The Bethany Group
The Bethany Group is the parent organisation of Bethany Community Support and Bethany Kindergarten Services. For more than 150 years, we’ve been providing community support and educational services to children, families and individuals in the Barwon region and western Victoria.
With more than 40 community support services and 22 kindergartens, we’re an organisation that is constantly adapting to meet the needs of our changing and growing community, to make sure we’re there when and where people need us the most.
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Everything we do orientates around the people who use our services – their safety, their wellbeing and their ability to participate in the community they live in.
Our services range from universal to highly specialised and include early childhood education, early support for people who are experiencing vulnerability, more intensive support for people with complex needs through to long term engagement and care for those most at risk. This continuum allows us to support and connect people at the right time and place, particularly when responding to vulnerability and disadvantage.
We are focused on improving the services we provide to people to ensure those services are safe, effective, connected and person-led. This means that our services are free from preventable harm, our practice is based on evidence, services are coordinated rather than fragmented and most importantly our services are led by the values, beliefs and needs of the people who use them. This approach is the foundation of our new Quality Governance Framework developed in 2019.
At Bethany, we are passionate about what we do and want to live in a community where children have a good start in life, where all families are safe, loving and connected, and everyone has an opportunity to participate.
2020 –2025 Strategic Aims
Children have a good start in life
One of Bethany’s strategic aims is to ensure children get a good start in life. We work to support children and their families, linking with Government and other like-minded organisations to achieve this goal.
Research consistently shows that the first five years of a child’s life set a foundation for life-long learning, achievement, health, wellbeing and productivity. Starting preschool at age three is the one time in life when children who are behind in their learning can catch up to their peers.
Families are safe, loving and connected
Bethany is committed to increasing the opportunity for individuals and families to build resilience and experience safe, loving and supportive relationships.
Keeping families safe requires a coordinated effort across Government, business and community to provide an integrated, multi-agency response to increase services that are preventative and supportive.
Opportunity for everyone
Bethany works to address barriers that create disadvantage and to support people to participate in the community and economy in ways they choose.
Our Values
Courage
We take action and stand up for what we believe.
Respect
We value people and build upon their strengths.
Integrity
We are open, fair and just in everything we do.
Innovation
We develop new ways of working to make a difference.
Collaboration
We work together to improve outcomes.
Our Priorities
- We will ensure the voices of service users are at the centre of all we do
- We will ensure our services reach the people who need them at the right time and place
- We will orientate our services around the person to promote safety, wellbeing and participation
- We will focus our education services on children’s learning, communication, wellbeing and identity
- We will collaborate to create equality and social inclusion for lasting change
- We will ensure our staff are valued and aligned to our purpose
Our History
In May 1868, on the site where Bethany Community Support’s Hamlyn Heights office now stands, our organisation opened its doors for the first time. Known as the Geelong Female Refuge, the centre was established to provide refuge and rehabilitation to the poor women of Geelong.