DFFH Respite Options

Supporting placement stability through therapeutic respite

GOTYA provides specialised, trauma-informed respite programs for children and young people in Out of Home Care, including those presenting with complex behaviours, placement instability, or elevated risk.

Short-term Crisis Respite | 24 - 48 hours

Residential Respite

Casey ▪ Latrobe ▪ Bass Coast ▪ Cardina

Facility-based respite for young people:

24/7 staffed support
Structured daily routines
Safe, contained environment

Longer-term Respite | 2 - 5 days

Trailblazer Adventure Respite

Cardinia ▪ Baw Baw ▪ Latrobe ▪ East Gippsland

Structured, therapeutic camps designed to:

Build emotional regulation and resilience
Improve behaviour and social functioning
Support independence and confidence

Respite Features

Daily updates to Case Workers
Incident notification timeframes
Formal risk screening structure
Behaviour support plan integration
Green/Amber/Red risk matrix
Post‑camp reporting within 72 hours
Dedicated OOHC Placement Coordinator
Transport flexibility (pickup from Residential Units, police, schools)
Cultural safety commitments

Trauma‑Informed, Qualified Staff

All respite provided at a 1:3 ratio of qualified, experienced staff with:

University qualifications including:
- Youth mental health, counselling, self-harm and suicide management, and/or forensic behavioural science
VET qualifications including:
- Community services, youth work and/or case management
Trauma‑informed practice
Behaviour support experience
Outdoor leadership qualifications
Mandatory reporting and child safety training

Staff provide individualised support within a group setting, with no external workers required

Formalised Incident and Case Management

All programs are formally Case Noted to track progress and provide accurate feedback to carers, DFFH Case Workers, OOHC Managers. Further, GOTYA provide:

A guaranteed incident notification timeframe within 2 hours
A post‑incident debrief with DFFH, if required

Medication Management

All medications are logged, stored securely, and administered according to documented protocols.

Child Safety

GOTYA has zero tolerance for any form of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation or discrimination.

We recognise that people with a disability, children and young people are at higher risk than others in

the community. All staff are committed to maintaining processes to:

Prevent and protect against instances of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination;
Foster a ‘safety culture’ that supports individuals to be aware and report any actual or suspected risks of harm;
Provide environments which help young people to feel safe and supported; and
Encourage and support clients with choice, control, self-determination and capacity-building, where possible.

Full Child Safeguarding Policy

Social Services Regulator
GOTYA has been formally exempted from requiring registration with the SSR.

Our Business Manager can provide supporting documention on request

(accounts@gotya.com.au)

Further Information