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Purpose: This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views of 53 service providers assisting Indigenous young people (known in Australia as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth) transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 53 representatives of state and territory government departments, non-government organisation service providers and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) across Australia. The project was designed to gain the perspectives of those working within the system and their views on how it interacts with Indigenous care leavers. Interview questions aimed to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the leaving care support systems available to this cohort, as well as the key challenges facing service providers in supporting them. Finally, the study aimed to make recommendations for policy development in this area and identify potential best practice service responses. Findings: The study found that the OOHC service systems continue to fail Indigenous care leavers, their families and communities. Study findings revealed that Indigenous care-leavers face substantial challenges and that the support systems for those leaving OOHC are often culturally insensitive and ineffective. Many Indigenous OOHC leavers lacked the supports they needed to develop safe and ongoing relationships with their traditional Country, family and communities. To promote more positive transitions and outcomes, effective practice responses were identified, including culturally safe programmes and proportional funding for ACCOs to advance greater self-determination. Originality/value: This research is the first national study in Australia to examine the specific transition from care pathways and experiences of Indigenous young people. The findings add to the limited existing knowledge on Indigenous care leavers globally and should inform practice and policy innovations with this cohort in Australia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Co-existing health conditions and frequent hospital usage are pervasive in homeless populations. Without a home to be discharged to, appropriate discharge care and treatment compliance are difficult. The Medical Respite Centre (MRC) model has gained traction in the USA, but other international examples are scant. The purpose of this paper is to address this void, presenting findings from an evaluation of The Cottage, a small short-stay respite facility for people experiencing homelessness attached to an inner-city hospital in Melbourne, Australia.Design/methodology/approach This mixed methods study uses case studies, qualitative interview data and hospital administrative data for clients admitted to The Cottage in 2015. Hospital inpatient admissions and emergency department presentations were compared for the 12-month period pre- and post-The Cottage.Findings Clients had multiple health conditions, often compounded by social isolation and homelessness or precarious housing. Qualitative data and case studies illustrate how The Cottage couples medical care and support in a home-like environment. The average stay was 8.8 days. There was a 7 per cent reduction in the number of unplanned inpatient days in the 12-months post support.Research limitations/implications The paper has some limitations including small sample size, data from one hospital only and lack of information on other services accessed by clients (e.g. housing support) limit attribution of causality.Social implications MRCs provide a safe environment for individuals to recuperate at a much lower cost than inpatient admissions.Originality/value There is limited evidence on the MRC model of care outside of the USA, and the findings demonstrate the benefits of even shorter-term respite post-discharge for people who are homeless. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is report on a study exploring the views of service providers, both within disability service sectors and in mainstream violence response sectors, about ways of effectively supporting people with intellectual disability who may be experiencing abuse and violence.Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants and analysed both thematically and in more depth from a socio-ecological perspective.Findings Participants highlighted five key factors facilitating or hindering professionals working with individuals with intellectual disability who may be experiencing abuse and violence: connecting clients with services and establishing a rapport; access to information about histories of trauma; policy context; inaccessibility and unavailability of mainstream violence response services; client understanding of what happens “next” after identification of harm.Originality/value Overall the study indicates a strong need for the development of resources, information and tools designed to educate and enhance the understanding of professionals supporting people with ID and to better facilitate learning and understanding for people with ID regarding what happens “after” disclosure of sexual violence or other experiences of harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Evidence from Australia and worldwide has highlighted the ongoing marginalisation, discrimination, abuse, violence and neglect of people with disability. One of the main areas of concern is that despite such evidence there remain fundamental barriers for people with disability to report violence and/or access supports. Significantly few studies have canvased the perspectives of people with intellectual disability (ID), family members or disability service providers. Accordingly as a first step, the purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of disability and violence-response professionals’ regarding the barriers and facilitators of effective support for people with ID reporting sexual violence and accessing mainstream supports.Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design informed the basis of this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants who held roles within disability services and mainstream violence response. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. These transcripts were then analysed individually using a combination of thematic analysis and discourse analysis to bring to light the social and material structures within service systems in terms of how they disempower or empower supports for people with ID.Findings Participants from both services reported that professionals (particularly those outside the disability sector) lacked awareness of practical ways in which they could support people with ID to report and access services outside of disability-specific services. Participants also felt the capacity for people with ID to have a voice about what happens in the “aftermath” of reporting sexual violence was rarely acknowledged. Participants called for education and development of resources which could guide professional practice across disability and wider violence-response services. Participants saw investment in building interagency relationships across sectors as key to supporting the citizenship of people with ID.Originality/value This study suggests that there is a strong need for better community engagement and understanding of the multi-faceted issues surrounding responses to violence concerning people with ID. The findings of this study also outline implications for practice and policy which may be of interest to professionals both within disability and wider violence-response sectors in Australia and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]