Brimbank

Youth Strategy

2020–2024

02 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Brimbank City Council acknowledges that the land the municipality now occupies has a human history that

began with Aboriginal traditional custodians, the Kulin Nation. Brimbank City Council respectfully acknowledges

the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we operate — the Wurundjeri people, and pay our respects to

elders past, present and emerging.

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 03

Contents

Introduction

Vision and Our Guiding Principles

Young People in Brimbank

Consultation with Young People

and the Youth Sector

Our Work with Young People

— Strategy Highlights

Our Framework

Aims, Objectives and Action Areas

Our Role

Our Year 1 Actions

Globalisation, new technologies, shrinking civic

space, changing labour markets and climate impacts

are very real issues being faced by young people

today. At the same time young people are ‘a vast

source of innovation, ideas and solutions and have

been pushing for needed changes in technology,

climate action, inclusivity and societal justice’.

1

This is true for young people who live, work,

study and recreate in Brimbank.

We are developing a Strategy that recognises

the pivotal role young people play in shaping our

communities and society now and into the future.

As a Council, we are committed to valuing, celebrating

and respecting young people and the contributions

they make to Brimbank and beyond. We recognise

that young people are actively and positively

developing their communities by creating positive

changes for themselves, their peers and families, and

our role is to work alongside young people to create a

place that is welcoming for all. This Strategy commits

us to a long-term vision of empowered Brimbank

citizens who have a strong sense of belonging,

equitable access to our service, and whose voices

are heard and acted upon.

1 https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/news/2018/09/

youth2030/

Strategies such as these have traditionally

focussed on young people aged 12 to 25 years.

In this age range young people are developing

physically, intellectually and emotionally, while

forming autonomous identities, building independent

social networks and initiating intimate relationships.

Many are transitioning between secondary and

tertiary education, or from education to work, and

navigating shifts away from the family home.

2

This strategy will also look to introduce services to

young people aged between 10-12 years of age.

Compared with early childhood and adolescence,

young people in the middle years have received

relatively little attention, other than how they are

doing in school. There is growing recognition that

this is a critical time when young people experience

rapid physical and mental development, in addition

to facing the significant transition from primary

to secondary school.

3

2 Vic Health. Young people, health and wellbeing strategy (2017).

VicHealth’s Strategy to promote young people’s health and wellbeing.

3 Are the kids alright? Young Australians in their middle years:

The Australian Child Wellbeing Project [acwp] 2016.

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 05

Vision

Our Guiding

Principles

Strengths based

Committed to excellence

in practice

Innovative, creative,

open to new approaches

06 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Young People in Brimbank

In 2018, Brimbank was home to 33,198 young

people aged between 12 and 24.

4

By 2021 this will grow by 5,083 to over 38,000

(see opposite), and by 2036 the number of young

people in Brimbank will have increased by 12,923

or 39 per cent.

5

The growth in the number of young people will be

significant in the Cairnlea and Sunshine district and

minimal in the Keilor and Sydenham district.

194 young people in Brimbank identify as Aboriginal

or Torres Strait Islander.

The proportion of Victorian young people who were

born overseas is 23.1 per cent. In comparison, 31.8 per

cent (10,855) of Brimbank young people were born

overseas..

TOP 5 PLACES OF BIRTH

1

Vietnam

2

India

3

New Zealand

4

Philippines

5

Sudan

3.3 per cent of Brimbank’s young people (1,120 people)

speak English ‘not well’ or ‘not at all’ compared to

1.8 per cent across Victoria as a whole.

4 ABS census update 2018.

5 Victoria in Future 2019 (VIF2019) Population and Household Projections.

6 ABS census update 2018.

Brimbank was originally inhabited

by the Kurung-]ang Balluk and

Marin-Balluk clans of the Wurundjeri

people. Subsequent waves of

migration and industrial development

have seen Brimbank became one of

the most culturally and linguistically

diverse municipalities in Victoria.

The health and wellbeing of a young person plays a

major part in supporting their capacity to navigate

this time of their lives. In 2018, Brimbank was home

to 691 young people with

disabilities

(

).

7

Having a

disability can lead to young people being excluded,

marginalised and more at risk of health issues.

With regards to health, a significant number of people

on Brimbank are

overweight or obese

. Of the 79

Local Government Areas (LGA) in Victoria, Brimbank

is fifth has the highest number of children and young

people that are obese or overweight and is also fifth

for people aged over 18.

8

Being overweight and

obese can have significant physical and mental health

impacts on young people that can also present issues

such as exclusion and marginalization.

Brimbank also has a higher percentage of people

hospitalised for Type 2

diabetes

15 years and over

(10.9 per cent vs 8.4 per cent in Melbourne metro

areas). There are also higher hospitalisation rates for

children aged 14 and under for

dental conditions

and

asthma

.

9

Brimbank is the seventh most socio-economically

disadvantaged

LGA in Victoria.

10

The measurement is

based on factors that reflect disadvantage such as low

income, minimal education and high unemployment.

11

7 ABS census update 2018.

8 AHPC: Australian Health Tracker Atlas, Data by LGA 2017.

9 BCC: Brimbank Health and Wellbeing Status Report 2017.

10 ABS Census of Population and Housing: Reflecting Australia — Stories

from the Census, 2017.

11 id the population Experts. City of Brimbank Community Profile.

PROJECTED BRIMBANK YOUTH POPULATION GROWTH

2021

2026

2031

2036

KeilorSydenham

District

Cairnlea

Sunshine

District

Overall Brimbank

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 07

In addition, just over 18 per cent of children (aged

up to 15 years) in Brimbank live in families where

neither parent is employed

. This rate is much

higher than across Greater Melbourne (average of

11.8 per cent) and is third only to Greater Dandenong

and Hume within metropolitan Melbourne.. There

are strong links between this and other indicators

of socio-economic disadvantage like high rates of

unemployment and houses that are overcrowded.

12

In 2018, 1,487 young people aged between 15 and 24

were

carers

. Carers provide unpaid care and support

to family members who have a disability, mental

illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol

or drug related problem, or who are frail aged. Young

carers in Brimbmank miss, on average, 50 school days

a year due to the carer role. Young carers can struggle

with stress and fall behind in their studies.

13

12 Brimbank Atlas of Health and Education 2nd Ed. PHIDU Torrens

University Australia (due for publication 2019/2020).

13 DHHS: Victorian Carer Strategy 2018–2022.

Adolescence and early adulthood are peak periods

during which

mental health conditions

first

emerge. 75 per cent of mental health conditions first

occur between the ages of 12 and 25 years, with

26 per cent of young Australians experiencing a

mental illness every year.

People who have experienced trauma and adverse

events in childhood, have lower incomes, lower

education, live in lower socio-economic areas and

identify as LGBTQI are more likely to develop a mental

health condition than others.

14

14 Vic Health: Mental Wellbeing Strategy 2019–2023.

08 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Youth disengagement is measured by the

numbers and percentage of young people who are

not in paid employment or enrolled in education.

In 2016, 10.3 per cent of young people in Brimbank

were disengaged, considerably higher compared to

7.5 per cent across Victoria. In addition, 34 per cent of

all people who are unemployed across Brimbank are

young people aged from 15 to 25 years old.

15

High levels of youth unemployment;

relatively lower levels of tertiary

education completion; challenges

presented by rapidly changing

worlds of work and the complexity

and nuances of young people suggest

that in Brimbank they are struggling

to navigate career pathways post

high school.

Marginalised

young people can include those

who have a disability, young carers, socioeconomically

disadvantaged and young people from culturally

and linguistically diverse backgrounds. They may

also have histories of trauma and mental health and

substance abuse problems.

16

These factors also have

a strong correlation with health complaints, bullying

and low engagement at school. Young people who are

identified as marginalised have a high concentration

of low wellbeing.

17

It is important that our Strategy and actions

include working with, supporting and empowering

marginalised young people.

15 ABS Census 2016.

16 Marginalized Young Adults: Investing in the health and well-being

of young adults. Institute of Medicine and National Research Council U.S.

(no date).

17 Are the kids alright? Young Australians in their middle years:

The Australian Child Wellbeing Project [acwp] 2016.

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 09

10 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Consultation

with Young

People and the

Youth Sector

The community developed several

community aspirations including ‘everyone

has access to education, training and lifelong

learning to support their learning and

employment aspirations’.

18

Initiatives include

‘drive coordinated action to improve youth

employment outcomes’ and ‘reduce

youth disengagement’.

Over the past year we have engaged with

more than

300 young people

in a variety of

places and ways, for example we consulted

with small groups of young people face-to-face

in facilitated workshops and focus groups.

This approach allows for great depth in data

collection and has provided other positive

outcomes including: increased trust between

young people, community and staff; employment

opportunities; and further referrals.

As part of a Review of Brimbank Youth Services

leading up to the development of this strategy,

a total of four workshops were held that

included young people, state wide youth service

agencies, western local government youth

service teams and Brimbank youth service

stakeholders. These workshops focused on a

range of possible futures and key drivers that

could influence young people’s futures and

youth services over the next ten years. 78

participants were involved in these workshops.

18 BCC: Brimbank Community Vision Collaboration 2018–21.

25

Young people were engaged in

consultation workshops to tell us

what a ‘leading and contemporary

youth service’ looks like.

87

Young people provided clear

views on how a youth recreation

centre could engage and benefit

disengaged young people.

20

Young people participated

in Young Communities

consultations in Deer Park,

Sydenham and Sunshine.

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 11

100+

Young people contributed

to Council’s Youth Jobs Strategy,

informing us of the barriers

and facilitators to successful

employment.

35

Young people attended

our Climate Emergency Summit

voicing numerous, innovative

ideas to act on climate change.

20

Young people developed

our Youth Participation and

Engagement Model.

19

Young people participated in

interviews to help us investigate

the role of our Youth Services in

supporting young people into work

experience and employment.

17

Young people told us what

is important in the design and

provision of a community hub

and library.

12 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Our Work with Young People

— Strategy Highlights

Young people have greater control over their lives

when they are included, can participate and influence

real time outcomes. They possess the contemporary,

real-world knowledge and experience of issues and

opportunities impacting them and their communities.

Therefore it makes sense to engage with young

people and for them to speak for themselves.

19

Periods of transition (see opposite

20

) offer promising

opportunities for better health and wellbeing,

and can help create healthy patterns that continue

into the future.

As the world of work changes, so too do the needs

of young people for educational opportunities that

allow for the development of necessary skills to adapt

and transition.

21

Skills in innovation, digital literacy

and collaboration will be vital.

19 https://www.yacvic.org.au/resources/youth-participation/#TOC-5

20 Vic Health. Young People, Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2017).

VicHealth’s Strategy to promote young people’s health and wellbeing.

21 Foundation for Young Australians. The New Work Order (2017).

http://www.fya.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/fya-future-of

work-report-final-lr.pdf

High levels of youth unemployment and relatively

lower levels of tertiary education completion

suggest that young people in Brimbank are struggling

to navigate career pathways post-high school.

Consultation with young people found a general lack

of understanding about career pathways and we

know that racism and discrimination based on age,

gender and other identities can also impact on young

people’s ability to find employment.

A Youth Wellbeing and Belonging program

stream will give young people access to prevention

and early intervention health services including

generalist counselling services and a range of group

and targeted programs delivered in schools and

community spaces.

Brimbank Youth Services will focus on the delivery

of services to young people in the promotion, primary

prevention and early intervention levels of risk as

set out in the Vulnerable Youth Framework and

VicHealth’s ‘Young People, Health and Wellbeing

Strategy 2017–2019’

20

. Brimbank Youth Services will

actively partner with specialist service providers

to support access to more intensive, longer term,

specialist services.

MAJOR INFLUENCES ON THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF YOUNG PEOPLE AGED 12–25

DELIVERY OF YOUTH WELLBEING AND BELONGING SERVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE

Promotion

and Primary

Prevention

• Health promotion

• Health information

• Health education

Early

Intervention

• Generalist

counselling,

wellbeing and

belonging

• Individual and

group programs

• Transition points

More

intensive,

longer term

specialist

services

E.g. Headspace,

Orygen

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 13

14 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Our Framework

This strategy works towards the achievement

of

three key aims

for young people in Brimbank.

They are:

A Sense of Belonging:

Young people have a strong

sense of pride and belonging to their communities,

culture and identity.

Empowered Participation:

Young people are valued

members of the community and are empowered to

lead conversations around change.

Healthy and Well:

Young people have equitable

and timely access to health and wellbeing services

that meet their specific needs.

To achieve these aims, we have identified

six key objectives.

These objectives focus on the process of achieving

the aims of the strategy, rather than our direct

areas of work. These will develop and shift with the

changing nature of young people’s lives over the

course of the strategy, and which will be driven by

young people themselves.

Young people have a

strong sense of pride

and belonging to their

communities, culture

and identity.

Young people are valued

members of the community

and are empowered to

lead conversations around

change.

Young people have

equitable and timely access

to health and wellbeing

services that meet their

specific needs.

AIMS

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 15

Aims, Objectives and Action Areas

OBJECTIVES

ACTION AREAS

Leading organisational best practice with young people.

Enhancing positive perceptions and narratives of young people.

Developing internal relationships and profile of Brimbank Youth Services.

Providing opportunities for advocacy, leadership and empowerment.

Developing skills for employment, education and navigating transitions.

Recognising annual events and celebrations.

Addressing needs through promotion, primary prevention and

early intervention.

Delivering life-skills, personal development and

resilience-building programs.

Implementing holistic interventions, including parent and

school engagement.

Capacity-building for young people to advocate for systemic change.

Coordinating a sector-wide approach to inclusive practice.

Ensuring diverse voices are heard and included.

Coordinating advocacy and service provision across sector.

Demonstrating commitment to and support of stakeholder initiatives.

Celebrating and acknowledging successes and positive outcomes.

Improving data collection and management systems.

Identifying trends and service gaps through evidence and research.

Listening to youth voices and perspectives.

16 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Our Role

Brimbank Youth Services develop strategies to

guide our work with, and for, young people. Our

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 focuses on

young people aged from 10–25 years.

Brimbank Youth Services will work with

young people, partner agencies and community

stakeholders to plan effective and coordinated

services for young people in Brimbank

through research, mapping of emerging

issues and data analysis.

We facilitate a range of partnerships and

networks to strengthen service connections,

local planning and improve service access.

Brimbank Youth Services will advocate,

in partnership with young people, to ensure

young people’s ideas and voices are heard

around priority areas of need and concern.

Brimbank Youth Services will work to

enhance the wellbeing of young people by

providing a range of primary prevention to

early intervention services, using a youth

and community development lens, to support

positive participation in the community.

Young Communities

Innovative Youth Voices Framework

Promotion and advocacy across community

and Council

Project development and management

Access and Inclusion opportunities

Sector network development

Youth Wellbeing and Belonging

Generalist Counselling

1-on-1 Youth Support

Group Work

In-School Program Delivery

LGBTQIA+ Social Support

L2P Learner Driver Program

Community Partnerships

Youth Recreation and Programming

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 17

18 Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024

Our Year 1 Actions

OBJECTIVES

ACTIONS

COUNCIL’S ROLE TIMING

1. Develop ways to address young people’s

representation in local media and

community narratives.

Deliver

Ongoing

(commenced

2019)

2. Facilitate the involvement of young people

in Transforming Brimbank initiatives and any

other infrastructure developments within

the municipality.

Partner, Advocate

and Deliver

Ongoing

3. Promote representation of young people

and Brimbank Youth Services in relevant

Council forums and initiatives.

Partner and

Advocate

Ongoing

4. Advocate for expansion of programs where

demand has exceeded capacity to deliver.

Plan and Advocate Ongoing

5. Promote and enhance internal awareness and

understanding of the value and importance

of Youth Voice.

Partner, Advocate

and Deliver

Ongoing

6. Deliver training to young people

around advocacy, leadership and peer

support models.

Deliver

Ongoing from

2020

7. Support access to employment

opportunities through:

a. Development of a toolkit for the

employment, training and remuneration

of young people within Council.

b. Increased number of roles for young

people within Brimbank Youth

Services team.

Partner and

Deliver

June 2020

8. Engage young people in the design

of youth-specific infrastructure and

community facilities.

Plan and Deliver June 2020

9. Work with key partners to deliver events

and opportunities during Victorian

Youth Week 2020.

Partner and

Deliver

For completion

April 2020

10. Pilot a work experience and placement

program for tertiary and secondary students.

Deliver

End of 2020

Brimbank Youth Strategy 2020–2024 19

OBJECTIVES

ACTIONS

COUNCIL’S ROLE TIMING

11. Deliver school-based wellbeing and belonging

services to students and parents.

Plan and Deliver 2020

12. Develop a person centred referral and early

engagement process.

Deliver

2020

13. Develop and deliver life skill and personal

development group programs.

Deliver

Ongoing

14. Provide a coordinated approach to

training school staff in supporting LGBITQ+

young people.

Plan and Deliver March 2021

15.Build partnerships across Council with a focus

on Arts and Culture; Neighborhood Houses

and Leisure to support feelings of belonging,

development of confidence, reductions in

barriers to participation and improve physical

health outcomes for young people.

Partner

Ongoing

16. Deliver ‘Tuning into Teen’s’ program to parents

in partnership with schools.

Deliver

October 2020

17. Cultural awareness training to be offered to all

Brimbank Youth Services volunteers through

the BCC Volunteer Program.

Plan and Deliver End of 2020

18. Partner with Western Youth Services to

develop coordinated service delivery across

the Western Metropolitan Region.

Plan, Advocate

and Partner

Ongoing

19. Investigate an after-hours outreach service

that covers the western Local Government

Areas of Brimbank, Wyndham and Melton.

Plan and Partner October 2020

20. Implement the Brimbank

Inclusion Framework.

Plan and Deliver Ongoing

21. Support young people’s access to

opportunities throughout the Western

Metro Region by coordinating information

about low and no-cost programs.

Partner and

Deliver

Ongoing

22. Provide internal and external partners

with a platform to acknowledge and celebrate

their contributions.

Partner and

Deliver

Ongoing

23. Continue to co-ordinate, resource

and develop the ‘Youthlinks’ service

provider network.

Partner and

Deliver

Ongoing

24. Investigate a coordinated data and client

management system across western Local

Government Area Youth Services.

Plan and Partner

December

2020

25. Improve service and program planning

through data collection and local profile

information, including expanding scope

and delivery of L2P program.

Plan and Deliver Ongoing

26. Improve reporting and measurement

of service outcomes.

Plan and Deliver Ongoing

9249 4000

info@brimbank.vic.gov.au

PO Box 70, Sunshine, VIC 3020

• TTY dial

133 677

• Speak & Listen

1300 555 727

•

www.relayservice.gov.au

, then enter

03 9249 4000

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