Caring Well - Protecting Well: Opportunities for Capacity Building in Western Australia
In November 2003 the Western Australian Council for Child Protection called for tenders for the development of a strategic document that will propose a new way of providing for the wellbeing and safety of Western Australian children. In particular this document will address:
"[shifting the] focus over time from reactive, crisis driven responses to child abuse issues, towards early intervention, prevention and ultimately sustainable whole of community care and protection strategies"
and will
"[appraise] levels of investment required by government and the community to strengthen and build the capacity of the existing system to break the cycle of family violence and child abuse and neglect that currently exists in Western Australia"
The contract was won by a consortium of researchers from University of Western Australia, Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy and Murdoch University Centre for Social & Community Research. The research team was: chief investigators Dr Maria Harries and Professor Trish Harris and senior researchers Gaye MacKenzie and Susan Diamond.
By June 2004 the team will have two primary products. Firstly a map of "Identified Pathways to Systemic Change” which will address the long-term change necessary for an effective system that:
• “works to protect children”
• “strengthens and enhances capacity of existing systems”
• “re-engages the broader community”
• “responds now and into the future”
• “is flexible”
• “places community central to the response”
• “utilizes a matrix of responses”
• “recommends best investment strategies and resource allocations”
Secondly a ‘Protective Mechanisms Inventory’ that charts current services and projects these into the future in ways that demonstrate a future capacity to contribute to the well being of children and families.
Findings of this Western Australian research project will be presented, particularly as they relate to and the management of risk and capacity building in Western Australia particularly in disadvantaged communities.