About Us

Background

The Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families sits within the Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy, and reports to the School of Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. First conceived of in 2002, a group of dedicated individuals in the Social Work Discipline had developed a business plan by March 2004. Individuals who were active in the early development of the Centre include Drs Anthea Taylor, Debra Rosser, Brenda Clare, Maria Harries and Paul Murphy; also Associate Professor Mike Clare, Christine Choo, and Susan Diamond.

The creation of the Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families was given formal University of Western Australia Academic Council approval in resolution 134/04, on 24 November 2004.

The University of Western Australia is a major provider of social work graduates in Western Australia, and the Department of Community Development is the single biggest employer of this professional group in Western Australia. Clearly this nexus highlights a special relationship between the two organisations which can only be enhanced by a shared commitment to academic and evaluative research, to post-qualifying professional education and to policy development in the area of vulnerable children and families.

Given this, it is not surprising that the Department for Community Development has been a seminal partner in the development of the Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families. Without the seed-funding provided in the form of the paid secondment of Ms Susan Diamond, membership on the Centre Advisory Group; promotion of the Centre in the Heads of Agencies Director General’s Group and other support such as specialist social services library access, the task of developing a new Centre in the critical research and policy area of children and families, would have been overwhelming.

The Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families draws together and co-ordinates research and consultancy activities, relating to children’s welfare and strengthening families, previously undertaken in the Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy.

The aims and objectives of the Centre are to:

• Encourage inter-disciplinary and comparative approaches and promote scholarly cooperation and collaborative research within the University and with external agencies;

• Advance research, scholarly debate and policy and practice action in relation to vulnerability in children and families, capacity building and the promotion of resilience; and

• Consolidate relevant cognate teaching units in the Discipline’s teaching program and the University by integrating more research with teaching.

• Develop and nurture national and international networks and alliances in research, policy, practice and teaching in order to promote collaborative opportunities.

Pivotal areas of inquiry for the Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families will initially develop from and reflect the research interests and work of staff and postgraduate students within the Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy.

Professional level fees and charges apply to work undertaken by the Centre.

Strategic Directions