Centre for Effective Services

We work to influence policy and systems change; champion innovative service design and implementation; and build knowledge, skills and capacity for government departments, organisations, researchers and practitioners.

Part of a new generation of intermediary organisations, CES is a not-for-profit that helps communities, children and young people thrive.

In developing models for how we do our work, the Centre’s thinking is underpinned by an ecological perspective, which provides a framework for understanding how critical factors that influence child and youth development nest together within a system of multiple interacting levels that include the socio-cultural context in which children and families live; community and neighbourhood; family; school and peers; and factors specific to individuals such as their physical or mental health. Our work therefore takes in a wide range of policy and service development issues for children, families and the communities in which they live.

Our daily work is to provide technical and organisational expertise to support the design, implementation and ongoing review and development of evidence-informed services for children, youth and families.

The CES approach is about:

• Connecting policy, systems and practice
• Supporting the implementation of effective policy, efficient systems and good practice
• Influencing policy and practice so that they are informed by relevant evidence, and ultimately achieve better outcomes for children, young people, families and communities
• Using (and supporting others to use) the best available evidence for the benefit of children, young people, families and communities