Hyllus Munro and Cathy Stirling

1. Hyllus Munro and Cathy Stirling Brighter FuturesAboriginal Families Study What works in early intervention? An Aboriginal perspective.

2. Literature Review • Aboriginal people are the most disadvantaged group in Australia • One of the most promising ways to address social inequality is through early intervention programs • However the effectiveness of these programs with Aboriginal families is not well researched

3. The Brighter Futures Program • targeted early intervention services to families with children under 9 years old • voluntary program that aims to increase child safety through improved parenting capacity and enhanced family well-being • was delivered by both Community Services and non-government Lead Agencies

4. Brighter Futures Program VULNERABILITES • Domestic violence • Drug and alcohol misuse • Parental mental health issues • Lack of extended family or social supports • Parent(s) with a significant learning difficulty or intellectual disability • Child behaviour management programs • Lack of parenting skills or inadequate supervision

5. Entry Pathways • Child Protection Helpline • Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Strategy (AMIHS) • Brighter Futures Lead Agencies • Priority Families: • AMIHS • Families with children under three years old. • Young parents transitioning from OOHC

6. Methodology • Stakeholder consultations & briefings • AFS Report Steering Group • Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council Ethics approval.

7. Research Design • Community Services administrative data, including risk of harm reports and OOHC episodes. • Qualitative interviews with 81 families and their Caseworkers and Managers Casework.

8. The Research Objectives • Does BF reduce reports to the Helpline? • Does BF reduce the OOHC episodes? • Do Program entry pathways work well for families? • Which services support engagement? • Is BF engaging fathers? • What factors led to families leaving the program?

9. AFS - Families

10. Caseworkers and Managers

11. Limitations • The AFS was more likely to include families who were more successful in engaging in Brighter Future and indicates that further research needs to be conducted on families who spent less time in the program, refused the program, or did not engage in the program.

12. Results and Discussion The AFS study found that compared to Aboriginal families not in Brighter Futures, child protection reports to the Helpline were reduced and the numbers of days in out-of-home-care (OOHC) were fewer.

13. Did entry pathways work well for families? • Over half the families entered the program through a report to the helpline. Most families found this entry confronting but a number later recognised it as a ‘blessing in disguise’ because they would never have engaged in BF otherwise. • The most positive entry reported by families was through a referral from NGOs or other government agencies.

14. Community Services involvement in the program • “It is always in the back of my mind, DoCS is a scary word. Because the first thing you think of when you think of DoCS is oh they are going to take my kids.” • “…like you’ve heard all the bad stories about DoCS stepping in and I know the situation isn’t great with me and the little fella and the last thing I need is them stepping in and saying we’re ripping him out of here. Like I know logically that doesn’t actually happen but it’s in your head because DoCS have got the reputation for it, whether it’s earned or not they’ve got the reputation.

15. Delivery of Services • Families reported that they were able to overcome the initial anxiety and apprehension about Community Services involvement once their caseworker explained how BF could help families. This finding was the same regardless of who delivered the service, Lead Agency (54%) or Community Services (46%). • Responses from families indicated that they were more concerned about how organisations were intervening rather than who was intervening.

16. Engaging families • Brighter Futures works to build on the strengths of families. • Many families commented on the positive nature of this approach and how empowering it was to have their strengths recognised. • This strengths based approach, combined with the fact that Brighter Futures is a voluntary program offered by both Community Services and Lead Agencies, helped to create an atmosphere between the caseworker and the family that enabled a true collaborative relationship.

17. Caseworker/Family relationshipCaseworker attributes The relationship that families formed with their caseworkers was a key contributor to the families’ perceptions of success in the program. Positive attributes: friendly, open, honest, available, able to listen without judgement, communicate in a language they can understand, reliable and being able to successfully follow up on things they promised. The most important quality was being upfront and honest. Negative Attributes: judgemental, authoritarian, or too pushy, is unreliable or doesn’t follow through with what they say.

18. Aboriginality of Caseworker • 47% of families had an Aboriginal caseworker • Families reported that Aboriginality of the caseworker impacted on engagement in the program. • Families talked about feeling more comfortable around an Aboriginal caseworker. They felt more confident in their ability to communicate and less judged. • “Because at least they understand me more like they know where I’m coming from the way I speak and I don’t have to feel embarrassed when they come around and apologise for things.”

19. Aboriginal Caseworker • These results are consistent with research which found that families who perceive themselves as a member of a racial minority expected to be negatively evaluated by the services that served them (Williams, 1997). • The results suggest that having an Aboriginal caseworker overcomes the perception of being judged. This is also consistent with other studies which found that matching clients and service providers cultural background increases the use of services (Lee & Farrell 2006; Ziguras et al, 2003).

20. A need for Aboriginal caseworkers • AFS data suggests that families are more likely to exit early if they are placed with a non-Aboriginal caseworker. • There is currently no data on how many Aboriginal caseworkers are employed across the BF program but there are reports of shortages. (Hilferty, et al., 2010)

21. Cultural Competence training • Results from caseworkers suggest that there is no consistency in Cultural Competency training across the BF program or even across Community Services. • Caseworker’s responses suggest that Cultural Competency training tends to focus on historical racism and not on the stereotypes that exist today.

22. Change in Caseworker • 45% of families had at least one change in their caseworker with 21% having more than three changes. • 62% of families indicated that a change in caseworker negatively impacted their time in the program. • 38% of families indicated that changes in caseworkers that were well managed and communicated early had little impact on progress in the program.

23. Services that support engagement • Financial assistance helped reduce stress levels in the family and solved minor problems quickly. • Advocacy skills of the caseworker also helped to directly reduce the stress levels in the house by solving minor problems quickly.

24. Caseworkers as agents of change • In the AFS some families entered the program ready for change but others needed highly skilled caseworkers to facilitate this change. • Difficulties arise when the family is in denial or unaware about their vulnerability. • In order to be in a position to address this caseworkers need to have established a trusting relationship with the family. • Caseworkers then need to have frank conversations with families.

25. Engaging fathers • AFS suggests that very few fathers were engaged in the program. • Many caseworkers described the fathers as being peripheral or in the shadows of the program. • The AFS study suggests that when a father is present in the home and not actively engaged the program is less successful. • All caseworkers and families think the program could be successful for fathers but needed to ensure the program meets the needs of fathers.

26. Childcare Services • 82% of families began using childcare for the first time whilst in BF. • Families were very happy with the childcare services they were receiving. • Families saw benefits to themselves and their children. • Supported play groups were also well attended by families.

27. Parenting Programs • Fifty percent of families completed a parenting program. • Families reported mixed results on the success of parenting programs with 20% stating they were not useful. • AFS data suggests that improving parenting practices is complex, as only 15% of families identified themselves as having difficulties in parenting in comparison to 67% from caseworkers.

28. Preparing families for exit • A number of families felt that they were not prepared for exit. • A good exit strategy as early as possible in the program is necessary if outcomes are to be maintained after program completion.

29. Why are families leaving early? • CS Admin data indicates that 48% of Aboriginal families exit the program within six months. • AFS data suggests reasons for exit are numerous and include the complexity of the cases and the ability of families to trust services. • “There was not really any reason I just thought it was like too much on my plate. I’m a very personal woman and around about that time I was in like a domestic violent relationship. People are telling me to do this, do that where I just wanted to curl up under a rock and not do anything. I just sort of like I just stopped taking their phone calls. Main reason was that’s the only reason why I was really scared.”

30. In conclusion – what worked • A strengths based program with a flexible engagement period. • The relationship that families formed with their caseworkers was a key contributor to the families’ perceptions of success in the program. • Caseworkers who are friendly, open, honest, able to listen without judgement, able to communicate effectively, follow through with what they promised and most importantly be upfront and honest. • Advocacy skills of caseworkers and financial assistance. • Aboriginal caseworkers.

31. In Conlusion – What worked • Changeovers in caseworkers that are communicated early and well managed. • Caseworkers who are able to have frank conversations with families about their vulnerabilities in order to initiate change. • Children’s services including childcare and supported playgroups. • Preparing families for exit early in the program

32. Contact Cathy Stirling Community Services Research Centre (02) 9716 2514 cathy.stirling@facs.nsw.gov.au