Platforms is a place-based, community-led approach developed by the Centre for Community Child Health that seeks to improve the environments and experiences of children in the communities in which they are born, live, learn and grow.
The approach is informed by evidence and over 15 years of experience applying Platforms in communities across Australia.
Platforms provides guidance on how to strengthen community ‘platforms’ – such as safe and supportive neighbourhoods, connected families and high-quality services – for better health and equity for children and their families.
Platforms consists of a
roadmap,
guide,
resources,
training and
support to help communities plan, implement and evaluate place-based change.
Platforms Roadmap
The Platforms Roadmap outlines a process for implementing Platforms that comprises five phases.
- Phases 1-3 (Engage, Build and Learn) focus on engaging and mobilising people, building relationships and partnerships, and learning about the community.
- Phases 4-5 (Act and Review) focus on the design, testing and implementation of changes, as well as regular reflection and refinement of the approach.
While the Roadmap depicts the phases in a sequence, the Platforms process is dynamic and iterative. In practice, communities should expect to move back and forth between the phases as they continue to develop, learn and refine their work together.
View the Platforms Roadmap
Platforms Guide
The Platforms Guide: Improving children’s wellbeing through community-led change is a guide designed to support services, community groups and governments to successfully implement the Platforms approach in a community.
The Guide provides an overview of the Platforms approach, including its rationale, principles and intended impact.
Each chapter in the Guide outlines a phase of the Platforms Roadmap and includes:
- an overview
of the phase
- key steps
within the phase (including why they are important and how to apply them)
- additional resources
- available support
- check and reflect questions to monitor your progress.
Download your free copy of the Platforms Guide
Platforms Resources
We’ve developed a comprehensive set of key resources and compiled links to related reading to support you with implementing Platforms in your community. Each resource is grouped into the relevant phase of the Platforms Roadmap.
Resources and links are updated as new material becomes available.
Using Platforms | Engage | Build | Learn | Act
| Review
Using Platforms |
ONLINE FORUM |
The Collective Impact Forum
|
Access resources and online peer support from others undertaking collective impact efforts.
|
RESOURCE LIBRARY |
The Tamarack Institute |
Access a library of tools and resources on collective impact, community engagement, collaborative leadership, innovation and evaluation.
|
LEARNING PLATFORM |
Collaboration for Impact 'Platform C'
|
Access tools, resources, links and case studies from across Australia on how to build and support system change through collaboration.
|
COMMUNITY NETWORK |
Opportunity Child
|
Join the Opportunity Child network of communities across Australia that are working together to improve early childhood development outcomes. |
Engage |
DATA |
Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) |
A nationwide data collection of early childhood development during their first year of school. It provides data that highlights what is working well and what needs to be improved to support children and their families. |
ANIMATION |
Brain Builders |
An engaging and accessible story communicating how children’s brains develop and how to support a lifetime of good mental function and health. |
COMMUNICATIONS TOOLKIT |
Framing child development and care in Australia |
Evidence-based communication tools to help raise awareness of child development, why it matters and turn this awareness into meaningful action. |
Build |
TIP SHEET |
Planning and running an inclusive meeting |
This tip sheet provides strategies for planning and conducting inclusive and effective community meetings. |
RESOURCE PAPER |
Moving Forward Together: A guide to support the integration of service delivery for children and families |
This guide examines four key elements to support change: genuine community engagement, connecting the community, enabling and nurturing local leadership, and establishing a common language.
|
ACTIVITY |
The 10 year dream – a story for visioning |
This activity will help you develop a process for creating a shared vision. |
Learn |
FACT SHEET |
Community data |
This fact sheet provides an overview of community data, including types of data and how to gather it. |
TIP SHEET |
Planning and running an inclusive meeting |
This tip sheet provides strategies for planning and conducting inclusive and effective community meetings. |
TIP SHEET |
Qualitative data analysis |
This tip sheet describes the types of qualitative data and outlines ways you can collect and use it. |
TIP SHEET |
Secondary data sources |
This tip sheet describes where to go for existing secondary data and other sources to consider. |
TIP SHEET |
Quantitative data analysis |
This tip sheet aims to support you in collecting, interpreting and presenting quantitative data. |
TOOLKIT |
Ecological approach to planning community mapping |
This toolkit contains information and resources to guide you with planning community mapping. |
Act |
TIP SHEET |
Mapping community assets |
This tip sheet provides advice for mapping helpful community resources. |
TOOLKIT |
Mapping community services and facilities |
This toolkit contains templates for gathering information and identifying gaps about child and families services and facilities in a community.
|
POLICY BRIEF |
Using evidence in policy and programs |
A policy brief that explores the use of evidence in policy and programs to ensure that evidence-based interventions are aligned with the needs and values of clients. |
RESOURCE PAPER |
Implementation in action
|
A guide to implementing evidence-informed programs and practices by the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
|
WORKING PAPER |
Towards a model of evidence-informed decision making and service delivery |
A working paper that explores the concept of evidence-informed practice.
|
COMMUNITY MANUAL |
Kids in Community Study |
The Kids in Communities Study (KiCS) has developed a manual to support communities to measure local community-level factors that influence children's development.
|
COMMUNICATION SUMMARIES |
Restacking the Odds |
Communication summaries from Restacking the Odds explore best practice and process indicators for antenatal care, sustained nurse home visiting, early childhood education and care, and parenting programs. The summaries outline the quality factors that are most impactful on children’s development. |
REPORT
|
Shaping agricultural practice
|
A report by Canegrowers Isis and Murdoch Children's Research Institute shows how Platforms has been applied to develop a decision-making framework to guide work in the Queensland agricultural sector.
|
Review |
TOOLKIT |
Place-based Evaluation Toolkit |
A toolkit developed by Clear Horizon that provides links and resources for addressing key evaluation questions. |
Platforms Training
Whether you’re new to Platforms, or would like to build your understanding in a certain area, we have a workshop to suit your needs.
There are five practical Platforms workshops to choose from, that you can take independently or consecutively.
Go to Platforms Training.
Platforms Support
We have over 15 years of experience in child-focused, place-based reform, and can provide you with the support, tools and resources needed to accelerate your change agenda.
CCCH specialists are available to provide customised guidance and support for the Platforms approach, including the Platforms Principles, phases and steps.
We offer customised Platforms support in the form of tailored workshops, facilitator training, consultancy and coaching.
To find out more about how we can help you, get in touch with our friendly team of specialists.
Contact us
Do you have a question about Platforms? Contact us