Soteria — the meaning
Named for the Greek goddess for safety and deliverer from harm, Soteria Safe Sleeping Advice provides child Safe Sleeping Advice based on scientific, evidence-based information to health professionals, caregivers and the broader community.
Why we do what we do
Our Vision and Mission
Our vision – for all children to have the right to a safe sleeping environment – will be achieved through building knowledge and understanding of safe sleeping practices for all caregivers to protect children from harm. Our mission is to support professionals and their practice, particularly in the context of their knowledge and understanding of Safe Sleeping practices.
Our guiding principles
Our approach to undertaking this work rests on the following understandings:
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The content will be based on current evidence-based research
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The content will align with current National Standards, policy and best practice
Sleeping infants and young children safely is a responsibility for parents, grandparents and all carers including those caring for other people's children. Therefore, it is important for education and care services to ensure that all children in their care are slept in a safe environment at all times and that service policy and practice is based on current research, reflecting evidence-based principles and guidelines.
Our credentials
Our principals possess a very strong background in developing safe sleeping guidelines based on scientific evidence-based information, in collaboration with researchers and other key players in this field. These guidelines form the basis for national standards for education and practice as well as informing community health campaigns.
Between them, they have over thirty years of safe sleeping knowledge garnered through their work with Red Nose, renowned for its successful Safe Sleeping health promotion campaign.
With a history in nursing to underpin this knowledge, they have been instrumental in developing policy which is embedded in maternal child health practice and other national standards.
They are influential in developing resources for professionals and families, advocating for changes in policy and practice, in both the safe sleeping and bereavement support spheres.
Our Team
Jill Green RN MHP
Jill holds a Master's degree in Health Promotion from Deakin University and she was awarded the Course Leader Prize for outstanding Major Project. She has a clear passion for the advocacy of the safety of babies and young children and the mental health and wellbeing of new parents and bereaved families.
Jill has a background in nursing, promoting healthy environments and peer support activities within the health industry and community settings. She has hands-on experience in research, literature analysis and assessing current needs and gaps, leading to various change and program management initiatives.
Jill has more than fifteen years of experience working within the Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids) organisational structure and held the position of National Manager of Research, Health Promotion and Bereavement Support until 2012.
In consultation with the Red Nose National Scientific Advisory Group and liaising with key external strategic partners, regulatory, state and federal government bodies, health professionals, coroners and families, Jill is adept at investigating systemic and organisational gaps and inequalities and has executed programs to develop policy and evidence-based programs creating changes in practice within various organisations.
Karen Passey R.N, R.M
Certificate in Emergency Nursing,
Paediatric Certificate,
Finance Certificate,
Grad. Dip. Mgmt, M. HR/IR
Karen has had over 40 years' experience in the health sector, initially in nursing, and, having worked at the Royal Children's and Royal Women's Hospitals caring for mothers and children - latterly in the Emergency Department, has a wealth of relevant experience.
She has qualifications in General, Midwifery, Paediatric and Emergency Nursing. Together with 14 years working with Red Nose (formerly SIDS and Kids), she has a sound knowledge of both child safety and safe sleeping. This, combined with her years as a service manager and corporate executive, highlights her capacity to deliver both safe sleeping education and policy development workshops to the sector.
Denise Sheard Dip. Management
Having worked as an administrator all her working life, most of it in the not-for-profit sector, Denise has an in-depth understanding of policy, procedures and process which complement her partners' safe sleeping expertise.