Scholarship Program – Round 11 opens Monday 13 October!

Whether you want to upskill or expand your career in the sector, scholarships are a great way to pay costly tuition fees and pursue further studies. WorkUP Queensland is excited to open Scholarship Round 11 on Monday 13^th of October for accredited training and higher education.

We offer scholarships to the value of $15,000 for workers in target services of Queensland Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety. If you are a worker who delivers services for domestic and family violence, sexual violence, and women’s health and wellbeing services at any level across the organisation, you may be eligible.

Developing the workforce to continuously learn and develop practice is a priority of our current strategic workforce plan. The Scholarship program helps increase confidence and practice professional skills throughout the sector.

Our scholarship program is highly competitive, so we encourage you to register for a FREE lunchbox session for more details.

Register now for the Scholarship Round 11 Information Session (October 2025)

For more information, contact Isla Swan at workforce@healingfoundation.org.au or check out the Scholarship Program webpage.

Workshop participant Jane Metcalfe with facilitators Rosie O’Malley and ShantiWorks Tracy Castelino

Unpacking Practice Possibilities: Practitioner’s Perspective

Last month WorkUP Queensland hosted a Practice possibilities workshop on intimate partner homicide which is impacting practice throughout the state. The skilled ShantiWorks team; Tracy Castelino and Lisa French, created a safe space for Queensland practitioners to examine their practice and assumptions of DFV homicide, reflect on their practice, and examine their risk assessment and management practices. Senior practitioners, like Jane Metcalfe from Mt Isa 54 Reasons, expressed how the training created a break from her usual work to prevent “over-flow”.

It was “a reminder of the practice that I try to do and need to really continue to do it because it’s okay to push. A reminder that I am on the right track, to not be complacent.” Jane found the workshop was “validating of her[my] practice,” and that “hearing people in the room, and knowing what they are doing too was great.”

As an embedded worker, she especially connected with Tracey Castelino’s challenge to “see beyond the window of what we usually get to respond to.” This pushed her to find ways of seeing past client’s initial ‘disengagement’ and question what might be behind this presentation.

Jane left the workshop with refreshed knowledge and reminded herself that “practice is about asking questions, some that you’re not always comfortable asking but you have to ask”. She left with a rejuvenated sense of confidence and willingness to lean into those uncomfortable questions. She also identified ways the team at Mt Isa could review high-risk indicators and identified frameworks they could use to better understand the complexities of today.

Ultimately, she reflected on the need “to better understand those who we work with”.

“Everyone has their boundaries and walls but it’s good to know what those are. Asking questions helps understand.”

Beyond Awareness – Reframing Cultural Awareness in our Sector

Is Cultural Awareness just another box to tick or should it be the beginning of seeing the world around you in a whole new way?

All too often, cultural awareness is a reactionary response. The real power of cultural awareness lies in doing the work before these moments so that best practice is already in place.

An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person walking into a workspace should already feel warm, welcomed, and respected. The service environment is should already be a culturally safe place where trust can be built upon and offer comforting responses to their needs in a moment of crisis.

Beyond Awareness: Culturally Safe Practice in Our Sector is exactly the tool to help our sector practitioners with their own personal and cultural shifts from performative gestures to that of genuine preparation in body, mind and spirit. This program is not about starting from scratch, but on what is already known. Beyond Awareness gives us the opportunity to reflect on a deeper level, to unpack and consider where knowledge came from, and how this knowledge was framed.

Are there still unconscious biases that are operating beneath the surface? 

In a safe place that’s conducive to conversation, it’s less focused on learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and instead, invites practitioners to notice the stories we carry, sometimes from childhood, and be curious while exploring common beliefs and assumptions. The Beyond Awareness space is not for debating, but for dialogue, grounded in respect and learning.

Through this powerful and evocative workshop, participants are supported to move beyond their current practice by embedding culturally responsive practice into their everyday work. They gain practical tools, including developing a personalised action plan, that can adapt and grow with them. Participating practitioners also explore reflective practices to help check in with themselves when unconscious bias, stereotypes or racism might show up inadvertently. (It won’t happen overnight, right?) This helps move from ‘one size fits all’ approaches and confidently develops thoughtful context-specific responses when working with peoples whose cultures are different to their own.

Beyond Awareness: Culturally Safe Practice in Our Sector becomes not just a learning experience, but an unlearning one as well when we show up with curiosity, humility and connection. Cultural awareness requires continual effort, attention and engagement from sector, to ensure we are maintaining best practice and routinely checking our behaviour.

So far, Beyond Awareness has been delivered in six locations across the state, with more sessions on the way.  New dates and regions will be announced soon, so keep an eye open on our website and social media for an opportunity near you. If you are interested in Beyond Awareness being run near you, contact Jade or Rona at workforce@healingfoundation.org.au.

Showcasing Student Internship Models

If you want to strengthen your approach to student placements in the specialist sector, this SOAR! session provides inspiration and peer-led insights. You’ll hear what’s working, what’s possible, and how others are navigating challenges — from supervision models to student wellbeing and retention.

In Episode 3 of SOAR!, we’ll explore how placements can be more than just a learning experience — they can be a launchpad for long-term workforce development. You’ll hear from Alex and Simon from YFS, who will share insights into a Men’s Behaviour Change Program internship model — a powerful example of how placements can contribute meaningfully to complex, client-centred work.

We’ll also return to the outback, where Human Services Manager at Lifeline Darling Downs, Alison Casey, will share updates on remote placements in Charleville. This model, first introduced in Episode 1, has sparked sector-wide interest for creative supervision structures and strong community integration.

This session is part of the SOAR! Student Placements Showcase Series — a four-part lunch & learn designed to support the growth of DFV, sexual violence, and women’s health and wellbeing workforce. This episode spotlights innovative student placement models and supports, with a focus on how placements can be designed to benefit both students and the sector.

Whether you’re already hosting students or just starting to explore the idea, this is a chance to connect with others who are building a more supported, skilled, and sustainable workforce.

Episode 3 will be held online at 12pm on 27 August 2025, so register now or contact workforce@healingfoundation.org.au for more information.

Feminist Governance Toolkit – Supporting Leadership in our Sector

At WorkUP Queensland, we understand the importance of effective, high-quality governance across the sector. We are delighted to let you know about the Feminist Governance Toolkit, which is designed to complement existing governance training and resources.

Board members contribute valuable governance experience, financial expertise, sector knowledge, and lived experience. What sets this governance resource apart is its focus on the unique context of boards serving gendered violence services in Queensland. The toolkit supports these diverse groups to connect with each other and with the purpose of their work in ways appropriate for board-level engagement.

After the sector identified it as a need, the toolkit’s creation was informed by feedback gathered through consultations, workshops, and workforce planning activities. A key feature of the toolkit is the insights from sector leaders and board members.  These tips and stories share wisdom such as applying a gendered lens to governance, clarity about roles and responsibilities, and what it means to work in solidarity.

The toolkit is easy to access online and includes a video series and workbook, including reflective questions for individuals and boards. Since board members can be time poor, the toolkit was designed to be explored in chunks over time. There are also links to other programs and resources that can be accessed as needed, so users can go through resources as lightly or as deeply as they choose.

We encourage you to actively explore the toolkit, identify how its resources can strengthen your service, and share them widely with your board.

Keep a look out for our Feminist Governance Toolkit Launch coming up in November and a huge thank you to everyone who helped create of this resource.

Welcome to Our Sector: An Induction Program for New Workers is Back!

Set your team members up for success. New workers in our sector are crucial in growing the workforce, so quality, consistent onboarding is a must. Welcome to our Sector builds confidence and grounds new workers in the shared purpose, language, and values that underpin our work.

This induction program was created with the sector, in response to concerns raised during our first Workforce Plan and is designed to complement internal onboarding. Participants connect with peers across Queensland, building relationships and professional networks that support long-term collaboration and retention.

This sector-wide induction offers a rich, engaging learning experience through real-world case studies, stories from lived experience advocates, and insights from experienced frontline practitioners. Participants explore key legislation, foundational concepts of gendered violence, and the collaborative systems that shape our collective response. This ensures new workers understand their role in the sector and feel connected to the work we do collectively.

Welcome to our Sector is back for 2025, with two offerings before the end of the year.

• Course 1: 30 September, 7 October and 14 October
• Course 2: 25 November, 2 December and 9 December

The online induction is a three-part series, so full participation in all sessions is required. Register early to secure a place for your new team members.

Reflective Practice – What Does ‘Good’ Look Like?

Evoke Insightful Conversations and Transformative Thinking with the Reflective Practice Toolkit

WorkUP Queensland is launching a new resource, focusing on reflective practice to support workforce capability.

Recognising the importance of reflective approaches across all roles in our sector, services requested practical resources to integrate into everyday practice. The Reflective Practice Toolkit is your go-to resource to inspire meaningful conversations, critical reflection, and fresh perspectives—whether you’re working with in teams, with your peers, or engaging in self-reflection.

This practical, interactive toolkit has been thoughtfully designed to support individuals and organisations in applying the Workforce Capability Framework through Domain 5, focusing on reflection and self-awareness. This domain encourages us to connect with our purpose and consider how we ‘show up’, maintaining focus, energy, and resilience.

The toolkit includes role-specific card sets, a team card set, and reflective practice models aligned with the framework. With a range of engaging card prompts and accompanying reflective practice models, it can be tailored to suit any setting or style of facilitation.

WorkUP is excited to launch this valuable new resource for the sector. We appreciate the valuable feedback from individuals and services that helped shape and test these resources, and we are excited to hear how they will be applied in practice. Aligned with the Workforce Capability Framework, the Reflective Practice Toolkit is set to become a cornerstone for professional growth and team development.

To keep up to date with the Reflective Practice Toolkit, subscribe to WorkUP’s mailing list.

Familiar with the Workforce Capability Framework?  Help us gather information on how it is being used, and where we can improve. Complete this short survey.

Thank You for Joining the Coercive Control Roundtable – Your Voice Matters

Thank you to everyone who attended Responding Together: A practitioner roundtable on coercive control legislation. Your presence, insights, and honesty shaped a powerful day of learning, reflection, and connection.

The conversations revealed a sector deeply engaged in the complexity of change. The sector called for collaboration, truth-telling, and victim-survivor-led approaches, recognising we all have a vital role in supporting CALD, First Nations and other victim-survivors who may be further impacted by these laws. Your contributions affirmed the importance of creating space to listen, share, and challenge one another with care and courage.

This roundtable was just the beginning. Your voices will directly inform our next steps, as we work to strengthen the capacity and capability of our sector as we grapple with this new law and maintain the momentum.

We will continue to gather resources on coercive control in Queensland and look forward to hearing your continued hopes and concerns as we navigate implementation of this new legislation.

Coercive Control is Now a Crime – How Will We Respond?

The sector is strongest when we learn from each other

Criminalising coercive control changes the legal landscape for gender-based violence professionals in Queensland and will continue to shape the work that we do for years to come. As a sector, it is important that we make sense of these changes and respond to the impacts, so that we can continue our meaningful work.

WorkUP has listened and created professional development and resources to support you in making sense of these changes. Together, we will continue to strengthen practice across the whole workforce, reduce risk and enhance safety.

ROUNDTABLE – coercive control conversation

Join us for Responding Together: A practitioner roundtable on coercive control legislation. This opportunity has been designed in response to sector voices to provide a space to connect with peers, hear from experts and share the collective wisdom we need to move forward.

With the new coercive control legislation now in place, many of you are leading the way – preparing teams, navigating challenges, and raising vital questions about how these laws will play out in practice.

Through our sector engagement WorkUP has heard practitioners want to know:

• How will these laws effect individual workers?
• Do the laws change our case noting processes?
• How can we support workers giving evidence?
• How do victim survivors feel about these laws?
• What do we know about how victim survivors would like to see the laws used?

We understand that practitioners want to know what is happening in other parts of sector; how other services are responding; and how they plan to support their clients and teams.

The Roundtable is an opportunity to come together, build our capability to navigate these new laws, hear from experts and colleagues, and workshop a way forward.

This is a valuable chance to come together so, travel subsidies are available for people working in DFSV and Women’s Health and Wellbeing services in Queensland. Contact workforce@healingfoundation.org.au to find out more.

Register to find out more: https://events.humanitix.com/responding-together-coercive-control-roundtable

WEBINAR – hear from those already engaged with coercive control

Listen to our SPARK webinar to hear from experts in jurisdictions that have gone before us, about what it actually means to criminalise coercive control. If you are on the frontline, shaping policy, or building systems to support safety and accountability learn from others, and prepare for what’s ahead.

This webinar will be available on our resource hub and used as a prompt during our roundtable.

WORKSHOP SERIES – limited spaces

The Coercive Control and Social Entrapment Workshop Series is having an impact on the sector. Offered online, this series of four workshops deepens your understanding of coercive control, strengthens your practice skills and makes sense of our roles and responsibilities. We are offering opportunities this year to participate:

• October delivery: 21, 22, 28 and 29 October

RESOURCES – embed learning

We have created a Coercive Control page on the WorkUP Queensland website, which includes links to training, tools, further reading and supports for victim survivors.

You will find the most useful and relevant information to support your understanding and navigate these new laws. Check it out here: Coercive Control – WorkUP Queensland

We look forward to seeing you engage with these events and resources to strengthen the sector’s response with this new legislation.

Team Culture and Reflective Practice Critical in new Internship Program

An innovative Men’s Behaviour Change Program Facilitator Internship has been successfully piloted by YFS and WorkUP Queensland. This practical initiative strengthens the perpetrator intervention workforce by providing real-world training in a supported, structured environment.

Feedback highlights how critical team culture and reflective practice were to the program’s success and the value of structured mentoring to both new and experienced staff.

Offering a structured entry pathway into this specialist field, the 8-week internship program was designed to build capability in the Men’s Behaviour Change workforce. The internship pilot delivered clear benefits to interns and the host organisation, providing important insights about the logistics, challenges, and enablers of this model.

Over eight weeks, interns engaged in hands-on experience across the YFS Responsible Men’s program, including structured training, group facilitation, reflective supervision, court observations, and shadowing experienced practitioners. The model was supported by tailored training and supervision tools, ensuring a consistent and high-quality learning environment.

A full evaluation summary explores the outcomes of this pilot, the lessons learned, and practical suggestions for adapting and expanding the model across other services.

Read the full evaluation summary here.

Want to hear more?

Join WorkUP Queensland for a special information session facilitated by YFS. The team will share their insights and experiences from this innovative 8-week internship program. One session only Wednesday 25 June at 12pm

Register here.