Kelly Thompson

Kelly Thompson is passionate about working with children who have experienced significant trauma in their lives. She describes it as being a privilege to work with these children, and their families and carers, fighting for system change to ensure that they are provided with the highest standard of care to enhance their overall wellbeing. It is important that all children and families in the community experience services that recognise their unique needs and show them that they are deserving of care and support.

Kelly is currently the Principal Practitioner for MacKillop Family Services (WA/NT), working across a range of family support and out-of-home-care domains. She worked for a number of years as the Senior Clinical Psychologist for the Kath French Secure Care Centre in WA (Department of Communities); a service which provides short-term, intensive, therapeutic care for children deemed to be at immediate and substantial risk of causing harm to themselves and/or others. Prior to this she worked in Residential Group Homes with children who have challenging, pain-based behaviour resultant from complex developmental trauma.

Kelly holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Life and Physical Sciences), and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Australia. In 2018 Kelly was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, to examine care frameworks, stay duration, and transition plans for children requiring Secure Care. Her report follows her travels through New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland and Sweden. Kelly continues to work in the field of Secure Care, collaborating with national and international agencies, aiming to improve the standard of therapeutic services provided to children in significant need of safety, support, and care.