Featuring a range of guests involved in making and breaking social policy, this podcast is about how we all live together (social) and how we make that work (policy).
This podcast was created as the central content for teaching social policy topics to Social Work students at Flinders University. It is co-hosted by Dr Ben Lohmeyer and Dr Tin Ablaza.
Unaccompanied child homelessness with A/Prof Catherine Robinson
This week, we are talking with Associate Professor CatherineRobinson about child and youth homelessness. Catherine challenges us about the person we imagine when we think about homeless children and young people. She showsus that who we imagine is homeless makes it easier for us to ignore the issue, but also changes how we might respond.
We also discuss the potential changes to negative gearingand capital gains tax. We use Carroll Bacchi’s WPR question 6 to think about where these ideas are disseminated, disrupted and reproduced.
Want to learn more about Catherine? Her profile is here: https://discover.utas.edu.au/Catherine.Robinson (https://discover.utas.edu.au/Catherine.Robinson)
Catherine also recently published a report on: Supportedaccommodation for unaccompanied children and young people experiencing homelessness. The full report can be found here: https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/459 (https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/459)
Follow:
Tin at Flinders (https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/tin.ablaza)
Tin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tin-ablaza-3194bb17)
Ben on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ben-lohmeyer-370401255)
Ben at Flinders (https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/ben-lohmeyer-2)
29 Apr 2026
Thinking about the subjects of school bullying with A/Prof Deb Green
This week we are talking with Associate Professor Deb Greenabout school bullying and the subjects of social policies. Deb’s research has focused on the persistent bully, or those who keep bullying despite intervention. She also helps us think about the other people, institutions and social norms that make bullying in schools possible.
We also briefly discuss the major changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme announced by the Australian Federal Government. We use Carrol Bacchi’s WPR question 5 to think about the discursive, lived and subjectification effects of these changes.
What to hear more about Deb? Her profile is here: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/deborah.green (https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/deborah.green)
Follow:
Tin at Flinders (https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/tin.ablaza)
Tin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tin-ablaza-3194bb17)
Ben on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ben-lohmeyer-370401255)
Ben at Flinders (https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/ben-lohmeyer-2)
Other resources:
Today’s bloated NDIS would never have been greenlit, itsformer head says. How did we get here?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/25/todays-bloated-ndis-would-never-have-been-greenlit-its-former-head-says-how-did-we-get-here (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/25/todays-bloated-ndis-would-never-have-been-greenlit-its-former-head-says-how-did-we-get-here)
NDIS eligibility will be based on ‘functional capacity’,not diagnostic labels. But what does that mean?
https://theconversation.com/ndis-eligibility-will-be-based-on-functional-capacity-not-diagnostic-labels-but-what-does-that-mean-281319 (https://theconversation.com/ndis-eligibility-will-be-based-on-functional-capacity-not-diagnostic-labels-but-what-does-that-mean-281319)
Presenting a proposed revised definition of schoolbullying World Anti-Bullying Forum, 1-3 November
https://delegia-virtual.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/projects/delegia-wabf/WABF_summary_of_new_definition.pdf (https://delegia-virtual.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/projects/delegia-wabf/WABF_summary_of_new_definition.pdf)
7 Apr 2026
Youth Voice, Loneliness and Silences in Youth Policy with the South Australian Youth Forum
This week we are talking with the South Australian Youth Forum about loneliness and the importance of youth voice in research and decision-making.
The SA Youth Forum help us understand the value for youngpeople and for research on important topics like loneliness of including them as much as possible in making decisions and designing projects.
We also make a connection to the work of an earlier guest onthe podcast, The Guardian for Children and Young People, and her recent report on the state of holding cells in the Youth Court.
Find out more about The SA Youth Forum here: https://www.sayouthforum.com.au/ (https://www.sayouthforum.com.au/)
And on Linked in here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-australian-youth-forum (https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-australian-youth-forum)
Follow:
Tin at Flinders (https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/tin.ablaza)
Tin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tin-ablaza-3194bb17)
Ben on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ben-lohmeyer-370401255)
Ben at Flinders (https://researchnow.flinders.edu.au/en/persons/ben-lohmeyer-2)
Other resources:
Youth detention watchdog calls for upgrade to 'harmful'cells to improve children's access to justice
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-06/watchdog-calls-for-upgrade-to-harmful-youth-cells/106522446 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-06/watchdog-calls-for-upgrade-to-harmful-youth-cells/106522446)
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