Exploring the Role and Impact of Captain StarlightOUTREACH

By Sarah Moeller, Emma Cahill & Dr Ralph Hampson

In 2015, Starlight also began outreach in Western Australia in collaboration with the Earbus Foundation of Western Australia. Starlight undertook eight trips with the Earbus Foundation, visiting 13 schools across the Pilbara and Goldfields regions in 2015. During these visits Captain Starlight had over 1200 interactions with children and young people.

“On numbers of occasions I have examined children who would have otherwise been impossible to assess, without the help of the captains. They make the whole trip to the clinic more pleasant and they intervene in the face of overwhelming clinical situations to make the whole team seem more approachable and less intimidating to children coming in for check-ups and treatment.”

—Paediatrician, NT

Sarah Moeller is the Manager, Research and Evaluation at the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Qualifications: MA (Social Work) University of Melbourne; BSc University of Melbourne.

Emma Cahill has been the Program Manager for Starlight’s West Australian and Northern Territory programs. She has 8 years’ experience in the arts and not for profit sectors with a focus on strategic planning, management and governance. Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts (Arts Management)

Dr Ralph Hampson is the National Manager, Research and Evaluation. He has more than 30 years’ experience in health and community services and  is responsible for undertaking and developing evaluations and research projects in partnership with the National Starlight team. Qualifications: PhD; MA(PsychSoc Studies); BSocStud.

1 AIHW 2015. The health and welfare of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 2015. Cat. no. IHW 147. Canberra: AIHW.

2 Australian Government, 2014. A Better Start to Life for Indigenous Children. Accessed March 11, 2016 on http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2014-nash028.htm

3 Starlight Children’s Foundation 2015, Starlight Programs: The Evidence, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Sydney.

4 Roberts-Thomson, K. F., Slade, G. D., Bailie, R. S., Endean, C., Simmons, B., Leach, A. J., ... Morris, P. S. (2010). A comprehensive approach to health promotion for the reduction of dental caries in remote Indigenous Australian children: a clustered randomised controlled trial. International Dental Journal, 60(3 Suppl 2), 245-249.

5 Stock, C., Mares, S., & Robinson, G. (2012). Telling and Re-telling Stories: The Use of Narrative and Drawing in a Group Intervention with Parents and Children in a Remote Aboriginal Community. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 33(2), 157-170. doi: 10.1017/aft.2012.17

6 Starlight Children’s Foundation 2015, Monthly Report: August 2015, Starlight Children’s Foundation, Sydney.

BACKGROUNDThe Captain Starlight Program The Captain Starlight program was first launched in Camperdown, NSW, in 1991 and today there are 111 Captain Starlights in Australia.

Captain Starlights are professional performers who come from a wide range of backgrounds including actors, clowns, artists and musicians. Captain Starlight engages with children and young people through activities such as art, music, story-telling, comedy, games and Starlight TV. Captain Starlight is a super hero from Planet Starlight. With a strong mythology Captain Starlight is able to actively engage a child’s imagination with performance and play at the heart of the program.

The Outreach ProgramIn 2006, Starlight introduced the Captain Starlight program to the Northern Territory.

While improvements in Indigenous health and well-being have been achieved over the past decade, there is still a significant gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health status, including:

ǩ Across all residential zones, mortality and morbidity rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are worse than for non-Indigenous people.

ǩ Infant mortality for Indigenous children is 1.7 times higher compared with non-Indigenous infants.

ǩ High prevalence of Otitis Media (middle ear infections) in remote communities which cause significant hearing loss and has lifelong impacts1.

Early intervention is critical in preventing life-long chronic health conditions and the associated psychological, educational and financial implications. Health checks for Indigenous children before starting school are seen as vital in giving children a good start to life.2

Starlight programs place children and their families at the centre of care.

The Outreach Program is delivered in a number of ways:

ǩ Health Professional Outreach - in partnership with mobile teams of health professionals

ǩ Healthy School Aged Screening Programs

ǩ Starlight led Outreach to Regional and Remote Hospitals

ǩ Ongoing visits to the Royal Darwin Hospital.

When mobile teams of health professionals visit regional and remote Indigenous communities, Captain Starlight accompanies them to provide entertainment and play for the children who are attending the clinics. The visits are undertaken in partnership with health professionals and are hosted by the Primary Health Care Centres or schools in community.

REACH

YearNumber of trips in NT

Number of different communities visited

Number of connections made

with children

2015 128 32 4800

2014 80 32 3600

INTRODUCTIONSince 1988, the Starlight Children’s Foundation (Starlight) has been delivering programs in partnership with health professionals which support the total care of children, young people and their families who are living with a serious illness or a chronic health condition.

FUTURE DIRECTIONS Starlight uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate and document the impact of its Outreach Program. Program evaluations have included

ǩ “Have cape, will travel” - An evaluation of the Captain Starlight Community Outreach Program in the Northern Territory

ǩ Evaluation of the Starlight Children’s Foundation’s activities in regional and remote communities in the Northern Territory

ǩ “Starlight Programs: The Evidence” –A systematic literature analysing existing empirical evidence to determine the effectiveness of activities within Starlight’s programs

ǩ Outreach Program logic models

For all of our research projects, please see https://starlight.org.au/what-we-do/projects-reports

Starlight is undertaking further research this year to evaluate impact as well as seeking partnerships to expand the program nationally.

Outcomes:

ǩ creating a positive experience for children

ǩ enhance efficacy of health check ups

ǩ children less anxious & feel more comfortable in clinic environment

Captain Starlight

Existing health services

IMPROVING HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES & THE PATIENT JOURNEYMeeting Captain Starlight in community eases the anxiety and discomfort associated with clinic attendance and can help to develop a better relationship between the child and the healthcare services. The Captain Starlight program also assists in building the capacity of mobile health professional teams by increasing the reach and providing support by entertaining children.

Starlight’s Captain Starlight program helps enhance the relationship between the Indigenous community and health professionals by working with the youngest members of the community in the hope of creating a systemic change. Repeat visits allow children and community members to become familiar with Captain Starlight.

A systematic literature review conducted by Starlight in 2014, analysed the existing academic research to determine the effectiveness of activities within Starlight’s programs4. This review highlighted that activities used in the Outreach visits, such as face painting, arts and craft, and dance have a positive impact on the well-being of Indigenous children.

1. Face painting prior to a medical appointment was shown to build rapport, encouraged participation and made the visits a fun event for remote living Indigenous children.5

2. Art and craft activities provided Indigenous children with a known and safe form of expression as many Aboriginal children are familiar with some kind of artistic expression.

3. The use of drawings gave children the confidence to share their stories in flexible and culturally sensitive ways.6

Feedback collected from health professionals working with Starlight highlighted that Captain Starlight helps to reduce the boredom, anxiety, isolation and pain while the children are waiting for an appointment at a clinic7.

It has been an absolute pleasure having the captains come out to [the community]. They brighten up the room, cheer up the kids, and even keep smiles on the faces of the staff. They set up camp in the waiting room and make the whole process easier and happier for the kids – from start to finish. Sometimes they will also come in for a consult or a procedure to help. It really makes a huge difference.”

—Paediatrician, NT

Captain Starlight also creates connections between clinics and paediatric hospitals. Having Captain Starlight at the hospital, a character they are already familiar with from their local clinic, takes away some of the fear children experience and provides them with a sense of familiarity within the otherwise unfamiliar hospital setting. The Captain Starlight program has also been shown to enhance the efficiency of health check-ups and health care professionals report a more pleasant experience for both themselves and children.

Improving Health Care Outcomes

Partnerships & Collaboration

Building Sustainability

starlight.org.au

PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONRelationships based on close collaboration with existing organisations provide the foundation for success of the Captain Starlight program in the NT and WA. Starlight is integrated into the existing healthcare delivery and is able to leverage the existing trust and relationships that the service providers have with the Indigenous communities they visit. Partnerships with existing health services are also a cost effective, efficient use of resources adding to the sustainability of the Outreach Program.

The Captain Starlight Outreach Program enhances existing healthcare services. This collaborative approach is a critical part of Starlight’s strategy to ensure long-term sustainable program delivery. Additionally, Starlight’s close relationship with healthcare professionals means that Starlight can gain timely and pertinent information utilising it to adapt program delivery as necessary.