Center for the Study of Social Policy’s Post

Public benefits can fill crucial gaps in access to resources for young people as they transition to adulthood. This new report summarizes promising ways to improve benefits access for youth, including targeted outreach, navigation support, partnerships across organizations, simplifying or expanding eligibility, and optimizing administrative processes, and provides next steps for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. Read more from Amelia Coffey, Laura Wagner, Michelle Casas, and Heather Hahn:

Black Male Youth Raised in Public Systems Engagement, Healing, Hope Receive your copy here ➡ https://lnkd.in/eaSbtppx The plight of Black male children who are removed from their families and placed under the care and supervision of public agencies is driven by historical vulnerability to racist and discriminatory policies, practices, and systems in this country. They face chronic and persistent stereotyping and are at heightened risk for every form of social ill including incarceration, health and mental health disparities, poverty, violence, reduced life expectancy, and ineffective participation in the workforce and larger society. The public systems that these Black male youth must navigate are fundamentally not designed to help them overcome trauma, heal, and thrive as they transition to young adulthood. In fact, when we place them in these systems, the trauma and lack of understanding are maximized. Using firsthand accounts from 200 Black adolescents, Black Male Youth Raised in Public Systems: Engagement, Healing, Hope validates the fears, anxieties, and complexities of these youth. The authors point to the need for adults to “get out of the way” so they are better positioned to obtain access to understanding how these youth consider their life journeys and under what terms they allow a relationship with an adult, which is critical and necessary for their healing. Specifically, the book presents alternative frameworks that invite practitioners to reconsider their approach and encourage academics to explore new avenues of inquiry. In addition, the authors make a case for this group to be a protected class, which would require enhanced and culturally informed social advocacy. Readers will gain practical strategies for moving the art of engagement beyond trauma-informed practice to healing and recovery. The overall purpose is to encourage a sense of urgency rather than fear in every professional’s ability to facilitate the healing of Black male youth who, by the very nature of their circumstances, trust no adults and experience no true safety. #engagement #diversity #belongining #publicsystems #advocacy #mobilization

🚨 New Report Release 🚨 Today, CPD released Putting People First: Social services that work for people and communities. The report highlights the urgent need to refocus Australia’s social services - like aged care, early childhood education, disability support, and employment services - on the people and communities they are meant to support. Building on years of CPD’s work, the report outlines a bold vision to transform social services into a system that provides the support people need, when and how they need it. No more navigating a maze of rules and paperwork or jumping through hoops - just real support that treats people as partners in shaping their futures. Drawing on extensive research and insights from local initiatives, Putting People First identifies six key drivers for reform and four practical steps governments can take now to create a system that works. 📖 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gSUQR8dC

Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia is proud to have participated in 'Putting People First' - an excellent new report from the Centre for Policy Development. The success of programs like the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) show what is possible when important social policy endeavours adopt the following important features and principles: - driven by a shared purpose between government and civil society stakeholders - relationships are grounded in trust and transparency - power is shared and devolved - programs offer flexibility and adaptability to local conditions and other contextual nuances - encourage learning and knowledge sharing A valuable contribution!  

Do you know about The Big Ambition? Children, young people and their families across the country were asked for their input, ideas and priorities, and what they want, need, and think, and now the results have been published: https://lnkd.in/ex9RGcYG   Nearly 367,000 children, young people and their families engaged with The Big Ambition. Over 2% of all children in England submitted a response and made their voice heard. It was the second largest survey ever of children after The Big Ask in 2021. Between the two they engaged with over one million children!     40% of all schools in England took part, including 39,000 children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND), 14,000 children with a social worker, 390 children in secure settings, and 300 in mental health hospitals.     #TheBigAmbition

Sharing my thoughts because it is something I feel passionate about... "The true character of society is revealed in how it treats its children” – Nelson Mandela Not only is it about character, it's about the health and wellbeing of the entire society. 🤎 Think about it... Within every adult is a childhood experience and childhood story. What stories are being played out? What stories are impacting the lives of others - positive and harmful? 🤎 Think about future generations... Children today will be society's leaders, politicians, educators, health workers, neighbours, prisoners, mental health clients, and so on. If we do not uphold the rights of children to have their developmental, care and protection needs met, the health and wellbeing of society will be affected, not only in the present, but for generations to come. The wellbeing of society absolutely lies in the way it treats its children and young people. So what does this say about the way Australia approaches youth justice, locking children up in adult watchhouses and detention centres. Causing traumatic experiences, setting children up to being victims of abuse, triggering emotional memories and increasing suicide risk. Imagine if parents locked their children up for hours and hours, or day after day, or weeks on end or year upon year - they would be guilty of child neglect, some would be charged and many would have their children removed. Yet, States of Australia do it. Australian states are guilty of child neglect, child harm, and abusing the rights of the child to be nurtured, loved, and safe. As signatories to the global Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990), Australia must be held to account. 🤎👬🏼👩🏼🤝👩🏻 #childrights #youthjustice #kidsmatter #protectkids #childprotection

This insightful report from Clifford Eberly and Dr Ryan Martin at the Centre for Policy Development charts a bold pathway to a transformed social services sector. It references the “Supporting Children and Families to Flourish” report by the James Martin Institute for Public Policy, created in collaboration with the Centre for Relational Care. The message is clear: let’s put relationships first, prioritise people over bureaucracy, and see communities as vital contributors to solutions in a system that currently leaves too many behind. 📖 Some key takeaways from the CPD report: 👉 Compliance to Alliance: Replace burdensome rules with systems that empower people. Let’s reallocate resources from excessive compliance to direct support. 👉 Shared purpose & long-term investment: A collective vision with sustained funding can guide effective and lasting reforms. The JMI report echoes this, calling for a new social compact centred on supportive relationships. 👉 Building capability & capacity: Equip social services to adopt people- and place-centred approaches. At the CRC, we see this as essential for quality relational practice. 👉 Measure what matters: Redefine success by focusing on meeting people’s needs and valuing their feedback. Together, we can shift the narrative from managing risks to fostering trust, growth, and community well-being. Find out more about the JMI report here >> https://lnkd.in/g8gq6--n #childconnectionsystem

Another wonderful collaborative team and experience, spear-headed by Dr. Jodi Southerland. Congratulations, Jodi, and it was wonderful working with you and seeing your hard work on this. Here is the article on Social isolation and loneliness prevention among rural older adults aging-in-place: a needs assessment.

What do you think of when you hear "adult social care"? For many, it is almost solely associated with older people, perhaps in care homes. Whilst these are undoubtedly a significant and important group, did you know that 63% of local authority net spend on support is on working age and lifelong disabled adults? These people have too often been a smaller part of the national conversation, and there's so much further we need to go: 🎓 Working age adults are 2.5 times more likely to leave education with no qualification 💼 While 86% of unemployed people with a learning disability want a paid job, only 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority are in paid employment ❎ In 2022, 42% of deaths of people with a disability were found to have been avoidable, compared to 22% for the general population 🏥 There are still over 2,000 people with a learning disability and/or autism currently in mental health hospitals in England, where people stay for five years on average 🏡 1-in-3 18–35-year-olds with a learning disability spend less than one hour outside their home on a typical Saturday It's been a pleasure to work with Ed and other colleagues on this piece and hope it can start conversations that lead to real improvement for the lives and outcomes of millions of people around the country.

Taking care of children for a better world to live in: Taking care of children is vital for shaping a better world. Investments in child health, education, and emotional well-being globally lead to resilient, compassionate citizens. Access to quality education, healthcare, and safe environments nurtures their potential and fosters equality. Supportive structures, community involvement, and policies prioritizing children’s rights are crucial for their well-being. Focusing on mental health and social skills builds empathy, reducing conflict and promoting harmony. Neglecting children increases risks of poverty, crime, and mental health issues, perpetuating inequality and social unrest. Caring for our children ensures innovation, sustainable growth, and peace, paving the way for a thriving future.