Transcript Kinship Resources

Transforming evidence and
practice to promote connection
for Aboriginal children,their
families and communities
Aunt Sue Blacklock, Fiona Arney, Karen Menzies,
Gillian Bonser, Paula Hayden
The WINANGAY team
Aunty Sue Blacklock
Gill
Bonser
Paula
Hayden
• Deeply concerned by
overrepresentation of
Aboriginal children in the
system and the impact of
trauma
Karen Menzies
• Passionate and
motivated to develop
innovative cultural
resources for workers
• Reconciliation in Action
Not-for-profit Aboriginal controlled NGO
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The aim of Australian Centre
for Child Protection
To bridge the gap between what is known
and what is done to transform the lives of
children who have experienced, or who
are at risk of experiencing, abuse and
neglect.
World first research
• Joint interest and expertise
–
–
–
–
–
Winangay Resources Inc
Sidney Myer Fund
Australian Centre for Child Protection, UniSA
Institute of Child Protection Studies, ACU
Queensland Government – Department of
Communities, Child Safety and Disability
Services
– Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP)
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013, p.46)
There needs to be a
fundamental shift in practice
for these children and their
families
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Child Placement Principle
• Goal to enhance and preserve the child’s connection to family
and community, and sense of identity and culture in all
aspects of government intervention with children
– Recognise and protect the rights of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander children, family members and
communities in child welfare matters.
– Increase the level of self-determination for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people in child welfare
matters.
– Reduce the disproportionate representation of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the
child protection system.
• Elements of the Principle have been introduced in legislation
across all Australian States and Territories to varying
extents
Is it the policy, or the
implementation of the policy
that is at issue?
Percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in preferred out of home care
placements*, States and Territories, 30 June 2012
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
81.6
74.4
30
69.3
65.4
56.3
53.7
20
45.7
38.1
10
0
NSW
SA
WA
ACT
VIC
QLD
TAS
NT
Source: AIHW (2013) Child Protection Australia 2011-2012, Cat No. CWS43 (data extracted from Table A25, p81)
*Preferred placements include with relatives/kin, other Indigenous caregivers, or Indigenous residential care.
Compliance with 5 steps of the ATSICPP- combined ICMS and survey data from CSO’s
and RE’s
Yes, evidence of compliance
100
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
80
78
76
59
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Step 1- Identify
Step 2Step 3Step 4A-Proper
child is
Involvement of Hierarchy of consideration
Indigenous
an RE
Placement of retention of
Options
RE views
Step 4B Proper
Step 5consideration Assessment of
of retention of non-Indigenous
relationships
carer
commitment
Source: Commission for Children and young people and child guardian (2012). Indigenous Child Placement
Principle Audit Report 2010/11, p.5
National issue
• National meeting for the
National Framework for
Protecting Australia’s Children
about these issues – May 2013
Key Recommendation
• Culturally appropriate carer
assessments and appropriate
financial, professional and
emotional supports for carers –
inclusion of Aboriginal world
view and use of interpreters
Winangay
Winangay Resources
• Developed out of a desire on the part of
Aboriginal communities to reduce the removal of
children from their families and communities.
• Developed through a collaborative process - the
Winangay Project team and an Aboriginal
Reference Group including a large number of
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations.
• Highly regarded by workers and families, and
assessed by experts in the field as covering key
areas of carer assessment to promote children’s
safety and wellbeing.
Aims of the research
• Assess the effectiveness of the Kinship
Assessment Tool
• Of particular interest is understanding how
the Tool is being applied in practice, and how
its use may translate into outcomes for
carers, children and their families.
• In particular, does use of the Tool result in
more Aboriginal carers being recruited and in
more Aboriginal children being placed safely
with their families and communities?
It will explore in detail…
– the outcomes for carers, children,
organisations and communities of using the
Winangay carer Assessment Tools
– the system, community, organisation,
practitioner and family factors which help
and hinder the faithful implementation of
these tools in practice, and
– the impact of the resources on the cultural
competence of practitioners, and the
impact of cultural competence on the use of
the tool.
What does the research involve?
• Training and support in Winangay approach
– Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal practitioners
(approximately 70) working in the area of
carer assessment for carers of Aboriginal
children.
• Worker perspectives
– Before training about current approaches and
experience
– After the training about the tools
– Follow up about the use of tools – how much,
how they worked, perceived outcomes, what
gets in the way and what helps
• Carer views
– How do they feel about the assessments
(Winangay and current) – approx 70
interviews to be conducted
• Administrative data
– the placement of Aboriginal children
within family and community, placement
stability, improved children’s well-being,
are there any further safety concerns) approx 210-280 cases to be examined
Progress to date
• 5 training events across Queensland
• 73 participants trained, 70 participants
in pre and post test training assessment
(Nov 2013-July 2014) – 96% response
rate
• Aged between 23-62 years, 93% female
• 0-25 years experience assessing foster
carers, most 2-5 years’ experience
Aboriginal participants
Torres Strait Islander participants
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
participants
Anglo Australian participants
Other cultural background
government
non-government
Current tools
• Strengths
– Prompts, pre-determined areas for assessment
– Links to standards of care, legislation
– Open questioning, honest
• Limitations
– Not suitable for Aboriginal families
(communication styles, history, family
relationships)
– Lack of flexibility
• Satisfaction – mean score 6.0 out of 10
Winangay kinship tools
• Strengths
–
–
–
–
–
Visual aids prompt discussion, simple language
Led by carers – empowering
Natural discussion, yarning, conversational
Specific action plans
Easier to identify strengths and concerns
• Limitations
– Time to conduct assessment in this way
– Challenge of using a new tool in existing system
• Satisfaction – mean score 8.9 out of 10
Quotes
• “fabulous! Brilliant! Amazing! Deadly!
Awesome!” (Brisbane)
• “I feel confident having discussions
about challenges now. -thank-you for
the opportunity to have discussions
about assessments and how these can
be done in an empowering manner. -we
don't want to catch people out... we do
want to catch people in!” (Rockhampton)
• “It is a tool that is far more respectful”
(Cairns)
• “I think it is fantastic, it is a practice
shift for the better” (Brisbane)
• “a really simple but thorough and
respectful assessment process” (Cairns)
Findings about implementation
• Currently conducting 3 month follow up
of 45 participants, 13 responded, 6 have
moved to different roles
• Assessments using Winangay
– 5 completed
– 7 in progress
– 5 planned to progress
• Satisfaction – mean score 7.9 out of 10
Feedback
• The carers read the report and told me it
was “way deadly” and that “this is us, you
got it just as we told you”. They really
liked the report and the cards but found
some questions in yarning sessions a little
repetitive and the sessions a little long
• “I am very impressed about this tool being
trialled. I would recommend to continue
using such a tool now and into the near
future”
Emerging Practice:
Stronger Ways with Aboriginal
children, families and workers
Winangay Resources Inc
WINANGAY…
• We have to stop the TEARS and trauma!
…Children tears …Community tears
• We are in the middle of yet another
unrecognised stolen generation
• WINANGAY Resources – Stronger Ways with
Aboriginal Children and Families
• WINANGAY in Gamilaraay means: to know, to
think, to love, to understand.
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Winangay Story
• Led by Aunty Sue Blacklock
• Tingha - highly disadvantaged Aboriginal
community
• Elders - deeply upset about the number of
Aboriginal children being taken into care and
disconnected from community.
• Grassroots approach
• Called on Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people skilled and experienced in the field
• Developed on a voluntary basis by passionate team
Why we started con’t..........
In Australia,
• 4.72% of kids 0-17 years are Indigenous yet they
are a third 33.6% placed in out-of-home care
• Significant proportion placed with non Aboriginal
carers (30% nationally)
• Aboriginal kids needs kin and kin need kids – Stop
the trauma and the tears!
• Kinship care works for kids – They have same or
better outcomes than in foster care
Why we started: Voices ….
of kinship carer…..
“I’m raising him I’m not caring for him
... he’s part of my family”
Aboriginal Kinship Carer consulted by L,Breslin Benevolent Society
of workers…..
“There isn’t enough being done to develop culturally
appropriate tools for assessing Aboriginal and/or Torres
Strait Islander people”
(worker from Qld)
“We need specific kinship care tools”
(worker from NSW)
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Informed by evidence and
emerging best practice
• Collaborative approach between
worker and carer
• Power and decision making is shared
• Acknowledge families as expert
• Trauma informed practice
• Culturally appropriate tools
• Family Group Conferencing
Trauma:
Trauma and Aboriginal People
what workers need to know
Introduction to trauma
• On all measures Aboriginal Australians
remain disadvantaged.
• The legacy of past child welfare
contributes to the gross
overrepresentation of Aboriginal children
and young people in the child protection
and out-of-home care system.
(AIHW, 2011; Juvenile Justice in Australia 2009-10; Tilbury, 2009)
Background
• The impact of past child welfare laws,
policies and practices has resulted in
intergenerational trauma
• Atkinson (2013) states, the experience of
forcible separation and assimilation,
experienced by members of the Stolen
Generations, is a ‘significant cause of
trauma.’
Trauma Informed Care is…
• Understanding Trauma and its impact
• Promoting Safety
• Supporting Client to have Control /
Choice / Autonomy
• Sharing Power and Governance
• Integrating Care
• Healing Happens in Relationships
• Recovery is Possible
Trauma Informed Care Principles
Winangay approach aims to:
• Avoid further traumatisation
• Be inclusiveness of Aboriginal perspective
• Be Strengths based, (removes blame/shame)
• Help manage trauma related behaviours
• Restore choice, autonomy and control
• Promote community and self wellness
• Seek collaboration, not compliance
What we need to know
• Trauma informed care requires child
protection practitioners and other
service providers to understand the
neurological (brain) and the physiological
(body) relationship to experiences of
trauma
Why we must understand trauma
• Understanding definitions of individual,
collective, intergenerational trauma,
and trauma theories and models of
practice, holds a key for all human and
community service practitioners to
enhance effective client worker
engagement and improve outcomes for
Aboriginal children, families and
communities.
(Menzies and McNamara, 2009)
The Resources:
Seeking Stronger Ways with
Aboriginal Children, Families
& Workers
Winangay development & validation
• Guided by Elders from across
Australia, input: from workers,
Aboriginal kids, carers as well as
Aboriginal reference group
• Shaped by research - national
and international
(Professor Marianne Berry the Australian
Centre for Child Protection and Dr Marilyn
McHugh)
Winangay SCOPE Model:
S = Strengths acknowledged
C = Concerns and unmet needs identified
O = Options and opportunities to address needs
mobilise resources, provide services
P = Power sharing, participatory respectful
processes
E = Enabling capacity, empowerment and
equality
Applying the SCOPE model:
• Plain English (Tingha test: ‘No jawbreakers’)
• Respect (for individuals, rights, culture, history,
traditions and rights)
• Relationship (genuine, transparent and accountable)
• Building Strengths and Capacity
• Listen to family as experts (while reflecting reality)
• Understand the impact of intergenerational trauma on
Aboriginal communities and individuals
• Shared power - Empowerment and partnerships
• Applying trauma informed practices (eg providing
‘choice’ and ‘control’)
3 Steps for
Workers
1. Relationships
2. Hearing the
Stories to build
understanding
3. Journey
together
(Strengths and
Concerns)
Yarning Up…
• 4 collaborative
conversations about :
– Environment and
meeting Needs,
– Staying strong as a
carer,
– KiDs Wellbeing,
– Safety and working well
with others
Visual Cards
Heading in the same
direction
Are the kids carefully supervised?
Honest and
Trustworthy
After?
Resolving Conflicts
Time
out
Cultural
identity
Looking after you,
recharging and staying
strong
Holidays
NAIDOC Beading class
Hobbie
s
How are
they going
at school?
Homework
Bus
Stop
Can you get where you
need to go?
Going to
school
Finishing
Breakfast
School
Lunches
Is there healthy
food at each meal?
Bush food
Tingha Talk
“No
Jawbreakers!”
Rating Cards and Action Plans
• 7 cards that allow you to rate
strengths and concerns
Optional
Graph
Joint Action Plans
This is deadly,
it is a significant strength!
This a little or mild concern!
Things are just OK or adequate.
Research Project
• Tools rolling out in Queensland – Carmody Report
• Ground breaking Winangay Research to build evidence
base what works with Aboriginal children and families
(funded by the Sidney Myer foundation
• Research project partnership with Winangay Resources
(Aunty Sue Blacklock); Australian Centre for Child
Protection (Professor Fiona Arney) Research by Uni of
South Aust and Aust Catholic Uni
Expanded Applications
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•
•
•
•
Family Support eg Condobolin
Carer Training
SEWB (social emotional wellbeing) cards
Disability cards
Non Aboriginal versions – strong uptake
especially in CALD contexts
Information & Contact
Winangay Resources
www.winangay.com
[email protected]
mob: 0421 912 757