Wanslea Family Services Records, Wanslea Family Services

Wanslea Family Services Records is an archival collection of records dated between 1940 to 2004. It includes records about the Wanslea Hostel, Cottesloe and the Wanslea ‘Community Care Program’ (‘foster care program’). Wanslea Family Services has paper files, microfilm, photographs and digital files that include admission records, case notes, letters, and annual reports.

Access Conditions

This collection classified as ‘Closed’ by Wanslea Family Services because these records may contain personal or private information.. This means only some people, such as people who experienced ‘care’ through Wanslea Family Services, can access these records.

The series titled Wanslea History is open and can be viewed by members of the public.

If you want to access these records you need to contact the Wanslea Family Services office in Scarborough.

Records

Index cards – List children by name, alphabetical by surname/family name (1979 – 1997)

Index Cards is an archival series with records dating between 1979 and 1997. The records include an estimated 7,000 or more standard 7 x 5 index cards in 3 boxes. These index cards provide details of child’s name (alphabetical by family name) and address, phone number, problem codes, type of care, any costs applicable, dates applicable, and referral. The cards may also note other siblings, sex and age.
Wanslea Reference: Series 01

Foster Care Registers (1988 – 1991)

Foster Care Registers is an archival series with records dated between 1988 and 1991. Each register may list foster carers and surnames of specific children each carer is responsible for, the number of children in family care, and the dates. The records are contained in a red foolscap book.
Wanslea Reference: Series 02

Bookings – Cottages (Florence & Kath) (1998)

Bookings – Cottages (Florence & Kath) is an archival series comprising registers and log book lists of bookings for the Florence Cottages and Kath Cottages dated from February to August 1998. The records are contained in a blue foolscap book. The Florence Cottages and Kath Cottages bookings are listed separately. The records may contain the surnames of children and the number of children in family ‘care’, as well as the dates of ‘care’.
These records are described by Wanslea Family Services as being in ‘good’ condition.
Wanslea Reference: Series 03

Account Books – Cottesloe Hostel (1973 – 1982)

Account Books – Cottesloe Hostel comprises 3 account books (foolscap with red covers) from Cottesloe Hostel. The account books give details of parents, but no given names of children. Family addresses are noted so children can probably be identified. The account books include dates and fees, discharge dates, and an index at the front. The dates in the account books are September 1973 to March 1976; May 1978 to April 1980; April 1980 to July 1982.

Two of these books are described by Wanslea Family Services as being in ‘poor’ condition and ‘very badly water stained’. The other book is described as ‘used’ but in ‘fair’ condition.
Wanslea Reference: Series 04

Account Books – Carers (1999 – 2001)

Account Books – Carers is an archival series comprising one oversized register with a red cover, with records from May 1999 to June 2001. The account book provides details of individual foster carers, names of specific children, dates, details of payments and status.
Wanslea Reference: Series 05

Incident Reports – Day Books (1983 – 1985)

Incident Reports – Day Books – 1983-1985 comprises two foolscap books, one with a red cover one with a green cover. These books provide a day to day record of activities and any incidents that may have occurred at Wanslea during this period, including names of children, messages from parents, etc. Wanslea Family Services has described the condition of these books as ‘fair’ and ‘used’.

Unfortunately Wanslea Family Services informed us that there are gaps in the books, the books cover the following dates: April 1983 to October 1983; November 1984 to March 1985. Sadly this means some information about some people may be missing.
Wanslea Reference: Series 06

Client Files – Microfiche – Index (1971 – 1998)

Client Files – Microfiche – Index is a series comprising computer printouts, in a file titled ‘Wanslea Hostel Archival Records 1971-1998’. These computer print outs provide indexes to microfiche records. The print outs list children alphabetically by surname and initials, and microfiche reference number. The condition of these records is described as ‘good’ by Wanslea Family Services.

The records in this series cover the following dates: 1971-1985; 1985-1987; 1995; 1996-1998.
Wanslea Reference: Series 07

Client Files – Microfiche (1977 – 1995)

Client Files – Microfiche is an archival series contains individual client files providing extensive details of individual children between 1977 and 1995. There are some gaps in these records – Wanslea Family Services advise that files covering the following dates are missing: 1991, 1974 -1983. Unfortunately this means information about some people may have been lost.

In total there are 350 microfiche records, sized 6×4, in this series (A microfiche record is a miniature photo of a record on film like that found in an analogue camera. Microfiche is commonly used to make the storage and access of records easier.) The condition of these records is described by Wanslea Family Services as ‘good’.

This series also contains a microfiche version of the 1981 Wanslea Board minutes and Wenslea Annual reports dated between 1977 and 1988.
Wanslea Reference: Series 08

Wanslea – History

Wanslea – History is an archival series containing general files and information about Wanslea Family Services such as press clippings, newsletters, etc. The records in this Archival Series were collected by Wanslea Family Services staff. There are three lever arch files, one labelled 1 of 3, one labelled 2 of 3 and one labelled 3 of 3 holding records grouped roughly by decades including the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, etc.

There are lots of reports on Florence Hummerston and the history of Wanslea Family Services in this Archival series, as well as a few named photographs of children. Also included are notes/minutes from the Perth Area Committee Land Army Welfare Fund. The condition of the records in this Archival Series is described as ‘fair’ and ‘used’ by Wanslea Family Services.
Wanslea Reference: Series 09

Clients – Past – Correspondence Files (1998 – 2000)

Clients – Past – Correspondence Files is an archival series comprising copies of letters sent to some people who experienced ‘care’, about their time at Wanslea dated between 1998 and 2000.

These letters are housed in one file and their condition is stated as ‘fair’ and ‘used’ by Wanslea Family Services.
Wanslea Reference: Series 10

Client Files – Electronic Format (1943 – 1984)

Client Files – Electronic Format is an archival series of client files in electronic (pdf) format, probably scans of microfiche files. The condition of these records is described by Wanslea Family Services as ‘good’. The date range of these records was unknown in November 2013, so the dates of the records are an estimate, based on the period when Wanslea was operational. These files are sorted alphabetically by first name (rather than surname) and contain extensive details about individual children.

Unfortunately there may be some gaps in these records, and the time period that this Archival Series covers is unclear. This means some information about some individuals may be missing.
Wanslea Reference: Series 11

Bookings – Advance (1988 – 1991)

Bookings – Advance is an archival series comprising 1 oversized red register used for Bookings (advanced), dated between January 1988 and January 1991.
Wanslea Reference: Series 13