schedule details

Event Agenda

Join us for a dynamic two-day summit shaping the future of data in the APS. Featuring keynotes, case studies, fireside chats, roundtables, workshops, and peer-to-peer discussions, the program is built to deliver practical takeaways— from actionable frameworks and playbooks to lessons learned from major government transformations.

Placing healing at the centre of care for both victim-survivors and frontline workers

7:00 AM Registration opens

8:40 AM Welcome to Country

8:50 AM Opening remarks from the Chair

  • Embedding the core trauma-informed principles in organisations and services
  • Focusing on the importance of emotional, psychological, physical and cultural safety
  • Examining the role as a trauma sensitive frontline worker in empowering healing for those impacted by trauma

Dr Cathy Kezelman AM

President and Managing Director
Blue Knot Foundation

  • How can organisations balance the emotional and mental wellbeing of survivors with the needs of frontline workers? 
  • The role of leadership in fostering a trauma-informed and healing-focused environment for all involved 
  • Developing frameworks to integrate trauma-informed, culturally sensitive practices at every level of service delivery 

Panellists:

Tinashe La

Registered Counsellor
Author, FDV Lived Experience Speaker

Patricia Gault

Chief Executive Officer
Marnin Bowa Dumbara Family Healing Centre

Nicole Lambert

Chair, National Association of Services against Sexual Violence, Chief Executive Officer
Allambee 

10:20 AM Morning refreshments

  • Incorporating connection, cultural agility and code-switching to support trauma recovery
  • Integrating traditional healing practices with modern therapeutic approaches to create a holistic recovery plan
  • How culturally safe spaces empower both survivors and frontline workers in their healing journey

Dom Passalacqua

Business Continuity, Governance and Advocacy Manager
Carers WA

  • Spotting the early signs of stress and fatigue in yourselves and your teams
  • Building personal and staff-led practices that actually stick
  • Creating a culture of reflection, healing, and growth that supports a strong, sustainable workforce

Hannah George

Chief Executive Officer
Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service

Margi MacGregor

Organisational Psychologist

12:10 PM Networking luncheon

  • Combatting the root causes of burnout and workforce shortages in the family violence sector
  • Developing strategies to retain and support frontline staff through supervision and wellbeing frameworks
  • Examining recruitment and training pipelines that improve continuity and care quality

Panellists:

Penney Ferguson

Chief Executive Officer
First Nations Women's Legal Services Qld

Hannah George

Chief Executive Officer
Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service

Pete Nicholls

Chief Executive Officer
Parents Beyond Breakup

Jill Waite

Head of People and Culture
Knowmore Legal Service

  • Bringing to light experiences from both victim-survivors and frontline workers about their journeys of healing
  • How shared narratives can inform and inspire best practices in trauma recovery
  • Analysing the power of connection and the importance of safe spaces for sharing experiences and healing

Tinashe La

Registered Counsellor, Author
FDV Lived Experience Speaker

3:30 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Co-designing effective recovery frameworks with lived experience front and centre
  • Connecting with potential partners to meet current and emerging needs of survivors throughout their recovery journey
  • Setting strong foundations that lead to thriving partnerships and positive outcomes for all stakeholders

Carolyn Robinson

Founder and Managing Director
Beyond DV

The Healing Circle is a restorative, interactive session designed to bring delegates together in a supportive space. Through guided reflection and small group discussions, participants will explore key themes from the day, share personal insights and identify actionable steps to prioritise healing in their work. This session fosters a sense of community, offering a chance for deep connection, shared learning and collective reflection.

Note: Participation is voluntary. If you prefer to listen rather than share, that is completely okay. Support services will be available if needed.

Facilitated by:

5:00 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of pre-conference day

7:00 AM Registration opens

8:40 AM Welcome to Country

8:50 AM Opening remarks from the Chair

Dr Marisa Paterson MLA

Dr Marisa Paterson MLA

Minister for Women, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Minister for Corrections
ACT Government

  • Understanding the social, psychological and systemic drivers behind why people use domestic, family and sexual violence and when to intervene most effectively.
  • Strengthening victim-survivor safety by addressing perpetration through coordinated, whole-of-system responses 
  • Using emerging ANROWS research to guide new pathways for early intervention, behaviour change, and prevention across communities and services 

Tessa Boyd-Caine

Chief Executive Officer
ANROWS

  • Sharing the State Government’s priorities and current initiatives to prevent domestic and family violence and safeguard children
  • Analysing successes and lessons learned from recent reforms and cross-agency collaborations in Western Australia
  • Showcasing future policy directions and opportunities for community partnerships to drive lasting change

Hon Jessica Stojkovski

Minister for Child Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence
Government of Western Australia

  • How to meaningfully embed lived experience into policy design and service delivery
  • Implementing frameworks for what true cultural safety looks like in delivery
  • Developing practical tools for organisations to transform their internal culture and external impact

Panellists:

Simone O’Brien

Domestic Violence Survivor and Speaker

Dr Sophie Davison

Chief Psychiatrist
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Jessica Warren

Assistant Director
NSW Department of Communities and Justice

Anna Lutz

Group Manager-Family Safety Group
Department of Social Services

10:50 AM Morning refreshments

Chair:

  • How universal and targeted prevention strategies can be embedded into everyday practice across health, justice and child protection sectors
  • Identifying risk factors early and intervene upstream to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational violence
  • Strengthening referral pathways between services to ensure seamless early intervention

Michelle Dillon

Chief Executive Officer and Director of Nursing
Ngala

  • How community-led, culturally grounded approaches are preventing violence in First Nations communities
  • Developing models to amplify First Nations voices and embed cultural safety in prevention policy and practice
  • Identifying enablers of self-determined, place-based prevention initiatives

Stephen Morrison

Aboriginal Cultural Practice and Capability Manager
Hope Community Services

12:40 PM Networking luncheon

  • Unpacking important considerations in the first contact with men who use violence
  • Adopting a posture of respectful challenge to orientate men towards change
  • Building rapport and assessing risk during the initial phase of engagement

Drew Griffiths

Quality Manager – Family and Domestic Violence
Relationships Australia WA

Sheila Fogarty

Clinical Lead FDV
Relationships Australia WA

  • Strengthening community trust in policing to prevent violence and harm before it occurs
  • Implementing collaborative prevention initiatives that empower women, protect children and engage the broader community
  • Developing practical strategies to create safer environments through early intervention, education and proactive policing

Simone O’Brien

Domestic Violence Survivor and Speaker

3:00 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Developing cross-sector partnerships to prevent FDV
  • Preventing financial abuse by empowering victims and strengthening systems to detect, intervene and protect economic independence
  • Preventing FDV in rural and remote communities by strengthening service continuity and local support networks
  • Examining ow in setting out to reduce suicide, Parents Beyond Breakup ‘accidentally’ also significantly reduced FDV
  • Discussing key learnings from 26 years of working with mums and dads in distress
  • Demonstrating how person-centered therapy and peer support can drive inclusive, community-led change

Pete Nicholls

Chief Executive Officer
Parents Beyond Breakup

4:40 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of day one

Chair:

  • Building frameworks for long-term needs of survivors and how services can remain involved after the crisis phase
  • Examining outreach, peer-support and trauma-informed check-ins post-intervention
  • How wraparound care contributes to lasting safety and recovery

Patricia Gault

Chief Executive Officer
Marnin Bowa Dumbara Family Healing Centre

  • How place-based and community-led approaches can overcome fragmented service systems
  • Implementing targeted cross-sector collaboration to improve outcomes for families affected by violence
  • Developing pathways to improve inclusivity for culturally diverse, regional and underrepresented communities

Panellists:

Michelle Dillon

Chief Executive Officer and Director of Nursing
Ngala

Regan Mitchell

Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy
Our Watch

Stephanie Monck

Principal Legal Officer
Women's Legal Service WA

12:40 PM Networking luncheon

  • Developing strategies to restore the bond and rebuild trust and attachment between mothers and children after trauma
  • Building safety beyond crisis that empower women and children to create stable, violence‑free futures
  • How to incorporate trauma‑informed approaches to strengthen relationships and foster emotional security

Michelle Fairweather

Operations Manager
The Family Co

Melissa Keane

Team Leader
The Family Co

  • Identifying and responding to legal issues before crisis point
  • Establishing integrated and collaborative practice to resolve legal and non-legal issues and support victim survivor recovery
  • Working in partnership through the Emerging Lawyer and Family Law Capacity Building Programs to increase access to high quality place-based family violence and family law legal help

Claudia Fatone

Chief Executive Officer
Women's Legal Service Victoria

3:00 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Bridging the gap between family violence response and mental health, maternal health and addiction recovery systems
  • Building lasting recovery pathways for children and young people beyond crisis through integrated care and school engagement
  • Designing intersectional and inclusive recovery pathways that meet the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ people, people with disability, older women and male survivors
  • Exploring healing-focused services for victim-survivors of all genders across the lifespan
  • Clarifying intersections and distinctions between sexual violence and family violence responses
  • Tackling rising rates, complex policy settings, and tech-facilitated harm
  • Elevating advocacy to drive systems change and bring sexual violence out of the shadows

Nicole Lambert

Chair, National Association of Services against Sexual Violence, Chief Executive Officer
Allambee

4:40 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of day one

Chair:

Josh Hewitt

Manager of Justice Transitions and Violence Prevention Services
EveryMan Australia

  • How perpetrators exploit shared custody to maintain control over victim-survivors
  • Examining policy and legal strategies that prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and caregivers
  • Developing cross-sector responses that strengthen protections in parenting orders and service protocols

Corina Martin

Chief Executive Officer
Aboriginal Family Legal Services WA

  • Examining how coercive control laws reflect colonial ideologies and marginalise Indigenous perspectives
  • Unpacking the role of structural racism in shaping legal, medical and social responses to Indigenous communities
  • Advocating for decolonising justice through community-led solutions and truth-telling about colonial violence

Devon Cuimara

Chief Executive Officer
Aboriginal Males Healing Centre (AMHC)

12:40 PM Networking luncheon

  • Examining how an increased understanding and conversation about coercive control and its relationship to high risk and lethality is playing out in recent amendments to the Family Law Act and in family law decisions about children and property
  • Considering what impact the criminalisation of coercive control is having in the family law system
  • Discussing the ways lawyers and non-lawyers working with victim survivors and perpetrators can best ensure safety

Angela Lynch

Sector Engagement Manager - DV-Alert
Lifeline Australia

Pip Davis

Principal Solicitor
Women's Legal Service NSW

  • Implementing strategies for trauma-informed approaches within justice settings to reduce retraumatisation of victim-survivors
  • Advancing frontline reforms in police training, victim engagement and court handling of family violence cases
  • Examining strategies to centre victim-survivor voices while ensuring due process and accountability

Panellists:

Jackie Mead

Chief Executive Officer
Knowmore Legal Service

3:00 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Safely including children’s voices in legal and court proceedings to empower children while protecting their wellbeing
  • Building safety through police-community collaboration and co-response models
  • Facilitating perpetrator accountability through evidence-based behaviour change programs
  • Strengthening culturally safe methods of accountability that respect First Nations protocols, kinship and healing processes
  • Examining examples of community-led programs addressing harm while restoring relationships and cultural safety
  • Identifying how mainstream systems can support First Nations-led justice responses

Penney Ferguson

Chief Executive Officer
First Nations Women's Legal Services Qld

4:40 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of day one

Step away from the intensity of conference discussions and reconnect with yourself through guided breathwork and gentle movement practices. This session offers trauma-aware techniques through breathing and movement intelligence tools that can support nervous system regulation, reduce stress, enhance overall wellbeing and augment personal resilience. Suitable for all bodies and experience levels, delegates can expect a calming space to ground, release tension and return to the program feeling re-centred and restored.

Session Facilitator:

Dom Passalacqua is an accredited clinical exercise physiologist (AEP) and internationally endorsed master of eastern movement systems.

12:40 PM Networking luncheon

Take a moment to slow down and connect with the power of words and creativity. In this calming breakout session, delegates will use art supplies to design and create affirmation cards. Simple yet powerful messages of hope, strength, and encouragement. Whether crafting a card for themselves or someone else, participants will leave with a meaningful keepsake and a deeper sense of reflection, empowerment, and shared kindness. No artistic experience needed, just an open heart.

3:00 PM Afternoon refreshments

This interactive breakout session invites delegates to reflect on and identify their personal strengths, coping strategies, and support networks. Using a guided worksheet, participants will map out their “inner resources” the tools, values, and connections that help them navigate stress, change, or trauma. By the end of the session, each person will walk away with a personalised resilience map they can return to in challenging moments, fostering self-awareness, empowerment, and emotional preparedness.

8:00 AM Registration opens

8:50 AM Opening remarks from the Chair

  • How shifting from reactive to proactive approaches can disrupt the cycle of violence
  • Developing innovative prevention frameworks that span early intervention, education and whole-of-community
  • How systemic change can better serve the needs of families before crisis escalates

Antoinette Braybrook AM

Chief Executive Officer
Djirra

  • Overcoming the consequences of chronic underfunding on programme delivery and victim support
  • Examining successful funding models that deliver impact across prevention, response and recovery
  • Building advocacy tools to influence funding decisions that better meet community needs

Simone O’Brien

Domestic Violence Survivor and Speaker

Carolyn Robinson

Founder and Managing Director,
Beyond DV

  • Uniting government, community and sector partners to align priorities and eliminate duplication across FDV services
  • Embedding sustainable funding models that prioritise early intervention, prevention and long-term recovery over crisis response
  • Strengthening accountability and transparency in funding decisions to ensure resources reach the communities and outcomes that need them most
Dr Marisa Paterson MLA

Dr Marisa Paterson MLA

Minister for Women, Minister for the Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, Minister for Corrections
ACT Government

11:00 AM Morning refreshments

Chair:

  • How FDV manifests in children’s lives and the importance of recognising them as victim-survivors in their own right
  • Exploring the role of trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate engagement in supporting disclosure and recovery
  • Equipping frontline practitioners with tools and frameworks to identify and respond to FDV, even when it’s not ostensibly the presenting issue

Kim Brooklyn

Chief Executive Officer
Parkerville Children and Youth Care

  • Developing strategies to overcome stigma as a barrier to early detection and intervention in domestic abuse
  • How to create safe environments for disclosure and early access to help
  • Reframing public narratives to reduce shame and foster prevention culture

Panellists:

Michelle Fairweather

Operations Manager
The Family Co

Stephen Morrison

Aboriginal Cultural Practice and Capability Manager
Hope Community Services

Pushpa Siroley

Manager - Mental Health and FDV Services
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services 

  • Identifying trends and emerging forms of FDV impacting CALD communities
  • Addressing the unique challenges and barriers service providers face in responding effectively
  • Developing strategies for managing cultural conflict and delivering safe, respectful, and culturally informed interventions

Sanna Pervez

Family and Domestic Violence Social Worker
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services

1:30 PM Networking luncheon

  • Identifying the root causes of men’s violence against First Nations women and children, including the ongoing impacts of colonisation, systemic racism and gender inequality
  • Developing strategies for individuals, communities, organisations and governments to address the drivers of violence against First Nations women and children, as outlined in Our Watch’s Changing the Picture Framework
  • Implementing opportunities for self-determination and decolonisation to prevent and respond to violence against women in Australia

Regan Mitchell

Director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy
Our Watch

  • Identifying and responding to online harassment stalking and coercive control to keep survivors safe and supported
  • Developing strategies to navigate legal frameworks, gather evidence and strengthen accountability for perpetrators
  • Establishing cross-sector collaboration between tech platforms, police and support services to prevent abuse and enhance survivor outcomes

3:50 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Responding to gendered violence shaped by the voices of First Nations women and informed by the lived experiences of culturally and racially marginalised people, women with disability and LGBTQIA+ communities
  • Shifting away from placing burden on victim survivors of sexual abuse to report and moving towards a culture of prevention
  • Addressing inequality, housing stress and job insecurity as foundations for successful DFV outcomes

Dr Anna Cody

Sex Discrimination Commissioner
Australian Human Rights Commission

To close the Family Safety Summit, all delegates are invited to gather for a powerful Healing Circle. This session is a space for reflection, connection, and collective grounding. This interactive session offers the opportunity to pause, process, and share key learnings from the past two days in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Guided by experienced facilitators, the circle will honour the voices in the room, promote personal insight and encourage delegates to return to their work with renewed clarity, purpose and care.

Note: This session will be facilitated in a way that is culturally safe, inclusive, and sensitive to trauma. Participation is entirely voluntary, and delegates are welcome to engage at their own comfort level. Quiet spaces and emotional support will be available throughout the session to ensure that everyone feels safe and supported.

5:00 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of Summit

Chair:

  • Moving beyond victimisation and exploring pathways that center lived experience, resilience, and agency to shift from a narrative of harm to one of strength and restoration
  • How trauma-informed justice responses can empower individuals, communities, and systems to support long-term recovery
  • Building trauma-informed services that embed practices to recognise the impact of trauma while fostering safety, choice, and collaboration in every step of the support journey

Jackie Mead

Chief Executive Officer
Knowmore Legal Service

  • Leveraging research partnerships to strengthen community-led solutions
  • Embedding deep listening to shape meaningful strategies for change
  • Mobilising collective action to build a movement where young people can flourish

Panellists:

Aunty June Mills

Larrakia Elder and Board Member
In Our Hands

Jacqueline Dysart

Manager – Social Support
Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission

Kay Villaflor

Coordinator of Palmerston Family and Cultural Centre
Larrakia Nation 

Serena Dalton

Chief Executive Officer
Grassroots Action Palmerston

Sally Weir

Director Impact and Service Development
Anglicare NT

  • Designing integrated housing pathways that provide immediate safety while supporting long-term recovery and independence
  • Partnering with government, community housing providers and specialist FDV services to expand supply and accessibility of crisis and transitional housing
  • Embedding trauma-informed, culturally safe and child-inclusive design principles to ensure every survivor has a place to rebuild their life with dignity

1:30 PM Networking luncheon

  • Understanding critical reforms in the family law system 
  • Responding to systems abuse in the family law and child support system
  • Enablers to post-separation economic recovery

Liz Neville

Director
Australian Institute of Family Studies

Dr Rachel Carson

Executive Manager-Family Law, Family Violence and Elder Abuse Research
Australian Institute of Family Studies

  • Tackling systemic barriers to justice for First Nations victim-survivors
  • How community-designed legal services build trust and increase access to safety and accountability
  • Analysing how government agencies can shift power toward First Nations solutions and self-determination in justice responses

Kathleen Wincen

Chief Executive Officer
Aboriginal Family Legal Service Southern Queensland

Charlie Rowe

General Manager- Programs
Aboriginal Family Legal Service Southern Queensland

3:50 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Responding to gendered violence shaped by the voices of First Nations women and informed by the lived experiences of culturally and racially marginalised people, women with disability and LGBTQIA+ communities
  • Shifting away from placing burden on victim survivors of sexual abuse to report and moving towards a culture of prevention
  • Addressing inequality, housing stress and job insecurity as foundations for successful DFV outcomes

Dr Anna Cody

Sex Discrimination Commissioner,
Australian Human Rights Commission

To close the Family Safety Summit, all delegates are invited to gather for a powerful Healing Circle. This session is a space for reflection, connection, and collective grounding. This interactive session offers the opportunity to pause, process, and share key learnings from the past two days in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Guided by experienced facilitators, the circle will honour the voices in the room, promote personal insight and encourage delegates to return to their work with renewed clarity, purpose and care.

Note: This session will be facilitated in a way that is culturally safe, inclusive, and sensitive to trauma. Participation is entirely voluntary, and delegates are welcome to engage at their own comfort level. Quiet spaces and emotional support will be available throughout the session to ensure that everyone feels safe and supported.

5:00 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of Summit

Chair:

  • Overcoming the limitations of the current family law system in meeting the cultural, linguistic and community needs of First Nations families
  • Identifying barriers such as the cost and burden of proving kinship, lack of judicial training and restricted participation models in legal proceedings
  • Advocating for systemic reform to ensure culturally safe, accessible and equitable family law processes that prevent unnecessary child removals

Sarah Edwards

Principal Legal Officer
Central Australian Women’s Legal Service Inc and Domestic Violence Legal Service (South)

Keda Ley

Senior Family Lawyer
Central Australian Women’s Legal Service Inc and Domestic Violence Legal Service (South)

  • Exploring models that integrate cultural practices and community dialogue
  • Evaluating the risks and safeguards when using restorative approaches in family and domestic violence cases Julie Hourigan, Chief Executive Officer, Shine for Kids
  • Coordinating post-sentence rehabilitation and parole support to reduce re-offending and enhance community safety
  • Developing strategies for linking corrections, community services and housing to ensure continuity of care after release
  • Embedding trauma-informed, culturally safe reintegration programs that promote accountability and long-term change

1:30 PM Networking luncheon

  • Reimagining and challenging the unspoken rules of masculinity
  • Shifting the ecosystem to ensure that systems shape behaviour, not just the individual
  • Creating space for men to change from silence to accountability

Josh Hewitt

Manager of Justice Transitions and Violence Prevention Services
EveryMan Australia

  • Identifying barriers that prevent victim-survivors from reporting violence and abuse
  • Examining community-led and trauma-informed approaches to build trust with police and support services
  • Developing strategies to create safer pathways for disclosure across justice, housing and health sector

Stephanie Monck

Principal Legal Officer
Women's Legal Service WA

3:50 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Responding to gendered violence shaped by the voices of First Nations women and informed by the lived experiences of culturally and racially marginalised people, women with disability and LGBTQIA+ communities
  • Shifting away from placing burden on victim survivors of sexual abuse to report and moving towards a culture of prevention
  • Addressing inequality, housing stress and job insecurity as foundations for successful DFV outcomes

Dr Anna Cody

Sex Discrimination Commissioner,
Australian Human Rights Commission

To close the Family Safety Summit, all delegates are invited to gather for a powerful Healing Circle. This session is a space for reflection, connection, and collective grounding. This interactive session offers the opportunity to pause, process, and share key learnings from the past two days in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Guided by experienced facilitators, the circle will honour the voices in the room, promote personal insight and encourage delegates to return to their work with renewed clarity, purpose and care.

Note: This session will be facilitated in a way that is culturally safe, inclusive, and sensitive to trauma. Participation is entirely voluntary, and delegates are welcome to engage at their own comfort level. Quiet spaces and emotional support will be available throughout the session to ensure that everyone feels safe and supported.

5:00 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of Summit

Chair:

Take a mindful pause as you create your own bead bracelet, choosing each bead with intention to represent a personal value, strength, or hope. This calming, hands-on activity offers a moment of reflection and creativity, leaving you with a wearable reminder of your inner resources.

1:30 PM Networking luncheon

Take a moment to slow down and connect with the power of words and creativity. In this calming breakout session, delegates will use art supplies to design and create affirmation cards. Simple yet powerful messages of hope, strength, and encouragement. Whether crafting a card for themselves or someone else, participants will leave with a meaningful keepsake and a deeper sense of reflection, empowerment, and shared kindness. No artistic experience needed, just an open heart.

3:50 PM Afternoon refreshments

  • Responding to gendered violence shaped by the voices of First Nations women and informed by the lived experiences of culturally and racially marginalised people, women with disability and LGBTQIA+ communities
  • Shifting away from placing burden on victim survivors of sexual abuse to report and moving towards a culture of prevention
  • Addressing inequality, housing stress and job insecurity as foundations for successful DFV outcomes

Dr Anna Cody

Sex Discrimination Commissioner,
Australian Human Rights Commission

To close the Family Safety Summit, all delegates are invited to gather for a powerful Healing Circle. This session is a space for reflection, connection, and collective grounding. This interactive session offers the opportunity to pause, process, and share key learnings from the past two days in a culturally respectful and supportive environment. Guided by experienced facilitators, the circle will honour the voices in the room, promote personal insight and encourage delegates to return to their work with renewed clarity, purpose and care.

Note: This session will be facilitated in a way that is culturally safe, inclusive, and sensitive to trauma. Participation is entirely voluntary, and delegates are welcome to engage at their own comfort level. Quiet spaces and emotional support will be available throughout the session to ensure that everyone feels safe and supported.

5:00 PM Closing remarks from the Chair and end of Summit

Creating and sustaining psychologically safe environments is essential for family violence and community services. When staff feel safe to speak up, admit mistakes, and share concerns without fear of blame, both workers and clients benefit. A culture of trust improves retention, reduces burnout and enhances the quality of care for victim-survivors. 

This workshop will equip delegates with the knowledge and tools to foster psychological safety within their organisations. Through reflection, practical examples and applied exercises, participants will explore how to build resilient teams and embed psychological safety as a foundation for effective family safety responses.

Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:

  • Recognise the barriers to psychological safety across frontline, leadership and organisational levels 
  • Apply micro-strategies such as safe disclosure protocols, team check-ins and feedback loops to strengthen workplace culture 
  • Identify risks of silence, blame and burnout that undermine effective service delivery 
  • Draft a practical psychological safety mini plan tailored to your team or organisation 
  • Foster environments where staff wellbeing and survivor safety are mutually reinforced

Facilitated by: 

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Networking luncheon

Children are often the silent victims of family and domestic violence, yet their voices are critical in shaping effective responses. Despite recognition that children are victim-survivors in their own right, organisations frequently struggle with practical ways to hear, respect and embed children’s perspectives in policy and service design. 

This workshop will equip delegates with safe, child-inclusive tools to elevate children’s voices. Through hands-on activities and examples, participants will build confidence in adapting language, using consultation methods and integrating children’s experiences into organisational practice.

Attend this practical workshop and learn how to:

  • Understand why centring children’s voices is vital for both practice and systemic change 
  • Adapt adult-focused questions into child-safe, trauma-informed language 
  • Use practical consultation tools such as story cards, visual prompts and child-friendly safety plans 
  • Design a mini child consultation approach for your own service or program 
  • Co-create a set of guiding principles for embedding children’s perspectives in FDV responses

Facilitated by: