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USC to co-host child protection conference
A conference aimed at improving services for vulnerable children and families on the Sunshine Coast will be held at the University of the Sunshine Coast tomorrow (Friday 26 September).
The Child Protective Practices Conference – the first of its kind to be held in the region – will be co-hosted by the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Department of Child Safety. It will have the theme “Good Outcomes for Kids”.
Keynote speakers will include Pine Rivers Child Safety Service Centre manager Sandy Wilson and there will be presentations by a variety of groups including the Pyjama Foundation (which trains volunteers to read to children in foster care) and Wanna Be Deadly (a sport and recreation project for Indigenous youths).
The 150 conference delegates will include staff from government agencies like the Department of Child Safety, Disability Services, Queensland Health and Education Queensland, and from Lifeline, Relationships Australia, TAFE colleges and University students and staff.
USC Social Work academic Jo Roff said the conference aimed to boost child protection practice, knowledge and skills on the Coast, promote innovative and responsive practice, and encourage a greater partnership between research and practice.
“This conference is all about improving services for vulnerable children and families in the region, and about developing a better awareness of the services that are available,” she said.
Ms Roff said the free conference was booked out several weeks ago, indicating a strong demand for this type of professional development for those working in the area of child protection on the Sunshine Coast.
— Terry Walsh