Annette Smith is a social worker and director of Children Need a Happy Home, and has over 30 years' experience in child and family work. She is an accredited Family Group Conference trainer and facilitator, mediator, coach and family therapist. Annette has worked in Canada as a family therapist for child and family services, and more recently for FACS as director of community services NSW (now Department of Communities and Justice). Since 2016, Annette has developed curriculum and training packages for Family Group Conferencing. She has a strong interest in family decision-making models. She has significant experience in delivering and consulting on Family Group Conferencing at national and international levels, particularly on innovations on family engagement. With strong interest and experience in working with Aboriginal children and their extended family networks, and ensuring that their voices are heard and included, she has a passionate commitment to FGC, believing that the family group is an expert on itself and that each family group is unique.Annette says, "I am grateful that with more than 30 years in child and family work, I have had the privilege of working with many children, young people and their families from many cultures. During these years, they have taught me a great deal, and early on I began to reflect on the organizational culture of assessing and investigating rather than helping families. I wanted to help them with their worries and to build stronger and happier families and communities. I reassessed and overhauled my view of families, embracing messiness, kindness and hope while working alongside and in partnership with families. I believe that decisions about families need to be slowed down, with greater energy put into helping them, and where children cannot live with their immediate family, the circle should be widened to find a family."Annette's practice, interests and influences promote active engagement; collaboration; and critical, reflective, culturally responsive practice, with a respect for social context and difference.
