Education is key to breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage, and every young person should be able to access education that meets their needs.

Across Australia, we are seeing an increase in school refusal and the number of children disengaged from mainstream education. 

Berry Street isn’t often thought of as an education provider. Still, as one of their core service offerings, they take education incredibly seriously and are always investing in new and innovative programs to meet young people where they’re at. 

In this episode, Podcast Host Richelle Hunt talks to Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Berry Street. He manages trauma-informed education through the Berry Street School, an independent specialist secondary school, and the Berry Street Education Model. 

Richelle also meets Louise Childs, Lead Teacher at the Berry Street School. She provides great insight into how different the Berry Street School operates compared to mainstream schools, and what they’re learning from this model.



Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

Education is key to breaking the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage, and every young person should be able to access education that meets their needs.
Across Australia, we are seeing an increase in school refusal and the number of children disengaged from mainstream education. 
Berry Street isn’t often thought of as an education provider. Still, as one of their core service offerings, they take education incredibly seriously and are always investing in new and innovative programs to meet young people where they’re at. 
In this episode, Podcast Host Richelle Hunt talks to Tom Brunzell, Director of Education at Berry Street. He manages trauma-informed education through the Berry Street School, an independent specialist secondary school, and the Berry Street Education Model. 
Richelle also meets Louise Childs, Lead Teacher at the Berry Street School. She provides great insight into how different the Berry Street School operates compared to mainstream schools, and what they’re learning from this model.
 
Stories from Berry Street is produced for<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/"> Berry Street</a> by:
<a href="soundcartel.com.au">SoundCartel</a> +61 3 9882 8333

For nearly 150 years Berry Street has dedicated itself to keeping children, young people and families safe, thriving and hopeful. Yet today, in Australia, rates of family violence, abuse and neglect are higher than ever before.

Join Richelle Hunt, ABC radio presenter, host of the Conversation Hour, and now host of the Stories from Berry Street Podcast, to find out why, and to explore the work Berry Street is doing to create real change.

Richelle talks to some of the most dedicated people at Berry Street about how they're addressing issues like childhood trauma, family violence and providing safe homes and schools. 

These problems are hard and they're real, but they're also too easy to ignore. Raising healthy, happy children and keeping them safe, takes a village. So, what's needed and how can we all play a part?



Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

For nearly 150 years Berry Street has dedicated itself to keeping children, young people and families safe, thriving and hopeful. Yet today, in Australia, rates of family violence, abuse and neglect are higher than ever before.
Join Richelle Hunt, ABC radio presenter, host of the Conversation Hour, and now host of the Stories from Berry Street Podcast, to find out why, and to explore the work Berry Street is doing to create real change.
Richelle talks to some of the most dedicated people at Berry Street about how they're addressing issues like childhood trauma, family violence and providing safe homes and schools. 
These problems are hard and they're real, but they're also too easy to ignore. Raising healthy, happy children and keeping them safe, takes a village. So, what's needed and how can we all play a part?
 
Stories from Berry Street is produced for<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/"> Berry Street</a> by:
<a href="soundcartel.com.au">SoundCartel</a> +61 3 9882 8333

Stories from Berry Street

Trauma Informed Education

Thousands of children and young people across Australia can’t live safely at home. They need to be removed and placed into out-of-home care. The best models are typically kinship care and foster care.  However, there are serious pressures on these models.

We’re seeing a large decrease in the number of people willing to become foster carers. And the children and young people needing out-of-home care, presenting with ever more complex needs and behaviours.

And with a decrease in the number of people becoming foster carers, the pressure on residential care is increasing. 

So, Berry Street has found a program that cares for traumatised young people, and maximises their recovery, it’s called PIC - Professional Individualised Care.

Implementing PIC in Victoria, however,  is not a simple exercise.

In this episode of Stories from Berry Street, Richelle Hunt speaks to James Stubbs, Director of Berry Street’s Northern Region, about what PIC could mean for Berry Street and the people in need of extra special care right now. She also talks to Jarrod Wheatley, CEO of PIC in NSW, who explains the success he’s had with the program and the challenges around rolling it out. 



IMPORTANT STATISTICS


Nationally, approximately 46,200 children were in out-of-home care at 30 June 2021 – a rate of 8 per 1,000 children, of these nearly 3,500 were in residential care. (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2020-21/contents/out-of-home-care/how-many-children-were-in-out-of-home-care) 


According to the FCAV, there was a 26% drop in interested carers going through the accreditation process in 2023. This is coupled with more carers exiting the system (https://www.fcav.org.au/assets/docs/fcav-annual-report-2023.pdf) 
The total cost of protective intervention and OOHC services for children living in OOHC was $709 million in FY17-18 (https://www.berrystreet.org.au/uploads/main/Files/SVA-ResearchPaper-TheEconomicCaseForEarlyIntervention-2019.pdf)





Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

Thousands of children and young people across Australia can’t live safely at home. They need to be removed and placed into out-of-home care. The best models are typically kinship care and foster care.  However, there are serious pressures on these models.
We’re seeing a large decrease in the number of people willing to become foster carers. And the children and young people needing out-of-home care, presenting with ever more complex needs and behaviours.
And with a decrease in the number of people becoming foster carers, the pressure on residential care is increasing. 
So, Berry Street has found a program that cares for traumatised young people, and maximises their recovery, it’s called PIC - Professional Individualised Care.
Implementing PIC in Victoria, however,  is not a simple exercise.
In this episode of Stories from Berry Street, Richelle Hunt speaks to James Stubbs, Director of Berry Street’s Northern Region, about what PIC could mean for Berry Street and the people in need of extra special care right now. She also talks to Jarrod Wheatley, CEO of PIC in NSW, who explains the success he’s had with the program and the challenges around rolling it out. 
 
IMPORTANT STATISTICS
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Nationally, approximately 46,200 children were in out-of-home care at 30 June 2021 – a rate of 8 per 1,000 children, of these nearly 3,500 were in residential care. (<a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2020-21/contents/out-of-home-care/how-many-children-were-in-out-of-home-care">https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/child-protection/child-protection-australia-2020-21/contents/out-of-home-care/how-many-children-were-in-out-of-home-care</a>) 
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
According to the FCAV, there was a 26% drop in interested carers going through the accreditation process in 2023. This is coupled with more carers exiting the system (<a href="https://www.fcav.org.au/assets/docs/fcav-annual-report-2023.pdf">https://www.fcav.org.au/assets/docs/fcav-annual-report-2023.pdf</a>) 
</li>
<li>The total cost of protective intervention and OOHC services for children living in OOHC was $709 million in FY17-18 (<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/uploads/main/Files/SVA-ResearchPaper-TheEconomicCaseForEarlyIntervention-2019.pdf">https://www.berrystreet.org.au/uploads/main/Files/SVA-ResearchPaper-TheEconomicCaseForEarlyIntervention-2019.pdf</a>)</li>
</ul>
 
 
Stories from Berry Street is produced for<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/"> Berry Street</a> by:
<a href="soundcartel.com.au">SoundCartel</a> +61 3 9882 8333

Bringing a new model of care to Victoria

The Child Protection system is overburdened with more children being removed from their homes than ever. Vulnerable families and carers are struggling with the cost of living, housing instability and mental health issues. Early intervention is an area that if funded and resourced correctly,  can help ease this burden and support families before they spiral out of control. 

To explore the real-world benefits of early intervention programs, Richelle Hunt is talking to Tim Pedlow, Berry Street’s Regional Director in South East Victoria. Tim also oversees the Multisystemic Therapy program or (MST). Richelle also speaks to Laura Vainikka, Clinical Supervisor for MST.

Here too, are some sobering statistics that put the need for early intervention into stark focus:

- Investing approximately $150 million annually over 10 years, will deliver cumulative net savings of $1.6 billion to the Victorian child protection and out-of-home care system alone. 

- Approximately 1,200 children would be prevented from entering out-of-home care or progressing to residential care every year.

SVA Report Summary, the Economic Case for Early Intervention 2019.pdf


The cost of late intervention in Australia is modelled to cost $15.2 billion each year 

Teager et al, 2019: How Australia can invest early and return more: A new look at the 15b cost and opportunity





Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

The Child Protection system is overburdened with more children being removed from their homes than ever. Vulnerable families and carers are struggling with the cost of living, housing instability and mental health issues. Early intervention is an area that if funded and resourced correctly,  can help ease this burden and support families before they spiral out of control. 
To explore the real-world benefits of early intervention programs, Richelle Hunt is talking to Tim Pedlow, Berry Street’s Regional Director in South East Victoria. Tim also oversees the Multisystemic Therapy program or (MST). Richelle also speaks to Laura Vainikka, Clinical Supervisor for MST.
Here too, are some sobering statistics that put the need for early intervention into stark focus:
- Investing approximately $150 million annually over 10 years, will deliver cumulative net savings of $1.6 billion to the Victorian child protection and out-of-home care system alone. 
- Approximately 1,200 children would be prevented from entering out-of-home care or progressing to residential care every year.
<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/uploads/main/Files/SVA-ReportSummary-TheEconomicCaseForEarlyIntervention-2019.pdf.pdf">SVA Report Summary, the Economic Case for Early Intervention 2019.pdf</a>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The cost of late intervention in Australia is modelled to cost $15.2 billion each year 
</li>
</ul>
<a href="https://colab.thekids.org.au/siteassets/media-docs---colab/coli/how-australia-can-invest-in-children-and-return-more----final-bn-not-embargoed.pdf">Teager et al, 2019: How Australia can invest early and return more: A new look at the 15b cost and opportunity</a>
 
 
Stories from Berry Street is produced for<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/"> Berry Street</a> by:
<a href="soundcartel.com.au">SoundCartel</a> +61 3 9882 8333

Early Intervention

Family violence and abuse take shape in our minds, they’re tangible and we can understand these kinds of harm. However, when it comes to neglect, there are many contributing actions or inactions, that we may not have even considered. 

Host, Richelle Hunt explores the breadth of what constitutes neglect, with Annette Jackson, Executive Director of Statewide Services at Berry Street. She is responsible for many of the organisation’s big, innovative programs, including Take Two therapeutic services, the Berry Street School and the Berry Street Education Model. 

Annette also recently completed a PhD looking at the worldwide prevalence of, and response to childhood neglect.

In 2023, the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS)* team published the primary outcomes of a study that sought to identify for the first time how many Australians in the general population experienced any of the five types of child abuse and neglect. It found that a large percentage of Australians (aged 16-65+) have experienced some form of child maltreatment: 

32% have experienced physical abuse, 28.5% have experienced sexual abuse, 30.9% emotional abuse, 8.9% neglect and 39.6% have had exposure to domestic and family violence.

Note: Emotional neglect data was included under emotional abuse, so neglect is under-represented in these figures.



*2023 the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) https://www.acms.au/findings/



Stories from Berry Street is produced for Berry Street by:

SoundCartel
+61 3 9882 8333

Family violence and abuse take shape in our minds, they’re tangible and we can understand these kinds of harm. However, when it comes to neglect, there are many contributing actions or inactions, that we may not have even considered. 
Host, Richelle Hunt explores the breadth of what constitutes neglect, with Annette Jackson, Executive Director of Statewide Services at Berry Street. She is responsible for many of the organisation’s big, innovative programs, including Take Two therapeutic services, the Berry Street School and the Berry Street Education Model. 
Annette also recently completed a PhD looking at the worldwide prevalence of, and response to childhood neglect.
In 2023, the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS)* team published the primary outcomes of a study that sought to identify for the first time how many Australians in the general population experienced any of the five types of child abuse and neglect. It found that a large percentage of Australians (aged 16-65+) have experienced some form of child maltreatment: 
32% have experienced physical abuse, 28.5% have experienced sexual abuse, 30.9% emotional abuse, 8.9% neglect and 39.6% have had exposure to domestic and family violence.
Note: Emotional neglect data was included under emotional abuse, so neglect is under-represented in these figures.
 
*2023 the Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) <a href="https://www.acms.au/findings/">https://www.acms.au/findings/</a> 
 
Stories from Berry Street is produced for<a href="https://www.berrystreet.org.au/"> Berry Street</a> by:
<a href="soundcartel.com.au">SoundCartel</a> +61 3 9882 8333

Trauma Informed Education

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