Bernie Shakeshaft (1967 - ) Youth Worker

His first child, James, was born at John Hunter Hospital in 1991, when he was living at Stroud with his partner Jayne and working at Leyland Brothers World. The couple took their first job as "house parents" at a farm near Tarago, outside of Goulburn, run by the De La Salle Brothers, but the farm was eventually deemed unsustainable.

The young family ended up in the Northern Territory. Bernie became more qualified, working as a dingo tracker, and learning much about indigenous culture. They had a second child, Maeve, and moved back to NSW, with Bernie employed as a youth development officer in Gunnedah, and then moving to Armidale as a youth worker.

It was in Armidale, through a Youth Links program, that the beginnings of what became Back Track came together. One of the boys in the program died in an unrelated motorbike accident, and it triggered a closeness and focus that - along with the addition of puppies from a litter by the Shakeshafts' dog - morphed into Back Track.

The humble former council shed that Back Track was given for "peppercorn rent" is still a part to the program.

It began with welding classes a couple of days a week, and welding is still part of the trades training in Back Track. Now, over 40 kids rock up to the shed for training and education every day, and there's a residential program for boys, too.

At the suggestion of his son, James, they got the boys involved into training dogs for high jump soon after the program began. Having two of their dogs as top finishers at the famed Casterton (Victoria) show jump was a highlight soon after Back Track started, and they have had considerable success since that time.

Shakeshaft has about 20 dogs at his place, and 30 in the program.

Although he's tough, Shakeshaft is also humble, and remains as determined as the day he started Back Track. These days he spends more time walking the corridors of power seeking support from businesses, foundations and government agencies.

"We have a lot of smart businessmen involved," he says. "Our budget is $2.4million, less than 5 per cent of that is government-funded. And we are getting outcomes. They [our supporters] want a better partnership with government."

Shakeshaft addressed the recent NSW National Party conference about his program, and, when asked, does not discount the possibility of entering politics himself.

We are doing this without government help: reducing crime, reducing suicide ideation. At some stage, I am hoping I am right, with the success and able to prove it, to force the issues on to the table.

Experiences & Opportunities

"We know we can have an immediate impact on juvenile crime," he says of the Back Track program. "In Gunnedah, Armidale, Glen Innes there's been a 35 percent cut in juvenile crime in 12 months.

"We are doing this without government help: reducing crime, reducing suicide ideation. At some stage, I am hoping I am right, with the success and able to prove it, to force the issues on to the table."

He is the first to admit there are no quick fixes. But, as he argues, you have to treat the whole person, the whole problem, which is not how government programs work. The government system creates "silos" where education, training and social health all have their own approach, he says.

"We can't afford to change. Because it absolutely works," he says of the Back Track program. "It is very difficult to fit us into the silo model. We take the approach is it long term, with multiple funding sources. With government [funding], you've got 26 weeks, if you haven't solved the problem, you kick them out and start again."

To say he wears his passion on his sleeve is an understatement. "We are seriously trying to save lives," he says.

"When we began the kids were 16-17 years old. Now, they are 10-11 years old," he says. "The problems are more complex. The problems are ridiculous."

The government solutions are not reaching children, he says: "Einstein said if you keep doing the same thing, you are going to get the same result. That's what we are doing as a society.

"I heard a saying: children are the most honest barometer of how we are going as a society. Look at the Dusseldorf Report [The Cost of Youth Homelessness in Australia, 2016], one in five kids don't go to school, don't have training . . . one in five nationally, that hits alarm bells."

The tragedy of "ice" use in regional Australia does not surprise Shakeshaft. Working on the coalface with troubled youths for over a decade gave him and the Back Track team plenty of insight.

"We saw it coming," he says. "All the money poured into mental health, where does it get to where a kid needs ice? What's going on if they need that to take the pain away?".

Back Track has spread its programs into communities such as Dubbo, Broken Hill, Lake Cargelligo and Grafton. As he found with his start-up in Armidale, you need a committed "driver" on the ground, and you need somebody at the top end of town (a mayor, or police commander or education director) to back the program.

"Our mission statement is to help as many kids as we can," Shakeshaft says.

He says he believes it would work in metropolitan areas, too.

While Shakeshaft's life experiences provided him the tools and confidence to create the Back Track model, he also had the support of his family - his parents - from day one.

"I came from a very loving environment," he says. "If that family unit breaks down - 80 per cent of these kids come from single parent families - well, it's back to 'a village to raise a child'. We need to have sensitive, strong adult role models to re-create that family environment."

Shakeshaft says he isn't "thick-skinned" enough to be in politics. The fact is, politicians aren't thick-skinned enough to handle the truth Shakeshaft delivers about the failures of government and politicians to serve youth in need.

"Fundamentally in Australia, we are scared of change," he says. "If we keep doing what we are doing, that's not going to work out for anybody."

Awards

• NSW Youth Service of the Year in 2015;

• Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award in 2017;

• the Spera Australian Rural Education Award and Youth Action Awards

• NSW Youth Service of the Year in 2018

Documentary

Links

Back Track	Canberra Times 8 July 2019
2020 Local Hero: Australian of the Year Awards	ABC News 25 January 2020

YouTube: BACKTRACK BOYS IMPACT WRAP
https://youtu.be/Si296wAz4xg

2. What inspired Bernie? Why? Give detailed reasons.

3. Has there been a person or people in your life that have inspired you? How?

4. Reflect as a group those qualities of the people who have inspired you.

5. What are you now going to do to be the person who inspires others? List down your responses.