Victorian Branch of the Australian Association of Social Workers in partnership with SNAICC - the national non-government peak body in Australia representing the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families are delighted to be hosting an upcoming workshop entitled Recognising and Responding to Trauma: Trauma informed approaches to healing and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities, 30-31 October 2018 at AASW office in North Melbourne..

The Social Justice group at St Michael’s in Berwick, together with St Vincent de Paul Conference, is holding a forum with a particular focus on homelessness in the local community (primarily City of Casey and Cardinia). Guest speakers will be from the City of Casey and WAYSS.

The Australian Safeguarding Network has been established to provide a collegiate forum for safeguarding professionals to network and collaborate on keeping people at risk safe. The Network will share good practice, latest research, guidance, legislation, case studies, training opportunities and more with people directly engaged in safeguarding.

The first network event will be a webcast by Professor Stephen Smallbone on October 17. 

You are invited to the 2018 Walter Silvester Memorial Lecture: Considering Politics and Justice through the Prism of Executions" presented by Julian McMahon on Tuesday 30th October.  Julian McMahon is a barrister and Senior Counsel based in Melbourne. His principal work is as a trial barrister in criminal cases.  Julian has also been involved with death penalty cases for 15 years, mainly in the Asian region.

Monday, October 15, 2018, 6:15 PM - 8:30 PM ACMI, Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne

The film follows the endeavours of Kiribati’s then-President, Anote Tong, to bring international attention to the Pacific nation’s calls for action. With indomitable spirit, gentle strength and charm, the Kiribati people have become the face of climate change, imploring us to contemplate the crisis of rapidly submerging nations, and the associated impacts on cultural identity. 

2:20AM is produced by Anvil Productions, Jesuit Social Services and Support after Suicide. This project is proudly supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and City of Yarra.

Starring Joanne Davis, Zoe Ellerton Ashley, Michael Treloar, and Izabella Yena, 2:20AM is a contemporary drama that directly tackles the subject of suicide with truth and humour, and pulses with the credibility of lived experience.

Is Victoria still a ‘dreadful parent’ for the hundreds of children in state care or confinement? Bernie Geary OAM has been involved with children and young people for most of his life. He was Victoria’s first Child Safety Commissioner from 2005, and was then appointed Victorian Commissioner for Children & Young People from 2013 until late 2015.

The Volunteer Grants Activity is an element of the Families and Communities Program. The Families and Communities Program aims to strengthen relationships, improve well-being of children and young people, reduce the cost of family breakdown, strengthen family and community functioning and facilitate the settlement of migrants and humanitarian entrants in the community. The grants provide small amounts of money that organisations and community groups can use to help their volunteers. The grants form part of the Government’s work to support the volunteers who help disadvantaged Australian communities and encourage inclusion of vulnerable people in community life.

Australian Catholic University in Melbourne is offering a short course 'What do you think God is asking of us in Australia?'  Suitable for parishioners, teachers and the general public the course runs each Wednesday evening from 1st – 22nd August.

Co-designed by young people with disability, the latest research reveals 4 key aspects to keeping safe - being safe in your body, having your access needs met, being safe in your feelings and feeling like you have control. 
A timely reminder for all policy makers given the introduction of the NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission and the damning findings from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Read more here.