From journal articles to Quick Guides and webinars, you will find tools and information to support.
The Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to conduct a social and economic return on investment (SROI) to understand the impact of youth work in Victoria and strengthen the evidence base to inform policy decisions. The report covers mental health and wellbeing, education and employment, housing, and interaction with the justice system, and highlights the crucial role that youth work plays in improving the lives of young people in Victoria.
In 2022, the Australian Human Rights Commission surveyed 4,559 children aged 9-17 and 2,796 parents and guardians across Australia to better understand the challenges that COVID-19 have posed to children’s wellbeing and mental health. Key findings are detailed in the report which also makes eight further recommendations.
This report from the New South Wales Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People presents the experiences of 99 children and young people aged between 6-24 years old who spent time in the out-of-home care system in NSW. It covers their experiences of entering the care system and their education, health, and wellbeing; exiting the care system; and the advice they would provide to government. Further results are detailed in the report.
The Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee have tabled this inquiry in the Victorian Parliament and are awaiting a response from Government. The final report considered parental incarceration, the impacts on children, methods of reducing harm caused to children, government response, increasing children and families’ voices and experiences in the situation, and supports in Victoria for children affected by parental incarceration.
This article, published in Work, Employment and Society, presents the results of a survey of social work students at an Australian university who undertook a lengthy unpaid placement as part of their study. The study shows that these students faced increased workforce precarity and it also created major restrictions on their ability to work while studying. Further findings are detailed in this article.
This article, published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, draws on administrative data on school attendance collected in Tasmania in 2020 to show how the impacts of COVID-19 school shutdowns were unevenly experienced by those from a lower SES background. This study found many negative impacts, which are further discussed in the article.
This report from the National Disability Insurance Agency describes the findings of a study on participant experiences, including major barriers and enablers to community participation. A mix-methods approach was used with participants, families and carers and frontline staff. Findings are detailed in the report.
This final report collates evidence collected from a collaborative research project into support for carers produced by the Australian Institute of Family Studies and Murawin, an Aboriginal research and evaluation consultancy. The report covers the key challenges, supports available, barriers in accessing these supports, and the effects of COVID-19 on foster, kinship, and permanent carers. The research identifies priority actions to support carers which are detailed in the report.
This collaborative piece by Orygen and Mission Australia presents the findings of a 2021 survey of Australians aged 15 to 19 years. The study identifies aspects of their lives that were most negatively impacted by lockdowns and the groups who were most affected by COVID-19 and associated lockdowns. The study also makes recommendations for policy and practice.
