Fostering lifelong connections for children in permanent care. The out-of-home care sector in Australia is undergoing transformation to ensure children who cannot be restored to birth families exit care to permanent families. New South Wales is leading the way on these reforms. The emerging Australian policy model, permanency with lifelong connection to birth families, is distinctly different from the policy models in similar Western nations. While the Australian policy goal is clear, practices ....Fostering lifelong connections for children in permanent care. The out-of-home care sector in Australia is undergoing transformation to ensure children who cannot be restored to birth families exit care to permanent families. New South Wales is leading the way on these reforms. The emerging Australian policy model, permanency with lifelong connection to birth families, is distinctly different from the policy models in similar Western nations. While the Australian policy goal is clear, practices for achieving this goal are under-developed. This action research project will engage the New South Wales out-of-home care sector to design and trial relationship-building practices that promote positive relationships between children and their birth families.Read moreRead less
A theoretical framework for elder abuse to guide social work practice. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework to assist health social workers to effectively assess and intervene in elder abuse. Social workers have responsibility in health settings to respond when abuse is noticed. Elder abuse damages trust, increases health costs and hastens death. Improving practice to assist older people who are abused relies on the knowledge, experiences and wishes of older people, social worker ....A theoretical framework for elder abuse to guide social work practice. This project aims to develop a theoretical framework to assist health social workers to effectively assess and intervene in elder abuse. Social workers have responsibility in health settings to respond when abuse is noticed. Elder abuse damages trust, increases health costs and hastens death. Improving practice to assist older people who are abused relies on the knowledge, experiences and wishes of older people, social workers and international experts to provide an effective and efficient theoretical model to address elder abuse.
A new framework will allow practitioners to assist vulnerable older people and improve the quality of their lives. Further, this information will assist the government to address elder abuse in Australia.Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100675
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$443,486.00
Summary
Improving carer’s quality of life and quality of care. This project will improve the ability of Carers Australia and the Department of Social Services to evaluate and enhance the success of services they implement to support Australia’s 2.7 million unpaid carers. Currently little is known about which support and services most help improve quality of life for carers, and the quality of care they provide, despite strong evidence of a quality of life crisis amongst carers. By collecting cross secti ....Improving carer’s quality of life and quality of care. This project will improve the ability of Carers Australia and the Department of Social Services to evaluate and enhance the success of services they implement to support Australia’s 2.7 million unpaid carers. Currently little is known about which support and services most help improve quality of life for carers, and the quality of care they provide, despite strong evidence of a quality of life crisis amongst carers. By collecting cross sectional and longitudinal data to build on an existing data set, this project will enable evidence-based design and delivery of services that support carers socially, emotionally and financially while enabling them to provide high quality care.Read moreRead less
Young Workers and the Future of Service Employment. This project aims to understand how the social and political relations of service employment are transforming, and how workers' participation can support the future viability of the service economy. It explores how young service workers negotiate their status, conditions and working relationships, and how service employment facilitates or limits their social and political participation. This evidence base supports efforts to improve the resilie ....Young Workers and the Future of Service Employment. This project aims to understand how the social and political relations of service employment are transforming, and how workers' participation can support the future viability of the service economy. It explores how young service workers negotiate their status, conditions and working relationships, and how service employment facilitates or limits their social and political participation. This evidence base supports efforts to improve the resilience and productivity of the service economy and enhance the social relations of service labour at a time of economic crisis. It will benefit policymakers, employers and worker representatives aiming to engage and support this diverse labour force.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100066
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$445,017.00
Summary
Contemporary social and environmental risks for youth offending. While social and technology changes have led to reductions in low-level youth offending, chronic youth offending has not reduced notably, and is growing in areas of Australia. This project aims to generate new knowledge on underlying social and environmental risks for chronic youth offending in Australia to improve the effectiveness of crime prevention and desistance strategies to reduce reoffending. This project uses longitudinal ....Contemporary social and environmental risks for youth offending. While social and technology changes have led to reductions in low-level youth offending, chronic youth offending has not reduced notably, and is growing in areas of Australia. This project aims to generate new knowledge on underlying social and environmental risks for chronic youth offending in Australia to improve the effectiveness of crime prevention and desistance strategies to reduce reoffending. This project uses longitudinal survey and youth justice data, and interviews with young people, to identify key social and environmental risks for chronic youth offending. Expected outcomes of the project include evidence to inform effective crime prevention and desistance strategies for young people ‘at risk’ or engaged in chronic offending.Read moreRead less
Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge o ....Making policy reform work: a comparative analysis of social procurement . This project aims to clarify the institutional and cross-sectoral conditions needed for successful implementation of emerging social procurement policy reforms; these seek through public spending to increase employment and business opportunities for people experiencing social exclusion. Via a mixed-methods comparative study in the leading jurisdictions of Victoria and Scotland, the project will extend scholarly knowledge of implementing policy reforms that rely on government and non-government actors working together in new ways, and practical understanding of what is needed to realise social procurement policy goals. This will contribute to effective public expenditure and ultimately help redress the societal consequences of exclusion.Read moreRead less
Addressing the hour-glass ceiling: new case for action on gender equality. This project aims to provide new evidence on the twin wealth and health costs and benefits of greater gender equality in work hours, and new data resources for policy modelling and testing. It also aims to provide insights into progress on gender parity which appears to have stalled despite concerted policy action. Expected benefits of this evidence include improving the health and economic security of women, and the iden ....Addressing the hour-glass ceiling: new case for action on gender equality. This project aims to provide new evidence on the twin wealth and health costs and benefits of greater gender equality in work hours, and new data resources for policy modelling and testing. It also aims to provide insights into progress on gender parity which appears to have stalled despite concerted policy action. Expected benefits of this evidence include improving the health and economic security of women, and the identification of options for new policy actions to solve the problem of gender inequality in employment and earnings.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100391
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,228.00
Summary
Reducing Gendered Harm in Involuntary Mental Health Service Provision. Involuntary mental health treatment is often traumatising, with women reporting additional gendered dimensions of harm. Using an action research framework that draws upon the voices of service users, families and professionals, this study aims to develop improved strategies for responding to acute mental distress in women, with a focus on reducing coercion. Expected outcomes include enhanced understandings of the experiences ....Reducing Gendered Harm in Involuntary Mental Health Service Provision. Involuntary mental health treatment is often traumatising, with women reporting additional gendered dimensions of harm. Using an action research framework that draws upon the voices of service users, families and professionals, this study aims to develop improved strategies for responding to acute mental distress in women, with a focus on reducing coercion. Expected outcomes include enhanced understandings of the experiences and impacts of compulsory mental health treatment on women and a co-designed online resource that will support the development of effective, realistic and non-coercive practices in frontline mental healthcare. The project will provide substantial benefits to mental health reform at a national and international level.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100475
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$448,008.00
Summary
Exploring Business Approaches to the Modern Slavery - Climate Change Nexus. This project aims to generate awareness and knowledge about the modern slavery – climate change nexus. Businesses can be linked to modern slavery and climate change through their operations and supply chains, and play a major role in mitigating these critical issues. The project will: (1) reveal the extent to which businesses recognise and address modern slavery and climate change as related issues; (2) develop an eviden ....Exploring Business Approaches to the Modern Slavery - Climate Change Nexus. This project aims to generate awareness and knowledge about the modern slavery – climate change nexus. Businesses can be linked to modern slavery and climate change through their operations and supply chains, and play a major role in mitigating these critical issues. The project will: (1) reveal the extent to which businesses recognise and address modern slavery and climate change as related issues; (2) develop an evidence-base detailing what constitutes meaningful and holistic business approaches and disclosures; (3) assess how market-based mechanisms are used to incentivise action and hold businesses to account. The outcomes will advance business efforts and accountability in relation to these problems and benefit impacted communities.
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Conditional welfare: A comparative case study of income management policies. Using an innovative methodology that incorporates a cross-national comparison of policy design and practice, this project aims to explore the effects of income management policies. The research will provide new insights into compulsory income management in Australia, and its more recent introduction in New Zealand. The expected outcomes will provide benefits, such as a richer understanding of human agency, autonomy and ....Conditional welfare: A comparative case study of income management policies. Using an innovative methodology that incorporates a cross-national comparison of policy design and practice, this project aims to explore the effects of income management policies. The research will provide new insights into compulsory income management in Australia, and its more recent introduction in New Zealand. The expected outcomes will provide benefits, such as a richer understanding of human agency, autonomy and social identity in the context of social policy.Read moreRead less