Growing up safe and supported

To achieve the full development potential of South Australia's children and adolescents.HDA is an independent non-partisan organisation that encourages the use of evidence-based policy along with universal, targeted and clinical interventions designed to maximise the developmental potential of infants, children, adolescents and families in South Australia.HDA is funded and supported by the Channel 7 Children's Research Foundation, University of Adelaide (Robinson Research Institute), University of South Australia, Flinders University, the Department for Education, the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (Women and Kids), Department of Human Services, Department for Child Protection, and Novita.

Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA)

Join us for the Healthy Development Adelaide forum held in conjunction with our partner organisation, the Department for Child Protection.

Napier 102 lecture theatre, 1st floor, Napier Building, University of Adelaide

This year National Child Protection Week (4-10 September) focuses on ‘Every child, in every community, needs a fair go’, in particular on children growing up safe and supported.This forum will cover the great work being undertaken across organisations from a clinical, research and government perspective on what is needed to keep our children safe and supported so that every child in every community has a fair go. By working together and creating collaborative and supportive places for every child we can strive to achieve this and more.OUR SPEAKERSApril Lawrie, South Australian Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young PeopleApril Lawrie was appointed as SA&#x27;s inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in October 2018. The role was enshrined in Legislation in October 2021 enabling the role to function with statutory powers. Commissioner Lawrie was formally re-appointed on 21 October 2021 for a further 3-year term. Commissioner Lawrie is a proud Aboriginal woman and heralds from the Mirning and Kokatha people from the Far West Coast of South Australia. Commissioner Lawrie holds a Social Work Degree which took her early career in front line child protection work and Aboriginal foster care services. From there she moved into management roles of Aboriginal social welfare policy and programs and later took on a range of Executive Leadership roles in South Australian Government Agencies including four years as the Aboriginal Justice Director in the Attorney General’s Department, ten years as SA Health Aboriginal Health Branch Director and two and a half years as Director of Aboriginal Education. Over the last 30 years, Commissioner Lawrie has contributed to the formation of policy at the State and National level, and excellence in service innovation and community development with regard to Aboriginal health, education, child and family services, foster care services, justice services, across the metropolitan and regional areas, including rural/remote. Commissioner Lawrie strongly believes that we need to bring the voices of Aboriginal children and young people and their communities into how we are designing and delivering health, education, justice and child protection systems and services so that Aboriginal children and young people can flourish with their right to family and culture upheld. The Commissioner believes that to improve services and outcomes, we need to recognise the solutions coming from our Aboriginal communities and families and act upon them in a meaningful way.The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle: Aboriginal children in care growing up safe and supported with family, community and cultureThe proportion of Aboriginal children placed with Aboriginal family or kin has declined over time despite the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle. Aboriginal children are approximately 5% of the population of children in South Australia but represent 37.5% of children in Out of Home Care, with a third placed with Aboriginal family or kin. Upholding the rights of Aboriginal children to grow up safe and supported with family, community and culture is a test for the application of the Principle by decision-makers.A/Professor Melissa O’Donnell, Deputy Director Research, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South AustraliaMelissa O’Donnell is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of child maltreatment and children and families facing adversity. Melissa collaborates with government and non-government agencies to address areas of policy and practice to improve children and families outcomes.Pregnant mothers and infants involved in child processesInfants have the highest rate of notifications to child protection and the highest rates of substantiation and removal into care. There is a shift nationally towards support and safety planning with families prior to birth. We have investigated the outcomes of infants involved in child protection and the need for sustained support to optimise outcomes.Dr Jacqui Beall, Director, Child Protection Service, Flinders Medical Centre, Southern Adelaide Local Health NetworkJacqui Beall has a MPsych(Clin), PhD, and for the past 7 years has been the Director of the Child Protection Service based at Flinders Medical Centre and also holds an adjunct position at the College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University. Over the last 22 years Jacqui has worked across child protection and family law sectors with a focus on the importance of secure and stable child-parent relationships not only for child development but also lifelong resilience. Jacqui has initiated a research program with key collaborators across research and health sectors with a particular focus on ways to break the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment by intervening during early pregnancy.What does a fair go look like in practice?There are several different touch points for children referred to a health-based Child Protection Services in South Australia. These can be during pregnancy, parenting capacity or health assessments, or though therapeutic services. This presentation will combine data with case studies to discuss the level of trauma experienced and service availability. Jisca Sterk, Clinical Psychologist and Manager, Therapeutic Carer Support Team, and Mark Turner, Clinical Psychologist and Manager, Specialist Services Team, Department for Child ProtectionJisca Sterk is a psychologist with over 20 years of clinical and research experience in the fields of trauma and child development. Jisca started her career in Education’s Early Childhood Services and at Women’s and Child Hospital providing developmental assessments and supports. She worked for several years on posttraumatic stress treatment trials for children within Flinders University’s Trauma Unit, developing a treatment manual for the trials, delivering therapy and training other therapists in its use. She then went on to lead a program in Disability SA to support carers of children in care with developmental trauma related delays. She is currently the Team Manager of the Therapeutic Carer Support Team in the Department for Child Protection, a multi-disciplinary team supporting family based carers in-home with the trauma related challenges of children in their care. Jisca has co-authored several trauma and child development publications.Mark Turner is a registered psychologist with many years of experience working to support children and young people in the areas mental health, disability, developmental trauma and education. Mark has held clinical leadership roles supporting psychologists working in Disability SA and the Department for Education. Mark is currently employed as the Team Manager for the Specialist Services Team within Disability and Development Services in the Department for Child Protection. Developmental Differences and Developmental Support for Children in CareDisability and developmental delay are more evident in children in care than in the general population. Added to this many have experienced trauma and neglect during the critical developmental period impacting their brain development. Knowing the nature and severity of a child’s developmental delays is critical for understanding how to best support their progress and functional gains. This presentation will describe approaches used by the specialist teams in Disability and Development Program, Department of Child Protection to support the development of children in care.OUR CHAIRProfessor Claire Roberts (HDA Co-Convenor), NHMRC Leadership Fellow / Professor and Matthew Flinders Fellow / Group Leader, Pregnancy Health and Beyond Laboratory (PHaB Lab), College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University.Other event information:Networking and light refreshments will follow the session from 7pm.University of Adelaide (COVID) requirements:Masks – Masks are strongly recommended at this time, especially indoors where you cannot distance yourself from others. Masks provide a layer of protection for you and for others, so please wear a mask when you are indoors around other people. Stay home if unwell – Get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms. Even if the test comes back negative for COVID please do not attend the campus if you have Cold or Flu-like symptoms.

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Growing up safe and supported

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