Child, Youth & Family Services

Faircloth McNair & Associates have completed a significant catalogue of work including leading projects across government and service sectors.

This sample demonstrates the range and scope of consulting and research expertise that Jodie and Doug bring to projects and the sector.



Doug and Jodie have undertaken significant projects that have informed policy and practice development, with an emphasis on therapeutic out-of-home care models.


This includes work undertaken for the Victorian state government (Evaluation of Therapeutic Residential Care Pilots; and Review of Placement Prevention and Family Reunification Services for Aboriginal Children and their families) and NSW state government (Therapeutic Residential Care System Development).


The Evaluation of Therapeutic Residential Care Pilots in particular is regarded as the most comprehensive evaluation of therapeutic care internationally, even 10 years after its completion.


Dr James Anglin (Professor BA (Car), MSW (Brit Col), PhD (Leicester) provided the following comment on the quality and impact of this evaluation: 


“I want to congratulate you both [referring to Doug Faircloth and Dr Peter Brann] on an impressive evaluation report on the TRC pilots... The TRC initiative and this evaluation of two-year outcomes puts Australia (especially the state of Victoria) on the world map in terms of innovations in residential care. For many years Australia did not really show up in research or practice meetings regarding child and youth care or residential care for young people, but now you have important practice and research materials to share”.


Faircloth McNair & Associates hold a unique data repository of outcome data, spanning a decade and referencing outcomes of 400+ children and young people.


This enables intra and cross service benchmarking, and examination against other relevant data sets, including Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) community and residential program entry scores.


In addition to the projects listed below, Doug and Jodie have supported service providers in development of service models and funding applications related to family violence responses, child contact centres, intensive family engagement/support services, youth at risk response models, family reunification and preservation models, and have assisted new providers to develop quality systems and policy/practice manuals to meet accreditation requirements.


  • Relevant projects


    • Evaluation of Residential Therapeutic Out-of-Home Care Model

    • The Good Life Farm, Evaluation of Farm-based Day Program (2021-23)

    • The Salvation Army – Victoria, Foley House Evaluation (2019-21

    • Uniting Vic.Tas, Teddington Outcomes Review (2019-2020)

    • The Salvation Army – Tasmania, Arcadia Therapeutic Youth Support Services Evaluation (2017)

    • Victorian Dept of Health & Human Services,  Review of Placement Prevention and Family Reunification Services for Aboriginal Children and their families (2016)

    • NSW Family & Community Services, Therapeutic Residential Care System Development (2015-16)

    • MacKillop Family Services, Outcomes Data Monitoring Trial (2015-2019)

    • Uniting Vic.Tas, Achieving Consistency and Coordination within the UCVT Out-of-Home Care Network (2015)

    • The Salvation Army – Tasmania, Therapeutic Youth Residential Service Client Outcomes Review (2014)

    • Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Evaluation of the Foster Care Communication and Retention Strategy (2012)

    • Victorian Dept of Health & Human Services, Evaluation of Therapeutic Residential Care Pilots (2009-11)


  • Presentations


    Faircloth McNair & Associates support clients in sharing learning and expertise via conference presentations.  


    Following is a sample of recent conference presentations:  


    Cooper J & Faircloth D 

    2019, June 24 


    Improving outcomes for vulnerable adolescents who have experienced trauma:  A Tasmanian study. National Child Protection Conference, Brisbane.


    Faircloth D 

    2022, November 23-25

      

    Residential Out of Home Care: Trauma, Complexity, Failing Up through a system that traumatises. Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (ANZAPPL) National Congress:  Rights and responsibilities: challenges and opportunities for reform, Adelaide.


    Faircloth D 

    2017, September 8


    Measuring Change – Promoting Healing. International Association for Outcome-based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children’s Services (iaOBERfcs) International Conference: New Perspectives for Outcome-based Evaluation and Research on Family and Children's Services, Hong Kong.


    Faircloth D & McNair J 

    2015, February 9


    Therapeutic Residential Care data and practice insights from The Salvation Army Tasmania.  National Therapeutic Care Workshop, Hobart 

    Holmes A, Melrose C & Faircloth D (2022, August 22).  Data & Practice: Closing the Loop of Understanding to Enhance Practice in a Therapeutic Model of Residential Care.  International Childhood Trauma Conference, Melbourne.


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