Maintaining a Child Focus in Cross Sector Practice
$330
Overview
This training session explores the critical importance of maintaining a child-centred approach when working with families affected by factors including family violence and substance misuse. It aims to equip cross-sector practitioners with the knowledge and strategies needed to understand the impact of these complex issues on children’s development, safety, and emotional wellbeing.
Participants will learn how to keep the child’s voice and needs at the forefront of assessment and decision-making processes, while engaging therapeutically with children and their caregivers—without providing formal therapy. The session promotes trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and collaborative practices that prioritise child safety and resilience across service settings.
Who should attend
This course is suitable for any professional who wants to improve their abilty to support children and asssit in keeping them in focus when working in the community service sector.
Skills you’ll learn
- Child centered practice skills
- Understanding trauma
- Problem solving skills
- Providing direct and indirect support
- Collaboration and communication skills
- Reflective practice skills
Learning outcomes
- Keep the child’s needs and voice central
- Recognise signs of trauma and distress
- Respond therapeutically without providing therapy
- Support caregivers while prioritising child safety
- Work collaboratively across services
- Maintain ethical and professional boundaries
- Understand impacts on children and families, experiencing a range of vulnerabilities or traumas, presenting to services.
About your instructors
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Susie Lukis
With 20 years in her role, Susie has been a passionate advocate for the inclusion of children in family assessments across the community sector, particularly where homelessness and/or family violence is present. Moving from client work into the advocacy and training space has allowed Susie to support students, new practitioners and services to think more meaningfully about the experience of children and to align with the ethical and legislative requirements to do so. -
Karina Sager
Karina is a social worker with over 18 years of experience in Child Protection, Youth Justice, and the Children’s and Adult Court systems. Her career spans frontline practice and outreach programs, where she has worked extensively with vulnerable children, families, and young people. Karina is passionate about social justice and equipping future practitioners with practical skills and ethical frameworks. She currently teaches in the Community Services program at Swinburne University of Technology, bringing real-world insights to vocational education.
Why Swinburne?
Delivered by facilitators who are industry experts
Participant course training manual
Live Online delivery allows you to do the course from anywhere
Access to our team of Customer Development Advisors
What your course could look like
Course downloads
Timetables
Resources
Our Live Online delivery
Our Live Online delivery is a dynamic, engaging and interactive way to learn remotely. It’s just like face-to-face but with the added benefits of digital technology. Your facilitator will present in real-time, and you will be able to participate in group discussions and collaborate on exercises and group activities using our interactive platforms.