Lions Emergency Accommodation Centre Inc.

An innovative in-home visiting program - helping hand for families moving on from crisis.

Our Aim

To provide intensive, in-home support to clients to promote practical and parenting skills in a family-friendly way.

Our Philosophy

Better Start is a program of Lions Emergency Accommodation Centre Inc. (LEAC) in Nambour. It is guided by the following principles:

• participation is voluntary
• the family has the potential to change
• the change process is most successful when families prioritise their own goals
• housing stability & security is an essential basis for other change
• change occurs within a framework of respect, trust, encouragement & empowerment

What does the program involve?

The program is accessed by families who are new to the area and want to make changes in their life patterns. A family support worker will meet with you in your own home and get to know your family and their needs. The worker will assist you in identifying and setting achievable goals, plan actions and support your progress. Over time they will help you to connect with services in the community which suit your needs. The program requires a commitment from both workers and families for a minimum of three months.

What will happen once I am in the program?

The worker linked to your family will explain how the program works, answer any questions and discuss your goals and expectations with you. To determine your needs the worker will ask you to fill in an informal questionnaire. This will help you to prioritise your desired goals, and you will then be required to sign a Family Agreement contract which outlines your commitment to the program and lists your main goals.

ALL INFORMATION DISCUSSED IS CONFIDENTIAL AND WILL NOT BE SHARED WITH ANYONE OUTSIDE THE LEAC TEAM WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION.

In-home visits will then begin and you will be offered a range of supports e.g. transport, diet, planning, budgeting, parenting tips, resources, counselling, information etc.

Evaluation

Families will be given the opportunity throughout the program to give us feedback about Better Start. This will be done through:

• regular reviews with your worker
• resetting of goals
• exploring the changes that have occurred for you during your involvement with the program.

This feedback allows us to make changes that will mean an improved service to your family and others that use the program. Your family is a vital part of this change process and we welcome your input.

When do I exit the program?

Each family makes an initial 3 month commitment to the program. You can decide with your family worker how much support you will need and for how long. As a result the time frames will vary for each family but may continue for up to a year. One of the aims of the program is to assist you to increase community support for your family. This may include accessing services, joining groups, volunteering (e.g. school), forming new friendships, becoming more independent and increasing your awareness of local resources. However after exiting you may stay involved with LEAC activities & groups.