What is KnowledgeXchange?
Our sector has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of children and young people being notified to Victoria's child protection system and an increase in the level of complexity the children, young people and their families present with. One of the obstacles in providing services that meet the needs of these children and young people has been that policy and practice have not always been connected to evidence-informed knowledge. KnowledgeXchange is a means of delivering current, relevant and accessible, evidence-informed information to busy professionals working in the child and family welfare sector who don't have time to read research reports or search libraries or websites to find material relevant to their work.
What is the role of the Knowledge Broker?
In order to implement the transfer of evidence-informed knowledge into practice the position of Knowledge Broker was created and funded by the Telstra Foundation. Dr. Jenny Higgins was appointed to the position in March 2008. Three knowledge pathways direct the generation of KnowledgeXchange resources:
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Transfer of research knowledge from the Alfred Felton Research Program to the Child and Family Welfare sector in the form of accessible, plain language resources.
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Consultations with the sector to identify knowledge gaps and deliver evidence-informed resources on identified isues to managers and practitioners to enable them to incorporate new knowledge into their practice.
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Transfer of knowledge across the sector by creating knowledge-sharing opportunities to disseminate evidence-informed knowledge and practice wisdom to other professionals in the sector.
What is the role of the Alfred Felton Chair?
The Centre obtained funding from the Alfred Felton Bequest to establish a co-located Chair in Child and Family Welfare in collaboration with Melbourne University. In May, 2006, Professor Cathy Humphreys became the inaugural Chair. The central vision of the Alfred Felton Chair is to develop the Alfred Felton Research Program for the benefit of vulnerablel children and their families.
What is the Alfred Felton Research Program?
The Alfred Felton Research Program was developed through consultations with the Alfred Felton Reference Group, comprised of senior staff from member organisations across the sector. The Alfred Felton Research Program comprises 12 projects spanning the areas of:
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Quality and stability in out-of-home care;
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Family violence and its impact on children;
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Knowledge in action; and
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Early intervention with children, youth and families.