Sowing the Seeds of Innovation in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The approach developed in this project will have significant benefits for child and family service organisations. It will enhance the spread and sustainability of promising preventive programs within the child and family services sector. In this way, vulnerable children and families will benefit from the increased availability of such programs designed to enhance their life opportunities. The project will also have sign ....Sowing the Seeds of Innovation in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. The approach developed in this project will have significant benefits for child and family service organisations. It will enhance the spread and sustainability of promising preventive programs within the child and family services sector. In this way, vulnerable children and families will benefit from the increased availability of such programs designed to enhance their life opportunities. The project will also have significant flow-on economic benefits for Local, State and Federal Governments by decreasing the social and economic costs associated with child abuse and neglect.Read moreRead less
Towards Better Practice: Enhancing collaboration between mental health and domestic violence services. This project tackles the urgent problem of access to appropriate services for women experiencing both mental illness and domestic violence. Informed by women's accounts of service provision, the study explores barriers to, and opportunities for, improved inter-sectoral collaboration. New models of collaboration will be identified and trialled using action evaluation methodology. Anticipated out ....Towards Better Practice: Enhancing collaboration between mental health and domestic violence services. This project tackles the urgent problem of access to appropriate services for women experiencing both mental illness and domestic violence. Informed by women's accounts of service provision, the study explores barriers to, and opportunities for, improved inter-sectoral collaboration. New models of collaboration will be identified and trialled using action evaluation methodology. Anticipated outcomes include reduced homelessness in this vulnerable group of women with complex needs; more appropriate responses to women when domestic violence underlies presentations to mental health services; and incorporation, for the first time, of mental health services into coordinated community responses to domestic violence.Read moreRead less
The pressures of modern manhood. Mapping the impact of homophobia on the lives of Australian men. this study will construct a detailed map of the impact of homophobia on men;s behaviour, lifestyles and risk-taking (gay or not). It explores the possibility that through devices like taboo and loss of face homophobia can (i) make certain behaviours and life patterns unpalatable and alienate men from safer, healthier behaviours; (ii) block retreat from danger : and (iii) promote risky, antisocial, h ....The pressures of modern manhood. Mapping the impact of homophobia on the lives of Australian men. this study will construct a detailed map of the impact of homophobia on men;s behaviour, lifestyles and risk-taking (gay or not). It explores the possibility that through devices like taboo and loss of face homophobia can (i) make certain behaviours and life patterns unpalatable and alienate men from safer, healthier behaviours; (ii) block retreat from danger : and (iii) promote risky, antisocial, hyper-masculine posturing. from the innovative perspective of the interplay of homophobia with masculinity, we expect to uncover key insights into how homophobia makes an important contribution to the pressures of modern manhood.Read moreRead less
Families on the Fringe: Promoting the Social Inclusion of Young Families who have Relocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas. We aim to promote the social inclusion of young families who relocate to non-metropolitan communities by developing policy and infrastructure options based on an understanding of their characteristics and needs. The project's significance lies in capturing these characteristics to provide models upon which policy initiatives can be developed and policy outcomes monitored. Th ....Families on the Fringe: Promoting the Social Inclusion of Young Families who have Relocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas. We aim to promote the social inclusion of young families who relocate to non-metropolitan communities by developing policy and infrastructure options based on an understanding of their characteristics and needs. The project's significance lies in capturing these characteristics to provide models upon which policy initiatives can be developed and policy outcomes monitored. The project combines the Office of Economic and Statistic Research's expertise in socio-demographic research and policy development, The Benevolent Society and Mission Australia's experience in community service delivery in geographically diverse communities, with the CI's research skills, towards strengthening the social and economic fabric of Australian communities Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354736
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
Families, Law and Social Policy Research Network. The Federal Government's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group recommended that a national research agenda be developed for family law and social policy that focuses on the separation and divorce transition. For many families Commonwealth private family law and the public law of child protection and domestic violence, provides the setting in which this transition takes place. The proposed multidisciplinary network brings together researchers, policy ....Families, Law and Social Policy Research Network. The Federal Government's Family Law Pathways Advisory Group recommended that a national research agenda be developed for family law and social policy that focuses on the separation and divorce transition. For many families Commonwealth private family law and the public law of child protection and domestic violence, provides the setting in which this transition takes place. The proposed multidisciplinary network brings together researchers, policy makers and service providers in this area. Benefits include research better targeted to the needs of end-users, a stronger evidence base for complex practice, decreased fragmentation of research effort, and a base for research training.Read moreRead less
Enhancing services to Australian children and families: linking workforce characteristics, job quality, and quality and outcomes in social services. This project aims to promote best practice in child and family welfare services, and to improve the industrial and social recognition of child and family welfare work in Australia. The CIs will construct an analytical framework for explaining the links between the nature and deployment of the child and family services workforce, service delivery sys ....Enhancing services to Australian children and families: linking workforce characteristics, job quality, and quality and outcomes in social services. This project aims to promote best practice in child and family welfare services, and to improve the industrial and social recognition of child and family welfare work in Australia. The CIs will construct an analytical framework for explaining the links between the nature and deployment of the child and family services workforce, service delivery systems and outcomes, and social policy regimes, with wider application to other personal social services. Judicious use of international comparison will assist identification of best practice. The project will inform policy and research in social service provision to vulnerable families, and the aged and disabled.Read moreRead less
A Randomised Trial of Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting in a Disadvantaged Community. Home visiting programs comprising intensive and sustained professional home visits over the entire first two years of life (SPHV) show promise as interventions to promote child health and family functioning, and ameliorate disadvantage. This study is the first Australian randomised trial to determine the impact of a comprehensive SPHV program commencing antenatally in a population group living in an area ....A Randomised Trial of Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting in a Disadvantaged Community. Home visiting programs comprising intensive and sustained professional home visits over the entire first two years of life (SPHV) show promise as interventions to promote child health and family functioning, and ameliorate disadvantage. This study is the first Australian randomised trial to determine the impact of a comprehensive SPHV program commencing antenatally in a population group living in an area of known disadvantage. As such this trial is a best-practice demonstration model for professional home visiting in Australia, with significant implications for the development of early childhood policy and strategy throughout Australia.Read moreRead less
An examination of issues around the support and supervision of Kinship Carers, with a particular focus on NSW. This project will be the first in-depth exploration of issues around provisions of support for and supervision of, kinship carers. The exploration will include an analysis of paradigms influencing child welfare provisions. It will also include a study of characteristics and experiences of formal kinship carers, informal kinship carers and foster carers in NSW. The findings of this stu ....An examination of issues around the support and supervision of Kinship Carers, with a particular focus on NSW. This project will be the first in-depth exploration of issues around provisions of support for and supervision of, kinship carers. The exploration will include an analysis of paradigms influencing child welfare provisions. It will also include a study of characteristics and experiences of formal kinship carers, informal kinship carers and foster carers in NSW. The findings of this study will be examined in the context of the paradigm analysis. The findings will contribute to knowledge for policy development on kinship care generally, and in particular, enable ACWA to contribute to the development of kinship care policy in NSW.Read moreRead less
Developing An Effective System Of Child Protection In China. Theis project will be of benefit Australia in the following aspects: (1) It will provide Australia greater knowledge of child protection practices in a major East Asian society, where kinship and family networks play an active role in protecting children within their own communities. (2) It offers a unique opportunity for Australia to demonstrate its commitment to utilising its own research to the benefit of a major developing country ....Developing An Effective System Of Child Protection In China. Theis project will be of benefit Australia in the following aspects: (1) It will provide Australia greater knowledge of child protection practices in a major East Asian society, where kinship and family networks play an active role in protecting children within their own communities. (2) It offers a unique opportunity for Australia to demonstrate its commitment to utilising its own research to the benefit of a major developing country with which it is establishing strong linkages across many activities. (3) It will strengthen the existing connections among Australia higher educational institutions, Chinese government and non-government organizations, and international NGO.Read moreRead less
Changing modes: A study of the knowledge economy of human service research in Australia. Significant national benefits will accrue through this study of the human services knowledge economy. The creation of human services employing knowledge-based interventions will address the real needs of Australians in the current socio-political environment. In investigating how current systems of knowledge production contribute to the creation of relevant and effective human services, the research will ide ....Changing modes: A study of the knowledge economy of human service research in Australia. Significant national benefits will accrue through this study of the human services knowledge economy. The creation of human services employing knowledge-based interventions will address the real needs of Australians in the current socio-political environment. In investigating how current systems of knowledge production contribute to the creation of relevant and effective human services, the research will identify the restraints to innovation in human services and the structures in which knowledge production is articulated. In modelling an 'ideal-type' of knowledge transfer conducive to the development of socially accountable research, it will inform changes needed for effective human service delivery. Read moreRead less