Our staff

Ashleigh Daines - CEO

Ashleigh Daines commenced as the CEO of Sutherland Shire Family Services in October 2019. Read more

Michelle Fairweather - Operations Manager

Michelle Fairweather is the Operations Manager at Sutherland Shire Family Services Read more

Lola Hearn - Administration & Facilities Manager

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

Belinda Harrison - Practice Manager

Belinda Harrison is the Practice Manager at SSFS, 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 & Families Team Leader

Amber Schacht is our Youth And Families Team Leader at Engadine District Youth Services (EDYS), leading an experienced team of Youth and Family specialists. She is passionate about the important work of helping support young people in our community. As well as looking after the Youth and Families team at EDYS, Amber is responsible for the EDYS space and activities, schools and community programs, services and events. Read more

Kim Byron - EDYS Centre Manager

Kim leads our dynamic and creative team at Engadine District Youth Services (EDYS), 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

Domestic and Family Violence Caseworker Position Vacant

A vacancy exists for a Domestic and Family Violence Caseworker. This role is Part Time (30 hours/ 4 days/wk) and offered on a Fixed Term contract until 30 June 2022, Applications Close 31 January 2021.
Bringing Up Great Kids Free Parenting Program Term 1 2021

Bringing Up Great Kids is a free parenting program that uses mindfulness and reflection to support parents to review and enhance patterns of communication with their children, to promote more respectful interactions and encourage the development of children’s positive self-identity.
No Scaredy Cats - Parenting Course for Parents of Children with Anxiety

No Scaredy Cats is a FREE Parenting Course for parents with children aged 2-12 years who are experiencing anxiety. The course is held over 3 weeks, on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm at Jannali.
No Scaredy Cats

No Scaredy Cats is a FREE parenting education course to help families with children aged 2-12 years who experience anxiety.

National Domestic Violence issue in the news - but locally, what can we do?

Here in the Sutherland Shire, we see hundreds of “Hannah’s” each year – women who are living an unimaginable nightmare, experiencing many forms of domestic violence, trying to leave their violent partners, who fear for their and their children’s lives. Women who come to us for help.
Djanaba director Jann celebrates 30 years service

Today we celebrated, Jann Griffiths, our Djanaba Occasional Care Centre Director for her 30 years of service to SSFS, with a team morning tea. This was a wonderful opportunity to thank Jann for caring for and brightening the lives of more than a thousand children during this time.
Accessibility
Closure of Djanaba Occasional Childcare Centre

It is with deep sadness and disappointment that we advise that Djanaba Occasional Childcare Centre will close indefinitely, effective from Close of Business today, Thursday the 26th March 2020.
Domestic and Family Violence Caseworker Position Vacant

A vacancy exists for a Domestic and Family Violence Caseworker. This role is Part Time (30 hours/ 4 days/wk) and offered on a Fixed Term contract until 30 June 2022, Applications Close 31 January 2021.
2019-2020 Annual Showcase Presentation & Annual Report

We are proud to present our 2019-2020 Service Showcase and Annual Report, which highlights the many programs, groups and services that Sutherland Shire Family Services provide.
Join our Virtual Movement Challenge to help SSFS help local families impacted by domestic violence

Sutherland Shire Family Services have today launched a Virtual Movement Challenge fundraiser, helping local families stay motivated to remain active and healthy while we self-isolate or social distance in these times of COVID-19. By participating in the Challenge, our Community can help us, as we raise funds to continue the work we do in supporting local families impacted by domestic violence.
COVID-19 Virus Update - Services Unaffected at SSFS

With the World Health Organisation this week categorising COVID-19 as a Global Pandemic.. As at today's date (Friday 13th March), there are no interruptions to SSFS programs or services. We are reviewing the situation daily and following Government about service cancellation. We have taken heightened precautions around hygeine and cleanliness, and are encouraging all staff and clients to do the same.
International Women's Day 2020 - #EachforEqual

International Women's Day is on this Sunday, 8th March, 2020.. This day is to help forge a gender equal world. Celebrating women's achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality, is key.
The resilience of our BRIC team on display with online transition

What a week it's been! Today our "Building Resilience in Children" (BRIC) Team have been "practicing what they preach", showing incredible resilience themselves in quickly adapting their programs to online formats,. Today, they delivered their Healing Connections program via video conference, showing families that even when times are "extra" tough, support is still available.