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Welcome to the website of the Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC)
Mission | Vision | Values | Annual Report | Strategic Plan | Current Programs | History | Diversity | Board | Direct Service Delivery Role
Our Mission
...together in a fair community
We apply the following values when we work with our community, clients, partners, external stakeholders and staff:
Acknowledgment of Indigenous Custodians NRSDC acknowledges the Bundjalung, Arakwal and Yaegel peoples who are the traditional custodians of the land which comprises the Northern Rivers.
NRSDC Annual Report
NRSDC's Direct Service Delivery Role For information about NRSDC's Direct Service Delivery Role, click here. NRSDC provides two types of programs to strengthen vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in the Northern Rivers. The majority of our work conducted is direct service delivery through our youth prpgrams and NRSDC also provides information and training services and support for other community and social service organisations.
Current NRSDC Programs: Reconnect provides case management support to vulnerable young people and their families that are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Reconnect operates across the Northern Rivers with case managers located in the Clarence, Richmond Valley, Lismore, Ballina and Tweed. Reconnect case managers work directly with vulnerable and at risk young people and their families. The Northern Rivers Reconnect client group priorities include ATSI Communities, low socio-economic and people with complex and multiple needs.
The Getting it Together program provides intensive support and case management to 12-18 year olds with alcohol and/or other drug misuse issues. The program aims to reduce alcohol and other drug misuse and to build self-esteem, personal growth and life skills.
The Young People Leaving Care (YPLC) program is funded under the NSW North Coast Homelessness Action Plan. YPLC operates across the NSW North Coast (Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers) and provides intensive case management support to young people who have previously been in out of home care and who are at risk of homelessness.
NRSDC Juvenile Justice Program The NRSDC Juvenile Justice program is funded under the NSW North Coast Homelessness Action Plan. The program operates across the NSW North Coast and provides intensive case management support to assist young people who are leaving juvenile justice custody to find stable long term accommodation.
The Rock and Water program is an anti-violence and anti-bullying strategy for young people. Through this program, NRSDC Youth Programs staff help vulnerable young people who are disengaged from the school system to build resilience and to prevent anti-social behaviour.
Lismore/Kyogle Family Planning Service Lismore/Kyogle Family Planning Service (‘LKFPS’) is funded to provide reproductive health services to people on low incomes in the Northern Rivers region. The attendees at this service are considered to be at risk because of their low income and the associated social consequences that result from this. LKFPS provides free high quality, confidential and professional reproductive and sexual health services to low income and disadvantaged people in Lismore and Kyogle.
Dementia Care Education Project This project provides direct support to carers of people living with dementia through the provision of education and information. The project provides small group education to the carers of people living with dementia. These carers are unpaid relatives or friends. More often than not they are the aged spouses living in rural and remote areas without formal support mechanisms and without public transport to get to services. The groups provide the carers with information about services, counselling, strategies to support them in their caring role and also referral to services that suit their needs.
The Belonging Project is an action-based, participatory research project which involves talking to children who have disability (and are aged up to eight years old) and their families about what it means to feel included and connected in the Tweed Shire Community.
The Lived Experience Project supports transition of people with chronic mental illness into permanent employment as peer support workers in the Mental Health Sector.
Tenancy Support Project The Tenancy Support Project provides emergency financial assistance across the Northern Rivers Region to families with children in rental accommodation who are at risk of homelessness.
Home and Community Care Development Home and Community Care (HACC) Services provide direct and benevolent relief including domestic assistance, meals and personal care to support older Australians, younger people with a disability and their carers to be more independent at home and in the community. The HACC Development project enables people who are frail aged, have a disability and their carers to live as independently as possible in their own community through the provision of training, support, information and resources to HACC and related services.
Regional Community Services Development The Regional Community Services Development (RCSD) Project works to build and sustain the capacity of the not for profit social and community services sector through provision of advice and information, staff development, advocacy and policy development.
The Transport Development Project (TDP) aims to reduce transport disadvantage and to improve access to affordable transport options for disadvantaged residents of the Northern Rivers. The project aims to develop relevant, effective, affordable, publicly available and accessible transport services and infrastructure in the region. People on low incomes in the Northern Rivers, including unemployed people, people with disability, young people and Aboriginal people living in remote communities are very disadvantaged by the high costs associated with private vehicle use. Vulnerable community members are often unable to access transport because they do not own a car; lack the resources to get a driver’s licence or cannot afford to use and maintain their own car; or have to forgo other necessities of life in order to pay for the costs of running a vehicle. Lack of affordable transport therefore compounds pre-existing social disadvantage by limiting access to employment, training and services. The project was also developed to address concerns raised by community and welfare services in the region that lack of affordable transport is a barrier to effective service provision and/or significantly increases the cost of providing support to vulnerable people.
Accessibility Information Project The Accessibility Information Project aims to reduce transport disadvantage for people with disability in the region. The project is developing information about transport services and options in range of formats that are accessible to people with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities.
Aboriginal Employment Strategy This project assists unemployed Aboriginal people to gain employment as trainees within community services agencies in the Northern Rivers.
Northern Rivers Youth Council This project aims to build the self-esteem and capacity of young people by developing a representative council for young people in the region.
Youth Sector Development The NRSDC Youth Sector Development Project aims to build capacity of youth services across the Northern Rivers to work more effectively with vulnerable and at risk young people.
Northern Rivers Homelessness Research Project
Northern Rivers Social Development Council (NRSDC) and Regional Development Australia (RDA) – Northern Rivers and are working together to develop a social plan for our region and are seeking community input about what mater to them. Although each local council has its own social plan, until now there has been no avenue for thinking regionally and inviting people in our region to come together and identify our regional priorities. The regional social plan will be used for social services planning and to advocate for our region’s priorities to government.
NRSDC provides training workers in the health, social and community services sectors. The training program aims to improve the quality of service delivery of all agencies in the region that provide direct and benevolent relief. NRSDC’s training program is made up of 5 sub-programs:
Our History
The Board of the Northern Rivers Social Development Council is elected at the Annual General Meeting. There are seven members elected to the board comprised of a president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and four ordinary members.The following details were correct as of November 2012.
Paul Cruickshank – continuing member, 1 year term Jennifer Harrison – continuing member, 1 year term Russell Trebilcock – continuing member, 1 year term Glenys Ritchie – new member, 2 year term Jennie Dell – new member, 2 year term Deborah Stafford – new member, 2 year term |
 Northern Rivers Transport Info - Maps - Routes - Timetables - |
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Northern Rivers Housing Forum
