Professor Lynne McPherson appointed as Chair of Out-of-Home Care
Jun 2024
We are excited to announce Professor Lynne McPherson‘s appointment as Chair of Out-of-Home Care Research. This Chair role, the first of its kind in Australia, is a joint position funded through the Australian Childhood Foundation and Southern Cross University. It marks a significant step in creating a purposeful connection between research and out-of-home care practice, aiming to improve the quality of research and its application in policy and practice to create meaningful change in out-of-home care systems across Australia.
This role will generate important research outcomes that inform the efforts of the Australian Childhood Foundation’s Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care, which leads the way in progressing knowledge about ‘what works’ in out-of-home care. The focus will be on providing the right information in the right format and at the right time for carers, organisations, and policymakers. The role builds on the strong international reputation of Southern Cross University’s Centre for Children and Young People for impactful research, amplifying the status of ethical, rights-based, participatory approaches in out-of-home care.
Awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for Impact in Research and Community in 2022, Professor Lynne McPherson brings extensive experience and a deep understanding of out-of-home care research. Lynne’s extensive networks enable her to influence policy and practice, making her uniquely qualified to address pressing issues in the sector.
As the inaugural Chair, Professor McPherson will:
- Lead the development of a high-quality research program to build new knowledge and drive cultural transformation in the out-of-home care sector.
- Develop co-designed research approaches that recognise children’s rights and promote their voice and agency.
- Mobilise and translate research into actionable strategies, making evidence-informed resources accessible to the out-of-home care sector and the social work profession.
- Collate and translate national and international research for the Australian context.
- Establish and nurture professional and discipline networks to promote and extend scholarship in out-of-home care.
Reflecting on the new role, Lynne stated, “My hope is that this will elevate the status of research involving children in out-of-home care and support the efforts of all those working in the sector to achieve better outcomes for these young people. Closer to home, I hope that every social work student at SCU benefits from this research, building knowledge and skills to contribute to their future careers. It’s about producing good research that is not only rigorous but also practical and actionable”.
This collaboration signifies a commitment from both Southern Cross University and the Australian Childhood Foundation to develop a rigorous knowledge base on how to best address issues in out-of-home care, using local knowledge to solve local problems. It aims to strengthen connections between research and practice, ensuring that out-of-home care research is directly relevant and impactful for the Australian context.
We are confident that Lynne will be a strong academic leader, supporting the growth and development of the Centre for Children and Young People, and contributing significantly to the Faculty of Health and Southern Cross University. Please join us in congratulating Professor Lynne McPherson and wishing her all the best in her new role.