1. Aboriginal children in out-of home care: Caring for our kids
The role of capacity building in Transition
Barry Lenihan
Peter Jones
We do not have time to discuss the whole transition plan.
You will all be aware that all statutory out of home care placements are moving from community services to NGOs
You will also probably be aware that the transition plan includes the aim to have all Aboriginal kids in care placed in Aboriginal agencies.
This presents us with the mammoth task of growing the Aboriginal sector from 350 kids to 3,000 kids.
This presentation is about AbSec’s capacity building project,

2. The role of capacity building in Transition
Partnership
Progress
Capacity
Firstly we will talk about our role in developing partnerships between Aboriginal community controlled organisations and accredited services. We have enjoyed using a dating analogy for this work and will share that with you.
We will then show you the progress we have made so far and the agencies and partnerships that we hope to see operating in the next couple of years.
Pete will then talk about the tool we will use to assess the capacity of agencies and partnerships to help them grow.

3. A.B.S.E.C. Dating Agency
We are using the Dating analogy today as this we believe best represents the story so far!

4. Our Agency Values
“That all Aboriginal Kids will be connected to community and cared for by Aboriginal Carers, supported by Aboriginal Staff in an Aboriginal Community controlled Organisation”
Whilst the Principals of the Transition are the foundation of the Transition AbSec’s core value is “That all Aboriginal Kids will be connected to community and cared for by Aboriginal Carers, supported by Aboriginal Staff in an Aboriginal Community controlled Organisation”

5. About A.B.S.E.C.
Small Aboriginal Peak formed to strengthen links between Aboriginal child and family service provider agencies and to support the organisations to provide effective and high quality services for children and young people. Also known to give advice, consultation and advocacy from time to time.

6. How to Apply Call 9559 5299 or 9281 8822 Submit survey
Fill out Profile
A.B.S.E.C. expert matchmakers link you up
It’s that easy!
The Transition has opened a lot of doors for Aboriginal Communities…through this we saw the shift in the sector and more so the understanding that Aboriginal Kids are best within Aboriginal Community Controlled Orgs that have a strong Child and Family Focus whether in Partnerships with an Accredited Provider or those Aboriginal Orgs seeking Accreditation themselves…and so the dating game begins…
AbSec and ACWA were flooded with calls to support Aboriginal Orgs…so we had to have a more streamlined approach to sought out those interested or those just looking…
Pre ROI ACWA through Neha Prasad developed a Survey as a way to gauge firstly what the Sector was thinking..where they would like to expand, what services they were delivering, what they were thinking of diversifying into and if they really liked Aboriginal Communities…

7. On our books… Single! Aboriginal! Enthusiastic!
AbSec had already completed extensive strategic mapping of the state…looking at what we new collectively internally both through our Board, Member Agencies and Staff, Cultural Boundaries, Language Boundaries, Existing Strong Organisations, Community Leadership and CSC Boundaries amongst others…from there
the Tendering streams were developed by Community Services in which Orgs were asked which Aboriginal communities had a working relationship with, an MOU or more…

8. Ideal Partner Cultured Likes to plan Qualified and Experienced
Has strong values
Can handle open relationships
When we did the Matchmaking our aim was to get as close as possible to the profile of each Partner..by no means an easy task!
Most importantly for the Accredited Provider we were looking for Cultural knowledge and involvement Organisationally…such as…
Aboriginal Advisory Bodies
Aboriginal Board Membership
Aboriginal Employment Targets and Policies
Engagement with the Aboriginal Community
Aboriginal Unit within the Organisation
Located in Aboriginal Communities
Specific Service Delivery to Aboriginal Communities
As you could appreciate there is an infinite list of attributes that would be pertinent..
We also were looking for Providers that would be around for the long haul and valued the opportunity to be part of this for Aboriginal Communities given we are undertaking what we know will be a 10 year plan
Most of all as we have a new, young and dynamic Aboriginal sector emerging AbSec will be there beside these new Agencies we wanted Accredited provders to understand that AbSec will be in some instances heavily involved in the Partnering arrangements

9. Looking For Entity not yet established Young Aboriginal agency
Older more established Aboriginal agency
A long term relationship
Something discreet
Casual relationship
When the Survey responses came back there was nothing too out of ordinary given the extensive work we had done with those Agencies identified by the Community, AbSec and those that made approaches…
Now we needed to work out the mix of Partners…the survey results served their purpose well in which we were able to match up Partners and in some instances broker talks on behalf Aboriginal Communities to the Accredited Orgs matching them in what they were looking for…the mixture worked well and it’s encouraging that AbSec continues to be approached by Accredited Orgs willing to Partner with Aboriginal Communities.

10. Please complete Aboriginal Non- Aboriginal Relationship Status
Occupation
Willing to Commit
Located within 100kms or willing to re-locate
Willing to sign Pre Nuptial
This draws us to the profiling of Accredited Providers looking to support Aboriginal Communities…
As we have seen the Partnering Agency is not always a non Aboriginal Org..we are pleased our own Accredited Services have raised their hands to drive the Transition. We will present a map soon to demonstrate this.
We looked at those that already had working relationships with Community and Aboriginal Organisations and those with no relationship to community we worked collectively to see if that status fit well…
We asked what Accredited Orgs they were experts in..what they were keen to diversify into and did that fit with the mix of Placements we had in the data CS provided
Were the Accredited Orgs really keen to commit to what could possibly take 10 years?
We discovered that some Partnerships are not all the same…some Accredited Orgs were keen only to lend minimal supports such as Mentoring whilst others were there for the duration!
And most of all were the willing to put there commitment to paper…this is fundamental in the Partnership coming to life!

11. Please complete Qualifications Size Has Children Wants more Children
Family orientated
What Experiences had the Accredited Orgs have with these communities?
Was it good? Was it Bad? If so why…was it just community perception of the Org or old wounds that have never healed?
Were they a new player with no experience never taking placements but a great service that fit well with the needs Partnering Aboriginal Community? How would this work and does AbSec or other Agencies have a role to play in the Capacity Building toward a new service…
Was the Accredited Orgs big enough to fully support the Partnership?

12. Interests Learning about new Cultures Giving support Receiving support
In all great dating Profiles Interests are pinnacle because it gives you the freedom to go beyond and share what you are really looking for…it tells you more about who’s on the other side…our Aboriginal Communities simply wanted Accredited Orgs to be open to share and learn…they wanted their communities to be matched with someone that wanted to know about and understood that at the core of all Aboriginal people is their Culture and its there to share…they wanted to know they would be in a real Partnership in which they were given the best support but also wanted to share their knowledge and understanding of how to best care for their kids

13. Introduction Tips First Date - take a friend - meet in a safe place
- talk about yourselves
- share your vision
AbSec set about introductions toward to prospective partnerships…so in the first instance as this was all new to many AbSec sent along a representative..usually we met in the Community and everyone had the chance to show their wares…and share what they perceived to be the very best service in the State!
These meetings are still being undertaken in some communities and in others introductions are yet to be made!

14. Engagement
R I
As all good things must come to an end…The results of the Registration of Interest were announced and the success of potential Partnerships are one step closer to being an official project…they have a long way to go in developing the finer details but the in principal agreement such as MOU’s or Intent to work together will be the foundation to…

15. Marriage
Marriage or in this case Partnership Contract to begin the process of Placement Transfers…but as in all good relationships there must be no kids before marriage!

17. Partnership Progress Capacity
That was the partnership section … so how are we getting on?

18. Seven Aboriginal agencies with (provisional) accreditation and placements
Currently we have 7 Aboriginal Agencies taking in around 350 Placements

19. All seven plan to grow in their areas
All 7 of these Agencies plan to grow toward taking all placements in their respective boundaries

20. Four plan to expand into other areas
4 of these Agencies plan to expand into other areas where there is no current Aboriginal OOHC provider

21. One agency with provisional accreditation will take placements
1 Agency with Provisional Accreditation will begin to take placements in the not too distant future

22. Three agencies will seek independent accreditation
There are 3 Aboriginal Agencies seeking independent Accreditation
Support is coming from AbSec’s Accreditation Team

23. Eight partnerships in development
There are 8 Partnerships currently in development mainly in the Western Region

24. Discussions with communities and agencies in four areas
AbSec is having ongoing discussions with communities where there is no immediate plan to develop an Aboriginal OOHC Service.
We will continue to support Capacity Building initiatives such as Training, Sector Engagement/Consultations and Foster Care support

25. Partnership Progress Capacity
So what are we going to do with all these agencies? How will we work to build their capacity?

26. Developing Capacity
OOHC Service delivery intensive, complex and particular
Organisations at very different levels in providing services
Identified need to properly assess organisation’s capacities and developmental needs to properly support them
AbSec developing tool with Matrix on Board to guide capacity assessment for new agencies

27. CARD – Capacity Assessment Review and Development Tool

28. Triangulation

29. Elements

30. Capacity Matrix Important Development required Key Strengths
Less Important

31. Thank You AbSec www.absec.org.au Barry capacity@absec.org.au
Pete
Call me! xx