The production, use and effect of social work research. This project aims to reform social work research to improve the quality and effectiveness of human services. The human services industry is vital to many people’s quality of life, but lacks innovation and struggles to demonstrate its effectiveness. Crucially for social work, research expands thinking about how to respond to social disadvantage. This project intends to examine the scope and quality of Australian social work research in child ....The production, use and effect of social work research. This project aims to reform social work research to improve the quality and effectiveness of human services. The human services industry is vital to many people’s quality of life, but lacks innovation and struggles to demonstrate its effectiveness. Crucially for social work, research expands thinking about how to respond to social disadvantage. This project intends to examine the scope and quality of Australian social work research in child protection, disability services, and aged care; assess the use of this research to the human services sector and its effect on generating innovation; and develop strategies to advance the production, uptake, and effect of social work research.Read moreRead less
Comparative dimensions of active citizenship: an analysis of indicators of inclusivity and exclusivity in civil society. Active citizenship is a key concept in debates around the nature of civil society and the changing forms of citizenship. To date, grounded studies of the concept have been few. The project's significance lies in its focus on developing indicators of active citizenship. This enables the empirical charting of active citizenship. The comparative aspect to the project will heighte ....Comparative dimensions of active citizenship: an analysis of indicators of inclusivity and exclusivity in civil society. Active citizenship is a key concept in debates around the nature of civil society and the changing forms of citizenship. To date, grounded studies of the concept have been few. The project's significance lies in its focus on developing indicators of active citizenship. This enables the empirical charting of active citizenship. The comparative aspect to the project will heighten our ability to understand these processes in Australia in relation to other countries.
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The other welfare state: the non-government welfare sector in Victoria, 1945 - 1995. This project investigates the history and development of the non-government welfare sector in Victoria in the half-century following 1945. Through archival research and oral histories, the project consists of case studies of four key faith-based agencies, as a lens through which to examine how the sector has related to governments and how it has imagined its purposes and its 'clients'. Little attention has been ....The other welfare state: the non-government welfare sector in Victoria, 1945 - 1995. This project investigates the history and development of the non-government welfare sector in Victoria in the half-century following 1945. Through archival research and oral histories, the project consists of case studies of four key faith-based agencies, as a lens through which to examine how the sector has related to governments and how it has imagined its purposes and its 'clients'. Little attention has been given to the post-war history of this sector in Australia, but its escalating role today in service delivery is reflected in an international literature on the changing role of non-government organisations within modern welfare regimes.Read moreRead less
Creating Collaborative Advantage through Better Network Governance: A Comparative Study of New Institutions and Instruments. By harnessing the embedded resources of different government and service delivery organisations operating at community level, and by removing costly boundary problems between them, governments can address the needs of citizens in a more wholistic and flexible manner. But to do this in a coherent way it is necessary to develop new institutional rules and organisational proc ....Creating Collaborative Advantage through Better Network Governance: A Comparative Study of New Institutions and Instruments. By harnessing the embedded resources of different government and service delivery organisations operating at community level, and by removing costly boundary problems between them, governments can address the needs of citizens in a more wholistic and flexible manner. But to do this in a coherent way it is necessary to develop new institutional rules and organisational processes to allow agencies to collaborate without fear of reduced accountability or syphoning of public funds. The project will examine the structures and processes used in a selection of leading international cases in order to improve Australia's performance in gaining a collaborative advantage for citizens and agencies.Read moreRead less
Patients' preference for participation in patient safety activities. This study will identify patient and nurse perceptions of involving patients in patient safety activities. Priorities for implementing strategies to support patient participation in patient safety activities will be identified, which will influence both health policy and practice.
Welfare receipt, demoralisation and mental health: how can welfare reform promote personal wellbeing and social inclusion? Welfare recipients are more likely to experience mental disorders and have poor wellbeing than non-recipients, and this can be a barrier to employment. This project examines the factors that may improve their mental health, promote employment outcomes, and help the Commonwealth Government develop effective welfare reform policies.
Realising an 'ordinary life' for people with intellectual disabilities: Developing a theoretical framework for group home outcomes. Explaining why group homes produce variable outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities will make it more likely they live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. Such outcomes are central to policies of inclusion and fundamental to human rights. The Australian community will be enriched by the inclusion of all people with disabilities and become a more jus ....Realising an 'ordinary life' for people with intellectual disabilities: Developing a theoretical framework for group home outcomes. Explaining why group homes produce variable outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities will make it more likely they live healthy, productive and fulfilling lives. Such outcomes are central to policies of inclusion and fundamental to human rights. The Australian community will be enriched by the inclusion of all people with disabilities and become a more just society. The research will support the translation of social policy into practice and adoption of good management practices. It will enable more effective use of the $2 billion spent on disability accommodation, and will bolster the arguments for community rather than institutional living, demonstrating investment in community services is a sound use of public moneyRead moreRead less
Determinants of children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a follow-up study from early childhood. This project investigates changes in preschool children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and influences on these changes, during the important period of transition to school. It will provide important information on how we might assist children to be more active, thereby avoiding the detrimental health and social outcomes of inactivity.
Religious autonomy and the restriction of rights or freedoms by religious communities: comparative and theoretical approaches. Religious communities must be autonomous in order to protect their unique identity and mission. Yet in exercising their autonomy they may interfere with the rights or freedoms of others. This project's sophisticated analysis of the tension between the two sets of rights will offer a resolution that strengthens Australia's social fabric.
The big gamble: an interdisciplinary study of the normalisation of gambling. This project aims to explore industry and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the normalisation of gambling. Gambling is recognised as an urgent public health issue in Australia, posing a health threat to individuals and communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence about the processes that may contribute to the normalisation of different forms of gambling. This project aims to explore the interplay be ....The big gamble: an interdisciplinary study of the normalisation of gambling. This project aims to explore industry and socio-cultural factors that contribute to the normalisation of gambling. Gambling is recognised as an urgent public health issue in Australia, posing a health threat to individuals and communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence about the processes that may contribute to the normalisation of different forms of gambling. This project aims to explore the interplay between the sophisticated promotional tactics used by the gambling industry, and the socio-cultural mechanisms which may interact with these promotional tactics to normalise gambling beliefs in youth, women, and older adults. This project expects to help local governments and related stakeholders develop a comprehensive range of public health strategies aimed at preventing the risks and harms posed by the normalisation of gambling.Read moreRead less