Centre News

This month, we have been busy adapting to our new COVID-19 reality and making the most of the opportunity to catch up on writing and research projects. 

Our upcoming Foundational Training is still scheduled to be launched on May 4. As you will be aware, the original program included the online training modules and then a face-to-face training day to bring it all together.  Given the current context with COVID-19, we have decided to run the integration workshop as 2 x 3-hour online workshops using Zoom.

Next week, please join us on Wednesday at 10 AM for a webinar with Noel MacNamara on Supporting Young People in Residential Care through COVID-19. Noel will discuss strategies for maintaining the therapeutic care principles of safety, consistency, predictability and routine in a world that feels like it has turned upside down overnight.

Our latest blogs explore the relationship between the care and the criminal justice system, the elements of high-quality residential care, and the role of curiosity in really listening and responding to the needs of young people. 

Do you have a practice or strategy or technology platform that you have found particularly effective in supporting young people during this time? I would love to hear from you so we can share with others what is working well, and any lessons learnt along the way.

Kelly Royds, Senior Advisor

Webinar: Supporting young people in residential care through COVID-19

WED 22 April, 10:00 to 10:45 AM

How do we keep to the therapeutic care principles of safety, consistency, predictability and routine in a world that feels like it has turned upside down overnight? Join us for a webinar with Noel MacNamara on how to foster safety and connectivity in the context of COVID-19.

Therapeutic Specialist Communities of Practice

WED 29 APRIL, Self-selected CoP Groups (9:30 AM, 12:00 PM, and 2.30 PM)

Our first Therapeutic Specialist Communities of Practice for 2020 will kick-off this Wednesday 29 April, and will be held on the last Wednesday of every month thereafter. If you did not receive an email invite from Kelly (kroyds@childhood.org.au) to select your group please let her know as soon as possible.

They came to us for care and left with a criminal record

Associate Professor Lynne McPherson, Director of Research, CETC

There is a nexus between living in Out of Home Care (OOHC) and being involved with the criminal justice system. In this blog, Associate Professor Lynne McPherson explores what the literature has to say and how the ITC reform and Joint Protocol are working to change this reality for young people.

How do we create excellence in intensive therapeutic care practice?

Janise Mitchell, Director, CETC

What creates high quality therapeutic residential care? In this blog, Janise Mitchell explores the qualities of high performing residential care units in light of recent research from the UK. She looks at what this means for agencies in the context of the ITC reforms in NSW today.

Cultivating Curiosity in Therapeutic Residential Care

Noel MacNamara, Senior Advisor, CETC

"I have no special talents; I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein.

How does curiosity support intensive therapeutic care? As Noel Macnamara writes, curiosity supports us to really listen to young people and think creatively and dynamically about the work we do.

Leaving Care: What we know and don’t know about outcomes for young people

Associate Professor Lynne McPherson, Director of Research, CETC

The research is clear: young people do not fare well when they leave care. What we need to better understand is: under what circumstances do care leavers do well?

LGBTIQA+ young people in OOHC

Do you have any recent care leavers in your networks who identify as LGBTIQA+ and might be interested to talk about their experiences in care?

We're calling out for research participants to help us make out-of-home-care better for LGBTQIA+ young people. If you can help, please reach out! Or contact researcher Nadine Cameron directly at nadine.cameron@scu.edu.au or text 0430 283 518.

Our purpose is to support the evolution of the newly reformed Intensive Therapeutic Care system being rolled out in NSW. As a partnership between the Australian Childhood Foundation and Southern Cross University, the Centre integrates up to date research evidence with cultural knowledge, practice wisdom and the voices of young people in care to produce reports, practice resources and training to support the provision of high quality, evidence-informed therapeutic care.

Core Activities

• Publish current and meaningful research and practice guides
• Lead foundational training
• Therapeutic Care Blog
• Facilitate Therapeutic Specialist Communities of Practice

Want to know more?

If you would like to find out more about the Centre or discuss how the Centre could support your work contact Kelly Royds on 0407 516 858 or on kroyds@childhood.org.au 

If you would like to discuss how the Centre can build your staff capacity through training and accredited courses contact Marina Dickson on 1300 381 581 or on mdickson@childhood.org.au

We want to hear from you!

We would love to hear any feedback how we are going and ideas on how we can better work together.