For more than two decades,
Andrea Lauchs has been at the heart of human services — leading change, challenging systems and always keeping children and families at the centre of her work.
Andrea’s began her career in youth justice, working across Queensland, New South Wales and the United Kingdom. Her early roles included supporting young people in custody and navigating complex justice systems, including specialist support for young people charged with sexual offences. These formative experiences gave her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable children, young people and families, and the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive practice.
After returning to Australia, Andrea transitioned into child protection, where she worked directly with children in care and supported foster and kinship carers. Her ability to combine frontline insight with strategic thinking quick led her into leadership roles within Queensland’s Department of Child Safety. There, she helped design and implement new service models, guided legislative responses and shaped the sector in the wake of major inquiries.
Her leadership extended further as Assistant Children’s Commissioner at the Queensland Family and Child Commission, where she was entrusted with leading reviews into child deaths, developing policy submissions to government, and delivering system-wide reform strategies. These reviews – including When a Child is Missing: Remembering Tiahleigh and the Review of the Foster Care System – remain touchstones for child protection practice in Queensland and has seen her to become a sought-after advisor and collaborator, and respected nationally for her integrity, pragmatism, and depth of experience.
Andrea took her expertise into consulting as Director at Ernst & Young (EY), where she co-led the Human Services Practice across Oceania and served as Client Services Partner for the Justice and Family Services accounts in Queensland. In this role, she guided large-scale reforms across child protection, domestic and family violence and the justice system, including the optimisation of the National Redress Scheme and the development of trauma-informed frameworks for statutory agencies. Her ability to navigate high-stakes, publicly accountable environments cemented her reputation as a trusted advisor to government and sector leaders.
Today, as co-founder of Social Vantage Advisory, Andrea brings over 25 years of experience to organisations across Australia. She combines her frontline insight, executive leadership, and consulting expertise to support system reviews, program design, and organisational transformation. With qualifications in counselling, human services, and project management, she brings both the human and the structural lens to every piece of work.
Andrea is recognised nationally for her independence, pragmatism, and integrity. Whether reviewing complex systems, advising on legislative reform, or walking alongside community organisations, her focus remains clear: to create services that are safe, effective, and truly responsive to the needs of children, families, and communities. For Andrea, this work is more than reform — it’s about building systems that give every child the chance to grow up safe and supported.