Grievance Debate

Cara

Ms COOK (Hurtle Vale) (15:35): Yesterday, I was thrilled to attend the opening of Cara's new Home of Possible with Cara's chief patron, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, Governor of South Australia. Mickey O'Brien began the event with a very moving Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony. The move from the Woodville campus—the home of the Spastic Centres of South Australia for 66 years—was essential as the workforce, and indeed Cara, grew.

The new office is agile, airy and, frankly, energising. I was told that the new space has been a breath of fresh air and a real motivator for a united Cara culture. The hubs, breakout spaces and communal areas really do allow staff to connect and collaborate with their peers, both within teams and also with the wider organisation. Cara is very proud of and excited about its new beginnings but has not forgotten its Woodville roots.

At the new Home of Possible, meeting rooms are named after significant people and founding families of the Spastic Centres of South Australia. Those recognised include Edna Redman, a 40-year supporter, board member and patron, and Eva Dennis, an original board member instrumental in starting the Spastic Children's Parents' Group, which brought together parents of children with cerebral palsy and did a lot of fundraising.

At the Cara and SCOSA offices, the 12 founding members were honoured with a garden featuring a fountain and planted with Mrs Dennis's favourite Lorraine Lee roses. A new generation of 12 Lorraine Lee roses is now blooming in the garden of the new Home of Possible in recognition of the dedication and commitment of the founding members of Cara. In the garden, there is also a tactile and interactive sculpture of spheres, which represents Cara's Circles of Possibility and which uses aged metal to represent the history of providing support. The reflective stainless steel spheres represent new opportunities and independence for Cara's customers.

CEO, Liz Cohen, and board president, Phil Dorman, both spoke passionately about the journey to this new future. Phil used a beautiful summing-up quote from past consumer Trever Harrison:

Just because the building is going, doesn't mean the memories are going…We've got to continue to strive for the future.

Youth workers are at the coalface of life-changing work with thousands of young people here in South Australia. The diversity of workplaces, the breadth of the work and success of the outcomes usually pass by unnoticed.

Today, for the second time, I am proud to be a sponsor of the SA Youth Worker of the Year Award. Youth work is such a selfless vocation, and I congratulate all those who have been nominated for this honourable award. I am delighted to recognise that the nominees are here today, along with many members of Youth Work SA. In a moment, I will be announcing the winner of the Youth Worker of the Year Award.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: They are all winners, aren't they?

Ms COOK: They are all winners, thank you. Youth Work SA is the association that acts to develop professional youth work practices across South Australia to ensure that high-quality support for young people is achieved. Welcome today to the chamber many members of this organisation. I would like to acknowledge Sladjana Armour, chair; Ben Lohmeyer, secretary; Paul Ridley, financial officer; Sasha Ritson, marketing; David Bishop, membership coordinator; and last year's winner of the SA Youth Worker of the Year Award, Evan Babister, general member. This forms the executive committee, so welcome to all of you.

Youth Work plays an important role in organisations in our community, alongside young people in their social context, and they are facilitators of change within these environments. In the role of advocating and supporting young people in the pursuit of their goals, interests and rights, youth workers are a source of empowerment.

I would like to introduce you to the nominees for the Youth Worker of the Year Award and their organisations: Colin Axford, from Centacare; Dayna Fisher, from Mission Australia; Joanna Hunter, from Uniting SA; and Natalie Holman, from Junction Australia. These are organisations we have all worked with and have great respect for. Congratulations for being nominated for such a worthy award.

It is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the Youth Worker of the Year Award is Colin Axford from Centacare. What a wonderful achievement to be recognised for your commitment and dedication to the youth who you support and advocate for. I am looking forward to hosting you with the member for Badcoe shortly.

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