Ms Susan Webster
BA, MPHC (Melb)
PhD
Comprehensive health assessment of children and young people entering out-of-home care in Australia
Thesis Description
The number of children in out-of-home care in Australia has increased by 102% since 1997. Most of those in such care have experienced child abuse or neglect which is associated with an increased risk of developing complex and chronic health problems.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has recommended that all children in out-of-home care receive comprehensive assessments of their health and well-being and governments are increasingly developing care standards based on these recommendations. However no state child welfare system in Australia has yet achieved such standards. Commonwealth and state governments have a vital interest in how care systems can be developed to meet the RACP recommended standards.
This PhD study aims to explore and explain factors in the Australian health sector that influence the achievement of recommended standards for comprehensive health assessment for children and young people in out-of-home care.
Key Collaborators
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Prof Cathy Humphreys, Department of Social Work, University of Melbourne
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Dr Lena Sanci, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
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Dr Anne Smith, Victorian Forensic Paediatric Medical Service, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
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A/ Prof Meredith Temple-Smith, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
Contact Details
Department of General Practice
200 Berkeley Street
Carlton Victoria 3053
Australia
Tel: +61 3 9035 5834
Fax: +61 3 9347 6163
Email: s.webster@pgrad.unimelb.edu.au