SPARK Webinar - Young people have entered the chat: designing services that centre the needs of children and young people

Hear from motivated young people as they share their thoughts on what services need to know and do when making decision or designing programs for children and young people.

Children and young people should be centred in decision making and program design that affects them. In the next SPARK webinar we are flipping the script and handing the microphone to young people from diverse backgrounds to hear what they have to say about how to end violence against women and children. We brought together a group of young people, some practitioners, some with lived expertise, to talk openly and candidly about what they have learned, and what services need to hear.

Incorporating the voices of young people safely is not always possible in time and resource poor service environments. If that sounds like your workplace, this webinar is for you. Come along and hear from emerging leaders passionate about ending violence in the home. Walk away with new knowledge and inspiration to reflect on, share with colleagues and incorporate into your practice.  

Learning Outcomes 

• Enhancing evidenced based practice through responding to recommendations to centre the voices of children and young people

Event details

Date: Thursday, 26th September 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 1:30pm AEST
Location: Online

Who should attend

This is for workers in domestic and family violence, women’s health and wellbeing and sexual assault services. 

About the facilitators

Harrison James

Harrison James is a survivor, award-winning activist, and Co-Founder of the acclaimed #YourReferenceAintRelevant campaign. After being sexually abused by his stepmother from the ages of 13 to 16, Harrison has become driven by his personal experiences and is dedicated to reforming Australia's legal system for survivors. For years he carried the weight of this secret in silence but now, at 24 years old, his tireless activism fuels legislative reform and spotlights survivor-led initiatives, showcasing resilience and determination in pursuit of justice and healing. His extraordinary journey has been a beacon of hope for countless individuals and his unwavering commitment inspires a safer world for all.

Rhea Waia

Rhea is a proud Torres Strait Islander descendent of the Ait Kadal tribe from Thursday Island and Saibai Island. Rhea was born on Thursday Island, raised in Brisbane, and currently resides in Tingalpa. She is casually employed as a 2022 Oodgeroo Student Ambassador at QUT. programs. Rhea has recently completed a Bachelor of Human Services and a Bachelor of Social Work at QUT, and plans on using to integrate her emerging social work framework in rural, remote, and regional indigenous communities in Queensland. Rhea is passionate about utilising her knowledge and skills as a human services practitioner to gain insight on the influence of Australia’s governmental policies and procedures on at-risk Indigenous children and youth. She likes to write poetry in her spare time and is currently writing her own book.

Kirstie Willamson

Kirstie Williamson is a passionate young professional, using her skills and experience at WorkUP Queensland to address workforce challenges in the Queensland domestic and family violence, sexual violence and women's wellbeing sector. As a survivor of child sexual abuse, she is passionate about improving outcomes for young people with adverse childhood experiences. Her advocacy lies in supporting the capacity and capability of frontline services. Kirstie is currently using her personal and professional experience to lead a statewide training for those working in the youth support and DFV sectors, to develop their skills in facilitating safe and meaningful conversations about respectful relationships with the young people they engage with.

Evie Clayton

Evie Clayton, from Townsville, is a dedicated professional in the domestic and family violence sector. Evie is a victim-survivor of Domestic and Family Violence and sexual assault. Evie transitioned her career to focus on advocating for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence after her most recent experience of sexual assault in 2021. Evie’s priority in her career is to make space for children survivors' voices to be heard. Passionate about making a meaningful difference, Evie leverages her personal expertise, professional experience and vast network to champion the rights and safety of women and children, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs addressed.

Rachael Pascua-Weatherall

Rachael Pascua-Weatherall (she/her) is a young woman passionate about gender equality that is intersectional and culturally informed. Rachael has worked to prevent gender-based violence since she was 18, both directly through place-based work with young peers in the Logan community and nationally in policy spaces.

Rachael previously led R4Respect, a culturally diverse youth-led respectful relationships education program in Logan. Under her wing the program reached over 600,000 young people and was awarded 'Community Gold' at the 2020 Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards. She has since worked as an inaugural Government Relations Advisor for Our Watch, Australia’s leader in primary prevention, and has sat on the 2021 National Community Attitudes Survey (The NCAS) Advisory Group for ANROWS.

Rachael is now a Principal Stakeholder Officer at the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet, supporting Queensland's DV Prevention Council to develop healthy masculinities work to address violence against women.

Mack Kohn

Mack lives and works in Logan (Yugambeh and Yaggera speaking people’s country) and is currently in his third year at university studying social work. He co-coordinates the R4Respect program, which is aimed at young people between the grades of 7-12. R4Respect is delivered in schools in the Logan area as well as youth detention centres to the west of Brisbane. Mack, along with his fellow facilitators, talks with young people about respectful relationships, consent, toxic masculinity, red flags and green flags in relationships, and domestic and family violence.  Delivered by young people, for young people, R4Respect uses a peer-to-peer model to support these conversations.

Maddie Graham