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This paper draws upon the findings of an analysis of 16 child death reviews of children known to child protection services in Victoria, Australia. The purpose of the research was to assist in understanding the impact on children of the coexistence of the parental risk factors of mental health problems, family violence and substance abuse. The common coexistence of the three risk factors was identified by the Victorian Child Death Review Committee in its analysis of child death reviews conducted by the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner. The researchers analysed a group of review reports and interviewed and surveyed practitioners in a range of fields. Lessons from filicide research have been integrated into the findings identifying lessons for policy and practice, and the importance of multi-service collaboration. A framework for understanding different elements of sharing knowledge is presented.

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A B S T R AC TChildren in the protection and care system are highly vulnerable and need more than protection and physical care. This paper outlines elements of an innovative therapeutic programme, Take Two, which combines trauma and attachment-informed practice with a clinical outcomes focus. An important feature was the embedding of a research and evaluation partnership between the programme and a university. The paper discusses the challenges of implementing a research approach into a highly sensitive 'messy' or non-routine environment. The paper portrays the value of a trauma and attachment perspective within a developmental and ecological framework to guide understanding and intervention with these children and their network. A description of the client group is followed by analysis of outcome measures: the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children and the Social Network Map. Findings include the significant reduction of trauma-related symptoms, an increase in the percentage of friends identified and an increase, albeit not significant, in the percentage of people described as very close. The results point to the importance of family in the lives of these children. This study explores this type of research in situ and its value in building knowledge and strengthening practice.

Helping children recover from the impact of child abuse and neglect is complicated by the limited evidence available on programme effectiveness and efficacy. This paper describes the implementation of a therapeutic service, in Victoria, Australia, known as Take Two, and provides a profile of client characteristics. The paper describes some of the barriers to children in the child protection system accessing therapeutic or mental health services and the approach attempted to overcome these barriers. The Take Two Practice Framework and the subsequent contribution of the Child Trauma Academy's Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics are discussed. There is exploration of evidence‐based practice and how this and related concepts are considered in the evolving theory of change and the Practice Framework. This includes consideration of what else is needed to supplement the evidence. The paper provides a useful model for other agencies that are planning or implementing a therapeutic programme for children traumatised by abuse and neglect. Key Practitioner Messages Systematic reviews conclude that there is insufficient evidence to allow reliance on any single intervention with this client group. This poses a genuine dilemma for services that aim to utilise evidence‐informed interventions but find their offerings limited. Taking a research‐based and evidence‐informed approach with a strong theory of change has assisted one such programme to respond to this dilemma.