ABSTRACT Support coordinators act as intermediaries between the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and participants, facilitating access to funded supports. To optimise outcomes, they must navigate NDIS complexities, identify services that meet individual needs and engage with diverse stakeholders. This multifaceted role demands extensive system knowledge, specialised skills and key personal attributes. However, understanding how these factors interrelate and the barriers that may constrain effective delivery has received limited attention. We addressed this through semi‐structured interviews, conducted remotely, with NDIS participants, family members, allied health professionals and support coordinators across metropolitan and rural Australia. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret patterns across data. Two representative themes were identified. “Unveiling hidden labour” examined the causes and consequences of system strain, while “Capacity and fit” considered the factors that sustain an effective workforce. Data highlighted systemic challenges, personal suitability and professional readiness. Our recommendations support current and future intermediaries, including the proposed Navigator role that is expected to supersede existing support coordination functions. To address inefficiencies associated with unclear role delineation and system complexity, we identify opportunities to strengthen pathways towards a respected, professionalised workforce through stronger government recognition, regulatory reform and sustained investment in standardised training and professional development.

ABSTRACT I write in response to the commentary by Snow et al. (2025) on the paper Are Australian students' academic skills declining? Interrogating 25 years of national and international standardised assessment data published in this journal (Larsen 2024). In this response I address the four major areas of concern raised by Snow et al., and conclude with some suggestions for new approaches to using standardised assessment data to better understand Australian students' academic progress.

ABSTRACT While Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was founded on principles of choice and control, for people with significant mental health challenges (what the NDIS calls ‘psychosocial disability’) these ideals often remain elusive. Support systems continue to be fractured and in the context of ongoing policy reforms, it is vital to understand expectations people have of the scheme, alongside ongoing experiences. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with NDIS participants ( n = 30) and informal/unpaid carers ( n = 18), this research explores these expectations and lived realities. Results showed that prior to engaging with the NDIS, participants had mixed expectations of the scheme, with a lack of information accessed and confusion about what the scheme could offer. For some, expectations were also formed in the context of acute mental illness. When expectations were expressed, these were often unmet, with interviewees reporting a lack of choice and control, frustrations with the system, a lack of appropriate services, and encounters with unscrupulous or underperforming providers. Findings should inform policy directions to better align Australia's mental health ecosystem with the realities faced by those it seeks to support. Strategies are required for planning and communication about what the NDIS offers participants to inform choice and control of needed supports.

ABSTRACT Digital mental health (MH) services can improve treatment accessibility, but people with poor MH often have lower internet access (IA) due to socioeconomic factors. As IA becomes essential, we examine if poor MH and socioeconomic status still hinder IA over 12 years in Australia. The HILDA survey collects annual data on demographics, health (including MH via the Mental Health Inventory‐5), IA, employment and financial circumstances from a nationally representative panel. Our sample included 14,955 individuals from 2011 to 2022, using polynomial regression models and margins plots to explore the link between IA, poor MH and household income. While the IA gap by MH status narrowed between 2011 and 2022, socioeconomic disadvantages (incomplete secondary education, low income and financial hardship) largely explained the lower IA rates. In 2022, there was a 9% IA rate difference between the lowest and highest income quintiles. Policymakers and healthcare services must address ongoing socioeconomic inequalities in IA to ensure digital platforms can provide universal access to MH services and treatment.

ABSTRACT The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia require culturally responsive services. The Australian government has committed to establishing strategies to increase the size of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disability workforce; however, there is scant research on the factors influencing retention. This study aimed to examine the factors that influence the retention of non‐university qualified Aboriginal health, ageing and disability workers in New South Wales, and is a mixed‐methods qualitative study. The Grounded Theory approach and an Indigenous decolonising methodological framework were applied along with the COREQ standards and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal tool. Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines and principles for Indigenous research were addressed. Fifteen managers ( n = 6) and employees ( n = 9) working in the disability sector were interviewed, and 11 were Aboriginal. Five themes emerged from the data: commitment to client care; job and role conditions; support and respect; a culturally safe workplace; and organisation policy and strategic directions. Aboriginal employees clearly state that giving back to communities and families is a driving factor in their commitment to their role. We recommend that employers consider flexible work arrangements to support employees in delivering on this commitment.

ABSTRACT Older care leavers, or Forgotten Australians, who experienced institutional and foster care up until the 1980s, are now an ageing and vulnerable population in Australia. This study draws on interviews with 24 care leavers to examine how institutional histories shape their lives and approaches to aged care. Analysis revealed four overlapping life‐story themes: the profound impact of childhood institutionalisation, the enduring effects of systemic hardship across adulthood, and how these shaped perceptions of aged care and recommendations for reform. Participants called for aged care reform centred on trauma‐informed, person‐centred approaches, improved home supports and specialised environments that respect their histories and autonomy. Addressing these needs is critical to preventing further harm and exclusion in later life. Findings offer key insights for policymakers and providers seeking to create aged care systems that uphold dignity and meet the unique needs of Forgotten Australians. This study further identifies ageing experiences that are distinctive to Forgotten Australians—such as premature ageing linked to lifelong disadvantage, heightened sensitivity to institutional environments and deep mistrust of care systems—distinguishing their needs from those of the broader older adult population.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study examines the aspirations, motivations and support needs of 15 young parents in South Australia with experiences of out‐of‐home care (OOHC) or homelessness. Most participants aimed to delay parenting to achieve financial stability, education and personal development, but faced unplanned pregnancies due to inadequate access to sexual health education and contraception. The study emphasises the importance of trauma‐informed, strengths‐based approaches, highlighting the need for stable housing, mental health services, and flexible education and employment opportunities. Participants valued peer‐led programmes and inclusive policies that recognise their lived experiences. The findings underscore the resilience of these younger parents and the need for targeted interventions to break cycles of adversity. This research contributes to the evidence base for policies that empower young people in care and homelessness systems, fostering better long‐term outcomes for them and their children. This study underscores the critical need for trauma‐informed, strengths‐based interventions that address the unique challenges faced by young parents transitioning from OOHC or homelessness. By informing policies focused on housing stability, tailored education and inclusive support systems, these findings aim to empower young people to break cycles of adversity and achieve long‐term positive outcomes.

ABSTRACT Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is an insidious form of child sexual abuse (CSA) that impacts Australia's most vulnerable children and young people. Reports of CSE abuses experienced by children and young people living in out‐of‐home care (OOHC) have spurred urgent calls for improving responses to CSE in Australia. However, limited empirical research exists to inform policy and practice. This article presents findings from a pre‐training survey conducted in New South Wales, Australia, with child protection and law enforcement professionals. The mixed‐method survey sought to explore workforce understanding, practices, and confidence (‘capacities’) with recognising and responding to CSE. A total of 77 professionals working in OOHC services for the statutory child protection agency ( n = 33), non‐government organisations providing residential care ( n = 25), and police ( n = 19) participated in the survey. Findings point to the need for upskilling frontline professionals about the distinctiveness of CSE and practices they can engage in to both disrupt CSE and respond sensitively to victim‐survivors. Gaps in organisational capacity to disrupt CSE and enable multi‐agency working were also evident. The results reinforce calls for embedding a systemic framework for disrupting CSE across key areas: (1) legislation reform, (2) strengthening organisational policy and (3) workforce upskilling in proactive disruptive practices.

ABSTRACT Following the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the Australian Government set a target for no‐one under 65 years of age to be living in residential aged care (RAC) by 2025. The numbers of young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) have significantly declined since the start of the targets. However, most of the reduction can be attributed to death and people turning 65 rather than to people moving into better housing. This qualitative study informed by grounded theory methodology explores the intersection between the housing needs, preferences, and the experience of securing adequate funding, housing, and support to transition out of RAC for nine people with disabilities and six close others. Findings showed that despite having access to funding under Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the transition out of RAC was impacted by difficulty securing the right category and amount of funding, unmet housing preferences and inadequate housing and support. The cumulative impact was frustrating, exhausting, limiting, dislocating and ultimately restricting. Policy implications include the need for a skilled workforce to navigate the transition, a responsive approach to housing that considers diverse needs and preferences, and systematic data collection to better inform housing options and supports.