Winner

2017

Lifetime Achievement Award

Fiona MacGregor, Belconnen Community Service

Fiona MacGregor has been a powerhouse of the community sector for many years, having a crucial role in the development of the current service system for young people, including the CYFSP, and youth workers in schools program. Fiona is currently working as a consultant for the ACT Community Sector, one stop in a long career of influence. Throughout her career, her steadfast and strong-willed determination to improve outcomes for young people through well- structured systems and a skilled workforce has left a valuable legacy.

Fiona played an important role in moving education within the juvenile detention facilities towards a system that better caters for the specific needs of young offenders. She was integral to the development of the current youth worker in schools program, as well as many other key contributions during her time   at the ACT Education Directorate, including the setup of learning centres for marginalised young people across the ACT.

With the rollout of the Child Youth and Family Services Program, Fiona’s leadership was crucial to the creation of the Practice Framework, providing a consistent guide for strengths-based, collaborative practice in working with young people. She has been a strong voice for developing the workforce within the ACT, and has advocated for many training initiatives that have been integral to the ongoing professional development of youth workers.

Her frankness and forthright manner are well-known; and the respect she commands due to her commitment to person-centred practice and continuous improvement has allowed her to generate positive movement towards a more effective and responsive service system. Fiona has raised the bar of the professional standards of the Youth Work Sector in the ACT, and it would not be at the level it is today without Fiona’s contribution.