8 August 2012 | General Interest
SNAICC is proud to release a review of the literature on Integrated service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
The review considers the evidence that is available to inform effective integration that meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
While SNAICC has participated in the drive for service integration, there has been little Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspective on the evolution of the models of integrated service delivery and the extent to which they respond to the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. This is a critical issue to ensure effective outreach for vulnerable families and a shift in implementation systems and practice towards early intervention to support families and protect children.
This paper addresses the literature on child and family service integration generally, as well as exploring evidence available from the review of significant Australian integration initiatives concerning their effectiveness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. It highlights a number of key features of service integration initiatives that have shown promise, or been identified as necessary, in engaging and meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. These include:
- Measures to increase access to integrated services for vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families including through outreach, transportation especially in remote areas, multiple service system entry points, soft entry points to engage families in safe environments, and maintaining service access through trusted community-controlled organisations;
- Targeting services to meet the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, including a priority for cultural competence in service design and delivery;
- Valued roles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities in leading design and delivery of service integration initiatives for their children and families;
- Investment in capacity building for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to take leading roles in integrated service development and delivery for their children and families; and
- Support for the development of genuine partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities, and mainstream services for the design and delivery of integrated services.
As the Australian public policy drive for increasing service integration continues, it is a critical time to ensure that initiatives are considering what is required to be successful in engaging and meeting the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. SNAICC will soon release a report that considers what is needed to achieve effective service integration in the context of the 38 new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Family Centres currently being established around the country.
