There is already so much great work happening across the service as we move into the second month of 2026.
Progress continues on the remediation and rebuilding works at our Fraser Parade head office following last May’s fire. As we prepare for re-entry into the building, careful planning is underway to ensure optimal functionality and effective team utilisation. This may result in some changes to team locations across the site as we balance organisational growth with future operational needs. As part of the early stages of the redesign, members of our NDIS team have recently relocated from Fraser Parade to our Macquarie Road site.
It has also been wonderful to see young people and staff from our Outreach and Fostering and Permanency teams travel to Tonga on a Cultural and Heritage Trip with Sione’s Foundation. During this week-long experience, our young people and staff are giving back to the local community while sharing meaningful, challenging, and rewarding experiences together. We look forward to hearing more about their journey, and I understand they have already had the unique experience of meeting the King and Queen of Tonga!
Our Tiny Homes project in the Hunter region continues to progress strongly. The homes at our Redhead site are now all but complete, with final Council inspections pending, and works are set to commence this week on the Council-owned sites at Belmont. This initiative, and our unique partnership with Lake Macquarie City Council, addresses critical gaps in housing availability for the young people in our care and opens the door to further innovative housing opportunities within our community.
Meanwhile, our Northern NSW and Hunter teams are busy finalising evidence for the upcoming Office of the Children’s Guardian accreditation monitoring visit, which will take place onsite over the next two weeks. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the strength of our practice, our collective commitment, and the high quality of care we provide across the organisation.
We are also excited to see the continued growth of our Victorian operations, with the therapeutic foster care program actively seeking more passionate and committed carers to join the team and support children and young people in their care.
Looking ahead, a key priority as we move through 2026 remains our partnership with the New South Wales Government as it prepares to announce significant sector reforms. Our continued focus on quality, confidence, and best-practice service delivery will not only support the Minister’s agenda but also ensure we maintain our position as a trusted and high-quality provider of care.
