Our staff

Ashleigh Daines - CEO

Ashleigh Daines commenced as the CEO of The Family Co. in October 2019. Read more

Michelle Fairweather - Operations Manager

Michelle Fairweather is the Operations Manager at The Family Co. Read more

Lola Hearn - Administration & Facilities Manager

Lola started with The Family Co over 30 years ago, and is our Facilities and Administration Manager. Read more

Belinda Harrison - Practice Manager

Belinda Harrison is the Practice Manager at The Family Co, leading the Family Case Worker programs, Group Therapeutic programs and supporting a team of Caseworkers who deliver frontline support to Families who use our service. Read more

Amber Schacht - Youth Programs Coordinator

Amber Schacht is our Youth Programs Coordinator at The Family Co. She is passionate about the important work of helping support young people in our community. Read more

Kim Byron - Youth & Family Manager

Kim leads our dynamic and creative team at The Family Co Youth Services, providing a youth-centred, trauma informed practice that encourages self-expression and self-exploration for young people to develop their skills and identity, and explore their creativity through the programs and workshops on offer. Read more

Jade Lindsay - Toolbox Talks Project Manager

Jade joined SSFS in 2017 as the Project Manager for the Domestic Violence Toolbox Talks program which is a nationally available primary prevention and bystander intervention program for the workplace. Read more

Melissa Philbrook - BRIC Team Leader

Melissa is our newest member of the Executive Team, and brings a wealth of experience in Social Work to her role as Team Leader of our Building Resilience in Children (BRIC) Project. Read more

Kate Cora - SSWDVCAS Manager

Kate Cora is responsible for managing and leading our Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (SSWDVCAS) team, who support women after domestic violence incidents and through the legal/court processes that may follow. Read more

Nicki Mead - Marketing Manager

Nicki Mead is our Marketing Manager looking after our website, social media, events and collateral. Read more

Latest

2022 Charity Golf Day

Join us on Friday, 18th March, 2022 for a great day of golf, while helping to raise money for The Family Co., which support vulnerable families in the Sutherland Shire.
Conversation is Key: For parents of Year 5 and 6 students (8 March 2022)

Conversation is Key is a 2 hour parenting workshop which will help parents to have open and honest conversations with their Year 5/6 children about respect & consent in navigating relationships. This will be on Tuesday 8th March 2022.
Consent Conversations: Parenting Seminar (Feb 15, 2022)

Join us on Tuesday 15th February from 6:30 - 8:30pm for a parenting workshop on the topic of "Consent Conversations" - for parents wanting to talk to their kids about consent, and navigating their rights and responsibilities in relationships.
Creative Hearts and Minds - 6 Week Kids Art Program (Term 1, 2022)

Creative Hearts and Mind Art Classes are for kids aged 6-12, allowing them to express themselves while trying lots of different art making practices. This is a 6 week program, runs on Mondays from 3:30-4:30pm at our Jannali location. The cost of this program is $120 per term. Creative Kids Vouchers Accepted (Cost after voucher is $20 per term)

About Us

We exist because all children and families should have a safe home, strong connections and opportunities to thrive in life.
Family Caseworker Program

Family Workers provide assistance to families who, for a variety of reasons, would benefit from additional support.
How to Refer

Help is easy to access. You can be referred by a health professional or another agency, or self-refer. Just call us on (02) 9528 2933 and tell us what you need help with.
Term 3 (2021) Group Programs & Activities

The Family Co's Term 3 program is now confirmed, and we're excited to add some new programs to our existing suite of support and therapeutic groups and parenting education programs.
Support for Parents & Families

We offer services that support and strengthen the capacity of families, build parenting skills, and promote safety for all family members.
Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service

The Southern Sydney Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service (SSWDVCAS) provides information, advocacy and referrals for women and families attending Sutherland and Kogarah Local Courts for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders.
Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to help us! We're a lean and specialised team, and while we don't allow volunteers in client facing capacities, we are very grateful to have volunteers who can assist with admin, marketing and events. If you're interested, we'd love to hear from you!
Youth and Family Worker

The Youth & Family Worker provides a range of support, information and referrals which assist young people aged 12-18 years, their families and carers, in and environment that is non-judgemental, safe and friendly.
Group Programs Schedule

Each term, we publish a calendar of events for programs we offer. This includes our Parenting Support Programs, Early Childhood and Educational Support Programs and Domestic Violence Support Programs.
Circle of Security

Circle of Security is a relationship program designed to strengthen the parent/ caregiver relationship through enhancing attachment security. It is an evidence based program that helps parents/ caregivers recognise new ways to understand their child’s needs and behaviours, and learn effective ways to connect with their child.