The shared learning experience of network events was alive and well in Canberra, Ngunnawal country, last week! The Child Inclusive Practice (CIP) Forum was a great success and it was wonderful to be immersed in the professionalism and passion of people in our sector dedicated to hearing the voices of children and young people and giving them life.
Early in the event we heard from the very astute and inspirational Professor Jenn McIntosh AM who spoke about working with infants – those aged 0-2. Not to oversimplify the subject and related practice – a message that resonated strongly with me was her outline of four things that children, even as infants, want from their parents/carers/family. They are: safety, security, repair and joy. Fast forward to the end of the event where we had an amazingly moving young person’s panel talking about their experiences of growing up with an array of complex and challenging issues. They were asked what they valued most and the things that made the greatest difference to them in their lives. Although not necessarily expressed in the exact same way as Jen, their conversation reflected that it was when they felt safe; they felt secure; they experienced relationships that were open to repair, and they were able to find joy/have fun.
We had an amazing array of keynotes, panels and concurrent session presentations and many of those (that we have permission to share) are now available on our website.
Before the CIP Forum I had the opportunity to visit BaptistCare’s HopeStreet precinct in the middle of Sydney at Woolloomooloo. My thanks to Robyn Evans and two of her team members – Jeffrey Taylor and Sam Stamnos – for sharing with me the work they do with their FRS funding and all the other services they offer to the HopeStreet precinct community and clients. My congratulations to Robyn Evans who was recently appointed as the Executive General Manager, of newly amalgamated Baptcare, Baptist Care SA, and BaptistCare.
Next week I embark on my FRSA Member Forums which are being held in the capital city of each state and territory. I am really looking forward to spending time with our Member delegates and senior staff over the coming month to share what I can about the state of play in the sector from the national perspective. Importantly, it also provides me with the privileged opportunity to hear about the key priorities, challenges and opportunities for members, as they see them, moving forward.
We have also just announced an extension to the early bird period for the FRSA Conference. This will now close on Monday, 17 March 2025. It will be great if we can make our Sydney Conference our biggest yet!
