Research Projects
At BestSTART, we pioneer novel research projects in the areas of Healthy Beginnings, Health Systems, Population Health, Equity, Mental Health, and Big Data platforms.
Research Outputs
Check out our latest publications, policy evidence, and annual reports…
Engaging Community
You can make a difference! We want to listen to your views to shape young people’s research in South West Sydney. BestSTART works closely with young people ….
OUR VISION AND MISSION
The vision of BestSTART (Systems Transformation And Research Translation) is to work with the community to facilitate integrated clinical and research activities, ensuring the right level of care for the children of South West Sydney at the right place and the right time.
Our mission is to transform local research and clinical practice, address the key global health issue of non-communicable diseases and enable South West Sydney Local Health District to lead a program improving the lives of children and families, delivering local action with a global impact. We also aim to revolutionise the health system by integrating the voices of young people and their families into current research efforts, making sure the research in South West Sydney (SWS) is locally relevant and internationally important.
We will achieve better health outcomes for young people and their families by:
- Establishing a network with children and families in SWS, so their voices help transform the health system
- Supporting and informing ongoing initiatives in research design and data management
- Building research capacity by supporting staff in developing new projects and scaling existing projects
WHAT'S ON?
OUR RESEARCH THEMES
BestSTART-SW has five key research themes: Healthy Beginnings, Health Systems, Population Health, Equity and Mental Health. Our ultimate aim is to transform healthcare for all children, young people and families in South West Sydney into equitable and effective care that makes a difference at key transition points and makes South West Sydney the best place for children to grow up.
HEALTHY BEGINNINGS
Focusing on early interventions, as well as the monitoring and assessment of the health of young children during their first years of life, a key priority area for NSW Health.
POPULATION CHILD HEALTH
Focuses on three key areas, child obesity child health equity, and mental health and stress. Obesity was chosen as a priority area as 1 in every 3 children in SWS is overweight or obese.
HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH
Making sure that families can access the right level of care when they need it. Focus on health systems delivery for children with complex health needs and those with chronic health conditions.
MENTAL HEALTH
We are working with our communities to activate change-making from the grassroots and co-develop mental health project proposals and interventions.
EQUITY
Ensuring the health systems works for everyone is critical to make sure that everyone, even those struggling to make ends meet, can have a fair go at a healthy life.
OUR KEY PROJECTS
Watch Me Grow (WMG) Child and Family Developmental Surveillance Program
WMG-E embeds simple digital developmental checks into routine health and community settings including immunisation visits, GP appointments, preschools, supported playgroups, parenting groups, and non-government organisations. Families can monitor their child’s development in real time through an accessible and easy-to-use platform. When concerns are identified, embedded service navigators connect families to the right supports early, enabling timely and coordinated care.
A key focus of WMG-E is equity. While all families receive developmental checks, those experiencing greater adversity such as parental mental health difficulties, poverty, or social disadvantage receive additional tailored support through a tiered care pathway. This proportionate universalism approach helps reduce barriers to access, strengthens early intervention, and prevents problems from escalating over time.
The program also supports parent and carer wellbeing by identifying mental health and psychosocial needs and linking families with services that strengthen resilience, social connection, and community support.
The Three Pillars of WMG-E
1. Child Development – Supports early identification of developmental, behavioural, and emotional concerns through real-time developmental screening using validated tools.
2. Parental Wellbeing – Recognises the strong connection between child development and parent wellbeing through routine screening of parental psychological distress and referral to appropriate mental health and wellbeing supports.
3. Family Social Care Needs – Addresses social determinants of health including housing, food security, employment, education, and other essential psychosocial necessities.
Our program has been recognised by Australian Health Research Alliance as one of the impactful programs driving innovation and improving outcomes for children and families.
Check our the demonstration link of our WMG-E platform – https://wmg.diginostic.com.au/wmg/l/v0wdzDQb9Wc/
Centre of Research Excellence in Strengths-based Tiered Access to Resources and Supports (STARS-CRE)
The Centre of Research Excellence in Strengths-based Tiered Access to Resources and Supports (STARS-CRE) will address inequity in health and developmental service access for children from priority populations in the first 2,000 days from pregnancy to start of school. The new centre is a national collaboration that brings together a national team of clinicians, researchers, and partners from psychiatry, child and family health, psychology, Aboriginal health, paediatrics, social policy, health economics, and population health.
This CRE will pursue four broad themes to engage and empower parents to access right care at the right place and time including service navigation support: (i) Integrate new knowledge by co-designing with consumers and the community, the STAR program framework; (ii) Implement and evaluate tiered interventions tailored to individual needs; (iii) Incorporate learnings via policy and service translation using Knowledge Translation approaches and Health Economics analysis; and (iv) Increase health and medical research workforce capacity and collaboration with a focus on novel training approaches such as Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE framework) that will fundamentally shift the way we assess and deliver care. This CRE will be of national and international relevance as the first ever strength-based program in supporting children and families fundamentally pivoting from a risk-based assessment to a resilience based clinical care model for priority populations.
Check out our STARS for Kids website for more information – https://www.starsforkids.net/
Quality of Life in Autism project
The Quality of Life in Autism Questionnaire (QoLA) was developed to measure parental quality of life (QoL) in the context of care for an autistic child. Although generic QoL measures exist, parents of autistic children often encounter unique challenges that these generic measures may not adequately capture. The QoLA addresses this gap by providing a measure specifically designed around the needs and experiences of parents or primary caregivers.
OUR COLLABORATORS
