FACS Youth Empowerment Program campaign

Copywriting Headlines and Brochure Copy thanks to Frost*collective.

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This initiative was part of the Family and Community Services' (FACS) Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) launched to promote a wide range of support and services available to young people with personal experience in the out-of-home care (OOHC) system.

A series of four videos and dedicated website were complemented by a 35-page booklet providing in depth information around five key topics.

Working with the FACS team, the YEP initiative demanded a rethink of the department's programs and how it communicated to youth in the out of home system.

In order to convey the broad range of rights that youth aged 15-25 years involved in the system are entitled to understand and pursue, FACS realised the importance of really understanding their audience and connecting differently. While a more direct channel of communications was needed, the challenge was also about engaging with integrity and honesty. Given the nature of the communications and messaging, this required a strategic and empathetic approach.

Our human-centred, collaborative and consultative process was critical to understanding the real needs, attitudes and experiences of the audience. These insights taught us that the campaign must simplify the communication around five key topics - identity, how the out-of-home care system works, finding your voice and being heard, planning for the future and importantly, education. In addition to the four videos an information booklet of the same name was created and a dedicated website was designed and developed.

This dynamic set of tools, comprising video storytelling, a printed brochure and a dedicated website, is vital to the empowerment of young people who have likely been adversely affected by the out-of-home care (OOHC) system. Each tool was designed for a specific role and context, all working together to provide information answering questions that can assist them to make informed decisions about their lives. Our campaign successfully achieved the traction needed to affect positive change in young lives. Launch of the program was highly targeted yet intentionally discrete to protect the audience.