Key findings

Up to Closing the Gap: Northern Territory

Table of contents

Executive summary

Based on all the evidence considered for this evaluation, the evaluation found support for the key principles and characteristics of the MOS Projects, and that as a new and evolving service model, there are some service elements and approaches requiring further development and improvement.

The MOS Plus service is establishing itself to meet its identified outputs, including:

visits to remote communities
counselling sessions
referrals
community meetings
community education
external professional development.

However, the service, staff and their roles are not well known and understood by families and community members in remote communities. Improvement in this area is essential for the further development of the service, and the achievement of the service objective and outcomes.

The data does show MOS Plus is starting to gain traction in communities, to begin achieving its short term outcome measures, including:

children, young people and families in remote communities receive clinical support to reduce trauma
families support the participation of children and young people in counselling sessions
families, community members and local agencies develop an understanding of child abuse and related trauma as a result of participation in community meetings, community education and professional development activitiesTop of page
families, community members and agencies develop skills and expertise in dealing with children experiencing trauma
MOS Plus staff improve their knowledge and expertise in the provision of culturally safe trauma-related counselling and support services.

The overall findings highlighted in the evaluation are:

This is an evolving service model which requires time to engage respectfully with the community and with the sector, and to adapt and be responsive to community and service need
The effectiveness of the Mobile Outreach Database (MOD) in capturing outputs and appropriate outcome measures in an evolving and responsive service model, will be critical
All remote communities in the NT have been visited at least once, over the period of the evaluation
There have been a total of 632 community visits, over the period of the evaluation
The service is beginning to gain traction in community, with services and new cases increasing over the period of the evaluation
There have been 220 referrals, predominantly from Child Protection, Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs), health services and schools, for case work services over the period of the evaluation
There have been 313 individual and group counselling services provided over the period of the evaluation
Non-case related services such as community education, community meetings and professional development activities comprise approximately two thirds of MOS Projects activities, and offer potential to further enhance an integrated and collaborative approach with primary health care and family and children's support service providers
Cultural competence and respectful engagement in remote communities was considered to be of equal or even greater importance than the provision of specialist counselling and support services. The potential to do harm in community if the service is not culturally safe, and to impact adversely on Aboriginal workers in community and in the MOS Plus service, was highlighted
The complexity of communities, and the need to understand the local and regional context of each community, was highlighted
There is support by service providers and community members for the primary characteristics and principles of the MOS Projects model, as a specialist service which aligns Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers, and which has a mix of genders in the staff team
The suite of MOS Plus services has potential to be tailored to suit the specific needs of each community - to add specialist value to existing services and approaches, and to address service gaps or areas of high need
There is potential to link with existing Regional and community networks and groups to enhance knowledge of the MOS Plus service and to build upon existing services and strategies
There is community and organisation support for counselling and support service engagement with children, in the context of their family and their community
There are mixed views about whether the original MOS or current MOS Plus focus is the most appropriate. Some interviewed were concerned the specialist area of child sexual assault counselling would be 'lost' in the broader service scope. The 'initial assessment' data of MOS Projects' casework cases shows child sexual assault is by far the most commonly identified underlying cause of trauma for clients referred to the service, over the evaluation period. The number of cases citing child sexual assault has continued to grow in the period following the service scope expansion to MOS Plus. Many stakeholders interviewed expressed reservations about defining a service as focusing on concepts of child abuse and neglect. Local organisations and community members were supportive of broader counselling and support services addressing trauma in communities.Top of page
Given the nature of the MOS Plus service itself (an outreach counselling and support service in remote communities in the NT), cultural competence and the service and staffing models are inextricably linked
Service development and provision in remote communities is complex and sensitive, particularly in the context of the history of service intervention in the NT. This is true for any service in remote communities, but is particularly complex for the development and provision of MOS Plus services, given the sensitivities of the specialist service focus of child abuse, neglect and trauma
Service provision logistics in remote communities are challenging: attracting and retaining staff in this specialist field; difficulties of access due to transport and weather restrictions, and to Ceremonies and Sorry Business
The challenge for a new outreach service is to leave a 'service imprint' between service visits, and in the context of changing staff both within the MOS Plus service team and in local organisations and key contacts in community
Continuity and regularity of service provision is required to enhance knowledge and understanding of the MOS Plus service by local organisations and community members. Concerns had been raised by many stakeholders about the feasibility and capacity of the service to go to all NT communities, however the data shows that this service reach has been achievable. In community the focus was more on service continuity, consistency and regularity. These were highlighted by those interviewed as the key to successful service engagement in community
Regularity of service visits was considered to be one key factor in ensuring community engagement occurred, along with strengthening capacity in communities - supported by a range of practice tools to ameliorate the impacts of changing and transient staffing in services in the NT, both within MOS Plus and in other local organisations
Alongside regularity of service provision, development of a relationship and trust with the MOS Plus staff providing the service was highlighted

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