Cultural support plans

A cultural support plan is required for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child who is subject to ongoing intervention. The initial cultural support plan should be developed when the first case plan is developed during the family group meeting.

The cultural support plan is a component of the case plan for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child, to document the actions planned to retain the child’s connection to their family, community and cultural supports, when they are living in a care arrangement. It must be personalised to the individual child’s needs and circumstance. 

The child’s cultural support plan is vital to the delivery of culturally appropriate safety services and supports because it:

• details information about the child’s family, community and personal history
• increases the knowledge and understanding of the child’s place in their family, kinship, and community structure
• nurtures and supports the child while strengthening their cultural identity and connections
• assists with the child’s understanding of their community networks and cultural heritage
• documents arrangements for connection time with family, kin, elders and community members of significance to the child and each of the parents
• identifies opportunities for the child to participate in activities and experiences to preserve their connection with family, community and culture
• accurately records important cultural and family information for the child. This specifically relevant for a child who is not yet old enough to contribute to their own cultural support plan and for a child who does not want to identify with their community or culture at the time the plan is formed.

Developing the cultural support plan

Child Safety is responsible for ensuring the cultural support plan is developed with the family (using a family-led decision making process), creating an individualised plan supporting regular connection with as many people as possible who share the child’s cultural background. 

The cultural practice advisor is integral and provides advice and support to other practitioners in the development of the cultural support plan component of the case plan.

Any additional information gathered from the child and their family and community during ongoing intervention activities can be recorded in case notes and added to the case plan or cultural support plan during the next case plan review.

Participants involved in developing cultural support plan

An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child’s cultural support plan is developed in partnership with:
•    the child (where age and developmentally appropriate)
•    the family
•    CSO
•    cultural practice advisor
•    an independent person (where the child or the child's family has consented to their involvement)
•    a representative from a Family Participation Program or convenor from a Collaborative Family Decision Making program (when involved in a family-led decision making process)
•    workers from relevant local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agencies
•    significant Elders and where appropriate community members
•    the child’s carer
•    relevant members of the child’s safety and support network
•    any other individuals who have been identified as significant in the child’s life.

Cultural concepts to be recorded in a cultural support plan

When developing a cultural support plan, recognise the two distinct groups of Indigenous peoples in Australia. Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people. These two distinct groups have unique histories, languages, customs, traditions and rituals.

Cultural identity

The child has the right to identify with one or both cultures they belong to, based on their cultural identity and connection the child may identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander or both. 

For example, Nulla father’s family is from Badu Island in the Torres Strait Islands and his mother’s family is Aboriginal from Dalby. Nulla may choose to identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or both, depending on what he most connects with.

Recording cultural identity

Record the cultural identity on Unify, in accordance with the child and family’s preferences, ensuring their voices lead the process.

Clan group

A clan is a local descent group that is larger than a family and is connected through shared ancestry, tribal affiliation, nation, and family or community ties. While clans share connections, each is distinct and may have separate aspirations. 

A child should know their clan group so they may know their blood and kin relationships. These inform their identity and future decisions about intimate relationships. However, it is recognised some children may not have knowledge of their clan of group due to various circumstances. In such cases, active efforts should be made to support the child in exploring and connecting with their cultural heritage and identity, where possible to foster a sense of belonging and self-awareness.

Gather information about the child’s clan group from: 

•  the child 
• family 
• elders  
• community members 
• relevant services 
• independent person/s (where consent is given) 
• family group meeting participants 
• the cultural practice advisor 
• other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved.

Ensure Elders and significant community members are identified in the child’s cultural support plan, along with contact details of family members who can support the child’s cultural identity.

For example, Clancy born in Rockhampton, identifies as both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander:

• his maternal grandmother from Mt Isa connects him to the Kalkadoon people
• his maternal grandfather, from Hervey Bay, connects him to the Butchulla people
• his father’s family descends from Warraber Island in the Torres Strait Islands, linking him to the Kulkalgal nation.

Clancy’s cultural identity reflects his blood ties to Kalkadoon and Butchulla peoples, his historical connections to Rockhampton, and his Torres Strait Islander heritage. Further exploration with his family ensures he remains connected to his cultural roots. 

Compatible person

A ‘compatible person’ is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who is not related by blood to the child but who understands the child’s community and language group and can help maintain their cultural connections. 

To explore such a person, discuss with the child’s parents, Elders, extended family, or nominated organisations. If the child or family has consented to an independent person, they may assist the family.

For example, a child was placed with an Aboriginal health worker connected to the community but not directly related to the child. 

Language groups

At the point of colonisation, there were at least 250 Aboriginal languages spoken in Australia and as many as 800 dialects. Language groups are defined by the dialects spoken by a culturally distinct group of people within different clan groups and community groups. People from one clan could speak up to 4 different languages within an island or language group.
English may be the second or third language people use.
For example, in the Torres Strait, three distinct languages besides English are spoken:

• Meriam Mir, related to the language of Papua New Guinea, is the language of the Eastern Torres Strait
• Kala Lagau Ya, made up of several dialect variations of Kala Lagau Ya, Kala Kawa Ya, Kulkalgau Ya and Kaiwaligau Ya, is the language of the Western and Central Islands of Torres Strait
• Creole is the third ‘Indigenous’ language of the Torres Straits. It developed around the 1880s and is also known as Blaikman Tok, Broken/Brokan Inglis and Yumplatok.

Mob, community and island groups

For Aboriginal peoples, the term ‘mob’ refers to strong connections within a particular group, place or country. While Torres Strait Islanders living on the mainland may use the term mob, it is not commonly used in the Torres Strait. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples may belong to multiple communities, including where they come from, where their family ties, and where they currently live or work. They are best placed to define their cultural identity. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may move regularly between communities or belong to many communities. They will be best placed to tell you their cultural identity.

For example:

• Clancy’s grandmother moved from Mt Isa to Palm Island as a child
• Clancy’s grandfather was born in Hervey Bay
• Clancy’s grandparents lived in Rockhampton, raising Clancy’s mother.

Clancy was born in Rockhampton and has lived there all his life. This means that Clancy may consider his community group to be:

•  the Kalkadoon people of Mt Isa where his grandmother’s people come from
• the Aboriginal community on Palm Island, due to his grandmother being brought up there from a young age
• the Butchulla people of Hervey Bay, where his grandfather’s people come from, and 
• the Aboriginal community of Rockhampton, due to the historical connections that his grandparents and mother have to Rockhampton and the family being accepted as part of the Aboriginal community.

Skin group

Skin group refers to the ‘moity system’. An Aboriginal person is born into a family and given a particular skin group that will follow a maternal or paternal line. 

Skin groups govern the daily interactions and communication between different groups and may pre-determine appropriate marital or partner relationships. They may also guide the customs and traditions individuals follow and preserve for future generations—responsibilities that are specifically upheld by their respective skin groups. These practices continue to be observed in some communities, including urban areas. 

Following to these cultural protocols is essential to ensure young people do not enter marital or intimate relationships with individuals who share close blood connections, as this remains a cultural taboo in Aboriginal communities. 

Totems

A totem is a natural object, plant or animal inherited by members of a clan or family as their spiritual emblem. Totems are believed to be the descendants of the Dreamtime heroes (Uncle Graham Paulson Australians Together). 

Totems have particular spiritual religious significance. In some instances, it is considered a cultural taboo to note this information. 

Support the child’s identity and cultural connections

The cultural support plan is to include:

• who will connect with the child, their relationship and benefits for the child
• the frequency, location, and logistics of contact
• additional support by services and people and what this support will include
• who will be involved in the activities with the child
• how the activities will support the child’s connection and development
• the activities may include those that are held in a communities tied to the child’s traditional lands, historical connection or current residence. For example this may include:
  • connecting with family, Elders, and community members 
  • attending cultural events such as NAIDOC week, funerals, tombstone unveiling (for a Torres Strait Islander child), cultural festivals and other local events
  • participating in age-appropriate cultural ceremonies
  • attending family events such as family reunions or weddings
  • engaging and participating in sporting, arts, leisure and recreational activities
  • attending required services, such as health, legal or childcare services, through ATSICCO
  • attending cultural school programs delivered in schools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
• plans for how regular connection will occur with people sharing the child’s cultural background – including supervision, schedules and support arrangements and who is to undertake this role
• individuals who are restricted from contact with the child and reasons for restrictions.

The cultural support plan should outline activities identified by the child, family, Elders, community members, and relevant services to help the child maintain connections with family, culture, and community. If the child or family has consented to the involvement of an independent person, they may assist in providing this information. 

Support carers to maintain cultural activities 

Provide the carer with support so they can follow the cultural activities detailed in the cultural support plan. This may include:

• access to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentor
• cultural resources (such as books, artwork, music or online materials)
• assistance to attend community events and introductions to key community members 
• direct connection to the cultural practice advisor and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to help the carer understand the child’s culture and history
• an annual events calendar and a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander local services and contacts
• relevant training programs or workshops.

Record, approve and distribute a cultural support plan

The cultural support plan for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child must be recorded within the case plan in Unify. Responsibility for recording the cultural support plan sits with: 

• the FGM convenor when they develop the case plan
• the child’s CSO when the case plan is developed by the Family Participation Program convenor
• the child CSO when the case plan is developed by a private convenor
• the child’s CSO when the case plan is developed without a family group meeting.

The cultural support plan must be tailored to the child’s needs and the resources available within their family and community. When recording the plan, ensure:

• information is clear and accurate and detailed enough for individuals to fulfil their responsibilities
• the language is respectful and culturally sensitive
• irrelevant information about family or community members is excluded.

If an external convenor develops the cultural support plan through a family-led process, Child Safety must ensure it accurately reflects the family’s agreed plan. 

Once the case plan is endorsed, a copy of the cultural support plan will be provided to:

• the child (if age and developmentally appropriate) and explained in a way they can understand, or consider developing a child-friendly resource
• the child’s parents
• individuals responsible for actions in the plan
• the child’s foster or kinship carer and any licensed care service involved in implementing the plan
• participants in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait family-led decision making process, family groups meetings, and any Elders or significant community members supporting the plan’s implementation (as agreed by the family).

Review of the cultural support plan

The cultural support plan must be reviewed and updated whenever the case plan is reviewed (at least every 6 months, except for long-term guardianship and permanent care orders).

The plan is to remain a dynamic document reflective of the child’s evolving needs and circumstances. Child Safety is responsible for regular reviews, consulting with the child, family, relevant individuals and the cultural practise advisor. Updates should include any new cultural information or changes in the child’s needs or circumstances, such as:

• placement changes 
• age-appropriate adjustments to activities as the child grows
• plans for reunification with parents or transition to adulthood
• changes to individuals connecting with the child.