April 2024: Supporting families with complex needs with child protection contact – Findings from a new ANROWS study

Webinar

Missed the live webinar? A captioned recording is available to view now.

Details

Families involved with child protection services often face a range of complex issues. There has long been consensus that domestic and family violence, parental mental health issues and alcohol and other drug use are strongly interconnected and increase the risk of children and young people entering out-of-home care.

In this FACSIAR Lunch and Learn Webinar, Dr Betty Luu presented findings from a new ANROWS Study (conducted at the Research Centre for Children and Families, The University of Sydney) which analyses the interconnections between issues. It is one of the first externally led research projects to use the NSW Human Services Dataset (HSDS). This extensive dataset makes it possible to see how families interact with a range of services, including police, child protection and health, over time. Following the presentation, a panel of experts discussed how this new research can help provide evidence to inform better, earlier and more targeted services for families and children.

This webinar was chaired by Jessica Stewart (Executive Director, FACSIAR).

Presentation materials

Analysis of linked longitudinal administrative data on child protection involvement for NSW families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues

Dr Betty Luu – Research Fellow, Transforming early Education and Child Health (TeEACH) Research Centre, Western Sydney University

Download slides (PDF, 1.2 MB)

Panel members:

• Phillipa Hetherton – Director, Women Family and Community Safety, SPC, DCJ
• Briana Jurgeit - Director, Family Preservation and Child Protection, SPC, DCJ
• Caitlin Stewart -  Director, Practice and Permanency, OSP, DCJ
• Jackie Wruck - Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Safe & Together Institute

Additional resources

Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) Research Reports

Critical interpretive synthesis: Child protection involvement for families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues, and mental health issues

Analysis of linked longitudinal administrative data on child protection involvement for NSW families with domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug issues and mental health issues

Practice kits

Providing support, reflection and quick access to research, these kits are built to help your work with families experiencing issues like domestic and family violence, alcohol and other drug use, mental health and child sexual abuse. (Note: Available for DCJ Staff only)

• Alcohol and Other Drugs Practice Kit
• Child Sexual Abuse Practice Kit
• Domestic and Family Violence Practice Kit
• Mental Health Practice Kit

The Safe and Together Institute

The Safe & Together Institute is an international leader in in-person and distance learning in the domestic abuse and welfare fields.

• Homepage
• Virtual Academy
• Web-based Perpetrator Pattern Mapping Tool (Free 1 month trial)
• Trainer Certification Program
• How to be an Ally to a loved one experiencing Domestic Violence (Guide) (PDF, 1.1 MB)
• Choose to Change: Your behaviour, your choice (Toolkit) (PDF, 2.1 MB)
• Ensuring the Voice of the Child is Heard, and Child’s Best Interests are Considered in Domestic Abuse Cases: Safe & Together Model and the Rights of Children (PDF, 550.6 KB) (Paper by David Mandel, CEO and Founder of the Safe & Together Institute)

Human Services Dataset (HSDS)

Learn more about the Human Services Dataset (HSDS).

Family Preservation redesign and recommissioning

Learn more about Family Preservation  redesign and recommissioning

Redesigning Family Preservation in NSW Discussion Paper (Note: submissions close 17 May 2024)

New domestic violence framework to improve NSW first responder skills

Learn more about the domestic violence framework

Questions or comments?

Contact: ResearchPartnerships@facs.nsw.gov.au