ABSTRACT
Child protection (CP) systems are increasingly incorporating procedural and restorative justice principles in their practice frameworks, which are interpersonally focused and aim to respect and empower families. In addition, the importance of professional judgement in CP is increasingly being acknowledged. Yet, little research has investigated practitioners’ experiences of enacting these approaches. In this qualitative study, 15 frontline practitioners working for CP in Victoria, Australia, offered their perspectives about the feasibility of implementing restorative and procedural justice principles in practice and the role of professional judgement in risk assessments. A thematic analysis revealed a host of personal, familial, organisational and systemic facilitators and barriers to enacting evidence-informed principles in practice. The utility of professional judgement as a complement to structured risk assessments was clear. Findings demonstrated that practitioners are a committed workforce who want to implement evidence-informed practice, although several competing demands and pressures can impede their ability to enact these crucial principles in practice.