Berry Street nominees for the 2024 Victorian Protecting Children Awards

Berry Street is pleased to announce that two of our therapeutic teams have been recognised as finalists in the Victorian Protecting Children Awards.

The Victorian Protecting Children Awards recognise and celebrate individuals, teams and groups who demonstrate excellence in working with children, young people and families.

Comans Street Residential Care Team

The Comans Street Residential Care Team has been nominated for the Keeping At Risk Young People Safe Award in recognition of their exceptional support of an Aboriginal young person.

The team has tirelessly advocated for the young person and ensured a safe environment for them. While there were numerous risk factors, the team continually spoke positively, focused on a bright future, and importantly, promoted the young person’s culture and continued family connections. This supported the young person to feel connected to their culture, and safe to engage with it.

The team’s unwavering support helped the young person to think about their future. They began to talk about where they wanted to live, their relationships and how best to continue their connection to their culture and family.

Take Two South Metro Leadership Team

We are equally proud to announce that our Take Two South Metro Leadership Team has been nominated for the Minister's Award for Excellence in Protecting Children. Their innovative Therapeutic Intervention Program for Babies and Children is making a significant impact on families by promoting healthy development and strengthening the bonds between a child and their carer, which have been impacted by experiences of abuse, neglect and intergenerational trauma.

The team’s program addresses a critical gap in services for babies and children (aged 0-5 years) and emphasises relational attunement, self-determination, cultural safety, and collaborative responses.

The program has demonstrated exceptional outcomes, including increased engagement, strengthened carer-child bonds, and improved confidence and capacity for carers.

Loddon Care Hub Consortium (Take Two)

The Loddon Care Hub has also been nominated for the Minister's Award for Excellence in Protecting Children for their work as part of a consortium, of which Berry Street’s Take Two program is involved.

The Care Hub is a multidisciplinary, multi-agency program that supports children and young people who are first-time entries into care. The program has supported over 200 families in reunifying young people with parents and in supporting home-based care placements. Interventions and support are customised by the care team to increase the chance of placement stability and reunification.

Of note, the Hub’s support of a young Aboriginal woman helped her to learn about her identity. With the help of the Hub’s Aboriginal Cultural Advisor, the young person was able to connect to her community through culture, schooling and community groups. The young person was encouraged to direct her care and at closure, was able to remain connected to longstanding supports and relationships. In this way, the Care Hub championed a model where the young person was empowered in their own decision-making to support their own future.

Winners to be announced in September

We are immensely proud of all teams for their exceptional work and dedication to the children and families they support. You can learn more about the awards here.