School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

Dr Kate Thompson

Lecturer
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
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Researcher biography

Dr Kate Thompson is a Gooreng Gooreng and Yuggera woman and a Lecturer in Health and Social Work in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work (NMSW) at the University of Queensland. Her work focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child, youth, and family wellbeing, with expertise in cultural identity, connection, and culturally safe practice across child protection, health, and social service systems.

Kate's research is grounded in Indigenous knowledges, qualitative methodologies, and co-design. Her PhD (conferred April 2025) examined cultural identity and connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out‑of‑home care (OOHC), generating evidence to strengthen the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. She is currently a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Linkage Project exploring young people's experiences of self‑placing in OOHC.

Before entering academia, Kate worked in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community‑controlled organisation as a Foster and Kinship Care Practitioner and later as a Senior Practitioner, providing practice leadership and specialist guidance across OOHC services to support culturally safe, evidence‑informed, and legislatively aligned practice.

Kate co‑coordinates Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families, and communities, taught to nursing, midwifery, and social work undergraduate and graduate‑entry students. She also coordinates Human Development and Social Work, taught to undergraduate social work and psychology students. Her teaching and leadership focus on embedding cultural safety and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being, and doing across nursing, midwifery, and social work curricula.

Kate actively contributes to curriculum transformation, governance, and community engagement through service roles including:

  • Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Behavioural Sciences Indigenising Curriculum Advisory Committee (member)
  • School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Indigenising Curriculum Working Party (co‑chair)
  • UQ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Alumni Reference Group
  • Australian Association for Adolescent Health (Board Director, 2020–2024), contributing to national conferences, youth‑focused forums, and professional webinars

She has also led the School of NMSW's engagement with community through organising and facilitating stalls at the Murri School Health Expo for the past two years.

Featured projects Duration
Enhancing Children’s Journeys through Out-of-home Care
Australian Research Council Linkage Grant
Family Connections Pilot
Micah Projects

Publications

Book Chapter (1)
Journal Articles (11)
Conference Papers (11)
Thesis (1)

Book Chapter

Thompson, Kate and Maxwell, Karina (2025). Walking together: culturally responsive ways of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, families and communities. Indigenising curriculum at The University of Queensland: a handbook. (pp. 29-47) edited by Tracey Bunda, Katelyn Barney, Levon Blue and Laura Deane. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.

Journal Articles

Thompson, Kate, Holland, Lorelle, Cunninghame, Jacqueline, Takashima, Mari, Cai, Yumeng, Maxwell, Karina, Lynch, Debby, Toombs, Maree, Martin, Antonella, Delaney, Lori J., Moore, Jane, Kilgour, Catherine and Ullman, Amanda (2026). Indigenous health and cultural safety in interdisciplinary tertiary education: A multi-method evaluation of student learning. Nurse Education Today, 167 107227, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2026.107227
Thompson, Kate and Jauncey-Cooke, Jacqueline (2026). Establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory panel to guide teaching, research and collaborations in the tertiary setting: our school’s reflections. First Nations Health and Wellbeing - The Lowitja Journal, 4 100117, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fnhli.2026.100117
Fredericks, Bronwyn, Blue, Levon, Houston, Jay, Hall, Emily, Thomas, Chloe, Walker, Jim, Williams, Rod, Bunda, Tracey, Maxwell, Karina and Thompson, Kate (2025). "We remain committed as ever": Indigenous researchers and a constitutional entrenched voice to Parliament. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 28 (3-4), 1-6. doi: 10.3316/informit.t2026012000005000691080996
Cai, Yumeng, Delaney, Lori J., Lynch, Debby, Cunninghame, Jacqueline, Takashima, Mari, Ullman, Amanda, Toombs, Maree, Martin, Antonella, Thompson, Kate, Maxwell, Karina, Moore, Jane, Kilgour, Catherine and Holland, Lorelle (2025). Ending rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: A systematic review of prevention programs in Australia. First Nations Health and Wellbeing - The Lowitja Journal, 3 100040, 1-24. doi: 10.1016/j.fnhli.2024.100040
Healy, Karen, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Boman, Madonna, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Povey, Jenny, Venables, Jemma, Baxter, Janeen and Thompson, Kate (2024). The social and emotional wellbeing of children in out-of-home care: a scoping review exploring structural and social factors. Children and Youth Services Review, 166 107991, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107991
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate, Boman, Madonna, Richmond, Juli, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Thwaite, Isobel and Hussain, Aariyana (2024). Children in out-of-home care's right to family and cultural connection: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australian children's perspectives. Child Abuse and Neglect, 162 (Pt 1) 107009, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107009
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Baxter, Janeen, Scull, Sue, Thompson, Kate and Boman, Madonna (2024). The emotional terrain of foster and kinship carers’ relationships with parents of children in care: carers’ perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 161 107672, 107672. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107672
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Boman, Madonna, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Austerberry, Sophie and Thompson, Kate (2023). Navigating the Australian child protection system: the importance of formal and informal support for carers to effectively provide care to children in out‐of‐home care. Child and Family Social Work, 30 (2), 237-250. doi: 10.1111/cfs.13106
Healy, Karen, Walsh, Tamara, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2023). Looked after children's right to contact with birth parents: an Australian study. Child and Family Social Work, 28 (3), 659-668. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12992
Fredericks, Bronwyn, Martin, Kathryn, Warner, Brian, Perkins, Ren, Combo, Troy, McConochie, Emily, Stajic, Janet, Thomson, Amy, Holland, Lorelle, Olssen, Emma, Thompson, Kate, Broderick, Trudi, Gilbert, Stephanie, Murphy, Lyndon, Lee, Natasha, Beetson, Susan, Fraser, Jed, Allan, Hannah and Bunda, Tracey (2022). Ready to Write. Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues, 25 (3-4), 1-10.
Walsh, Tamara, Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2022). Are human rights ‘toothless’ in Australian child protection matters? Perspectives of lawyers and social workers. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 36 (1) ebac028, 1-16. doi: 10.1093/lawfam/ebac028

Conference Papers

Thompson, Kate (2025). Sovereignty, connection, and belonging for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care. Indigenous Allied Health Australia National Conference, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia, 24-26 November 2025.
Thompson, Kate, Holland, Lorelle, Takashima, Mari and Ullman, Amanda (2025). Culturally safe care through interdisciplinary tertiary education: Exploring student nurse, midwife, and social work learning experiences during course curriculum. Indigenous Futures International Conference, Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia, 4-7 November 2025.
Thompson, Kate, Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2025). Cultural Responsibility and Colonial Load – Supporting Indigenous Stakeholders to Support Cultural Identity and Connection for Children in Out-of-Home Care. International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2025, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 16-19 June 2025.
Holland, Lorelle, Thompson, Kate, Maxwell, Karina, Cai, Emma, Delaney, Lori, Lynch, Debby, Cunninghame, Jacqueline, Ullman, Amanda, Takashima, Mari, Martin, Antonella, Moore, Jane, Kilgour, Catherine and Toombs, Maree (2025). Privileging Indigenous ways of knowing: a systematic review of RHD prevention programs in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, Adelaide, SA Australia, 16-19 June 2025.
Healy, Karen, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate and Venables, Jemma (2024). Enhancing the social and emotional well-being and cultural connections of children in out-of-home care: findings of multi-stakeholder study - panel discussion. International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19-22 November 2024.
Thompson, Kate, Maxwell, Karina and Lynch, Deborah (2024). Ethical Research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities: Privileging Indigenous Epistemologies. Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) 10th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19-22 November 2024.
Cai, Yumeng (Emma), Delaney, Lori, Lynch, Debby, Kilgour, Catherine, Cunninghame, Jacqueline, Toombs, Maree, Ullman, Amanda, Takashima, Mari, Maxwell, Karina, Thompson, Kate, Moore, Jane and Holland, Lorelle (2024). Ending rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: A systematic review of prevention programs in Australia. The National Nursing Forum, Cairns, QLD Australia, 14-16 August 2024. Canberra: Australian College of Nursing.
Thompson, Kate, Healy, Karen and Venables, Jemma (2024). Carers and stakeholders' perspectives: facilitators and barriers to cultural connection. AIFS 24 Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 11-14 June 2024.
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate, Boman, Madonna, Healy, Karen and Baxter, Janeen (2024). Voices of children in out-of-home: their experiences of family and cultural connection. Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 11-14 June 2024.
Povey, Jenny, Venables, Jemma, Bowman, Madonna, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Austerberry, Sophie and Thompson, Kate (2023). Optimising outcomes for children in out-of-home care: strengthening social support systems for carers. Anglicare Southern Queensland Research Forum, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 10 May 2023.
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma, Walsh, Tamara and Thompson, Kate (2021). The right to family contact following child removal: Will the Human Rights Act make a difference. 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Social Work Conference (hosted by IFSW & AASW), Online, 11-13 November 2021.

Thesis

Thompson, Kate (2025). Carer and Key Stakeholder Perspectives on Cultural Identity and Connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Out-of-Home Care. PhD Thesis, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/cfb1cdc