Western Region Residential Planning (1983–?)

Western Region Residential Planning history in brief

The Western Region Residential Planning Committee for the Mentally Retarded operated two category 2 family group homes in Melbourne's western suburbs at:

• 3 Sinns Avenue, Werribee
• 6–8 Hendry Street, Sunshine

The homes were approved in 1982, and provided residential care for children and young people (including wards) with an intellectual disability.

Warning about distressing information

This guide contains information that some people may find distressing. If you experienced abuse as a child or young person in an institution mentioned in this guide, it may be a difficult reading experience. Guides may also contain references to previous views, policies and practices that are regrettable and do not reflect the current views, policies or practices of the department or the State of Victoria. If you find this content distressing, please consult with a support person either from the Department of Health and Human Services or another agency.

Disclaimer

Please note that this administrative history is provided for general information only and does not purport to be comprehensive. The department does not guarantee the accuracy of this administrative history.

See Find & Connect for more detail on the history of child welfare in Australia

Source

Guide to out-of-home care services 1940–2000: volume one – agency descriptions, compiled by James Jenkinson Consulting, North Melbourne, November 2001.

List of records held by the department

For information relating to the central management of care leavers and wards of state, please consult the guide to Central department wardship and out-of-home care records. These collections date back to the 1860s and include ward registers, index cards and ward files.

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Voluntary children’s homes files (c.1930–c.85)

File; Permanent VPRS Number 18069 / P0001

Content: The files record interaction between the various voluntary homes and the government. This filing system was created in 1975, combining earlier correspondence and other records to create one system with VH prefixes.

The specific file relating to the Western Region Residential Planning Committee for the Mentally Retarded is dated from 1982–83 and includes:

File VH-127:

• correspondence regarding funding for accommodating people in community residential units, 1982
• applications, supporting documentation, and approval for establishment of approved children’s homes, 3 Sinns Avenue, Werribee; 8 Hendry Street, Sunshine, 1982
• constitution of, and position papers prepared by Western Region Residential Planning Committee for the Mentally Retarded, 1982
• approval of subsidy for residents, 1983
• copy of a large report on child and family care services in the Western region, c.1980s.