Held over 2 days in Melbourne on 19 and 20th August 2008, Shaping the Future Today is a specialist conference that will offer stakeholders a once in a lifetime opportunity to describe a way forward that crosses borders and jurisdictions and does so in a spirit of collaboration and partnership.

Concept mapping techniques will be used to engage stakeholders and gauge their views on the initiative’s implementation thus far. This process begins with registration where stakeholders will be asked to provide a considered response to a key question.

These responses will be collated and will provide the departure point for discussion on Day 1 of the conference, following a keynote address by the Hon Bill Shorten MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services.

Day 2 will begin with feedback from the results of the concept mapping completed the previous day.  This will be followed by a hypothetical facilitated by well known broadcaster and radio and TV personality, Julie McCrossin, that will try to ‘vision the future’ that stakeholders want the COAG initiative to deliver.

A series of presentations dealing with innovative service development and delivery, funding and policy issues will follow.  A plenary session will be followed by summing up and a final address from the Minister for Families, Housing, Community services and Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin, MP.

Shaping the Future Today has relevance for all stakeholders, including young people living in nursing homes, others with disability, family members, public servants, advocates, service providers in health, aged care and disability and government representatives at state and federal levels.

Conference registration costs $250 and covers both days of the conference including all materials, lunches and morning and afternoon teas.  Young people in nursing homes and others with disability, family members and carers are free.

Places are limited so register early