I'm Shannon Kendrick, specialist consultant to the out of home care sector
Consulting to out of home care agencies and government departments is all about finding new ways to help tackle the most important challenges and seize the greatest opportunities. By bringing together my insights and capabilities, along with a spirit of deep collaboration, I walk alongside you as you make lasting improvements to the lives of children, young people and families.
Seen and heard
Now is the time for exceptional leadership
Every organisation in the out of home care sector is under pressure to deliver better outcomes – from improved service delivery, to policies and programs that address complex societal problems.
On top of their day-to-work, it’s little wonder organisations often need extra support to help rise to the challenge of these expectations.
I provide expertise as a trusted expert who understand the pain, the problems – and the possibilities. Sometimes it’s me joining your team as an innovator, dot-connector, opportunity-seeker and idea-generator. Sometimes it’s undertaking child-facing work like Therapeutic Life Story Work. And sometimes it’s about preparing people to navigate a complex system. I specialise in this work so you can focus on where you’re *really* needed.
And the icing on the cake? You won’t just get quality outcomes, but a trusted partner who brings ease to the process.
In case we haven't met
My hats: Founder. TLSW practitioner.
Foster Care Consultant. Speaker
I work with senior government leaders, human services organisations, and private-sector champions to shape and deliver breakthrough responses to complex child protection matters.
If there’s one thing I learned as a caseworker, and now as a consultant, it’s that behind all the paperwork and bureaucracy is a person trying to build a better future for a child or young person. This is true no matter whether you’re a caseworker responsible for assessing a new carer, an agency director implementing practice improvements, or a government executive developing policy reforms.
The OOHC sector is full of people deeply committed to strengthening outcomes and doing the work they do, better.
Whatever it is you want to do next, I’d love to help you get there.
6+ years as an accredited TLSW practitioner, successfully rolling out TLSW services across New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and South Australia, and lobbying for its inclusion and funding on a national level
Accredited foster care assessor and recruiter
Masters in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing, Social Work
Experience in championing change across the out of home care sector, including NGOs and government agencies
The perfect blend of warmth, efficiency and professionalism at a competitive rate. Assessment turnaround is fast yet content is thorough, detailed and objective. Five stars!
Partnering agency
Solving big problems requires
insight and imagination
That’s exactly what you’ll find here
Collaboration
A highly collaborative working mode means that I work in partnership with policy makers and practitioners to dramatically improve the outcomes of children and young people.
Advice
You’ll always get practical, strategic support that turns evidence and frontline insights into action that works for children, young people and families.
Advocacy
My mission is to inspire change in the way out-of-home care children and young people are seen and engaged. Individuals with lived experience are kept at the centre of problem-solving and solution-making.
Curiosity
I believe that leading with curiosity is the only way to navigate difficult conversations. By seeking to provide answers – not therapy or an intervention – people engage more readily with the process.
The cornerstones of my consultancy work
Bring insight to light by challenging traditional thinking and ways of operating and bringing new perspectives to the toughest problems.
Deliver positive impact by helping leaders take practical steps to ‘put on a trauma informed care lens’ in their decision-making.
Simplify complexity by breaking down problems and navigating the idea maze.
Arrive at solutions and outcomes by using evidence-based frameworks.
Lead with integrity by confronting the hard issues, staying true to our values, and keeping children as our focus.
Empower clients, colleagues, and communities to build success and achieve their full potential.
I highly recommend Shannon for her great work, mainly in Therapeutic Life Story Work TLSW. Shannon is very professional and child focused. She has the ability to engage the child easily as she is flexible with her approach. Shannon is always confident and comfortable to work with the extended family as well, while ensuring that her deadlines are always delivered on time, and with great outcomes.