RQF portfolio
Social Work and Human Services Discipline
Panel 11:
Law, Education and Professional Practices
RFCD codes:
3702 60% 3902 25%: 3903 15%
SEO codes:
7503 50% 7501 25% 7599 25%
Name of
Researcher
1 Karen Bell
Level
M/F
FTE
B
F
1.0
2 Wendy Bowles
C
F
1.0
3 Andrew Crowther
B
M
1.0
4 Sandra Mackey
B
F
5. Robyn Mason
B
6. Elizabeth Moore
RFCD
Code
3702
SEO
Code
7599
3902
7501
Yes
3211
7503
1.0
Yes
3211
7503
F
1.0
Yes
3902
7599
B
F
1.0
3903
7503
7. Lynelle Osburn
B
F
1.0
3702
7599
8. Manohar Pawar
D
M
1.0
3702
7503
9. Kate Seymour
B
F
1.0
Yes
3702
7503
10. Bruce Valentine
B
M
.5
Yes
3702
7503
TOTAL
9.5 FTE
ECR
Yes
Four Best Outputs
Karen Bell
Bell, K. (2006) An overview of assisted reproduction in Australia and directions for
social research. Australian Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society 4(1)
AJETS is a national peer reviewed journal which is included on the Academic
Journals Database (this lists peer reviewed, scholarly ‘internationally respected’
journals only). Reviewers of the paper described it as ‘an excellent overview’, ‘well
written, comprehensive and intelligent’ and as ‘setting the agenda for renewed
research into an area … of growing importance’. The paper has been cited in
submissions by Women’s Forum Australia to two government inquiries (one
Victorian – Inquiry into the Infertility Treatment Act, one Commonwealth – Inquiry
into Legislative Responses to the Lockhart Review). The paper is listed on an
international, quality-controlled database- Policy Pointers (UK based).
Barton, H., Bell, K., & Bowles, W. (2005) Help or hindrance? Outcomes of social
work student placements. Australian Social Work, 58(3)
Australian Social Work is the national journal of the Australian Association of Social
Workers – the professional association responsible for accreditation of social workers
and social work degrees. It is a peer reviewed publication. The paper was rated 4/5 5/5 by reviewers in terms of its original contribution, relevance to the profession,
topicality and usefulness to students and practitioners. The paper has also elicited
interest from other universities to engage in follow-up collaborative research into
student placements. The paper has also been used for workforce planning purposes
(e.g. ACT Dept Health 2007 Allied Health & Clinical Placements in ACT Health).
Alston, M., Allan, J., Dietsch, E., Wilkinson, J., Shankar, J., Osburn, L., Bell, K.,
Meunstermann, I., Giorgas, D., Moore, E., Jennett, C., Ritter, L., Gibson, R.,
Grantley, J., Wallace, J., Harris, J. (2006) Brutal neglect: Australian rural women’s
access to health services. Rural and Remote Health 6 (online), 2006: 475.
http://rrh.deakin.edu.au
Rural and Remote Health is a peer reviewed journal. The article reports on a large
scale research project by the Gender, Women & Society Community of Scholars and
reports on a national survey of over 800 women using quality of life indicators across
a range of variables. The article has been used by Women’s Health Victoria(2006) in
relation to women and social connectedness,by the Australian Department of Health
& Ageing as part of their information service on primary health care, and, inter alia,
by NSW Health for its inquiry into equity and distributive justice in non-metropolitan
areas(2007).
Alston, M., Whittenbury, K., Bell, K., Brown, A., McKinnon, J., Williams, R.,
Mitchell, R., Allan, J., Dowling, J., Wicks, A., Valentine, B., Hamilton, P.,
McKinnon, N. (2005) SERPS Up: Support, Engagement and Retention of
Postgraduate Students – a model of postgraduate support, Australian Journal of Adult
Learning. 45(2)
This paper - published in the national, peer reviewed journal of Adult Learning
Australia - conceptualises a model of support for postgraduates and reports on an
evaluation survey of SERPS. The issue of support, engagement and retention of
mostly rural-based, part-time postgraduate students is important to the higher
education sector. In addition to the significance of the content, the actual process of
researching and writing the article has also had positive outcomes. The co-authors
were all part of the SERPS group at the time of publication and a sub-group
conducted a panel presentation at the National Women’s Studies Association (USA)
International Conference, 2005.
Wendy Bowles
Collingridge, M., Miller, S and Bowles, W. 2001. ‘Privacy and Confidentiality in
Social Work’, Australian Social Work, Vol 54, No2, pp.3 – 13.
This paper, argues that confidentiality has been privileged over the more fundamental
principle of privacy in social work and examines some of the implications for
professional practice. Australian Social Work is the national journal for social in
Australia and is internationally accepted as the voice of Australian social work. This
paper has been cited by 4 other international authors publishing in social work ethics.
Several academics have contacted the author to comment that they use it in their
teaching. Google: 5
Barton, H., Bell, K., & Bowles, W. 2005. ‘Help or Hindrance? Outcomes of social
work student placements’. Australian Social Work vol. 58, no. 3, pp.301-312.
This paper, written with other members of the group, is a qualitative study about
supervisors’ perceptions of whether the benefits outweigh the costs of taking a social
work student on placement. On balance, the 43 respondents reported that the benefits
do outweigh the costs. Benefits include the work actually completed by students and
also the professional development, critical reflection experienced by supervisors as a
result of having a student on placement. The article has generated requests for the
survey instrument from other universities in Victoria who wish to extend the study.
Bowles, W., & Duncombe, R. 2005. ‘A Satellite Model for Rural and Remote
Education’. Rural Society. vol 15, no. 3, pp. 284-295.
This article presents a model for encouraging professional development in supervision
of social work students in rural placements. It argues that employment of the model
will constitute one strategy to address rural recruitment and retention issues for
regional, rural and remote social work and human service workers. Rural society is a
refereed journal examining rural social issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective
and is accessed by professional practitioners, academics and a range of people
concerned with rural issues.
Bowles, W., Collingridge, M., Curry, S. and Valentine B., 2006. Ethical Practice in
Social Work an applied approach, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Published in UK/USA Open Univ Press as well as in Australia by Allen &Unwin, this
book argues for a new approach to professional practice that incorporates ‘ethical
activism’ – a model with ethics as the basis for empowering professional practice.
Endorsed by two major international authors in social work ethics, the book offers an
innovative analysis integrating ethical theory and political philosophy into a
challenging framework for action. Review in Australian Social Work forthcoming.
___________________________________________________________________
Dr Andrew Crowther
Crowther A, Administration and the Asylum in Victoria 1860s-1890s, in Coleborne
C and Mackinnon D, 2003, St Lucia, Qld, University of Queensland Press.
This text is held at 82 Australian libraries, including 25 University libraries; UNSW,
CSU, UTS, USyd, UWS, CQU, Griffith, JCU, USC, QUT, FUSA, Adelaide, ACU,
LaTrobe, Deakin, RMIT, Monash, UniMelb, VictoriaUni, ECU, Murdoch and UWA.
The book is used as a text to support undergraduate degrees. Copies of the text are
also held at the Parliament of Australia Parliamentary Library and the NSW police
library.
Crowther A (ed) 2004, Nurse Managers; A Guide to Practice, Melbourne, Ausmed.
Crowther A, Counselling your staff, in Crowther A 2004 ibid
Crowther A, Managing relative’s concerns, In Crowther A 2004 ibid
This text has been adopted as a Quality Improvement ‘Recommended Resource’ by
the US Government Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
The text is used as a staff resource by a number of Australian public and private
Health Care providers. The book is also used as a recommended text in degree
programmes at several universities and by TAFE.
Sandra Mackey
Mackey, S 2005 ‘Phenomenological nursing research: methodological insights
derived from Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology’ International Journal of
Nursing Studies, 42(20), pp.179-186.
Nursing qualitative research has been criticised for failing to adequately lay the
philosophical foundations upon which research methods are built and so this paper
has important implications for the quality of future nursing research. This article was
described by the reviewer as “a very clear exposition of Heidegger’s interpretive
phenomenology, which is quite rare and therefore would be of great interest to many
nurse researchers.” The article has generated enquiries from PhD students in South
Africa and Canada. It was one of the 10 most downloaded articles from the journal
on Science Direct between October – December 2005. Published in an international
peer reviewed journal; Impact Factor 1.073. Citations: Scopus 3; Google Scholar 4.
Mackey, S and Goddard, L 2006, ‘The experience of health and wellness in mothers
of young children with intellectual disabilities’, Journal of Intellectual Disabilities,
10(4), 305-315
This article, published in an international peer reviewed journal, reports on an
application of phenomenological methodology to what the reviewer described as “an
area of great importance that is not given sufficient appraisal.” Only having been
published in December 2006 citations are not yet appearing however the article has
consistently been on the journal’s list of 50 most frequently read articles since
February 2007, being number 10 on this list in July 2007. Its quality is evident in my
being invited to present (one of only 20 international invitees) the paper at the Global
Summit on the Wellbeing of People with Intellectual Disabilities to be held in
Shanghai in October 2007.
Robyn Mason
Mason, R. (2001) ‘Sexual assault crisis care: Making the most of rural partnerships’,
Women Against Violence, Issue Ten, July 23-31
This article broke new ground in that it outlined hitherto under-researched features of
rural practice in the sexual assault support field. The literature on rural social work
and welfare practice was applied to a critical analysis of a rural sexual assault
program involving partnerships among social workers, police and medical personnel
in a provincial city. In this way the article connected emerging research on rural social
work practice with observed practice in a rural women’s support service. It has been
cited in Australian Institute of Family Studies work on rural support services. Google:
2.
Green, R. & Mason, R. (2002) ‘Managing Confidentiality in Rural Welfare Practice
in Australia’, Rural Social Work Vol 7, Issue 1, June, 34-43
This article, in the only national journal devoted to rural social work, reported
research from the first empirical study of ethical issues facing rural social welfare
workers in rural Victoria. The research is significant in that it considers the extent to
which codes of professional ethics, invariably developed by urban and city-based
professionals, can be adapted to meet the very different demands experienced by rural
practitioners. These include visibility, lack of privacy for workers and service users,
the way that personal information about people is managed and the way support
services are organised in such an environment. Google: 7
Green, R., Gregory, R. & Mason, R. (2003) ‘It’s no Picnic: Personal and Family
Safety for Rural Social Workers’, Australian Social Work Vol 56, No 2, June 94-106
This article, in the national journal of the profession, continued to report research
from the previously mentioned study. The article had a focus on the issues of safety
for social welfare workers and their families when they are working in rural
communities, especially in fields of contention such as child protection and sexual
assault. Again, the findings reported were significant in that there is very little known
about the lived experience of rural social workers and how they manage the real and
potential threats to their wellbeing that may result from their work, especially their
visibility and location. Google: 4
Green, R., Gregory, R. & Mason, R., (2006) ‘Professional distance and social work:
Stretching the elastic?’, Australian Social Work, Vol. 59, No. 4, December, pp. 449461
Here the authors build on previous individual and collective research into rural and
feminist practice to examine the related issue of professional distance. This is a debate
in social work - a profession that values professional status and expertise, but strives
for contextual flexibility. The authors offer a new framework for considering this
dilemma – a practice continuum with the freedom to make ethical decisions on the
basis of the specific client context. The article has been well received, with a refugee
support service in Sydney seeking to collaborate with the authors about how this issue
affects bi-cultural workers.
Elizabeth Moore
Moore, E. (2002), Not Just Court: Family Violence in Rural New South Wales:
Aboriginal Women Speak Out, Centre for Rural Social Research, Charles Sturt
University, NSW.
This is a report of the author’s original research. The methodology involved the
conduct of focus groups to identify the experiences of rural Aboriginal women of
court process in seeking safety from family violence. Two focus groups, conducted at
each of three rural New South Wales (NSW) towns, included individual women and social
service practitioners respectively. This work gave voice to rural Aboriginal women about the
limitations of the NSW legal response in achieving safety, and is cited in national publications
of the Australian Institute for Family Studies and National Child Protection Clearing House.
Moore, E (2003) Rural women, family violence and the New South Wales AVO
Scheme: Aboriginal women speak out. In R.O’Hagan, M.Alston, S.Spriggs Editors,
Setting the Agenda for Rural Women: Research Directions. Centre for Rural Social
Research: Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia, pp. 88-99
This peer reviewed conference paper is based on a report of the author’s original
research entitled Not Just Court (2003). It summarised the findings about the
experiences of family violence and the inhibitors for rural Aboriginal women in using
the legal protections available through the New South Wales civil jurisdiction. It
argued for changes to policy and programme changes that would improve the
effectiveness of the civil protection system. The paper engaged rural women in
debate about the issues and engaged them in the pursuit of policy change.
Moore, E (2004) Toward praxis in Wagga Wagga: New South Wales legal responses
to family violence. In E. Moore Editor, Wellbeing of Women: Conference
Proceedings. Community of Scholars, Centre for Rural Social Research: Charles
Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia, pp. 39-51
This peer reviewed conference paper is a critique of the recommendations of the New
South Wales (NSW) Law Reform Commission’s review of the Apprehended Violence
Order (AVO) statutory provisions. It uses secondary statistical data on crime rates
and AVO applications and determinations to demonstrate the potential value of
evidence based approaches to monitoring the justice response toward incidents of
family violence. It promotes the engagement of justice and social service personnel
with academic researchers in the implementation of collaborative evidence based
practice. Its focus on local initiatives aimed to influence government policy
development. In 2005 the NSW Attorney General commenced a pilot specialist
domestic violence court in Wagga Wagga.
Moore, E. (2004) Designing case management systems in juvenile justice contexts. In
Australian Journal of Case Management. Vol.6, No.2, pp. 3-9
This theoretical paper draws on literature from the case management practice and
criminology literature specific to juvenile justice practice. It sets out an original
community integrated model of practice for statutory organisations responsible for
supervision of young people charged with a criminal offence. The model was
developed in light of the author’s engagement in professional practice and policy
advice within New South Wales that spans twenty years. In 2006 the Department of
Disability Housing and Community Services of the Australian Capital Territory used
the model to develop a case management system for young offenders.
Lynelle Osburn
Witherby, Angus, Stayner, Richard, Foskey, Ros and Osburn, Lynelle Public
Transport Service Delivery, Evaluation of the Demonstration and Methodology
Project 2001–2002 Report to Transport NSW, Institute of Rural Futures University
of New England, Armidale
The report resulted in the expansion of the number of positions and the role of
‘rural transport co-ordinators’ in rural NSW which has improved the interactions
and communication between all levels of transport providers: government, private,
NGOs, and particular services (like health or disability). This report to government
changed conditions for people in rural and remote areas. In NSW, there are now 13
Transport Coordinators - 2 Sydney Metropolitan Coordinators and 11 in rural and
regional areas.
Onyx Jenny, Osburn Lynelle, Bullen Paul and Wood Craig 2004 Social Capital
and Ecological Sustainability: Broken Hill in Moore, E (ed) Well Being of Women,
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga. Pp. 61-70
To our knowledge this was one of the first pieces of research that linked older
women, social capital and ecological sustainability in a single piece of research.
This was original research based in remote NSW. It acted as a platform for
additional research to be undertaken in youth and other groups. The impact is in
practice and in expanding the horizons of researchers into matters that concern
women – beyond caring.
Onyx Jenny and Osburn Lynelle 2004 Social Capital and Sustainable
Development: The Case of Broken Hill in, Dale, A. and Onyx, J. (eds) Social
Capital and Sustainable Development: A Dynamic Balance, Vancouver, University
of British Columbia Press, pp. 176-192
This case study looked in depth at the operation of a Centre for Community and its
attempts to engage a whole community through community roundtables and task
focused groups. It offers insights into the management of community based
organisations and social capital. This article is used directly in the training of postgraduates in community service organisations for critical appraisal and analysis.
This article cause substantial structural and administrative changes in the
organisation it was researching resulting in power and authority being returned to
the community. The impact is in practitioner education.
Onyx Jenny, Osburn Lynelle and Bullen Paul 2004 Response to the Environment:
Social Capital and Sustainability, Australasian Journal of Environmental
Management, 11, 20-27
This research based article focused on the activities and concerns of people in
remote towns about environmental sustainability and identified those people most
likely to be amenable and active in programs for sustainability and renewal. This
article informs the targeting of environment programs to particular groups in
communities. It is used more by practitioners than by academics or researchers.
The impact is in practice.
___________________________________________________________________
Manohar Pawar
Pawar, M. and Cox, D. (2004) Community Informal Care and Welfare Systems: A
training manual. (2nd Edition). CRSR, CSU: Wagga Wagga.
This publication has made an outstanding contribution both in terms of quality and
impact in terms of end users (the UNESCAP, NGOs and tertiary institutions). Its
published sample reviews read as follows:
Review comments: “Its practical focus is augmented by a sound knowledge
of the issues and by a useful conceptual discussion of the informal care system. The
manual is a major resource for anyone involved in community-based social
development.” by Prof. J. Midgley, University of California, review published in
Social Development Issues, Vol. 27, No.2, 2005.
“The manual will be a valuable asset to group trainers who want to heighten
the awareness of workers wanting to strengthen community networks. … it has
relevance to trainers in Australia because many of the issues are universal.” By Dr.
Carmel Laragy, La Trobe University, review published in Australian Social Work,
Vol 59, No. 2, June 2006.
Pawar, M. (2003) Resurrection of Traditional Communities in Postmodern
Societies. Futures, Vol. 35: 253-265.
This paper has provided a theoretical grounding to develop an innovative and
international project on communities’ informal care and welfare practices in Asia and
the Pacific that received international competitive research grants and a Quality of
Life Award from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the UK. The paper
has been published in a prestigious journal, Futures, that is ISI indexed with impact
factor of .345. Google: 3.
Pawar, M. (2004) Community Informal Care and Welfare Systems in Asia–Pacific
Countries – Phase I: Lessons from the process and evaluation. International Social
Work Vol. 47 (4):439-453.
The analysis in this paper led to the formulation of the second phase of the project on
communities’ informal care and welfare practices that received an international
competitive grant and a Quality of Life Award from the association of commonwealth
universities. The paper was published in the best journal in the international social
work field. Its impact factor was .103.
Pawar, M. ‘Social’ ‘Capital’? (2006) The Social Science Journal, 43 (2), 211-226,
This is a ground breaking article, which questions the fundamental basis of the ‘social
capital’ phrase and makes an authentic case for altering it. The author has received
several national and international requests to ascertain a copy of it. It was published in
an ISI indexed journal with an impact factor of .190. The journal website lists it as
one of the top eight downloaded articles.
___________________________________________________________________
Kate Seymour
Seymour, K. 2006 From ‘doing’ to ‘knowing’: Becoming academic. Qualitative
Social Work: Research & Practice. 5(4): 459: 469
This article explores the intersections between academia and professional practice and
argues for a continuing dialogue between professional identities and knowledge
construction. Reviews said that the article is ‘engaging and well written and will
challenge academics to review their own socialisation into academia and to question
what they have lost in the process’. It examines ‘the epistemology of social work
knowledge in the academic context’, drawing attention to the ‘competing value bases
of social work and academic practice’. It contributes ‘constructively to the debate as
to what constitutes social work’ and ‘raises an important challenge for academic
social workers in reconciling these values and social contexts’.
Seymour, K. 2003 Imprisoning Masculinity. Sexuality and Culture. 7(4): 27-55
According to the reviewers, this article presents an ‘intriguing’ analysis of the prison
as a workplace and, specifically, as a gendered and sexualised workplace. By
juxtaposing crime (as gendered) within the context of the prison (as gendered), it
challenges conventional responses to offender rehabilitation. In this regard it ‘tackles
a somewhat different perspective on sexuality (as opposed to sexual activity) in
correctional settings’. In questioning whether ‘a hyper-masculine environment can
truly be an environment in which rehabilitation can be accomplished’, the article
offers an ‘international contribution’ and a perspective that is ‘often overlooked by
US-based scholars’.
___________________________________________________________________
Bruce Valentine
Gray, M. and Valentine, B. (2005) Devising practice standards of Aboriginal out-ofhome care. Illinois Child Welfare Journal 1(2) : 116-123
Illinois Child Welfare Journal is a new journal specialising in child welfare and
related issues with an educational component as each article concludes with a quiz on
its contents. Articles are subject to a double blind, peer review process. This article
was accepted without amendment, except for minor changes by the copy editor. Cited
once. It builds on previous work the authors undertook when Bruce Valentine was the
Director of the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian and responsible for the
development of a culturally appropriate accreditation program for Indigenous
organisations.
Alston, M., Allen, J., Bell, K., Brown, A., Dowling, J., Hamilton, P., McKinnon, J.,
McKinnon, N., Mitchell, R., Whittenbury, K., Valentine, B., Wicks, A. and Williams,
R. (2005) ‘SERPS up’: support, engagement and retention of post graduate students –
a model of post graduate support (2005). Australian Journal of Adult Learning. 45 (2)
: 172-190.
The AJAL is the dual refereed and non-refereed journal of Adult Learning Australia
and is published three times each year. It is concerned with promoting critical
thinking and research in the field of adult learning as well as the theory, research and
practice of adult and community education. The article was refereed. The article
draws upon the collective experiences of students and staff involved in the
development of a PhD forum designed to increase retention rates of post-graduate
students.
Bowles,W., Curry, S., Collingridge and Valentine, B. (2006) Ethical practice in
social work. Allen and Unwin, St Leonards.
Reviewers of this book said, ‘This innovative text shows why ethics is so important
for social work practice, that it is not simply a way of defining and understanding
what is good in practice, but is a means by which social work and other caring
professions can actually achieve good practice.' Professor Richard Hugman,
University of NSW . ‘This book integrates ethical theory and political philosophy into
a clear yet challenging framework for ethical action in social work. Firmly grounded
in practice examples, it will be of great interest both to students and practitioners in
the field.' Professor Sarah Banks, Durham University
Valentine, B. and Gray, M. (2006) Keeping them home. Families in Society, 87(4) :
537-545
FIS is a double-blind, peer-reviewed journal on social work and related fields. The
FIS acceptance rate is approximately 23% of all manuscripts reviewed. This article is
an extension of previous collaboration by the authors (Gray & Valentine, 2005) which
detailed the development of Indigenous out-of-home care practice standards which in
turn was built on the development of an accreditation program for out-of-home care
service providers that Bruce Valentine designed.
__________________________________________________________________
Context Statement
The Social Work and Human Services discipline is the largest discipline group in the
School of Humanities and Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts at Charles Sturt
University. Social work courses have been taught at Charles Sturt since 1991, and the
group’s shared commitment to professional education has fostered coherence and
collaboration. The group is actively committed to the goals promoted by national and
international social work bodies, and the United Nations millennium goals, especially
the empowerment of women, the promotion of sustainability and the need for global
partnerships. The group includes leading players in genetic counselling, professional
ethics, professional practice, rural social work and social welfare, and legal and
justice issues. The research grouping is enriched by the inclusion of two members
who bring expertise in professional practice from a nursing perspective.
Members of the group are research associates of the ILWS and members of the Centre
for Rural Social Research. Charles Sturt University provides strong financial and
strategic management support for its Centres of Excellence, which are identified with
particular areas of research strength. The Institute for Land, Water and Society
(ILWS) was formed in 2005, from two predecessor groups to contribute to the
designated major research area of “Agriculture, Wine Science, Land, Water and Rural
Society”. The ILWS mission is “to be an internationally recognised provider of
integrated research that is contributing to enhanced social and environmental
sustainability in rural and regional areas”. The Centre has been formally accredited by
the University up to 2011 and support has been guaranteed over this period. The
University provides approximately $350,000 per annum to support the Institute,
including base level operating funding, performance based funding (based on grants
income and publications) and targeted funding to support particular initiatives.
Funding for PhD scholarships and to free teaching and research staff to undertake a
period of research only activity is also provided directly to accredited centres.
The work of the Social Work and Human Services research group has centred on the
purpose of articulating clearly the links between social work and human services
theory and practice. Research is grounded in the practice experience members bring to
the research task, the strong links they maintain with agencies and organisations in the
field, and their commitment to advancing professional practice standards. The work
undertaken by group members is primarily directed to their professional peers in the
academy and in the field, new graduates, policy makers and consumer-led interests, in
order to enhance practice, effect change in social policy and achieve increased
wellbeing for service users. The group is also committed to graduating social work,
social welfare, nursing and genetic counselling professionals who will be grounded in
the advanced knowledge and skill required for complex practice environments. To
this end, the group seeks to have an impact on debates about practice frameworks,
developments in professional ethics, parameters and standards regarding professional
practice, and decisions made in legal and justice arenas. The epistemological stance of
the group, in line with the collective commitment to social justice and human rights, is
based on a critical theory approach, where current social arrangements are seen to be
inequitable for many of the groups and individuals who come into the social work and
human services sphere. Research is seen as a means of raising questions and
increasing knowledge about, and articulating solutions for, social problems such as
inequality and inequitable access to services.
Main achievements
Social and community issues affecting people in regional areas have formed the basis
of the group’s research focus. Research has been framed to reflect the vision
statement of the group - informed action for human rights and social justice. With
escalating rural and regional restructuring and a rise in the number of vulnerable,
socially excluded groups in these areas, the work of the social work and human
services group is of crucial significance to the regions we serve. The research
achievements of the group include significant work with drought affected rural people
and communities, vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and women
experiencing violence. Members have also demonstrated their research expertise in
social policy challenges affecting regional people, such as access to education, social
capital and sustainability. The work has provided crucial data to guide policy and as a
foundation for evidence based practice models in rural and regional areas. The group
has demonstrated a continuing interest in professional practice issues, specifically
professional ethics for social work, and how these issues are played out in nonmetropolitan Australia. In addition, members of the group have been engaged in
research in the Asia-Pacific region. The work is of international significance,
demonstrated by international publications, invited presentations and cross-cultural
collaborations undertaken by group members.
There are ten academic members of the group, including six early career researchers.
The four principal researchers are: Associate Professor Manohar Pawar, Dr Wendy
Bowles, Dr Lynelle Osburn and Elizabeth Moore. Early career researchers are Dr
Robyn Mason (recently completed PhD), Karen Bell (enrolled PhD), Dr Bruce
Valentine (recently completed PhD), Dr Andrew Crowther (recently completed PhD),
Dr Sandra Mackey (recently completed PhD) and Dr Kate Seymour (recently
completed PhD). The principal researchers have a strong track record in publications
and several doctoral students are attached to the group.
A/Professor Manohar Pawar and Dr Wendy Bowles are the principal researchers in
the group. Manohar Pawar independently and jointly attracted over $140 000 in
research grants from national and international funding agencies during the 2001 2006 period. These included several internal grants and learning and teaching awards.
He published six books/monographs (includes edited and co-authored), seven refereed
articles in prestigious journals, seven book chapters and a chapter in Encyclopaedia of
Measurement and Statistics during the same period. Manohar’s project relating to
communities’ informal care and welfare practices received a Quality of Life Award
from the Association of Commonwealth Universities. His work is included in the
research portfolio of the Institute for Land, Water and Society. The case study used in
this profile is drawn from Manohar’s international research.
Dr Wendy Bowles has a long-standing interest in professional ethics and professional
practice. As co-ordinator of the student practicum area of the social work degree, she
has conceptualised the challenges of providing support to students studying via
distance education mode and in remote locations in innovative and visionary ways.
Her most recent research contribution is a co-authored book detailing a fresh approach
to professional ethics.
Within CSU, the group demonstrates similar research interests across social work,
welfare, nursing and genetic counselling. Members are involved in discussions across
the university about professional practice issues, especially within the new Education
for Practice Institute. Research collaborations have been engaged in by most group
members. These have included collaboration with communities in Broken Hill
(Osburn), Aboriginal women in Bourke (Moore), child welfare bodies (Valentine),
workers in rural Victoria (Mason), rural women seeking health services (joint
authors), and other universities (Mason, Pawar, Valentine). In addition, the research
on professional practica has involved extensive collaboration with social work field
educators (Bowles and others). Associate Professor Pawar has significant links with
peers and practitioners in the Asia-Pacific.
There are two connecting strands – ethics and practice – that are common themes in
contributions from members of the group. The professional ethics of rural social work
practice, for example, has been a research interest for Dr Robyn Mason, and the issues
raised for social workers in research have been explored by Dr Kate Seymour. Interest
in women, especially the social problems of women experiencing violence, the
birthing and decision-making experiences of women, and women in rural
communities, has also been high. Karen Bell, Elizabeth Moore, Sandra Mackey and
Robyn Mason have all pursued research themes in this area. Further interest in rural
sustainability and service provision has been pursued by Manohar Pawar, Lynelle
Osburn and Robyn Mason. Bruce Valentine is also interested in service provision,
especially in the child welfare area, and specifically as these issues affect Aboriginal
children. This also connects with Elizabeth Moore’s interest in legal and justice
issues, especially as they affect Aboriginal women and adolescents.
The group has active research links with colleagues at a regional, state, national and
international level. There is an active collaboration with the University of Ballarat,
social work field education programs at other universities, the AASW, rural and
regional communities and universities and organisations in the Asia-Pacific.
DEST reported research income
Type
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
Category 1
$8,437
Category 2
Category 3
$47,465
$2,500
$47,465
$2,500
$8,437
$49,965
Category 4
TOTAL
$8,437
$58,402
One or more member of the Research Grouping must list as an Investigator on each grant claimed
DEST publication points
Journal
Articles
2001
3.33
Book
Chapters
1
Books
5
2002
.5
2003
.33
2004
2005
2.66
2
6.66
2
1.0
2.0
2
9.33
.5
1.33
4.66
TOTAL
11.1
8.66
5
Referred
Conference
Publications
TOTAL
2006
4.28
6.66
9.28
22.76
RHD students
2001
Total No of
students
supervised.(This
information will
need to be
provided by
Principal
Supervisors )
No of students
graduating (see
CRGT database)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
TOTAL
6 PhD
6
0
Only include RHDS where a member of the grouping was the Principal
Supervisor
Impact Statement
As a group of mainly early career researchers, research impact is still emerging. The
work of Elizabeth Moore in the area of violence against women has contributed to
policy change in NSW where a pilot specialist domestic violence court program was
established, including in Wagga Wagga. The work of Robyn Mason and colleagues
from Ballarat led to a Linkage grant in 2003 to further explore professional ethical
issues in the Grampians Region of Victoria. Findings of a subsequent doctoral project
have led to local organisations adopting new ways of orienting and supporting social
welfare workers, and the research is now attracting interest from other fields, such as
the Victorian Association for Drink Driving Services. Lynelle Osburn’s work in
community capacity building in Broken Hill had a significant impact on the operation
of community organisations in that town. Both Elizabeth Moore and Bruce Valentine
have influenced policy in the welfare and justice field, especially for Aboriginal
young people in the out-of-home care sector.
The clearest example of impact comes from Manohar Pawar (see case study below),
especially notable for engagement and impact in the Asia-Pacific region.
Case study
Pawar – Communities’ informal care and welfare practices
Associate Professor and principal researcher Manohar Pawar has been working on an
innovative and international project entitled Communities’ Informal Care and Welfare
Practices (CICWP) in Asia and the Pacific, which has received international
competitive grants from the Japan Foundation Asia Centre and a Quality of Life
Award from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the UK, in the year
2001-2002. The research has resulted in a series of publications, including in ISI
indexed refereed journals, keynote addresses, invited presentations, international
conference papers and significant media coverage.
The outcomes of this project have been recognised by the United Nations Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, particularly in regards to caring for
the elderly. The training manual on CICWP is being used to develop similar manuals
for ILO projects in southeast European countries. The impact was also evident
through the media coverage of the three test workshops and the manual. The manual
has been translated into Hindi and Khmer languages to enhance its impact on local
communities, illustrating its widespread relevance in South East Asia, the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Non-government organisations and communities have been
showing increasing interest in the manual. Pawar has received several invitations to
speak about the project. The noted ones are the 2006 Shanghai International
Symposium on Caring for the Elderly, UNESCAP Expert Group Meeting on Ageing,
Thammasat University and Ministry of Social development and Human Security,
Thailand.
The adoption of research outcomes has produced outstanding benefits for the wider
community, both regionally and internationally. In Cambodia, a non-government
organisation (NGO), Krom Akphitwat Phum (Group for Developing the Villages),
translated the CICWP training manual in Khmer, and brought together a number of
representatives from government and non-government organisations to discuss how
CICWP can be used to enhance their wellbeing. Similarly, two NGOs in India, the
Arogyam centre for Health and Development and Rural Action and Human Interest,
translated the manual into Hindi and discussed the use of CICWP for the benefit of
their community and indigenous peoples. To train social work educators, the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences (a deemed university) used it in their refresher courses. It
also has been used to train social and welfare workers in the tertiary sector. Pawar has
received a request to contribute a chapter on CICWP for an edited book on
community case management to be published by the Oxford University Press. The
project’s website has attracted more than 1500 national and international visitors.
End users
Dr. Meas Nee, VFI Cambodia Program Director
Founding member of Krom Akphitwat Phum (Group for Developing the Villages),
Project address: Street 29 House 24, PO Box 503
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Telephone/fax: (855) 12-735205
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Bipin Jojo
(Affiliated to Rural Action and Human Interest)
Chair, Centre for Social Justice Studies
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India,
PO BOX 8313
Deonar
Mumbai, 400088, India
E-mail: [email protected]
Mr. Rakesh Kumar
Director
Arogyam Centre For Health and Development
G2, Shivlok Apartment, New PP Colony
Patna, Bihar, India. Pin- 800 013
Tel. # 9431022881 / 9871315391
Email: [email protected]
Scales for quality and impact
Quality = 3
Impact = C
_____________________________________________________________________
Robyn Mason
28 August 2007