Financial Counselling & Gamblers Help

Financial Counselling

Free, confidential financial counselling is available in Ballarat, Daylesford, Bacchus Marsh and Ararat. Contact the relevant office. This is a para-legal service that assists people in financial difficulty by providing information and support to negotiate with creditors; to arrange assistance dealing with electricity, gas and water suppliers and to consider the implications of bankruptcy.

Specific assistance is offered to people with financial difficulties arising from the problem gambling behaviour of themselves or a family member.

Financial Counselling services are available at all CAFS offices. Please visit the contact us page to find your nearest location.

Gamblers’ Help

Specific assistance is offered to people with financial difficulties arising from the problem gambling behaviour of themselves or a family member. Financial counselling and referral to counselling support is available, as well as community education around gambling issues. Contact 5337 3333.

CAFS provides Gamblers Help in conjunction with Relationships Australia Ballarat.
A service specifically for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds operates from Ballarat. This involves individual counselling and assisting people to make contact with other services as well as community education around gambling issues.
Help to manage problem gambling behaviours is available through Daylesford and Bacchus Marsh offices.
Financial counselling for issues arising from problem gambling is available by contacting Lorraine Clarke on 5337 3333. Picture right show CAFS staff and partners at the launch of a CAFS initiated Gambler's Help Newsletter.
Child and Family Services are partners to the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce. Scams target you: Protect yourself.

$3.75m in client debts written off by creditors such as

banks, creditors and utilities with CAFS help.

Client testimonial:

‘I hit a brick wall and was not sure where to turn. CAFS Financial Counselling service provided options- I am so appreciative of their support. It was the best advice I’ve ever been given’ Jason.

Our Vision: Wellbeing, respect and safety for all children and families

Our Mission: Our mission is to strengthen and empower individuals, families and communities in order to heal from the oppression of disadvantage, alienation from culture and social connections and the trauma of abuse and violence

185

employees working at CAFS
to help strengthen and
empower individuals, families
and communities

2,386

phone calls received
for family support
for the year ended
30 June 2011

$3.75m

in client debts written off
by creditors such as banks
and utilities
with CAFS help

CAFS Values

Flexibility: Being adaptable to changing circumstances in the workplace, prioritising work, addressing what is most important and taking advantage of new and emerging opportunities.

Resilience: The capacity to recover from setbacks, overcome obstacles and impediments, and the ability to learn from experience and identify areas for self development.

Client/Member focused: Prioritising the needs of clients and members, aiming for best outcomes for clients and members, being focused on the outcome and following through with commitments.

Inclusive: Recognising the rights of others, being committed to social justice and social inclusion, making equitable decisions and respecting and valuing difference and diversity in all its forms.

Ethical: High standards of personal integrity, being truthful and reflecting expected standards of behaviour consistent with the CAFS Code of Conduct and professional Codes of Ethics.

Collaborative: Working with others to achieve common goals, engendering a spirit of teamwork, listening actively, inspiring confidence and demonstrating empathy when confronted with adversity.