Children and young people in residential care settings face heightened vulnerability to child sexual exploitation (CSE), requiring informed, coordinated and compassionate responses across the service system.
About the event
This event brings together researchers and practitioners to share insights from a recent qualitative study exploring how frontline workers understand, identify and respond to CSE—and what helps or hinders effective action. Presenters will unpack key findings from their research, offering practical reflections on workforce capability, training effectiveness, and the systemic conditions shaping outcomes for children and young people.
What this session will cover
Drawing on interviews with residential care practitioners, this session will explore:
Who should attend?
This event is designed for professionals working across child and family services, including out-of-home care, child protection, youth services, and related sectors.
Attendees will:
The research underpinning this event is based on a two-phase research project with residential care practitioners in Queensland. The qualitative study and quantitative survey explored how training influences practice, and examined the systemic factors that shape responses to child sexual exploitation.
The findings highlight both the critical importance of practitioner training and the need for broader systems reform to better protect children and young people in care.
You can access these articles for free: Practitioners’ views on training and systemic barriers to deal with child sexual exploitation in residential care: Results of a qualitative study | Download PDF Residential Care Practitioners’ Knowledge, Training and Insights into Child Sexual Exploitation | Open access
Dr Mandy CharmanSenior Program Manager – OPEN Team
Dr Mandy Charman leads the Outcomes, Practice and Evidence Network (OPEN), a sector‑led initiative strengthening evidence use, outcomes measurement and reflective learning across Victoria’s child and family services. She oversees OEN’s advisory and capability‑building work, supporting organisations to embed evaluative thinking, develop program logics, and strengthen monitoring and evaluation practice.
Emma ReesProject Paradigm Project Officer
Sessional Academic, QUT School of Public Health and Social Work
Emma Rees is an experienced social work practitioner, early‑career researcher, and educator with expertise in child protection, child sexual abuse and exploitation. Emma currently works as a project officer for Project Paradigm, sessional academic and external supervisor supporting social work students.Read more
Conrad TownsonPrincipal Advisor – Child Sexual ExploitationProject Paradigm, Integrated Family and Youth Services Inc.
Conrad is the Principal Advisor on Child Sexual Exploitation for IFYS where he oversees Project Paradigm, a national program aimed at increasing the capacity of professionals and communities across Australia to better understand and respond to child exploitation | Read about Project Paradigm
This event is made possible through the cross-peaks Family Violence and Sexual Violence (FVSV) Knowledge Project. For more information and to access all resources and past event recordings, please visit the FVSV Knowledge Hub.
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