2014 WEAAD Forum – Human Rights Are Ageless

In 2014, Seniors Rights Victoria is proud to be once again hosting the Victorian WEAAD Forum to help advance knowledge of elder abuse for people working with older people. This event will be a great opportunity to extend your knowledge of issues around elder abuse as well as to meet and engage with your professional peers. We have a great line up of speakers and a carefully designed mix of presentations and workshops to help you get the most out of the Forum. We look forward to seeing you there!

Forum details

The 2014 WEAAD Forum will be held at the Victoria University Convention Centre on Monday 16^th June. Registrations will open at 9:00am for a 9:30am start. Keynote speakers are Associate Professor Cheryl Tilse (pictured left) , chief investigator of the Assets and Ageing Research Program at the University of Queensland, John Chesterman, Churchill Fellow and Manager of Policy and Education at the Victoria Office of the Public Advocate, and Janet Wood, Chairperson, Human Rights Sub-Committee, COTA Victoria.

Aim of the WEAAD Forum

The main aim of the Forum is to improve the understanding of elder abuse and related issues amongst professionals and workers and increase their capacity to respond to cases of elder abuse. This year’s Forum will be underpinned by the important role qualitative research has in complementing practice and knowledge and the role everyday practice has in informing research. This will be recognised throughout the Forum by providing space for reflection and discussion as well as discovering new ways of understanding issues related to elder abuse. The identification of emerging issues and future challenges will be encouraged during sessions.

Forum topics

This year’s forum workshop topics include the role of supported decision making and guardianship, responding to financial abuse, developing policy and practice from research, the management of assets and money within families, human rights and ageism and respecting clients’ choices within duty of care.

Keynote speakers

Associate Professor Cheryl Tilse: School of Social Work and Human Services, University of Queensland

Cheryl Tilse is a lead investigator in the Assets, Ageing and Intergenerational Transfers Research Program at the University of Queensland. Over the past thirteen years, this research program has explored the intersection of individual, financial, legal and family interests in older people’s assets focussing on approaches to asset management, substitute and supported decision making, intergenerational transfers, financial abuse and financial capacity.

The team has a strong track record of building interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research teams, partnerships with government and non-government organisations, and successful competitive grant writing. The team has been awarded ten national competitive grants, one international grant with the University of Hong Kong and four projects funded by government and non-government organisations.

Cheryl has published and presented nationally and internationally on this research.

Cheryl is a member of the reference groups of the Elder Abuse Prevention Unit, Queensland and the Seniors Legal Advice and Support Service, Brisbane.

Mr. John Chesterman, Churchill Fellow. Manager, Policy and Education, Office of the Public Advocate

John Chesterman is the Manager of Policy and Education at the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate. He has a law degree and a PhD and has written a number of books, including (as co-author) The Politics of Human Rights in Australia (Cambridge University Press, 2009)

John has worked in research positions at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Public Policy and at James Cook University’s School of Indigenous Australian Studies, and he was a lecturer in politics at the University of Melbourne from 2000 until 2009.

John was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate the abuse of at-risk adults in the USA, UK and Canada.

Ms. Janet Wood, Chairperson, Human Rights Sub-Committee, Policy Council, COTA Victoria

Janet Wood is former long-term president of COTA Victoria. During this period she chaired the Joint Venture Partnership of Seniors Rights Victoria. In 2013, she became the Chairperson of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Policy Council of COTA Victoria.

Janet has been a strong advocate for seniors in the community and elimination of age discrimination.