Starting children on the right track

A soft trial of the TOTs initiative was run with 3 schools to see how it could support children with the transition to school. Initially focused on planning for the educational needs of children, the trial has grown to incorporate the schools working with families to discuss plans for accessing health supports in the lead up to starting school.

Each school will now offer a day of TOTs child health appointments for families with concerns about their child’s development who have not engaged with the traditional health system. The outcome of this stage of the trial will be used to work with health and education partners to determine the best way for children with developmental delay to engage with the health system.

There has been significant interest from the Department of Education, school leaders and teachers regarding the potential value add of the TOT initiative to the transition-to-Prep process.

There is also opportunity for additional broader application of this trial in improving connectedness and communication between systems (health and education) and across education settings (ECEC centres and schools).

Health and education: working together to support children and families

The TOTs initiative service delivery partners have improved processes to allow a more integrated way of working to support ECEC centres and families.

This has resulted in a significant increase in engagement with the TOTs initiative with reports from educators that they are valuing being included as part of care planning for families.

In one instance, the TOTs program coordinator had been trying to engage an ECEC centre but faced challenges due to frequent staff changes. Once a stable relationship was established with a consistent director, the coordinator was able to do training using the PEDS tool. This helped educators identify families with developmental concerns about their children.

To support these families in accessing further assessment, the coordinator arranged for a child health nurse to conduct screenings at the ECEC centre, a familiar and comfortable environment for the families.

At one appointment, a grandmother shared concerns about her 4-year-old grandson's behaviour, a concern also noted by educators, and a referral was made to an early intervention clinician.

The Child Health Nurse then provided a summary to the TOTs allied health team, noting the need for emotional regulation support for the ECEC centre. The allied health team is now working with the ECEC centre to provide the appropriate resources.

Flexible care to bridge gaps

Families in priority locations face barriers when accessing health and support systems, which remain siloed and difficult to navigate. Community connectors in the TOTs and SMBI initiatives help bridge these gaps, especially for families on the remote Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

One SMBI community connector has been assisting a family for their 3-year-old child’s developmental concerns. The mother, who manages a large family without a car on the island, faced logistical challenges and delays in completing steps such as GP referrals, audiology appointments and NDIS paperwork.

Over 12 months, the community connector supported the family with transport to medical appointments, helped with documents and facilitated communication with service providers. The process highlights the patience and flexibility required to support families in remote areas.