The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Melbourne University and Sector Research Partnership co-hosted the 2nd Research and Evidence Symposium on 18th July.
Over 60 representatives from community service organisations and government attended to exchange information and ideas about research and evaluation being undertaken in the child and family services sector.
Presentations from organisations were made in two streams:
- Research to building better policy and
- Practice and Evidence – how they work together to build stronger community responses and more capable organisations.
Annette Michaux, General Manager Social Policy and Research at the Benevolent Society, gave the keynote address on “The state of evaluation in the not-for-profit sector and the Benevolent Society’s approach”.
Presentations on recent research initiatives were made by:
- Dr Sarah Wise – Measuring our Mission (Anglicare Victoria)
- Serap Ozdemir – Racism in Australia (Windemere Child and Family Services)
- Che Stockley – Educational Disadvantage (MacKillop Family Services)
- Dr Kathy Landvogt – No Wrong Door (Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service)
- Janet Williams-Smith – Early Years Education (Children’s Protection Society)
- Gaye Mitchell – Children with a Disability across child and family services (Oz Child)
- Julie Boffa – Watch this Space! An innovative approach to data capture and reporting (Jesuit Social services)
- Gail McNaul – Measuring Outcomes, (Centacare Ballarat)Alicia McCoy – Creating Capable Leaders (Family Life), and
- Rebecca Jolly – Program Logic (The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare)
The energetic conversation and direct exchanges of ideas attest to the lively future for research in the child and family services sector, and for development of a sector wide research agenda.
