For many children and young people, family conflict can lead to episodes of homelessness as well as disconnecting them from education and their loved ones. A unique program in Canberra is working to prevent that by providing a safe space for young people to stay, while working on the root cause of the conflict.
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00:00With plenty of creature comforts, Ruby's House is a home away from home for 8-15 year olds experiencing family conflict.
00:11I'm supported by a ton of youth workers who you can bring your problems through, they're very nice, they listen to you.
00:17It's pretty much one big family and we all help each other grow.
00:21Ruby's is pretty good for me, they're helping me build strength to do simple tasks that I struggle with like going to school and all sorts of things.
00:29But I want it to help my communication and what I need to say get through a lot clearer.
00:35Run by the Conflict Resolution Service, Ruby's provides beds for up to 6 young people who want to be there.
00:42When it's full of young people, it's full of life.
00:45We're very clear when young people come and stay at Ruby's, it's not a summer camp, it's not a little getaway for them.
00:52The purpose of this is obviously reunification, it's a little bit of respite, but predominantly what it does is it gives each of the people involved a little bit of space from each other, a little bit of time to think about it.
01:04But it's not only about being a partial or full-time circuit breaker for up to months at a time.
01:10Instead, counsellors and mediators actively work in individual and group settings to address the root cause of the conflict.
01:18It's a lot of trust building. With a young person it might look like going out and kicking a ball around or going out and having a milkshake together just to build that trust.
01:26The most common thing that we experience is just that misunderstanding and miscommunication between the parents and the young people and that's how we try and help.
01:33In three years, the Safe and Connected Youth Program at Ruby's has supported more than 140 young people and their families.
01:41And in the past year alone, the free service has provided more than 5,500 hours of mediation and kept 100% of participants connected to their families, with 91% of them ultimately able to either return or stay home.
01:57For that 9%, they haven't returned home, but they're at least going for family dinners once a week or twice a week, catching up with mum and dad for a coffee or something out in the community.
02:08A respite with proven results.