Item

Making sense of child protection practice: Enabling transformational change: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Planning at Lincoln University

Staines, Hannah
Date
2019
Type
Dissertation
Fields of Research
ANZSRC::150312 Organisational Planning and Management , ANZSRC::150311 Organisational Behaviour , ANZSRC::160510 Public Policy , ANZSRC::160512 Social Policy , ANZSRC::160703 Social Program Evaluation , ANZSRC::160805 Social Change , ANZSRC::160806 Social Theory , ANZSRC::160807 Sociological Methodology and Research Methods
Abstract
Facilitating organisational transformation in response to changing institutional frameworks can often overlook the intricacies of organisational and everyday practices. Linear behaviour change models which focus on contributing causes and external driving forces dominate today’s policy arena. Critics of such models, such as prominent practice theorists Elizabeth Shove and her colleagues, argue that current approaches are often too individualistic and fail to appreciate the influence of social relations, material infrastructures and situational contexts which are integral to the performance of practices. Consideration beyond restrictive behaviour change paradigms opens pathways for achieving transformational change. The Children’s Act 2014 is one example of recent public policy trying to generate transformative organisational change. It has embraced a suite of measures to protect and improve the wellbeing of children at risk of harm and strengthen New Zealand’s child protection system. Two key changes include mandating child protection policies for prescribed State services and their funded providers, as well as safety checking processes. Through applying practice theory concepts, this dissertation is an exploration of child protection policies and processes which have overlooked the complexities of child protection practices. By focussing on a case study of an aeromedical provider contracted by the Ministry of Health, it explains that while policy can provide the rules of what must be done in practice, the interpretation of these rules is dependent on material infrastructures, understanding and know-how, and shared ideas and values. For enabling transformational change and to ultimately achieve desired child protection outcomes it is essential to recognise these key ingredients.
Source DOI
Rights
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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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