Member Spotlight: Central West Family Support Group

NCOSS spoke to Fiona Skipworth, Executive Officer for Central West Family Support Group.

1. Tell me about how Central West Family Support Group was set up and the kinds of programs it delivers.

Central West Family Support Group (CWFSG) was established in 1988 by the local community in response to the needs of a family raising a child with disabilities. What began as a grassroots effort to support one family has grown into a significant, community-led organisation delivering a wide range of services across the Central West.

Today, CWFSG manages more than $1 million in annual funding and operates from two sites in Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo. With a fleet of vehicles and a locally based workforce, the organisation is able to deliver flexible, outreach-based services to families across rural and remote communities.

Key services include Child and Family Support and the Intensive Family Support Program, which assist families experiencing complex challenges, alongside the Aboriginal Family Strengthening Program, which provides culturally safe supports for Aboriginal families. CWFSG also delivers community prevention initiatives such as Safer Children Safer Community, funded by Westpac and the Benevolent Society, and plays an active role in reducing alcohol and other drug-related harm through its Local Drug Action Team and Community Drug Action Team programs.

More recently, CWFSG has expanded its service delivery through the introduction of Coordination and Access Services (CaAS), supporting NDIS participants with locally based support coordination and individualised supports. Importantly, any surplus generated through this program is reinvested directly back into community services, helping to sustain programs where funding does not fully meet demand.

CWFSG remains committed to its founding purpose supporting vulnerable children and families while continuing to evolve in response to the changing needs of the community.

2. How is the current cost-of-living and housing crisis changing the types of crisis support families are seeking from you?

Housing instability is now one of the most pressing issues in our community. We are seeing a clear increase in homelessness, particularly youth homelessness, which is an emerging and deeply concerning trend in our region. At the same time, access to Temporary Accommodation (TA) is extremely limited. This is largely due to the presence of fly-in, fly-out workers placing pressure on available housing, and as a result, when TA is secured, families are often staying there for extended periods rather than it being a short-term solution.

There are no local refuge options, meaning families in crisis are often required to relocate more than 100 kilometres away from their community to access emergency accommodation. This removes them from their essential support networks, including family, schools, services, and employment, and can further destabilise already vulnerable situations.

Despite recent announcements about increased housing investment in regional areas, we have been advised that there is no identified housing issue in our communities due to a lack of available data. However, this does not reflect what we are seeing on the ground. Through our own investigations, we have identified that housing data is fragmented government providers, community housing, Aboriginal housing organisations, and private real estate agencies are not sharing or consolidating waiting list information. As a result, the true scale of housing need in rural communities is significantly underrepresented.

We are also seeing a rise in overcrowding, with multiple families or extended family members living together to manage rental and living costs, or because they simply cannot access housing locally.

In addition, there remains a strong stigma around financial hardship. Many families are reluctant to seek help until they are already in crisis. When they do attempt to secure housing, we frequently see them being unsuccessful, particularly in the private rental market. This is especially evident for single-parent families, who are often declined for housing with limited or inadequate explanation.

Overall, the housing and cost-of-living pressures are pushing more families into crisis situations and increasing the complexity of support required. Services like CWFSG are responding as best we can, but the gap between community need and available resources continues to grow.

3. Your team covers a large geographic footprint, what are the unique logistical hurdles of delivering intensive family support in these remote communities?

Central West Family Support Group (CWFSG) delivers services across the entire Lachlan Shire, covering approximately 15,000 square kilometres. Within this footprint are two main towns, four villages, and two Aboriginal communities – each with its own unique context, needs, and challenges.

One of the biggest logistical hurdles is distance and travel time. Our team spends significant time on the road to ensure families can access support, often travelling long distances between communities. This not only reduces the time available for direct service delivery but also comes with a significant financial cost. Rising fuel prices in particular have had a direct impact on our ability to deliver outreach services, increasing operational expenses and placing additional pressure on already stretched program funding.

Beyond geography, each community requires an individualised approach. What works in one town or village may not work in another. Differences in culture, community dynamics, service access, and levels of trust mean that engagement strategies must be tailored locally. Building relationships and maintaining a consistent presence – particularly in smaller or more remote communities – takes time and sustained effort. This is sometimes a struggle due to funding time periods structured within contracts.

Access to additional services is also a challenge. Many of the communities we work in have limited local service infrastructure, meaning families often rely heavily on CWFSG for support or must travel out of area to access specialist services. This can create barriers to engagement and continuity of care.

There are also challenges in maintaining workforce sustainability in rural and remote locations, including recruitment, retention, and ensuring staff are supported while working in often complex and isolated environments.

Despite these challenges, CWFSG remains committed to delivering flexible, responsive, and community-led support. Our approach recognises that each community is unique, and services must be adapted accordingly to ensure families receive the support they need, where they need it.

4. What is one recent win from your work in the Central West that reminds you exactly why you do what you do?

A recent win that really highlights why we do what we do involves twin boys who returned to our community from out-of-home care at 16, choosing to live with their mum and her partner.

At the time, the family had very limited supports in place. Mum reached out to CWFSG through our family support services, and from there, we were able to wrap a range of supports around them. Both young people live with disabilities, so our team worked closely with the family to build the right supports, reduce isolation, and help them connect more with their community.

We engaged them in our local older boys group, which gave them opportunities to travel out of town and build social connections, and we also utilised our Coordination and Access Services (CaAS) program to coordinate their NDIS supports and plan for their transition out of the out-of-home care system.

Through this multi-program, coordinated approach, we’ve seen incredible progress. The boys’ placement has stabilised, and they’ve been supported to set and achieve meaningful personal goals as they approached adulthood.

Today, both young men are looking toward their futures with confidence this includes gaining employment, working towards their L plates, and even saving for their own car.

It’s a powerful example of what can be achieved when families are supported early, services work together, and young people are given the opportunity to stay connected to their community.

5. If you had a direct line to policymakers what is the one systemic issue you would ask them to fix immediately?

If we had a direct line to policymakers, it’s difficult to point to just one issue because in rural and remote communities like ours, the challenges are deeply interconnected and require a more holistic response.

That said, housing remains a critical priority. Without stable, affordable housing, it becomes incredibly difficult for families to maintain employment, keep children engaged in education, or access the supports they need.

However, alongside housing, the rising cost of living, particularly fuel, has become a significant and often overlooked pressure point. In our communities, there is little to no public transport, which means families rely entirely on private vehicles. Without affordable fuel, people simply cannot get to medical appointments, buy groceries, attend work, or access essential services.

We are also seeing flow-on effects, with fuel costs driving up food prices in local supermarkets, making basic necessities increasingly unaffordable for some families. This places already vulnerable households under even greater financial strain.

What we are seeing is that families are being pushed into crisis not by a single issue, but by the combined impact of housing shortages, high fuel costs, and the rising cost of everyday living.

If there was one message to policymakers, it would be the need to recognise that rural disadvantage looks different – and solutions must address the full picture. Without targeted support across housing, transport, and cost-of-living pressures, families in communities like ours will continue to fall through the gaps.