Promising Practice Case Study – REFOCUS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child & Family Support Services

Child Placement Principle in action

Organisation

About the Organisation

REFOCUS was founded in 2010 to specialise in providing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities living in the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions. Children are the main focus, and REFOCUS is committed to ensuring that they, and their parents, receive the much-needed services to assist in creating resilient, safe and happy environments.

The vision of REFOCUS is derived from the organisation’s mission to “See beyond the mountains – our future”. This alludes to the view of the wedge-tailed eagle as it flies over the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions.
REFOCUS’ vision beyond the mountains for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander families is that they are healthy and vibrant and have access to choice and opportunity. Also, that families in the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gympie are living in healthy and safe environments with a strong sense of identity, connection, and community. REFOCUS seeks to support families to be equipped to lead prosperous and productive lives, who are proud of and enriched by their culture, and are in control of their lives.

In enabling families to have empowered lives enriched by dignity and justice, REFOCUS works in partnership with others to take collaborative action that provides a holistic service to capture all the health and wellbeing needs of children and families. This is done by building on the strengths of families and communities and focusing on the four key principles of physical health, mental health, spiritual health and family health.

The REFOCUS Child and Family Wellbeing Hub is a place of respect, journey (pathways) and healing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people where their path to wellness is a connection to community and country. Programs include a parenting program, attachment program, a program for mums and newborns, a men’s program, healing and self-empowerment program, learning how to budget, shop and cook for your family and intensive case management.

The Community

Of the 300,000+ people living on the Sunshine Coast on the land of the Kabi Kabi and the Jinibara people, 2% are of Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander background. Of the 6,000 + Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander people living in the region, just over two-thirds (67%) are under the age of 35 years and just over 42% are under the age of 18 years – compared to 24% for the broader Queensland population. Accordingly, the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is characterised by young people and young families.

REFOCUS and Delegated Authority

On the 29th of October 2018 the Child Protection Act 1999 was amended to enable the Chief Executive (Child Safety) to delegate one or more of their functions and powers to the Chief Executive Officer of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity in relation to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child (Chapter 4, Part 2A section 148BB). The Sunshine Coast was an early-adopter site and REFOCUS volunteered to implement the first trial of the new legislation.

What our families are asking for is not to be judged harshly, to be able to access services without fear, to be able to be vulnerable without judgement and that their voices be heard.

On the 29th of October 2018 the Child Protection Act 1999 was amended to enable the Chief Executive (Child Safety) to delegate one or more of their functions and powers to the Chief Executive Officer of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity in relation to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child (Chapter 4, Part 2A section 148BB). The Sunshine Coast was an early-adopter site and REFOCUS volunteered to implement the first trial of the new legislation.

What our families are asking for is not to be judged harshly, to be able to access services without fear, to be able to be vulnerable without judgement and that their voices be heard.

• Delegated Authority (DA) offers:
  The opportunity for some decisions about the child and their family to be made by the Chief Executive Officer (or similar named role) of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community-Controlled Organisation, who is an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and who understands the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families
• A culturally safe and responsive service that is community-led
• Support for the child and family based on their needs and aspirations
• Opportunities for the child and family to be actively involved in decisions that affect them.
  What our families are asking for is not to be judged harshly, to be able to access services without fear, to be able to be vulnerable without judgement and that their voices be heard.

Within this REFOCUS is committed to:

• Providing a culturally safe experience for children and their family
• Making sure children thrive and grow up safe, loved and connected to family, community and culture
• Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families to improve their wellbeing
• Working in true partnership.

The Challenge

The key challenge REFOCUS seeks to address in its programs and relationships is the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions in the child protection system. This over-representation – which REFOCUS states it is aiming to eliminate rather than just address – has largely been attributed to a system that has been / is inherently racist and has failed to understand the needs and strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families when decisions are being made in relation to their children.

The issue is the three out of four investigation and assessment are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and our families don’t trust that first call out for help.

For REFOCUS, DA is not simply about a shift in power relations, it is about ensuring collaborative relations and an Aboriginal cultural lens is at the heart of every discussion and decision made in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. The aim is to ensure children and families are empowered in the decisions that affect their lives and that their voices are not only heard but are included in the decision-making process.

To reunify a child is better for everyone involved so the question is how we get them back safely

Specifically, REFOCUS has received delegation for reunification and contact decisions. With the delegation of authority and practice for these parts of the child protection system, REFOCUS has worked closely with the Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services (‘the Department’) to build collaborative relationships that are based on openness, honesty, and transparency. This has demanded weekly meetings and building two way trusting relationships. These meetings explore what has been working well and then in what ways success can be built on and put into practice more broadly.

The relationships are so strong that they allow for robust conversations when we need them and while there is still work to do with some leaders and practitioners trust is high and the relationship will hold now even is there are changes in personnel management changes

A critical success factor, therefore, has been the commitment to action learning that has allowed for practice to evolve as evidence of success emerges. For example, through action learning a specific challenge was identified in the reunification process, being financial support / family payments could take up to 6 weeks to come through. This left families and reunification itself vulnerable due to additional financial pressures not being addressed adequately. Payments are now made within 14 days allowing for the additional financial strain on the family post-reunification to be met.

The action learning component of DA is critical to ensuring practice being based on the evidence emerging at the practice level. This is important, as there are ongoing challenges within the current data collection process in terms of the validity, reliability and therefore utility value of information being collected. There is still more work to be done to ensure the data being collected provides the right information to guide practice.

Further, there is a need for more qualitative data to be captured. This is important as it highlights family context and allows for an examination and understanding of the intersectionality of social and emotional wellbeing outcomes with the systemic challenges associated with, for example, inadequate housing, poverty, poor education and transport.

The real challenge is for Child Safety to let go of the power … decades of power being exerted on our families leading to disempowerment where their voice is not sought or heard. And now we are talking about these same families being empowered in the decision-making process. For the Department, they are risk averse so there’s fear. The DA is providing the quick wins for trust building

Outcomes Achieved

Since the first reunification under DA, there has been a steady increase in the number of referrals, and the DA process is going from strength to strength.

Notably, REFOCUS reports that none of the children that have so far been reunified would have been without the DA process being in place. Further, REFOCUS reports that family time / contact has increased by 46% for children in the DA space.

Success includes children living with parents they have not previously met, and children living with siblings and immediate family for the first time in 7 years. Other successes include children returning to school full-time.

The homes will provide a holistic approach for families that are willing to be coached and connected to services

In terms of addressing the intersectionality of social and emotional wellbeing and other social and economic barriers to success for families, REFOCUS has secured two houses in late November 2022. The homes will accommodate families facing issues associated with the housing crisis in the region, but most importantly, provide support 24/7 for families where they can be observed as parents. Trained staff provide support using a Hope and Healing therapeutic model and with a specialist in Domestic and Family Violence based in the homes. Gunyah of Wellness, a health arm of REFOCUS, will also provide a micro programs concentrating on mental health.

Accordingly, success is being built on success and learning from practice, and DA is now reaching beyond the Moreton Bay region to Gympie. This is representative of trusting relationship reaching beyond the immediate region and enabling more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in more communities to have a sense of empowerment in choosing and determining their own futures, while receiving the supports they need. A significant change has occurred in the consideration of families being at the centre of practice and as strong partners, rather than just as participants in the process.
Finally, and as already noted, more work is being done to enhance meaningful data (quantitative and qualitative) collection that can further inform improved practice and reporting.

There is no going back now, and it’s been an amazing experience as we partner with families to give them the best chance to succeed

Upholding the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle

This is a case study of promising practice, rather than best practice. It has been developed to assist other agencies working in the child protection space in other jurisdictions. Specifically, it aims to assist those who might want to understand how a more culturally safe practice, aligned with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (Child Placement Principle hereafter) and its core elements, can be developed but adapting some of the successes and challenges to their own contexts.

REFOCUS exists to target the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the child protection system. It seeks to do this in a way that is consistent with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP), incorporating cultural knowledge and focussing on the strengths of families. REFOCUS does this by:

• Ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and perspectives are at the heart of policy and practice
• Recognising and protecting the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, family members and communities in child welfare matters
• Increasing the level of self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in child welfare matters.

Prevention

In all the work REFOCUS does, prevention is a core aim. In receiving delegation for reunification and contact decisions, success has most clearly led to prevention and therefore directly addressing over-representation. Time is spent with each family specifically planning for prevention through identification of the strengths and locating what families can achieve and then, what supports they need to achieve success.

Keeping children out of the child protection system and assisting families to build strong networks of support ensures that when they may experience difficulties, they are able to activate their plan and prevent escalation of their issues.

Placement

The strong focus for the organisations is having children live with their families. The focused planning and locating of strengths ensures enhanced implementation of stable and culturally safe placements for children and young people as reunification of families occurs.

There is healing for families at many levels as REFOCUS works with them. one part of that healing is from the changed relationships that are emerging with the Department. As trust is built and years of distrust is stripped back, both families and Department staff better understand each other. With that there is an expected increase in commitment to strength-based prevention strategies through family support rather than punitive measures to address parent deficits. Thereby negating the need for placement outside of the family network.

Participation

Participation and involvement of families in the decisions that affect them most is a key objective of the DA process, as is the empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations in the child welfare system.

The core aim is to increase self-determination for families and organisations and as families progress, DA rewards them for their commitment and success. Families are fully engaged, and having been given voice, are fully supported in the decisions they make for their own family wellbeing.

REFOCUS has developed a practice manual that helps guide practitioners to increase and enhance family participation, and as already noted, increased participation has already led to improved outcomes – measured by successful reunifications and increased contact.

Partnership

DA can only succeed through strong partnerships, characterised by shared objectives, shared accountabilities and increasing trust. Accordingly, time needs to be dedicated to enhancing partnerships and REFOCUS works closely with Department staff to ensure there are stocks of trust and resilience to ensure relationships and partnerships are not derailed by robust or hard conversations.

Indeed, the levels of trust and resilience provide the safety under which difficult conversations can take place and are enhanced once the same conversations are had.

The most significant change that has occurred because of DA, and with regard to the concept and practice of partnership, is the consideration of families at the centre of practice and as critical partners, rather than just as participants in the process.

Connection

By increasing reunifications and contact, cultural connections are most obviously enhanced. Maintaining connections to family, increases connections to culture and helps children better understand their family and community relationships, and maintain a strong sense of who they are and where they belong. This is critical to self-esteem and well-being of children now and into the future.

DA enables connection where contact is maintained, and the story of the family and child is heard. Further, through a trauma-aware approach, as trauma is deemed to be the source of family challenges and issues, there is connection to healing and families are supported on their cultural journey and reconnection.

We are getting calls for other organisations wanting to know how we have developed such a good relationship with the Department. It’s important that all partners understand, accept and absolutely believe that our relationships are based on our humanity not contract.

We know that everyone involved in the DA space believes any success is shared but any acknowledgement of success is about our families and not the work we do. We also know if we fall over, we fall over together.