Perth, Australia: Disability sector professionals came together in Subiaco for the second instalment of The Possibilities Forum, co-presented by Mosaic Community Care and Westcare, to explore two important areas of disability practice: supporting conversations about relationships, consent and sexual wellbeing, and embedding trauma-informed approaches in disability accommodation.
Held on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, the Forum brought together practitioners and sector leaders for two guided fireside conversations focused on practical approaches to supporting the rights, wellbeing, choice and safety of people with disability.
Opening the Forum, Mosaic Community Care CEO Rob Wilton reflected on the significant change facing the disability sector and the growing importance of working together.
We are seeing disruption across the board, in policy, funding, service delivery models and community expectations. Disruption brings challenges. But it also creates opportunities to rethink how we work together and how we deliver the best possible outcomes for people with disability.”
Rob emphasised that no single organisation or profession has all the answers, and that collaboration between providers, Support Coordinators, allied health professionals, advocates, peak bodies, community organisations and people with disability will be critical as the sector continues to evolve.
The message built on the inaugural Possibilities Forum in June, where Rob similarly highlighted stronger sector collaboration as an important part of sustainable service delivery and better outcomes for people with disability.
Creating space for conversations about relationships, consent and sexual wellbeing
Sexual Health Quarters (SHQ) CEO Alison Kelly joined Rob Wilton for the first fireside conversation, exploring how disability professionals can respond confidently and respectfully when participants raise questions about relationships, intimacy, consent and sexual wellbeing.
Alison encouraged people working in the disability sector not to let fear of saying the wrong thing prevent important conversations.
“Many people avoid conversations about relationships, intimacy and sexuality because they’re worried about saying the wrong thing. But often, the most important thing isn’t having the perfect answer. It’s being willing to listen, be curious, and create a space where people feel heard, respected, and supported.”
At the heart of the discussion was the importance of respecting the rights of people with disability to make informed decisions about their own lives.
Our role is not to make decisions for people. Our role is to ensure that people have the information, support and opportunities they need to make informed decisions about their own lives, while balancing dignity, choice, and appropriate safeguards.”
Alison also encouraged attendees to think about consent as something much broader than conversations about sexuality.
“Consent is part of everyday life. It isn’t just about sexuality; it’s about choice, communication, understanding, and respect.”
For practitioners who may be uncertain how to respond when someone raises a sensitive or personal topic, Alison’s advice was simple: start by listening.
“Person-centred support starts with listening, being curious, and being willing to have the conversation.”
Putting trauma-informed practice into everyday SIL support
The second fireside conversation brought together Amanda Paton, Deputy Director Practice at the Australian Centre for Child Protection at Adelaide University, and Mosaic Community Care COO Kim Adamson to explore what trauma-informed practice looks like in everyday Supported Independent Living (SIL) support.
Amanda challenged organisations to look beyond policies and terminology and consider how trauma-informed practice is actually experienced by the people they support.
“Trauma-informed practice is more than a policy or a statement on a website. It’s about understanding that trauma can shape how people experience the world and ensuring our responses, environments, and relationships help people feel safe, respected, and empowered.”
A key theme was changing how practitioners understand and respond to distress. Rather than focusing only on the behaviour in front of them, Amanda encouraged attendees to consider what the person may be experiencing.
“When someone is distressed, our first instinct can be to focus on the behaviour we see. A trauma-informed approach encourages us to pause and ask a different question: ‘What might be happening for this person right now?’ That shift in perspective can completely change the support we provide.”
Amanda also highlighted that safety cannot simply be defined by an organisation or provider.
“Safety isn’t something we can simply claim to provide. Safety is something each person needs to feel.”
The conversation also explored the relationship between choice, control and safety, and the importance of creating workplaces where support workers themselves feel supported.
We ask support workers to hold space for people through some of life’s most challenging moments. That’s why organisations need to create cultures where staff feel safe to speak about their own challenges, access support, and continue learning without judgement.”
Amanda reinforced that trauma-informed practice is ultimately demonstrated through people’s experiences, rather than organisational claims.
“Just because we say we’re trauma-informed doesn’t mean we are. Trauma-informed practice is something people experience, not something organisations declare.”
Collaboration through change
Across both conversations, a common message emerged: good support does not depend on having every answer.
Whether discussing relationships and consent, responding to distress, or navigating wider sector change, listening, curiosity and a willingness to learn alongside others can create better conditions for people to exercise choice and feel respected and supported.
As Rob reflected at the beginning of the Forum, collaboration is particularly important at a time of significant change:
Real impact comes when providers, support coordinators, allied health professionals, advocates, peak bodies, community organisations and, most importantly, people with disability come together to share knowledge, challenge assumptions and learn from one another.”
The Possibilities Forum was created as a space for that shared learning, bringing together people from across disability services to discuss challenging issues openly, exchange practical perspectives and strengthen connections across the sector.
To hear about future Mosaic events, workshops and community activities, sign up to our mailing list for monthly updates.