Northern Zone
Child Protection Expo 2007
A working party of CP PLAN (Child Protection Partnership Learning Action Network) hosted the inaugural Child Protection Expo on 6 September. The event occurred during Child Protection Week and was attended by child protection workers (government and non-government) and foster carers. The Department of Child Safety was represented across a number of information tables. The services that provided information tables and packs were:
- Contact House - Abused Child Trust
- Centacare
- Child Protection and Alternative Care (CPAC) - Recognised Entity
- Foster care Queensland (FCQ)
- Life Without Barriers
- Pathways - Churches of Christ
- Anglicare
- Wee Care - Shared Family Care
- Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service
- Education Queensland
- Queensland Health
- Child Youth Mental Health Service
- Women's Centre
- Domestic Violence Resource Centre
- Lifeline
- Department of Communities
- Relationships Australia - referral for active intervention (RAI) service
- Family Emergency Accommodation Townsville
- Multi-cultural Support Group
- Oral Health
- Centrelink
- Medicare
- Australian Red Cross
- Smith Family - Communities 4 Children
- Queensland Ambulance Service
The feedback on the Expo was very positive and numerous services have requested to be involved for the 2008 event. As a result of the Expo, several agencies (not previously aware of each others' service capacity) have agreed to work together to do joint planning in service delivery responses, particularly in areas of high need.
Child safety research forum and practice workshops
The child safety research forum was held for the first time in Townsville on Wednesday 12 September. The theme of the research forum was 'Innovative child protection practice - working with Indigenous children, young people and families'. Over 100 people attended the research forum including Acting Director-General Brad Swan and Northern Zonal Director Jan Metcalfe.
The two key presenters were:
- Dr Daryl Higgins from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), who presented on 'Promising practices in out-of-home care for Indigenous children'. His presentation explored the literature on the recruitment, retention and support of Indigenous carers. Dr Higgins also identified promising practices such as:
- community based recruitment strategies
- Indigenous-specific assessment tools
- culturally relevant training for carers
- community/family input into decision making (family group conferencing)
- services for Indigenous children with complex needs.
- Ms Marcia Ella-Duncan, the former chair of NSW Aboriginal Sexual Assault Taskforce, who presented key findings and practice implications from the report Breaking the silence: creating the future, addressing child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities in NSW. She highlighted the devastating effects that child sexual assault is having on Aboriginal communities and the communities' desire for the abuse to stop and healing to begin. She argued that there is a need for effective, cooperative responses to child sexual assault that is community driven and works with government agencies in genuine partnership to overcome the barriers faced by Indigenous communities when seeking help for child sexual assault.
Following the child safety research forum, the department hosted six child protection research-practice workshops in the afternoon presented by members of the Child Safety Research Advisory Group:
- Child protection and intimate partner violence by Dr Judith Burton, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
- What Indigenous elders look for and want in foster carers caring for Indigenous children by Professor Tony McMahon, Professor Ros Thorpe and Linda Williams, James Cook University
- Child sexual assault in Indigenous communities - discussion by Marcia Ella-Duncan
- Interagency collaboration in child protection by Dr Daryl Higgins, AIFS
- Parents with mental illness and child protection practice by Dr Yvonne Darlington, University of Queensland (UQ)
- Growing kids up strong project by Dr Fiona Arney, Australian Centre for Child Protection UniSA.
This was the first time the department had hosted research-practice workshops. Approximately 80 people participated in these workshops including departmental staff, non-government agencies, Recognised Entities and other government departments.
A local Indigenous workshop was also held on Thursday 13 September involving government, non-government services and community members from across the Northern Zone. The workshop was titled 'Child protection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and their families: experiences, challenges and strategies'. The discussions were compelling and proactive leading to further actions from the participants.
Further information
For information about the activities in this zone, contact the Northern Zone ZPPO:
- Contact person:
- David Olsen
- Telephone:
- (07) 4799 7198
- Email:
- Northern Zone ZPPO - David Olsen - dave.olsen@childsafety.qld.gov.au
- Last updated
- 2 July 2008