Carer Council Chair: Lorraine Joy
Lorraine Joy is the Chair of the Carer Council, appointed by the Hon Katrine Hilyard, Minister for Child Protection.
Please enjoy this lovely Q and A, where we asked Lorraine about her life as a carer and an advocate, as well as some reflections on her year as the inaugural Chair.
Q: What skills and experience do you bring to your role as Chair of the Carer Council?
A: I have valuable, first-hand lived experience in a variety of fostering roles including specialist carer, respite, emergency, and short-term placements. I have a deep understanding of the challenges in foster caring, gained through providing personal advocacy for carers during times of need and facilitating the Grief and Transition group as a volunteer for CF&KC-SA.
Over the past year as Chair of the Carer Council, I have strengthened my leadership skills and expanded my capacity to work collaboratively with carers and stakeholders. I have drawn on my previous experience in helping to form my service provider’s internal Carer Consultation Group, where carer representatives and service provider management worked together to provide a voice for carers in a professional forum. This initiative has contributed to meaningful changes and the development of policies and programs to better support carers, and is still ongoing.
Q: What are some of the areas that need addressing in child protection?
A:
- Communication and consultation
- Listening and planning in collaboration with key stakeholders
- Increased knowledge of policies and procedures, and better ways to access and share this information with carers
- Fair carer payment
- Respite options
- A better Care Concern process that is fair and realistic
- Carer mental health
- Superannuation
- Improved access to training and support
Q: What are your fondest memories of caring?
A: It is incredibly rewarding watching and being part of my children’s growth through love, laughter, uncontrollable giggles, and challenging each other. I treasure supporting their educational development, building their confidence, and teaching them how to use their voice in a positive way. I love to watch the development of trust between myself and the children’s birth families. By providing honest and transparent support, I’ve seen these relationships flourish into positive partnerships, leading to healthy, long-term outcomes for everyone involved.
Q: What has chairing the Carer Council meant to you over the past year?
A: Serving as Chair of the Carer Council has been a deeply rewarding experience. I have seen the voice of carers being heard at the ministerial and executive level and I am confident that the direction we are heading in will lead to positive systemic change over time. Chairing the Council has reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and the resilience of the carer community and I am excited about the progress we are making.