Centring the Child’s Voice in Safe, Child-Inclusive Practice

Course Overview 

The Centring the Child’s Voice in Safe, Child-Inclusive Practice course equips frontline family practitioners working in the context of child protection concerns, with actionable tools and frameworks for embedding child-inclusive practices into everyday work. Rooted in the Lundy Model of Participation and enriched with Safety Organised principles, the course emphasises practical strategies to elevate children’s voices in the decision-making processes across Specialist and Intensive Family Support services.  

Developed in a partnership between the South Australian Government Department of Human Services, Relationships Australia SA and the Australian Institute of Social Relations. 

Who Should Attend 

This course is suitable for: 

• Frontline family practitioners  

• Children’s practitioners, Counsellors and Case Workers 

• Anyone seeking to develop skills in Child inclusive practice 

What You Will Learn 

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Establish an ethical, safe and inclusive physical and psychological space where children feel secure and supported to express their views, fostering genuine participation in safety planning. 

• Confidently hear and translate the Child’s Voice using strength-based, jargon-free communication and age-appropriate methods to capture children’s lived experiences and worries accurately.  

• Effectively engage and prepare the relevant audience, scaffolding caregivers’ readiness to hear their child’s experiences, strengthen confidence to meet needs, and equip practitioners to collaborate with care teams, promoting children’s connection, safety, learning, and identity. 

• Ensure children’s views have meaningful influence by embedding their input into case planning, danger/harm/worry statements, and safety plans that balance risks with protective capacities. 

Learning outcomes focus on practical, transferable skills relevant to community services work. 

What the Course Involves 

This course is interactive and practice-focused, providing opportunities to: 

• Explore real-world scenarios relevant to your role 

• Gain tools to enrich your current practice 

• Reflect on practice and identify actions for future improvement 

The learning environment is respectful, inclusive and grounded in sector experience. 

Why This Course Matters 

Centring the Child’s Voice in Safe, Child-Inclusive Practice supports participants to: 

• Strengthen effective and ethical practice 

• Create safe, trusting environments where children feel empowered to share their experiences  

• Build confidence and learn practical strategies in responding to complex situations 

• Use collaborative safety planning, and balance risks with protective capacities when working with children and families. 

This course is particularly relevant for professionals working in dynamic, child/family-focused environments.

Related Short Courses 

You may also be interested in: 

• Child Focused Practice 

• Family Group Conferencing Coordinator Training  

• Introduction to Narrative Approaches to Responding to Families and Young People Affected by Trauma