CONFERENCE

Survival Skills for Directors

The Carrington Inn

Bungendore

For  Directors and Assistant Directors

21st & 22nd July 2008

Community Child Care Directors ACT

Conference Schedule:

Day One - 21 July 2008

9.00 am : ~ Patrice Thomas

                  Managing Staff Stress.

11.00am : ~ Karen Roberts & Lorraine Madden

                   Working with people who challenge us.

3.00pm : ~ Lorraine Madden

                 Talking through the hard stuff with staff & parents.

Day Two - 22 July 2008

9.00am : ~ Colin Slattery & Lorraine Madden

                 Time management in the workplace.

11.00am : ~ Colin Slattery

                   Using positive psychology and coaching in the workplace to enhance performance.

3.00pm : ~ Farewell

Conference Prices: 

Full Conference; which includes Dinner & accommodation.

Members: $250.00

Members Assistant Directors: $350.00

Auxiliary Members: $350.00

Non Members: $450.00

REGISTRATION CLOSES 30/06/08

Payment is required to secure your place

Cheques made payable to Community Child Care Directors ACT

For more information, please contact:

Reesha Stefek 62813121

Sue Jennings 62947377

Sponsored By:

Community Child Care Directors ACT

Guild Insurance

ACT PSC

Children's Policy & Regulation Unit

ACT Professional Support Coordinator

 Conference Sponsorship

The ACT Professional Support Coordinator (ACT PSC) is part of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program, an integrated and nationally consistent approach to meeting the professional and inclusion support needs of eligible children's services, funded by the Australian Government.

The outcomes of the Inclusion and Professional Support Program are to:

• Promote and maintain high quality care and inclusion for all children in eligible child care services, by increasing the skill level of carers and service staff in line with nationally consistent priorities; and

• Provide eligible children's services regardless of geographic location with access to quality professional support that is appropriate, relevant and timely.

Conference sponsorship

ACT PSC is offering sponsorship to subsidise the cost of conference registration to enable practitioners to participate in a professional conference.

There are ten subsidy packages available per service type. Packages are available to practitioners from:

1. Long Day Care & Occasional Care

2. School Age Care including Vacation Care

3. Family Day Care & In Home Care (Two packages per scheme)

Sponsorship will subsidise the conference registration fee to a maximum of $200.The cost of transportation, food, accommodation, pre-conference workshops and other personal expenses will not be covered by the subsidy.

Aim

The aim of the program is to:

• Provide opportunities for children’s services practitioners in the ACT to gain professional skills and knowledge to support the provision of high quality care and education for children and their families.
• Create pathways for the sharing of skills, knowledge and information with the ACT children’s services community.

Eligibility

To be eligible for sponsorship applicants must be able to demonstrate:

They have their employers support to attend the conference.

They are currently employed at an Australian Government Approved Children’s service; a service in receipt of Child Care Benefit.

How the applicant and potentially others will benefit from attending the conference.

The potential to share learning with colleagues and networks. This will include submitting a brief article for the PSC newsletter.

Application Process

1. Application forms can be obtained from the ACT PSC by emailing to actpsc@commsatwork.org or calling 1800 228 772 or 02 6287 3330.

2. Applicants will submit completed application forms at least eight weeks prior to the registration deadline of the conference they wish to attend.

3. Applications may be submitted electronically to actpsc@commsatwork.org via mail PO Box 3955 Weston ACT 2611, faxed on (02) 6287 4242  or delivered in person at Upper Level Cooleman Court, Brierly St, Weston.

4. Applications will be assessed by an independent panel of professionals with experience in each service type.

5. Successful applicants will be notified four weeks prior to the registration deadline of the event.

Application Guidelines

1. Unsuccessful applicants, unless advised otherwise, will have the opportunity to apply for future sponsorship subject to continuation of funding.

2. Entry to the program is by application and selection is based on merit. The selection panel will take into consideration the following: the benefits for the applicant from participation at a conference, the demonstrated ability of the applicant to share their learning from the conference with their service and the wider children’s services community.

3. Applications will be assessed by a selection panel compiled of ACT PSC staff and independent professionals with experience in each service type.

4. Successful applicants must provide evidence of costs to ACT PSC and payment will be made to the applicant/organisers as agreed.

5. The sponsorship subsidy for 2008 is capped at a maximum of $200.00 per successful applicant.

6. The application process will be reviewed at the end of each year subject to continuation of funding.

7. Conferences must be held in 2008.

8. Applications must be lodged at least 8 weeks prior to the registration deadline of the conference. Retrospective applications will not be accepted.

9. If the applicant is unable to attend the event, they will be held responsible for any costs incurred to the Sponsorship Program.

10 The Sponsorship Program will cease operations for any year once funds have been expended.

11. Only one sponsorship package will be approved per person.

Community Connections Inc is pleased to invite you to the next "Conversations" event.

Our guest speaker will be Alison Ouellette from Canada who is making a special trip to Canberra to include ‘Conversations' in her speaking tour of Australia, New Zealand and America. 

Alison is a leader in advocacy and the Family Support Movement in Canada, and has won awards for her work.  She is a dynamic person, who has served on a multitude of community boards and committees, established local support groups and directed projects at the grass-roots level.  Along with her husband, extended family and supportive friends she developed and implemented a visionary plan so that her son Dave who lives with different abilities could move into a home of his own.  Alison is also the author of "A Place Called Home", her memoir about the journey of the Ouellette family and her son David's quest for an everyday life. 

In Alison's own words, when asked whether she might consider coming to Canberra to speak at this event she said "I would really enjoy sharing my son Dave's story about his transition, his delivery business, his home and his GREAT life…"

This is a unique opportunity to hear and to meet this inspiring woman.  Please feel free to bring a friend or any other person who you think would be interested.  Afternoon tea will be provided.

• When:              Sunday 9th March 2008
• Where:            Vikings Town Centre, Cnr Athlon Drive and Rowland Rees Cres, Greenway
• Time:               2pm - 4pm

Please contact Susan Williams to register for this event on 6296 1133.  This will enable us to cater accordingly.

You may also like to stay after the event and have dinner with Alison.  Vikings serves an a la carte menu, and their prices start at about $10.00.

Lady Gowrie Melbourne

It is important for practitioners to keep up to date with philosophies and practices, but often it is hard to find the time and energy to do so. Sometimes we feel out of the loop because we don't know what some of these new influences in early childhood are about. It can be challenging to take on new ideas and approaches when we feel very comfortable with current practice. This workshop will help you keep abreast with some of the changes that have occurred recently so that you can make informed choices about your programs.

This workshop will explore:

• The changes that have occurred in children's services
• Why change is sometimes difficult to embrace
• The importance of networking with colleagues
• Increased confidence in managing change
• Knowledge of current philosophies and practice strategies for remaining professionals and acting as an advocate for children

Cost: $70.00

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

Presented by Andrew Fuller

Come and have a fantastic day with well known Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist, Andrew Fuller. Andrew has recently been described as an "interesting mixture of Billy Connolly, Tim Winton and Frasier Crane" and as someone who "puts the heart back into psychology".  As a clinical psychologist, Andrew Fuller works with many schools and communities in Australia and internationally, specialising in the wellbeing of young people and their families. He is a Fellow of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Learning and Educational Development at the University of Melbourne. Andrew's talks are always fun and informative.

Topics covered in this session include:

• Engaging tricky kids
• Common types of tricky kids (and the tricky situations they get in to)
• Ways to use their energies for positive outcomes
• Neuro - chemistry and behavioural change

Cost: $70.00

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

Lady Gowrie Melbourne

"Evaluation is a critical part of a quality program for young children. It is both the final step in planning and the beginning of the planning process"

John Faragher & Glenda McNaughton

This session will examine the why, when and how of program evaluation and provide strategies for effective and meaningful evaluations. This session will explore

• Why evaluate the program? What is important to include?
• Traditional evaluation tools
• Strategies to include children and parents in the evaluation process
• Linking evaluation to service philosophy
• Practical ideas to enhance current evaluation practices

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

Presented by Semann and Slattery Training Consultants

Sometimes child care professionals in early and middle children's services are required to talk to families about issues they think families might not want to hear. This can make these conversations challenging, awkward and uncomfortable. Drawing in the principles of strengths based practice this professional development program is designed to assist participants to be mindful of their responsibility in communicating clear messages and to consider ways of discussing "difficult issues" with parents in a timely, thoughtful and respectful way. This program provides participants with a tool box of ideas and practical strategies to use in every day practice.

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

Presented by Lady Gowrie Child Centre Sydney

Just as your curriculum is everything you do, your environment is the setting where it all happens. With images from children's services around NSW and overseas, this workshop inspires and invigorates us to be more thoughtful in the environments we provide.

This workshop will challenge us to:

• Revisit what we communicate
• Express culture in a meaningful, safe and relevant way and;
• Design the environment to create connection throughout our service

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

The Weston Club, I Liardet St Weston

Presented by Judy Tempest-MacKay

NSW & ACT Indigenous Professional Support Unit

This session will explore:

• Aboriginal culture and history - Implications of past history for contemporary Aboriginal families
• Engaging the Aboriginal community - Protocols and tips for working with Aboriginal communities
• Breaking down stereotypes and misinformation
• Moving beyond tokenism - culturally appropriate practices and resources

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org

Presented by Lady Gowrie Child Centre Sydney

In this dynamic and thoughtful session participants will:

• Explore how play has been changing over time
• Reflect on what are current play things? Why do we choose the materials that we do?
• Consider the health implications for our children as a result of their play habits
• In this moderns and busy world are we finding the time for play and can we make a space for play?

For further information phone 1800 228 772 or (02) 6287 3330

via email:actpsc@commsatwork.org