Australian Journal of Social Issues最新文献

There is significant local and international evidence to show that young people transitioning from care have children by age 21 at far higher rates than the general youth population. Intergenerational child protection involvement is also far higher for this group. Conducting research with care leaver parents is challenging because of parental fears of child protection involvement and removal of their own children. Without participatory and engaging research approaches, the evidence base overall can omit the valuable perspectives of hardly reached groups. This paper presents findings from a novel approach to participatory research with ‘hard to reach’ or ‘hardly reached’ groups and is co-authored by one of two ‘Lived Experience Consultants’ contributing to the study. Taking an ‘extrospective’ approach to inquiry, the lead author designed a data collection process that sought to increase the opportunity for Lived Experience Consultants to contribute to the project as subject matter experts, rather than research ‘subjects’. Care experienced parents' perspectives as Lived Experience Consultants in this research complemented findings from service providers reported elsewhere and illuminated critical practice-based issues, creating barriers to pregnancy prevention and parenting support in Australia.

It is increasingly recognised by global research that extending out-of-home care (OOHC) until at least 21 years of age is the policy reform most likely to advance improved outcomes for care leavers. In recent years, all eight Australian jurisdictions (States and Territories) have introduced forms of extended care programs. Yet, major variations remain between these jurisdictions in terms of the placement types covered, the levels of support and funding, and the terms and language used to describe their programs. This paper maps the existing policy developments in each jurisdiction and the level of program supports provided to care leavers aged 18–21 years. For each jurisdiction, we establish extended care eligibility and coverage, funding and adequacy, and the key terminology used. Our discussion of the commonalities and differences between the jurisdictions suggests that some sub-groups of care leavers may need additional and specialised forms of support. They include most notably those exiting residential care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander care leavers.

This paper explores the experiences of young people in Queensland, Australia, under child protection orders who leave approved out-of-home care placements (e.g., foster; residential care) to stay in unapproved locations (e.g., sleeping on the streets; staying with friends, family/kin, or strangers). This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘self-placing’. Young people who self-place are at increased risk of homelessness, exploitation, contact with the justice system, and disconnection from support services, including education and health care. We argue that this disconnection from formal support impedes their access to transition care planning and support—factors internationally recognised as essential for enhancing outcomes for care leavers. Our paper draws on qualitative interviews with 11 young people with experience of self-placing and focus group data involving 26 statutory child protection practitioners and 17 specialist non-government practitioners. We describe the ways in which self-placing was perceived to shape young people's access to, and practitioners' ability to provide, transition planning and support. We identify ongoing gaps and examples of good practice to inform more robust transition from care policies that are responsive to the needs of this marginalised cohort.

A significant proportion of young people exiting Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) encounter substantial challenges in securing housing, often leading to homelessness within a few months after leaving care. All Australian jurisdictions have now approved extended care programs up to 21 years; however, none of them currently offer these young people guaranteed accommodation options. This study aims to explore the factors underlying poor housing outcomes among care leavers and to develop a best practice model that complements the extended care framework in Australia, thereby addressing or ameliorating homelessness issues among these young adults. A scoping review of 18 scholarly articles and seven grey literature reports supplemented by ancestral search forms the basis of a thematic analysis. This analysis reveals factors contributing to negative and positive housing outcomes for young people related to OOHC transitional processes in Australia and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations. It includes evaluations of the implementation of extended care and of housing programs in these countries. By analysing current extended care policies in each jurisdiction, as well as literature featuring good post-care housing practices both locally and internationally, five key principles have been identified for a best practice model.

For care-experienced young people, the preparation for leaving out-of-home care (OOHC) is vital in support of post-OOHC outcomes. This research explores the acquisition of Independent Living Skills (ILS) amongst young people in Western Australia and is based on interviews with care-experienced young people at two time points: while in OOHC and after leaving OOHC. Overall, 72% of participants were female, 45% had a disability and 45% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Total years spent in care ranged from 2 to 16 years. This study adopts two research methods; first, using eight different domains to conceptualise the ILS needed in early adulthood, interview transcript data was cross-referenced to understand the interconnected nature of ILS. Second, a thematic analysis was conducted of the interview transcripts to highlight participants' experiences. Findings highlight three themes relating to System Impacts, Social and Cultural Capital and Practical Identity and Self-focus upon acquiring ILS. The findings address this Special Issue's sub-themes, namely in relation to highlighting (1) examples of good policy and practice in transition planning and/or ongoing gaps in transitions from care policy, practice and implementation for 15–18 year olds/assisting care leavers aged 18–21 years and providing (2) lived experience perspectives.

Australia's Robodebt scheme is now internationally infamous for how not to use automation in government. Belying heightened concern with artificial intelligence, Robodebt involved traditional, relatively simple computer algorithms to automate the identification and pursuit of alleged historical welfare debts. Yet, it was based on a false legal premise. This paper argues that rather than a technical failure, Robodebt was intentional, motivated by political imperatives, aided and abetted by an overly responsive public service culture. Engaging with the literature of organisational wilful ignorance, it is argued that these political and public service cultures were constituted by useful idiots, who acted as foils to keep the illegal scheme running for 4 years. Drawing on the Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, the paper identifies a range of practices through which strategic wilful ignorance of Robodebt's unlawfulness was actively constituted. Such practices, particularly well-versed in the senior echolons of the public service, include feigning ignorance, studious nonresponse and not asking questions, telling untruths and giving ambiguous information, advising informally, not sharing and withholding information, and individual and institutional bullying. Documenting the concrete mechanisms of wilful organisational ignorance contributes to better understanding of this phenomenon and helps remedial action.

Indigenous education has long been considered a critical area to the fulfilment of Indigenous rights and the rectification of Indigenous socioeconomic exclusion. Several approaches have been adopted to try and lift Indigenous education outcomes, most of which have failed to reach their intended targets. These approaches have occurred with limited Indigenous control and have consistently fallen short in measuring what matters to Indigenous students and families. Little research has been conducted on how Indigenous students and their families in Australia define educational success, particularly within the urban context. If Indigenous education outcomes are to improve, policy needs to reflect the aspirations and values of Indigenous students and families. Underpinned by an Indigenous Research Methodology, this paper explores how Indigenous students and their parents/carers define educational success. It finds that definitions vary in significant ways to policy definitions. While educational success is typically indicated by narrow measures of attendance, academic achievement and Year 12 completion in policy, definitions of educational success of the Indigenous participants in this research is far broader. The findings of this paper suggest that policymakers need to look beyond the narrow targets currently used to measure educational success if outcomes for Indigenous students are to improve.

When young people exit out-of-home care, they face high rates of social and economic marginalisation, as well as poor health and educational outcomes. Although there is limited longitudinal research available on the specific types of post-care support that are most effective, a number of smaller studies show that young people can avoid these negative life trajectories if provided with assistance and advice as they transition from care to independence. Uniting NSW.ACT delivers multiple programs designed to support young people as they transition from care to adulthood, including Foyer Central, the Extended Care Pilot Program, the Premier's Youth Initiative and Futures Support and Planning (led by the Burrun Dalai Aboriginal Corporation in partnership with Uniting). This article draws on evidence from the independent evaluations of each of these programs to explore the nature of the coaching relationship and to argue that it should indeed be adopted in NSW, due to its beneficial impact on young people and ability to help them achieve positive outcomes in housing, employment and education.

The Next Generation EU (NGEU) economic recovery package has set the conditions for unprecedented investment in policy areas considered of strategic importance by each Member State. This article focusses on the Italian case, characterised by long-lasting weaknesses in active labour market policies and public employment services (PES) to analyse whether, and under what conditions, resources and programming of the magnitude of NGEU may be able to lead toward PES digital transformation. Italy's plan to enact NGEU has allocated 5.4 billion euro to fund a regionally implemented program aimed at reforming Italian PES where digitalisation represents a key objective. Based on interviews with PES officials and document analysis, it is possible to understand the extent to which such massive investments can pave the way for effective digital transformation and consider what (and how) additional factors may further influence such process.