February 2023: Supporting children and young people with disabilities in out-of-home care

Missed the live webinar? A captioned recording is available to view now

Details

This webinar focussed on the prevalence, characteristics and outcomes of children and young people with disability in out-of-home care and the support services available to them and their carers. The session was chaired by Christie Robertson (Manager - Strategy and Evidence, Family and Community Services Insights, Analysis and Research (FACSIAR). The latest evidence on the topic was presented by researchers from the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) and ­­­­­­­­­­the Research Centre for Children and Families at the University of Sydney. There was also a panel with experts sharing their experiences and discussing support services available to children and young people with disabilities in out-of-home care and their carers and case workers.

Presentation materials

Children with disability in out-of-home care – characteristics and outcomes (POCLS Research)

Professor Massimiliano Tani Bertuol, Professor of Finance, School of Business, UNSW

A/Professor Zhiming Cheng, Associate Professor, Department of Management, Macquarie Business School & Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW

Download slide deck PDF, 728.92 KB

Please note that the Cheng, Tani and Katz (2022) study utilized data from Waves 1-4 of the POCLS. See below for more information about POCLS data and available disability measures.

Exploring the intersections of out-of-home care and disability: Promoting a good life for young people

Professor Amy Conley Wright, Professor of Child and Family Social Work, Director, Research Centre for Children and Families, University of Sydney

Dr Susan Collings, Senior Research Fellow and Program Lead, Disability and Child Protection, Research Centre for Children and Families, University of Sydney

Download slide deck PDF, 670.75 KB

Panel Members

• Mark Milbrya - Senior Policy Officer, Intensive Family Based Services Program Manager, Care and Housing, Aboriginal Strategy & Co-ordination, Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes, DCJ
• Lyn Ainsworth - Disability Project Director, Association of Children's Welfare Agencies (ACWA)
• Melissa Shina - Senior Manager, Engagement and Family Support, Office of the Senior Practitioner, DCJ
• Rebecca Magoffin - Manager, Policy and Strategy, Child and Family, DCJ

Additional Resources

Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS), Department of Communities and Justice

• More information about POCLS
• Research reports and Evidence to Action Notes from POCLS published by FACSIAR
• Disability data in POCLS:

The POCLS holds multiple sources of information (survey and linked administrative data) on the specific types of disability that children may have. Longitudinal survey data on children's disability using the Australian Bureau of Statistics questions are collected from Wave 4 (noting the POCLS is up to wave 6).

Research Centre for Children and Families, University of Sydney

• More information about the Research Centre for Children and Families, University of Sydney
• Supporting children and young people with disability in out-of-home care
  • Children with disability in out-of-home care – summary of the literature
  • Exploring the intersection of disability and out-of-home care: summary from World Café discussions
• Building disability-informed practice
  • The Disability Informed Practice in Child Protection: A Guide to Assessing Parenting Capacity with Parents with Intellectual Disability is a practical resource produced for the Toward Access and Equity study. The resource is designed to assist child protection, clinical and legal professionals to adapt their approach to engagement with parents with intellectual disability in assessment of their parenting capacity. You can download a free web version or print version.

Australian Institute of Family Studies

• Engaging children with disability in supported decision making

The Institute for Family Advocacy and Leadership Development

An independent, impartial advocacy organisation that supports families across New South Wales to promote and defend the rights and interests of people with developmental disability

• Homepage
• Valued Social Roles: Pathways to Full, Meaningful, and Inclusive Lives (video)
• Harness the Possibilities – Planning a positive future for a child with disability (article)

NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme)

• Homepage
• Identifying Reasonable and Necessary supports across the Lifespan: An Ordinary Life for People with Disability

Questions or Comments?

Contact: ResearchPartnerships@facs.nsw.gov.au