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Mission Statement
"To promote the development and delivery of safe, quality hostel accommodation for young people whilst they complete their primary and secondary education."
NARSA's history dates back to 1993 when a meeting called by officers of the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and training (DEET) established that an association should be formed that would provide ongoing support and training for staff in student boarding facilities throughout Australia. A National Hostels Working Party (NHWP) was set up for the purpose of investigating issues involving training provisions for staff and management in such facilities.
As a result of this initial meeting and the ensuing processes the Association was formed, and NARSA was officially launched on July 13th, 1995, at a hostels training forum held in Hay, NSW.
During the past 14 years the NARSA Executive Committee has endeavoured to bring to reality the objectives of the Association with very limited funds.
NARSA has:
- Maintained an office in order to provide an information and Help-line service for staff and management of hostels.
- Presented annual training forums in a variety of locations throughout Australia.
- Presented mini-regional conferences.
- Acted as a link between hostels in order to pass on information.
- Produced regular newsletters.
- Advertised for staff on behalf of individual hostels by way of the newsletter.
- Provided a source of information pertaining to hostels and the care of young people.
- Made representations to the Federal Government for funding for the Association and Hostels.
Generous funding from Aboriginal Hostels Limited in 2000 provided NARSA with the ability to set up a more personal service to hostels by means of a Mobile Office that visited all residential colleges and rural hostels throughout Australia during the following year and continues to do so when requested.
This has made it possible to:
- Offer on-site support, encouragement and assistance to house-parents, supervisors and management.
- Share concerns and ideas with house-parents in isolated areas, many of whom have had no previous contact with staff in other hostels.
- Offer on-site training when requested, currently by the facilitation of a “Duty of Care” course leading to a Nationally Accredited Certificate in Residential Care.
- Help hostels determine whether they are meeting Government standards in certain areas of hostel accommodation and care-giving.
- Share news and views from and with other hostels.
- Establish a Web site that provides a database of information and support facilities for hostel staff.
- Record details and take photographs at each hostel with the up-to-date equipment provided for the Mobile Office
- Collate information into a Student Hostels Accommodation Guide for printing and distribution to member hostels.
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