The upcoming policy forum aims to discuss ways of supporting children and young people with disability through a variety of challenging contexts such as family violence, the COVID pandemic and the challenges for families navigating systems such the NDIS. Children and young people with disability and their parents/carers, are an identified priority group of Safe and Supported: The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2021-2031.

Keynote speaker:

• Professor Sally Robinson (Flinders University).

Sally Robinson does research with children, young people and adults with disability about what helps them feel safe, well and happy at difficult times in their lives. Most of her work is done in teams that include people with disability as researchers as well as asking them for their views. She also works with governments and organisations about how to listen to the things that matter to disabled people. Sally is Professor of Disability and Community Inclusion at Flinders University.

We will then explore case studies from:

• Plumtree (Ms Sylvana Mahmic, CEO).

Sylvana has 28 years’ experience in the early childhood intervention field. She is an advocate for early childhood intervention and self-management. She has served on over 15 reference and advisory groups in addition to five Ministerial appointments including membership of the Disability Council NSW. She has held executive positions on the Board of Early Childhood Intervention Australia NSW/ACT and was a founding board member of Diversity Disability Alliance. Currently, she is a member of the Access Advisory Group NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, the NSW Family and Community Services Multicultural Advisory Group, Australian Museum Access and Inclusion Advisory Panel and the NDIA Independent Advisory Council. She is co-creator Now and Next, promotes peer work and has incubated two new peer-led organisations. She is completing her PhD on individualised funding and supports her son to self-manage his funding. He has been utilising self-managed funding since 2009.

• First Peoples Disability Network Australia, (Paul Calcott, National Training and Resource Development Manager)

First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN) is a national organisation of and for Australia’s First Peoples with disability, their families and communities. FPDN is governed by First Peoples with lived experience of disability. First People's Disability Network (FPDN) proactively engage with communities around Australia and advocate for the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability in Australia and internationally. FPDN work for the recognition, respect, protection and fulfilment of the human rights of First Peoples with disability and their families. FPDN work within a social model of disability, in which we understand ‘disability’ to be the result of barriers to our equal participation in the social and physical environment. These barriers can and must be dismantled. The social model stands in contrast to a medical model of disability, which focuses on diagnosis.

The policy forum will conclude with a discussion co-facilitated by Professor Sally Robinson and Families Australia CEO, Jamie Crosby.

We encourage the participation of workers from Aboriginal controlled organisations, child protection and welfare organisations, disability and carers organisations, as well as those engaged with policy, advocacy and research on issues affecting children, youth and families.