Research key to developing new and better ways to protect children
Published Friday, 10 November, 2006 at 03:27 PM
Minister for Child Safety
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Research is critical to developing new and better ways to protect children, Child Safety Minister Desley Boyle says.
The new Department of Child Safety is hosting Queensland’s inaugural Child Safety Research Conference in Brisbane next week.
“This conference brings together more than 300 child protection workers and researchers to share best practice and learn about the latest developments,” Ms Boyle said.
“Child protection workers, foster carers and counsellors face complex, emotional situations every day.
“The children they look after all react and cope differently with the harm or neglect they have suffered, as do their families,” she said.
“That’s why research and information sharing is so important.
“Research underpins the work child protection staff do, giving them the best information to protect Queensland children,” Ms Boyle said.
She said Queensland can claim one of the most robust research agendas in child protection practice in Australia.
“Feedback from researchers across Australia is that Queensland is leading the way in child protection research, policy and practice.
“The new Department of Child Safety has established a Research Advisory Group to help guide its research agenda, comprised of leading university academics and researchers from across Australia.
“The department is working on research on permanency planning in foster care and how children in foster care perceive family.”
The research conference will feature some of Australia’s leading academics, including keynote speakers Associate Professor Karen Healy, of the University of Queensland’s School of Social Work and Applied Human Sciences, and Professor Dorothy Scott, Foundation Chair of Child Protection and Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia.
The conference will also feature a range of sub-keynote presentations, along with interactive working sessions and examples of good child protection practice.
The conference will be held from November 14-15 at the Bardon Centre, 390 Simpsons Rd, Bardon.
“This is the first time child protection practitioners from across Queensland have come together on such a large scale to discuss research, practice and policy,” Ms Boyle said.
The conference is an initiative of the new Department of Child Safety.
“Since the new Department of Child Safety was established in 2004, we have more than doubled the Budget to $503million, increased staff by more than 75 per cent and have better systems in place,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
Media are welcome to attend the following sessions:
Tuesday, November 14
9.30am
Welcome by Director General Robin Sullivan
10am
Official Opening by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Child Safety Julie Attwood
10.15am-11.15am
Keynote address by Associate Professor Karen Healy
Investing in Practitioners: Creating conditions for excellence in child protection practice draws on research in Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden on how best to invest in practitioners to support and advance practice in child protection services.
Wednesday, November 15
9.15am-10.30am
Keynote address by Professor Dorothy Scott
Building Bridges between Practice and Research: A Way Forward for Children and Families looks at building bridges between practice and research to ensure practice-sensitive research and research-sensitive practice.
The new Department of Child Safety is hosting Queensland’s inaugural Child Safety Research Conference in Brisbane next week.
“This conference brings together more than 300 child protection workers and researchers to share best practice and learn about the latest developments,” Ms Boyle said.
“Child protection workers, foster carers and counsellors face complex, emotional situations every day.
“The children they look after all react and cope differently with the harm or neglect they have suffered, as do their families,” she said.
“That’s why research and information sharing is so important.
“Research underpins the work child protection staff do, giving them the best information to protect Queensland children,” Ms Boyle said.
She said Queensland can claim one of the most robust research agendas in child protection practice in Australia.
“Feedback from researchers across Australia is that Queensland is leading the way in child protection research, policy and practice.
“The new Department of Child Safety has established a Research Advisory Group to help guide its research agenda, comprised of leading university academics and researchers from across Australia.
“The department is working on research on permanency planning in foster care and how children in foster care perceive family.”
The research conference will feature some of Australia’s leading academics, including keynote speakers Associate Professor Karen Healy, of the University of Queensland’s School of Social Work and Applied Human Sciences, and Professor Dorothy Scott, Foundation Chair of Child Protection and Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia.
The conference will also feature a range of sub-keynote presentations, along with interactive working sessions and examples of good child protection practice.
The conference will be held from November 14-15 at the Bardon Centre, 390 Simpsons Rd, Bardon.
“This is the first time child protection practitioners from across Queensland have come together on such a large scale to discuss research, practice and policy,” Ms Boyle said.
The conference is an initiative of the new Department of Child Safety.
“Since the new Department of Child Safety was established in 2004, we have more than doubled the Budget to $503million, increased staff by more than 75 per cent and have better systems in place,” Ms Boyle said.
Ends
Media contact: 3224 7477
Media are welcome to attend the following sessions:
Tuesday, November 14
9.30am
Welcome by Director General Robin Sullivan
10am
Official Opening by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Child Safety Julie Attwood
10.15am-11.15am
Keynote address by Associate Professor Karen Healy
Investing in Practitioners: Creating conditions for excellence in child protection practice draws on research in Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden on how best to invest in practitioners to support and advance practice in child protection services.
Wednesday, November 15
9.15am-10.30am
Keynote address by Professor Dorothy Scott
Building Bridges between Practice and Research: A Way Forward for Children and Families looks at building bridges between practice and research to ensure practice-sensitive research and research-sensitive practice.