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Current and Previous Work

Current Research Projects:

Completed Research Projects

Early Intervention Project

for ACT Government

There is increasing recognition that early intervention has the potential to improve outcomes for children aged 0-8 years.  This project will provide the ACT Government with a typology of early intervention based on available evidence, an analysis of current investment in early intervention programs, and recommendations for future early intervention investments.

Kate Butler and Morag McArthur

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Evaluation Plan of Clearinghouses

for FaHCSIA

FaHCSIA currently funds a number of clearinghouses across Australia.  In this project the Institute has been contracted to develop a working definition for clearinghouses;  and to suggest a methodology for undertaking an evaluation of clearinghouses.  The development of the working definition will be based on a review of the literature, plus consultation with key stakeholders associated with the operation of clearinghouses supported by FaHCSIA.  The development of suggested evaluation methodology will be based on a review of evaluation forms, approaches and techniques, undertaken in the light of the evaluation terms of reference, the working definition, issues raised by key stakeholders, and the contexts in which the FaHCSIA-supported clearinghouses operate.

Paul Chesterton and Morag McArthur

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Murray Darling Basin Evaluation Framework

for Centrelink

The Murray Darling Basin has been experiencing the effects of a prolonged drought.  Many irrigators are reaching a critical point in the decision-making as to the long-term liability of their business, both economically and environmentally.  The Institute of Child Protection Studies is developing an Evaulation Framework to enable Centrelink to report on its progress in contributing to the following outcomes:  Better service co-ordination and improved access to services for irrigators, farmers and small businesses, workers and industry in severe financial difficulty.  Increased community resilience and capacity to deal with the social consequences of change and Centrelink's ability to better inform and influence policy development.

Gail Winkworth and Morag McArthur

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Communities for Children - Working in the Grey

for Northside Community Services

Through a partnership between the Institute of Child Protection Studies and early childhood and family support services, the project aims to improve the social connectedness and capability of vulnerable and hard to reach parents and the safety and life chances of their very young children in Inner North Canberra.  This research will extend the knowledge base for services working with vulnerable families with young children to enable a clearer understanding of how to increase the capability and social connectedness of vulnerable and hard to reach families with young children and increase the capability of early childhood and family services to work collaboratively to better support such families.

Gail Winkworth and Megan Layton-Thompson

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Integrated Family Support Project Evaluation

for Office Children Youth and Family Support

The Integrated Family Support Project has been established as a pilot project from 2008 to 2010 to develop a model for collaboration between government and non-government agencies and families, with the aim of providing sustained, integrated services to families at risk.  The project aims to engage with families from a strengths perspective early in the life of the child and the life of the problem, before the problems necessitate court intervention.

Morag McArthur, Kate Butler and Lorraine Thomson

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AASW - Review of the Qualifications and Training Pathways Dept of Child Safety Queensland

The Institute was invited to draft the submission by the Australian Association of Social Workers to the Queensland Reveiw of qualifications and training pathways. The submission calls for a national approach to workforce planning strategies for attracting, training and retaining staff and  accredited courses in child protection at the post graduate levels. It argues that a range of quality management and leadership post graduate courses that include units of study such as Supervision, Leadership and Management of Human Services Organisations  offered by universities have  credibility with staff and the broader human services industry

Morag mcarthur and Gail Winkworth.

Downloadable Version Available (PDF - 191 kb)

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AASW - Submission for the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW

The Insitute was invited to draft the submission by the Australian Association of Social Workers for the inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW. The submission argues the need for far reaching change that results in a  renewed focus on children  in their families and their communities and  which includes not only the protection of children in danger but the wider perspectives of wellbeing, prevention, therapy, family and community capacity building and social inclusion.

Gail Winkworth

Downloadable Version Available (PDF - 648 kb)

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Affirm Evaluation Framework

for Disability ACT

Disability ACT engaged the Institute to develop an evaluation framework for the Family-centred Flexible Response Model (AFFIRM) program. The AFFIRM program supports families of children and young people aged 10-20 years with a disability who have high and complex needs. The initial development of the framework was undertaken by a working group from Disability ACT, Family Based Respite Care Inc (FaBRiC) and the Institute in consultation with the AFFIRM Steering Committee/Panel. The first stage of the evaluation framework design involved the development of a project logic, the purposes of the evaluation and agreed indicators of outcomes and other performance measures. The second stage involves the testing of the framework during the early months of AFFIRM’s operation and the refinement of the framework using the information gained from this trial period.

Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur

AFFIRM Evaluation Framework Project Report (PDF, 257kb)

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Emergency Readiness Training

for Lifeline ACT

Lifeline ACT has engaged the Institute to develop a 2 day Emergency Readiness training program, and a 3 day Train the Trainer program for trainers delivering the program.

The program is aimed at a range of staff and volunteers who provide personal support to people affected by disaster. It will consist of training modules in the modern context of disaster, the psychological and social effects of disaster, disaster phases, meeting people’s needs in the aftermath of disaster and communication skills to meet these needs, personal support for children and young people, outreach strategies, and self care strategies when working in a disaster environment.

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Children's Experience of Homelessness

for Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services

This research proposal aims to fill an important gap in our understanding of children's experience of homelessness. Previously researchers have relied almost exclusively on adults when collecting data about children's thoughts, feelings and experiences. Interviewing children, however, gives an opportunity to gain insights on the issues affecting their lives. The project aims to explore the following questions: What are the experiences of homelessness from the child's perspective including their school experience? What are the impacts of homelessness on children's social and emotional development?

What is the relationship between homelessness and child protection services?

What are the service and policy implications of these experiences?

Tim Moore, Debbie Noble-Carr, Morag McArthur

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Recovering from the 2003 Canberra Bushfires

It is more than three and half years since Canberra experienced the devastating firestorm in which 4 people died, 3 people were treated for serious burns at Sydney hospitals, 49 people admitted to ACT hospitals and 440 people received outpatient care. 488 houses were destroyed in both urban and rural ACT. Nearly 160,000 hectares were burnt in the ACT including over 16,000 hectares of plantation forests and 31,000 hectares of rural leases. More than 5,000 people were evacuated to the evacuation centres and many more went to family and friends for safety.

Downloadable version available (PDF - 965.6 kb)

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Disaster Recovery - A Review of the Literature

for the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

This review examines literature on the effects of disasters on individuals, communities and the social environment, with particular consideration given to vulnerable groups such as those on low incomes, the unemployed and people with  little or no insurance, vulnerable women and children, the aged and those who live in remote Indigenous communities.

Gail Winkworth

Downloadable Version Available (PDF - 1.15 mb)

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Reading, Writing and Responsibility: Young Carers and Education

The purpose of the report is to develop an understanding of the needs and experiences of young carers in education, and to inform the development of school-based supports for young carers and their teachers.

Downloadable version available (PDF - 730.3 kb)

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Good Practice for Placement Planning

for the Office of Children, Youth and Family Support

This report focuses on the problem of the need to provide stable and caring living situations for children in out-of-home care. It locates this issue within the broader child protection debates about family preservation and child safety. The report highlights the importance of stable and settled arrangements for the optimum brain development of young children. Research indicates the need to find flexible and developmentally appropriate solutions for achieving stability including family support, family reunification, kinship care, long term foster care, guardianship orders and adoption.

Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur, Gail Winkworth.

Downloadable version available (PDF - 546kb)

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Principles for Child Centred Practice

for the Office of Children, Youth and Family Support

The 'principles for child centred practice' provides a set of principles which can be used to evaluate the 'child centredness' of policies and procedures in child protection. The ten principles are based on four themes from the literature which emphasise: the importance of recognising critical time frames in childhood and adolescence including assisting children and young people as early as possible; taking into account the developmental needs of children and young people in all interventions; providing children and young people with appropriate opportunities to participate in all aspects of child protection interventions which affect them; and promoting a collaborative approach to the care and protection of children, including the strengthening of networks that are critical to their well being.

Gail Winkworth, Morag McArthur

Downloadable version available (PDF - 225kb)

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Family Group Conferencing Scoping Paper

for the Office of Children, Youth and Family Support

Family group conferencing is a strengths based intervention first developed in New Zealand which brings together families and their support systems to carry out a plan that increases protection and care of children, young people and other family members. This scoping paper reviews the Australian and international literature on family group conferencing, including different models being used and evaluations of these models. The paper provides advice for selecting families who may be suitable for Family Group Conferencing. It also provides an evaluation framework for the implementation of Family Group Conferencing in the ACT child protection system and for a longer- term study of effectiveness.

Morag McArthur, Gail Winkworth

Downloadable version available (PDF - 286kb)

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Screening of People Working with Children and Young People: Issues paper

for ACT Children's Services Council

This paper provides a literature review on the issues related to employment screening, presenting information about alternative models, legislative schemes and frameworks and a range of practice issues involved in this strategy. It presents a brief survey of the legislative approaches being adopted by each of the Australian States and Territories. It also discusses the limitations to screening and briefly reviews alternative strategies for safeguarding children and young people. The literature available promotes the need for proactive participation from organisations in producing child safe organisational policy. Many organisations are considering that education programs, staff training and the implementation of child safe policies are a more effective approach in preventing child abuse rather than simply relying on screening processes.

Vicki Saunders, Morag McArthur, Gail Winkworth

Downloadable version available (PDF - 226kb)

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Workforce Planning in the Care and Protection System in the ACT: Issues paper

for ACT Children's Services Council

Workforce planning is one of the key strategies available for ensuring that future staffing needs will be met, and this paper explores workforce planning issues and opportunities for the care and protection system in ACT. It reviews literature regarding generic workforce planning principles, frameworks and issues across sectors, including care and protection. It reports on consultations with some government and non government organisations in NSW and the ACT on workforce planning, and it suggests a methodology which could be used for mapping the current care and protection workforce in the ACT.

Giovanna Richmond, Morag McArthur, Gail Winkworth,

Downloadable version available (PDF - 479kb)

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Consultation on Strengthening Families Partnership Approach in ACT

for ACT Health (Alcohol and Other Drug Policy Unit)

This focused report documents the partnership approach adopted in relation to three projects funded by ACT Health in 2004-2005 under the Strengthening Families measure. The 'Strengthening and Supporting Families Coping with Illicit Drug Use' measure is part of the Council of Australian Government's National Illicit Drug Strategy. The report is based on consultations held with the four organisations involved (the three funded organisations and ACT Health) and focuses on what has been learnt from the partnership approach adopted which provides a foundation for future work.

Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur

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What works in Residential Care

for Marist Youth Care

Adobe PDF What works in residential care (PDF, 1.67mb)

The project for Marist Youth Care (MYC) comprises two parts. Firstly, a literature review, already completed, canvasses the topic of what works in residential care. It identifies key themes, which have emerged from the literature, and focuses on the areas of care identified in the Looking After Children Framework. It also looks at literature about good practices in the leaving care process. Secondly, in 2006 the Institute will facilitate a workshop with MYC to apply these themes to practice in their Compass Program and other programs for young people with intensive support needs. It is intended that the outcome will be the development of a practice framework linking good practices identified in the literature with practice in MYC.

Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur, Rob Long, Peter Camilleri

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Youth Support Workers in Schools

for ACT Department of Education and Training

This review of the Youth Support Workers in Schools initiative was commissioned by the ACT Department of Education and Training in October 2005. The review's broad aim is to identify the initial successes of the initiative, as well as the factors that have acted to both enable and restrict positive outcomes, and to present strategies to enhance and develop the initiative. The research design includes: literature review; surveys of youth support workers, principals and other school executive; focus groups with youth support workers; and interviews with District Coordinators in the program.

Tim Moore, Merrilyn Woodward, Morag McArthur

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Family Relationship Centres and Family Relationship Advice Line practice Framework for Screening and Assessment

for Attorney General's Department

The Australian Attorney-General's Department contracted the ICPS to develop the practice framework for screening and assessment in the new Family Relationship Centres and the Family Relationship Advice Line. This project involved writing a research report which provides an evidence base for the practice framework, consultations with expert practitioners, the development of a practice framework and practice guide for screening and assessment, and testing the suitability of the framework and guide with workers in the family relationships field.

Downloadable Version Available (PDF - 897 kb) 

Gail Winkworth, Merrilyn Woodward, John Regan, Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur

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Family Relationship Centres and Family Relationship Advice Line Research Report

for Attorney General's Department

This research report commissioned by the Attorney General's Department provides the basis for the development of a framework for practice around screening and assessment for both the Family Relationship Centres and the Family Relationship Advice Line.  The report identifies the needs of the broad range of groups that will use the Centres and the Advice Line to ensure the screening and assessment process is informed by their needs, analyses the research on safety screening and assessment to inform practice approaches to be used in the Centres and the Advice Line, provides an overview of the literature on telephone advice lines and examines the literature on how people can be best linked with the services they need.

Lorraine Thomson, Gail Winkworth, Morag McArthur, John Regan, Urbis Keys Young, Claire Grealy

Downloadable Version Available (PDF - 1.63 mb)

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Experience of Former Foster Carers

for the foster Care Association ACT

The foster Care Association of the ACT Inc commissioned ICPS to investigate the reasons why ACT foster carers cease foster caring.  The Research focuses on former carers reasons for leaving.  The design of the study is mixed method.  It involves a survey of ACT foster carers, who had ceased fostering from January 2007 until April 2007 and semi structured interviews with twelve former carers which provided a more in-depth understanding of their experience of finishing as foster carers.  It also involves interviews with representatives from a range of organisations involved in fostering in ACT to identify their views as to why carers may cease fostering.

Downloadable version available (PDF 784 kb)

Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur

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Evaluation of 'Families Together' Program

for Marymead Child and Family Centre

On 1 April 2006, Marymead received funding from the Office of Children Youth and Family Support to provide a range of in-home services to families called the 'Families Together' program. Marymead has been providing similar family support services for a number of years. Following an initial evaluation of the program undertaken as a student project, the Families Together program staff have commissioned the Institute of Child Protection Studies (the Institute) to assist them to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. This evaluation considers both the intensive and family support components of the Families Together program.

Lorraine Thomson, Gail Winkworth, Lyndall Evans

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Evaluation of Relationships Australia Canberra and Riverina (RACR) Counselling Program

for Relationships Australia

The Institute is undertaking an evaluation of the Relationships Australia Canberra and Riverina (RACR) counselling program. This program aims to improve relationships for individuals, couples and families. The research assesses the extent to which the program achieves its goals and addresses the priority areas identified in the strategic plan. The evaluation involves: analysing the use of the program by individuals, couples and families, including the number of sessions they attended and their overall demographics; assessing clients' views as to the effectiveness (accessibility, appropriateness and responsiveness) of the program; understanding key stakeholders views about the program; and working with staff to explore their views as to what is in place or needs to be in place an effective service.

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Indigenous Family Support

for Marymead Child and Family Centre

The purpose of this report is to develop a greater understanding of the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the ACT. The report, commissioned by Marymead Child and Family Centre, will inform the development of an Indigenous family support program. It will present a review of relevant family support research literature and existing data and program information. Interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders such as Indigenous communities, Indigenous families and key agencies to identify the range of needs and possible support interventions for Indigenous families. To ensure that this new service is culturally appropriate the project will be guided by an Indigenous project officer.

Morag McArthur, Vicky Saunders, Bindi Bennett

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Family Relationship Centres and Family Relationship Advice Line Continuous Improvement Process

for Attorney General's Department

In late 2006 The Attorney General's Department contracted the Institute of Child Protection Studies of Australian Catholic University to undertake a consultative process with the first 15 of the new Family Relationship Centres and all sites delivering the Family Relationships Advice Line to inform the second iteration of the Screening and Assessment Practice Framework and Guidelines (the Screening and Assessment Framework).

Our approach to the consultation has been to systematically seek answers to the following five broad practice questions which will then inform the second iteration of the framework

  • The extent to which the guidelines are effective in assisting staff to
  • Determine service user needs
  • Assess risk
  • Achieve effective referrals
  • To determine any variation in effectiveness of the guidelines in diverse settings (remote-rural) or with different service user groups
  • Assess the changes required to ensure the experience of practice informs changes to the Screening and Assessment Framework for use by Centres.
  • Identify the training needs of Centre staff to effectively carry out their roles in relation to screening and assessment?

Gail Winkworth, Morag McArthur

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Communities for Children Evaluation

    for Northside Community Services

The Communities for Children project, a Commonwealth funded initiative, focuses on children in 0-5  children and their families in North Canberra to ensure greater opportunities for children to grow and thrive in their local community.  The Canberra C4C project is being facilitated by Northside Community Services. The Institute of Child Protection Studies was appointed as the external evaluator for the project and provides support and advice to funded community organisations to assist them to evaluate their projects. ICPS will carry out this role from 2006-2008.

Morag McArthur

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ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Project


    for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Unit at the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support

This project aims to enhance service delivery responses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the Out of Home Care system by gathering young people's views on their experiences within the service system and strategies for development. Young people and service providers will be engaged in youth forums, an out of home care conference and a cultural gathering and through individual and group interviews. The project will be supported by an Indigenous worker and a group of youth leaders employed to guide and co-facilitate the process.

Tim Moore, Bindi Bennett, Greg Ryan, Chelsea Yarrie, Jad King, Saul Sambono and Morag McArthurn

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Supporting Transitions from Juvenile Detention Project

    for the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support

Reintegration of young offenders has been shown to be as important in determining future outcomes and in reducing recidivism as incarceration itself. This project attempts to draw from the experiences of young people engaged in the juvenile justice system in the ACT at key points during their incarceration and after they leave Quamby Youth Detention Centre to determine how successful the existing models of support are in assisting reintegration and in identifying areas of improvement for the systems surrounding young people.

Tim Moore, Tracy Cussen, Vicki Saunders and Morag McArthur

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Consultations for the Youth Services Program

    for the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support

In the ACT, the Youth Services Program assists young people through the provision of 25 centre-based, youth support,  and youth development services. In 2007, the Institute conducted two one-day consultations for the OCYFS to help explore the strengths, the challenges and the gaps in services of the current YSP and to identify key priorities for the future.

Tim Moore and Lorraine Thomson

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Supporting Children and Young People in Families Affected by Alcohol or Other Drug Use

This project, funded through the Carer Recognition Grants Program, aims to explore the lived experiences, nature of care responsibilities, support needs and services responses to children, young people and families affected by AOD. Working in collaboration with young carer service, CYCLOPS ACT, the Institute will reanalyse data from a previous study, interview young people and stakeholders and work with peer leaders to determine how to best meet the needs of these families.

Tim Moore, Fiona Dempster and Morag McArthur

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Young Carers in Western Australia

for Carers WA

This report presents findings from the Young Carers Roundtable in July 2007.  The report investiges the four key areas of identification, education, respite and whole of government approaches to supporting young carers and their familites and provides a series of recommendations.

Downloadable version available - "Hopping off the Roundabout" (PDF 1,390 kb)

Tim Moore, Ros Morrow

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The Multidisciplinary Approach to Student Services

for the ACT Department of Education and Training

The Institute developed a conceptual framework for collaborative approaches and integrated service delivery and worked with the Department to develop these concepts within the organisation including staff forums and a 'world cafe' with central district principals.  A small qualitive research project was undertaken to gather the views of people who work collaboratively and to identify good practice examples.

Gail Winkworth, Morag McArthur, Debbie Noble-Carr and Megan Layton-Thompson

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Schools as Communities Evaluation

for The Office of Children, Youth and Family Support

The purpose of the evaluation was to review the operation of the Schools as Communities (SAC) program, which began in 2001, to determine how effectively it was achieving its objective and intended outcomes, and to make recommendations about future program directions and management and staffing arrangements.  The evaluation involved a literature review, analysis of quantitative data, and analysis of interviews with a wide range of stakeholders including parents, principals and the SAC community outreach workers.

Merrilyn Woodward, Morag McArthur and Gail Winkworth

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