Lorraine Thomson

Opportunities Lost––Why Some Parents of Young Children Are Not Well-Connected to the Service Systems Designed to Assist Them

Abstract Evidence on how to engage isolated parents in formal services tends to rely on professional commentary, practitioner discourse, and parents who use services. It is critical to also hear the perspectives of isolated parents to inform practice and service design, yet there are clearly practical difficulties in researchers talking directly to families who do not use services–– not the least of which is how to find them. This paper reports on in-depth interviews with 20 financially disadvantaged sole parents of young children in the inner north of Canberra who define themselves as not well-connected to services. The study finds that these parents often lack the social networks needed to “introduce” them to services; their contacts with formal services in the past have left them feeling judged and under surveillance, and the services which they regularly “brush up” against miss critical opportunities to link them with avenues for support. A small but significant group who resist all formal services indicate they are most likely to be assisted in everyday environments that are normal and nonstigmatising, rather than through formal agency settings.

‘Dad, Where are we Going to Live Now?’ Exploring Fathers’ Experiences of Homelessness

Abstract In 2003, over 41 000 families with accompanying children throughout Australia were assisted by homeless services. Sole fathers with children in their care who are homeless are a minority group within this overall population of homeless families and, as such, little is known about their experiences of homelessness and fathering. The present paper reports on an exploratory study of sole fathers with children in their care who were homeless in the Australian Capital Territory. The study identifies the fathers’ pathways into and experiences of homelessness, and the fathers share their stories of what it means to be a sole father. The paper identifies the issues fathers may experience when dealing with homelessness and fatherhood. An increased understanding of these experiences can contribute to the development of further research and improved practice with such families.

Who's in Our Family?: An Application of the Theory of Family Boundary Ambiguity to the Experiences of Former Foster Carers:

Meeting the increasing demand for foster care homes is well recognised internationally and in Australia as a continual challenge. Understanding the needs of foster carers and supporting them to undertake this important work is a key element of meeting this demand. Lorraine Thomson and Morag McArthur report on the re-analysis of data from a small study of former foster carers who ceased fostering between 2004 and 2007 in the Australian Capital Territory. Interviews with former carers about their experiences as foster carers revealed themes of loss and uncertainty that alerted researchers to the possibility that the theory of family boundary ambiguity and ambiguous loss may be useful in understanding foster caring experiences. It is suggested that these concepts warrant further exploration and research in the area of foster care. With sensitive application, they may assist foster families, former foster carers, foster care workers and policy makers to understand more fully and respond to some of the challenging experiences of foster caring.

Vulnerable Families’ Use of Services: Getting What They Need

Abstract There is growing recognition in Australia and in other countries that some people face complex challenges and multiple disadvantages in their everyday lives, and that their needs for safety, health, clothing, food, shelter, and emotional wellbeing form interacting webs of need. However, it is often this very group who may be excluded from services and other opportunities. A qualitative study was carried out with 80 families living on income support in two regions in Australia. The study explored how parents defined their families’ needs, their current levels of formal support, and their experiences of navigating multiple service systems and networks. Parents identified a range of issues that they viewed as adversely impacting on their health and wellbeing. They also described barriers to accessing services and the features of helpful service experiences. Families provided important information as to how those with the greatest need can be effectively assisted to access needed resources and services. Program design and individual service provision need to be based on principles of responsive, respectful service, and collaboration. Locating skilled workers in nonstigmatising settings such as schools has great potential for making services accessible and linking people with what they need.

Helpful Relationships with Service Users: Linking Social Capital

Abstract The transformative potential of relationships between helping professionals and clients is well recognised. Less often have these relationships been explicitly considered as building blocks of social capital. This article reports a qualitative analysis of the views of a group of 80 parents about the nature of helpful helping relationships. The analysis asked: What are the features of the relationships between service users and service providers that indicate the presence of linking social capital? What are the implications for policy, practice and research? Data indicated that a number of parents experienced helpful relationships provided by a range of professionals. These relationships constituted a mechanism whereby people could access resources otherwise unavailable to them. These relationships can be understood as “linking social capital”—trusting relationships with people in formal institutions. Program constraints, organisational, and community cultures can affect these relationships and the linking social capital developed.

Needs or deeds? : Child protection and youth justice in the Australian Capital Territory

This paper reports on research conducted as part of a national study on the views of judicial officers and other stakeholders in Australias Childrens Courts. It focuses on the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and in particular the way in which care and protection matters are dealt with separately from youth justice matters. Many research participants advocated alternatives which were less formal and more focused on the needs of children and young people. Frequent positive references were made to the Scottish Childrens Hearing system: a non-judicial diversionary system in which children and young people are treated on the basis of ‘needs and not deeds’, in which the welfare of young people who offend is prioritised. Using the Scottish model as a counterpoint to that of the ACT, the paper outlines the main features of the ACT system, and what informants thought were the key philosophical and practical challenges facing the Court. The universal dilemma of how to balance the welfare of young people with a justice agenda is highlighted by the differing arrangements in these jurisdictions.

The Childrens Court in the Australian Capital Territory

This chapter describes the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Childrens Court (In ACT, the court is termed the ‘Childrens Court’ (section 288 of the Magistrates Court Act 1930) not the ‘Children’s Court’ which is the term used in many other states). It summarises and discusses the views of key stakeholders about the court and its work gained through interviews and focus group discussions held in 2010. One of the key findings in the ACT was that there is a common and strong desire amongst people involved in the Childrens Court for the community to do the best that is possible for the children and young people who come before the court as part of care and protection or criminal proceedings. However, there are differing opinions about how this can best be accomplished. The ACT is a small jurisdiction – despite housing Canberra which is the capital of Australia. It has its own unique history which has affected the development of the Childrens Court and the service system to which it relates.