Social and economic impacts of using an integrated model to address child abuse

The cost of child abuse is staggering. A report to the Law Commission of Canada measuring individual and government costs identified the total minimum cost of child abuse in Canada to be $20.53 billion annually. Building a... [ view full abstract ]

The cost of child abuse is staggering. A report to the Law Commission of Canada measuring individual and government costs identified the total minimum cost of child abuse in Canada to be $20.53 billion annually. Building a compelling vision for a new approach to child abuse is critical to the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre’s model of integrated practice. The Centre goes beyond simply co-locating staff and coordinating activities. A number of key features set the Centre’s integrated practice model apart from other Child Advocacy Centres, or traditional service delivery models.

In partnership with KPMG, a professional services with expertise in supporting human and social services organizations internationally, the Centre will define what integrated practice is, how it works at the SKCAC, as well as its strategic partnership with KPMG. Participants will learn about a recent social impact study, the results and the approach that other organizations can take to measure the social impact of integrated responses to child abuse. Findings indicated that within one unit alone, productivity improvements amount to approximately $550,000 annually across stakeholders.

The impact study undertaken helped to identify benefits in the following categories:
• Improvements in productivity across each of the Centre’s partner agencies (e.g. police, child and family services, health services, etc.).
• Improvements in the effectiveness/quality of service delivery.
• Mitigation of long-term impacts/costs of abuse for children, families and support systems.
• Policy and practice leadership in the prevention and response to child abuse.

During this interactive workshop, participants will learn: how a social impact study can be applied in the context of a multi-dimensional issue, such as child abuse, which transcends multiple branches of government. Ultimately, participants will leave the session with a better understanding of how they can demonstrate the social and economic impact of their integrated practice.