Local community organisations and individuals have been gathering regularly over the past few months for the program 'Weaving The Net' in an attempt to develop a local child protection framework.
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Weaving the Net is a community development project which works with the Aboriginal community, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers, government and non-government organisations to develop a local child protection framework
Agencies in the local area are also invited to participate so that they can assist in providing services to the community. The involvement of community members and service providers is integral to the success of the program.
Each month the program focuses on a different aspect of child protection in their workshops.
The first two months included an opening forum and a physical abuse workshop.
The organisations gathered for their third workshop last week and focused on understanding child sexual assault.
Education Centre Against Violence's Pam Greer and Virginia Elliott were among the facilitators of this workshop and said that participants get inspired and empowered to help change the situation.
Ms Elliott said it child sexual assault is not limited to one community or cultural group and that in roughly 90 percent of cases, the perpetrator is someone that the child knows.
Ms Greer said that this workshop they have talked about the things that happen to child sexual assault and how to recognise the signs and how to report it.
At the workshop, they had representatives from NSW Health, Binaal Billa, Yoorana Gunya, Community Health Workers, Joint Child Protection Response Team (JCPRP) and the Education Centre Against Violence from Westmead, along with a few community members.
These workshops are open to whoever would like to come along and take part.
Their next workshop will be on July 27 to July 28 and is a grief and loss and healing workshop.
