How to embed learning systems in social services: A case study of South Australia’s Child and Family Support System is a report from the Centre for Policy Development, developed in partnership with The Front Project. It offers practical lessons for policymakers and public servants on how to embed continuous learning into the design and delivery of social services, drawing on the success of South Australia’s Child and Family Support System (CFSS).
Based on interviews with staff from South Australia’s Department of Human Services, service providers and lived experience advisers, the report shows how the CFSS continually adapts and responds to the needs of both families and the organisations that support them.
The report sets out six practical recommendations that governments across Australia can apply to their own service systems. Implementing these recommendations would enable governments to improve service design and delivery so services work earlier, work better and work for the people they are meant to support, without increasing long-term costs.
How to embed learning systems in social services is a report from CPD, in partnership with The Front Project, that provides practical lessons for policymakers and public servants on how to embed continuous learning into the design and delivery of social services.
The CFSS was established in 2019 to support families earlier, by addressing the underlying causes of child maltreatment before concerns escalate to the point where families risk being separated. Social workers and other practitioners work with families to strengthen safety, stability and wellbeing, rather than responding only once harm has occurred.
Unlike traditional service systems that rely on top-down control, short-term contracts and rigid compliance measures, the CFSS takes a more collaborative and flexible approach. Learning is built into how the system operates, allowing services to adapt over time in response to evidence, practice experience and feedback from families.
By investing in better data collection and analysis, providing longer-term contracts with more flexible performance measures, and embedding the voices of frontline workers and people with lived experience into system design and decision-making, the CFSS shows there is a credible alternative to compliance-driven service systems. One that is better equipped to improve outcomes for children and families.
Drawing on the CFSS experience, the report identifies six key lessons that governments can apply across their social service systems to improve outcomes for children and families.
Despite only operating for a few years, the CFSS is already delivering measurable improvements for children and families, demonstrating the value of a continuous learning approach.
CFSS Intensive Family Services are achieving a 93.2% family preservation rate, compared to 90.5% for families not in the program. This means children supported through the CFSS are more likely to stay safely with their families. Engagement with services has also increased significantly, rising from 69% in 2021 to 81% in 2025, helping more children and families access the support they need.
The CFSS also shows how early intervention can deliver long-term savings for governments. Conservative estimates suggest the approach delivers a return of $1.90 for every dollar invested, driven by reduced demand for more intensive services such as out-of-home care.
While the CFSS focuses on family support services, its approach to learning can be applied across any social service system, from employment and housing to education and health. By embedding learning, trust and shared responsibility, governments can build systems that improve over time and deliver better outcomes for the people they are meant to support.
