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Ending poverty through an inclusive societyThis research theme seeks to promote understanding of social exclusion. Exclusion refers to an inability to participate in forms of activity which most people take for granted, such as employment, education, recreation, or relationships. It includes lack of income as a primary cause but also points to the way that disadvantage is compounded by lack of access to a range of resources such as health care, education, housing, transport and community care. Social exclusion affects different population groups and spaces in different ways and at different times in the life cycle. Key components of this theme include:
Current projects
Project contact: Janet Taylor The Brotherhood is a partner in this 3-year project, led by the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and supported bythe Australian Research Council, to understand how young people aged 11–17 experience economic adversity, what it means to them in terms of social exclusion, and what assistance can make a difference. About 90 young people will be interviewed in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Parents will also be asked about how economic adversity affects their children’s well-being, and how services and other interventions could ameliorate their situation; and teachers, school personnel and other service providers will be asked how education and other community services can be made more sensitive to these young people’s needs. Project contact: Janet Taylor The Life Chances study is a unique longitudinal study commenced by the Brotherhood of St Laurence in 1990 to explore the impacts of family income and associated factors for children over time. The study began with 167 children born in inner Melbourne in 1990 and has followed them and their families over the years as many moved away from the inner suburbs. The families are very diverse, including high and low-income families and a range of ethnic groups. The overall aims of the Life Chances study are: The Life Chances Study has reached a wide audience including policy makers, service planners, academics, social workers and educators. Funding for the project Stages 7 and 8 have been funded by the Bokhara Foundation and a donation from the late Mrs Prue Myer. Stage 6 was supported by the H and L Hecht Trust, the Kingston Sedgefield (Australia) Charitable Trust and the Bokhara Foundation, and through the Family Relationships Services Program of the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services. Funding sources of the earlier stages included the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, the Bureau of Immigration Research, and a Health and Family Services Research and Development Grant from the then Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services. Project reports Stage 6 – 11 and 12 year olds Eleven plus: life chances and family income Eleven plus, the Stage 6 report published in 2003, reports on the lives of 142 children aged 11 and 12 who have been part of the Life Chances study since they were infants. It explores family change, current issues including schooling, and the children’s own perspectives on their lives and considers implications for policy. A four-page summary (PDF file, 70 KB) introduces Stage 6 of the Life Chances study and presents some of the findings from the full report of that stage. Stage 7 – 15 year olds School engagement and life chances: 15 year olds in transition (PDF file, 352 KB, 54 pages) This report draws on stage 7 of the Life Chances Study, when the young people were aged 15, to explore school engagement and transition issues. It reports on interviews with 41 selected 15 year olds and their parents, and contains several illustrative case studies. Stage 8 – 16 year olds All the young people were contacted late in 2006 to explore their engagement at school, their employment experience, their career paths and future plans as 16 year olds. Life chances at 16: Life Chances Study stage 8 (PDF file, 412 KB, 51 pages) This report from Stage 8 of Life Chances Study explored the situations of 125 young Australians (75 girls and 50 boys) from diverse backgrounds, their current engagement with school and work and their future plans at the age of 16. The survey responses confirmed the continuity and layering of disadvantage: for example, 16 year olds from low-income families with parents with limited education are more likely than their affluent peers to leave school early and less likely to plan university careers. The findings also showed diversity within socioeconomic groups, and posed the challenge of providing effective teaching and transition supports for all young people. Summary of stages 7 and 8 School engagement and life chances at 15 & 16 (PDF file, 242 KB, 4 pages) February 2008 Stage 8½ - 17 year olds Stories of early school leaving: pointers for policy and practice(PDF file, 329 KB) The stories of eight young people who left school early, interviewed when aged 17 for Stage 8½ of the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s longitudinal Life Chances Study, illustrate their complex lives as they consider employment, training and other facets of their future. Their experience leads to recommendations for policies to ensure that young people are not excluded from appropriate opportunities. Sections may also be downloaded separately: Conference papers about Life Chances include: Life chances: the children's view, paper from stage 6 by Janet Taylor for the Queen Elizabeth Centre’s Conference ‘The Critical Early Childhood Years’ 2004 (PDF file, 32 KB) Life at 15: resilience and engagement, paper from stage 7 by Janet Taylor and Lucy Nelms for the Australian and New Zealand Adolescent Health Conference 2006 (PDF file, 37 KB) 'It means a lot to me, education': school engagement and life chances, paper from stages 6,7 and 8, by Lucy Nelms and Janet Taylor for the TASA & SAANZ Joint Conference, University of Auckland 2007 (PDF file, 42 KB) For earlier Life Chances reports, see publications catalogue. Project contact: Sharon Bond Reports Cost shifting in education: implications for government, the community sector and low-income families (PDF file, 226 KB) Counting the cost: parental experiences of education expenses: results from the 2007 Educations Cost Survey (PDF file, 126 KB) The cost of a free education: cost as a barrier to Australian public education (PDF file, 311 KB) Project contact: Sharon Bond This research investigated the role of out-of-school-hours learning support programs (LSPs) in meeting the needs of disadvantaged students. It is argued that in the light of Commonwealth and state statements about social inclusion, a serious policy and funding commitment to such programs is required as a key element of the implementation of the COAG National Plans for education reform. Report Learning support programs: education reform beyond the classroom (PDF file, 347 KB) May 2009 Personal Support Programme evaluation The Brotherhood of St Laurence, Melbourne Citymission and Hanover Welfare Services undertook an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Commonwealth-funded Personal Support Programme, which aims to assist job seekers with multiple, non-vocational barriers. This followed the group’s evaluation of the earlier Community Support Program in 2000. The study tracked a group of PSP participants over a 12-month period and examined the attainment of participant goals, economic and social outcomes, and change in the number and severity of barriers. Consultations were held with PSP providers, Centrelink and FaCSIA, as well as focus groups with a smaller number of participants. Other key areas assessed included the service delivery model; resources and funding; referral, transition and exit arrangements; and changes from the CSP. The research found that after involvement in the program participants had somewhat higher levels of economic and social participation and less interference from barriers. Many elements of the PSP model are consistent with best practice overseas, but two serious weaknesses are the lack of integrated employment support and the severely limited funding restricting access to specialist services for participants. Reports Personal Support Programme evaluation: interim report (PDF file, 298 KB) October 2005 Making it work: promoting participation of job seekers with multiple barriers through the Personal Support Programme (PDF file, 802 KB) 2007 Related papers Daniel Perkins and Lucy Nelms, Assisting the most disadvantaged job seekers, (PDF file, 71 KB), presented at the CofFEE Conference, University of Newcastle, 8–10 November 2004. Daniel Perkins, Improving employment participation for welfare recipients facing personal barriers, (PDF file, 78 KB), presented at the Social Policy Association Conference, Birmingham, 18–20 July 2006. Breaking Cycles, Building Futures The Breaking Cycles, Building Futures (BCBF) Project was a Victorian Government initiative, funded by the Premier’s Drug Prevention Council, as part of the Best Start Strategy. Its aim was to identify, implement and evaluate strategies to promote more inclusive antenatal and universal early childhood services, which better engage and assist vulnerable families. The Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) was contracted by the Victorian Government to undertake this project. The Brotherhood acknowledges the importance of efforts to support vulnerable children and their parents, not only as a vital immediate measure, but also as a strategy to prevent future poverty and social exclusion. The BCBF Project was undertaken in four stages: A report of the first three stages was published by the Department of Human Services as part of the Best Start program. Stage 4 of the project involves implementing and evaluating selected strategies to increase vulnerable families' access to and use of early childhood services, piloted in Greater Shepparton, Maribyrnong and Whittlesea. A report of this stage is currently being reviewed by DHS. The Brotherhood undertakes a variety of research and advocacy work into the reform of social security policies and administration. Recent research includes: Welfare to work for people with chronic health problems This project will explore how Australia's 'welfare to work' system could better assist people with a significant long-term health problem or disability. It includes a literature review of disability employment services, analysis of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) data re indicators of labour force participation and a survey of people with health problems, carried out with the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Centre for Public Policy at the University of Melbourne. The project will produce recommendations for reforms of government policy and programs for these people. Social exclusion of older people This research contributed to improved understanding of older people living in poverty, with a view to assisting service developments and policy initiatives. Reports Who's going to care? Informal care and an ageing population (PDF file, 394 KB) The Brotherhood of St Laurence and The Myer Foundation supported research into the future demand and supply of informal care for older Australians, commissioned by Carers Australia and carried out by Simon Kelly and Richard Percival of NATSEM, University of Canberra. Social exclusion among older people: a preliminary study from inner city Melbourne November 2005 (PDF file, 125 KB) Outcomes for older people with complex or chronic care needs Involving a partnership between the Brotherhood of St Laurence and La Trobe University, this 12-month longitudinal study explored the take-up of community services recommended by aged care assessments of older people. Download the full report (54 pages, PDF file, 257 KB) or the four-page summary. Refugees and regional settlement Project contact: Janet Taylor In response to policies to encourage migrant and refugees to settle in regional areas, the Brotherhood of St Laurence investigated the settlement experiences of two recent refugee groups (Iraqi and Sudanese) in regional Victoria (Shepparton, Colac and Warrnambool) and examined factors that promote successful settlement. The findings of this exploratory study are presented in Refugees and regional settlement: Balancing priorities (PDF file, 277 KB) A 2-page summary (PDF file, 28 KB) is also available. Related materials Refugees and social exclusion: what the literature says (PDF file, 104 KB) article published in Migration Action, vol.XXVI, no.2, 2004, pp.16–31. Refugees and regional settlement: win-win? (PDF file, 33 KB), paper delivered at Australian Social Policy Conference 2005. Social exclusion in Boroondara This Brotherhood of St Laurence study, commissioned by Camcare, the Rotary Club of Hawthorn and Foundation Boroondara, aimed to quantify the problem of children growing up in poverty in Boroondara, a local government area in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Two reports have been published: Social exclusion in Boroondara: Stage One: Scoping published data on child poverty in Boroondara and Recommendations for Stage Two (PDF file, 222 KB) September 2005 Social exclusion in Boroondara: Stage Two: Identifying the issues for children who experience social exclusion in Boroondara (PDF file, 420 KB) March 2007 Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage Project contact: Janet Taylor Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage, a major project supported by a Linkages grant from the Australian Research Council, was led by Professor Peter Saunders from the Social Policy Research Centre of the University of New South Wales, with Janet Taylor (BSL) and Peter Davison (ACOSS) as partner investigators. Mission Australia and Anglicare Diocese of Sydney were other industry partners. Experiencing poverty: the voices of low income Australians (PDF file, 237KB) report on the first stage of the project. New indicators of disadvantage: Victorian voices (PDF file, 35KB), paper presented at VCOSS Congress 2005. The Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage Project: bulletin no. 1: identifying the essentials of life (PDF file, 52KB), first bulletin on the second stage, November 2006. The Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage Project: bulletin no. 2: deprivation in Australia (PDF file, 236 KB), second bulletin on the second stage, May 2007. The Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage Project: bulletin no.3: social exclusion in Australia (PDF file, 308 KB), third bulletin on the second stage, November 2007. Left out and missing out: voices from the margins: snapshot 2007 (PDF file, 483 KB) October 2007. Left out and missing out: disability and disadvantage: snapshot 2007 (PDF file, 339 KB) December 2007. Towards New Indicators of Disadvantage Project: bulletin no.4: social exclusion and children (PDF file, 188 KB), fourth bulletin on the second stage, March 2008 Towards new indicators of disadvantage: deprivation and social exclusion (PDf file, 826 KB), final report of second stage, November 2007. The Social BarometerProject contact: Rosanna Scutella The concept of poverty, or deprivation, has always been recognised as having multiple dimensions. But since many of these are hard to measure, people’s incomes became the rather narrow focus of poverty measurement. In recent years, the problems of this income focus have become more apparent. Governments are moving away from talking about income poverty and focusing on broader issues of disadvantage through frameworks of either social exclusion or capability deprivation. The Brotherhood of St Laurence has set out to more accurately reflect disadvantage in Australia, explicitly recognising its multiple dimensions. Indicators include life expectancy and other physical and mental health related outcomes, literacy and educational attainment; social relations; access to services; opportunities in the labour market; housing; and economic resources. The initial stage of this research highlighted the situation of children. Read the 5-page overview The Brotherhood’s Social Barometer: Children’s Chances (PDF file, 131 KB) The second stage considered the situation of young people aged 12 to 24 years. Download the research report The Brotherhood's Social Barometer: challenges facing Australian youth (PDF file, 200 KB) or the 4-page summary The third stage focused on Australians of working age. Download the research report, The Brotherhood's Social Barometer: the working years (PDF file, 214 KB) or the 4-page summary (163 KB). Investigating transport disadvantage Project contact: Janet Stanley The Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Monash University Institute of Transport Studies, the Bus Association of Victoria and the Victorian Department of Infrastructure are partners in the first comprehensive study of transport disadvantage in Australia. The Australian Research Council funded project, 'Investigating transport disadvantage, social exclusion and wellbeing in metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria', will compare the mobility needs and travel and activity patterns of disadvantaged and advantaged Victorians and investigate links with access to transport. The research will evaluate poor access to transport as a cause of social exclusion and explore how this relates to other causes. A recent book edited by Graham Currie, Janet Stanley and John Stanley, No way to go, (published in 2007), canvasses the issues.  back to top
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