Edmund Rice Camps for Kids WA provide opportunities for children, young people and families to build resilience, enabling them to thrive, belong and contribute to their communities. We have a vision for a world where all children, despite their circumstances and upbringing, can have access to fun recreational opportunities. This also provides them with the social connections and personal development to support them to contribute to society.

We are a child-safe organisation and we have a zero-tolerance of abuse. We take safeguarding concerns and reports extremely seriously. If you have any queries or concerns regarding our Child Protection approach, please contact:

Mel Raich - Community Engagement Manager

0499 145 055    ercwamce@edmundrice.org

STEP 1: You complete Stage 1 of the Referral (this form!):

• Referrers Information
• Child’s Information – dietary, medical, behavioural, support requirements etc. 
• Family Information – contacts and summary of adversities faced
• Program Information – which camp(s) are you referring the child to, who will be invoiced, how would they be transported?

STEP 2: The information provided in the referral is entered into our database and assessed by ERCKWA staff.

It is assessed against the selection criteria, the specific needs of the child, and if these can be met by our team of young adult volunteers. You need to be aware that by completing this referral form, you are consenting for ERCKWA to collect and store the information provided on this child/ren / family.

STEP 3: The child/family is offered a place on camp, or a position on the waiting list. An invoice with payment details will be sent out if a referral is accepted (the referral fee is $250). Once a child’s referral has been accepted, they will be eligible to attend programs for a year.

STEP 4: You complete Stage 2 of the Referral:

• Sign consent forms and read relevant policies including:
  • Child Safeguarding Protocol
  • Media Consent Form
  • Medical Form for upcoming program (sent to relevant party)

STEP 5: Given that you agree to and sign the compulsory consents, and pay the referral invoice of $250, the child’s placement will be confirmed.

STEP 6: The child/ren attend camp & hopefully have a wonderful time.

STEP 7: You refer them again – because our model makes the greatest impact when we can support the same child/ren over a long period of time!  A child will need to be referred annually to be eligible to continue to attend camps after their first year. To ensure we have accurate and up-to-date information regarding the child's living situation, behaviour currently displayed and services accessed we do require a full referral application to be submitted annually. 

We aren’t here to just provide fun for the school holidays – although we’re certainly experts in this area! Edmund Rice Camps for Kids WA have a unique 1:1 ratio of children to volunteers and we operate on a model of Positive Youth Development, aiming to reduce the effects of adverse childhood experiences. We often receive more referrals than we have placements for. To ensure we are supporting the children who need us most, we have the following eligibility criteria:

• New referrals are only open to children born in the years 2009-2017. Our programs are allocated by age group.
• The child's medical needs can be managed in a camp setting.
• The child would benefit from engagement from other young people in a fun, supportive environment and they have shown the capacity to do so in the past.
  
• This child faces financial constraints, limiting their opportunity to access other school holiday experiences.
  
• The child understands that as part of engaging with our camp, they must be willing to put aside electronic devices and mobile phones for the duration of the program.
  

As we generally receive more referrals than we have places on camp, there are often children who are eligible for camp but are still placed on our waiting list. Most often, children who camp with us have multiple lived experiences that range from economic disadvantage, living in out-of-home-care arrangements and facing abuse and/or neglect. Our young adult volunteers are excellent at ensuring these children can have a break from their home life, while also providing opportunities to build their skills and individual qualities. We prioritise children who have faced multi-levels of adversity, and work to plan for a successful experience for the child. We match volunteers and young people accordingly, which may result from time to time, in a child being placed on a waiting list.

By providing us with as much information as possible, you are enabling us to place the participant on the most appropriate program, with the most appropriate support from volunteers and staff. The purpose of seeking the following information is to ensure, as far as practicable, that the safety of the referred child, as well as the other camp participants and the staff is not compromised by accepting a referred child who might demonstrate behaviour that is inappropriate and beyond the ordinary capacity of an Edmund Rice Camps for Kids program.     

If you feel your child may require something while at camp e.g. antihistamine, cough drops etc. please provide them to staff on the first day of camp. If our First Aid Team feel your child need something else such as benadryl, antacids, skin ointments, ibuprofen, paracetamol, cough drops, etc. this will require a phone call to the parent/carer before administering.

Family & Child’s History:

Safeguarding is based on both preventative and responsive practices; in order to support us to remain relevant to the needs presented within our communities, we need to be aware of the challenges experienced by our children and families. We request this information as it supports us to remain aware and relevant to needs or trends emerging within communities and influences our practice.

This referral must be completed by a non-relative who holds a position of responsibility or qualification, such as a Caseworker, Social Worker, Psychologist or Teacher. It is expected that this person knows the referred child well enough to comment on their suitability for an Edmund Rice Camps for Kids WA program. Having said this, it is acceptable to involve the parent/carer to assist with some questions you may be unsure about.

For safeguarding purposes, the referral agent must be contactable during all camp programs, or provide an appropriate alternative contact (with access to all case information for the child) who is able to assist the Community Engagement Manager and Camp Manager if any safeguarding issues were to arise.

Please make sure that the Referrer Phone Number supplied is specific to you (the referral agent) and not a general office line. 

By signing below, you certify that the above information is correct and that the child being referred meets the ERCKWA eligibility criteria to the best of your knowledge.

If the referral is accepted and the child placed on program, you agree to pay the $250 referral fee upon receiving the invoice. If you cannot pay the referral fee, you must first obtain permission in writing from the Community Engagement Manager to proceed with the referral application.

Thank you for taking the time to thoroughly complete this referral form. If there are any changes to the above information, please contact us so we can update this child's/families profile.

Should your referral be sent within the required time period, you will be notified by 30/11/2023 regarding the outcome of your referral.

If you have any queries or concerns, please contact:

Mel Raich - Manager Community Engagement

0499 145 055, ercwamce@edmundrice.org