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The Salvation Army in Tasmania

Safe From The Start

Safe From The Start - Resource Kit

The Safe from the Start project is an Australian first, developed by The Salvation Army and has won a Tasmanian Child Protection Award. It is an innovative initiative based on recommendations from a research study ‘States of Mind’ conducted by Dr Erica Bell-UTAS to consider the specific needs of children aged 0-5 who have witnessed family violence.

The Safe from the Start action research project was developed in partnership with UTAS by Dr Angela Spinney in 2008/9 providing training to over 400 child protection workers, counsellors, family violence workers, teachers and parents in Tasmania/Victoria.

A Train the Trainer one-day program was developed by Dr Angela Spinney (Swinburne University) in 2010 and is available nationally.

The research showed exposure to violence in the early years can have severe effects on brain development. This informed the evidence base for a training program and Safe from the Start resource kit providing therapeutic ways of working with young children aged 0-5 who have been affected by family violence. 

Download SFTS 2010 flyer