Acknowledgements
The original version of this website was produced as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage project on the history of Kew Cottages conducted at La Trobe University. The Chief Investigators were Professor Richard Broome and Associate Professor Katie Holmes from the History Program and Professor Christine Bigby from the Living with Disability Research Centre. The Industry (Linkage) partner was the Victorian Department of Human Services, which provided key financial, material and intellectual support.
The Manager of Kew Residential Services Redevelopment, Ms Alma Adams, and Project Officer, Ms Kerrie Soraghan, provided invaluable support to the project.
The support of the Australian Research Council is gratefully acknowledged.
Due to changed technology the website was substantially rebuilt in 2022 by Linda Wong with the support of funding and research assistance from the Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University.
The research partners would also like to thank the following organisations for their assistance for this website:
The State Library of Victoria; Interact Australia; Royal Melbourne Hospital Health Sciences Library incorporating the Victorian Mental Health Library; Public Records Office, Victoria; National Library of Australia; Department of Human Services Archival Services; Wellcome Library, London; The Age archives; Herald and Weekly Times Ltd; Kew Cottages Parents’ Association; Fairfax.
The assistance of the following individuals is also gratefully acknowledged:
Dr Christine Dew; Astrid and Selga Judge; Ian McNaughton; Nan and Rhyll Rivett; Norma Sutherland; Dr Marjorie Tipping; Sally White; Dr Yvonne Ward; Cameron Rose; John Tebbutt and Michelle Rayner.
Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. If anyone has further information they should contact:
Professor Christine Bigby, c.bigby@latrobe.edu.au
Professor Katie Holmes, k.holmes@latrobe.edu.au
Professor Richard Broome, r.broome@latrobe.edu.au
Website Credits
Concept: Corinne Manning; Lee-Ann Monk; Cameron Rose; Kerrie Soraghan
Website development and design: Cameron Rose; Amber Benjafield; Linda Wong
Content development: Corinne Manning; Lee-Ann Monk
Project coordination: Kerrie Soraghan; Christine Bigby
More information on the Kew Redevelopment
The redevelopment of Kew Residential Services (formerly Kew Cottages) was completed in April 2008, when the last 100 residents moved into new homes on the site.
Through the redevelopment of Kew Residential Services, and the closure of the institution, more than 460 former residents are now living in new houses in the community.
Outcomes of the Closure of Kew Cottages
Kew Cottages was closed in April 2008. Professor Christine Bigby and Dr Tim Clement from the Living with Disability Research Centre undertook a four-year research study that examined the outcomes for residents who moved to the community and explored how best to support them to lead fulfilling lives. The study was funded by the Department of Human Services and was called Making Life Good in the Community. It has both qualitative and quantitative elements and used ethnography, action research, interviews and surveys to collect data.
.
The following books, papers and reports detail the findings of this study:
Clement, T. & Bigby, C. (2009). Group Homes for People with Intellectual Disabilities Encouraging Inclusion and Participation. London, Jessica Kingsley.
Bigby, C., Clement, T., Mansell, J., Beadle-Brown, J. (2009) ‘It’s pretty hard with our ones, they can’t talk, the more able bodied can participate’: Staff attitudes about the applicability of disability policies to people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research 54, 4, 363-376.
Clement, T., & Bigby, C. (2009) 'Breaking out of a distinct social space': Reflections on supporting community participation for people with severe and profound intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability, 22, 264-275.
Bigby, C., Knox, M., Beadle-Brown, J., Clement, T., & Mansell, J. (2012). 'Uncovering dimensions of informal culture in underperforming group homes for people with severe intellectual disabilities'. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 50(6), 452-467.
Reports from the Making Life Good study can be downloaded from:
http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au:8080/vital/access/manager/Index
Bigby, C., Cooper, B., & Reid, K. (2010). Making life good in the community: Measures of resident outcomes and staff perceptions of the move from an institution. Melbourne: Department of Human Services http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/508240
Clement, T., & Bigby, C. (2008). Making life good in the community: As good as it gets. Victorian Government Department of Human Services.
Clement, T., & Bigby, C. (2008). Building inclusive communities: Facilitating community participation for people with severe intellectual disabilities. Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/399282
Clement, T., & Bigby, C. (2008). Implementing a key working system in a group home for people with intellectual disabilities. Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/479482
Clement, T., & Bigby, C (2008). Implementing person-centred active support in a group home for people with profound intellectual disabilities: Issues for house supervisors and their managers. Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/470510
Robertson, A., Frawley, P & Bigby, C. (2008). When is a house a home. Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/410804
Clement, T., & Bigby, C. (2007). Making Life Good in the Community: The Importance of Practice Leadership and the Role of the House Supervisor. Melbourne: Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/505504
Clement, T., Bigby, C., & Johnson, J. (2007). Making Life Good in the Community: The Story so Far. Melbourne: Victorian Government Department of Human Services. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.9/423182