OUR RESEARCH

research, policy and reports

spotlight

Senate inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system

The Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) has submitted its response to the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s Youth Justice and Incarceration System. This submission highlights the urgent need for a nationally driven therapeutic approach...

This submission highlights the urgent need for a nationally driven therapeutic approach to youth justice through enforceable national minimum standards to address the significant challenges faced by children and young people in youth justice.
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Research findings – Phase 1: Policy Analysis

Phase 1: Policy Analysis  This document presents an overview of the findings from Phase 1 of the Strengthening Relationships and Connections in Therapeutic Residential Care project. This phase focused on analysing current policies to understand...

This document presents an overview of the findings from Phase 1 of the Strengthening Relationships and Connections in Therapeutic Residential Care project. This phase focused on analysing current policies to understand how they shape relational practices within therapeutic residential care settings.
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Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility – alternative diversion model

The focus of this submission The Australian Childhood Foundation and Centre for Excellence in Therapeutic Care (CETC) are dedicated to upholding the rights of children and helping them to heal from trauma. This is joint...

This joint submission underscores the significant challenges that children and young people in contact with the youth justice system face, particularly those who are also involved in the out-of-home care system and those under the age of 12.
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Submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People: Special Inquiry: Children and Young People in Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs)

Alternative Care Arrangements are the symptom of a care system in crisis ACAs have no place in a modern trauma-informed and child-centred out-of-home care system. The retention of foster carers is a major challenge facing...

This submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People calls for a reconceptualisation of the out-of-home care system to be underpinned by a trauma-informed and child-centred approach to relational stability.
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What do foster carers tell us about their support needs? – Research brief

Foster carers are a crucial human resource in responding to children and young people who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. The design and implementation of foster care programs varies across Australia and internationally. However,...

This research brief provides an overview of foster carers' learning and support needs in Australia, based on their own perspectives, with highlights from international research and evidence-based foster support programs.
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Sibling placement in out-of-home care – Research brief

The significance of sibling relationships for children and young people in out-of-home care is well documented by national and international scholars (Luu, Conley Wright, & Cashmore, 2020). These relationships offer an opportunity for children to...

This research brief examines what we know about sibling placement in Australia and explores findings about ways to support siblings in out-of-home care.
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Understanding the needs of kinship carers in Australia – Research brief

Kinship care placements in Australia are now more prevalent than foster care. They are the fastest growing form of out-of-home care in this country (AIHW, 2021). On 30 June 2019, 93% of Australian children in...

This research brief examines what is known about children in kinship care and identify kinship carers needs and key messages from the research.
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Pulse check survey

The ITC Pulse Check Survey and Outcome Report provides a point-in-time reflection on the experiences of the reform process by ITC agency staff. To this end, the survey results clearly show that the process of...

In late 2020, CETC surveyed 217 Intensive Therapeutic Care staff to evaluate the success and challenges of the ITC system in NSW after its first two years. This is the report on the outcomes of that survey.
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Strengthening connections & relationships project

What is this research about? Young people in residential care face major challenges that can prevent them from forming healthy relationships and a strong personal identity, which are critical building blocks for their wellbeing and...

This research aims to understand the practices that help young people living in therapeutic residential care to have a positive self-identity and to form strong, healthy relationships.
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Minimum age of criminal responsibility in the ACT

  This submission addresses the question of whether the age of criminal responsibility (MACR) should be increased and submits that the age should be raised from 10 years old to a minimum of 14 years...

This submission addresses the question of whether the age of criminal responsibility (MACR) should be increased and submits that the age should be raised from 10 years old to a minimum of 14 years old in the Australian Capital Territory.
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Enabling young people’s participation in residential care decision-making – Research brief

The literature on how young people participate in decision-making in residential care identifies three main aspects of participation: being able to access information to take part in decisions that matter; having opportunities and capabilities to...

This research brief explores the importance and strategies for supporting young people’s participation in residential care decision making.
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The needs of LGBTIQ young people in out-of-home care – Research brief

Young people who are same sex attracted, trans or gender diverse – a population who will be referred to in this document as LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer/ questioning) except in particular...

This research brief provides an overview of what is known about the experience of young LGBTIQ young people in therapeutic care need and how those working with young people currently residing in and who have experience of care can be best supported.
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What is effective therapeutic care? Research brief

This research briefing is an introduction to therapeutic care as a preferred response for children and young people who have experienced complex trauma and are unable to live at home. Whilst therapeutic care programs have...

An introduction to therapeutic care as a preferred response for children and young people who have experienced complex trauma and are unable to live at home.
    POLICY

    our policy and reports

    Senate inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system

    This submission highlights the urgent need for a nationally driven therapeutic approach to youth justice through enforceable national minimum standards to address the significant challenges faced by children and young people in youth justice.

    Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility – alternative diversion model

    This joint submission underscores the significant challenges that children and young people in contact with the youth justice system face, particularly those who are also involved in the out-of-home care system and those under the age of 12.

    Submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People: Special Inquiry: Children and Young People in Alternative Care Arrangements (ACAs)

    This submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People calls for a reconceptualisation of the out-of-home care system to be underpinned by a trauma-informed and child-centred approach to relational stability.

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    PROJECTS

    our research projects

    Research findings – Phase 1: Policy Analysis

    This document presents an overview of the findings from Phase 1 of the Strengthening Relationships and Connections in Therapeutic Residential Care project. This phase focused on analysing current policies to understand how they shape relational practices within therapeutic residential care settings.

    Strengthening connections & relationships project

    This research aims to understand the practices that help young people living in therapeutic residential care to have a positive self-identity and to form strong, healthy relationships.