A Charles Sturt University (CSU) social work graduate from far west NSW has been awarded the annual Lila Kirilik Social Action Prize for 2012 for a professional development and quality assurance project which aimed to improve the delivery of out-of-home-care services to NSW children and families in the far west. Bachelor of Social Work graduate Ms Sherree Tester conducted an audit of the program in addition to researching, writing, delivering and evaluating an education package for the out-of- home-care staff for one of her university subjects. “The Out-Of-Home-Care Quality Improvement Project aims to enhance the culture in the Out-Of-Home-Care (OOHC) team environment,” Ms Tester said. “I collected data about the working relationships of the team with carers, children in care and their families. This gives a baseline snapshot of the functioning of the OOHC team, including identifying areas of strengths and areas for further development.”  As part of Ms Tester’s prize, the University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences will donate $500 to Lifeline Broken Hill. Employed by NSW Family and Community Services, Ms Tester studied for her social work degree by distance education, and graduated during a ceremony at CSU in Wagga Wagga in December 2012.