Kinship Carers Victoria podcast series

KCV Podcast 27 - Preparing for Access Visits

Access or contact visits are where children in kinship care can spend time and engage with members of their biological or extended family. The visits can be formal or informal, and sometimes they are supervised by a professional, such as a child protection worker or agency worker, or even by the kinship carer themselves.

In this podcast, we spoke with Adam Lyons, Managing Director of Lancaster Consulting, who addressed some of the more common issues carers face in preparing the children in their care for access visits and outlined strategies for debriefing children afterwards.

KCV Podcast 26 - The Benefits of Play

What does the latest research tell us about the benefits of play for the wellbeing of children and young people? The February 2023 edition of the Royal Children’s Hospital National Child Health Poll – Australian Families: How we play – has produced some findings of great interest to kinship carers.

In this podcast we speak with paediatrician, researcher and child health advocate Dr Anthea Rhodes, the founding director of the poll. Anthea has clinical interests in the health needs of the vulnerable child, with expertise in child behaviour and development.

KCV Podcast 25 - Nutrition

What are the latest trends in nutrition? What does recent research say about what and how we should eat? And what the children in our care, in particular those children with neurodevelopmental disorders, should eat?

In this podcast we speak again with Nikki Valentini, Clinical Nutritionist, functional medicine practitioner and director of SuperNature Nutrition on a broad range of current topics regarding nutrition. Nikki answers some of the more common questions from carers and others regarding this topic.

KCV Podcast 24 - Carer Learning and Development

In this podcast we speak with Director of Kinship Carers Victoria, Anne McLeish, who explains the importance of learning and development for kinship carers.

We also interview one Victorian carer, who tells us about the types of things she realised she needed to learn and the support she sought out once she became a kinship carer.

And we hear from Adam Lyons, Managing Director of Lancaster Consulting, who have been providing specialised support services and training for kinship and foster carers for well over a decade. Adam describes the program they run through Carer KaFE and the workshops and training they provide for carers.

KCV Podcast 23 - The Importance of Quality Sleep

Sleep plays a vital part in our wellbeing - so how do we get the right amount of it?

Clinical psychologist Dr Damon Ashworth, author of Deliberately Better Sleep, talks with KCV about the three major factors affecting our sleep and issues such as waking up at night, napping, the right amount of sleep and the long-term effects of not getting enough sleep. This podcast also includes interviews with two carers, who share their personal stories around their sleeping patterns and how they manage this whilst dealing with their kinship carer responsibilities.

KCV Podcast 22 - The Benefits Of Hobbies

In a recent survey on stress and wellbeing conducted by the Australian Psychological Society, four in five participants found activities like listening to music and spending time on a hobby were effective ways of managing stress. Finding an enjoyable pastime can also enhance wellbeing, improve social connections, and even stave off depression or anxiety. 

In this latest carer wellbeing podcast, KCV spoke with two carers about their carer situations and what part hobbies and other meaningful pursuits played in their lives and learned about the benefits these activities bring them.

KCV Podcast 21 - The Benefits Of Exercise

This podcast outlines the benefits of exercise, with suggestions for carers on different types of moderate exercise and how they can incorporate them into their lives. Includes advice from fitness expert Nic Dorian, plus interviews with kinship carers.

KCV Podcast 20 - Relaxation Techniques For Carers

Deep breathing and meditation can provide you with a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit your emotional wellbeing and overall health through reducing stress. The podcast features an interview with Eliza Terry, from YogaLiving. Eliza has been teaching Iyengar Yoga since 1998, and teaches mindfulness meditation, with a strong focus on breath work for relaxation. The podcast also includes interviews with two carers who share details of their own experiences with trying relaxation and breathing techniques.