Creating and sustaining a strong future for volunteering in Australia. This project seeks to answer the question of how to increase social participation by converting non-volunteers to the benefits of volunteering. In Australia today, communities and governments are increasingly dependent on volunteers to build social capital and deliver an increasing range of services. A world first, this project aims to create new theory by examining three levels of analysis: the micro level of the individual ....Creating and sustaining a strong future for volunteering in Australia. This project seeks to answer the question of how to increase social participation by converting non-volunteers to the benefits of volunteering. In Australia today, communities and governments are increasingly dependent on volunteers to build social capital and deliver an increasing range of services. A world first, this project aims to create new theory by examining three levels of analysis: the micro level of the individual volunteer or non-volunteer; the mezzo level of the volunteer-involving organisation; and the macro level of society. This innovative approach aims to identify, analyse and develop a tool to help organisations build Australia’s civil society and develop policy to create a sustainable volunteer sector into the future.Read moreRead less
Meals on Wheels: building towards a new social experiment for our times. This project contributes directly to the National Research Priority, promoting and maintaining good health: ageing well, ageing productively, through developing evidence-based knowledge on which to build future volunteer business models. With the rapid ageing of the Australian population, it is imperative that volunteer-based organisations, such as Meals on Wheels, innovate to continue to deliver essential community service ....Meals on Wheels: building towards a new social experiment for our times. This project contributes directly to the National Research Priority, promoting and maintaining good health: ageing well, ageing productively, through developing evidence-based knowledge on which to build future volunteer business models. With the rapid ageing of the Australian population, it is imperative that volunteer-based organisations, such as Meals on Wheels, innovate to continue to deliver essential community services in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Meals on Wheels is integral within community care for frail, older people and those with disabilities, keeping people in their own homes and out of institutional care. Using national and international examples, the research has the potential to be adopted by the broad community services sector in Australia.Read moreRead less
Understanding Foster Carers' Motivations: Personal, Political & Historical Perspectives on Care Provision in Australia. Due to the increasing number of children in care nationally, and the declining number of available foster care placements, there is current considerable interest in understanding the most appropriate means to recruit and retain foster carers. This project involves a national interview study of carers from several Australian States to understand the factors that most strongly mo ....Understanding Foster Carers' Motivations: Personal, Political & Historical Perspectives on Care Provision in Australia. Due to the increasing number of children in care nationally, and the declining number of available foster care placements, there is current considerable interest in understanding the most appropriate means to recruit and retain foster carers. This project involves a national interview study of carers from several Australian States to understand the factors that most strongly motivate people to become carers. Based on interviews with carers and other important stakeholders, the results will help us to understand the nature of the foster-carer role within the current political and social climate and help inform future national recruitment strategies.
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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.
The rise of the consumer: engagement of older people with consumer directed care. Australia is adopting a new model of care for older Australians - consumer directed care. This project will provide the evidence needed by governments and service providers to create the most effective and supportive system.
Priority Setting in Child Protection: developing an evidence-based strategy to reduce child abuse and neglect and associated harms. Persons who are potential, current or previous victims of child abuse and neglect are the primary beneficiaries of this research. The study will facilitate evidence-based funding decisions by government (and nongovernment organizations) integrating data on quality of life impacts (physical/mental health, educational, social etc), and the costs to society of dealing ....Priority Setting in Child Protection: developing an evidence-based strategy to reduce child abuse and neglect and associated harms. Persons who are potential, current or previous victims of child abuse and neglect are the primary beneficiaries of this research. The study will facilitate evidence-based funding decisions by government (and nongovernment organizations) integrating data on quality of life impacts (physical/mental health, educational, social etc), and the costs to society of dealing with the consequences of child abuse. The research has the potential to profoundly enhance the well-being of Australia's most vulnerable children, simultaneously addressing the large costs on agencies of dealing with child abuse. The methodology will be highly applicable to other complex social problems requiring whole of government strategies.Read moreRead less
A national comparative analysis of child, family and service factors contributing to successful and unsuccessful reunification outcomes in out-of-home care. This project will inform policies relating to the sustainability of current numbers in care as well as decision-making relating to the safe return of children to their families. Insights will be obtained into the multiple factors that contribute to successful reunification and post-reunification outcomes. The study will help to identify chil ....A national comparative analysis of child, family and service factors contributing to successful and unsuccessful reunification outcomes in out-of-home care. This project will inform policies relating to the sustainability of current numbers in care as well as decision-making relating to the safe return of children to their families. Insights will be obtained into the multiple factors that contribute to successful reunification and post-reunification outcomes. The study will help to identify children most at risk of remaining in care (e.g., indigenous children), review structural decision-making tools or specialist services to assist children to return home, and provide a nationally tested methodology for studying, recording, and measuring reunification processes and outcomes.Read moreRead less
Australian family diversity: Individual experiences and public attitudes. Whilst Australian families continue to diversify, public perceptions and policies related to families appear entrenched in a normative understanding of family. This project will provide a genealogy of public and policy accounts of Australian families, map public perceptions of a diverse range of family structures and modes of family formation, and identify how differing cohorts of Australian families talk about their famil ....Australian family diversity: Individual experiences and public attitudes. Whilst Australian families continue to diversify, public perceptions and policies related to families appear entrenched in a normative understanding of family. This project will provide a genealogy of public and policy accounts of Australian families, map public perceptions of a diverse range of family structures and modes of family formation, and identify how differing cohorts of Australian families talk about their families. Together, these strands will produce a unified body of knowledge about Australian families that will allow for the identification of factors influencing public perceptions, and thus the development of policy initiatives aimed at recognising family diversity and challenging social norms.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,361,651.00
Summary
Linked semantic platforms for social and physical infrastructure and wellbeing. This project aims to develop the next generation of decision-support tools for interdisciplinary research on critical public policy issues. This project will use linked open data, knowledge graphs and collaborations across existing research infrastructure projects. Expected outcomes include inter-operability across major social science databases and new analytical tools that will transform the research capabilities f ....Linked semantic platforms for social and physical infrastructure and wellbeing. This project aims to develop the next generation of decision-support tools for interdisciplinary research on critical public policy issues. This project will use linked open data, knowledge graphs and collaborations across existing research infrastructure projects. Expected outcomes include inter-operability across major social science databases and new analytical tools that will transform the research capabilities for evidence-based policy making. Outcomes are expected on sustainable built environments and transport in urban and regional communities, social care and health in the community, work and wellbeing, digital inclusion and digital health.Read moreRead less
Are the kids alright? Understanding the wellbeing of Australian children in their middle years. This project will produce the first comprehensive national stock-take of wellbeing among Australian children in their middle years, with a special focus on children who experience disadvantage. Findings will reflect children's views and experiences, have direct policy relevance and lay the groundwork for comparing and monitoring of child wellbeing.