For many years, Windermere navigated challenges familiar across the community services sector: families presenting with increasingly complex needs, practitioners stretched thin and a traditional case management model that, while well-intentioned, was not delivering sustained change. Support was focused on responding to immediate concerns, yet families often returned, caught in cycles of adversity that short-term interventions couldn’t change.
It was within this environment that a realisation emerged, raising questions on whether “doing for” families truly set them up for long-term success. This reflection marked the beginning of a transformative journey, one that would challenge long-held assumptions, restructure practice from the ground up and ultimately reshape how the organisation supports families.
The shift began when our CEO Dr. Lynette Buoy initiated deeper inquiry into how practitioners were working with families, what “strengths-based” looked like in action and what was truly required to achieve meaningful and sustained progress. These conversations highlighted the need for greater clarity, transparency and a shared organisational understanding of what good practice meant.
Marija Dragic, Manager Evidence, Innovation & Practice reflects on the early days when practitioners were doing everything they could, yet their efforts weren’t translating into long-term capability or independence for families.
“Practitioners are responsible for the process: engaging families in purposeful work, drawing on strengths and building skills and capacity that support sustainable change. The outcome is the responsibility of the parent or individual. Yet in practice, our practitioners were taking on that responsibility too, and were exhausted by the pressure to fix things,” she says.
This question set the stage for a new way of working.
In 2017, we partnered with the Parenting Research Centre (PRC) through a Victorian Learning Systems Grant. This collaboration proved transformative.
“The Parenting Research Centre knew from previous research that coaching was a much better approach to build parental capacity compared to case management. They had the data and evidence to support it. But it wasn’t simply about taking on an established coaching approach. We worked with them to co-design our approach,” explains Marija.
Drawing on evidence-informed coaching principles, the partnership produced a clear Theory of Change and most importantly, the Practitioner Coaching Framework (PCF) – a structured, relational, six-phase model to bring the Theory of Change to life, ultimately supporting families to build problem-solving skills, confidence and autonomy.
The PCF phases, Engaging, Motivating, Exploring, Planning, Doing and Consolidating, created a shared language across the organisation and provided practitioners with practical steps to guide families through meaningful change. What was once an embedded “black box” of practice, became visible, teachable and consistent.
“We first began embedding the PCF in our Integrated Family Services, starting with the development of a clear Theory of Change to identify the outcomes we sought to achieve and measure. Using validated tools across the program became a critical component of our evidence informed approach.”
When applying the PCF with families it was also important to start by addressing smaller challenges.
“We focus on the small changes that will make the greatest difference. We don't want to set families up to fail. Small wins give agency and confidence helping families see that they have the capacity to make a difference.”
Validated assessment tools, including the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM) and Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) were used to measure outcomes by comparing baseline data at service entry with results at service completion. This required the development of a data dashboard to clearly define and track indicators of success. Pre and post service surveys enabled a transparent and consistent assessment of impact.
In driving this practice change, the partnership with the PRC played a critical role. It was more than technical; it was a cultural shift – a genuine collaboration that created space for ideas to be tested, challenges to be worked through together and capability to grow across both organisations.
Developing and embedding the PCF took several years and required unwavering leadership commitment. Champions were identified early, training was redesigned to focus on ongoing learning and reflection rather than intensive one-off sessions, and implementation roles such as an Evidence, Innovation and Practice Manager and Implementation Lead, were created to provide continuous coaching and support.
“We also developed Practice Improvement Teams for services implementing the PCF as this is an ongoing practice improvement process. These teams meet bimonthly to review progress and go through a four step Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle, focusing on the outcomes identified in our Theory of Change. That’s the cycle of life in the PCF.”
Practitioners initially responded with a mix of enthusiasm, apprehension and in some cases, resistance. Those who embraced the approach often reported moments when everything “clicked”, discovering how focusing on one meaningful concern could unleash a ripple of positive change across a family’s life.
"Families already have the solutions to their own challenges – they know their children and themselves best. To be truly strengths-based in our approach we must work alongside them to uncover and build those solutions,” explains Marija.
One newer practitioner described the shift as “doing less for a greater outcome”, a reflection of how the PCF rebalanced workloads, reduced practitioner burnout and placed ownership and success where it belonged: with families themselves.
On the other hand, practitioners whose practice identity was rooted in traditional case management sometimes found the shift too significant and ultimately chose to step away. This too was part of the organisation’s evolution toward clarity, alignment and a coaching-led, capacity building approach to practice.
Despite the challenges, the journey reinforced that sustained change required readiness, leadership and time. It became evident that practice improvement was not a project, but a cultural transformation.
As the PCF rolled out across teams, several key insights emerged. Safety, stability and wellbeing became shared, clearly articulated goals, while practitioners gained greater clarity about scope and boundaries. This in turn improved consistency across practice and strengthened the effectiveness of supervision.
“One of the highlights for me was supporting practitioners to see how the PCF could help them become even stronger in their practice. It freed them from the pressure of being responsible for outcomes and allowed them to focus fully on the process of delivering high quality practice.”
Change was also emotional. Letting go of familiar routines, even ones that weren’t effective, required support, patience and ongoing reflection.
“As practitioners, it’s much easier to step in and provide solutions and resources. It might work for a time but unless the parent develops good coping skills, self-regulation and boundaries, a child’s challenging behaviour is going to continue.”
Bringing about this shift also required practitioners to step out of their comfort zones and learn to sit with the discomfort, holding space rather than providing solutions.
This discomfort extended to engaging with parents in complex and uncertain circumstances. For example, practitioners were still required to commence support for parents with mental health challenges or substance use concerns.
“We can’t step back and wait until these issues are resolved. They are still a mum or dad who needs to care for their child whose welfare is paramount.”
A significant shift in practice was that data became a powerful ally. Dashboards helped make practice visible and outcomes focussed and strengthened decisions around wellbeing, caseload intensity and service improvements.
The most powerful validation for the PCF came from families. Parents spoke about improved communication, calmer homes and a new sense of partnership with practitioners.
These goals, together with a clearly articulated problem statement are established during the first phase of the PCF – the Engagement phase. What most clearly distinguishes the PCF apart from traditional case management, is the third Exploring phase where a functional assessment takes place.
“When working with a family to address an ongoing issue, the Exploring phase breaks things down to the nitty gritty of what’s going on. We explore what happens before an incident or what events leads up to it, what emotions, habits or behaviours are involved at the time and so on. We then co-design multiple strategies.”
One family described how focusing on a child’s bedtime routine created a cascade of change, increasing their confidence, strengthening their relationship and improving their mental health.
Practitioners recalled moments when families came to recognise that a behaviour was not rooted in trauma but in a simple need for connection or when they began independently applying problem-solving strategies to new situations. These moments captured the essence of coaching: building capability that lasts long after services end.
One of the boldest steps in this journey has been applying evidence-informed practice beyond frontline services and into corporate teams. For the first time, business support units will articulate their own Theory of Change, linking everyday work to outcomes for families. This organisation-wide alignment is designed to weave purpose into all roles and create a shared understanding of impact.
By 2026 full implementation is expected across all services, with centralised data systems, a consolidated database and a Practice Governance Framework that places practice quality at the centre of organisational decision-making.
The PCF is now firmly embedded as the “Windermere way of working” – a shift made possible by strong leadership, a committed workforce and a long-standing partnership grounded in curiosity and shared purpose.
The vision for the future is clear, and the goal is simple yet profound: to support families to live stronger, more confident and more fulfilling lives.
The journey is still unfolding, but its impact is undeniable.
48 Webb Street
Boonwurrung Country
Narre Warren, VIC 3805
Phone: 1300 946 337
Email: info@windermere.org.au
Windermere is committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for consumers and employees, by building diverse and inclusive services and work environments, where all peoples from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander, Culturally & Linguistically Diverse, LGBTIQ+ Communities and those living with disability will know and feel accepted, affirmed, safe and celebrated. Windermere is delivering this through the continued development and implementation of our Welcoming and Inclusion Strategy 2021-2024. If you require an interpreter, we can arrange
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