Barriers and solutions: Australian Indigenous practitioners on addressing disproportionate representation of Indigenous Australian children known to statutory child protection

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Oates
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Disproportionate Representation ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Indigenous Child ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Programme Design ◽  
Indigenous Children

The rate of Indigenous child removal in Australia has been referred to as an epidemic. With numbers predicted to increase in the near to medium future exploring alternative ways to engage Indigenous children and families is critical. This article outlines the views of Indigenous practitioners collected as part of a doctoral study exploring the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners who undertake child protection work in Australia. Practitioner narratives were elicited by way of qualitative in-depth semi-structured interviews. The narratives of practitioners identify barriers in contemporary statutory child protection practices that may contribute to the disproportionate representation of Indigenous children in the statutory child protection system. Potential solutions offered by practitioners including cultural supervision for non-Indigenous practitioners are also outlined. The narratives of participants indicate that Indigenous practitioner-led policy, practice, training and programme design is critical to addressing the escalating rates of Indigenous child removal in Australia.

You are not allowed to tell: organisational culture as a barrier for child protection workers seeking assistance for traumatic stress symptomology

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (02) ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Oates
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Human Services ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Child Protection Workers ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Fear Of Rejection

AbstractChild protection work is one of the most difficult and complex areas of human services practice. Working within a trauma-laden environment often means that practitioner susceptibility to trauma-related mental health issues is an occupational hazard. However, many practitioners are reluctant to seek support when they start to experience symptoms of traumatic stress. This paper considers current literature relating to child protection workers’ exposure to work-related traumatic material, resulting traumatic stress symptomology and organisational responses to practitioner distress. Results from a recent doctoral study that explores the experiences of child protection practitioners based in Queensland will be presented. Findings from the study were derived from qualitative in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The study findings indicate that the organisational culture within statutory child protection agencies creates an environment where practitioners are labelled as incompetent or not suitable for child protection work when they disclose experiencing symptoms of traumatic stress. The experience of bullying and retribution by supervisors and colleagues and the fear of rejection by the workgroup were also found to be significant barriers for workers seeking support.

scholarly journals The experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers in the child protection system

2007 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Elarde ◽  
Clare Tilbury
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Regulatory Function ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Indigenous Child ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
Indigenous Perspectives ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

Much child welfare research does not differentiate between the needs of Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients and/or does not specifically address issues concerning Indigenous children, families and communities. As such, evidence is not informed by Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. The research reported upon in this paper was conducted jointly by a university-based researcher and Indigenous child protection agencies. It explored the support needs of Indigenous carers in the context of the increasingly detailed regulatory framework for out-of-home care. It suggests there should be more investment in ongoing support for carers and more personal contact between the statutory department and the carer/s after the placement is made. This would fulfill many purposes: support for carers with attendant benefits such as satisfaction and retention; better meeting the needs of the child; and the regulatory function of ongoing monitoring of placement quality for accountability purposes.

scholarly journals Working for the Welfare: Support and Supervision Needs of Indigenous Australian Child Protection Practitioners

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 277
Author(s):  
Fiona Oates ◽  
Kaylene Malthouse
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Torres Strait Islander ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Historical Experience ◽  
Australian Child ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
Protection Systems ◽  
Torres Strait ◽  
The Government ◽  
Depth Interviews

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are disproportionately represented in all parts of the child protection system in Australia. The recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practitioners into child protection systems to work with Indigenous families at risk underpins the government strategy to reduce this over-representation. However, little is known about the experiences of Indigenous people who undertake child protection work or what their support and supervision needs may be. This research is centered on Indigenous Australian child protection practitioners as experts in their own experiences and as such includes large excerpts of their own narratives throughout. Practitioner narratives were collected via qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews. Critical theory and decolonising frameworks underpinned the research design. The study found that Indigenous child protection practitioners have a unique place in the families, communities and profession. Many viewed their work in the child protection field as an extension of their Indigeneity. This coupled with the historical experience of state-sanctioned removal of Indigenous children during colonisation and contemporarily, informs the need for child protection workplaces to re-think the support and supervision afforded to Indigenous practitioners.

scholarly journals Indigenous mothers’ experiences of power and control in child welfare: Families being heard

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110091
Author(s):  
Suzanne C Robertson ◽  
Carey Sinclair ◽  
Andrew R Hatala
Keyword(s):  
Family Relationships ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Indigenous Research ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Child And Family Services ◽  
Power And Control ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
Welfare Families ◽  
And Control

Summary There are upward of 11,000 Indigenous children and families in the Manitoba Child and Family Services (CFSs). Many factors coalesce as contributors to these high rates of care, including oppressive histories of Canadian settler colonialism, governmental policies and the Indian Residential Schools, and mass apprehensions of Indigenous children through “the 60’s scoop.” Although a process of “Devolution” began in Manitoba in 1999 to address Indigenous overrepresentation and improve cultural safety for children and families, the voices of women whose children are in care often remain silenced and marginal. Findings Utilizing an Indigenous Research lens, this qualitative study explored the stories and experiences of 12 Indigenous mothers involved with Manitoba CFS. The mothers’ stories revealed dynamics of power and control outlined in five core themes: (1) Being “set up to fail”; (2) Confronting “normalcy” and navigating case plans; (3) Dealing with tactics of intimidation; (4) Experiencing judgment and being labelled; and (5) Emotional politics. The mothers’ stories suggest that the CFS system continues to reflect colonial structures of oppression and that the “Devolution” did not fully have the intended impact on daily practice. Applications The womens' shared experiences highlight several areas for change, such as: enhanced family supports and worker relationships; utilization of capacity building frameworks; better institutional collaborations; increased efforts to maintain family relationships and units; and greater access to and quality of Indigenous cultural supports for mothers and children, including ceremony, healing, and access to Elders. Suggestions for more efficient and family-centered service provision are also offered.

Today in Light of Yesterday: An Exploration of Workers’ Childhood Memories in the Context of Child Protection Practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean A R St. Jean ◽  
Brian Rasmussen ◽  
Judy Gillespie ◽  
Daniel Salhani
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Childhood Memories ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Child Protection Workers ◽  
Professional Experiences ◽  
Explorative Study ◽  
Parents And Children

Abstract Child protection workers are routinely faced with emotionally intense work, both personally and vicariously through the traumatic narratives and experiences of parents and children. What remains largely unknown is how child protection workers’ own childhood memories might influence the manner in which they experience and are affected by those narratives. The aim of this explorative study was to use Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as a research methodology to answer the research question, ‘In what ways do social workers experience, and make sense of, their own childhood memories in the context of their child protection practice?’ Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight child protection workers, aiming to understand their personal and professional experiences with regard to this question. The study found a relationship between various forms of childhood adversity and the presence of negative present-day triggers when participants were faced with practice scenarios that bore similarity to those experiences. Implications with regard to child protection worker well-being, countertransference and risk decision-making are discussed.

How did adoption become a dirty word? Indigenous citizenship orders as Irreconcilable Spaces of Aboriginality

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-364
Author(s):  
Kahente Horn-Miller
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Indigenous Child ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
International Attention ◽  
Colonial Order ◽  
Community Decision

In the fall of 2016, the Kahnawà:ke Community Decision Making Process revised the Kahnawà:ke Law on Membership regarding adoption. It was decided that any non-Indigenous child adopted by a Kahnawà:ke family after 2003 would not be recognized as a Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke or an approved resident. Parents were committing an offense in adopting non-Indigenous children and would no longer be eligible to reside in Kahnawà:ke. This decision drew national and international attention, with some questioning the logic of targeting a practice so integral to many Indigenous legal orders. This article frames Rotinonhsiónni adoption, belonging, and identity formation beyond the confines of colonial thought. This might seem like a tall order given colonialism’s all-encompassing grasp on Indigenous minds and communities; indeed, we are all entangled in the colonial order. But there is a way to challenge this by moving beyond frameworks reliant on colonial control.

Otitis media in Indigenous Australian children: review of epidemiology and risk factors

2013 ◽  
Vol 128 (S1) ◽  
pp. S16-S27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jake Jervis-Bardy ◽  
L Sanchez ◽  
A S Carney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Otitis Media ◽  
Bacterial Load ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Acute Otitis Media ◽  
Chronic Otitis Media ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Indigenous Australian ◽  
Indigenous Children

AbstractBackground:Otitis media represents a major health concern in Australian Indigenous children (‘Indigenous children’), which has persisted, despite public health measures, for over 30 years.Methods:Global searches were performed to retrieve peer-reviewed and ‘grey’ literature investigating the epidemiology of and risk factors for otitis media in Indigenous children, published between 1985 and 2012.Results:In Indigenous children, the prevalence of otitis media subtypes is 7.1–12.8 per cent for acute otitis media, 10.5–30.3 per cent for active chronic otitis media and 31–50 per cent for tympanic membrane perforation. The initial onset of otitis media in Indigenous children occurs earlier and persists for longer after the first year of life, compared with non-Indigenous children. Indigenous children are colonised by otopathogens more frequently, at younger ages and with a higher bacterial load. Poor community and domestic infrastructure, overcrowding and exposure to tobacco smoke increase the risk of otitis media in Indigenous children; however, the availability of swimming pools plays no role in the prevention or management of otitis media.Conclusion:Despite awareness of the epidemiological burden of otitis media and its risk factors in Indigenous children, studies undertaken since 1985 demonstrate that otitis media remains a significant public health concern in this population.

Exploring Policy Implications of Ethics of Care and Justice in Care Work and Human Services Organizations

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110274
Author(s):  
Christa J. Moore ◽  
Patricia Gagné
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Human Service ◽  
Human Services ◽  
Ethics Of Care ◽  
Human Service Organizations ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Care Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Bureaucratic Constraints

Much attention has recently been focused on the efficacy of cross-sector collaboration within the field of human services in response to increasing rates of child maltreatment and subsequent foster care entries nationwide. Our research includes 200 hours of participant observation, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 65 professionals broadly involved in the protection of vulnerable children and the support of their parents, and an analysis of 45 case files. It was carried out in a rural region of Kentucky between May 2015 and July 2017. We used established principles of analytic induction to analyze our data. In this study, we explore perceptions of power, authority, inequality, and bureaucratic constraints that emerge during organizational processes of interagency collaboration among multidisciplinary human service organizations situated within the child welfare system. We argue that ethics of care and, subsequently, care work are constrained by power dynamics, primarily embedded in bureaucratically structured human service organizations as well as in policy mandates that embody ethics of justice. We conclude that the tensions between bureaucratic constraints and professional workers’ desire to care for and serve clients often disrupt and undermine organizational missions and policy goals targeting child protection. We indicate the need to examine these structural dynamics at a policy level and provide recommendations with policy implications.

scholarly journals Institutional Risk in Child Protection: Perspective of Professionals

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-384
Author(s):  
Ilona Tamutienė ◽  
Vaida Auglytė
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Internal Field ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
Level Of Involvement ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
Family Assistance ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Institutional Risk ◽  
Content Analysis Method

This article focuses on institutional risk factors that relate to the ability of child rights professionals to protect maltreated children. The aim of the article is to reveal the structural threats existing in the system of protection of the child’s rights, which create preconditions for the disclosure of institutional risks. Semi-structured qualitative interview method used. Ten interviews with children's rights protection specialists (CRPS) conducted during March-April 2018. According to the content analysis method, it has been established that the family assistance model for child protection is declarative in nature, due to the lack of services that meet the needs of children and families, and poor accessibility and quality, especially in rural areas, and social work orientation into control. The findings highlighted gaps in inter-agency cooperation in the protection of the child, the low level of involvement of health care, in particular – the treatment of paediatric and addictive diseases. In view of the internal field of the childʼs rights services, it has been highlighted that institutional problems are significantly contributing to the institutional risk: CRPS experienced inadequate methodological assistance and training which not corresponding to the problems encountering in everyday practice, lack of human resources, large workloads, low wages, lack of working methods, lack of stress management. In the context of the ongoing reform of the protection of the rights of the child, it is recommended to eliminate institutional risks, to strengthen services for children and families, and to improve inter-agency cooperation in the protection of the child.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.17.3.21953

scholarly journals FACILITATING CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION WITHIN MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEETINGS: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CHILD AND YOUTH CARE CENTRES

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Johannisen ◽  
Carlien Van Wyk ◽  
Hannelie Yates
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
National Level ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
African Child ◽  
Child And Youth Care ◽  
Multidisciplinary Meetings ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
Children's Participation

Legislation on both an international and national level advocates that all children have a right to participate in all matters affecting them. This article reflects an interest in children’s participation in the broad field of child protection, and specifically within the context of South African child and youth care centres. Against this contextual background, the article aims to introduce guiding principles that may stimulate ongoing conversation on the facilitation of children’s participation in a specific space of decision-making within child and youth care centres, namely multidisciplinary meetings. Guiding principles were derived from a comprehensive qualitative study in which individual semi-structured interviews and focus group groups were conducted to collect data from residential social workers, child and youth care workers, and children from child and youth care centres in the greater metropolitan area of Cape Town in South Africa

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