Having qualified as a Social Worker in 1995, I started my career working as a Child Protection (Child Safety) Social Worker in South Yorkshire, England. In 2000, I pursued my interest in working directly with foster carers, and was successful in becoming a social worker with Key Asset’s sister organisation, Foster Care Associates (FCA). During my time with FCA, I worked as a senior practitioner, Team Manager responsible for foster carer recruitment and approval, and as a Deputy Director.
In 2005, I was asked to take the lead on developing FCA’s first overseas foster care agency in the Republic of Ireland, Fostering First Ireland (FFI). During the development, FFI grew from having no foster carers and children placed to supporting and working with over 75 foster care households and children or young people placed with them (May 2009). FFI was able to demonstrate good outcomes for children in its care through various government inspection reports and more recently, the awarding of a significant contract to provide foster care to children seeking asylum.
In addition to my ‘normal’ work life, I have undertaken other fostering related tasks, including strategic reviews as an independent consultant, providing expert advice on an Awards Panel, and have been a strong advocate for LGBT matters.
My current role with Key Assets Fostering is to develop the service in Queensland. I am committed to developing a quality, fit for purpose organisation that values the foster carers we support, works in partnership with Child Safety Services, and provides opportunities for children and young people to achieve their full potential and placement stability.
Steve Jacques- General Manager
I qualified as a Social Worker at James Cook University of North Queensland in 1983 and began my career with a short period as a Residential Care Worker for the Queensland Department of Family Services in Townsville.
I then moved on to become a Social Worker with the Department of Health (Community Medicine) in both Townsville and Charters Towers, where I worked with vulnerable families and individuals. In 1990, I took up a Social Work post with the Department of Defence (Townsville), working within a civilian and military team that provided remedial and preventative welfare services to serving members and their families.
I have always enjoyed working with families, and in 1996 started working for the Family Court of Australia (Townsville, Dubbo & Brisbane). This role included the provisioning of a counselling and mediation service to families involved with custody, access, guardianship and relationship issues before the Court.
In 2002, an exciting opportunity arose for me to work overseas. I took on a Social Work position with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. During my time in Dublin I worked for the Separated Children Seeking Asylum Team. This Team provided a Social Work service to unaccompanied children and young people (under 18yrs) who had escaped poverty, violence and/or persecution in their own country prior to arriving in Ireland and being taken into the care of the State.
In May 2004, I became the first designated Social Worker to develop foster care services for the Children Seeking Asylum Team. I was involved in all aspects of recruiting, assessing and supporting foster carers primarily from the cultural and language groups from which the young people came. The role also included making significant links with community groups and organisations and in providing a cross-cultural perspective to the interventions of other staff involved in the support and care of these young people.
My final role with the HSE, before returning to Australia, was developing an elder abuse protection service in the Mid Western Region of Ireland.
In my current role with Key Assets Fostering, I oversee the recruitment, assessment and approval of foster carers with the agency.
Julie Linwood - Recruitment and Panel Manager