Better Outcomes Blog — Better Outcomes

We now have a monthly Reforming Youth Detention newsletter on LinkedIn. The first issue is titled Fit for Purpose? Understanding the Six Core Purposes of Youth Detention. Go here to view, and if you’re a LinkedIn member you can subscribe from there too. The newsletter is also supported with a quarterly webinar with the first on 24 June 2025 titled Rethinking the Purpose of Youth Detention: Getting it Right for Children and Systems (these and future webinar slides can be found under the resources tab).

We also plan to launch a monthly Reforming Out-of-home Care newsletter on LinkedIn (date yet to be announced) and also with an accompanying quarterly webinar.

Below we also have 77 blog posts from July 2019 to August 2022, spanning a range of topics relating to foster care, residential care, detention centres, and transitioning from care. While some were topical, most would still be relevant today.

CHAMPIONING EDUCATION

OOHC LeadershipIain MathesonFebruary 8, 2021Education, OOHC outcomes, Virtual school heads, education strategy, David Berridge, Sonia Jackson, care and education, Children and Families Act 2014

CARE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE

OOHC LeadershipIain MathesonFebruary 1, 2021care experienced, care influencers, university from care, care experienced history month, diversity

USE OF LANGUAGE

OOHC LeadershipIain MathesonJanuary 25, 2021Bronfenbrenner, churn, Jim Anglin, Child and Youth care, Ecological Systems Theory

STRENGTHS

OOHC LeadershipIain MathesonJanuary 18, 2021strengths-based social work, strengths based assessment, Donald Clifton, Gallup, Clifton Strengths Finder, Tom Rath, StrengthsFinder

SLEEP

OOHC Leadership, Transitioning from Care, Residential CareIain MathesonJanuary 11, 2021sleep, productivity, Arianna Huffington, The sleep revolution, Matthew Walker, Why we sleep

COMMISSION INTO ABUSE

OOHC Leadership, Residential CareIain MathesonJanuary 5, 2021Royal commission, interim report, Inquiry into abuse, abuse in state care, UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

REFLECTING ON 2020

OOHC LeadershipIain MathesonDecember 21, 2020Brene Brown, reflecting

EMPIRICALLY SUPPORTED PRACTICES

OOHC Leadership, Foster CareIain MathesonDecember 14, 2020schooling, MEST, Empirically Supported Practices, Kernels approach, Evidence-Based Practices, PracticeWise Evidence Based Services Database, PWEBS, ESPs

CHILDREN AND CREATIVITY

Residential CareIain MathesonDecember 7, 2020children's creativity, VOYCE, CREATE Foundation, Who Cares Scotland, care leavers who went to university

POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Transitioning from Care, EducationIain MathesonNovember 30, 2020Research, Care Experienced, Postsecondary education, research, qualitative study, Modernising of Child, Youth and Family, Tertiary Education Commission, Raising Expectations project

COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

Iain MathesonNovember 23, 2020

PROGRAM POINTS OF FAILURE

Iain MathesonNovember 16, 2020

RELATIONSHIPS AND RIPPLES

Iain MathesonNovember 9, 2020

WHAT’S YOUR EDUCATION STORY?

Iain MathesonNovember 2, 2020

SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS

Iain MathesonOctober 26, 2020

RETENTION-BASED FOSTER CARE RECRUITMENT

Iain MathesonOctober 19, 2020

MOTELS, CARAVANS AND CABINS

Iain MathesonOctober 12, 2020

EXTENDING EXTENDED FOSTER CARE

Iain MathesonOctober 5, 2020

NATIONAL CARE STANDARDS

Iain MathesonSeptember 28, 2020

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT STRATEGIES

Iain MathesonSeptember 21, 2020