What we did
We invested $425,000 in the Enabling Workforces and Organisations for Thriving Kids initiative to help organisations better understand the impacts of adversity and trauma.
Through this work, we aimed to strengthen the way services across Queensland support children, young people and families.
Why is this important?
We know that experiences of adversity and trauma in childhood can have lifelong impacts on mental health and wellbeing. When these experiences are addressed early, the risk of mental ill-health, distress and suicidal behaviour later in life can be reduced.i
Adverse early life experiences can disrupt critical stages of development and influence how children understand and engage with the world around them. Over time, this can contribute to ongoing behavioural challenges and poorer mental health outcomes.
Data from the Australian Early Development Census shows:
- One in five Australian children are developmentally vulnerable when they start school
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This increases to 44 per cent in communities experiencing significant disadvantage
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Queensland has the second highest rate of developmental vulnerability nationally.ii
The evidence is clear—supporting children and families early leads to better outcomes across the life course. Building workforce capability to recognise and respond to adversity is essential to giving every Queensland child a strong foundation for social and emotional wellbeing.
About the project
The initiative was led by the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP) in collaboration with Emerging Minds, Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation, the Queensland Brain Institute at The University of Queensland, and Dovetail.
Our aim was to share learning across government about the factors that influence health and wellbeing from early childhood across the life course. This included understanding adversity, trauma, complexity and diversity, as well as protective factors that support brain development, mental wellbeing, healing and resilience for children, young people and their families.
Phase one: Understanding the landscape
In the first phase, existing policies, frameworks, professional standards and workforce capability resources were reviewed. This work helped inform the design of a trial, test and learn workforce package.
More than 450 stakeholders were engaged through briefings, workshops, interviews and meetings, including representatives from 30 government agencies and departments, non-government organisations, and people with lived experience.
Phase two: Developing the Toolkit
In phase two, the Enabling Workforces Toolkit was developed. The Toolkit is a practical, evidence-based and cross-disciplinary resource that supports workforce wellbeing, learning and effectiveness. It has been designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of different organisations.
The Toolkit was piloted and evaluated across four test and learn sites within the Education, Youth Justice and Child Safety systems.
How this supports reform
This initiative supports and aligns with key Queensland strategies and commitments, including:
Aligns with Action 2 (Phase Two) to support workforce to identify and respond to adverse childhood experiences.
- The Queensland Trauma Strategy by supporting the integration of adverse childhood experience considerations into early supports and interventions.
- Achieving balance: The Queensland Alcohol and Other Drugs Plan 2022–2027
Aligns with Action 1.3.5 to improve awareness of the role of trauma and adverse childhood experiences and embed trauma-informed approaches across services.
Responds to a shared responsibility to establish a shared professional development program on the acute and long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences.
Further information
Learn more about the Enabling Workforces Toolkit.
[1]1 Centre for Community Childhood Health (2017) The First Thousand Days, https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ccchdev/CCCH-The-First-Thousand-Days-An-Evidence-Paper-September-2017.pdf.
[11] Department of Education (2021) The Australian Early Development Census – 2021 Queensland Data Report
