None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Financial hardship can have a major deleterious impact on the health and wellbeing of children and their families. In Australia, 1 in 6 children live in poverty, and one quarter experience deprivation (such as missing out on proper nutrition, housing and supportive personal relationships) due to financial hardship. Government aims to provide social care and support services to protect families from financial hardship; however, many families miss out. This pilot study aims to test the feasibility and short-term impact of financial counselling offered to families experiencing or at-risk of financial hardship, by systematising referral pathways between the free, universal Maternal and Child Health Service/Child and Family Health Nursing Service and a free, community-based financial counselling service.
Interventions
The intervention is referral to financial counselling by Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses (also known as Child and Family Health (CFH) nurses). In Australia, financial counselling is free. It is administered by an independent and accredited financial counsellor in the non-government community sector. The intervention uses a client-centred approach to determine the frequency, duration, mode of delivery and activities delivered. An independent interpreter service may assist participants who
The intervention is referral to financial counselling by Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurses (also known as Child and Family Health (CFH) nurses). In Australia, financial counselling is free. It is administered by an independent and accredited financial counsellor in the non-government community sector. The intervention uses a client-centred approach to determine the frequency, duration, mode of delivery and activities delivered. An independent interpreter service may assist participants who prefer to use a language other than English. Financial counselling activities are intended to improve a participant’s financial situation, and may include (but are not limited to) goal and priority-setting; explaining options and consequences of financial decisions; checking eligibility for government assistance; application for hardship variation; debt negotiation with creditors; assistance with planning finances and budgets; and referral to other health and social services. Participants have as many visits or contacts with the financial counsellor as needed. At 3- and 6-months post-enrolment, financial counsellors will be asked to complete a questionnaire asking about goals initially set; frequency of participant contact and compliance; specific activities and advice delivered; and known changes in participant financial status. At 3- and 6-months post-enrolment, participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire to assess the primary and secondary outcomes.
Sponsors
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
10 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
• The parent or carer of a young child (defined by the maternal and child health (MCH)/child and family health (CFH) nursing service as birth to age 5 years); • A client of the participating MCH/CFH service. • Lives inside the geographical boundaries serviced by the participating financial counselling service. • Provides a signed and dated informed consent form. • Reports at least one risk factor for financial hardship, as screened by MCH/CFH nurse. Note, parents of any age are eligible, hence the young minimum age specified.
Exclusion criteria
• Does not comprehend the recruitment invitation. • Already enrolled and assigned a research participant ID. • Has no mechanism for contact (telephone or email). • Already an active client in a financial counselling service.
Outcome results
None listed