Promoting the safety of children and young people with disability

Children with disability have a nearly four times higher risk of experiencing abuse than their non-disabled peers. (AIFS 2017)

It is therefore, crucial that organisations that work or engage with children and young people with disability make sure that their safety and wellbeing is prioritised. The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Principles) highlight the need for a child safety mindset that is inclusive and respectful of children and young people with different, and that this is integrated throughout organisations. The Principles also emphasize the need for all children and young people to be informed about their rights and to participate in decisions affecting them.

In this webinar, Prof Sally Robinson will share her knowledge and insight on how to minimize risks of abuse to children and young people with disability in an organisational context, and how to provide opportunities for their participation in issues that affect them.

Learning outcomes

• Learn how to strengthen organisational policies and practices to promote the safety of children and young people with disability in your organisation
• Learn how to promote inclusiveness and provide opportunities for participation of children and young people with disability
• Gain an understanding of how to minimize the risk of abuse to children and young people in your organisation

Who should attend?

This webinar is designed for professionals who work or engage with children or young people with disability at their workplace.

The National Principles for Child Safe Organisations are applicable to organisations in Australia where children and young people spend time, including but not limited to community services, education, health, retail, not-for-profit, sports and other industries.

About the speaker

Dr Sally Robinson, Professor in Disability and Community Inclusion, Flinders University

Focused on opportunities and barriers to inclusive lives for people with disability, Sally’s work takes an interdisciplinary and collaborative focus to resolving key social policy concerns such as safety and abuse, wellbeing, participation and funding and organisation of community services.

Most of Sally’s work has been co-produced with people with disability, and generated from their priorities. This has taken the teams she works in into very interesting and important territory – relationships, violence, loneliness, belonging, quality of support – and also translated into new approaches to research and evaluation for government and NGOs.