Staff Profile
Kelly Hand
Research Fellow
BA (Hons), La Trobe
Biography
Kelly Hand joined the Institute in January 2001. A sociologist by training, much of her work at the Institute has involved research in the areas of work and family and childcare, with a particular focus on factors impacting on mothers’ employment decisions and on jobless families. Between 2006 and 2009, she was the manager of the Service Provision Project, a component of the Evaluation of the 2006 Family Law Reforms, which aimed to evaluate the extent to which the new and expanded family relationship services funded as part of the reforms were meeting core policy objectives.
Currently Kelly is project manager for the Life Around Here Project. The project involves 2 components: a qualitative study that aims to develop a picture the lives of families living in three disadvantaged areas, exploring how they interact with their community and the impact of where they live on workforce participation and a documentary that illustrates the findings of the research.
In addition, she is involved in the FRC Legal Assistance Partnerships Evaluation, which is collecting information from clients and professionals involved in the program. The research will assess the strengths and weaknesses in the partnership model and the extent to which it meets the needs of clients and produces outcomes in the best interests of children.
Kelly has a strong background in both qualitative and mixed methods research approaches and survey design.
Specialist areas
- Jobless families
- Parental employment
- Services assisting families
- Qualitative research methods
- Research design
Current research activities
- Life Around Here Study and Documentary
- FRC Legal Assistance Partnerships Evaluation
Selected recent publications
- Moloney, L., Kaspiew, R., De Maio, J., Deblaquiere, J., Hand, K., & Horsfall, B. (2012). The Family Relationship Centre Legal Assistance Services Partnerships Program : Evolution and evaluation. Journal of Family Studies, 17-(3).
- Hand, K., Gray, M., Higgins, D., Lohoar, S. and Deblaquiere, J. (2011), Life around here: Community, work and family life in three Australian communities, Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies
- Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K., & Qu, L. (2010), The Australian Institute of Family Studies’ Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms: Key Findings, Australian Journal of Family Law, 24, 5-33.
- Kaspiew, R., Gray, M., Weston, R., Moloney, L., Hand, K., & Qu, L. (2009), Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms, Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, December 2009
- Broom, A., Hand, K. & Tovey, P. (2007) The role of gender, environment and individual biography in shaping qualitative interview data, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 12: 1, 51 — 65.
- Hand, K. (2007) Mothers’ accounts of work and family decision-making in couple families: An analysis of the Family and Work Decisions Study, Family Matters, 75, 70-76.
- Hayes, A., Weston, R., Gray, M., Qu, L., Hand, K. & Soriano, G. (2006) Family relationships through life: An illustration of the Australian Institute of Family Studies Research Plan 2006-2008, Family Matters, 73, 4-12.
- Hand, K. & Wise, S. (2006) Parenting partnerships in culturally diverse child care settings: A care provider perspective, Research Paper No. 36, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne
- Hand, K. (2005) Mothers’ views on using formal child care, Family Matters, 70, 10-17
- Hand, K. & Hughes, J. (2005) Mothers’ reflections about work and family life, Family Matters, 69, 30-35.
- Hand,K & Lewis, V. (2002). Fathers' views on family life and paid work. Family Matters, 61, 26-29.
- Lewis, V.,Tudball, J., & Hand, K. (2001). Family and work: the family's perspective, Family Matters, 59, 22 - 27.
- Lewis, V., Hand, K., & Tudball, J. (2001). Family and work: the family's perspective. Department of Family and Community Services, Canberra.