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

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Transforming evidence and practice to promote
connection for Aboriginal children,their families
and communitiesAunt Sue Blacklock, Fiona Arney,
Karen Menzies, Gillian Bonser, Paula Hayden
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The WINANGAY team

• Deeply concerned by overrepresentation of
  Aboriginal children in the system and the impact
  of trauma
• Passionate and motivated to develop innovative
  cultural resources for workers
• Reconciliation in Action

Karen Menzies

• Aunty Sue Blacklock

Gill Bonser
Paula Hayden
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.

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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)

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• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2013,
  p.46)

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• There needs to be a fundamental shift in practice
  for these children and their families

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child
Placement Principle

• Goal to enhance and preserve the childs
  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

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• Is it the policy, or the implementation of the
  policy that is at issue?

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National issue

• National meeting for the National Framework for
  Protecting Australias 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

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Winangay
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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 childrens
  safety and wellbeing.

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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?

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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.

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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

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• 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 childrens well-being, are there any
  further safety concerns) - approx 210-280 cases
  to be examined

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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• 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)

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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

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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

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Emerging Practice Stronger Ways with Aboriginal
children, families and workers
Winangay Resources Inc
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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

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Why we started cont..........

• 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

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Why we started Voices .
of kinship carer.. Im raising him Im not
caring for him ... hes part of my
family Aboriginal Kinship Carer consulted by
L,Breslin Benevolent Society

• of workers..
• There isnt 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

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Trauma Trauma and Aboriginal Peoplewhat
workers need to know
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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)

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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.

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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 http//www.mhcc.org.
  au/home/

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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

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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

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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)

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The Resources Seeking Stronger Ways with
Aboriginal Children, Families Workers
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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)

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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

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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)

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3 Steps for Workers

1. Relationships
2. Hearing the Stories to build understanding
3. Journey together (Strengths and Concerns)

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Yarning Up

• 4 collaborative conversations about
• Environment and meeting Needs,
• Staying strong as a carer,
• KiDs Wellbeing,
• Safety and working well with others

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Visual Cards
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Tingha Talk
No Jawbreakers!
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Rating Cards and Action Plans

• 7 cards that allow you to rate strengths and
  concerns

Optional Graph
Joint Action Plans
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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

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Expanded Applications

• Family Support eg Condobolin
• Carer Training
• SEWB (social emotional wellbeing) cards
• Disability cards
• Non Aboriginal versions strong uptake
  especially in CALD contexts

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Information Contact

• Winangay Resources
• www.winangay.com
• Paula_at_winangay.com
• mob [phone]