Podcasts & Videos

Evidence indicates that physical punishment can lead to increased anxiety or depression in adulthood, and the likelihood of people engaging in violence in later life.
There are alternative effective discipline practices that don’t involve physical punishment. These evidence-based practices can help increase children’s understanding of why they are being helped to recognise that certain behaviours are not desirable.
Sixty-six countries have legislated against the use of physical punishment on children and a further 27 countries have committed to doing so. Why is Australia not one of them?

In this podcast KCV speaks with Professor Daryl Higgins, director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies at Australian Catholic University (ACU) and member of the Ending Physical Punishment of Australian Children (EPPAC) advocacy campaign.

In this podcast, KCV speaks with researcher, writer and educator Dr Emma Goodall, the inaugural Director of South Australia’s Office for Autism. Dr Goodall, who is the parent of an autistic adult, has worked extensively in the area of autism, education, research and public policy, and teacher training.

Dr Goodall defines autism and neurodiversity, explains how autism can present differently in different genders, and outlines key things carers need to understand about neurodivergence in order to better support the children and young people in their care. She also offers some approaches to help autistic and neurodiverse children develop the skills to self-regulate their feelings and emotions to help with everyday tasks and situations.

The effects of loneliness have been studied extensively worldwide, with experts agreeing on the importance of social interaction for our wellbeing.
The research shows that being socially isolated or lonely is as bad for your health as smoking, obesity, substance abuse and other mental health issues.
In previous studies by Kinship Carers Victoria, some carers have described feeling almost complete isolation from their former social circles once they became carers.
In this podcast, KCV speaks with clinical psychologist Dr Michelle Lim, considered the leading Australian scientific expert on loneliness.

Dr Lim discusses the physical and psychological effects of loneliness, the stigma around speaking about it and what carers can do to deal with their own social isolation.

In this podcast, director of Grandparents Victoria and Kinship Carers Victoria Ann McLeish speaks with Trevor Cobbold, national convener of Save our Schools. Before retiring, Trevor was an economist with the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission and its predecessors for over 30 years. Trevor talks us through the economic and structural inequality in our education system, in particular the under-funding of public schools in Victoria. 

Deep breathing and meditation can provide you with a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit your emotional wellbeing and overall health. 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.

In this podcast Kinship Carers Victoria speaks with clinical nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner Nikki Valentini, director of SuperNature Nutrition. Nikki explains how certain foods and nutrients have been shown to help us deal with stress and anxiety while other types of foods and eating patterns have been linked to increases in these feelings – and even to other psychological issues and illness. The podcast also includes interviews with carers who share their relationship to food and some of their dietary patterns.

Carers often mention their isolation. This podcast provides suggestions for kinship carers on how to form meaningful connections with friends, family, neighbours and the community. The podcast also includes interviews with several carers who share their experiences of challenges the carer role has brought up and how they have managed social isolation before, during and after the pandemic.

This podcast has been withdrawn because the information was dated and related to COVID restrictions.

This podcast has been withdrawn because the information was dated and related to COVID restrictions.

In this podcast, psychologist, lecturer and researcher Dr Melissa Weinberg, an Honorary Fellow from the Dept of Psychology at Deakin University with expertise in the science of wellbeing and resilience, speaks about the need for carers to monitor their own physical and emotional state and needs.

In this podcast Dr Melissa Weinberg, Honorary Fellow from the Dept of Psychology at Deakin University, discusses the effects sleeping poorly or well can have on a person’s physical and psychological health and suggests tips on how carers can improve their patterns of sleep and those of the children or young people in their care.

Dr Sanjiv Chopra is a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School, a best-selling author and sought-after motivational speaker. In an episode of The Bucket Podcast (at thebucket.com) broadcast on 10 October 2019, Dr Chopra spoke about his book, The Two Most Important Days: How to Find Your Purpose and Live a Happy and Healthy Life. This KCV podcast draws both on the contents of his book and that Bucket Podcast to present evidence on how happiness can be a choice in our lives.

Kinship Carers Victoria recently released the eighth report on their longitudinal study of kinship carer families. In this podcast, Director of KCV Anne McLeish discusses why the study was established, as well as providing an analysis of the latest report findings, which show that, for the most part, kinship care arrangements for the families in the study continue to be stable.

The health of children in kinship care is of primary concern. In this podcast Dr Karen McLean, paediatrician with the Pathway to Good Health Clinic, the Sleep Disorders Clinic, the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics with the University of Melbourne, speaks about the health of children in care.

Director of GPV, Anne McLeish, speaks about the reason for conducting the survey and about the findings, which highlight the varying roles grandparents play within Victorian families and the community.

In this podcast Director of Kinship Carers Victoria (KCV) Anne McLeish discusses how education is a key factor in ensuring positive outcomes for children as they mature into adults. Murray Geddes, Principal of the LOOKOUT Centre for the South Eastern Victoria Region, also explains the role the centres play and how kinship carers and the children in their care can benefit.

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This podcast again addresses the issue of carer wellbeing. Director of Kinship Carers Victoria (KCV) Anne McLeish talks about how KCV works to better protect and promote carer wellbeing and about the various projects KCV employs to do so. We visit one of KCV’s artist-in-residence sessions and talk to participants and coordinators about the value of the experience.

In this podcast, Director of Kinship Carers Victoria (KCV) Anne McLeish talks about why the physical and emotional health of kinship carers and their access to support services is so important and how KCV works to better protect and promote carer wellbeing. Two kinship carers also speak about their personal and professional perspectives on this key element of kinship care.