Tamworth Family Support Service (TFSS)

Tamworth Family Support Service Ltd (TFSS) offer a range of support services, including:

Children and Parenting Programs

Child, Youth & Family Support (CYFS)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340, 2345, 2347, 2355, 2344, 2352, 2346, 2353.
We help strengthen and improve the wellbeing of children, young people, and families by supporting them achieve personal goals and establish routines. We work across the Tamworth LGA, including Barraba, Manilla, Somerton and Nundle. Our staff work with families from all cultural backgrounds to achieve identified goals to promote positive family connections. 

Our service includes:

• Home visits
• Advice and information
• Practical strategies for families health and wellbeing
• Referral to other specialist services
• Parenting tips
• Support in accessing other specialist community services

Child and Parenting Support (CaPS)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340, 2341, 2342, 2343, 2339.
Our staff support families from all backgrounds to achieve identified goals to promote positive family connections. We work across the Tamworth and Liverpool Plains LGA with families who have children between 0 to 18 years old.

Our service provides:

• In home support 
• Housing, financial, and employment support
• Parenting programs
• Peer support groups
• School support 

Children's Contact Services (CCS)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340.

Tamworth Children's Contact Service (CCS) provides a child focused, safe and neutral space for children to have contact with the parent that they do not live with. We can take self-referrals, family court orders, mediation agreements or parenting plans. Each individual, including the children, are required to complete the intake process before any contact can take place.  The aim of our service is for families to successfully develop a healthy co-parenting plan, and move into self-management. Participation in the service is voluntary. Both parents must be willing to participate. For all new enquiries, please call 02 6762 9279.

Family Preservation Program

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340, 2380, 2352, 2346, 2355, 2347, 2381.
Family Preservation Program is a voluntary, early intervention program based in Tamworth and Gunnedah that works alongside young people and their families where there is an identified risk to a child or young person’s safety, welfare, or well-being. The program is designed to support families to stay together—to prevent the escalation of concerns for children and young people transitioning into the statutory child protection domain. The program works with each family for 12 months. The Family Preservation Program is flexible, tailored, and may include a number of approaches. Our wide range of strategies and activities support four key areas of the child or young person’s life: strong and safe families, positive growth and development, engaging in education and healthy minds and bodies. There are 2 possible referral methods: Referrals are made by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). The program is also able to accept a number of referrals from the community. Some examples of who this might include are Schools, Community Health or other service providers. To be eligible, children need to be from 0-17 years at the time of referral, not in Out Of Home Care, living in Tamworth or Gunnedah local council areas, and at least one child and one carer are willing and able to participate.

Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340.
Your child's earliest and most powerful learning comes from their family. HIPPY (Home Interaction Program for Parent and Youngsters) is a two-year program helping support this learning process. HIPPY is a free two year education program for children aged 3 and 4. HIPPY helps parents lay the foundations for success at school by teaching their child literacy, numeracy and language skills, and physical motor skills. We help develop a child's readiness for school, and a love of learning that lasts throughout their lives. 

Steps to get involved: 

• Contact the HIPPY coordinator  ([email protected] or 0408 104 918) to express your interest in the program. Intakes take place before May 31st.
• Parents have fun practicing the activities with their Home Tutor (15 sessions in the first year and 30 sessions in the 2nd year)
• Outside of sessions, parents spend 10 -15 minutes a day doing a HIPPY activity or story. 
• You can participate in Parent Gatherings that can cover a wide range of topics.
• Celebrate your child’s success at the HIPPY Graduation

Priority of Access:

• Do you hold a Health Care Card?
• Is your child Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander?
• Are you caring for an out-of-home child?
• Are you receiving a form of government support payment? 
• Are you a single parent? 
• Is English not your first language?

Supported Playgroups

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340.
Supported Playgroups provide an opportunity for parents, carers, and children 0 to 5yrs to come together in a relaxed and friendly environment to play, connect and learn. Parents and carers stay at playgroup the whole time with their child. This is because playing is one of the most important things a parent or carer can do with their child. When you come along to a playgroup, you are given the opportunity to encourage your child to participate in a number of supported activities. These activities cater to a wide variety of ages and stages from birth to school age

Youth Programs

Reconnect

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2360, 2350, 2390, 2380.
Reconnect is an Early Intervention and Prevention Program aimed at supporting young people aged 12 to 18 years (12 to 21 years for recent migrants).
We work with young people across Inverell, Gunnedah, Narrabri and Armidale help develop skills to resolve conflict either at school, home or with peers. Our aim is to reduce:

• Low school attendance
• Fighting with mum, dad or siblings
• Bullying
• We also provide support generally when things aren't going well. 

What we offer:

• Assistance with talking with young people about issues affecting their wellbeing
• Support to access specialist services such as family or counselling support.
• Assistance with school, career choices, and education
• A listening ear if you are feeling angry or scared
• Assistance to address mental health or drug and alcohol concerns

Tamworth Youth Homelessness and Housing Support (TYHHS)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340.
Our team supports young people aged between 16 and 24 years old who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This support is provided through early intervention programs, transitional housing, and refuge accommodation. We can help support access to employment, education, health, legal, community and cultural support. TYHHS provides safe and secure emergency accommodation for young people through the Youth Refuge, which is staffed 24 hours per day, with five bedrooms and two bathrooms. However, you do not have to live in a Youth Refuge to receive help. Our staff support young people build capacity to live independently and sustain a tenancy. This includes: 

• Supporting access to safe and secure accommodation.
• Supporting education and employment pathways.
• Develop sound financial management and living skils.
• Advice with family relationship breakdowns, and access to a mediator.

Housing Help Programs

Tamworth Housing and Homelessness Support Service (THHSS)

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340, 2346, 2347.
Tamworth Housing and Homelessness Support (THHS) assists men, women, and families who may currently be experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless. The key areas of support provided by THHSS are to assist those who are currently homeless in obtaining and maintaining a tenancy, and providing early intervention support to prevent homelessness. Please note: Our Housing Support Program is experiencing an extremely high number of support requests from the community. This may lead to some delays in communication. Thanks for your understanding during this challenging time. 

Women & Children's Refuge

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340.

Eligibility:

• Women and children escaping domestic abuse (priority)
• Women and children experiencing homelessness
• Single women aged 25 years and over experiencing homelessness

Domestic Violence Programs

Domestic Violence is any form of abusive behavior that one person uses to establish and maintain control over another. Domestic Violence takes on many different forms, including Physical Assault, Sexual Assault, Verbal Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Psychological Abuse, Social Control (often isolation), Financial Control, Spiritual Control, Stalking and Harassment, Threats and other intimidation. Domestic Violence can occur within all relationships of a personal nature. Domestic Violence is a CRIME and must be responded to as such. There are NO acceptable excuses.

Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2339, 2340, 2341, 2342, 2343, 2344, 2345, 2346, 2347, 2352, 2353, 2354, 2355, 2356, 2379, 2380, 2381, 2382, 2388, 2390, 2397, 2402, 2403, 2359, 2372, 2350, 2361, 2360, 2365, 2358, 2370, 2400, 2329, 2410, 4377, 2453, 2371, 4385 (New England and Oxley Police Districts).

A free service to assist women in accessing the justice system to protect them from domestic and family violence. At TFSS, we provide women who have, or are currently experiencing, domestic and family violence with information, advocacy and safety planning where appropriate. As part of our Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (WDVCAS), TFSS refer women to services such as accommodation support, counselling, financial assistance and health services. We advocate and support women with ADVOs and domestic and family violence matters in the justice system.

Oxley WDVCAS
1800 613 083 
Email: [email protected]

New England WDVCAS
1800 004 022
Email: [email protected]

Alternatively, women can call 1800 WDVCAS (1800 938 227). 

Staying Home Leaving Violence

Currently offered in these postcode areas: 2340, 2346, 2347, 2360, 2361, 2369, 2354, 2358.
Women who want to escape a violent relationship at home often think leaving is their only choice. But if you want to stay, we can help. SHLV is a free intervention program which works with the police and local community to help women (with or without children) to leave violence and stay safely in their home or a home of their choice. The program aims to support women and children to stay safely in their own home or a home of their choice, and have the perpetrator of the violence leave. Our team will help support you through the separation, including with police and legal matters. We provide case management services for up to 12 months, and longer if needed. 

How we can help?

• Ongoing assistance with safety planning (including a safety audit of the residential property)
• Covering some of the costs for installing safety upgrades using brokerage funds
• Court support and advocacy - Apprehended Domestic Violence Order and Famliy Law matters
• Information and referrals to other services 
• Referrals to counselling
• Internal referrals to other services
• Support to continue to live free from violence

SHLV is eligible to women who:

• Are separated from a violent partners
• Are 18 years and over, with or without children
• Live in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Tamworth, Liverpool Plains, Gunnedah, Armidale, Walcha, Uralla, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Inverell.
• Are in stable accommodation who have separated from a violent partner.
• Are in stable accommodation or making a planned move to stable accommodation.

Contact Details

For information regarding any of the above, please contact us on:

02 6763 2333 or 1800 073 388

or email [email protected]