Please find the list of publications that you might find interesting and also evidence my knowledge, skill and expertise in the field of practice.
Bastian, C. (2017)
The moral status of children in child protection: the case for emerging from our moral ignorance
This extensive study examined the statutory child protection context, philosophical understandings of the status of children in our society and argues for the enhancement of children’s status through provision of care, compassion and recognition. By examining the deaths of four children in Australia, the thesis argues for the importance of a system that nurtures and invests in the child protection workforce to enhance ethical and just practice.
Bastian, C. (2020)
Bastian, C. (2020)
The child in child protection: Invisible and unheard.
Child & Family Social Work, 25(1), 135 – 143.
The paper presents findings from a qualitative study of four child death reviews published in Australia. This paper discusses that transformation in child protection where children are visible and heard depends on a system that nurtures and supports the workforce and ensures that they have access to reflective practice and professional development opportunities.
Wendt, S; Bastian, C. & Jones, M. (2021)
Wendt, S; Bastian, C. & Jones, M. (2021)
Building collaboration with child protection and domestic and family violence sectors: Trialling a living lab approach.
The British Journal of Social Work, 51(2), 692-711.
Collaboration across child protection and domestic and family violence (DFV) sectors have long been sought despite the competing priorities found in these practice fields. This paper explores the competing priorities about how workers interact across child protection and DFV specialist agencies. The practitioners who participated in the study identified the importance of having a consistent approach to DFV practice that should be gender sensitive, trauma informed and culturally safe, and collaboration at practitioner, team and organisational levels.
Bastian, C. & Wendt, S. (2021)
Bastian, C. & Wendt, S. (2021)
Collaboration between child protection and domestic and family violence: A case file review.
Australian Social Work, 76(2), 186-202. ![]()
Collaboration across child protection and domestic and family violence sectors has been identified as central to responding to complexities experienced by families within these practice fields. This paper reports on a study that reviewed 21 case files between 2015 and 2019 to identify the indicators of collaboration when domestic and family violence are present along with child protection concerns, and what activities and processes enable collaborative practice at these intersections. The study found that collaboration is visible in case files through activities such as information sharing, referral, planning, and case conferencing. The implication for practice is that effective collaboration is fundamentally relational. It is through relationship building between agencies, practitioners, and families that collaboration is enacted.
Cunningham, T; Bastian, C; Seymour, K. & Wendt, S. (2021)![]()
Cunningham, T; Bastian, C; Seymour, K. & Wendt, S. (2021)
Reunification: Rapid Literature Review.
Flinders University
This paper reports the findings of a rapid review of literature that highlights the key elements that contribute to effective and child centred reunification practice.
Bastian, C; Dunk-West, P. & Wendt, S. (2022)
Being child-centred: Factors that facilitate professional judgement and decision-making in child protection.
Child & Family Social Work, 27(2), 91-99.
This paper presents findings from a qualitative study that focused on factors that facilitate professional judgement and decision-making that is child-centred.
The study found that, firstly, child protection practitioners had clear conceptualizations of what child-centred practice means and, secondly, articulated how functioning teams, effective organizational structures and relationships were crucial to child-centred practice. The findings highlight the importance of relationships that promote effective child-centred professional judgement and decision-making in child protection contexts.
Bastian, C; Wendt, S; Rowley, G. & Elder, A. (2023)
Bastian, C; Wendt, S; Rowley, G. & Elder, A. (2023)
Improving service responses to children and young people who experience domestic and family violence: A way forward.
Australian Social Work.
Domestic and family violence experienced by women and children is a significant social issue. Children and young people’s exposure to domestic and family violence is a recognised form of child abuse and neglect nationally and internationally reflected in child protection legislations and practice guidelines. It is critically important to make sure that effective responses are provided to children and young people, however there are significant service gaps that warrant urgent attention. The argument in this paper proposes a way forward to respond to the increasing numbers of children and young people who experience domestic and family violence is to build capacity in the existing structure and expertise in women’s shelters.
Keipert, S. A. & Bastian. C. (2023)
Understanding practice with culturally and linguistically diverse children and young people who have experienced domestic and family violence: A practitioner perspective.
Child Abuse Review, 33(1).
This small-scale research study explored practitioner perspectives about providing child centred responses to children and young people who experienced domestic and family violence and were from a culturally and linguistically diverse background. The participants who contributed to the study identified the importance of prioritising the needs of children and young people and simultaneously navigate the intersection of culture and gender.
Abdullah, A; Cudjoe, E; Bastian, C. & Jordan, L. P. (2024)
Abdullah, A; Cudjoe, E; Bastian, C. & Jordan, L. P. (2024)
Passing the torch or breaking a cycle of intergenerational transmission of child labour: Reflections from the lived experience of children.
Children and Youth Services Review, 157 .
This report highlights the voices of children who experienced child labour in Ghana. The study indicates that it is important that child labour contributed to the continuation of family business, family income, and reasonable earnings. The paper also argues that there is space to break the pattern of intergenerational transmission of child labour but requires the advocacy and investment by parents, teachers, and policy makers.
Bastian, C; Wendt, S; Cunningham, T. & Bromley, A. (2024)
Understanding services provided to children in DFV shelters: Exposing the ‘invisible” work.
The British Journal of Social Work,
This study examined the practice responses provided to children and young people while they were residing in DFV shelters with their mothers. The findings provided insight not only about the experiences of children but also the service responses provided while they received while in the shelters. Practitioners in DFV shelters were found to be providing an array of services to children exposing ‘invisible’ work. Understanding the complex needs and service provided to children have practice implications for the DFV sector.
Commentary and Opinion
Bastian, C. (2016)
Changing the gaze: Why we need to enhance the status of children.
Social Work Focus, 1(4), p. 29. Australian Association of Social Work.
Bastian, C. (2003)
Raising people: Creating a resilient family (Book review)
Australian Social Work, 56(3), 280-282.