Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Professor Philip Mendes teaches Social Policy and the Australian welfare state, and is the Director of the Social Inclusion and Social Policy Research Unit in the Department of Social Work. His key research areas include young people transitioning from out-home-care, welfare conditionality,social workers and policy practice, medically supervised injecting rooms, and Jewish community responses to institutional child sexual abuse. He is the co-convenor of the Australian section of the Transitions to Adulthood for Young People Leaving Public Care International Research Group, a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and won the 2019 Faculty of Medicine Dean's Award for Excellence in Research Impact. He is the author or editor of 14 books, and the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and book chapters. His latest books include the 3rd edition of the popular textbook, Australia's Welfare Wars, published by UNSW Press in 2017, Empowerment and Control in the Australian Welfare State (Routledge, 2019), and From Resistance to Reform: Case studies of long-term social justice advocacy in Australia (Emerald 2025).
Research area keywords
- social policy
- welfare state
- young people transitioning from out of home care
- community development
- income security
- Indigenous social policy
- illicit drugs policy
- social work activism
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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An examination of the impact of extended out-of-home care on the pathways and outcomes for young care leavers
Mendes, P. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), O'Donnell, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Moore, T. P. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Russ-Smith, J. (Chief Investigator (CI))
23/10/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Improving outcomes for young people transitioning from out-of-home care
Skouteris, H. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Mendes, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), O'Donnell, R. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Smales, M. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Green, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Currie, G. (Partner Investigator (PI))
ARC - Australian Research Council
30/06/23 → 30/06/27
Project: Research
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Evaluation of the MCM Youth Housing Initiative: A User-Centred, Hybrid Design
Shlonsky, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Mendes, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Petrakis, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Baidawi, S. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/07/22 → 30/06/27
Project: Research
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Transitioning from out of home care: A longitudinal population-based study
Chung, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Cordier, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mendes, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Thoresen, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), O'Donnell, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Martin, R. M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stratton, K. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Lund, S. (Partner Investigator (PI))
Project: Research
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Building a best practice model to advance healthy ageing for care leavers (ex-residents of institutional out-of-home care) entering the aged care system.
Mendes, P. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Baidawi, S. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/02/23 → 31/07/25
Project: Research
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A scoping review of policies and practices to support young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Asia
Radityaputra, R. (Leading Author), Baidawi, S. (Leading Author) & Mendes, P. (Leading Author), Mar 2026, In: Children and Youth Services Review. 182, 21 p., 108777.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access6 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Examining Policies and Practices to Support Young People Transitioning From Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) in Asia: What Do We Know From Existing Grey Literature?
Radityaputra, R. (Leading Author), Mendes, P. (Leading Author) & Baidawi, S. (Leading Author), 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Child & Family Social Work. 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
From Childhood Institutions to Aged Care: Older “Care” Leavers Navigating Cumulative Harm Across the Lifespan
Baidawi, S., Turnbull, L., Morris, S. & Mendes, P., 2026, Trauma-Informed and Accumulation-Aware Approaches to Child Protection. Bryce, I. & Collier, S. (eds.). 1st ed. Australia: IGI Global, p. 393-423 31 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
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Older care leavers and the aged care system: a national survey
Turnbull, L. (Leading Author), Morris, S., Mendes, P. (Leading Author) & Baidawi, S. (Leading Author), 2026, (Accepted/In press) In: Australian Social Work. 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Progressive Intolerance: The contemporary antisemitism landscape in Australia
Mendes, P., Jan 2026, Analysis Paper 98 ed. Sydney NSW Australia: The Centre for Independent Studies. 30 p.Research output: Book/Report › Other Report › Research
Open AccessFile
Prizes
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2024 SPAHC Research Festival Best research theme poster
Baidawi, S. (Recipient), Morris, S. (Recipient), Turnbull, L. (Recipient) & Mendes, P. (Recipient), 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Australian Journal of Political Science Mayer Journal Prize for 2021
Mendes, P. (Recipient), 6 Sept 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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The Joint Standing Committee on Migration
Yao, H.-Y. (Contributor), Flynn, C. (Contributor), Mendes, P. (Contributor) & Grieve, A. (Contributor)
5 Dec 2025Activity: External Academic Engagement › Submissions to industry or govt committees, commissions and inquiries
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National Conference of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) 2019
Standfield, R. (Speaker), Mendes, P. (Speaker), Walsh, J. (Speaker) & Armstrong, E. (Speaker)
3 Sept 2019Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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Indigenous children are leaving out-of-home care to uncertain futures. This is the support they need
Mendes, P., Saunders, B., Walsh, J., Turnbull, L., Standfield, R. & McCurdy, S.
2/09/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature