2012 / 2013

Dads in Distress Support Services Annual Report

Help and Hope for Separated Dads

Contents Overview ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Chairman – Dean Mason ......................................................................................................................................... 6 Outcomes 2012 – 2013 ............................................................................................................................................ 9 Strategies for 2013 – 2014..................................................................................................................................... 10 Chief Executive Officer – Barry Guidera ............................................................................................................. 11 National Volunteer Coordinator Report – Alan Valja ......................................................................................... 13 Regional Coordinator Reports ............................................................................................................................. 14 Helpline Operations and the Mid North Coast, Coffs Harbour – Jeff Lindsay ............................................. 14 Victoria – Laurence Anderson .......................................................................................................................... 15 Western Sydney & New South Wales – Phil York ........................................................................................... 17 Relationships ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Finance ................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................... 20

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Overview Our Vision The vision of Dads in Distress Support Services is to set the national benchmark for the provision of support for men going through the trauma of divorce, separation or relationship breakdown, ensuring their safety and wellbeing. Our Mission 1. To provide appropriate, effective and accessible services, resources and support for men going through the trauma of separation, divorce and relationship breakdown. 2. To advocate and lobby for equity in the funding for, and the provision of services and resources for men experiencing relationship breakdowns. 3. To lobby the appropriate authorities to ensure equity in Australian Family Law. Our Aims 1. To provide a safe forum for men going through the trauma of divorce, separation or relationship breakdown to express their grief. 2. To support men both in and out of the group confines. 3. To nurture, validate and stabilise men going through the trauma of separation, divorce or relationship breakdown. 4. By the very nature of our sharing, guide men to become the cause of their future and not be the result of their past. 5. To not denigrate women but promote self-awareness of men and guide them towards a positive outlook to the future. 6. To not discriminate by race, colour, creed or circumstance of that which men have come to seek assistance. 7. To not be judgemental or moralise and to keep total anonymity to those who have sought our help. 8. To remember our basic function is to be a safety net for men going through the trauma of separation, divorce or relationship breakdown. 9. To encourage, nurture and support men to continue their father - son/daughter relationships with their children. 10. To encourage men to continue with emotional and financial support of their families for the sake of their children Our Goals 1. To earn a national reputation for outstanding service delivery, and a status of being the preferred point of referral for separated men and early intervention for those experiencing family breakdown. This will be achieved by developing and maintaining effective quality control

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systems (recruitment, training, supervision) to ensure that all facilitators, 1300 operators, and buddies deliver consistently high quality support to those in need. 2. To be respected as a leader within the community services sector for early intervention work and for stemming the tide of social and parental isolation, by capturing and meaningfully reporting in innovative and constructive ways, the benefits experienced by recipients of DIDSS support. 3. To achieve a substantial national presence, by establishing a strong weekly group in at least every major capital city and regional centre, and that most people in those cities or centres have access to. 4. To be regarded by the majority of the Australian public as a legitimate and effective voice for fathers in matters of relevant national policy and public debate, by raising awareness of relevant issues at the national level of government and agency policy development and practice. To achieve our goals, primarily DIDSS provides support through the following activities:  Telephone Helpline Service Supporting separated men and their families around the country using a peer-support approach.  Support groups Weekly evening meetings for men in several locations around Australia led by trained volunteers (implemented a mothers group in late 2012).  One-on-One Support Staff or field volunteers provide face-to-face or over the phone support in locations without an active group meeting.  Referral Networks Continually developing two-way referral networks to ensure all recipients of our support can be referred to the most effective services and resources available to match their specific circumstances.  Advocacy Specific issues and cases are regularly taken up with agencies, government departments and policy makers.  Website Comprehensive news, resources, information and personal experiences. The DIDSS support group is generally 2-3 hours long and is facilitated weekly on a midweek evening. Each support group is comprised of two sections – known as Part 1 & 2.  

The 1st Part of the group enables men to share something of their current situation with other men and hear how other men are responding to their own situations. The 2nd Part of the group is dynamic discussion that responds to the specific needs of participants who are attending that evening. The 2nd Part (depending on the level of trust and understanding) of the group enhances the learning and the value of change for all participants by way of introducing shared learning. This engages the group and leads them to greater learning from each other’s experiences and ideas.

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The DIDSS group program has been endorsed by the Institute of Group Leaders (IGL), which consists of an expert working group of specialists in the field of group leadership. It is a non-profit organisation that aims to increase the knowledge and skills of group leaders operating in a wide variety of settings. The Institute of Group Leaders endorsements empowers us with the ability to train and accredit our group facilitators to the level required to conduct a DIDSS peer support group meeting. This provides us with the means to ensure that all of our groups around Australia operate under a similar format; evaluation has shown that this process generally produces positive outcomes for the participants. DIDSS will soon release an evaluation report produced by Andrew King from Groupwork solutions and based on extensive surveys conducted in 2012 on our group attendees and Helpline callers. The report’s purpose is to review the descriptive data about who accessed the service during this time and what impact the program had on their life using existing reporting tools. The report also identifies new protocols and tools required for the implementation of a larger evaluation study of DIDSS data over a 6-month period. Quoted from the report; Many clients interviewed reported very high levels of feeling:  Less isolated and alone.  Being respected.  That they would recommend the service to other separated fathers.  Satisfied with the service they received. They also reported high levels of feeling that:  They supported other men in the group by participating.  They witnessed other fathers overcome significant obstacles and remain connected to their child/ren.  If their situation escalated leaving them in a high level of distress, they would re-attend a DIDSS meeting again.

2012 Group Attendees by State 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 NSW

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VIC

QLD

WA

Annual Report 2012/13

ACT

Total

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DIDSS have established a Mums in Distress Support Services (MIDSS) peer group in Parramatta (Western Sydney), and it has been operating since December 2012 with a regular, healthy amount of participants attending. The need for the group came about from the ever increasing contact from mums experiencing similar trauma to dads through divorce and separation, and finding there was little support service available and being offered to them. The reality is that mums suffer similar anxieties as dads when separated from their children and are faced with the related issues. This can prove devastating not only to the parents, but first and foremost reflect on the children – the ones who can potentially suffer the most.

From a Helpline caller: “I just wanted to say thank you. On March 5th my former partner and her father misrepresented the law to me and in events that were highly traumatic to both myself and my children 'evicted' me from my house. The following day I was so distraught our (marriage guidance) counsellor referred me to the police and hospital in the fear I may be suicidal. Medical records now show this wasn't the case I was just affected by the stress. Many friends 'didn't want to take sides' and I shuffled from house to house trying to get my mind and life back in order. A couple of days later I called your helpline. The guy I spoke to actually didn't offer a lot of practical help but spoke 5 magical words "are you ok my friend' for the first time in days someone had not passed judgement, told me they didn't want to be involved he simply expressed in a genuine way that he felt my pain and cared. You cannot imagine how much this meant. A few days later (having not seen me for 8 days) she did the 'police station run' raised an AVO and I am now subjected to the pains of this, limited access to my kids and a battle ahead. Whatever happens, I'll never know who said those words but thank you for them and the feeling behind them.”

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Chairman – Dean Mason Dear Members and Friends, I am proud to be ending my three year term as Chairman with this report on another year of strongly united efforts by volunteers and staff. We can all be confident that DIDSS is a much more robust organisation than it has ever been. Our capability to provide a consistently high standard of peer support to anyone coming to us for help has been particularly bolstered in the last 12 months with our focus on strengthening the group meeting format and on qualifying all of our volunteers to the DIDSS standard. Achieving Institute of Group Leaders (IGL) accreditation for our group process was a noteworthy highlight. Through our groups, Helpline, one-on-one support, and the web-site, thousands of people have benefitted from our continued development. Equally, I remain profoundly aware of the enormous amount of distress in the community arising from the over 50,000 family breakups each year, plus the enormous cumulative pressure from previous years, that we are still not able to reach. Even if an effort like ours can never be finished we must acknowledge our achievements, no matter how small, and strengthen our resolve to continue to improve and expand the support we provide. At this year’s AGM Gehan, our Treasurer, will also be stepping down after three years of Board service. Consistently a caring and grounded contributor to all Board business, Gehan’s superb skills and experience in financial management have been a wonderful asset to our overall governance effort. As a result, we have an exceptionally strong and – most importantly for us who are not so financially literate – easy-to-follow financial reporting structure in place. On behalf of the Board and all DIDSS members, I express my whole-hearted gratitude for the tireless effort he has made over this time.

The DIDSS board at head office in Coffs Harbour, NSW – ‘The Mud Huts’. Dean, Alan, Andrew, Ron, Gehan and Jim

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With great pleasure I am pleased to report that continuing Board members, Jim Morris (Vice Chairman), Andrew King, Alan Valja, and Ron Macris are all firmly committed to serving at least another 12 months and to supporting the induction of three new incoming Board members (one to be elected, two to be appointed after the next AGM). This will provide a smooth transition for a new Chairman and a new Treasurer, and it will ensure we maintain a healthy focus on achieving the major goals we have set ourselves in our current five year plan (see pages 2 &3). We are fortunate to have received continued project funding from FAHCSIA through to June 2014. Modest as it is, this funding enables us to maintain concerted support and network development activities in three specific regions, and to deliver specialist advice for CSA policy development. The Western suburbs of Sydney, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and the Mid North Coast in NSW are all benefitting from having active DIDSS groups, (+ one MIDSS group in Parramatta) and coordinators on the ground working with people in need and connecting them with other agencies for specialist support. Our survey work around CSA policies has been especially successful in providing insightful grass roots feedback on policy matters of particular concern to our members and to FAHCSIA. Many organisations and individuals have donated generously throughout the year. These funds are vital for us to maintain our 1300 Helpline service, that receives no government funds, and we are very thankful for those who extend their giving to our work in this way. We are grateful too for the continued service and stewardship of Barry our CEO; our regional coordinators Laurence Anderson, Phil York, and Jeff Lindsay; our National Volunteer Coordinator Alan Valja, and; Mac Werner on the Helpline. Working with such limited resources to meet such a diverse range of needs, widely spread geographically, is a complex challenge. On behalf of the Board and all our members I applaud Barry and the team for their continued dedication and professionalism in carrying out their duties. The evidence of their combined work can be most clearly seen in the consistently high attendance rates at groups in our funded areas and the impressive list of other community and support organisations with whom we have formed formal or informal referral relationships (see page 18). DIDSS volunteers represent the heart and soul of what we do and in addition to the funded areas that support groups in NSW (Coffs Harbour, Liverpool, Parramatta, and Penrith) and Vic (Frankston and Narre Warren), our volunteers have been particularly active running groups in NSW (Campbelltown, The Entrance, Forster, Newcastle), in Qld (Gold Coast), in Vic (Ashburton, Ballarat, Bayswater, Rosebud, St Albans and St Kilda), and in WA (Perth). Our Helpline also helps fill the gaps by being a point of support for callers from anywhere in the country. The number of calls has not increased this year, but the number of visits to our web-site and our Facebook page are growing dramatically (see stats elsewhere in this report). Dads in Distress Support Services

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During this past year we have also been delighted to see increasing volunteer support in administrative roles (Facebook & web-site) and regional committee roles (Newcastle, Perth, Sydney, and Vic). This is a real sign that we are growing in more sustainable ways and we hope to be building this aspect further in the year ahead. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who has offered their services in these areas outside of the conventional group and Helpline peer support roles. There is no doubt that DIDSS in 2013 provides an excellent environment for enabling and supporting anyone who wants to volunteer with us, and to do so at their best. Long may we continue to grow and reach more of those who need the special type of hope and help that our staff and volunteers provide.

Website visits 2011/12-2012/13 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000

2011/12

20,000

2012/13

15,000 10,000 5,000 0 July-Sept

Oct-Dec

Jan-March

Apr-June

Totals

Our National Board of Management is a dedicated team of six volunteers who meet monthly and who also participate in various working party and other development activities. Attendance at the 11 Board meetings since the 2012 AGM: Dean Mason (Chairman) 11, Jim Morris (Vice-Chairman) 8, Gehan Wijegoonewardane (Treasurer) 11, Alan Valja 10, Ron Macris 8, Andrew King 9

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Outcomes 2012 – 2013 Between July 2012 and June 2013 we achieved the following key business development outcomes. From July to December 2012 our major goal was to implement a suitable quality assurance framework and ensure that our current group, buddy, and 1300 services are being delivered to the required standard. To achieve this and other key goals we:  Established the most urgent policies and procedures.  Ensured that all FSP policy and procedure requirements were suitably addressed, along with the Australian Charities Not-for Profit Commission (ACNC) reform agenda.  Assessed and qualified all of our volunteers to an appropriate standard of competency in relation to their group facilitation, 1300 support, or buddy activity. From January to June 2013 a number of national development Initiatives were undertaken to build capacity and support growth, these included:  Developing a ‘ready to execute, subject to funding’ business plan for the establishment of a new DIDSS centre incorporating one full-time worker and at least one active group.  Preparing a plan to create a partnership model within the funded areas for executing from July 2013.  Quality Assurance for groups: The National Volunteer Coordinator visited most active groups.  Commenced a pilot of the camp-fire model for the second part of the meeting, with a view to implementing it nationally in the first half of 2013-2014.

Number of Phone Calls by volunteers 2012-2013 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 -

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Strategies for 2013 – 2014 From July to December 2013 our major goal will be to build relationships and identify opportunities for new funding from July 2014. To achieve this goal we will aim to:  Strengthen the Board with suitably qualified new members and have a smooth transition to the new Board after the 10/10/13 AGM.  Establish Board sub-committees and regional committees, with suitably qualified members and with a view to building relationships and identifying funding opportunities, for both project funding and non-project or general fund raising.  Undertake strategic discussions with potential partners for 1) funding our ‘ready to execute, subject to funding’ business plan developed in the first half of 2013, and; 2) implementing a partnership model as developed in the first half of 2013 for currently funded areas.  Maintain a concerted effort in establishing the most urgent policies and procedures, and; maintain and improve the quality standards established for group work and Helpline support, while gradually increasing volunteer participation in these activities. From January to June 2014 we will continue to build capacity and to support growth by:  Progressing strategic discussions with potential partners for 1) funding our ‘ready to execute, subject to funding’ business plan developed in the first half of 2013, and; 2) implementing a partnership model as developed in the first half of 2013 for currently funded areas.  Consolidating the operation and participation of regional committees and Board subcommittees.  Continuing a concerted effort in establishing the most urgent policies and procedures, and; maintaining and improving the quality standards established for group work and Helpline support, while gradually increasing volunteer participation in these activities.  Focusing on increasing volunteer participation in the delivery of our core services of groups, Helpline service, and website, and on re-invigorating buddy work with proper quality controls. From a group attendee: “Thank you for coming to the court with us on Monday, my wife and I felt supported and cared for by your skill and kindness and support of our son. It would be a lonely and confusing journey without someone who has a few clues on how to navigate this sort of situation. Well, we will get there eventually. I’m pleased to report that I have made intake appointments with the man you referred and his Ex, I think we may make some positive progress on the basis of my conversation in making both appointments.”

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Chief Executive Officer – Barry Guidera 2012/13 was a year when a great deal of our resources were allocated to our governance structure and ensuring that we are compliant with the requirements of our funders and the recently formed Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). There has been a need to review and establish a number of policies and procedures, which will be an ongoing process for some time. Over 50 of our volunteers around Australia have been involved in the accreditation process, and our coordinators have visited and assessed the majority of our groups to ensure that they are functioning well with positive outcomes for the participants. Given our limited resources, capacity, and the geographical spread of our groups (many are located outside of our funded regions), this has been a challenging task, and one we will continue with the introduction of a new manual as accredited by the Institute of Group Leaders. The pilot Mums in Distress Support Services (MIDSS) group in Parramatta has been going very well, and kudos must be given to the volunteer facilitators Fiona and Anita, and the DIDSS Western Sydney coordinator Phil York for the effort they have put in to make the group a reality. We will soon be able to analyse the trial and identify what the future may be for MIDSS. It has been gratifying to see the amount of confidence DIDSS has gained in a wide variety of forums over the last year or two, from local communities through to high levels of government and private organisations. We continue to have a seat with the Child Support National Stakeholders Engagement Group (CSNSEG), have been invited onto the Family & Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) consumer advisory panel, and sit on a number of Family Law Pathway Network committees. Some of the events DIDSS have presented at, or will present at during 2013, are the;     

National Men’s Health Gathering in Brisbane Institute of Group Leaders conference in Sydney Family & Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) annual conference in Canberra Suicide Prevention conference in Greater Western Sydney Engaging Men conference in Newcastle

We are fortunate to have many volunteers in a variety of roles around Australia, and helping them to continue their good work have been some outstanding efforts in head office. John, Gina, and Dennis have been coming into the office three days a week for some time and their work has been a tremendous help to the whole organisation in a number of ways. Recently Edwina has taken on the

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task of developing and improving our website, and regular visitors to our site will have noticed the great work Edwina has done. Our staff consistently remain at the coal face working with people whose lives have dramatically changed, and are under extreme pressure in an extra-ordinary situation given the issues they are facing. We remain aware and committed to ensuring that our staffs health and wellbeing are a priority while they perform these challenging duties. A huge thank you to Laurence, Phil, Alan, Jeff and Mac for their efforts and for their continued support provided to me, and for their input into making DIDSS the great organisation that it is.

Facebook Page Views 2011/122012/13 300,000 250,000 200,000 2011/12

150,000

2012/13

100,000 50,000 0 July-Sept

Oct-Dec

Jan-March Apr-June

Totals

From a Helpline caller through our Facebook page; “Thank you. An amazing service I should have turned to a long time ago. But glad when I did. The results of that discussion helped and a false assault charge against me by my ex. It gave me focus in my turmoil on who to contact and what to do for myself and my children. I still have some family court battles to fight for interim orders and I have to start a legal battle to see my step daughter of 8 years I am deliberately refused contact with… but I have confidence now something is achievable and why something is better than the nothing I have now. Thank you DIDSS.”

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National Volunteer Coordinator Report – Alan Valja There has been a steady stream of people contacting us about volunteer roles at DIDSS, with approximately 250 inquiries within the last twelve months. Some of these become facilitators or group supporters, and some actively work in distributing DIDSS promotional materials around the country. We have managed to work with most of the group facilitators to have them accredited with the DIDSS group process, and continue to support them and monitor the way they conduct the group meetings. During the year we have gradually been introducing the ‘Campfire’ concept as an option for the second part of the meetings, which is proving to be a way for the whole group to make positive contributions, and relieving the facilitator of some responsibilities. We will continue to develop the concept in the most effective way we can with our restricted resources. Locally the Coffs Harbour group has gained momentum and has strengthened with a solid number of core members attending most weeks, which greatly assists to give the new members a gauge as to what can happen if the meetings are attended regularly. It also helps to reduce social isolation and conducting events such as a Bunnings BBQ assists to build the mateship and empowerment that comes with helping others. Looking forward, we are establishing processes that will enable potential volunteers to better identify their relevant role via an improved website system, allowing more effective engagement of an increased number of active volunteers throughout Australia.

Hours worked for DIDSS by active volunteers per state 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 -

9,408

6,021

2,730

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12

2

223

399

Annual Report 2012/13

21

-

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Regional Coordinator Reports Helpline Operations and the Mid North Coast, Coffs Harbour – Jeff Lindsay The 1300 support line has remained consistent over the last 12 months with 16% of the callers being females calling for their sons, husbands, friends, grandchildren and new partners. Many of our calls are related to Intervention Violence Orders, Child Support issues, and quite often denied accusations. Lately we have been receiving many complementary calls from men who have utilised DIDSS services by attending meetings, calling our Helpline, or accessing our website. This show of gratitude is greatly appreciated by all operators and makes the effort and time the staff and volunteers apply to the task worthwhile. Alan and I have attended a number of conferences and training workshops throughout the year, including the highly successful local Family Law Pathway Network conference. Networking the local area continues to be fruitful with many clients being referred to our office and/or weekly meetings. We managed a stall in the city centre mall to promote men’s health week which gave great exposure to both DIDSS and the local men’s alliance, and highlighted the need for men to take care of themselves both physically and mentally. We attended an Aboriginal health week Expo where we were able to engage a number of local aboriginal male and female elders who acknowledge the work DIDSS does in the area. I feel that the last 12 months commitment and dedication shown by Barry, Alan, Mac and recently Dennis in Coffs head office, and Phil, Laurence and all the volunteers around Australia has helped to make this essential work so effective for those in need of our services.

Helpline calls logged 2011/122012/13 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0

2011/12 2012/13

July-Sept

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Jan-March

Apr-June

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Victoria – Laurence Anderson It’s hard to believe that this year was my 9th with this fantastic organisation. On a personal level, when I think back over this time in my life, I don’t see pictures of graphs, tables and other reportable data, I see the faces and relive the inspiring stories of all the parents behind those statistics. However impressive reports may look, for the hundreds of dads and mums who access DIDSS in Victoria each year, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about their experience of DIDSS, and the quality of the service they receive from the moment they pick up the phone or log into our website to ask us for our help. DIDSS is one of many service providers parents access when facing relationship problems or family breakdown, each has its own specific issue focus, intake process and criteria, engagement strategy, strengths and limitations. All families experiencing unmanaged post separation conflict are vulnerable, and a high percentage of parents we see are also disadvantaged. Other than parental conflict and family violence, dads (particularly those who are working) still struggle to navigate and access services when they need them most. We see parents with multiple barriers to remaining connected with their children, long waiting times to access some services, loss of family and social support, access to appropriate housing, mental and physical health issues, transport, language and literacy problems, cultural barriers, unemployment, problems accessing legal advice and support, immigration and even cross border issues and child abduction. Any one of these barriers can be challenging, but a combination can be and often is completely overwhelming. We have been working nationally to identify what it is that makes what we do so effective for the clients who seek our support, and what sets DIDSS apart in the family support space. We have conducted the largest survey of our support group participants and helpline callers we have ever undertaken. After combining those results with what we know through our extensive regional service provider and practitioner networks, and our stakeholder role with Family Relationship Centres, Child Support Agency, Family Law Pathways Network, Local Magistrates Courts and the like, it’s important to talk about 3 key strengths that drive the great survey results and outcomes we see; 1. DIDSS does “timely” very well. There is no waiting period to access our service and no complicated criteria to meet, or lengthy process for intake. 2. Our service does not “time out”. Once a client has engaged, they and other family members can continue to access our groups, phone and one on one support for as long as required. Other than service provider referrals and parents self-referring via information on our website, one of the strongest referral pathways we have is from the families and parents we have provided support to in the past.

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3. Our service is “connected” and “integrated”. We don’t achieve the results for our clients that we do by working alone. We continually work to forge new relationships and work collaboratively with other organisations and professionals locally to ensure that the cross referral pathways we develop are as warm and effective, and as multi-disciplined as possible. As we move our focus towards 2014, it’s business as usual in Victoria. Following our successful 2013 partnership in events like the “What Men Really Think About” public forums, the Australian premier screenings of the American documentary “ABSENT” and The Sunday Male radio program, we will continue working to find innovative ways to engage with parents and promote our service regionally. We will continue our work on the various stakeholder groups, regional committees and networks that support the development of new referral pathways, resource and information sharing between participating service providers, individual practitioners and community based programs like ours. I am particularly excited about being invited to present at the 10th National Men’s Health Gathering in October, and the Family Relationship Services Australia National Conference in November, which is recognition of not just my work, but the work of all our staff and volunteers across Australia. Finally, it’s not just our client’s stories and good outcomes that motivate and inspire me. It is also the work and personal achievements of our many volunteers; Congratulations to Anthony Lekkas from our St Kilda service for completing his double degree, to Garth Phillips of our Bayswater service for completing his Masters in Psychology, to Brett Johnson in Ballarat who completed his Diploma in Drug and Alcohol Counselling, and to Pierre Uri from our Dromana service who completed his double Diploma in Counselling and Community Development. As well as academic achievements, Pete Nowosielski, who has been working with his co-author Eric De Bruyn on their book “Separate Well or Separation Hell”, has completed editing and it looks like being published this year. I would like to thank all of our Victorian volunteers, our regional committee members, the students on placements with us and the professionals and agencies who support us in the challenging work we do. From a mother with a distressed son; “I am not sure where to go to say that the support service that I received today was the most helpful support that I could have wished for in this time of my life. I phoned in desperation as to where to go for my son on Sunday. I did not leave a message and the support line phoned me back. I spoke with Alan today (I am in Brisbane) and he was my life line for today. Thank you very much Alan and thank you 'Dads in Distress'”

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Western Sydney & New South Wales – Phil York The Western Sydney Project continues to build and establish stronger links and referral pathways to other services. We have partnered with many other organisations and our ability to collaborate and work effectively with them has been encouraging. The highlights have been: Our Weekly DIDSS groups operating effectively, and all volunteers have now been leaders in their groups for over two years. Our group leader training forums were attended with great participation and a real passion by our volunteers to learn more so they can effectively lead their individual groups. Working more with the Aboriginal dads over the past year has been fantastic; I’ve felt honoured to have had the opportunity to spend time with some remarkable men and the elders of the Aboriginal communities in various locations around Sydney and beyond. I have learnt so much just through yarning about being a dad. I look forward to working with these men to offer a support structure that suits their wants and needs in the future. Advocacy - I have worked closely with other professional services in Western Sydney, often attending various meetings and forums to directly advocate on behalf of a parent or a group of parents with similar circumstances. The benefits are that I have learnt more about navigating different and often complex systems, and in turn have meant that I can advocate more effectively for those parents that I represent. The DIDSS Court Support Program has been assisting parents who can’t afford legal representation and are not eligible for Legal Aid to have a basic understanding of the court processes and procedures. We support them on their day in court and give them some context and a place to debrief when they exit the courtroom. We have gained support for this program from other organisations, including staff members at the various courts that see this as a real need within the courts that isn’t currently being met. After a year of planning and training, in December 2012 Mums in Distress Support Services opened their doors and their hearts to support mums that have little to no contact with their children. Thanks to the dedication and focus of a few mums it’s now turned into a service which is used by many on a weekly basis from across Sydney. The feedback from the mums who have attended has been positive, and speaks loudly around feeling understood and supported for the first time in a long time.

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Relationships In our established regions DIDSS personnel have developed links in the community with other services to identify vulnerable families, and then establish referral pathways for parents with professionals and services as appropriate to that parent’s needs. Our regional coordinators collaborate with many service providers including;    

Mensline Australia Lifeline Relationships Australia, Family Life, Interrelate, Anglicare and CatholicCare Family Relationship Centres in all funded regions

DIDSS also works with other agencies on a broader level, and have developed working relationships with;    

Family Law Pathway Networks Community Health Services Men’s Health and Wellbeing Alliances Peak bodies

In the public sector we continue to build relationships and work closely with;        

Federal Department of Human Services, comprising the Child Support Agency and Centrelink, including membership of the Child Support National and State Stakeholder Engagement Groups Commonwealth Ombudsman State Police (including the Victorian Support Link service) State Health Departments Australian Federal Police Charities such as the Salvation Army Family and Federal Circuit Courts Local Magistrates Court

The Management Team collaborate with key service provider managers, program/project workers and coordinators. There were discussions held with groups of service providers, and it is recognised that the DIDSS partnership model has been successful in engaging and collaborating with many significant service stakeholders with regard to working with fathers across the funded regions.

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Finance Income and Expenditure Statement for the year ended 30 June 2013 Item

2012-2013

2011-2012

Income Project Funding Fund-raising and donations Other Total Income Expenditure Wages and related expenses Consultants Volunteer development Telephone Advertising Web-site Other Total Expenditure

407,699 30,309 11,922 449,810

419,213 61,625 18,972 499,810

363,686 170 39,039 13,563 6,513 2,317 54,829 480,117

317,733 13,767 40,773 19,552 8,219 2,670 79,167 481,881

Surplus/(Deficit)

(30,187)

17,929

Assets and Liabilities Statement for the year ended 30 June 2013 Item Member Funds Retained Earnings Total Members Funds Current Assets Cash Debtors Total Current Assets

2012 - 2013

2011 - 2012

(30,187) 39,067

17,929 69,254

274,769 0 274,769

268,086 0 268,086

Non-Current Assets Plant & Equipment

7,088

7,280

Total Assets

281,857

275,366

Creditors Provision for Annual Leave Income in Advance Total Current Liabilities

29,709 11,108 191,496 232,313

33,886 3,411 167,960 205,257

Non-Current Liabilities Prov for Long Service Leave Total Liabilities

10,477 242,790

855 206,112

Net Assets

39,067

69,254

Current Liabilities

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Acknowledgements DIDSS was successful with two submissions to the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs Volunteer Grants for the Newcastle NSW and Victorian Regional Committees. The grants totaling $9,120 have been utilised for volunteer training, security checks and general expenses such as venue hire, fuel and phones. During the year we received significant contributions from the following organisations;

Some of our charitable donations and fundraising monies were expended on;       

The DIDSS Helpline service Promotional materials – brochures, posters and signs Board, staff and volunteer planning weekends and conferences Office equipment upgrades Group meeting program accreditation Training, accreditation and monitoring of group facilitators and volunteer Helpline operators Developing resources for governance and operational purposes

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A great story came out of funds received from ‘The Peninsula School’ on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. The year 6 class ran a marketing and sales project where the students were required to develop products, market them, and then identify three charities to donate the funds to. We were fortunate to be one of those chosen and received over $2,200 as a result of the student’s excellent work. Pierre and Ron accepting the cheque at The Peninsula School assembly

The Bunnings BBQ’s continue to be a fantastic way for our members and volunteers to: build comradeship while working together, create awareness of DIDSS, and raise funds to help cover the running costs of the local group.

DIDSS acknowledges the funding provided by the Australian Government to deliver our services

From a service provider; “Thank you for such a quick reply. We have had fathers from our school community contact your service in the past with great success and I appreciate having such a resource available.”

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