ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how practitioners’ expertise was harnessed through communities of practice to drive research and practice improvements in the domestic and family violence arena in three Australian states: Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The Safe and Together Addressing ComplexitY (STACY) project was developed in the context of a practice and policy shift towards working with fathers who use violence alongside a clarion call to develop a more integrated response to women and children impacted by the complex intersection of domestic and family violence, mental health and substance misuse issues in either or both parents. We propose that practice-led research drawing upon principles of co-design is a necessity when the area under examination poses significant risks to practitioners working in an area of high risk and complexity. The engagement of practitioners as active members of research teams composed of researchers, practice leaders, senior managers and practice consultants is critical if their experiences are to contribute to the application of research in practice. Practice-led, co-designed research was an effective methodology that enabled the research team to simultaneously investigate and build the organisational capacity of services. The chapter reports on some of the changes that occurred in relation to professional practice and interagency working. Moreover, the organisational changes necessary to sustain ongoing development towards collaborative and holistic service delivery in this complex area of practice are discussed.
