Conferences
Our up coming and recent conferences and speaking engagements
Doug Faircloth will be speaking at the EuSARF 2025 Conference in Zagreb, Croatia 8-12th September.
Read the abstract from Dougs paper below :
Longitudinal studies demonstrating extreme poor mental health in residential out of home care in Australia
The author has led 6 outcome and 1 place-based evaluations of therapeutic residential out of home care (TRC) services in Australia over 4 state jurisdictions from 2011 to 2022 using comparable methods and tools supporting longitudinal insight into poor and unmanaged mental health of young people in Australia's Out of Home Care system.
The evaluations have utilised the HoNOSCA and also used other complimentary psychometric or other data gathering tools to measure the outcomes at entry into the service and overtime.
The evaluations have measured the outcomes as essential and consistent therapeutic practices have been applied. The quantitative measures have also been augmented by qualitative evidence. In addition, the evaluations have gathered demographic data relating to elements such as time spent in out of home care prior to entering the TRC, age at entry, gender identification, Indigenous status, and placement changes.
The use of the HoNOSCA, and in 4 of the evaluations, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) has enabled a comparison to be made between the severity of the mental health indicators of the children and young people (CYP) entering the TRCs and the populations of CYP entering specialist inpatient mental health services. The mental health services also use these tools.
Key findings are that:
• CYP entering TRCs consistently have significantly higher poor mental health indicators than the CYP entering specialist children and youth inpatient services (CYMHS)
• The most consistent differentiation in the HoNOSCA ratings between TRCs and CYMHS is that the TRC populations have higher aggression scores
• The severity of poor mental indicators has increased over the last 11 years in the TRCs
• The majority of CYP have been in Out of Home Care prior to entering the TRC and have not had the extreme poor outcomes addressed in prior care
• Unstable placements is a key factor in these young people's lives and experience
• The consistent application of therapeutic essential elements leads to a significant reduction in the indicators of poor mental health over time
• The reduction of poor mental indicators is consistently accompanied by improvements in relationships with others (healthy attachments)
• The essential elements of therapeutic care in place to achieve positive outcomes are:
(1) The support of a therapeutic specialist
(2) Organisational congruence
(3) Trained, and consistent staff
(4) The use of reflective practice including reflective practice meetings
(5) Properly matched CYP in the TRC - no emergency or forced placements
(6) Engagement and participation of the CYP – Participation is a process where someone influences decisions about their lives and this leads to change (prior to entry, who lives in your home etc)
(7) The TRC is home like
(8) Regular Care Team meetings (9) Planned and supported exit process (10) Governance and quality therapeutic practice
• Government practices are a major factor undermining positive outcomes in TRCs including mismatched CYP, lack of consultation with the CYP, incongruent practices in relation to therapeutic care and understanding of trauma, unplanned and forced placement changes, absence from care team meetings.
Evidence demonstrates that TRCs offer healing and hope.
Biography - Douglas Faircloth
I am full of hope, and I dream that the collective effort of people of goodwill can improve the lives of countless children and young people who face adversity in their childhood.
I have 23 years of consulting expertise and experience to Government and not for profits in child protection, First Nations support, Disability and Aged Care.
My consulting work is augmented by 3 decades of pastoral and youth work.
I have national and international recognition for impact of my work as demonstrated relevant Reports & Submissions Citations and Presentations published on our website (Faircloth McNair and Associates).
