These are some of the research projects that the Alfred Felton Research Program is currently running:
2008 - 2012
Funding body
ARC Linkage
Collaborative partners
Victoria Police
Department of Human Services
Department of Justice
Department of Community Development
Monash University
Chief investigators
Professor Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Dr Marion Frere (School of Population Health, University of Melbourne)
Dr Lucy Healey (Alfred Felton Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Dr Kristin Diemer (Alfred Felton Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Dr Stuart Ross (School of Social and Political Sciences, Criminology Dept, University of Melbourne)
Ms Joanie Smith (APAI Social Work at the University of Melbourne)
Dr Karen Crinall (Monash University)
Dr Chris Laming (Monash University)
Project description
The objective of the research is to gain an understanding of how the Victorian family violence reforms are impacting on the safety and wellbeing of women and children and the accountability and responsibility of men who use violence. The program will undertake statewide and site-specific research under two main streams:
2009 - 2011
Funding body
ARC Linkage Grant
Collaborative partners
The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
Anglicare Victoria
Berry Street
Child and Family Services Ballarat
Glastonbury Child and Family Services
Good Shepherd
Kildonan
Mackillop
Uniting Care Orana Family Services
St Lukes
The Salvation Army
Vanish
Wesley Mission Melbourne
VACCA
Department of Human Services
Advisory group
CLAN
VANISH
CREATE
Stolen Generations Victoria
Link Up Victoria
Chief investigators
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Gavan McCarthy (University of Melbourne, eScholarship Centre)
Prof Shurlee Swain (Australian Catholic University)
A/Prof Andrew May (Historical Studies, University of Melbourne)
Project description
The project responds to the recommendations of the Forgotten Australians and its predecessor Reports about the need to improve record-keeping and archiving practice in the health and welfare sector.
In partnership with past and present care-leavers and a consortium of 13 community service organisations, represented by the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, and Department of Human Services, it will develop a digital archive utilising innovative technologies which will both enable access to contextual material from the past and provide a model for constructing records in the future, in order to help overcome the ongoing impact which out-of-home care has had on the health of careleavers.
2008 - 2009
Funding body
The Potter Foundation
Collaborative partners
Barnardos Australia
Monash University
Chief investigators
Dr. Cas O'Neill (Alfred Felton Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Ms Sue Tregeagle (Barnardos Australia)
Dr. Catherine Forbes (Monash Uni)
Project description
This project involves a partnership between Barnardos Australia, the University of Melbourne and Monash University. Although a self-contained study in its own right, the project is also viewed as a pilot study for a larger study involving comparative data to be sought from other organisations in other States and Territories at a later stage.
The project aims to establish the true financial cost to agencies of supporting long term foster care, permanent care and special needs adoptive placements of children who have been placed in alternative families through the child protection system.
In addition, the project will provide information on the amount of time spent by caregiving families on tasks associated with maintaining the placement - for example, in meetings, liaising with workers, transporting children, contact with birth families etc).
2009 - 2012
Funding body
ARC linkage grant to support an APAI PhD
Collaborative partners
Royal Children's Hospital
Chief investigators
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
A/Professor Brigid Jordan (Alfred Felton Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Dr Anne Smith
Project description
In 2005/06, 56,000 cases of child abuse were substantiated in Australia, and this figure is rising exponentially. Disillusionment is growing with an incident based approach to children's safety which fails to either acknowledge or intervene effectively in the cumulative effects of harm to the child's development and well-being.
This project uses the leverage of new legislation to re-focus on an earlier intervention with vulnerable children at risk of cumulative harm within a hospital setting. An interdisciplinary lens is bought to the development of new knowledge to provide a better and healthier start to life for this group of children.
2009 - 2011
Funding body
ARC Linkage
Collaborative partners
Latrobe University
VicHealth
Chief investigators
Dr Angela Taft (La Trobe University)
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
A/Prof Kelsey Hegarty (Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne)
Prof Judith Lumley (La Trobe University)
Dr Rhonda Small (La Trobe University)
Project description
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant risk in early motherhood. This project aims to enhance the universal maternal and child health (MCH) services' capacity to improve the safety and support offered to women experiencing IPV and their children.
Building on existing trusted relationships and in collaboration with eight MCH teams and family violence services; this project will develop, implement and evaluate a new evidence-based IPV MCH nursing model of best practice.
If effective, this model will have the potential to improve women's, infants' and nurses' own safety, contribute to international IPV nursing scholarship and be promoted nationally and internationally.
June 2007 - June 2008
Funding body
Alfred Felton Research Program
Chief investigators
Meredith Kiraly (Seconded to the Alfred Felton Research Program from the Department of Human Services)
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Project description
Contact between infants in protective care and their families has been raised as an issue by staff in various community service organisations as well as DHS child protection workers.
There appears to be an increasing number of high level contact arrangements for infants, frequently involving the infants being transported. There have been some indications of stress in infants as a result, especially in babies with health problems.
The issue is complex. High levels of contact may be needed to maximise the possibility of family reunification; however infants also need safety, tranquility and stability in order to thrive.
The question of the infants' best interests in these complex circumstances requires further research and exploration. The over-arching aim of this research is the development of a more refined understanding of infants' best interests in relation to intensive family contact during protective placements.
In particular, the intent is to explore contact arrangements, including location of visits and transport arrangements, and current practice by DHS, the Children's Court, and community organisations in managing these complex arrangements.
2009
Funding body
Office of the Provost, University of Melbourne
Collaborative partners
Social Work
Department of General Practice
School of Population Health
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning
Graduate School of Education
Chief investigators
A/Prof Kelsey Hegarty (Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne)
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Dr Marion Frere (School of Population Health, University of Melbourne)
Prof Anne Kavanagh (School of Population Health, University of Melbourne)
Prof Belinda Fehlberg (Faculty of Law, University of Melbourne)
Dr Kylie Cripps (School of Population Health, University of Melbourne)
Dr Carolyn Whitzman (Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne)
Dr Jane Page (CEIEC, Graduate School of Education)
Project description
In 2009, academics in the domestic and family violence area were instrumental in successfully gaining funding to set up a Family Violence Inter-Disciplinary Steering Committee, which will draw together research and evaluation capacity from across the university to prevent and respond to family violence.
The committee aims to facilitate effective knowledge transfer to policy makers and practitioners working in primary health, social work, law, criminology, population health, urban planning, women's health, social policy, education and the communities they serve.
2009 - 2012
Funding body
ARC linkage application for a PhD student
Collaborative partners
Berry St Victoria
Chief investigators
A/Prof Kelsey Hegarty (Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne)
Prof Cathy Humphreys (Alfred Felton Chair, Social Work, University of Melbourne)
Dr Winsome Roberts (Alfred Felton Research Fellow, University of Melbourne)
Neerosh Mulapy
Project description
Children living with family violence is very common in the Australian community and is associated with a wide range of emotional, behavioural, social, academic and physical problems. There has been limited research in this area when compared with child abuse studies.
This project aims to identify protective factors for children living with their parent's domestic violence that make them feel safer and more resilient. Child-centred responses and interventions by professionals they come in contact with will be the main outcome.
The Significance of these findings is that children's missing voices will be heard and the outcomes will inform government policy, as well as educational and counselling interventions for health and welfare professionals.