Category: News

Hello, I’m Kingsley Edwards, Bequests Manager at Barnardos Australia. For over 20 years I happily worked as an insurance broker, but as time went by, I began to feel more and more like something was missing. I thought to myself, “what if I could use the skills I’ve developed in a more meaningful way?” So I moved to the charity sector and it was only natural that as a parent I would be drawn to an organisation like Barnardos Australia, whose focus is to support children to reach their brightest future.

I have been very fortunate to raise my two teenage boys in a safe and loving home where they can develop into young adults who have every chance to fulfil their potential. Sadly, there are many abused and neglected children in Australia who are denied these same rights. That is why I work at Barnardos. I passionately believe that every child needs a champion – someone who can make a difference to their life.

In my role as Bequests Manager, I feel privileged to talk to people every day who are more than a champion for vulnerable and disadvantaged children. I consider each and every one to be a legend because they have included Barnardos in their Will. This one legendary act leads to a legacy of hope and a lasting impact on children who have had a tough start to life.

When we think of Australian legends, we think of people like Sir Donald Bradman and Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and Nancy Bird Walton, Bennelong and Barangaroo. But there are plenty of ordinary Australians who are also legends – kind, caring and compassionate men and women, who make a difference by leaving a charitable gift in their Will.

This week is Include A Charity Week, an initiative to raise awareness among Australians about leaving a charitable gift in their Will. I invite you to take up the challenge of becoming a legend by considering to leave a gift in your Will to Barnardos Australia.

Why not request some information on gifts in wills by contacting us here or complete a short quiz here that will help you discover what kind of legend you are?

Together we can make a lasting difference to the lives of vulnerable children.

LINKER is a domestic violence service in Central Western NSW that is changing the lives of women and children.

The rate of domestic violence in Far West and Orana is more than five* times higher than the overall rate for NSW. In regional, rural and remote communities, domestic and family violence is one of the leading causes for women and children becoming homeless and seeking emergency accommodation.

Barnardos recognise that there is a high need for support, yet unlike urban areas, only a small number of providers operate in often isolated locations and most services are only able to provide active support during business hours.

LINKER is a unique and innovative service which addresses the after-hours support gap in Western NSW. It proactively offers telephone and text message support to women who have accessed emergency short-term accommodation as the result of leaving domestic violence.

LINKER offers flexible out of hours phone contact (5pm-9am every day of the week) from a specialist domestic violence worker to clients referred by emergency accommodation providers. The LINKER worker proactively contacts the client by phone and offer personalised and consistent support as required during their time of crisis and transition through homelessness to post-crisis stability, at times of the day and week when there are few if any other forms of support available.

Clients and SHS providers particularly value the LINKER Service capacity for phone-based support from another town, allowing for a more anonymous relationship, thus respecting confidentiality concerns, which can be challenging in small communities.

On Monday 9th September the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health will release their findings on how LINKER supports victims, provides insight into the successes of LINKER and how we can improve this program to assist more women and children in crisis. A documentary has also been created by Barnardos featuring LINKER support workers and the remarkable women they have helped to rebuild their lives.

According to the study:

• 90% of clients strongly agreed that the LINKER Service reduced their anxiety and increased their feelings of support.
• 80% of clients felt less isolated
• 97% agreed that LINKER assisted with respect to immediate outcomes.

*According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the rate of domestic violence incidents eliciting critical bodily harm, at a rate of 139.6 per 100,000, is highest in the Far West and Orana region of NSW. This is more than five times higher than the overall rate for NSW at 25.6 per 100,000 (Freeman, 2018).

Barnardos Australia was recently invited to comment on issues raised at the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug ‘Ice’.

The Commission was established to investigate the nature, prevalence and impact of the drug in NSW. The Commission will deliver its final report to the NSW Government in October 2019.

The focus of Barnardos’ submission reflected the agency’s depth of knowledge of working with special population groups who have experienced greater harms from amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) use when compared to users in the community more generally. The submission highlighted:

• Clients with drug usage often report trauma being a catalyst for their drug usage.
• Rural locations do not have the same access and availability as metropolitan centres to drug rehabilitation or detoxification units. For example, specialised services for families impacted by ATS use are extremely scarce or non-existent in Central Western NSW
• ATS use within vulnerable populations impacted by small town gossiping, lack of anonymity within those small towns as well as a stigma and shame that is different to cannabis use.
• There are limited services offered specifically to young people around drug addiction and specifically ATS use.
• It is our strong view that current services and programs are inadequate for the needs of Indigenous families affected by ATS.
• Improvement may come if program design centres around supports or services that are ‘wrap around,’ in one place.

You can read Barnardos Australia’s submission here.

Other public submissions can be accessed here.

Barnardos Australia and Barnardos UK would like to advise that we are in the final stages of joining the Redress Scheme.

We are working with the National Redress Scheme to finalise our application and are currently responding to feedback received from the Redress Scheme, which requires amendments to our application.  These are being considered and progressed as a high priority.

If you would like to speak with us directly about our application please contact:

Barnardos Australia AfterCare on (02) 9218 2300 or via email to aftercare@barnardos.org.au.

The Australian Government Redress Scheme can be contacted directly via their website nationalredress.gov.au
Redress Support Services are available to help people understand the Scheme, provide emotional support and guide people through the application process.

We are pleased to publicly announce that the Barnardos Australia and Barnardo’s UK group application to join the National Redress Scheme has been lodged. The process of negotiation to reach this point has been ongoing since June last year when it was first discussed by Directors, followed by discussions with Barnardos’s UK. Barnardos Australia will act as agent for Barnardo’s UK in all administrative arrangements for those accessing the Redress Scheme.

If you would like to speak with us directly about our application please contact
Barnardos Australia AfterCare on (02) 9218 2300 or via email to aftercare@barnardos.org.au.

The Australian Government Redress Scheme can be contacted directly via their website nationalredress.gov.au
Redress Support Services are available to help people understand the Scheme, provide emotional support and guide people through the application process.

Following ongoing discussions between Barnardos Australia and Barnardo’s UK we are pleased to now publicly announce that we will be jointly applying to the Australian Government Redress Scheme. This agreement with Barnardo’s UK ensures that anyone who has ever been in care with us in Australia will have access to the Scheme.

Barnardos Australia will act as agent for Barnardo’s UK in all administrative arrangements for those accessing the Redress Scheme. The processing of our joint organisational application, once lodged with the Scheme, will be subject to the Scheme’s assessment of Application time frames.

If you would like to speak with us directly about our application please contact Barnardos Australia AfterCare on (02) 9218 2300 or via email to aftercare@barnardos.org.au. The Australian Government Redress Scheme can be contacted directly via their website https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/

Redress Support Services are available to help people understand the Scheme, provide emotional support and guide people through the application process.

Barnardos Australia has welcomed the announcement of the UK government that it will establish an ex-gratia payment scheme for former British child migrants. The scheme will be payable to all former British child migrants, regardless of whether they suffered abuse, in recognition of what was found to be the “fundamentally flawed” nature of historic child migration programs and is in line with the recommendation of the UK’s Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Who is eligible?

UK Government has agreed to pay ALL former Child Migrants £20,000 (approximately $36,000).

The Scheme is open to former child migrants who were alive on 1 March 2018 or to beneficiaries of former child migrants who have died since 1 March 2018 (this will be paid through the Executor of the Estate).

Applications?

All Australian applications will be co-ordinated by the Child Migrants Trust.

Applications can be accepted from 1 March 2019 and the scheme will remain open for 2 years.

The Child Migrants Trust will put the application form and the process on their website (www.childmigrantstrust.com).

Contact details for Child Migrants Trust Inc

Ph: (03) 9815 2022
Free Phone: 1800 04 05 09
Email: enquiries@childmigrantstrust.com

Barnardos Australia is in the process of reaching out to former British child migrants who may be eligible for the scheme which will be managed by the UK’s Child Migrants Trust. For further inquiries please contact aftercare@barnardos.org.au.

As previously announced in June 2018 Barnardos Australia is currently in the process of joining the Australian National Redress Scheme for Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. The system for joining the Scheme is extensive, and we still have some steps to go within the joining process – this is why Barnardos is not yet listed on the National Redress Scheme website. We are also in discussions with Barnardo’s UK with a view to them joining into our application, in order to ensure that anyone who has ever been in care with us in Australia has access to the Scheme. Once all the necessary steps have been completed Barnardos name will be added to the Redress Scheme website (searchable at  https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/institutions/joined-scheme ).

In the meantime, and as stated on that website, individuals can make an application for Redress however their application cannot be assessed until all the necessary joining steps have been completed. Once that occurs Barnardos name will appear on the Australian Redress Scheme website, and applications will be able to be processed.

Barnardos supports the National Redress Scheme to provide support to people who experienced institutional child sexual abuse.

Applications for the National Redress Scheme can be made from 1 July 2018

Find out more information about the National Redress Scheme here on their website.

Or download an Application Pack here.