Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the c ....Linking to learn and learning to link: building integrated school-based support systems for children and families in a disadvantaged community. The project will implement in a disadvantaged community changed institutional practices within primary schools and a partner welfare agency to increase family-school connectedness to improve children's behaviour and school performance. We build on the Pathways Project, which improved these outcomes for vulnerable preschool children, but highlighted the critical importance of family involvement with schools to effect enduring change and the difficulties of achieving this within current structures. We address this challenge by nurturing whole-school culture change, providing teacher professional development, and locating family support resources within schools to promote home-school partnerships, family functioning, and child well-being. Read moreRead less
Currencies of Care: Establishing the scope of performance indicators in child and family welfare services. This project aims to establish the scope of performance indicators for assessing outcomes in welfare services in urban, regional and rural contexts. Its significance lies in the analysis of outcomes, in addition to service outputs, and in advancing understanding of performance assessment beyond a narrow focus on urban service delivery environments. The project combines UnitingCare Burnside' ....Currencies of Care: Establishing the scope of performance indicators in child and family welfare services. This project aims to establish the scope of performance indicators for assessing outcomes in welfare services in urban, regional and rural contexts. Its significance lies in the analysis of outcomes, in addition to service outputs, and in advancing understanding of performance assessment beyond a narrow focus on urban service delivery environments. The project combines UnitingCare Burnside's experience in and commitment to delivery of high quality services with the CIs' interdisciplinary expertise in evaluation of caring work. Anticipated outcomes include development of a conceptual framework for performance assessment which will be used by the industry partner in managing and delivering services.Read moreRead less
The individual, the family and the state: expectations, intergenerational obligations and constraints in providing for old age. Intergenerational equity is a principle underpinning policy debates around financing retirement and care in older age. Enhanced understanding of this cohort's expectations and obligations will assist in policy development around financing retirement and paying for care that takes account of this cohort's expectations and obligations. Further, exploring the expectations ....The individual, the family and the state: expectations, intergenerational obligations and constraints in providing for old age. Intergenerational equity is a principle underpinning policy debates around financing retirement and care in older age. Enhanced understanding of this cohort's expectations and obligations will assist in policy development around financing retirement and paying for care that takes account of this cohort's expectations and obligations. Further, exploring the expectations underpinning intergenerational exchanges from this cohort's perspective will assist in understanding the dynamics around these exchanges and lay the ground work for future research into factors that facilitate cross-generation family functioning.Read moreRead less
A study of best practice in workplace support and development of newly qualified community services workers. Community service systems are under strain, leaving many vulnerable Australians at risk. Between 2001 and 2006, the Australian community services workforce increased by 35.6%, making it one of the fastest growing sectors of employment in the country. The combination of workforce growth, ageing and turnover in this sector hampers its capacity to respond to the growing demand for, and co ....A study of best practice in workplace support and development of newly qualified community services workers. Community service systems are under strain, leaving many vulnerable Australians at risk. Between 2001 and 2006, the Australian community services workforce increased by 35.6%, making it one of the fastest growing sectors of employment in the country. The combination of workforce growth, ageing and turnover in this sector hampers its capacity to respond to the growing demand for, and complexity of, service delivery. Our project will contribute to the sustainability of the Australian community services workforce by building a practical knowledge base for workplace support and development of newly qualified workers entering the sector.Read moreRead less
Restorative justice and re-offending. Restorative justice conferences are meetings between young offenders and their victims to discuss crimes and negotiate ways of responding to conflict. Restorative justice advocates claim that because young offenders leave conferences with a better understanding of how their behaviour has affected others, they are less likely to re-offend. This research project will directly test this claim. It will show, for the first time, what young offenders know and u ....Restorative justice and re-offending. Restorative justice conferences are meetings between young offenders and their victims to discuss crimes and negotiate ways of responding to conflict. Restorative justice advocates claim that because young offenders leave conferences with a better understanding of how their behaviour has affected others, they are less likely to re-offend. This research project will directly test this claim. It will show, for the first time, what young offenders know and understand about conference events and how this relates to future offending. This project is the first scholarly analysis of restorative justice conferencing that examines how and why conferencing works to reduce crime.Read moreRead less
The causes and consequences of marital separation and divorce in Australia. This project will use longitudinal Australian data to investigate the causes and consequences of marriage breakdown. Most previous Australian divorce research has concentrated on describing overall trends, or has used samples of separated and divorced populations only. This study will use data from representative population samples to first develop a conceptual framework for understanding the structural and demographic ....The causes and consequences of marital separation and divorce in Australia. This project will use longitudinal Australian data to investigate the causes and consequences of marriage breakdown. Most previous Australian divorce research has concentrated on describing overall trends, or has used samples of separated and divorced populations only. This study will use data from representative population samples to first develop a conceptual framework for understanding the structural and demographic determinants of marriage breakdown in Australia, second gain a greater understanding of the financial and health implications of separation and divorce over time, and third identify issues that arise from the research that are relevant for informing social policy relating to marital breakdown. The main outcomes will be a significant advance in our understanding of the factors contributing to divorce and the consequences of divorce in Australia and the provision of essential knowledge to better inform policies relating to marital separation and divorce.Read moreRead less
Neoliberalism, Inequality and Politics: Public Policy and the Transformation of Australian Society. In 20 years since 1983 there has been a fundamental transformation of Australian public policy based on economic deregulation, an increasing emphasis on market processes and the privatisation and corporatisation of government businesses and services. This project examines the impact of these changes on social mobility and inequality, gender relations and politics and culture. The project uses high ....Neoliberalism, Inequality and Politics: Public Policy and the Transformation of Australian Society. In 20 years since 1983 there has been a fundamental transformation of Australian public policy based on economic deregulation, an increasing emphasis on market processes and the privatisation and corporatisation of government businesses and services. This project examines the impact of these changes on social mobility and inequality, gender relations and politics and culture. The project uses high-quality national sample surveys and leading-edge statistical methods to adjudicate on whether neoliberalism produces positive or negative social outcomes in these three areas of social life.Read moreRead less
A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Th ....A study investigating the feasibility of implementing a national approach to child and family health services. Understanding and strengthening the way in which universal health services are provided to pregnant women, children and families has the potential to impact over a million Australian families annually. The findings of this study will have national application as federal, state and territory governments work towards implementing a national approach to child and family health services. The findings will inform effective multidisciplinary collaboration and service integration, address service gaps and duplication and lead to increased access to services. This study will generate new knowledge about characteristics of organisations, service delivery and professions that facilitate or hinder innovation.Read moreRead less
Identifying, attracting and retaining successful foster parents. This research project will improve Australian foster care systems. By developing tools to identify, attract and retain successful foster parents more effectively we will address two critical problems facing foster care organisations: decreasing numbers of foster parents and increasing numbers of 'placement breakdowns'. Improvements of these factors will (1) give foster children a more positive and healthier start to life; (2) reduc ....Identifying, attracting and retaining successful foster parents. This research project will improve Australian foster care systems. By developing tools to identify, attract and retain successful foster parents more effectively we will address two critical problems facing foster care organisations: decreasing numbers of foster parents and increasing numbers of 'placement breakdowns'. Improvements of these factors will (1) give foster children a more positive and healthier start to life; (2) reduce the extent to which foster children develop antisocial and emotional attachment problems; (3) reduce the incidence of criminal and antisocial behaviours among foster children; and consequently (4) have a positive long-term effect on the social fabric of Australia.Read moreRead less
The effects of home-based couple relationship education on couple relationships, mental health and work performance. Marital distress and separations cause great suffering and cost the Australian community at least $5 billion annually. This research evaluates an innovative relationship education program that couples can complete at home. The research tests whether the education enhances couples' relationship satisfaction, which couples benefit, how the program achieves its effects, and whether i ....The effects of home-based couple relationship education on couple relationships, mental health and work performance. Marital distress and separations cause great suffering and cost the Australian community at least $5 billion annually. This research evaluates an innovative relationship education program that couples can complete at home. The research tests whether the education enhances couples' relationship satisfaction, which couples benefit, how the program achieves its effects, and whether improved couple relationships enhances partners' mental health and work performance. The program might provide national benefit in reducing the enormous personal and social costs of marital problems, as well as providing a potentially important new product with significant export potential.Read moreRead less