Research for practice in small human service organisations: doing and disseminating smallscale research

A series of novel alkynyl substituted 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one (DHPM) derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated in vitro as potential inhibitors of chorismate mutase (CM). All these compounds were prepared via a multi-component reaction (MCR) involving sequential I2-mediated Biginelli reaction followed by Cu-free Sonogashira coupling. Some of them showed promising inhibitory activities when tested at 30 μM. One compound showed dose dependent inhibition of CM with IC50 value of 14.76 ± 0.54 μM indicating o-alkynylphenyl substituted DHPM as a new scaffold for the discovery of promising inhibitors of CM

Utilities and residential tenancies - part 2: future directions for rental housing standards

This report considers a range of data and regulatory and policy interventions from international and domestic jurisdictions with the objective of improving the provision of utilities for private rental housing in Victoria. Overview There are a range of issues affecting the provision of utilities to tenants, particularly: low income households are more likely to occupy rental dwellings with a combination of low thermal effi ciency and ineffi cient appliances tenants are unlikely to be able to upgrade appliances or relocate to dwelling of higher thermal quality due to other market pressures energy consumption and costs are higher for many tenants relative to equivalant households in other tenures market processes and programs often preclude participation from residential tenants or have onerous access barriers Future Directions for Rental Housing Standards provides: a discussion of options for energy effi ciency improvements in the conclusion of Part one a discussion of current regulatory processes concerning the energy and water effi ciency of private rental housing options for improving the provision of energy and water services including both regulatory and non-regulatory options a focus on the policy processes arising from Council of Australian Government (COAG) reform

Relationship problems and money: women talk about financial abuse

Examines the barriers women face to building their financial independence and long-term security post-separation. Summary Women’s financial hardship and insecurity, caused by financial abuse in the context of family violence, is a serious concern, particularly considering the increasing feminisation of poverty in Australia. Financial abuse in intimate relationships is widespread and common, but because this form of abuse is deeply embedded in a complex web of social, gendered and personal beliefs and norms, it is often hidden and unrecognised, even by women who experience it. Financial abuse involves behaviours that ‘control a woman’s ability to acquire, use and maintain economic resources, threatening her economic security and potential for self-sufficiency’. This project is driven by the need to better understand and address the serious and ongoing consequences of financial abuse in the lives of women and their children. In particular, it examines the barriers women face to building their financial independence and long-term security post-separation. More than two hundred women from across the social, cultural and income spectrum shared their stories in focus groups, interviews and an online survey for this project. They have provided rich and detailed insights into the nature and impacts of financial abuse, within their relationship and after separation. The report draws extensively on their direct accounts. The research literature shows that the majority of women (80–90 per cent) seeking support from domestic violence services have experienced financial abuse. Unlike previous research, this project intentionally included women who had not accessed these services and did not necessarily identify as experiencing family violence. This research further adds to our understanding about this issue through the inclusion of women whose household income was in a high bracket prior to their separation. This has resulted in insights into the hidden nature and diverse impacts of financial abuse on women’s lives

Walk alongside: co-designing social initiatives with people experiencing vulnerabilities

The new VCOSS report, Walk alongside: Co-designing social initiatives with people experiencing vulnerabilities, invites people to challenge their thinking about social problems and the people affected by them, as well as the way government and the community sector works with them. It encourages us to genuinely connect with people experiencing vulnerabilities so as to understand their world, their aspirations and the solutions that will work best for them. The report describes the value of co-design: a ‘ground-up’ approach to service design that begins by asking people what their needs are, and then exploring possible solutions with them. It is characterised by the pursuit of social transformation, and focuses on positive goals of growth, wellbeing and social cohesion. Critical to this approach are the mentalities and mindsets that underlie a co-design practitioner’s thinking. The report describes a co-designer as being open and responsive to new insights, reflective about their own assumptions and holding belief in the creative potential of the people they are working with

The provision of financial education in Malta

It is becoming evident that preparation for life requires more than developing the ability to read and write, manipulate figures, and become technologically savvy. The provision of holistic education also entails developing other forms of literacies, amongst which is the ability to empower individuals to manage personal finances and understand corporate and public financial decisions and outcomes. In the absence of such a preparation, students emerge out of compulsory schooling vulnerable to scams and untrained to manage personal wealth and plan ahead. Given that little local research has so far been undertaken to investigate this area, this paper is an attempt to stimulate discussion on financial education in Malta. It takes a close look at the local educational system and investigates access and content in this area provided by compulsory schooling. This paper employs content analysis of local and international official documentation to bring to the fore the urgent need for local research on the requisites to enhance the provisions of financial literacy. Further research into the levels of school leavers’ financial literacy and the quality of financial education is deemed crucial by this study to shed further light on the subject. This study emphasizes the lack of research in this important area, notwithstanding the fact that financial education is of direct interest to policy-makers, educators, and the business community.peer-reviewe

A Safe and Decent Place to Live: Towards a Housing First Framework for Youth

Across North America and elsewhere in the world, Housing First is recognized as an effective and humane approach to addressing homelessness. The need for a consideration of how Housing First works for young people (aged 13-25) is based on concerns raised by policy-makers, practitioners and indeed, young persons themselves, about the applicability of models and approaches developed for adults who are homeless, when applied to a youthful population

Evaluating the Australasian Consumer Fraud Awareness Month, 2007

As part of a global effort to fight mass-marketed consumer scams, consumer protection agencies in 33 western countries have participated in a month of fraud prevention activities each year to raise awareness of the problem and to provide advice to consumers on how to avoid being victimised. In Australia and New Zealand, nineteen government agencies now comprise the Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT) that conducted a campaign in March 2007, the theme of which was ‘Scams Target You – Protect Yourself’. This paper provides an evaluation of the impact of the activities undertaken by the Taskforce, including the effect that the extensive publicity had on the official reporting of scams by consumers. The results of an online survey of 841 self-selected respondents are also presented. It is concluded that the campaign was highly effective in raising consumer awareness, with reporting rates increasing substantially throughout the period of the campaign

Economic Security for Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence: Understanding and Measuring the Impact

Survivors of domestic and family violence –the majority of whom are women –experience a range of poor economic outcomes as a consequence of the violence they have survived. Some of these negative outcomes include: reduced access to savings and assets; a reduction in feelings of financial confidence; lower levels of workforce and educational participation; and damage to credit records. This impact is particularly prevalent for women where economic abuse was also part of the pattern of violence. This lack of financial resources makes leaving a violent relationship challenging for survivors. Financial insecurity is also a reason some women return to violent relationships.While these links are becoming better understood, there is a lack of consistency about what the definition of economic security for survivors of domestic and family violence is. Broad economic analysis demonstrates the costs of domestic and family violence to the economy are great and that survivors bear proportionally more of these costs; however, there is no consistent index with which to measure the economic security for survivors of domestic and family violence. In the absence of this understanding it is more difficult to gauge the extent of the problem. It is also difficult to measure whether service and policy responses are dealing with the issue.To this end, Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand with the support of the Con Irwin Sub-fund of the Victorian Women's Trust reviewed the literature about economic security and domestic and family violence. The review was conducted in order to develop a definition of economic security that reflected its individual and structural elements. From there, a range of potential indicators with which to measure the economic security for survivors were scoped. A measurement tool was also piloted with the support of the Australia Institute.It is hoped that through this research, a larger scale, national study could be conducted to measure the full extent of this problem, and that the creation of an 'Economic Security for Survivors Index' could be developed on the basis of the proposed indicators in this report. This index could then be updated regularly to see whether progress has been made in dealing with the issue.The research makes a series of recommendations for policy and practice to better respond to the economic insecurity of survivors. There are also a series of recommendations for furthering data collection and the creation of the index

Service sector reform: a roadmap for community and human services reform

This paper examines strategies to improve the way that government and community services work together to address the needs of vulnerable community members.Introduction In late 2012 I was appointed to lead the Service Sector Reform project. The goal was to explore how government and non-government service providers can work together to improve outcomes for Victorians. I was asked to lead a process that engaged all stakeholders in a discussion about community and human services and in particular, to examine how support for Victoria’s most vulnerable people could be delivered in a more integrated way.An intensive five-month consultation process took place between February and July 2013. During this period my project principal, Dr Bronte Adams, and I listened to the views of people in the community sector, public administration and the private sector. Consultation included public forums, individual meetings, focus groups and a submission process. We talked to ministers and departmental secretaries as well as frontline staff, case managers and community workers. We also heard from service users.This report is a summarised account of many hours of discussions and more than a hundred submissions. The report represents my findings, although it is clear it also seeks to capture the voice of the community