Transforming child protection in NSW - James Martin Institute of Public Policy

The challenge

The NSW child protection and out-of-home care system needs to be reoriented to focus on the holistic needs of children by empowering their families and communities. This is especially important for First Nations families and communities, who are disproportionately affected by the current system. Real reform requires focusing on human connection, adopting a new approach to risk, redirecting time towards relationships and measuring what matters to families most. This project sought to develop a new pathway for embedding a relationship-based approach across the NSW child protection system.

Project Report

Supporting children and families to flourish

Get a PDF copy of this publication (full report and ‘At a glance’ version).

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Collaboration

JMI collaborated with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and the Centre for Relational Care on this project, ensuring that the work was grounded in practical realities of the sector and the work of government. The project was a highly collaborative effort, guided by an Expert Advisory Group of leading policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. Expert inputs came from a range of fields, including First Nations wellbeing and self-determination, social work, law, social innovation, geography, design thinking and public health.

Expert Advisory Group

Professor Valerie Braithwaite (Emeritus Professor, School of Regulation and Global Governance, Australian National University)
Professor Judy Cashmore AO (Professorial Research Fellow, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney)
Professor Amy Conley Wright (Professor and Director, Research Centre for Children and Families, University of Sydney)
Professor Ilan Katz (Professor, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales)
Professor Lynne McPherson (Chair, Out of Home Care Research and Deputy Director, Centre for Children and Young People, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University)
A/Professor Tim Moore (Deputy Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University)
Dr BJ Newton (Scientia Senior Research Fellow, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales)
Dr Elizabeth Reimer (Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University)
Bernie Shakeshaft (Founder and Director, Backtrack)
Jarrod Wheatley OAM (Chairperson, Centre for Relational Care)
Mandy Young (Board Member, Professional Individualised Care)
Executives from across the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and the Premier’s Department (Aboriginal Affairs)

In a nutshell

hrs of facilitated collaboration between policymakers and researchers

expert interviews

research papers and studies reviewed

case studies from Australia and around the world

This report will be a guiding light as we embark on significant reform of the child protection system… To fix the broken child protection system in NSW, we must do things differently… This report confirms that there is another way when it comes to caring for and protecting children.

The Hon Kate Washington MP, NSW Minister for Families and Communities

This is a very welcome report, as we seek to, in an orderly, considered, evidence-based way, affect an arbitrage from the past into a brighter future… It's the relationalism of human beings that is at the core of the system that we must build. And that is going to be an almighty process. But I think what this report does, it gifts to us, some vision about that paradigm shift.

Michael Tidball, Secretary, NSW Department of Communities and Justice

The Centre for Relational Care greatly valued the collaboration with JMI on this crucial project. In a short space of time the JMI team crowded in an amazing knowledge base from academics, government as well as direct expertise from the sector. The work was focused on positive alternatives and has opened new frontiers for policy innovation across the child protection and out-of-home care system in NSW.

Jarrod Wheatley OAM, Chair of the Centre for Relational Care

Policy insights

This report articulates 11 key opportunities, with concrete reforms identified under each opportunity, to ensure the system provides for the holistic needs of children through empowering families and communities. The opportunities build on First Nations-led approaches to working with families and communities, which are often relational at their core, and aim to align the system more closely with what works for First Nations people, emphasising agency and addressing historical harm and power imbalances. The 11 opportunities span:

Embedding a public health approach

Embedding a public health approach with relationships at its core, through a new social compact, strong governance and strengthened social infrastructure

Legislative and regulatory reform

Legislative and regulatory reform to promote and enable positive relationships and family wellbeing

Empowering the workforce

Empowering the child protection workforce and valuing foster/kin carer roles

Measurement

Measuring the experience of families and carers

Innovative court practices

Innovative court practices to support children and families more holistically

How we are creating change

This project provides a robust evidence base for reform and clear policy opportunities that together offer a way forward on systemic reform to support the wellbeing of children and families. The Minister for Families, Hon Kate Washington has said that this report will be a “guiding light” for system reform in NSW. With many other jurisdictions facing the same challenges in their child protection and social care systems, this report also provides a sound evidence base and policy ideas for moving towards more relational systems.

Learn more about JMI’s Impact Framework.