2023 Victorian Protecting Children Awards

The winner of this pre-eminent award epitomises Robin Clark and her legacy of inspiring leadership and influential stewardship of child and family policy and practice in Victoria.

This award recognises an individual whose leadership inspires others to act wisely and care deeply about achieving the best outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees in this category have a distinguished track record as visionary and transformative leaders in practice, policy, research or education.

Examples of work may include:

• a champion of system-wide reform leading to sustained improvement in the lives of children, young people and their families or carers
• influencing the practice of others, through leadership, advocacy and mentoring
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees for the Robin Clark Leadership Award are highly respected individuals from government, the community or the children and families services sector.

The team or group winners of this award embody Robin Clark’s vision and legacy of a well-connected community and service system contributing to better outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises the exceptional contribution of a team or group of people who have worked to directly improve the lives of children, young people and their families or carers in Victoria. This can be in partnership or collaboration with government and non-government agencies.

The winners of this award strive to achieve excellence and their work shows insight, practicality and respect for the needs of children, young people and their families or carers, including supporting Aboriginal self-determination to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

Nominees will demonstrate outstanding creativity, courage and collaboration,

Examples of work may include:

• providing expert, strategic advice to improve support and decision making for children and young people in care
• championing the rights of carers, children and young people through the development and delivery of training, financial support, or new innovative models of care.

Note: nominees for the Robin Clark Making a Difference Award are teams and groups from government, the community or the children and families services sector.

This award recognises an individual, team or group that have advanced their approach or intervention to achieve the best possible outcomes for children, young people and their families or carers.

These advances can be demonstrated across the child, youth and family services sector through case management, education, prevention and early intervention, or the provision of care to children and young people in care services (including secure welfare services).

Examples of work may include:

• developing new programs, or strengthening existing programs to improve outcomes for at risk children and young people
• working in different ways to achieve outcomes for high-risk youth
• embedding sustainable change within organisational practices to create more opportunities for at risk children and young people
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises assessed and approved kinship, foster and permanent carers, both past and present, who have made a significant contribution to the lives of children and young people in care.

Examples of work may include:

• providing exceptional care, support and stability to a child or young person
• overcoming challenges to advocate for children and young people’s needs and creating a positive effect on young lives
• demonstrating an understanding of the importance of connection to culture and kin for children and young people in care, and working with agencies and child protection to prioritise this connection
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises education is fundamental to the development of individuals and families and helps build a strong community.

The winners of this award are an individual, team or group who have supported children and young people in their schooling journey or introduced young children to early years and pre-school programs.

Nominees are committed to the very best outcomes for children and young people and demonstrate their ability to work with the education and child protection systems.

Examples of work may include:

• mentoring or supporting children in care to engage with schooling
• developing creative approaches to bringing the education and child protection systems together
• encouraging participation in early years and pre-school activities
• encouraging access to mainstream education, vocational education (VET), job training or skill building programs
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award recognises an individual, team or group that best supports at risk youth. The winner of this award prioritises empowering young people in the decision-making process and assists them to achieve their goals.

Examples of work may include:

• an individual, team or group which assists at risk young people with gaining access to the support they need. This may be for important life skills, independent living, employment pathways, education-based support, culturally appropriate care, mental health and substance abuse
• implementation of programs that improve outcomes for at risk young people
• empowering Aboriginal self-determination and cultural safety to achieve the best outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and their families or carers.

This award gives Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children and young people aged 8 - 25 years the opportunity to nominate someone such as a carer, support worker or agency who has made a positive difference to their lives, particularly through assisting them to have a voice within the out-of-home care system.

Note: this award is managed by the CREATE Foundation and will be judged by a committee of children and young people.

Find more information visit the CREATE Foundation website.

This award was established by the Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People and recognises an individual, team or organisation who has achieved excellence in realising children’s and young people’s right to meaningfully participate in matters affecting them.

Note: this award is managed by the Commission for Children and Young People.

This award recognises the people who have made a significant contribution to the child, youth, and family services sector throughout their career as well as making an impact on their local community.

‘Leaving a Legacy’ acknowledges those who have positively contributed to the sector and whose remarkable achievements should be highlighted.

Note: this award is managed by The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare.

Find more information at The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare website.

This award recognises contributions of an Aboriginal person, persons or organisations in Victoria to the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people.

Note: this award is managed by the Commission for Children and Young People.

The Chief Practitioner’s Award recognises an individual, team or group working in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing child protection program who embodies best practice, commitment and leadership.

Winner: Kirstie Lomas, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

A highly respected leader in Victoria’s child protection program, Kirstie champions practice excellence and drives reform. Kirstie joined DFFH’s Office of Professional Practice in 2017 and has held the positions of Statewide Child Protection Principal Practitioner and Acting Chief Practitioner.

Kirstie led the establishment of a Court Practice Advice and Support Service to enhance practitioner skills in court practice and to influence best outcomes for children, young people and families.

Kirstie's vision and commitment to stronger, evidence-informed practice resulted in the development of the SAFER Children Framework, the risk assessment approach for Victorian Child Protection Practitioners. Through continued practice leadership, Kirstie remains central to SAFER’s successful implementation.

During the challenges of the pandemic, Kirstie provided leadership and guidance to ensure practice continuity and consistency for vulnerable families.

Kirstie exemplifies dedication and professionalism, always centering Child Protection practice on the best interests of the child

Joint winners: Gippsland Anglicare Victoria (AV) Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Team, Anglicare Victoria and The Cornelia Program – Launch Housing, Royal Women's Hospital and Housing First

Gippsland Anglicare Victoria (AV) Multisystemic Therapy (MST) Team, Anglicare Victoria

This team provides evidence-informed interventions to improve outcomes for high-risk young people.

They have supported 33 high-risk young people and their families, with promising outcomes:

• 73 per cent of the young people assisted now participate in education
• efforts to reduce recidivism has resulted in 76 per cent of the young people with no new arrests
• work on family preservation saw 73 per cent of young people living at home at the end of intervention.

By equipping all family members with decision-making skills, the team empowers families to manage and respond to their children. The team also helps families set expectations, follow through with incentives, and build their family support network. 

The Cornelia Program – Launch Housing, Royal Women's Hospital and Housing First

The Cornelia Program is a partnership between Launch Housing, Housing First and the Royal Women's Hospital.

This model of care program provides pregnant women and new mothers experiencing homelessness or insecure housing with a supportive pathway.

The program includes 12 months safe accommodation, specialist maternity health services and support to access other health and psychosocial programs. Women are then supported to find long-term stable housing with their babies.

To date, the program has supported 66 women and their babies. Of the 40 women and babies who have exited the program, 21 have moved into community housing properties, 9 have moved into public housing properties, 3 have reunified with family and 3 have moved into private rental properties.

Winner: Vincent Shin, WEstJustice

Vincent’s legal career has focused on improving life and justice outcomes for children and young people.

Vincent joined WEstJustice in 2015, working in the new School Lawyer Program in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Vincent’s work involves assisting students with their individual legal issues, as well as training students and staff to understand young people’s rights and responsibilities, and how to self-advocate and find assistance.

Over the past three years, Vincent has developed the first out-of-home care legal clinic, leading a team to deliver legal education, advice and case work to young people in residential care.

Vincent uses compassion and expertise to deliver human-centred solutions to complex challenges.

Winner: Leonie Patterson, OzChild

Leonie was accredited as a foster carer in 1985. In 38 years of caring, Leonie has provided a nurturing, stable and safe home for over 300 children.

Leonie is actively involved in the lives of these children, as well as their biological families. Leonie takes the children to contact visits, educational and medical appointments, cultural activities, and advocates for their needs at care team meetings. Leonie’s home has even been modified to make it accessible for children with disability.

Committed to ongoing development as a foster carer, Leonie participates in training, including training on the cultural needs of Aboriginal children.

Leonie is a member of OzChild’s Carer Consultation Group and a key contributor to OzChild’s ‘Thriving Families’ carer strategy.

Leonie is courageous, humble and always prioritises the needs of children.

Joint winners: Transforming Educational Achievement for Children at Risk (TEACHaR) Leadership Team, Anglicare Victoria and Education Pathways Program (EPP), Launch Housing

Transforming Educational Achievement for Children at Risk (TEACHaR) Leadership Team, Anglicare Victoria

TEACHaR is a ground-breaking program providing young people in out-of-home care with individualised support from a registered teacher.

The program is overseen by a group of eight qualified teachers. All are highly experienced in trauma-informed practice and are dedicated to achieving best outcomes for young people in care.

Growing the program from a small pilot in 2010, TEACHaR now employs 25 teachers who support 250 students annually across Victoria.

Evidence shows TEACHaR is highly effective in engaging young people in learning, building their aspirations and setting them on pathways for success. Young people have shared that they value the individualised approach and building of trusting relationships, and that the program motivates them to pursue their educational goals.

Education Pathways Program (EPP), Launch Housing

The EPP is an initiative of Launch Housing that focuses on supporting primary and kindergarten children experiencing homelessness and family violence to engage in education.

The team includes education pathways program facilitators, a speech pathologist and a psychologist. They work in partnership with kindergartens, schools and other agencies to help children overcome learning gaps.

Support also includes assisting caregivers in navigating enrolment requirements and providing school related materials, like uniforms and stationery.

The team also supports capacity building with school teams around best practice supports for children who have experienced trauma.

The initiative was evaluated and found significant improvements in attendance and engagement with education. In 2022-2023, the EPP team supported 121 children and their families.

Winner: Sergeant Jason Doyle, Victoria Police

Sergeant Doyle has demonstrated exceptional care through supporting a young Aboriginal person who has complex support needs.

The young person lives in residential care and had frequent contact with Victoria Police. Jason’s involvement resulted in reduced frequency of police contact and celebration of the young person’s positive achievements.

Jason improved Victoria Police understanding of the young person’s complex needs by promoting trauma informed communication.

Knowing the young person loves dogs, Jason organised visits with Police dogs and Border Force training puppies, as well as work experience at a dog grooming service.

Jason supported the young person’s connection to their community and significant improvements in their quality of life. In response, the young person has expressed feeling heard and cared for.

Winner: Sajja Naboulsi, Anglicare Victoria

Sajja is a youth worker, criminologist, and proud long-time foster carer. Sajja’s passion for, and happiness in, giving back to the community and making a difference in young people’s lives just keeps growing.

Sajja has faced many personal difficulties and traumatic events, yet despite this, Sajja never gives up and chooses to keep moving forward.

Between work, university and caring for family, Sajja fostered a baby. As an advocate for family reunification, Sajja also helped the baby’s mother with her support needs.

Sajja is as an incredible leader and asset to young people, always putting them first and giving to others, and is an inspiration to our community.

Winner: Kirra Horley and Monique Balfour, Take Two Program, Berry Street

Kirra is a Youth Focused Peer Support Worker and Monique is a Clinical Team Leader.

Together, they have demonstrated excellence in their work for the ‘In Our Own Right – We Are Leading Change’ project.

They developed a series of listening sessions aimed at capturing the insights of children and young people impacted by family violence.

Guided by the belief that children and young people with lived experiences are agents of change, they approached their work with dedication.

Through inclusive sessions, they prioritised the comfort, safety, accessibility and empowerment of the participants.

Findings were shared across multiple channels and the expansion of the project will see sector resources developed. Their work embodies the transformative power of lived experience and the value of it being integrated into practice.

Winner: Connie Salamone, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency

Connie’s life has been devoted to working in the child and family sector. In 2002, Connie commenced with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) and went on to hold responsibility for VACCA’s front line services.

Connie was instrumental in VACCA being authorised in the Aboriginal Children in Aboriginal Care program, cultivated the development and inclusion of cultural elements across child protection training and practice, and led the development of an Aboriginal Evidence base across VACCA's work.

Connie is an exceptional leader and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of Aboriginal children, young people and families. Connie has a strong sense of the importance of culture, system reform and addressing the distinct needs of Aboriginal people.

Connie has been a strong advocate of the need to invest in Aboriginal children and young people as ‘just and right thing to do’

Winner: Darren Atkinson, Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation

Darren ‘Dozer’ has worked at Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation (MAC) for over two years and was quickly elevated to Senior Advisor of Cultural Planning.

Uncle Dozer is passionate and well respected within MAC and the community, particularly for ongoing efforts to support Aboriginal children in out-of-home care to stay connected to culture.

When Dozer commenced, the Ovens and Murray region was fifteenth out of 17 in the state for Culture Support Plans compliance, sitting at 51 per cent. Dozer was instrumental in the compliance lift to the current 72 per cent and number two position.

On a personal commitment level, Dozer and Mrs Atkinson have been kinship carers to a young boy for the past 6 years, since he was 8 months old. They have raised him to be a happy, proud and exceptional individual.

Winner: Laura Temple, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Laura is an exceptional and dedicated leader who facilitates a culture of acceptance, support and warmth that practitioners report makes them feel safe.

Admired for a calm and patient demeanour, Laura leads with empathy, care and collaboration.

Laura is quiet and courageous and has established robust and effective systems that are responsive to the needs of the workforce.

Regarded as always approachable and authentic, Laura does a lot behind the scenes to make things easier for others, without expectation of praise.

Laura cares deeply for staff, children, young people, families and the community. This is seen in exemplary practice, language and a de

During challenging times, Laura’s focus on creating a fair culture, promoting staff retention and prioritising wellbeing is unwavering.