Family-led decision making

‘Aboriginal family-led decision making draws on traditional Indigenous consultative methods to create safe spaces where families can make decision in the best interest of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, grounded in culture and family’ (Wathaurong).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family-led decision making involves shared decision making with children, families, and communities across the child protection system. Facilitated by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander convenor from an ATSICCO. It creates a culturally safe, inclusive and respectful space for families to develop solutions that ensure children’s safety, belonging and wellbeing, either at home or in care.

The key principles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family-led decision making include:

• recognising families as experts in their own lives
• allows families and their networks to lead decision making, safety planning and case plan development for their children
• they are independently facilitated by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
• inclusive and respectful of family’s culture
• allows choice and private family time
• meetings being held in a safe space chosen by the family (SNAICC).

Child Safety applies family-led decision making processes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander families, and these are facilitated by delegated Child Safety staff, and internal and external convenors from the Collaborative Family Decision Making (CFDM) regional teams. 

The Family Participation Program is funded to deliver independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family-led decision making for children and families.(Refer to Family led decision making for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child).

Participants for family led decision making processes

The family is best placed to decide who can attend. Those most likely to be involved are:

• the child
• the mother and father of the child. Where one of the parents are not immediately available, it is important to think about how they can be part of the process and have their voice heard
• the nominated independent person or persons 
• those with cultural knowledge about the child or family, such as an Elder
• the child’s carer 
• Child Safety staff
• a support worker or staff from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation
•  the meeting convenor.

Family-led decision making during an assessment or ongoing intervention

The Family Participation Program (FPP) can support families through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family-led decision making during an assessment or during ongoing intervention with a child and family. This process empowers families to have their voices heard, take the lead in decision making and develop plans to ensure a child’s safety and wellbeing are met, if possible, without the need for Child Safety intervention.

Child Safety must arrange, in consultation with the child and their family and subject to their agreement, for an independent person to facilitate the child and family’s participation in significant decisions made during an assessment or ongoing intervention. (Refer to Independent persons information).
This includes decisions such as:

• the type of intervention
• the type of child protection order
• where and with whom the child will live.

Wherever possible the FPP will facilitate a culturally appropriate family-led decision making process. 

While Child Safety holds statutory responsibilities, the family leads the planning with Child Safety actively participating. Child Safety may have non-negotiables or ‘bottom lines’ related to the Child’s Safety legislative obligations and these must be communicated transparently. 

Family members decide the steps to address Child Safety’s concerns. 

Open, clear communication with the family facilitator and independent person is essential for this process to succeed. Child Safety will raise questions if critical issues remain unclear or unaddressed, ensuring plans are practical and actionable.