Ovens Murray Child & Family Services Alliance

Australian Childhood Foundation - International Childhood Trauma Conference 2025
2025-08-17 08:00 - 2025-08-22 17:00 UTC
Our conference theme
Transforming trauma: connection and healing
The fifth Childhood Trauma Conference will explore transformative approaches to healing trauma, through connection, collaboration, and community. Delegates in attendance will embark on a journey of growth through engaging with reflexive praxis. Through workshops, advanced masterclasses, keynote presentations and more, together we will delve into the complexities of childhood trauma and its profound impacts, finding pathways to transforming lives through integrating insights, techniques, and best practices. Fostering a deeper understanding of how to facilitate healing through our work, the theme Transforming trauma: connection and healing will reinforce that healing is not a solitary process, but a collective journey, built within communities, with compassion and love. Join the over 12,000 past delegates who have attended previous iterations of the Conference, and develop your knowledge and practice in 2025.
17-22 August, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Join us
Purchase your ticket today
Register

MacKillop - Lead the Way Conference 2025
2025-08-11 08:00 - 2025-08-12 17:30
Strengthening wellbeing and safety through collaboration
Be part of Australia’s most important cross-sector gathering on child, family and staff safety and wellbeing.
Join 500 leaders, professionals, and changemakers from schools, child and family services, community services, and mental health sectors to explore evidence-informed strategies that build safe, inclusive and resilient organisations, schools and communities.
This is more than a conference. Lead the Way is a platform for change, where thinkers, practitioners, researchers and policymakers come together to lead conversations on:

Safe and Well Schools for Students and Staff
Trauma-Informed and Transformative Leadership
Cultural Humility, Responsiveness and Belonging
Mental Health, Vicarious Trauma and Psychosocial Safety
Prevention and Protection in Child and Youth Services
Healing and Hope

Whether you are a school leader, social worker, psychologist, service leader or system designer – you’ll find something that speaks to your practice, purpose and people.
Conference Details
Dates: Monday 11th – Tuesday 12th August 2025
Venue: Rydges Hotel Melbourne, Exhibition Street
Time: 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Networking Drinks & Canapés: Day 1: 3:30 – 5:30

Travelling from Interstate?
We’re offering 20% discounted accommodation to make it easier for you to attend.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Looking for ways to boost your organisation’s visibility?
Our sponsorship packages provide exclusive branding, complimentary tickets, and premium exposure.
BUY EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW
Secure your spot before 30th April 2025 and save.
Group Bookings (5+ attendees) Contact us at institute@mackillop.org.au

IMPROVING OUTCOMES & EXPERIENCES FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN
2025-08-06 08:00 - 2025-08-07 17:00
Strengthening families & centering the voices of children in system change for a better future
6-7 August | Sydney & Online
This 2-day conference underscores the power of interagency collaboration as the cornerstone of effective early intervention and proactive prevention strategies for our most vulnerable children.
Delve into practical examples, such as the Albury Project, which unites schools, social services, and government to deliver coordinated, wraparound support, effectively preventing early school leaving, mental ill-health, and homelessness among at-risk youth.
Discover how integrated Child and Family Hubs act as a local ‘front door’ to health, education, and social services, supporting early intervention and prevention through community-driven, evidence-based approaches.
Explore the transformative impact of early intervention and mentoring in breaking the cycle of incarceration by rebuilding trust, confidence, and connection for children affected by parental imprisonment.
LEARN MORE
Equip yourself with actionable strategies to reshape systems supporting at-risk children

Gain direct insights from children’s commissioners across the country & leading practitioners driving systemic change in child safety & care
Walk away with practical tools & frameworks for implementing best practices
Gain insights into the newest family law reforms, & how to use them to better protect children
Engage in focused discussions addressing the increasing complexity of family & child presentations

Improve outcomes for First Nations children & families by connecting with those committed to self-determination & community-led healing
EXPLORE THE PROGRAM
Register by Friday the 13 June and save with our early bird sale

The Hatchery - Improving Outcomes & Experiences for At-Risk Children
2025-08-06 08:00 - 2025-08-07 17:00
Strengthening families & centring the voices of children in system change for a better future

Gadigal Land, Sydney | ParkRoyal Darling Harbour & Online

At-risk children in Australia deserve a brighter future
Supported by NAPCAN and Create Foundation, we are excited to annouce the Improving Outcomes & Experiences for At-Risk Children Conference on the 6-7 of August in Sydney/Gadigal & Online. This conference will bring together key industry stakeholders to explore innovative strategies that will enhance interagency collaboration whilst also emphasising the importance of prioritising children’s voices.
We are proud to announce that we will have 6 children’s commissioners speaking, who will be accompanied by 8 CEOs from Abcare, Create Foundation and We, Future Leaders. This conference is centred around the voices and journeys of young people with lived experience, offering firsthand insights into the challenges and triumphs of navigating the system.
This conference is an invitation to be a part of a collective movement towards a brighter future, where every child has the opportunity to thrive. Are you ready to ignite real change?

Explore the program

Learn More

The 3rd Annual - Ending Coercive Control, Family & Domestic Violence
2025-08-05 08:00 - 2025-08-06 17:00
Aerial UTS Function Centre, Sydney | Gadigal Land & Online

Building Safety, driving change, transforming lives
Every year, the need for help escalates. Over the past 12 months, violence against women has been labelled a “national crisis”, but the situation has not improved.
The 3rd Annual Ending Coercive Control and Family Violence Conference is taking place in Sydney on the 5-6 of August, addressing critical issues in preventing and responding to domestic violence. This event will unite professionals and lived experience voices, featuring contributions from over 45 expert speakers over two days.
The conference will delve into key areas including legislative and systemic reform, sexual violence response, child-centered approaches, and coercive control in practice. Uniting professionals and lived experience voices to drive change, it addresses critical and ongoing challenges with preventing and responding to domestic violence.

View the program

Learn more

Attend and Learn how to

Centre the voices & experiences of lived experience & apply the lessons from that lived experience at a practice level
Examine how systemic structures can create both intended & unintended consequences for women & children
Understand how to evidence intent with coercion & control as a DV worker
Unpack the impact & intersection between family law & family violence

Secure your spot

Safe & Together™ Model CORE Training, 4-day face to face training
2025-07-22 09:30 - 16:30
4 Day face to face training: Tue 22nd, Thur 24th, Tue 29th and Thur 31st of July 2025 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
By focusing on four key skills: assessment, interviewing, documentation and case planning our experiential training provides the foundation for domestic
violence-informed practice.
MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER
Questions: fvcst@umfc.com.au
CORE Training explores the importance of:
● Identifying the impact of domestic violence on children and family functioning.
● Fact-based assessment of the perpetrators’ behavior patterns.
● Partnering with adult survivors of domestic violence.
● Intervening with perpetrators.
● How domestic violence intersects with other issues like substance abuse and mental health.
Participants of the CORE Training will:
● Learn to use practice tools, such as Mapping Perpetrators’ Patterns and Multiple Pathways to Harm that can be implemented right away to improve assessment of risk, impact on children, survivor protective efforts and essential case decisions
● Practice interviewing perpetrators, survivors and children through modeling, role play and videos
● Improve their domestic violence-informed documentation through individual and group exercises
● Discuss their own current or past cases and explore how the Safe & Together Model could be implemented
Location: Wangaratta Library – 21 Docker Street, Wangaratta

Emerging Minds and Ovens Murray Community Service Sectors - Child-focused practice with parents who use substances workshop
2025-06-25 09:15 - 16:30, 2025-06-24 09:15 - 16:30 | Gateway Health, 155 High Street, Wodonga, VIC, 3690, Australia
About this workshop
This one-day workshop aims to support practitioners working in both child- and adult- focused services to have collaborative conversations with parents about their children’s mental health, parenting strengths and the impact of substance use on their children’s wellbeing.
This interactive session will include reflective activities and case study discussions that will provide participants with the opportunity to apply concepts to their own practice and work contexts.
It will also offer participants the chance to work collaboratively with other services to strengthen service relationships and regional support pathways for families.
Learning aims
The workshop will support participants to:

apply trauma-informed child-focused principles when working with children and parents
identify entry points for collaborative conversations with parents about their children’s mental health, parenting strengths and the influence of substance use on their family
facilitate discussions with parents around their parenting values and explore how these values can inspire change
use the PERCS Conversation Guide with parents to discuss key domains of children’s mental health

REGISTER

UMFC - Family Violence in a Child's World
2025-06-19 09:15 - 16:30
Specialised training for practitioners

This training will help professionals to:

Understand what family violence is and how it hurts children
Understand children and adolescents brain development and how this can be impacted by trauma
Understand how to pivot blame away from the non-offending parent and keep perpetrators in the picture
Build skills in talking with children about their experiences and ways to keep them safe

For further information please email fvcw@umfc.com.au or call during office hours on 02 6055 8000 and ask for a member in the Family Violence Child Safety Team
Location: UMFC Wodonga Conference Room, 27-29 Stanley Street Wodonga

No to Violence - Engaging Dads Using Family Violence
2025-06-18 10:00 - 2025-06-19 13:00
This package challenges the common practice of placing responsibility on victim-survivors. Backed by current evidence, this training highlights the gendered drivers of men’s violence against women and shifts the focus to perpetrator accountability.
Dates: Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th June from 10am – 1:00pm
Location: Online
Cost: $369.40 (including GST)
Discounted Price: $299 (including GST)
Register here to gain valuable insights and make a lasting impact.

Partnership Brokership Training
2025-06-17 09:00 - 2025-06-20 17:00
Partnership training for family violence services
Working in partnership and collaborative ways is a core part of the work we do in preventing and responding to family violence. While the push for cross-sectoral and cross-system partnerships is increasing, how do we support the people leading partnerships to work across organisations in ways that are inclusive, respectful and impactful?
Safe and Equal and the Partnership Brokers Association (PBA) are hosting the PBA’s globally recognised four day partnership training course.
To apply, complete an application form that can be found here

Blue Knot - Three Phased Approach: Safety and Stabilisation - online
2025-06-16 09:00 - 16:30
This interactive training presents best principles for working with complex trauma clients, drawing on current research in trauma theory and therapy, attachment, affective neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology. It explores the importance of a phased approach for complex trauma clients with a primary focus on Phase 1 Safety and Stabilisation.

$350.00 incl. GST AUD
Group Booking (3 or more people) Per Person Rate $330.00 incl. GST AUD
Blue Knot Professional Member Discount $310.00 incl. GST AUD

Learn more
Register

Three Phased Approach: Safety and Stabilisation - Online
2025-06-03 09:00 - 16:30, 2025-05-28 09:30 - 17:00

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE - Navigating the NDIS
2025-05-29 10:00 - 15:00
Navigating the NDIS
This interactive workshop is designed to deliver practical, pragmatic training for child and family sector staff who work with clients on the NDIS. The training is four-hours in total, split into two, two-hour sessions. The sessions are listed separately so that you can choose to attend both in one day, or split them across two different days.
Online, Thursday 29 May, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

REGISTER

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE - Best Interest Case Practice Model Training, Online two-day training
2025-05-29 09:30 - 13:30
Best Interest Case Practice Model Training – BICPM
This two-day training is dedicated to fostering favourable outcomes for children and their families, through bolstering professional proficiency in family services, child protection, and placement and support services.
Online, Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 May, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. $450 incl. GST

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE - Best Interest Case Practice Model Training, Online 2 day training
2025-05-28 09:30 - 13:30

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE - Effective Supervision Training, Online
2025-05-28 09:30 - 12:30
Effective Supervision Training
Designed for staff who have supervisory responsibilities of teams in the Community Services sector, this workshop aims to provide participants with the skills and tools to run constructive supervision sessions. It focuses on a practice perspective that embeds evidence-informed practices into a non-clinical supervision model.
Online, Wednesday 28 May, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm. $260 incl. GST
REGISTER

Blue Knot - Wellbeing and Emotional Awareness when working with Complex Trauma Webinar
2025-05-27 11:00 - 12:30
This one and a half hour webinar provides information about wellbeing and self-care when working with clients who have Complex Trauma.
Delivered Via Zoom

Learn more
Register

Safe & Together Model CORE Training - 4 day training event
2025-05-26 09:30 - 16:30
More Information/Registration:
https://events.humanitix.com/safe-and-together-model-core-4-day-face-to-face-training-wangaratta-may-2025
Location: Wangaratta Library – 21 Docker Street, Wangaratta
Training Dates: Mon 26th, Thu 29th of May, Mon 2nd and Thu 5th of June 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Questions: fvcst@umfc.com.au
By focusing on four key skills: assessment, interviewing, documentation and case planning our experiential training provides the foundation for domestic
violence-informed practice.
CORE Training explores the importance of:
● Identifying the impact of domestic violence on children and family functioning.
● Fact-based assessment of the perpetrators’ behavior patterns.
● Partnering with adult survivors of domestic violence.
● Intervening with perpetrators.
● How domestic violence intersects with other issues like substance abuse and mental health.
Participants of the CORE Training will:
● Learn to use practice tools, such as Mapping Perpetrators’ Patterns and Multiple Pathways to Harm that can be implemented right away to improve assessment of risk, impact on children, survivor protective efforts and essential case decisions
● Practice interviewing perpetrators, survivors and children through modeling, role play and videos
● Improve their domestic violence-informed documentation through individual and group exercises
● Discuss their own current or past cases and explore how the Safe & Together Model could be implemented

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN CHILD AND FAMILY WELFARE - Effective Leadership Skills, online workshop
2025-05-21 09:30 - 13:30
Effective Leadership Skills
Designed for staff who have leadership responsibilities of teams in the Community Services sector, or who wish to build their leadership capability, this workshop aims to provide participants with the skills and tools to lead effectively and successfully.
Online, Wednesday 21 May, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. $260 incl. GST

Annual NDIS Conference
2025-05-20 08:00 - 2025-05-21 17:00
NDIS 2.0 Lets get on with it! DSC are hsoting their annual NDIS Conference – an opportunity to learn, plan and connect with the whole NDIS ecosystem.
Date: Tuesday 20th May, 2025 – Wednesday 21st May, 2025
Venue: Melbourne Convention Centre
View Registration Form >

FRSA National Conference 2025- Safe, Strong & Thriving
2025-05-19 08:00 - 2025-05-22 17:00
The FRSA National Conference is heralded as a highlight event for the Family and Relationship Services network and is one of the largest annual gatherings of practitioners, academics and policy makers working to support children, families and communities. This ‘not to be missed’ event will feature a number of highly acclaimed keynote presenters, as well as Federal Ministers and sector leaders with a focus on delivering the most effective services to children, families and young people.
As social service organisations we are always at the cutting edge of emerging trends and changes in society – for the FRS sector, especially for vulnerable children, families and communities.
The theme for the FRSA National Conference 2025 is Safe, Strong and Thriving and will be held at the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park on 19-22 May 2025.
REGISTER TODAYor
VIEW THE PROGRAM

Blue Knot - Building Trauma Awareness Webinar, online via Zoom
2025-05-16 11:00 - 12:00
This one hour didactic webinar provides foundational knowledge in the area of Complex Trauma. This webinar is aimed at a diverse range of roles and focused on understanding trauma.
$70.00 incl. GST AUD

Learn more
Register

No to Violence - Engaging Dads Using Family Violence
2025-05-15 10:00 - 2025-05-16 13:00
This package challenges the common practice of placing responsibility on victim-survivors. Backed by current evidence, this training highlights the gendered drivers of men’s violence against women and shifts the focus to perpetrator accountability.
Dates: Thursday 15th & Friday 16th May from 10am – 1:00pm
Location: Online
Cost: $369.40 (including GST)
Discounted Price: $299 (including GST)
Register here to gain valuable insights and make a lasting impact.

OMCFS Alliance presents - Hoarding Home Solutions Workshop
2025-05-15 09:30 - 16:00
presents

Hoarding Home Solutions Full Day workshop
This Full day workshop, presented by professional organisers & hoarding specialist, Angela Esnouf, and Wendy Hanes CPO, CPO-CD, Master Training, is for everyone who works with people who hoard.
You will learn:

The truth about hoarding – what it is, what it’s not, and why it’s important to know
The beliefs that create a hoarding situation
How to work in a Harm Reduction model
4 effective decluttering strategies, and when each is appropriate to use
How to collaborate with others, to achieve the best possible outcome
Other stakeholders to consider
The common risks you will face, and how to work safely

What else is included?

Assessment Tools to help you work efficiently and safely, and communicate well with all stakeholders
Engaging activities to embed the learning
Slide & Resource Packet
Certificates of attendance on request

For more information contact OMAlliance@umfc.com.au

National HOME STRETCH Symposium 2025
2025-05-15 08:00 - 2025-05-16 17:00
Home Stretch Symposium 2025
With over 5000 young people now benefitting from extended care to 21, this highly
anticipated Symposium will focus on the additional supports needed for young people to
achieve successful transitions from care to adulthood.
It will bring together a diverse range of experts, policy makers, and lived experience advocates, to explore the successes, innovations and further reform to supporting care leavers in Australia.
The event takes place on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 of May, at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne.

Register now

Relationships Australia Victoria - Working with Dads, online workshop
2025-05-14 13:00 - 16:00
Join our interactive online workshop, and gain knowledge, practical advice and strategies to engage dads, father-figures and families in positive and effective ways.
Through collaborative group discussion, you’ll develop strategies for supporting dads in your community and learn skills for creating more dad-friendly programs and services.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this workshop, you’ll be able to:

explain what makes dads important
articulate the 7 different ways to be a dad
discuss dad-focused programs, research and work across Australia
effectively promote programs and services to dads
support dads to create positive family relationships
give examples of ways that dads can maintain work and family balance
create dad-focused services and spaces
demonstrate an understanding of the issues impacting dads who work from home and ways to manage these
plan for future work with dads.

Ideal for
A range of workers in community organisations, social services, schools or businesses who want to better support the needs of fathers.
REGISTER

ANROWS Conference 2025 - Listen, learn, act Centring children and young people to end violence
2025-05-14 10:30 - 2025-05-16 16:15
Event details

Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 May: Online only, from 10:30 am–4:15 pm AEST
Friday 16 May: In-person only, at the Aerial Function Centre, Sydney, from 10:00 am–4:15 pm AEST

For enquiries, email conference@anrows.org.au
Read more about the ANROWS Conference 2025

Register now

ADF Prevention in Place Conference 2025
2025-05-06 08:00 - 2025-05-07 17:00
Prevention in Place Conference 2025

The Prevention in Place Conference, dedicated to using place-based approaches to reduce disadvantage and improve wellbeing, will provide a first class, evidence-based learning and networking experience for participants.

The national Prevention in Place Conference spans multiple sectors dedicated to strengthening protective factors for better outcomes, in particular youth services, justice, disability, suicide prevention, mental health and alcohol and other drugs.
Why Attend?
✅ Place-based approaches to address complex social issues
✅ Evidence-based insights
✅ Top-notch professional development
✅ Group & student discounts available
Hosted by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, it will be held May 6-7, 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Program Info and Registrations
