Keynote speakers
Associate Professor Karen Healy
PhD (Qld) BSocWk (hons 1), University of Queensland
'Investing in practitioners: Creating conditions for excellence in child protection practice'
The characteristics and capacities of child protection practitioners play a significant role in the effectiveness of child welfare services. Reform of child welfare services requires investment in practitioners' capacities to achieve excellence in direct child protection practice. In this paper, Associate Professor Healy will draw on research undertaken in three countries - Australia, the United Kingdom, and Sweden - to discuss practitioners, managers, and researchers' perceptions of how best to invest in practitioners to support and advance practice in child protection services.
Professor Dorothy Scott
PhD BA(Hons) GradDipSocStudies, University of South Australia
'Building Bridges between practice and research: A way forward for children and families'
The worlds of policy, practice and research can seem far apart, but the prospect of building bridges between them is very exciting and offers great hope to the child protection field at a time it faces extraordinary challenges. This paper will explore what researchers can offer policy makers and practitioners, and what policy makers and practitioners can offer researchers, which will help us find a way forward with and for children and families.
- Last updated
- 1 November 2006