Initiatives targeting Recommendation 19

Northern Territory

NT Police Juvenile Pre-Court Diversion Scheme - Community Youth Development Units (CYDU)

The NT Police Juvenile Diversion Units are presently facilitating the development of CYDUs throughout Territory remote communities. These units will develop specific plans for youth at risk in these communities and further provide opportunities for all youth in the community. CYDUs are already operating in Tennant Creek and Wadeye. The CYDUs apply a holistic approach to the needs of juveniles. This includes consideration of education, health, welfare, sport, recreation, training and employment needs. A priority of the units will be to develop plans that will give a very high priority to education needs in consultation with the local education institution.

Target group: Juveniles and youth

Coverage: Remote communities

Timeframe:

Responsible agency: Northern Territory Police

Website: www.nt.gov.au/pfes/

Youth policy officer positions

Contribute to the development, review and evaluation of policies, strategies, and programs relating to young people

Target group: 12 - 25 years

Coverage: Territory wide

Timeframe: Recurrent

Responsible agency: Department of Health and Community Services

Website: www.nt.gov.au/health/

Resourcing Adolescents for Tomorrow

Implementation of RAFT program [Resourcing Adolescents for Tomorrow] which provides accommodation and support services and independent living skills. It is being delivered in conjunction with a non-government organisation [Anglicare].

Target group: Young people with high support needs who are in care and will move on to independent living

Coverage: Territory wide

Timeframe: Recurrent

Responsible agency: Department of Health and Community Services

Website: www.nt.gov.au/health/

Office of Children and Families

Establishment of Office of Children and Families, to provide a whole of government policy approach to enhance children and family wellbeing, and to ensure line agencies provide services consistent with that approach.

Target group: Children and families

Coverage: Territory Wide

Timeframe:

Responsible agency: Department of the Chief Minister and Department of Health and Community Services

Website: www.nt.gov.au/health/
             www.nt.gov.au/dcm/

Partnerships

1. Local Education Advisory Boards (LEABS)

LEABs will be established in communities to support the full engagement of Indigenous people in improving educational outcomes of Indigenous students in the Northern Territory. Four pilot communities will be selected in 2002. The aim of the pilots will be to establish educational advisory boards with appropriate community leadership. The pilots could be established in community schools or cluster schools within linguistically and culturally affiliated regions. LEAB's, with departmental support, will develop community education plans to aid in the implementation of the Department of Employment, Education and Training Indigenous Education 5-Year Strategic Plan, NIELNS and IESIP Agreements.

2. Self Managed Schools

Provision to be made for community control over education decision-making processes, while establishing clear benchmarks for expected improvements.

It is envisioned that the Local Education Advisory Board will be the management group for a self managed school.

This initiative seeks to achieve:

• Local responsibility for the maintenance and development of community well being and human resources
• Community capacity to embrace educational and social change
• Efficient and effective consultation and reporting processes
• Flexible and creative community direction to the school principal for delivery and resourcing of school programs.

3. Ongoing partnership development

Partnerships will foster collaboration from all stakeholders in achieving common goals in education. They will seek to improve Indigenous student outcomes through:

• Engagement and involvement of key local leaders in the development and maintenance of the partnerships
• Building relationships and linkages between relevant stakeholders, activities and programs at the local and regional level.
• Collaborative utilisation of human, material and financial resources.
• Encouragement and support of improved communication through networking between key stakeholders at the community and regional level
• Harnessing expertise, building knowledge, and encouraging and assisting relevant data gathering and research
• Activities such as collaborative planning and development, consultation, two way communication and the gathering of information integral to the successful implementation of the local and regional plans.
• Sharing information and ideas (networking) between organisations and communities across the NT
• Organisational and community based workshops and services aimed at supporting the development and implementation of the strategic plans
• Contact with Commonwealth and Territory officers to foster shared knowledge of government processes and identify and create linkages with broad organisational and community processes.

Target group: Whole Community

Coverage: Territory Wide

Timeframe: 2002 - 2004

Responsible agency: Department Employment, Education and Training.