Me, myself and I: identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people

Questions relating to identity and meaning are fundamental questions of life. As such, they have been the subject of study by scholars across a diverse range of disciplines, including psychology, theology, sociology and philosophy, throughout history. Despite this diversity, scholars agree that identity and meaning are inter-related issues which are central to the lives of human beings.It is widely accepted within the literature that adolescence is a critical period for the development of identity and meaning, and that these concepts may become even more pertinent to young people when they are confronted with persistent challenges or periods of uncertainty. However, our knowledge of how vulnerable young people perceive and experience ‘identity and meaning’ in their lives remains less clear.This research study, funded by the Institute for Catholic Identity and Mission, Australian Catholic University (ACU ), and conducted by the Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS) aimed to further our understanding of this area by exploring the following questions: What is the role and potency of identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people? What are the implications of this for the way that we support vulnerable young people? The study adopted a participatory and qualitative approach and was conducted throughout 2012. Twenty four young people participated in in-depth one-on-one interviews about their lives

Take notice, believe us and act! Exploring the safety of children and young people in government run organisations : A report for the Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's responses to child sexual abuse in institutional settings

[Extract] In 2021, the Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry was established to consider the Tasmanian Government’s responses to allegations and incidents of child sexual abuse in government institutions and those funded to provide services on its behalf. The Commission was established as a response to serious allegations of child sexual abuse in Tasmanian schools, Ashley Youth Detention and Launceston General Hospital. The Commission aimed to understand Tasmanian children and young people’s contemporary experiences of government-run and government-funded services and to use those findings to inform recommendations about how institutions and systems might better prevent and respond to harm. The Commission engaged researchers from the Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University to conduct a study which aimed to work with Tasmanian children and young people to explore: • how safe they feel in key government institutions • features of an organisation that increase or decrease their feelings of safety • the extent to which they feel confident raising safety concerns • how they would raise these concerns (if inclined), to whom and what influences these decisions • their level of awareness and understanding of high-risk, harmful or potentially grooming behaviours by adults in an institutional setting (including through online mechanisms) • their level of awareness and understanding of harmful sexual behaviours that other children and young people may exhibit. This report provides an overview of the major themes emerging from interviews and focus groups with 59 Tasmanian children and young people who attended primary and secondary school and college, had spent time at Ashley Youth Detention Centre, had lived in out of home care and/or had spent time in hospital

Counselling in infertility: Scope and limitations – A profile of counselling services in Australian assisted reproductive clinics

Not having children in what still remains a pro-natalist society causes significant loss and grief. Approximately one in six couples today experience difficulty in conceiving. In response to the increase in the number of people seeking treatment there has been a spectacular increase in the number of fertility clinics established throughout Australia. Clinics are required to provide patients with counselling; however, little is known about counselling in this context. This paper charts the development of Assisted Reproductive Clinics in Australia and the requirement for counselling to be provided. It reports on results from an exploratory study, carried out in 2000, examining the role and extent of the counselling services that are provided in Australian fertility clinics. Forty eight clinics were sent a questionnaire with a 60% response rate. The results indicate that counselling is provided for a wide range of issues that people experience during fertility treatment. The provision of support and information was ranked most highly. What is most striking are the relatively low numbers of people who take up the offer of counselling. The authors discuss why this might be the case and calls for further exploration of peoples’ experiences. This project was funded by a small grant from the Australian Research Council. We would like to thank Kim Riding, Counsellor at Canberra Fertility Clinic for her help and advice on the project also Joanna Zubrzycki and Gail Winkworth for their feedback on the draft paper. We would also thank the reviewers who provided constructive comments on this paper

Supported Playgroups and Parent Groups Initiative (SPPI) outcomes evaluation

The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development‟s (DEECD) mission is to ensure a high-quality and coherent birth to adulthood learning and development system to build the capacity of every young Victorian. DEECD‟s Programs and Partnerships Division within its Early Childhood and Development Group has responsibility for programs supporting the health, development and learning of Victoria‟s young children, including kindergarten, maternal and child health, early childhood intervention services, inclusion supports, support for Best Start partnerships, Aboriginal early childhood programs, capital funding for children‟s centres, and the Victorian Supported Playgroups and Parent Groups Initiative. It undertakes this role in partnership with the nine DEECD regions across Victoria, local governments, service provider organisations and other key stakeholders. The division commissioned Urbis to undertake an evaluation of the impact and outcomes of the Supported Playgroups and Parent Groups Initiative (SPPI). Through the evaluation, DEECD sought to determine the impact of supported playgroups on: - parents' social networking and supports - parenting skills and confidence - knowledge and use of early childhood services - parent–child relationships - activities in the home. It was also hoped that the evaluation findings were to contribute to the evidence base for supported playgroups

Effective interventions for working with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness

This literature review was commissioned by the Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). The aim of the review is to assess the current state of evidence about what interventions are most effective in working with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. This literature review was produced in order to inform a broader project that identifies the range of interventions and strategies that are applied by Reconnect services and situates these practices within the existing evidence base (see separate report, Reconnect: working with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness). Reconnect is a community-based early intervention program for young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It was established in 1998 as an early intervention response to youth homelessness. Reconnect uses early intervention strategies to help young people to stabilise and improve their housing, achieve family reconciliation, and improve their level of engagement with work, education, training and community. FaHCSIA funds Reconnect services to deliver services to young people aged 12–18 years (newly arrived young people 12–21 years) who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and their families. Some Reconnect services focus on working with specific population groups, for example: Indigenous young people (Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people); young people experiencing mental health issues; and newly arrived young people. This review is guided by the key research question: ‘what are effective intervention strategies for working with young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness?’ The literature review begins with a brief overview of youth homelessness as an issue of concern, its identified relevant risk and protective factors, and the relevance of early intervention. It then outlines the strategy for undertaking this literature review and presents the findings of the review

Children's participation in child protection—How do practitioners understand children's participation in practice?

Children's participation is essential to achieve good outcomes for children involved in child protection systems. Despite this, research has consistently found children report low levels of participation, are poorly consulted and feel inadequately involved in decisions about their lives. To explore how practitioners understand children's participation, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with statutory child protection practitioners in Australia. The interviews explored the ways child protection practitioners understand children's participation. Our findings show practitioners conceptualize children as rights holders and believe it is essential to hear directly from children about their needs and wishes to keep them safe. Practitioners identified the importance of transparent processes and decisions. Different understanding of participation emerged, with some participants talking about children as their central focus but not discussing meaningful participation of the child. It appeared that children's participation relied largely on the views and skills of individual workers, as well as their ability to incorporate meaningful participation in limited time and in complex practice environments where children's safety is a primary concern. Systemic changes to address time barriers, training practitioners to understand and implement participatory practice, and seeking children's input into service design, will support consistent and meaningful participation

Safe and Sound : Creating safe residential care services for children and young people

ssue 18 of the ICPS Research to Practice series explores the development of safe residential services for children and young people, and discusses the factors preventing them from seeking support for safety concerns, strategies for preventing harm, and responding to safety concerns. It is based on a study conducted by ICPS, and colleagues from Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology, for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which interviewed 27 children and young people with lived experience of residential care in Australia. More information about the project is provided at the end of the issu