Government purchased services for children. Government purchased services for children. This project aims to establish ways the Chinese government can avoid the quality and accountability problems other countries’ governments have faced when purchasing child welfare services over the last 30 years. Using six regional case studies and government national datasets, this project will identify the effect of new purchasing models and address significant regulatory risks in China’s burgeoning welfare ....Government purchased services for children. Government purchased services for children. This project aims to establish ways the Chinese government can avoid the quality and accountability problems other countries’ governments have faced when purchasing child welfare services over the last 30 years. Using six regional case studies and government national datasets, this project will identify the effect of new purchasing models and address significant regulatory risks in China’s burgeoning welfare state. Findings are expected to build governments’ capacity to purchase good quality, equitable services for children; improve outcomes for millions of Chinese children; and build new theories of government contracting, service system governance, and global social policy convergence and transfer, relevant for Chinese and Australian social services.Read moreRead less
Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia. Surveys of wellbeing repeatedly emphasise social isolation, but there is a gap in positive approaches that can be used to grow connection. This research aims to design an approach to activate social connection for people and communities. Using a pre-tested evidence-based framework, experiences of vulnerable cohorts, and affordances of ways to connect on and offline, this project takes a strengths focus to develop a joined-up place-b ....Activating social connection to address isolation in Australia. Surveys of wellbeing repeatedly emphasise social isolation, but there is a gap in positive approaches that can be used to grow connection. This research aims to design an approach to activate social connection for people and communities. Using a pre-tested evidence-based framework, experiences of vulnerable cohorts, and affordances of ways to connect on and offline, this project takes a strengths focus to develop a joined-up place-based strategy. Expected outcomes include world-first practical tools and guidance for local social connection activation and new knowledge about how interwoven on/offline services assist social connection. Increasing social connection is expected to improve individuals’ mental wellbeing and community resilience.Read moreRead less
Reducing young women’s offending through improved service delivery . Young women’s contact with justice and welfare agencies has increased rapidly across Australia and the world, creating a crisis that is costly and harmful, especially for young Indigenous women. Pathways into these systems are gendered; but the systems were designed to address the needs of young male offenders. This project therefore aims to discover how these systems could be better designed to improve outcomes for young women ....Reducing young women’s offending through improved service delivery . Young women’s contact with justice and welfare agencies has increased rapidly across Australia and the world, creating a crisis that is costly and harmful, especially for young Indigenous women. Pathways into these systems are gendered; but the systems were designed to address the needs of young male offenders. This project therefore aims to discover how these systems could be better designed to improve outcomes for young women. The project uses a novel approach that gives young women a voice in how five Anglicare end-users (the research partners) and other end-users can enhance their service provision in the welfare and justice sectors and become models of best practice.Read moreRead less
Re-conceptualising services from the perspectives of young people. This project aims to contribute the perspectives and voices of vulnerable young people to debates on the need for service reform. It will actively engage children and teens who have complex support needs in service re-design and decision making, and will trial child-led service initiatives. It will also explore organisational barriers to including young people in policy debate and service decision-making. Expected outcomes includ ....Re-conceptualising services from the perspectives of young people. This project aims to contribute the perspectives and voices of vulnerable young people to debates on the need for service reform. It will actively engage children and teens who have complex support needs in service re-design and decision making, and will trial child-led service initiatives. It will also explore organisational barriers to including young people in policy debate and service decision-making. Expected outcomes include increased knowledge of how to effectively engage young people, and understanding of the impact of their participation both for young people and for services. Read moreRead less
Adjudicating rights for a sustainable National Disability Insurance Scheme. The aim of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is to redress unfairness for disabled Australians. The sensitive question for government and citizens is how to determine what support is fair? The goal is support based on the perceived needs and choices of individuals. The government is additionally concerned to ensure financial sustainability by limiting expectations about reasonable and necessary support. This proje ....Adjudicating rights for a sustainable National Disability Insurance Scheme. The aim of the National Disability Insurance Scheme is to redress unfairness for disabled Australians. The sensitive question for government and citizens is how to determine what support is fair? The goal is support based on the perceived needs and choices of individuals. The government is additionally concerned to ensure financial sustainability by limiting expectations about reasonable and necessary support. This project will identify the dominant operating principles and debates concerning funded support, by analysing relevant frameworks, decisions, appeals and internal reviews. By taking an administrative justice perspective, it contributes to a critical debate about the values guiding funded support decisions and fairness outcomes.Read moreRead less
Confronting everyday harms: preventing abuse of people with disability. The findings of the Disability Royal Commission necessitate new approaches to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Framed by recognition theory, this project proposes empirical research with young people with cognitive disability, using a new concept of ‘everyday harms’ in their paid relationships. The results will inform early responses to poor quality interactions in disability support. The strategic alliance ....Confronting everyday harms: preventing abuse of people with disability. The findings of the Disability Royal Commission necessitate new approaches to prevent violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Framed by recognition theory, this project proposes empirical research with young people with cognitive disability, using a new concept of ‘everyday harms’ in their paid relationships. The results will inform early responses to poor quality interactions in disability support. The strategic alliances with the government, industry and community partners will develop a practice framework to prevent everyday harms and the escalation to abuse, and to promote safety and wellbeing. The research has policy benefits for capacity-building in the sector to act on the rights and voices of people with disability. Read moreRead less
Beyond safety: Ethical practice involving children. This project aims to investigate the role of ethical practice in improving child safety. Focusing especially on those who are at greater risk of harm, the findings will contribute to ensuring Australia’s children are safe and treated with dignity and respect. Expected outcomes include better-targeted, child-informed policy and practice for organisations involved with children, and important knowledge for organisations seeking to optimise, promo ....Beyond safety: Ethical practice involving children. This project aims to investigate the role of ethical practice in improving child safety. Focusing especially on those who are at greater risk of harm, the findings will contribute to ensuring Australia’s children are safe and treated with dignity and respect. Expected outcomes include better-targeted, child-informed policy and practice for organisations involved with children, and important knowledge for organisations seeking to optimise, promote and protect children’s safety and wellbeingRead moreRead less
Enhancing Children's Journey in Out-of-Home Care:A Multi-perspective Study . This study aims to improve the experiences of, and outcomes for, Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC). Drawing on detailed longitudinal, qualitative interview data from children in out-of-home-care, their birth families and carers across geographically diverse sites in Queensland, the study will build a rich understanding of their experiences. Outcomes include improved knowledge of how to st ....Enhancing Children's Journey in Out-of-Home Care:A Multi-perspective Study . This study aims to improve the experiences of, and outcomes for, Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC). Drawing on detailed longitudinal, qualitative interview data from children in out-of-home-care, their birth families and carers across geographically diverse sites in Queensland, the study will build a rich understanding of their experiences. Outcomes include improved knowledge of how to strengthen children's connections to culture and caring relationships during OOHC and how these connections shape children's well-being. Benefits include improved outcomes for children and better practice to achieve positive social, cultural and emotional well-being for those involved OOHC especially in Indigenous communities.
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Informal sport as a health and social resource for diverse young people. This project aims to investigate the contribution that informal sports participation makes to wellbeing amongst diverse young people, and ways in which governments, sport and health agencies can effectively support this participation. The project expects to generate new knowledge of how informal sports are self-organised and sustained, factors enabling and inhibiting participation, and will provide a detailed evidence base ....Informal sport as a health and social resource for diverse young people. This project aims to investigate the contribution that informal sports participation makes to wellbeing amongst diverse young people, and ways in which governments, sport and health agencies can effectively support this participation. The project expects to generate new knowledge of how informal sports are self-organised and sustained, factors enabling and inhibiting participation, and will provide a detailed evidence base for the economic and social impact of informal participation. Expected outcomes include the provision of coherent guidance for government, sport and health agencies who will be better equipped to support informal sports opportunities for diverse young people that delivers an enhanced health outcome.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