The Albury Project
In 2018 a group of schools and services in Albury collectively decided that our individual responses to young people at risk of early school leaving, mental-ill health and homelessness, was, quite simply, not good enough. We’d had enough of being able to see a negative trajectory for young people unfolding and having systems that responded too late. Fuelled by this dissatisfaction we established the Albury Project partnership and committed to an early intervention approach that is more systematic and coordinated, using a Collective Impact framework.
Underpinned by a Community of Schools and Services (COSS) approach, the Albury Project is driven by a partnership between Yes Unlimited (lead agency), headspace Albury-Wodonga, Albury City Council, Child Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS), Department of Communities and Justice, Upstream Australia and the three Albury public high schools – James Fallon, Murray, and Albury. The Albury Project has significantly enhanced the way schools and services work together, is improving the lives of young people and, at population level, early outcome indicators paint a promising picture of the real impact it is having.
Embodying genuine early intervention, the COSS approach pulls schools and services together in an integrated manner, proactively identifying young people requiring support, before risk factors escalate. In simple terms we go and find young people before they show up to our services in crisis. There are three key mechanisms to achieve this:
Population Screening
All students (years 7-12) of participating schools complete the Australian Index of Adolescent Development (AIAD), screening young people for early indicators known to correlate with social and educational disadvantage. Drawing on the data collected through the AIAD, young people are tiered into three categories of risk/need, which then determines the level of support received through the Albury Project Team.
Systematised Collaboration
Participating schools and services become a single team, formally committing to responding to the young people identified through the AIAD without the complex service navigation and ‘bouncing’ that often characterises informal arrangements. This involves interagency agreements, an overarching governance group, structured operational staff meetings and clearly articulated responsibilities for each stakeholder.
Data and Outcomes Focus
The model is driven by a constant feedback loop of data and outcomes collected through the AIAD. Not only does this data allow student need to be tracked and responded to as it changes, it also enables informed, higher-level adjustments of the service system response.
The Albury Project is currently working in Albury High School, James Fallon High School, and Murray High School. The Albury Project is led by Yes Unlimited, the organisation who run The Hive Youth Resource Centre and Broughton House Youth Refuge. Other organisations may also be working in your school, such as headspace Albury-Wodonga.
Each year, all students in the schools complete a survey called the Australian Index of Adolescent Development, which helps to identify students who might benefit from some extra support. The Albury Project staff will then meet with each of these students to understand their needs and see whether The Albury Project would be helpful.
Young people (and their families) can benefit from participating in The Albury Project in many ways. The Albury Project staff will work with schools, families and anyone else that’s necessary, to respond to the needs of each young person they are working with.
We hope that everyone who has the opportunity to participate in The Albury Project will do so. However, participation is not compulsory. Families will be notified in the lead-up to annual surveys, and have the opportunity to opt their student/s out of surveys. Students also can opt-out of participation at any time. There are no consequences for choosing not to participate. Detailed information about the survey process and data handling is provided to families in the lead-up to annual surveys.
You can find out more about the project in some of the reports and articles we’ve produced.