Training and Events
The Nest: Foundations
About The Nest: Foundations
Understand what child wellbeing really means, and how to put it into practice.
This self-paced online course takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete online, in your own time and at your own pace. It introduces The Nest, ARACY’s framework for understanding what children and young people need to thrive, and shows how a common approach to wellbeing conversations brings that framework to life in everyday practice.
Whether you work directly with children and families, lead a team that does, or simply want a clearer, shared language for talking about wellbeing, this course gives you the grounding to start.
What you’ll cover
The course moves through eight short topics, each building on the last:
- What ARACY does, and why child wellbeing is a shared responsibility across every sector
- What child wellbeing actually means, and why prevention matters as much as response
- The Nest framework and its six domains, from material basics through to identity and culture
- The ecological levels that shape a child’s life, from their immediate relationships out to the wider systems around them
- The Common Approach and its four core practices for having consistent, meaningful wellbeing conversations
- How The Nest and the Common Approach work together in practice, drawn from real examples
- Where to go next, once you’ve finished
Along the way, you’ll work through interactive case studies and real-world scenarios, so the concepts stay grounded rather than abstract.
What you’ll walk away with
By the end of this course, you will:
- Understand holistic child wellbeing and The Nest framework, including how its six domains connect to shape a child’s outcomes
- Know how to apply a common approach to child wellbeing conversations, using consistent, practical language
- Be able to identify how to apply these concepts in your own role and context, no matter your sector or level of experience
Included with this course
- A downloadable Reflection Guide, to help you apply what you’ve learnt to your own practice
- A certificate of completion, for your professional development records
- Progress saved automatically, so you can pause and pick up where you left off
Who it’s for
Anyone working with, or for, children and young people, including educators, health and allied health professionals, community services staff, and anyone in a leadership or policy role that touches children’s wellbeing. No prior knowledge of The Nest or the Common Approach is needed.
Ready to go deeper?
This course is the right starting point if you’re new to The Nest, or want a clearer, more practical grounding in it. Already familiar with The Nest and ready to put it into practice? The Common Approach might be a better fit; here’s how the two compare.
| The Nest: Foundations | The Common Approach | |
|---|---|---|
| What you'll gain | A shared understanding and language for child wellbeing | Practical skills for strengths-based conversations with children and families |
| What you'll do | Learn The Nest and its six domains, work through case studies, and reflect on how it applies to your role | Learn how to have strengths-based conversations in partnership with children, young people and families, keeping the child at the centre and considering all aspects of their wellbeing |
| Format | Self-paced online course | Online modules plus a facilitated workshop |
| Time | 1.5 to 2 hours | 3.5 hours online, plus a 1.5-hour workshop |
| Includes | Reflection Guide and certificate of completion | Resource kit and facilitated workshop |
| Best for | Anyone new to The Nest, or bringing a team onto a shared language | People who work directly with children and families and want to put the approach into practice |
| Price | $125 per person | $395 per person |
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TRAINING AND EVENTS
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