A consortium approach for child and family practice education

Abstract

Child and family practice and child protection are extraordinarily complex. They require in-depth understanding of intra- and inter-personal skills and intricate service systems, and capacity to operate in a constantly changing policy environment. One way of meeting the needs of such practitioners is facilitating their access to experts working across direct practice, management and leadership and policy-making contexts. This article discusses the rationale for collaboratively delivered post-qualifying courses for child and family practitioners, and discusses a highly successful example of such courses delivered through La Trobe University. It outlines the unique developmental process and model of delivery adopted by the consortium responsible for the postgraduate programme. It concludes with reference to early evaluative findings indicating it as a promising pedagogical model.

Keywords:

• Child protection
• curriculum development
• child protection worker protection
• child and family practice education

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge their partners in the Consortium. Annette Jackson and Sarah Waters (Berry Street Take Two); Robyn Elliott (The Bouverie Centre); Professor Cathy Humphreys and Dr Menka Tsantefski (University of Melbourne); Adjunct Professor Muriel Bamblett, Connie Salamone (Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency) and Dr Peter Lewis (previously Victorian Child Care Agency).