Hub showcase: Our Place – Northern Bay

Published

Thursday, June 26, 2025 - 12:00 PM

Hear from Rebecca Hickey, Partnership Manager at Our Place, about the Korayn Birralee Family Centre co-located at Northern Bay College in Corio, Geelong, Victoria.

• Name of Hub: Our Place Northern Bay
• Hub location: Korayn Birralee Family Centre, Corio, Geelong, Victoria.
• Hub setting: Korayn Birralee Family Centre is a City of Greater Geelong owned and managed hub with shared entry into the Northern Bay College – Wexford Campus (P-8).

How would you describe your Hub?

At Korayn Birralee Family Centre, families are welcomed into a warm, inclusive space that prioritises their needs and wellbeing. Children enjoy high-quality kindergarten and long day care, while families can access integrated services such as Maternal and Child Health, Playgroups, and a toy library. For those who may be experiencing vulnerability, the centre provides wrap-around support including Family Services , legal and employment advice, and food programs. The centre is co-located at Northern Bay College, offering integrated opportunities for collaboration.

At Our Place Northern Bay, collaboration is key. Together with Korayn Birralee Family Centre, Northern Bay College, service organisations, and the local community, we have co-developed a four-year strategic plan focused on three key priorities:

1. Supporting healthy development and wellbeing for all children
2. Engaging children in high-quality learning experiences
3. Empowering parents and carers to feel confident, capable, and connected

Helping Families Feel Connected

We know that navigating services can be complex and even intimidating—especially when previous experiences have been negative. That’s why our partnerships focus on building trust through warm and consistent interactions.

We offer several programs that foster peer connection and community engagement:

Coffee and Chat: casual drop-in mornings for families facilitated by the school campus principal and manager of Korayn Birralee Family Centre to connect, share concerns, and feel heard within a safe space.

Story Time: gives families the chance to meet professionals in a playful setting while supporting early literacy.

Supporting Parents and Carers

Parent and carer engagement is central to our approach. Weekly programs provide opportunities for connection :

• Carer’s Connect: A peer support group for kinship and out-of-home carers, facilitated by the school wellbeing team
• Give it a Go: A social group offering new activities each week, delivered with support from community partners
• Toy Library Volunteering: Families are encouraged to volunteer in the on-site Toy Library, which operates three times a week to coincide with playgroup sessions.

 

‘Because of Our Place, we feel connected.’

- Parent

 

Bringing Services Together

The Our Place approach shifts practice from working in isolation to cross-sector collaboration. It relies on strong leadership and a shared commitment to joint planning, resource-sharing and continuous learning across partner organisations. Examples of this partnership in action include:

• Buddy Reading and Early Learning Activities: School students regularly engage with kindergarten children, helping build connections ahead of school transitions
• Shared Community Events: Kindergarten children participate in school-wide celebrations like Book Week, increasing their comfort with the school environment
• Supported Playgroups: Facilitated by Meli Family Services,  these playgroups help families connect, learn and grow together
• Bi-Cultural Worker Support: In partnership with Cultura Settlement Services, on-site bi-cultural support workers assist playgroup families and recently supported 10 families to enrol in kindergarten in just two weeks
• Engagement Blitz: Once each term, Korayn Birralee hosts an 'Engagement Blitz'—a dedicated week where partner organisations are invited to engage with families at the front of the building. In 2024, 22 different services participated, providing information about their service and how families can access their support.
• Warm Referral Protocols: Staff across the site support families through warm handovers and introductions to build trust and strengthen ongoing relationships.
• Cross-Site Staff Collaboration: Regular staff visits across services enhance professional connection and understanding.

This shared strategy  and approach at Our Place Northern Bay enables continuity of practice, better use of resources, and the creation of a welcoming, inclusive environment for families. 

 

‘I see the benefits of our collaborative efforts every day—for vulnerable children, their families, and the community. I feel privileged to be a part of this journey.’

- Service provider

 

‘Students show great readiness during school visits and transitions. It’s clear that early learning teams are preparing children well, and the connection between staff has deepened our understanding of each child.’

- Prep-2 Learning Community Lead

 

Welcome to Prep! Capturing children’s voices to support school transitions

What do you get when you combine a curious bunch of kindergarten kids and some caring, helpful Prep Students? You get a story created together about school life as a prep student at Northern Bay College.

The Continuity of Learning Focus Group explored how to support a smooth transition into school for the 2024 cohort of kinder children. The group recognised the importance of hearing directly from children - both those starting school and those already there. The solution: A creative collaboration between kindergarten children and current Prep students.

Following several visits to the school by the kinder children and visits from their Grade 5 Buddies, the kinder children began asking questions and showing a real curiosity about school. Their questions were then shared with Prep students, who enthusiastically responded through writing, drawing photography storytelling .

The result was a heartwarming resource: Welcome to Prep, a book to share with kinder children and Prep classes as a resource to support the transition from kindergarten to Prep. Designed and produced by Our Place, the book is helping young learners feel welcomed, informed and excited about their next step in their learning journey.

To find out more or touch base with the team at Our Place Northern Bay:

• Website: Northern Bay — Our Place
• Facebook: Our Place Northern Bay
• Email: [email protected]