Social Inquiry and wellbeing

Research

Our research focuses on understanding and responding to social issues and needs, and tackling some of the most complex social challenges. Our researchers are committed academics actively involved in community engagement and research that supports social workers and communities.

Areas of research

Child protection
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support
Disability inclusion
Domestic and family violence
Imprisonment and rehabilitation
Health and human services
Housing and homelessness
Quality of life

Hear about Dr Helen McLaren's research interests and opportunities for PhD students.

Ben Lohmeyer, Social Work Lecturer and PhD supervisor explain what drives him, and the research opportunities available to HDR students.

Featured projects

Collaboration for child protection

We are pooling the best minds across a range of areas of expertise to keep children safe. Our work supports social workers in their capacity to recognise and respond to domestic and family violence in the context of child protection.

This requires collaboration of researchers, practitioners and government policy makers across domestic and family violence and child protection. This project is bringing these parties together and consolidating approaches that are best for the needs of children.

Researcher:

Professor Sarah Wendt

Fighting partner abuse

Overwhelmingly, men are the perpetrators of partner abuse. Our research is looking at new approaches for speaking and engaging with men about their use of violence in the home.

Using invitational-narrative approaches, the vision of this project is to understand how men speak about their use of violence and how this could enable behavioural and attitudinal change.

Researcher:

Dr Kate Seymour

Workforce development to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Working in organisations that respond to complexity where people experience violence, abuse, disadvantage and oppression is extremely challenging. Researchers and practitioners across a variety of organisations have joined to together to support social workers and other practitioners to build their capacity and confidence to respond to the needs of people who are vulnerable and experience adversity.

An important part of this research collaboration and approach is to work alongside practitioners and people with lived experiences to build practice that is culturally informed and responsive to the voices and needs of those who are in receipt of services.

Researcher: