• A Charles Sturt University practitioner-researcher has been awarded a fellowship to advance research about midwives, social workers and other professionals who support young families
• Australian Government data shows shortages grew to 48 per cent of health workers  and 24 per cent of community and personal services in 2023

A Charles Sturt University researcher will lead a project focused on helping healthcare and social work professionals who support women and families during their children’s prenatal and early years.

The Mary Kirk Fellowship was awarded by the Canberra Mothercraft Society to Senior Lecturer and researcher Dr Monica Short (pictured inset) in the Charles Sturt School of Social Work and Arts.

Dr Short’s fellowship project title is ‘Targeted co-operative inquiry workshop series to help amplify the voices of workers, practitioners and volunteers who support women and families in the prenatal and early years’.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Board, Australia’s midwifery workforce is in crisis, and there are not enough midwives or current midwifery students in the pipeline to meet future needs. One in three midwives are considering leaving the profession amid high rates of burnout, anxiety, stress and low rates of satisfaction.

The Institute of Health and Management notes that the demand for qualified social workers has never been higher. Access to social services is even more limited outside major cities. Around 27–28 per cent of Australians live in rural or remote areas, where healthcare and support services are harder to access.

Dr Short will lead the inquiry collaboratively, bringing together Charles Sturt experts, organisations, professionals, and volunteers to share effective strategies they have used or experienced to recruit, retain, and support their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues in this sector.

“Prenatal and early years workers provide essential services that support families and communities, and their work contributes to positive outcomes for children and families,” Dr Short said.

“Australia has a growing need for highly skilled workers across the health and human services sectors, and there is a need to both attract new workers to the sector and retain the existing workforce,” Dr Short said.

“This research will bring forward the voices of workers themselves and explore what supports them to thrive in their roles.”

Charles Sturt Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Neena Mitter congratulated Dr Short.

“Families, and mothers especially, are often reliant upon a range of professionals during their pregancies and in the weeks and months after,” Professor Mitter said.

“Dr Short’s research will help policymakers understand more deeply what challenges these workers face and what they need to continue supporting Australian families.”

Dr Short’s professional background includes social work practice in the fields of health, children and families.

The Canberra Mothercraft Society is a leading Canberra organisation that supports parents and families with young children and the fellowship is named in honour of Ms Mary Kirk, former Executive Officer with the Society.

Dr Short did not apply for the Mary Kirk Fellowship, but rather she was contacted by the Canberra Mothercraft Society, which asked if they could put her name forward for the fellowship.

Dr Short said she was later informed she had been selected as the recipient and was invited to complete this research as part of the fellowship.

The project is connected to a broader Charles Sturt research team investigating recruitment, retention and wellbeing among health and human services workers: The RRRs (Recruitment Retention Researchers for Wellbeing).