Australia's children 'safe and well'? Collaborating with purpose across Commonwealth family relationship and state child protection systems

Journal article

Winkworth, Gail and White, Michael. (2011). Australia's children 'safe and well'? Collaborating with purpose across Commonwealth family relationship and state child protection systems. Australian Journal of Public Administration. 70(1), pp. 1 - 14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2010.00706.x
AuthorsWinkworth, Gail and White, Michael
Abstract

So ubiquitous is reference to collaboration in policy documents that it is in danger of being ignored altogether by service deliverers who are not clear about its rationale, how it is built, or its real value. This is evident in the child and family services context where for example the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children calls for collaboration and a ‘shared responsibility’ across the state, Commonwealth and the non-government sectors to keep children safe and well. This article describes a project undertaken to analyse and ultimately increase levels of collaboration between state and Commonwealth government family service providers. The research reinforced an important message that levels of collaboration should align with the vulnerability of children and their families: the greater the level of risks to children, the greater the level of collaboration needed within and between systems to keep children safe.

Keywordscollaboration; cross sectoral; Commonwealth and state service delivery; child protection; family relationships; family support
Year2011
JournalAustralian Journal of Public Administration
Journal citation70 (1), pp. 1 - 14
PublisherWiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
ISSN1467-8500
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.2010.00706.x
Scopus EID2-s2.0-79952806831
Page range1 - 14
Research GroupInstitute of Child Protection Studies
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Place of publicationAustralia
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