This thought piece challenges the idea that the child protection system is broken - instead, it’s doing what it was designed to do. The system tends to self-correct, absorbing change and reinforcing familiar norms and mindsets.
Drawing on insights from complex adaptive systems, the piece outlines four key shifts needed to move from 'compliance' to 'connection': supporting families as living systems, transforming organisational culture, confronting the system’s deep foundations, and rethinking what we value and measure.
If we want better outcomes, we need to shift the conditions that drive behaviour. This work is already happening, led by families, young people, and communities.