A new normal in resi care for our most vulnerable children and young people

Residential care is part of Anglicare Victoria’s out-of-home care services. We provide 31 homes for small groups of young people under the age of 18.

Anglicare Victoria are the leading agency providing care to young people in residential care homes, youth refuges for those who are homeless and in need of shelter, and a wide range of individually supported placements in the community through our Targeted Care Packages.

Throughout the 2019/20 year, our staff in these settings continued to provide the best possible care for all the children and young people who found themselves in these facilities and unable to be with their families. With the arrival of the pandemic in early 2020, Anglicare Victoria’s long-established culture of care stepped up a notch, and our staff played an important support role for the residents in such stressful times.

Our staff’s commitment to the young people in their care was unwavering in the face of the uncertainty and the rapidly-changing landscape that came with the pandemic. They adapted quickly and willingly to new practices including the wearing of personal protective gear, enhanced cleaning arrangements and strict protocols when entering and leaving the houses.

“What’s a pandemic?”

For some of our young people, the news reports were confusing and overwhelming. On-the-spot education from our staff and the role modelling of pandemic-safe behaviour helped to build understanding. Staff adapted their approaches to working with young people to embed physical distancing requirements, which helped ease anxiety in the young people, and continuing the caring and supportive environment that our homes are known for.

“Does this mean we don’t have to go to school?”

When the schools closed, our carers became daytime educators for our young people in care. Providing routine and structure became the focus. Children were set up in different areas to reduce disruption. Rapport building became vital, and overall, relationships between the staff and the residents strengthened. The TEACHaR program also delivered education packs which included board games, craft activities and puzzles to keep everyone busy and engaged.

Of our children and young people in residential care who were at school before COVID-19, 72 per cent engaged in remote learning during lockdown with staff support.

During Skype check-ins with his case-manager, a young boy engaged in online games and activities played through an app. He took the iPad for a tour around the house and was able to tell a story about the positive and negative sides of COVID-19. With their connections maintained, relationships emerged from the hard times stronger than ever as restrictions began to ease.

The same level of care in very different times.

Anglicare Victoria’s residential care staff were challenged, but not fazed, by the need to maintain a loving home for everyone during a health emergency. With visiting and other access restrictions placed on the houses, our staff created online platforms for our young people to use where they could chat and connect with family and friends. The much-needed counselling, psychologist, GP, and paediatrician appointments for our clients continued successfully online, which for many children was less confronting than a face-to-face meeting.

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