Associate Professor Jemma Venables
Program Lead, Master of Social Work Studies
Associate Professor
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
+61 7 336 51258
Researcher biography
Associate Professor Jemma Venables is a social work academic and the Program Lead for the Master of Social Work (Qualifying) program. She teaches into the undergraduate and postgraduate social work programs. Jemma's interdisciplinary and industry-engaged programs of research is focused on transforming child and family welfare. Her work spans the continuum from early intervention through to her primary focus – young people's transition from out-of-home care to adulthood. The research teams she leads and contributes to aim to build knowledge to inform more responsive policies and practices that enhance the wellbeing, connection and outcomes for marginalised and disadvantage children, young people and their families.
Publications
Book Chapter
Ellem, Kathy and Venables, Jemma (2023). Relationship-Based Practice with People with a Mild Intellectual Disability Who Have Been Socially Marginalised and Excluded. Disability Practice. (pp. 101-120) Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-6143-6_6
Journal Articles
Kelly, Berni, Gimm, Gilbert, Inger, Oterholm, Venables, Jemma, Baker, Claire, Bennwik, Ingri-Hanne Braenne, Ellem, Kathy, Lee, JoAnn S. and Cheatham, Leah P. (2026). Correction: Disabled Youth Transitioning from Care: An International Policy Analysis (Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, (2025), 10.1007/s10560-025-01061-7). Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. doi: 10.1007/s10560-026-01092-8
Kelly, Berni, Gimm, Gilbert, Inger, Oterholm, Venables, Jemma, Baker, Claire, Bennwik, Ingri-Hanne Braenne, Ellem, Kathy, Lee, Joann S. and Cheatham, Leah P. (2025). Disabled youth transitioning from care: an international policy analysis. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. doi: 10.1007/s10560-025-01061-7
Mendes, Philip, McPherson, Lynne, Venables, Jemma, Roche, Steven and Bollinger, Jenna (2025). AJSI transitions from out‐of‐home care special issue editorial by Philip Mendes, Lynne McPherson, Jemma Venables, Steven Roche and Jenna Bollinger. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 60 (3) ajs4.70051, 676-678. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.70051
Young, Amy, Venables, Jemma, O’Connell, Ryan and O’Leary, Patrick (2025). Adolescent to parent violence in the wake of domestic and family violence: practitioner insights. Journal of Family Violence, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10896-025-00927-9
Venables, Jemma, Young, Amy, O’Leary, Patrick and Dragiewicz, Molly (2025). Son-to-mother violence in the aftermath of domestic violence: experiences of sons attending group violence prevention programs. Children and Youth Services Review, 169 108063, 108063. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.108063
Mendes, Philip, Roche, Steven, Kristo, Isabella, O'Donnell, Melissa, Moore, Tim, Malvaso, Catia, Venables, Jemma and McDowall, Joseph (2025). The Introduction of Extended Out‐of‐Home Care (OOHC) Until 21 Years in Australia: A Mapping of Policy, Legislation and Programs in Each Jurisdiction. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 60 (3), 1-12. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.389
Venables, Jemma, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Ellem, Kathy, Healy, Karen and Cullin, Joel (2025). Access to transition planning and support for young people who self‐place when in out‐of‐home care: the perspectives of young people and practitioners. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 60 (3), 757-767. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.391
Young, Amy, Venables, Jemma, O’Leary, Patrick, Fannon, David and Walter, Bronte (2024). The need for a whole of family response: the invisibility of siblings in adolescent-to-parent violence interventions. Journal of Family Violence, 1-16. doi: 10.1007/s10896-024-00757-1
Venables, Jemma, Ellem, Kathy and Nathanson, Caitlin (2024). Working Individually and collectively: assisting young people with cognitive disability transitioning from statutory systems. Journal of Applied Youth Studies, 7 (4), 505-524. doi: 10.1007/s43151-024-00141-2
Healy, Karen, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Boman, Madonna, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Povey, Jenny, Venables, Jemma, Baxter, Janeen and Thompson, Kate (2024). The social and emotional wellbeing of children in out-of-home care: a scoping review exploring structural and social factors. Children and Youth Services Review, 166 107991, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107991
Venables, Jemma, Cullin, Joel, Ellem, Kathy and Healy, Karen (2024). Diminishing their voice through choice? How ‘self-placing’ in out-of-home care affects children and young people’s participation in decision-making. European Journal of Social Work, 28 (4), 701-714. doi: 10.1080/13691457.2024.2408429
Garvey, Darren, Carter, Ken, Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Howard, Kirsten, Venables, Jemma, Healy, Karen, Bill, Lea, Letendre, Angeline, Dickson, Michelle and Garvey, Gail (2024). Understanding the wellbeing needs of First Nations children in out-of-home care in Australia: a comprehensive literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21 (9) 1208, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091208
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate, Boman, Madonna, Richmond, Juli, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Thwaite, Isobel and Hussain, Aariyana (2024). Children in out-of-home care's right to family and cultural connection: Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australian children's perspectives. Child Abuse and Neglect, 162 (Pt 1) 107009, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107009
Venables, Jemma, Warrell, Chloe, Cullin, Joel, Ellem, Kathy and Healy, Karen (2024). Approaches to supporting young people in out-of-home care who ‘self-place’ in unapproved locations: Perspectives of statutory child protection practitioners. The British Journal of Social Work, 55 (1), 141-160. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcae131
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Baxter, Janeen, Scull, Sue, Thompson, Kate and Boman, Madonna (2024). The emotional terrain of foster and kinship carers’ relationships with parents of children in care: carers’ perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 161 107672. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107672
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Boman, Madonna, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Austerberry, Sophie and Thompson, Kate (2023). Navigating the Australian child protection system: the importance of formal and informal support for carers to effectively provide care to children in out‐of‐home care. Child and Family Social Work, 30 (2), 237-250. doi: 10.1111/cfs.13106
Healy, Karen, Walsh, Tamara, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2023). Looked after children's right to contact with birth parents: an Australian study. Child and Family Social Work, 28 (3), 659-668. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12992
Venables, Jemma (2023). Features of service delivery that young people in out-of-home care who ‘self-place’ and stay in unapproved placements value when accessing a specialist support service. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 42 (1), 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10560-023-00939-8
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2023). Supporting birth parents’ relationships with children following removal: a scoping review. Children and Youth Services Review, 149 106961, 106961. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106961
Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2023). An interdisciplinary classroom in law and social work: can it be done?. Legal Education Review, 33 (1), 1-23. doi: 10.53300/001c.74263
Walsh, Tamara, Healy, Karen and Venables, Jemma (2023). Comparing apples with oranges? Practitioner perspectives on the inconsistencies between family law and child protection. Australian Journal of Family Law, 36, 154-172.
Walsh, Tamara, Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma and Thompson, Kate (2022). Are human rights ‘toothless’ in Australian child protection matters? Perspectives of lawyers and social workers. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 36 (1) ebac028, 1-16. doi: 10.1093/lawfam/ebac028
Venables, Jemma and Warrell, Chloe (2020). BEROS: A Response to Working with Young People who are Self-Placing & in the Care of Child Safety. Parity, 33 (3), 86-87.
Venables, Jemma (2019). Practitioner perspectives on implementing an alternative response in statutory child protection: the role of local practice context and leadership teams in shaping practice. Children and Youth Services Review, 107 104488, 104488. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104488
Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2019). Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice. Child & Family Social Work, 24 (1), 33-41. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12578
Venables, Jemma, Healy , Karen and Harrison, Gai (2015). From investigation to collaboration: Practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements. Children and Youth Services Review, 52, 9-16. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.02.007
Healy, Karen, Harrison, Gai, Venables, Jemma and Bosly, Fiona (2014). Collaborating with families in differential responses: practitioners' views. Child and Family Social Work, 21 (3), 1-11. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12149
Conference Papers
Thompson, Kate, Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2025). Cultural Responsibility and Colonial Load – Supporting Indigenous Stakeholders to Support Cultural Identity and Connection for Children in Out-of-Home Care. International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2025, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 16-19 June 2025.
Healy, Karen, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate and Venables, Jemma (2024). Enhancing the social and emotional well-being and cultural connections of children in out-of-home care: findings of multi-stakeholder study - panel discussion. International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 19-22 November 2024.
Thompson, Kate, Healy, Karen and Venables, Jemma (2024). Carers and stakeholders' perspectives: facilitators and barriers to cultural connection. AIFS 24 Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 11-14 June 2024.
Venables, Jemma, Povey, Jenny, Kolesnikova, Iryna, Thompson, Kate, Boman, Madonna, Healy, Karen and Baxter, Janeen (2024). Voices of children in out-of-home: their experiences of family and cultural connection. Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 11-14 June 2024.
Ellem, Kathy and Venables, Jemma (2024). Upholding the rights of young people with cognitive disabilities to transition support when exiting statutory systems: A case study of social work group practice. Universitas21 Community of Practice Conference, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 15-16 May 2024.
Venables, Jemma, Ellem, Kathy, Healy, Karen and Cullin, Joel (2024). Upholding the rights and meeting the needs of young people in out-of-home care who ‘self-place’: The role of the non-government sector. Social Work and Social Development Conference, Panama and Online, 4-7 April 2024.
Venables, Jemma, Cullin, Joel, Ellem, Kathy and Healy, Karen (2024). Young people’s experiences of voice and choice in decisions about their lives when self-placing: an under-explored transition from out-of-home care. Journal of Youth Studies Conference, Belfast, United Kingdom, 3-5 September 2024.
Venables, Jemma, Ellem, Kathy, Healy, Karen, Warrell, Chloe and Cullin, Joel (2024). Working together to support young people in out-of-home care who leave approved placements: the experience of practitioners. International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Uppsala, Sweden, 18-21 August 2024.
Povey, Jenny, Venables, Jemma, Bowman, Madonna, Healy, Karen, Baxter, Janeen, Austerberry, Sophie and Thompson, Kate (2023). Optimising outcomes for children in out-of-home care: strengthening social support systems for carers. Anglicare Southern Queensland Research Forum, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 10 May 2023.
Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2022). Preparing social work students for interdisciplinary practice with lawyers: Student views on a pilot interdisciplinary teaching initiative. Australian and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 10-11 November 2022.
Venables, Jemma, Young, Amy and O'Leary, Patrick (2022). Addressing son-to-mother violence in the aftermath of domestic violence: Using the lived experiences of mothers and sons involved in a group program to optimise policy and practice responses. Australian and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Symposium, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 10-11 November 2022.
Venables, Jemma and Warrell, Chloe (2021). Supporting Young people in OOHC who are ‘self-placing’: What do they value in a service? . 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Social Work Conference (hosted by IFSW & AASW), Online, 11-13 November 2021.
Healy, Karen, Venables, Jemma, Walsh, Tamara and Thompson, Kate (2021). The right to family contact following child removal: Will the Human Rights Act make a difference. 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Social Work Conference (hosted by IFSW & AASW), Online, 11-13 November 2021.
Young, Amy, Venables, Jemma and O'Leary, Patrick (2021). The aftermath of domestic violence, trauma and son-to-mother violence: Experiences from young people engaged in program responses. 26th Asia-Pacific Regional Social Work Conference (hosted by IFSW & AASW), Online, 11-13 November 2021.
Venables, J. and Ellem, K. (2019). Preparing social work students for research: Using student perceptions of their research knowledge, confidence and preparedness to inform curriculum design. Australia and New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Conference, Perth, WA, Australia, 3-4th October 2019.
Venables, Jemma, Young, Amy, O'Leary, Patrick and Boddy, Jenny (2019). Mother-to-son violence: Rebuilding relationships following experiences of violence. Child Aware, Brisbane, Australia, 16-17 May 2019.
Venables, J., Young, A., O’Leary, P. and Boddy, J. (2019). Renewing mother-son relationships following domestic and family violence: Supporting women to attend a group work program. International Conference on Change and Innovation for a Better World: The Future of Social Work, Hong Kong, 27-28th June 2019.
Venables, J. (2019). The role of leadership teams in shaping office culture towards collaborative practice in statutory child protection: Practitioner perspectives. International Conference on Change and Innovation for a Better World: The Future of Social Work, Hong Kong, 27-28th June 2019.
Venables, Jemma, Tilbury, Clare and Jenkins, Brian (2018). Supporting young people in their transition from out-of-home care: what young people value in an after-care service. Social Work, Education and Social Development Conference (SWSD 2018), Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 July 2018.
Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2018). Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice. Social Work, Education and Social Development Conference (SWSD 2018), Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 July 2018.
Venables, Jemma and O'Leary, Patrick (2018). Implementing differential responses to domestic violence and child protection: practitioner perspectives on an inter-agency collocation trial. Social Work, Education and Social Development Conference (SWSD 2018), Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 July 2018.
Venables, Jemma, Healy, Karen and Harrison, Gai (2013). From investigation to collaboration: practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements. Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Melbourne / Melbourne Convention Centre, 10 - 13 November 2013.
Thesis
Venables, Jemma (2016). Collaborative practice in statutory in child protection practice: Parental agreements and procedural justice. PhD Thesis, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2016.835
Research Reports
Povey, J., Venables, J., Garvey, G., Clague, D., O’Donnell, A., Rhodes, M., Jeong, J., Kennedy, E., Edmunds, K., Chinaka, C., Garvey, D., Johnstone, M., Carr, K., Marrington, S., Blackman, N., Carson, C., Condon, P., Djuricic, G., Kevill, B., Knight-Arandale, H-M., McDonnell, J., McSpadden, D., Monssen, T., Tuhoro, H., Sky, E., Parsell, C., Butler, C., San Martin Porter, M. and Nuttall, G. (2025). The Evaluation of the Extended Post Care Support program: Final report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Povey J., Johnstone, M., Venables, J., Garvey, G., Clague, D., O'Donnell, A., Rhodes, M., Jeong, J., Kennedy, E., Carr, K., Edmunds, K., Garvey, D., Marrington, S., Blackman, N., Carson, C., Kolesnikova, I., Eastwell, L., Condon, P., Djuricic, G., Kevill, B., Knight-Arandale, H-M., McDonnell, J., McSpadden, D., Monssen, T., Tuhoro, H., Sky, E., Parsell, C., Butler, C. and Nuttall, G. (2025). The evaluation of the Extended Post Care Support (EPCS) program: interim report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Healy, Karen, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Venables, Jemma and Nathanson, Caitlin (2025). Raising Queensland: child and youth policy priorities. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie, Venables, Jemma and Kuskoff, Ella (2024). Hanging by a thread: our search for home. A youth photovoice project report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Petersen, Maree, Venables, Jemma, Healy, Karen and Nathanson, Caitlin (2024). Home and healthy evaluation final report. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Venables, Jemma, Ellem, Kathy and Nathanson, Caitlin (2022). Finding out about the ARROS PLACE program: supporting young people with cognitive disability and experiences of child protection &/or youth justice involvement. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
O'Leary, Patrick, Young, Amy and Venables, Jemma (2021). Evaluation of service responses to son to mother violence: the family pathways model. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Griffith University.
Venables, Jemma (2020). Emergency response and outreach for young people under child protection orders: the perspective of service users and practitioners regarding service delivery: Final report. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
O'Leary, Patrick, Young, Amy, Venables, Jemma and Boddy, Jenny (2019). Evaluation of ReNew: Final Report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Griffith University.
Venables, Jemma, Tilbury, Clare and Jenkins, Brian (2017). Evaluation of the Next Step After Care Services: Final Report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Griffith University.
Seminar Papers
Venables, Jemma (2024). Access to transition planning and support for young people in out-of-home care who self-place: The views of young people and practitioners. School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland.
Venables, Jemma and Walsh, Tamara (2022). You can’t teach law & social work students together…Or can you? Student views on a pilot IPE initiative. UQ Teaching and Learning Showcase: Teaching and Learning Week 2022. T.C. Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland.
Young, Amy, Venables, Jemma and O'Leary, Patrick (2021). Complex and competing needs: Addressing son-to-mother violence. Griffith University.
Venables, Jemma, Young, Amy and O'Leary, Patrick (2021). What is Adolescent-to-Parent Violence? . Griffith University.