Doing the right thing by Australia’s children

In today’s post, Deb Tsorbaris discusses the sobering findings of the landmark Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) released in April this year, and the need for policymakers and the child services sector to respond swiftly. The study reveals that child maltreatment is widespread in Australia and associated with early and persistent harm. Deb is the CEO at The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, (@CFECFW), Victoria’s peak body for child and family services.

Advocacy, Policy and governancePower to Persuade21 July 2023Children, family violence

Rethinking Income Limits for Disability Pension Recipients

Today’s post by Brandon Maki was commissioned by the Antipoverty Centre. Brandon is on the Disability Support Pension (DSP) and has written about the income free area and the focus of pushing people into work.

Antipoverty Centre, Advocacy, Policy and governancePower to Persuade20 July 2023Disability

Victims now know they were right about robodebt all along. Let the royal commission change the way we talk about welfare

This article by Darren O’Donovan, republished from The Conversation, discusses the findings of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme released on 7 July 2023. Dr O’Donovan has written and spoken widely about Robodebt, and pursued answers to how government was calculating debts, since 2017. You can read and hear more of his work on Robodebt here, here, here and here.

Power to Persuade14 July 2023

Governments of Australia, consider this your debt notice

Today’s post from the Australian Unemployed Worker’s Union discusses the report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt scheme released on 7 July 2023. AUWU describes the Royal Commission as “the most significant and damning investigation into our welfare system in decades” and pledges to “stand with victims and fight to extract justice for the mass abuse and denigration inflicted on the poor.”

Peer-led services: reducing barriers to healthcare for LGBTIQA+ people

LGBTIQA+ people are more likely to experience marginalisation, stigma, social exclusion, abuse, and violence than the wider community. Philippa Moss, CEO of ACT-based LGBTIQA+ peer-led health service Meridian, and Alison Barclay, researcher and social impact consultant, explain how peer-led services are helping to address this gap, and what more needs to be done.

Restorative Justice for Animal Harm

Recent animal cruelty court cases have once again shown that the traditional justice system falls well short for both victims and offenders. Felicity Tepper, senior research officer at ANU’s School of Regulation and Global Governance explores how restorative justice could have better outcomes for humans and animals alike.

Advocacy, Conferences, IssuesPower to Persuade5 July 2023justice, animal welfare, Research

How to end the exploitation of migrant workers

The exploitation of migrant workers continues to be a scourge across Australia, according to a new report from the Grattan Institute.

Issues, Policy and governancePower to Persuade23 June 2023migrants, mig, exploitation, visa

Children of incarcerated parents: the ‘invisible victims’ of the criminal justice system

Much attention has been paid to policies and programs to address the needs of people in prison and their post-release experiences, but not many policies recognise the needs of children with a parent in prison (also known as parental incarceration). Dr Caroline Doyle (@CaroDoyle13), Joanna Cui, and Dr Lukas Carey discuss their recent article in the Alternative Law Journal on the experiences of children with a parent in prison and lessons we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Power to Persuade16 June 2023

Indigenous-owned businesses: Creating strong Indigenous employment

Christian Eva (@ChristianEva9), Kerry Bodle, Dennis Foley, Jessica Harris, and Boyd Hunter discuss their new research in the Australian Journal of Social Issues on Indigenous owned businesses - to help inform future policy direction for both Indigenous employment and Indigenous business policies.

International development and gender: A return of the “invisible” woman?

Dr Adrian Bazbauers (@AdrianBazbauers) of the Public Service Research Group, UNSW Canberra discusses his new analysis of how multilateral development banks approach gender.

It’s time for community power

Power to Persuade12 June 2023

Quantifying the impacts of 60 day dispensing for Australian consumers

Power to Persuade5 June 2023

Connection to “Place”

Jo Townsend weaves her childhood experiences of growing up on a small rural property, with a Masters in Therapeutic Art Practice (Specialising in Community Arts and Health), in her role as Garden Manager and Community Connector for SEEDs Communal Garden, within values-based community organisation Milparinka. In this post, Jo provides a practitioner perspective of the concept of “place” and the potential that it has for fostering community connection and belonging.

Power to Persuade4 June 2023Malparinka

The society keeps the score: (Re)framing trauma as a political experience

In today’s blog, Suralini Fernando from Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (@GoodShepANZ) explores the link between social security policy and childhood trauma and attachment. Suralini is a social inclusion advocate and yoga facilitator of South Asian heritage, who has an abiding interest in the connections between embodiment, relational safety and belonging.

If it walks and talks like credit: behind the regulation of Buy Now Pay Later

In today’s post, Emma O’Neill of Good Shepherd (@GoodShepANZ) explores the potential impacts of the Government’s proposed regulation of Buy Now, Pay Later Products. Emma is a Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor with a particular interest in women’s economic security, gender and climate change, and the impacts of marketisation on social equity.

The 'right to recover': Healing from family, domestic and sexual violence requires community-wide action

Marisa Lo Bartolo (LinkedIn), from Good Shepherd (@GoodShepANZ) reflects on the recent Australian Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Recovery and Healing Conference in Wollongong. Marisa is a Policy and Advocacy Advisor, and has a particular interest in the primary prevention of gender based violence, trauma recovery, and issues faced by LGBTIQA+ communities.

Forced marriage as family violence: Potential for change, but more needs to be done

Victoria recognised forced marriage as a form of family violence 4 years ago, however there’s been no examination or reporting regarding its impact. Dr Siru Tan, Lecturer, Criminology, Monash Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, explores what can be done to increase opportunities for support. This article was originally published in Monash Lens.

Findings from the early evaluation of the UK Children and Young People's Mental Health Trailblazer programme

Globally there is an increasing focus on the mental health and well-being of children and young people as youth mental health problems have replaced childhood mortality as the most significant challenge for society (WEF, 2020). Dr Sarah-Jane Fenton (@S_JFenton) presents findings from the early evaluation of a UK programme, which offers valuable insights (with Jo Ellins (@DrJoEllins) and the Health Services Management Centre (@_HSMCentre)).

The Prevention model of Community Visitors [excerpts from 2020-21 Victorian Community Visitor Annual Report]

AdvocacyPower to Persuade4 May 2023Disability, NDIS

A safe home for people with disability: the contrasting and complementary roles of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission and Community Visitor schemes

In today’s post, moderator Dr Rae West @raelene_west discusses the balance between the roles of the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission and Community Visitor schemes in deterring and preventing harm to people with disability utilising funded support services in accommodation settings and homes.

Advocacy, Policy and governance, Service DeliveryPower to Persuade1 May 2023Disability, NDIS

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