and harmful to their success in Australia. resources. In this report we share a social outcomes and business case for each initiative to be taken forward for This project, ‘Co-designing better outcomes with development and delivery. The initiatives complement the South Sudanese Australian Community of each other, making it ideal for them to be progressed Western metropolitan Melbourne’ looked to increase simultaneously, however each can work alone. understanding between The South Sudanese Australian Community, providers and government, and collectively In this report you will also find useful insights and stories propose initiatives that would support people to thrive. from The South Sudanese Australian Community. These can support providers as well as leaders in the community Using co-design methodologies informed by community to better understand and serve those whose outcomes development practice, The Australian Centre for Social they are trying to improve. Innovation (TACSI) worked with The South Sudanese Australian Community, The Department of Health and Finally, the report includes reflections on what worked Human Services (DHHS) and health provider cohealth to well in the project process that might inform future understand the obstacles and opportunities, and design collaboration between community and government. and test solutions. Summary Report Prepared by The Australian Centre for Social Innovation 5 Initiatives and outcomes Above: Young creatives who shared their ideas for better supports for their peers Improving Outcomes with the South Sudanese Community 6 Overview of the four initiatives The co-design process used in this project identified 1 High Demand 2 Talk with me opportunities to leverage community strengths for improved outcomes. They are based on insights from the project research, have been designed with The Four unique service offerings Mending an intergenerational South Sudanese Australian Community and elements leveraging community expertise divide through conversations of each have been prototyped in Western metropolitan Melbourne. to lift the whole community throughout life transitions Each initiative places supports that help community members to navigate life transitions with more confidence. We heard from The South Sudanese Australian Community that small obstacles during transitions can spiral into major setbacks such as missed work opportunities or being expelled from school. These initiatives work toward transitions that create opportunities for South Sudanese Australians. Individually, the initiatives work toward improved outcomes, however together, the four initiatives create some of the conditions for the South Sudanese Australian Community, and the broader community around them, to 3 Culture Curator 4 Community Lab thrive together. Leveraging community talent to A neutral community team that Next steps for the initiatives The four initiatives have the support of community promote a new, positive, strength works with Government to improve members and leaders. The following pages are overviews based media message about connection to and outcomes for of the design and business case for the start up of these initiatives. They now need resource partners to fund, start the South Sudanese Australian the South Sudanese Australian up, trial and deliver them. Community Community Summary Report Prepared by The Australian Centre for Social Innovation 7 High Demand Connecting to the right supports at the right time Four unique service offerings that leverage community expertise to lift the whole community throughout life transitions. The High Demand Team helps individuals and services access and connect to mentorship, cultural training, mediators, and a crowd- sourced online resource. Improving Outcomes with the South Sudanese Community 8 “Younger women have it easier because they have me - I’ve been through it already” Young mum who mentors