As the collective voice of the state's youth sector, the Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) demands that the Queensland Government cease removing funding from youth services that play such an important role in the life of both young people and the broader Queensland community.

In recent times, we have seen a tidal wave of destruction break over the youth sector, with serious consequences for young people - particularly those living in rural areas with limited access to services, and disadvantaged young people throughout Queensland. Many highly successful youth programs have been defunded over the past 15 months. Those remaining, many of whom were already operating on shoestring budgets, have faced funding cuts. Coupled with cuts to frontline services more widely, this has put a great strain on youth services and reduced their capacity to respond to the growing demand for services by young people themselves and other service providers. As the sector's peak body, it is YANQ's responsibility to strongly resist the negative ramifications of these processes.

Small and medium size youth services have generally built strong connections to the local and regional communities they are part of, over many years. These services deserve acknowledgment and support from the Government for the tremendous work they do within such limited resources.

The Queensland Government has an opportunity to build on the work of...

The new manager of Sine Cera Rainforest Retreat in Cougal, in the Northern Rivers area of NSW, has contacted YANQ and wants to put the word out that the venue is suitable to conduct everything from short term programs to training, workshops and organisational retreats, to longer term live-in youth programs.

"We take group bookings only and are able to sleep very comfortably, up 100 people, have 200 acres of stunning sub- tropical rainforest are not for profit and therefore priced very affordably. We are auspiced by Morningside C.A.R.E. which also owns Georgina Hostel which is an ATSI Aged Care facility in Brisbane and conducts ICDP (International Children’s Development Program).

Applicants for the funding grant Youth Development & Support Program for example;  Should you require or even become aware of the need for such accommodation as ours, please let me know as The Board of Directors and myself are keen to see the property used either short or long term by youth organisations or programs.

Please take a just a moment to look at our website, listed below, together with my contact details.

Lyndal Hose
Manager
6 Main Creek Road
Cougal NSW 2474
www.sinecera.org.au
02 6636 6176
0401 615 240"

AYAC launched the first ever national snapshot of youth work in mid-June, as the culmination of months of work by the AYAC team and their partners at Southern Cross University, as well as contributions from over 1,500 youth workers around Australia!

The AYAC National Snapshot of Youth Work 2013 has been created to address the gap in collective knowledge of youth work and build a solid evidence based to assist in driving forward positive changes for young Australians and the sector that supports them.

For many years, the youth work sector across Australia has been speaking out about the barriers they face to providing the best possible support to young Australians in need. To download your copy of the AYAC National Snapshot of Youth Work, go to the website - http://www.ayac.org.au/projects/AYACsnapshot2013.html

The GET A GRIP teenz 2.0 program provides incredible value and includes comprehensive online training. Schools and Youth Organisations who purchase the program prior to our June 2013 launch receive a 10% discount.

The GET A GRIP teenz 2.0 program equips teens with tools to negotiate life’s challenges, bringing understanding to the issues surrounding sexuality and relationships. Developed for High School students in Year levels 9/10, GET A GRIP teenz 2.0 aligns with the objectives of the Health & Physical Education National Curriculum.

The 10 Core Elements (topics) have a flexible delivery time of 45-70 minutes each and cover: Pressures, Integrity, Respect & Consent, Smart Choices, Sex & The Body, Pregnancy, Pornography & Sexting, Diversity, Whole-Person Sexuality, Creating my Future

Assessments are provided to support learning outcomes and the program delivery can be tailored to suit either small groups or classrooms.

It can be be run in either combined or separate gender specific groups, in Public and Private High Schools, community education arenas for ‘at risk’ youth and other community organisations.

Complete ONLINE training is included for educators to become program facilitators.

Source: Youth Wellbeing Project email 17/5/13

Healthy Communities is now offering a consultancy service to support organisations and businesses to become lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusive, for not only their clients and customers but also their employees.

The Healthy Communities Training and Development Program has been providing practical support to health and community services to help build open and inclusive rapport with (LGBT) clients in Queensland since 2005.

Over the past few years many large corporations have become more LGBT inclusive: Telstra, IBM, Lend Lease, most of the major banks, some universities and many smaller organisations. The corporate closet is one of the final frontiers to be tackled; research shows that many people who may be out in other areas of their life are not out at work, due to either a perceived or lived experience of homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism in the workplace.

Healthy Communities LGBT Inclusivity Consultancy can provide: advice around inclusive policies, procedures, processes, marketing and environment, support to establish an LGBT and Allies network, professional development for staff and assistance in initiating community participation.

Please find attached a brochure about the LGBT Inclusivity Consultancy and  LGBT Awareness training.

To discuss your inclusivity needs in further detail contact the Training and Development Coordinator at training@qahc.org.au

Source: QAHC email 29/4/13

Conference registrations are now open for you to take part in AYAC 2013 National Youth Affairs Conference!
Uber-Earlybirds register now via ayac2013.eventbrite.com.au - and save $90 on the conference registration fee*

The AYAC 2013 National Youth Affairs Conference will bring together 400 youth sector representatives, community-minded young people & young changemakers, youth policy makers, and youth researchers & academics to Adelaide, SA over three days that showcase the depth of Australia’s youth affairs sector -- for all the nation to see.

The AYAC 2013 conference will be an opportunity for the four corners of the youth affairs sector to connect, have fun, hear more about what we can learn from the latest research and innovative programs, learn from each other & influence the national debate on young people and youth affairs.

With the federal election to take place on 14th September this year, it will be more important than ever that AYAC 2013 provides a platform for emerging youth issues to find their place on the national agenda. The conference will contribute to AYAC’s key goals of driving research for better practice, advocating for change, supporting the sector & building youth participation.

Read more and register! - http://www.ayac.org.au/ayac2013

Interview with Maria Leebeek [Director Queensland Youth Housing Coalition]
By Siyavash Doostkhah [Youth Affairs Network Queensland]

SIYAVASH: You are leaving the sector tomorrow after many many years, tell us, how long have you been in the sector? What was your first job?

MARIA: I started in the sector in... 1990 I think it was. I was at Brisbane Youth Service actually, but I've been in the sector a bit longer than that actually, because I did my placement at Youth Advocacy, so before that, so that was, um. So, yes, I came in the sector about 1990, I did my placement in 1989 or something.

SIYAVASH: So initially you were doing hands on work in service management, so then at some stage you moved into policy and advocacy. What motivated you to do that? When was that?

The Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council is reviewing both the qualifications and competency standards for a number of sectors, including children and youth services. AYAC has been a core part of the industry reference group to the review, and the subject matter expert groups.

Draft 1 of the revised components was released in November last year for public review and feedback and is available here - http://tinyurl.com/admd4ve

The Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council have commenced development of Draft 2, following on from public feedback and consultation.

Draft 2 will be made available for public review and feedback on 11 February 2013 for a limited time here - http://tinyurl.com/admd4ve

AYAC encourages all our interested members to check in and provide feedback to review of Cert IV in Youth Work and Diploma in Youth Work.

Source: AYAC enews 31/1/13

By Ellie Clayton, Monday 14 January 2013
Published in Children and Young People Now

A major two-year study has found that street-based youth work can play a vital role in tackling violence among young people.


The study explores the benefits of street-based youth work.

The Touch Project by academics at Newman University College found that the “unpredictable nature of the street environment” allows outreach workers to capitalise on “spontaneous encounters” to constructively confront violent behaviour.


But it warns that such workers need to be “embedded and visible in the community for several years before they become truly effective”, arguing that “funding and evaluation regimes should reflect this”.


Mike Seal, head of youth and community studies at Newman University College, said more funding should be made available to secure permanent, long-term community-based youth work, as opposed to targeted “project-based” initiatives.

Read the full story...

Essential Research is conducting the first ever benchmarking study on how Australian NFP organisations undertake and measure online communications, advocacy, fundraising and social media activities.

The results will enable managers and executives in not-for-profit organisations to compare like against like in terms of how they are tracking, where they are leading and the areas that require improvement against a realistic benchmark of digital activities.

The study will commence in early 2013. For more information, go to www.essentialmedia.com.au/digital-insights

Source : AYAC enews 20/12/2013