| Oasis House [previously Mirrabooka House] |
| Years of Operation | 1987 until 1998 as Mirrabooka House, then ongoing as Oasis House. |
| Role Of Facility | Residential care for up to eight young people aged 15-18 years.
As the successor to Withnell House [see entry], the program emphasised employment, independence and living skills.
In addition to secular skills, the program at Mirrabooka House aimed to encourage the “spiritual growth of children in care.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care in 1988/89, February 1990).
From 1998, Oasis House was funded to provide 6 crisis/transitional placements for children aged 15-17 years. Funding for this service has been provided through the Youth Supported Accommodation Program which was a sub-program of the Commonwealth/State funded Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). (Service Agreement with the Department for Community Development).
For notes on this program see the section on NAHA/SAAP at the beginning of Signposts].
The three year Service Agreement with the Department for Community Development which commenced on 1 January 2006 enables the Salvation Army – Crossroads West to provide group care placements at Oasis Hourse for six young people aged 14 to 18 years who are in the CEO’s care. Young people aged 12 to 13 years may be accepted depending on their suitability to live in a group care situation.
Referrals from the Department are a priority, and self referrals from young people may be accepted. Crossroads West will assess the referrals and liaise with the Department for Child Protection’s Agency Placement Officer.
Funding through YSAAP ceased from 1 July 2009. |
| Sponsoring Agency | Salvation Army / Salvation Army Crossroads West (successor) |
Other facilities in
Signposts that are
related to the
Sponsoring Agency | See the entry “Salvation Army” in the earlier section of Signposts, “Non-Government Agencies and their Subsidiary Institutions” |
| Aliases | Mirrabooka House |
| Brief History | In 1986, due to the “age and condition of the Withnell House facility”, representations were made to Homeswest who provided a block of land in Mirrabooka on which the Salvation Army could build a new home for youth. (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1985/86, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care October 1986).
“Caregivers in group homes comprise one couple who live-in, ideally caring for up to eight children. Generally, the husband continues in his existing employment, with the wife paid either an honorarium or wage. Group homes operate on a model where substitute care is provided until changes in the circumstances of the child’s original caregivers permit their return home. In some instances a child may move on to other carers on a more permanent basis (as in adoption) or with older youth to semi-independent accommodation. Group care services provided through the non-government sector fall under the mandate of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care, and provide cottage care via salaried child care worker staff. The contemporary trend towards community based group care services for children is resulting in the closure of institutionalized settings and campus-based residential facilities.” (Submission of the Department for Community Services to the Residential Planning Review Taskforce, March 31st 1987).
1987 saw the youth services programs at Withnell House [see entry] move to Mirrabooka House. “Up to ten young people in the 15-18 years age range can be accommodated at Mirrabooka House and the facility is staffed by Youth Workers. The programme emphasis is on employment, independence and living skills and dependent on the success of these programmes, they will also be made available to ‘day placements’.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee in 1986/87, Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care November 1987).
Mirrabooka House had been purpose-built, and “team work, staff training and educational / recreational inputs have been on the agenda at Mirrabooka House.” Referrals were “at a high level and include large sibling groups and pre-schoolers.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care in 1987/88, November 1988).
In 1989/90, Mirrabooka House took “more than half” of all the children in the 15-17 year age group placed in non-Government residential facilities. “The residential programme has continued to service young people aged 15-18 years in an active ‘living skills’ programme. There have been some changes in staff at various levels, but with the appointment of a new manager the programme is looking to a better year ahead.” (Report on the Activities of the Consultative Committee on Residential Child Care in 1989/90, February 1991). Actual numbers of children placed at Mirrabooka House were not isolated from those at the Hollywood Children’s Village [see entry].
In 2003, Oasis House was described as providing ‘group care’ placements for young people in the 15-17 year age group. These young people could access the reunification service provided by Landsdale House [see entry]. (Service Agreement with the Department for Community Development).
In addition to the entries noted above, Salvation Army and Salvation Army Crossroads West have their own entries in Signposts, and these should be consulted as they give more information about the approach taken. |
| Records | The Heritage Museum at the Salvation Army’s Divisional Headquarters has a range of information about Army practices and facilities and holds some photographs and various other pieces of information.
In its Melbourne office, the Salvation Army has a searchable database of “The War Cry” for the years 1889-1896; 1896-1907; and 1910 forward. The War Cry edition for the Southern Territories includes information about Western Australia.
Departmental case records for young people placed in Salvation Army Crossroads West programs by the Department may reside with the Department of Communities.
Salvation Army Crossroads West has case records from 1989 to present, incuding entry and exit recommendations, house diaries and log books and lists of residents for those years. |
| Access | While access to records is restricted to protect the privacy of individuals, people are encouraged to enquire. |
| Contact Details | Departmental Records:
Freedom of Information
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 5000, Fremantle WA 6959
Telephone: (08) 6414 3344
Country free call: 1800 176 888
Email: foi@communities.wa.gov.au
Website: www.communities.wa.gov.au
Salvation Army Museum:
The Salvation Army Historical Society,
333 William Street, Northbridge WA 6003
Telephone: (08) 9227 7010
Facsimilie: (08) 9227 7134
Salvation Army Records:
The Salvation Army
Territorial Headquarters, Southern Territory
(95 Railway Road, Blackburn)
PO Box 479, Blackburn VIC 3130
Web: www.salvationarmy.org.au
For people wishing to access information about the Salvation Army and particular residential facilities:
The State Library of Western Australia,
Alexander Library Building, State Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000.
Telephone: (08) 9427 3111 (local) or 1800 198 107 (WA country callers)
Facsimilie: (08) 9427 3256
Email: info@liswa.wa.gov.au
Opening hours for the Library at time of publication are:
Monday-Thursday 9am-8pm; Friday 9am-5:30pm;
Saturday/Sunday 10am-5:30pm |
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