Family Support: Policy, Practice and Research into the Future

Dr. John Canavan

Child and Family Research Centre

Presentation Structure

1. Introduction

2. Framework

3. Individual Components and Challenges

4. Summary

RIGHTS

OUTCOMES

POLICY, SERVICES, PRACTICES

THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE

CHALLENGE 1

EMBRACE THE COMPLEXITY OF FAMILY SUPPORT – IT IS YOUR JOB!!!

RIGHTS

Fundamental UNCRC Family Support

Complex and Tension-filled Competence/rationality and due-weight Rights of children and parents in conflict Role of the state

Current representations Monageer and Ryan A Referendum

CHALLENGE 2

USE A RIGHTS ORIENTATION TO GUIDE YOUR WORK – TEST IT OUT !!!

OUTCOMES

Relationship to rights and needs

Underpinning Forces

Benefits

Risks

Good enough outcomes

CHALLENGES 3-5

TEST OUT THE OUTCOMES APPROACH

SEE WHAT COPING / MANAGING OUTCOMES LOOK LIKE

TRY OUT SOME ADVOCACY WORK

POLICY, SERVICES and PRACTICES

Family Support Policy Targeted and Universal Social Investment State or Ethic of Care? Commission on the Family Revisited ?

Family Support Services and Practices The Agenda for Children’s Services

Neglected Areas Diversity – e.g. ethnic and racial, disability Family Conflict, Separation, and Divorce Negotiated Decommissioning

CHALLENGES 6-8

DEVELOP AND TEST A FAMILY SUPPORT POLICY FRAMEWORK

IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE AGENDA FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES

STOP DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T WORKING

THEORY

Family Support Theories Social Support / Social Capital Resilience Reflective Practiceand

Extending the Range Civic Engagement and Young People Sociology of Childhood Emotional Labour ..

CHALLENGE 9

HELP THE RESEARCHERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT THEORIES

KNOWLEDGE

What counts as evidence for Family Support knowledge?

Existing frameworks Veerman and Van Yperen (2007) Levels of evidence:

Descriptive, Theoretical, Indicative, Causal

Tensions Qualitative and Quantitative Rights and Participation Reflective Practice

Mixed methods, ‘Depth Outcomes’ and Realist Evaluation

CHALLENGE 10

CREATE AN AGREED FRAMEWORK FOR EVIDENCE IN FAMILY SUPPORT

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Joining up the Dots …

Four levels: Rights Outcomes Policy, Services and Practices Theory and Knowledge

We all need to think about all of the issues ….

CHILD

RIGHTSOUTCOMES

POLICY

SERVICES

PRACTICES

THEORY AND

KNOWLEDGE

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The Challenges

1. EMBRACE THE COMPLEXITY OF FAMILY SUPPORT

2. USE A RIGHTS ORIENTATION TO GUIDE OUR WORK

3. TEST OUT THE OUTCOMES APPROACH

4. SEE WHAT COPING / MANAGING OUTCOMES LOOK LIKE

5. TRY OUT SOME ADVOCACY WORK

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The Challenges

6. DEVELOP AND TEST A FAMILY SUPPORT POLICY FRAMEWORK

7. IMPLEMENT AND EVALUATE THE AGENDA FOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES

8. STOP DOING SOMETHING THAT ISN’T WORKING

9. HELP THE RESEARCHERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FAMILY SUPPORT THEORIES

10. CREATE AN AGREED FRAMEWORK FOR EVIDENCE IN FAMILY SUPPORT