Dr Graeme Stuart

I am passionate about inclusive, interactive processes that build on the strengths of communities and individuals. I started at the Family Action Centre (FAC) in 2003 as a community worker with the Caravan Project supporting permanent residents of caravan parks. Since then I've been involved in a range of FAC projects and now focuses on community engagement, family studies, asset based community-driven development and strength-based practice through teaching, research and supporting other organisations.

I started working with communities in 1983 (through social change movements) and have continued to do so ever since in both paid and voluntary capacities. Before starting at the Family Action Centre, I worked in a range of organisations including Newcastle Youth Service, the Newcastle Community Youth Development Project, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Uniting Church’s Division of Social Justice and Newcastle TAFE. I’ve also volunteered with a range of peace, justice and environment movements including Transition Newcastle, People for Nuclear Disarmament, the Alternatives to Violence Project, Action for World Development, Oxfam and the Wilderness Society.

I have extensive experience facilitating workshops on a variety of topics with a wide range of people including community workers, teachers, students, homeless youth, parents, Aboriginal prison inmates, and the general community.

My research focuses on practice-based and applied research in relation to strengths-based approaches to working with communities. Current and previous research projects include:

1. Evidence-based practice in NSW children and family support services – A project supporting nine children and family support services in regional and rural NSW to enhance their implement evidence-based programs and practice and to identify strategies to improve the capacity of services to adopt evidence-based programs and practice. (Co-researchers: Alan Hayes and Deborah Hartman)

2. Strengths-based approaches for organisations working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - Exploring what is working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and how organisations can build on these strengths. (Co-researchers: Jenny Cameron, Amanda Howard, Paul Hodge).

3. Special Needs Unlimited Group (SNUG) – The evaluation of strengths-based retreats for the whole family of children with rare conditions and the engagement of students in service-learning. (Partner: SNUG; Co-researchers: Emma Hazelwood, Jessica Altmann, Kirsty Stapylton, Imelda Burgman, Bernice Mathisen and Elizabeth Sinclair).

4. What can we do? Communities Responding to Violence –An action research project which explored how to build on community strengths to respond to domestic and family violence. (Partner: Caravan Project; Co-researchers: Dee Brooks, Craig Hammond).

5. The Transition Streets – Exploring the community engagement strategies (both the process and impact) involved in the Transition Streets - a local neighbour level sustainability project. (Partner: Transition Newcastle).

6. Engaging Aboriginal Fathers –Explored ways in which family and community services can engage Aboriginal fathers. (Co-researcher: Craig Hammond).

7. Supporting residents of caravan parks: Principle of promising practice – Identified principles of practice for strengths-based community engagement in caravan parks. (Partner: Caravan Project).

Outside of paid work I have been happily married to Cathy for over 25 years and am the proud father of two beautiful girls (Jasmine and Alexa). I am active in Transition Newcastle (a local environment group), actively involved in the Parents and Citizens Associations at Jasmine’s and Alexa’s schools, and write a blog on community engagement, families and sustainability (http://sustainingcommunity.wordpress.com/).

Research Expertise
Graeme Stuart's fields of research include working with marginalised communities and families, strength-based practice, youth work, engaging communities and asset-based community development. He has specialised in practice-based research that grows out of community based programs.

Teaching Expertise
Graeme has taught in a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in social work, social science and health sciences. Course include Community engagement; Capacity building in the human services; Effective group leadership; Domestic and family violence; School and community partnerships; Engaging communities; Current trends in human service delivery; Schools, families and communities; Youth studies and Community administration. In the TAFE sector he has taught in the community welfare and youth work courses.

Administrative Expertise
Graeme Stuart has been team leader and practitioner/researcher at the Family Action Centre since 2003. He has developed considerable expertise administering research and community projects and in professional development about linking theory to practice through staff development and action research through the Family Action Centre as well as through his private consultancies. The projects Graeme led brought in considerable recurrent funding to the Family Action Centre and attracted research funding from external sources.

Collaborations
Graeme is part of The University of Newcastle strengths-based approaches research cluster. With members from Geography, Social Work and the Family Action Centre, we are interested in how strengths-based approaches can be applied in a range of contexts and the impact of this approach.