Emerging from the shadows: the evaluation of intervention strategies to reduce social isolation amongst the aged. Social isolation imposes a high cost on affected individuals and the community at large. This project will determine what interventions work in addressing social isolation amongst the older population.
Families at the centre: negotiating Australia's mixed market in early education and care. Despite a surge of policy reforms and Australian government investment in early childhood education and care (ECEC), little is known in Australia about how local ECEC markets function and how low-income families make decisions about the use or non-use of child care services. This project will provide evidence for policy-making and service provision that aims to encourage child care use by low-income familie ....Families at the centre: negotiating Australia's mixed market in early education and care. Despite a surge of policy reforms and Australian government investment in early childhood education and care (ECEC), little is known in Australia about how local ECEC markets function and how low-income families make decisions about the use or non-use of child care services. This project will provide evidence for policy-making and service provision that aims to encourage child care use by low-income families. The direct involvement of child care providers in the research will strengthen its relevance and impact. This research will place Australia at the forefront of international research on local child care markets, and resulting improvements in ECEC policy and services will generate substantial economic and social benefits.Read moreRead less
Understanding recent Australian trends in alcohol consumption and harms. This project aims to provide critical insight into recent trends in alcohol consumption and related harm in Australia. Many indicators of harm from alcohol have increased dramatically in the past decade, while drinking behaviours appear largely unchanged. This project aims to investigate two potential explanations for these trends: that apparent increases in rates of alcohol-related harm are driven by operational or adminis ....Understanding recent Australian trends in alcohol consumption and harms. This project aims to provide critical insight into recent trends in alcohol consumption and related harm in Australia. Many indicators of harm from alcohol have increased dramatically in the past decade, while drinking behaviours appear largely unchanged. This project aims to investigate two potential explanations for these trends: that apparent increases in rates of alcohol-related harm are driven by operational or administrative practices rather than by increases in actual harm; and that stable per-capita consumption data obscures divergent drinking behaviours, with increases among heavy drinkers driving increasing harm rates. The project aims to inform alcohol policy debates, which rely on robust trend data.Read moreRead less
Young people with cognitive disability: relationships and paid support. This project aims to improve the rights and wellbeing of young people with cognitive disability by exploring their relationship and interaction with paid support workers. The introduction of national individualised funding and support is a watershed in Australian disability policy. Understanding the role that paid support plays in the ongoing identity development of these young people is urgently needed to realise national p ....Young people with cognitive disability: relationships and paid support. This project aims to improve the rights and wellbeing of young people with cognitive disability by exploring their relationship and interaction with paid support workers. The introduction of national individualised funding and support is a watershed in Australian disability policy. Understanding the role that paid support plays in the ongoing identity development of these young people is urgently needed to realise national policy aspirations for people with disability of rights, choice, inclusion and independence. Using social geography and recognition theory, the project expects to deliver new understanding and improved practice around how paid support relationships can foster mutual care, respect and value at a critically important time in young people’s lives.Read moreRead less
Young Carers: Social policy impacts of the caring responsibilities of children and young adults. This project is a unique collaboration between university researchers, eight government agencies in NSW and South Australia and two Carers Associations, using innovative methods to inform policy development. The project will focus on the costs to young carers (their education, training, employment, social activities, health and wellbeing); benefits of the care relationship to families and to governm ....Young Carers: Social policy impacts of the caring responsibilities of children and young adults. This project is a unique collaboration between university researchers, eight government agencies in NSW and South Australia and two Carers Associations, using innovative methods to inform policy development. The project will focus on the costs to young carers (their education, training, employment, social activities, health and wellbeing); benefits of the care relationship to families and to government through savings on formal services; and the social policy frameworks. It will provide a comprehensive audit of policies and services for young carers and care recipients, and identify gaps for future policy development.Read moreRead less
Grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren: A national, State,Territory analysis of grandparent-headed families - policy and practice implications. This unique collaboration between researchers, four government Departments in the Commonwealth, NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory concerned with child and family welfare, and Mission Australia, uses innovative methods to analyse non-Indigenous and Indigenous grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren. The project w ....Grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren: A national, State,Territory analysis of grandparent-headed families - policy and practice implications. This unique collaboration between researchers, four government Departments in the Commonwealth, NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory concerned with child and family welfare, and Mission Australia, uses innovative methods to analyse non-Indigenous and Indigenous grandparents as primary carers of their grandchildren. The project will analyse the circumstances and needs of grandparents and grandchildren in different formal and informal arrangements. It will provide a comprehensive audit of national, state and territory policies and identify gaps for the development of policies and services to promote the health and wellbeing of grandparents and children.Read moreRead less
A new healthy living minimum income standard for low-paid and unemployed Australians. This project will generate family budgets to support healthy living among low-wage workers, the unemployed and their families. The project will build on past Australian and recent international research and embody current experience to make it relevant to real needs.
Making complex interfaces work for the national disability insurance scheme. This project aims to examine how organisations, frontline workers and participants negotiate funded supports across the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and mainstream services and systems interfaces by taking a street-level perspective. The project intends to generate knowledge about self-governing arrangements and adaptive practices that encourage coordinated planning using case study methodology and novel ....Making complex interfaces work for the national disability insurance scheme. This project aims to examine how organisations, frontline workers and participants negotiate funded supports across the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and mainstream services and systems interfaces by taking a street-level perspective. The project intends to generate knowledge about self-governing arrangements and adaptive practices that encourage coordinated planning using case study methodology and novel digital research tools. Expected outcomes include the identification of optimal organisational approaches and models of sector governance that mobilise and embed interface efficiencies. This project should significantly benefit the sustainability of the NDIS and ensure the system works effectively for participants.Read moreRead less
Working longer, staying healthy and keeping productive. Working longer, staying healthy and keeping productive. This project aims to develop a policy suite to respond to an older workforce. By 2060, nearly half of Australians aged 64 or older will be employed. Failure to address their health problems could threaten Australia’s economy, tax base and provision of health and care services. This collaboration between national policy portfolios (employment, social services, workplace health and socia ....Working longer, staying healthy and keeping productive. Working longer, staying healthy and keeping productive. This project aims to develop a policy suite to respond to an older workforce. By 2060, nearly half of Australians aged 64 or older will be employed. Failure to address their health problems could threaten Australia’s economy, tax base and provision of health and care services. This collaboration between national policy portfolios (employment, social services, workplace health and social equity) and expert scientists in work, health, social equality and policy process intends to reveal the diversity of older workers’ work-health dilemmas and effective ways for national policies to solve them. The policy suite will promote financial independence and meet social goals of equity and healthy ageing.Read moreRead less
Risk shifting, retirement and low-paid work. This project will respond to the pressing need for greater understanding of the new socio-economic terrain of social risk shifting. The project will situate retirement financing within a discourse of risk shift to households and individuals, which is seeing social roles and identities tied, in cultural as well as monetary ways, into global finance.