The Learning System

An essential enabler for the redesign is for the sector to become a learning system, where outcomes are measured and children and families services are continually re-evaluated, refined and improved.

The ‘sector’ includes all organisations that provide support to vulnerable children, young people and families, spanning across universal, targeted and tertiary services and including the Department of Health and Human Services.

OPEN is a critical element of the learning system architecture,  building workforce capability and knowledge to engage with this work.

There are a range of projects underway that will support the sector to operate as a learning system. Click on the links below to find out more:

• Common Elements Approach trials – The Common Elements Approach is a trial in five sites across a range of Victorian settings for implementing the common elements in child and family services.
• Menu of Evidence-informed Practices and Programs – The Menu of Evidence (the Menu) is now live. This online portal is a searchable repository of the best available evidence on what works for improving outcomes for children, young people, families, and carers.
• Children and Families Research Strategy – Children and Families Research Strategy – defines the research priority areas to strategically focus efforts and resources; and describes the ways in which the sector can work together as a learning system.
• Learning System Grants – To support the learning system, the Victorian government has made available funding in the form of learning system grants to enable service providers to undertake projects that improve practice. The aim of the grants is to strengthen the sector’s capacity to generate and apply evidence (including data, analytics, evaluation and research). Partnerships between service providers and researchers are encouraged.
• IDEAS Projects – a free service to DHHS-funded OPEN members supporting services to streamline data collection and management including identifying the right tools to collect high quality data and planning for outcomes measurement.
• Children and Families Service System Outcome Framework – The Department of Health and Human Services is developing a transformed child and family system model, focusing on early intervention, place, common client pathways and quality and safety. This new system model is supported by a draft outcomes framework that articulates outcomes for children, young people and families, as well as outcomes for the service system that can be translated and embedded into practice. This framework will serve as a platform for the consistent systemic measurement of outcomes across a range of service delivery settings, and contribute to the building of an evidence base to drive future decision making.