Social Action and Research Centre

Selina is a Research Assistant, editor and proofreader. She has worked with the SARC team for over ten years, recently publishing her own work in our Rental Affordability Snapshot.

Selina is dedicated to improving the quality of written communication and is meticulous in her attention to detail.

Since 1990, Lindsey has drawn on her training as a sociologist to advocate for effective social policy and community programs for disadvantaged communities across the UK and in Tasmania. She has worked for community sector organisations, such as the Tasmanian Council of Social Service, the National Union of Students and Youth at Risk, and for government and their funded agencies, such as the Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies and the London Borough of Newham, where she has conducted and commissioned social research and led research, policy, campaigns and communications teams.

She is interested in systemic change that gives people the chance to create the best possible life. Her work in the UK has influenced welfare benefits, student finance and housing standards. At SARC, Lindsey has contributed to a range of research and policy areas, including Tasmanian family support.  Her current research looks at how to support older Tasmanians to age well at home when they have challenges related to hoarding and/or maintaining a healthy home.

Teresa has extensive experience as a social researcher in Australia and the UK. Trained as an anthropologist, she went on to use her skills in research institutes, local government, the community sector, and advocacy and campaign organisations.

Teresa developed a particular interest in how best to strengthen the voices of people who use services to ensure their lived experience is heard in legislative reform, policy development, service design, service delivery and evaluation.

After working at SARC for 15 years, Teresa is now pursuing other interests but still supports SARC on a casual basis.

Carmel is an experienced qualitative researcher with a background in public health and community development. She has worked in community service organisations, academia and government in research, project coordination, and program implementation. For over 15 years Carmel has undertaken research across a broad range of sectors including education, housing, and public health. Her research agenda is driven by projects that improve equity and have clear and obvious impact on communities and individuals. Most recently she has drawn together her own research with young people excluded from mainstream education and the research of education and youth work professionals across Australia to train to engage effectively with trauma-affected students.

Ellen is an experienced public health professional and has managed a variety of health programs across the public sector in the UK and Australia. She has worked in service provision leading large teams and as a commissioner implementing new policy and practice.

Ellen is interested in measuring, understanding and improving the impact that research can have for society and individuals.

Catherine is a sociologist with a broad interest in the relationship between vulnerability, justice and place. She has a long-held commitment to qualitative research and advocacy in the areas of homelessness, complex trauma and social care. Her current work focuses on understanding the experiences and needs of Tasmanian children and young people who experience high vulnerability, especially unaccompanied homelessness. Her key publications on homelessness include Beside One’s Self: Homelessness Felt and Lived (Syracuse University Press) and (with Chris Chamberlain and Guy Johnson) Homelessness in Australia (NewSouth Publishing).  Catherine is also known for her work with Blackfella Films as Series Consultant and Co-Host of the SBS documentary Filthy Rich and Homeless.  She is on the Board of Directors of Homelessness Australia and is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Social Sciences, UTAS.

Dr Lisa Stafford is a social scientist, social planner and human geographer with 20 years’ experience in the fields of disability and community planning. She works from a rights-based, place-based and anti-oppressive framework. Lisa’s areas of focus are inclusive communities and spatial justice, and social and economic participation for young people with disabilities. Lisa specialises in inclusive participatory research and engagement methods to ensure the ‘voices’ of all people, particular children and people with complex communication needs, are heard. She was awarded a highly competitive Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship in 2019 to work on inclusive community planning for people with disabilities in regional areas (https://www.planninginclusivecommunities.com/). In addition to her work as an academic, Lisa has worked in practitioner, management and director roles in government and non-government organisations.

Lisa identifies as a disabled person and is a full member of the Planning Institute of Australia (MPIA), the Institute of Australian Geographers (IAG) and the Disability Leadership Institute (DLI).

Lisa will continue in her part time role as Senior Lecturer/ARC DECRA Fellow at QUT while working for SARC.

This SARC Action Series paper provides a comprehensive public health approach to ending unaccompanied child homelessness. It guides the reader through a suite of actions to both prevent and intervene in children’s unique experience of being without a home and without access to the consistent care of a parent or guardian.