On Thursday, 4 September, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare and the Residential Care Learning and Development Strategy (RCLDS) welcomed more than 450 residential care workers from across Victoria to Melbourne to celebrate their dedication and hard work supporting children and young people in out-of-home care.

Team members from Junction Support Services, the Continued Care Team from Gippsland and Ovens Murray were proud to attend the event, joining colleagues from across the country to celebrate 20 years of ResiROCKS and the incredible people who support young people in out-of-home care across the State.

One of the day’s highlights was recognising Codie O’Halloran, Team Manager of the Inner Gippsland Continued Care Team, who received an honourable mention in the Residential Care Awards, Leadership Award.

Codie’s acknowledgement celebrates her outstanding leadership, dedication to her team, and the positive difference she continues to make in the lives of young people across Gippsland.

Marking the 20th anniversary of ResiROCKS, this year’s event was themed ‘Belong, Believe, Become’.

These three core ideas underpin the daily work of residential carers, creating environments where young people feel they belong, helping them to believe in themselves, and supporting their journeys to become the people they want to be.

The program featured inspiring keynote speakers and interactive workshops, including a lively presentation from Robyn Moore, the voice of Australian favourite Blinky Bill, who spoke about the power of self-belief.

A panel discussion, ‘From the Inside Out: What It Takes to Belong, Believe and Become’, also offered valuable insights from senior sector practitioners on embedding these values in therapeutic practice.