Healthy Outback Kids Program

Big Buddy Program

Goondir’s St George Wellbeing Centre provides the fit for all staff and participants to engage and interact with each other in a number of various activities and well being programs.  Stakeholders and other service providers are also encouraged to utilise the Centre teaching young children and youth about product development, ideation and innovation using a fun and interactive activities.

Some highlights over the past 12 months has been the:

• Engagement of “Country University” providing the Big Buddy participants with an opportunity promoting further education and career options and how utilise the facility to further their education experience.
• Through the partnership with “Australian Defence Force (ADF)” recruitment and promotional drive in St George with a number of Big Buddy participants actively participating in a number activities and information sessions on offer within the ADF.
• Health and Wellbeing Queensland providing promotional days and sessions on the importance of staying healthy, eating healthy, promoting exercise, physical activity and fitness.
• Traditional games continue to build self esteem and confidence across all program areas within the local community and encourages all participants the opportunity to build strong networks within the Big Buddy Program.

Goondir Health Services staff are looking forward to the next year with many more innovative activities and programs to enhance the local community.

BUSH Kids

The BUSHkids team have prioritised support for the holistic development of children transitioning and working from early childhood to Prep in 2023 throughout the WQPHN funded areas. The team continues to build the capacity of Early Years staff to enhance learning opportunities through play, by designing/using activities that support a child’s play as well as their development in line with needs identified through observations in the learning environment.

BUSHkids have been able to build on the work delivered in 2021, by offering ongoing support to the children who previously attended the Mums and Bubs group. Families and their children who are now attending kindergarten have engaged through telehealth support either at home or through the kindy with the support of Hannah the centre co-ordinator.

Working well over the past 12 months:

• Good engagement strategies when working with children and educators;
• Clinicians (OT and Speech) have been able to identify children requiring support once screened with consent gained;
• Feedback from families provided noticing improvements with their children and happy with their child’s development;
• Good foundation of trust and relationships built with staff and educators across all communities;
• Staff and families are receptive to sharing of information from clinicians.

Thuaaka team in Mornington Island

Thuaaka (pronounced ‘thu-ga-ga’) is the name of a small bird that inhabits Mornington Island. In our local Lardil language, thuaaka means ‘happy families bird’. Often encountered in family groups, the thuaaka is a very happy and social bird. Given the importance of addressing the health and wellbeing of our children and young people within a family-centred context,  we have adopted the ‘happy families bird’ as a symbol of our broader vision. 

 The Thuaaka team continues to work with families and other stakeholders within Mornington Island to:

• Actively encourage universal screening and assessment to help families identify and manage health issues earlier; 
• Provide Care coordination and case management for vulnerable children and their families; 
• Enhance access and engagement with primary health care services; and improve access to other secondary services including education, housing, employment, family violence prevention, and other support services. 

How this is done by the team?

• Embed cultural competence throughout all aspects of our work which will lead to more effective health service delivery and better health outcomes for children, young people and their families; 
• Support service providers and families to build trusting relationships; 
• Improve access, attendance and engagement between community and health and social services; 
• Increase access to home-visiting and community-based care; 
• Improve continuity of care for children, young people and their families; 
• Work with services to improve the effectiveness of health and social services.

Indigenous Health Assessments 2021-22