SNAICC Newsletter

SNAICC Resource Service evaluation

SNAICC evaluates SRS resources and projects as part of our commitment to continuous quality improvement, contributing to the evidence base about Aboriginal child and family well being, accountability to our members, the sector and FaHCSIA – our primary funding body. SNAICC has recently engaged the consultancy Success Works to collaborate with us on a three year participatory action research evaluation of the SRS. Success Works have conducted evaluations with a number of Indigenous organisations and communities, including the Katherine and Timber Creek alcohol management plans, a review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Regional Activities Program and the Koori Drug Diversion component of the National Illicit Drug Strategy. Success Works will engage Indigenous consultants to lead in this SRS consultation processes with communities. They will use an action learning approach, with five cycles of site visits to selected SNAICC partners over the next two and a half years to learn how useful services and SRS resources. Your support of the evaluation will be appreciated. The Success Works members are: team leader Debbie King who has worked with many Indigenous communities, including the aforementioned projects; Patrick Lyons, who has recently conducted the service evaluation for the Victorian Stolen Generations; and consultants Benny Hodges, who has both Aboriginal (Waanyi-Garawa & Kaureg) and Torres Strait Islander heritage (Erub Bam Le) and Tracey Whetnall, a Bidjagal woman from the Dharrawal nation (La Perouse, Sydney). Contact: www.success-works.com.au

SNAICC Partners in Action Research Evaluation (PARE)

SNAICC initiated the Partners in Action Research Evaluation (PARE) project in 2006. It has now sown the seeds for continued evaluation capacity building within Aboriginal child, family and community services programs in QLD and SA. PARE aimed to: Deliver accredited community based • evaluation training Get feedback on SRS resources/activities • Develop evaluation tools. • In 2008 PARE workshops were held in Queensland and SA, strengthening partnerships between SNAICC and Indigenous Professional Support Units. Forty-four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants completed accredited modules at Certi? cate 4 or diploma level, children’s services workers, management committee reps, and child and family wellbeing workers amongst them. Five participants are completing additional units. Th e training and follow-up work provided invaluable feedback for SNAICC resource development and the evaluation of the SNAICC Resource Service. It also developed 16 local posters, two general evaluation posters, evaluation training workbooks and learners guides (produced with the Aboriginal Health Council of SA), evaluation plan guides and national presentations on action research evaluation. All resources are on the SNAICC website. SA PARE 2009 In 2009 short action research and evaluation courses will be run by the Aboriginal Health Council of SA for: Aboriginal researchers doing the Healthy • Mothers, Healthy Families Survey (for the Murdoch Child Research Institute) APY Amata Aboriginal workers in • partnership with the University of SA. Aboriginal Child Care Workers • partnering with ARMSU Network. Th is short course draws on competencies from the Certi? cate 4 in Indigenous Research Capacity Building which can be credited towards other certi? cates in health and community services. Th e full Certi? cate 4 course has been funded by the SA Department of Further Education Employment, Science and Technology. Fifteen Aboriginal people from agencies around SA are enrolled. QLD PARE 2009 Th e October 2009 Palm Island PARE workshop saw 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants completing an accredited module of study through RMIT. Th e success of the workshop, the pride and fun, is shown in the photos below, Roslyn Von Senden from QLD IPSU, who ? rst attended the Cherbourg PARE workshop and then co-facilitated the Palm Island workshop, is now discussing with DEEWR continuing the project in QLD. Whilst SNAICC is no longer steering this project, it has well and truly grown wings! See www.srs.snaicc.asn.au/projects

SNAICC Resource Service news

Supporting Family Relationship Services to work well

SNAICC has been commissioned by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to work on a cultural inclusion resource for Family Relationship Services to: Provide culturally appropriate services • to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families Develop positive and respectful • partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities in delivering services Use Participatory Action Research • Evaluation to document and learn from the progress of your organisation’s community engagement. SNAICC is working with Family Relationship Services Australia, the national peak body for these services, on this project. Th is resource will target Family Relationship Services practitioners, support staff and managers. It will be developed around a strengths based approach and include cultural information and recommended resources, plus case studies of Family Relationship Services’ success stories in providing effective services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Th e resources were ? eld tested with Family Relationship Service staffin April. Final release will be later this year with FaHCSIA having publication responsibility. Contact: mark@snaicc.asn.au

Looking After Children (LAC) & cultural care planning project

SNAICC is undertaking a LAC and cultural care planning project partnership with Barnardos Australia. Th is project has two elements: To ensure that the LAC case management • system can meet the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care in those states where LAC is in use To examine the status and application of • cultural care planning tools in all states and territories Th e project will make recommendations in relation to improvements to these tools and their application. Looking After Children (LAC) is a case management tool designed to improve outcomes for children who are cared for in foster care and residential care. LAC is currently used by a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies in Victoria, New South Wales and ACT. Th e Victorian Department of Human Services is also undertaking a project to improve the LAC assessment and action records, and will be working with SNAICC to combine overlapping aspects of the projects. SNAICC is currently planning consultations with Aboriginal services and other agencies using LAC. Th e ? nal SNAICC report covering all jurisdictions using LAC is expected to be ? nished by late 2009/early 2010. Contact: julie@snaicc.asn.au

Positive child rearing stories project

SNAICC has begun a project to collect and share stories of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families grow up children strong in culture. Th e stories will cover many themes like ‘how our children learn by watching and listening’ or ‘why it’s cruel to leave a baby to sleep alone’ or ‘how young ones learn respect from their Elders’. It’s about the stories communities want to tell, how they want to tell them and what skill development they need to tell those stories. One option is for SNAICC to train young people in digital storytelling (a 3 minute movie.) Th e young people could then interview Elders about their child rearing stories, or the stories could be collected in another creative way, through photo journals, poems, interviews or art. At the end of the workshop there will be a community outcome – a ? lm or exhibition. Th e resources developed will remain in the community, as well as being published by SNAICC and shared more widely. Th ese stories will help others understand the many ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families grow their children. SNAICC seeks expressions of interest from community organisations to partner with to provide an arts-based workshop. We aim to provide a respectful process recognising the community’s skills and builds capacity. We also invite interested people to join a Child Rearing Stories Internet Interest Group to provide two- way sharing of information. Contact: janeh@SNAICC.asn.au

You’re a Dad launch

The new SNAICC Resource Service resource You’re A Dad was launched at the 2nd National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Researcher meeting by SNAICC chair Steve Larkins and Craig Hammond from Family Action Centre. You’re A Dad fi tted right in with so many of the men’s health issues being discussed, relating straight back to men’s roles with family. Over 16,000 copies have now been distributed nationwide to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled services. Other agencies can purchase the booklets but hurry, they are going fast! SNAICC has received big feedback for this little booklet of seven strengths based A4 posters focussed on the themes: Be Th ere; Connect; Be Proud; Talk; Feel Good; Protect; and Th e Journey. Words, emotions, pictures. Great stories and beautiful photos of Real Dads being Great Dads, moulded by the thoughts and stories of many contributors and developed in a partnership between SNAICC and Newcastle Family Action Centre. You may know some of these men. It may bring a tear to the eye. Read them or just think on the pictures. Good for parenting groups, men’s groups, jails, family violence and healing programs. Hang them on the wall. ‘You can fi t them in your pocket or roll them up like a little telescope.’