Oral | Did you hear me? Children and Young People’s Experiences of Participation in Community Services
Tracks
| Wednesday, June 11, 2025 |
| 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM |
| P5 |
Synopsis
The Community of Practice for Child Safe Specialists (CPCSS), hosted by Western Sydney University, conducted a collaborative study using focus groups and surveys with young people and practitioners to explore how children and young people experience participation in community service organisations. The research highlighted the differences in how young people and services conceptualise participation, and identified key enablers and barriers to participation. The authors offers valuable insights to build a culture of meaningful participation in the community services sector.
Speaker
Ms Melinda Clarke
Manager, Child Safe
Life Without Barriers
Did you hear me? Children and Young People’s Experiences of Participation in Community Services
Biography
Melinda has 25 years of experience in government and non-government sectors in child and family services, disability services, child protection and out-of-home care. Melinda has worked in wide range of leadership roles. Since 2014, Melinda has specialised in child safety, driving Life Without Barriers' child sexual abuse prevention campaign and associated initiatives.
Tracy Hinchcliffe, Safeguarding and Quality Specialist Uniting NSW ACT
With over 15 years’ experience working across the community services sector, Tracy is leading Uniting NSW ACT in being a child safe organisation across its multiple services, from direct child related services to more indirect non-traditional spaces such as Residential Aged care and Home and Community care. With a degree in Social Science Psychology and a Masters in Health Science, Behavioural Health, Tracy has an interest in hearing, supporting and learning from adults living with the experience of historical child abuse, as well as empowering children and young people to build a present and future where generations of children to come are safe and respected.
