Bravehearts’ Research Team is increasingly conducting original research. For quantitative studies, the purchase of a statistical package that enables basic analysis is required. Funding is needed to purchase two licenses for 12 months.

Funding is required to purchase therapeutic resources for the Bravehearts Masterclass Series, which is delivered to external organisations and communities. Our Masterclass Series is designed to enhance clinical understanding of how to support children and families affected by child sexual abuse. Our series is ideal professional development for counsellors, social workers, psychologists and clinical practitioners.

Bravehearts is regularly extended the opportunity to be present at a variety of expos and conferences. We currently have no specific items to furnish an expo stall, including signage and a purpose-built indoor marquee. Funding for this project will increase brand awareness and fundraising.

Bravehearts’ Training Team requires five new laptops as the old systems are not compliant with the software upgrades and their current machines are failing.

Funding is required to purchase 6 iPads and 6 laptops for clinicians who provide Bravehearts’ therapeutic services online via our e-Health Platform – Doketela. It is critical that we provide the tools with the right specifications enabling connectivity, portability and technological capacity to ensure we provide cohesive and uninterrupted online sessions to vulnerable clients, as well as complete the necessary online assessments at the commencement, middle and end of the therapeutic journey.

Bravehearts’ expansion of services and staff means that we need to refit our head office with shelving and storage in order to better utilise the limited space we have in our office, which also includes storage of therapeutic resources.

Our Therapeutic Services team is seeking funding or a donation of a rent-free suitable building to support the existing counselling team and expansion of counselling services to support young people and their non-offending family members impacted by child sexual abuse in the Strathpine catchment.

Funding is also being sought for the fit-out of the new premises including office furniture such as standing desks and ergonomic chairs to ensure counsellors are being supported in their work environment.

Bravehearts is seeking funding for the evaluation of Ditto’s Keep Safe Adventure personal safety education program led by the Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS) at the Australian Catholic University. Dependent on the available evidence base, the report is expected to include details such as:

• An overview of personal safety program evidence identified in the systematic review
• A review of the characteristics of effective personal safety programs, most particularly in early childhood education contexts
• A review of environmental factors (e.g., existing school curriculum and other child sexual abuse preventative systems and architectures) that influence the extent to which personal safety messages are adopted by target
• A review of the DKSA content in line with the evidence base on the characteristics of effective personal safety programs
• A review of the identified DKSA program components responsible for change
• A review of the DKSA program inputs, outputs and outcomes mapped to the evidence base of the characteristics of effective personal safety programs, most particularly in early childhood education contexts and the environmental factors that influence the extent to which DKSA personal safety messages are adopted by the target audiences
• Implications and recommendations for the DKSA program ‘grounded’ in research evidence.

Funding is required to extend the role of our Multi-disciplinary Wraparound Support Service during 2023/2024 led by our Child and Family Advocate who provides support services and advocacy to children and their non-offending families, attending police interviews (either at a police station or Bravehearts’ specialist forensic interviewing room at Arundel) and supporting families through the court process as well las provide therapeutic supports. This program requires funding for the continuation of the Child and Family Advocacy role for 5 days per week supporting approximately 25 clients per week within the Gold Coast/Logan catchment over a 12-month period.

The ‘Out of the Shadows’ Index (OOSI) uses a sophisticated scoring system and data model to identify gaps in protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. The Economist Intelligence Unit developed the child protection framework for OOSI, with support from the World Childhood Foundation, Oak Foundation and the Carlson Family Foundation.

Built with guidance from dozens of global experts across academia, government and law enforcement, the OOSI measures the state of national responses to child sexual violence across 60 countries.

The Economist Intelligence Unit is partnering with three key organisations to deliver an Australia-specific index: Bravehearts Foundation; Childhood Adversity Research Program, Queensland University of Technology; and Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University.

The Australian score was calculated in line with World Bank protocol, where the EIU used the State with the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area (New South Wales) as a proxy in cases where there is sub-national regulation.

There is an identified need to expand this approach, through the development of an Index that (a) includes indicators that may be specific to the Australian context, and (b) that allows for a comparison on jurisdictional activities, and (c) through the development of an action plan and Federal, State and Territory commitment, actively work towards improving the prevention efforts in Australia.

The specific aims for this current project are:

1. Development of an Index tailored to the Australian context.
2. A tool that shines a light on activities in each of the states and territories.
3. Independent assessment that will encourage cooperation and improvement.