Our work. Susan has worked as an Executive and Board Director in the Not-For-Profit Sector, as Director of Residential Experience at the Australian National University, in Senior Social Policy roles in ACT and Commonwealth Governments and as a social worker in health and community services.
Susan has led transformation in different contexts by:
– Designing and implementing service reform at operational
and policy levels
– Putting issues onto the public policy agenda, contributing
a social justice perspective to public debate, engaging
stakeholders from consumer, carer, community and business
sectors to agree and articulate reform priorities and
motivating decision-makers to take on new ideas
– Building and contributing to strategic alliances and maintaining
productive relationships through difficult conversations and
reform processes
– Initiating and managing research and data analysis projects
to build the evidence base to inform priorities for reform
and guide strategic investment
– Managing restructures of both governance and operational
arrangements in non-government organisations to ensure
decision-making and resource allocation are aligned with the
organisation’s strategic objectives
Susan has led high performing teams by:
– Building and strengthening diversity
– Sustaining staff engagement and wellbeing in disruptive
and difficult circumstances
– Ensuring teams have the capability and resources to be
both relevant and effective in a constantly changing operating
environment
Recent Consulting roles
Strategic Advice to a social enterprise focused on working with the tourism industry on inclusive and accessible travel and leisure options for people with disabilities. All profits are re-invested to empower people with disabilities to participate in travel and leisure activities, and to help the travel and leisure sector be more inclusive for people with disabilities.
– Policy submission for GetAboutAble to inform
development of the ACT Government Disability Strategy
and ACT Tourism Strategy
– Briefings to inform participation in Tourism Australia
and AusTrade Industry engagement forums
– Strategic and operational planning to consolidate
and strengthen organisation
Community engagement support to an urban place planning project.
– Stakeholder engagement support
– Summary analysis of stakeholder engagement input
and key findings
Design and facilitate service review and future planning workshops for housing support services provided through a cross-organisation collaboration.
– Policy submission for GetAboutAble to inform
development of the ACT Government Disability Strategy
and ACT Tourism Strategy
– Briefings to inform participation in Tourism Australia
and AusTrade Industry engagement forums
– Strategic and operational planning to consolidate
and strengthen organisation
Strategic reviews and planning
Helyar & Co facilitates tailored strategic reviews and forward planning by considering public policy settings relevant to your organisation, sector or industry, undertaking desktop reviews, managing stakeholder consultations and conducting team workshops that:
– Broaden perspectives and gain new insights
– Identify unmet needs relevant to your organisation purpose
and objectives
– Understand your appetite, readiness, capability and
opportunities to meet these needs
– Leverage roles and networks to form strategic and operational
partnerships
– More effectively deploy your talent and resources
– Harness internal and external stakeholder trust, loyalty
and commitment
Service design and development work
Susan reviewed Model of Care for delivery of pastoral care services in ANU Residences, through a partnership with student leaders, student support services on campus and senior executives.
She led development and implementation of a fit for purpose model of care in ANU Residents guiding peer and professional staff roles delivered across the prevention, early interventions, crisis response, recovery and relapse prevention spectrum of student needs.
The new model reduced critical incidents and increased
reporting of adverse incidents so staff could better prevent harm and address causal factors.
Policy analysis and review
Partnerships with researchers to inform policy development and service design
2020 Developed “Better Cohesive” student leadership development program with Prof Kate Reynolds (ANU Professor of Social Psychology) to build knowledge and capability of peer leaders in on campus residences to build social cohesion and support positive group norm setting in their residential community. This program contributed to improved clarity of peer roles and improved capability of student leaders to fulfil these roles.
2017 led a partnership between the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling and a consortium of community organisations on research into hidden poverty and deprivation in the ACT. See more here.
2015-16 Worked with UNSW Social Policy Research Centre on research regarding the community sector in the ACT, to build the evidence base for sector development. See more here.
This research contributed to development of the ACT Community Services industry Strategy. See more here.
Led partnership between UnitingCare Australia and the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW to identify how social policy reforms can be best aligned to support children, young people and families. See more here.
Policy submissions
2013 Submission on Letters of Offer to Non-Government Providers of Housing and Homelessness Support Services (view).
2017 Future of Education: Submission 2 Excellence and Equity (view).
207 Submission on Priorities for the ACT Electricity Network: ActewAGL Distribution Electricity Network Five Year Plan 2019-2024 Discussion Paper (view).
2015 Submission on the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Policy Framework (view).
Aged-care Submissions (view).
Disability Support Submissions (view).
