ΣΦΑΙΡΙΚΗ ΕΙΚΟΝΑ
Για ποιον είναι
Family Group Conferencing involves families who have been referred by the Department of Child Protection. We work with parents, children, extended family and any other relevant person in the family circle.
Πώς Βοηθάμε
Independent coordination and facilitation of Family Group Conferences that enable families to come together to make informed decisions about their children and young people.
Τι να περιμένεις
Family Group Conferencing is offered as in-person, group family sessions. Followed by private family time and space to make decisions as a family.
Πώς βοηθάμε:
Τοποθετούμε τα παιδιά στο κέντρο.
A circle is protection and safety whose boundary helps encourage sharing and confidentiality. Circle work allows us to sit in story to connect the act of Dadirri deep listening.
For the Children
Ngartuitya (nar too it yah) is a Kaurna concept from the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains region meaning ‘for the Children’. This concept values and spotlights children and reorients the focus to be for them, not without them.
Ngartuitya Family Group Conference team recognises the protective factors that cultural identity provides. All families from diverse cultural backgrounds will be provided, wherever possible, an appropriate Ngartuitya Coordinator whose role includes ensuring that the processes of the conference support the family’s cultural identity and encourages pride in culture.
It is of critical importance to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the child protection system and Ngartuitya Family Group Conference Service will provide Aboriginal Coordinators wherever possible and appropriate, to ensure services are culturally inclusive, safe and respectful to Aboriginal families living in South Australia.
Families also have the right to choose a cultural representative to attend their Family Group Conference.
What is Family Group Conferencing?
Family Group Conferencing provides an opportunity for a child or young person and their family to make informed decisions about their own arrangements for the care and protection of the child or young person, and to make voluntary arrangements for their care that are consistent with the priorities outlined in Chapter 2 of the Children and Young Person (Safety) Act 2017 (CYPS Act). Family Group Conferencing can also be convened to review arrangements and decisions made at a previous conference.
Family Group Conferencing is underpinned by the principles of family led decision making which recognises that:
- Families are experts in their own lives.
- Family involved in a Group Conference broadly includes the children, parents extended family and even significant friends and neighbours to the family who may not actually be blood related. Families have the right to have a cultural representative present at their conference.
- Families, including extended family and communities, have a pivotal role in the care and protection of children and young people
- Empowering families to make informed decisions about what’s best for their children and young people, benefits children and young people, families and communities
- Better outcomes are achieved for children when families and children themselves are involved in decision-making processes, when safe to do so
- Children and young people’s connection to their family and culture is crucial to their wellbeing and development.
Πώς λειτουργεί το Family Group Conferencing;
- Για να συμμετάσχουν οι οικογένειες σε ένα συνέδριο της Οικογενειακής Ομάδας Ngartuitya, πρέπει να ενημερωθούν πλήρως από έναν κοινωνικό λειτουργό του Τμήματος Προστασίας Παιδιού (DCP) σχετικά με τις ανησυχίες για την ασφάλεια του παιδιού και να συμφωνήσουν ότι για να ελαχιστοποιηθούν ή να εξαλειφθούν αυτοί οι κίνδυνοι για την ευημερία του παιδιού, Η προσέγγιση ολόκληρης της οικογένειας θα μπορούσε να λειτουργήσει.
- Ένας κοινωνικός λειτουργός του DCP θα εξηγήσει στην οικογένεια τον σκοπό της Οικογενειακής Ομαδικής Διάσκεψης, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του ποιος μπορεί να παρακολουθήσει τη διάσκεψη. Η συμμετοχή σε ένα Συνέδριο Οικογενειακής Ομάδας είναι εθελοντική.
- Μόλις η οικογένεια συμφωνήσει να συμμετάσχει, παραπέμπεται στην Υπηρεσία Συνεδρίων της Οικογενειακής Ομάδας Ngartuitya στο Relationships Australia South Australia, η οποία θα συνδεθεί με την οικογένεια για να συζητήσει την παραπομπή και να προετοιμαστεί για τη διάσκεψη. Αυτό περιλαμβάνει τη διάθεση ενός Συντονιστή Ngartuitya για να υποστηρίξει τα μέλη της οικογένειας που συγκεντρώνονται προς όφελος του παιδιού.
- Το στάδιο προετοιμασίας είναι ένα κρίσιμο στάδιο, καθώς ο Συντονιστής Ngartuitya συνεργάζεται στενά με την οικογένεια για να διασφαλίσει ότι όλα τα άτομα που μπορούν να συμβάλουν θετικά στη φροντίδα του παιδιού θα προσκληθούν να συμμετάσχουν στο συνέδριο.
- Ο Συντονιστής Ngartuitya, σε συνεργασία με το παιδί ή το νεαρό άτομο και τον γονέα του, είναι υπεύθυνος να αποφασίσει ποιος μπορεί να παρακολουθήσει ένα Συνέδριο Οικογενειακής Ομάδας. Αυτή η απόφαση βασίζεται στο εάν η συμμετοχή ενός ατόμου είναι πιθανό να συμβάλει χρήσιμη στην επίτευξη συμφωνίας που υποστηρίζει την ευημερία του παιδιού κατά τη διάρκεια της Διάσκεψης της Ομάδας Οικογένειας.
- Ο Συντονιστής Ngartuitya είναι παρών καθώς διευκολύνουν την ομαλή διεξαγωγή του οικογενειακού συνεδρίου. Θα παρευρεθεί και η κοινωνική λειτουργός του DCP.
- Η Οικογενειακή Συμφωνία θα πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσει τις ανησυχίες που εγείρει το Υπουργείο Παιδικής Προστασίας. Η Οικογενειακή Συμφωνία πρέπει να συμφωνηθεί από τους γονείς/κηδεμόνες, το παιδί ή το νεαρό άτομο (εάν παρευρίσκεται) και τον κοινωνικό λειτουργό του DCP την ώρα του διάσκεψη.
- Ο ρόλος του Συντονιστή Ngartuitya είναι να παρέχει ένα γραπτό αρχείο όλων των αποφάσεων που ελήφθησαν στη Διάσκεψη της Οικογενειακής Ομάδας. Αυτό μπορεί να περιλαμβάνει αποφάσεις σχετικά με ρυθμίσεις περίθαλψης, πολιτιστική υποστήριξη και συνδέσεις, ρυθμίσεις επικοινωνίας καθώς και οποιεσδήποτε ενέργειες απαιτούνται από γονείς/κηδεμόνες, άλλους φορείς και μέλη της οικογένειας.
Η ομάδα διασκέψεων της Οικογενειακής Ομάδας Ngartuitya είναι πρόθυμη να ακούσει τα σχόλιά σας και θα επικοινωνήσουμε με κάθε συμμετέχοντα σχετικά με την εμπειρία τους για να μας βοηθήσουν να καταλάβουμε τι λειτουργεί καλά και τι πρέπει να κάνουμε καλύτερα.
For families to participate in an Ngartuitya Family Group Conference (NFGC) they must be fully informed by a Department for Child Protection (DCP) social worker about the safety concerns for the child and agree that to minimise or remove those risks for the child to thrive, a whole of family approach could work.
Families’ participation in a Family Group Conference is voluntary.
Once the family agrees to participate, they are referred to Ngartuitya Family Group Conference Service at Relationships Australia South Australia who will connect with the family to discuss preparation for the conference. This includes the allocation of a Ngartuitya Coordinator to support members of the family come together for the benefit of the child.
Once the child, parents and all family members have understood the purpose and agree to participate in an NFGC, the Ngartuitya Coordinator will organise a suitable venue and time so that the family can come together to discuss how, as a family, they will work together to support the child.
On the day of the Family Group Conference, the Ngartuitya Coordinator will be present at the venue and family members will attend. Either this can be in person, via video or telephone link or the Ngartuitya Coordinator can provide written contributions from those who cannot attend. The space will be set up to be welcoming and facilitate shared discussion.
- Introduction to the Ngartuitya Family Group Conference – The first part is sitting together as a family so the Ngartuitya Coordinator can ensure that everyone present, including the DCP social worker, is aware of the purpose, each person’s role and responsibility and that the child’s safety concerns to be addressed, are clear to everyone present.
- Family time – This is private time and space for the family to make decisions on what solutions they can provide within their own family and community to address concerns raised. The Ngartuitya Coordinator can provide facilitation assistance if requested by the family. The DCP social worker is not part of the family time
- Family Agreement (the plan) – The Family Agreement has to say what needs to be done, by who, and when these actions need to be taken to address the safety and wellbeing concerns for the child or young person. All participants, including the DCP social worker – who is required to approve the Family Agreement, must agree to the decisions made, understand their own role and their responsibilities within the timeframes agreed on at the conference. The Ngartuitya Coordinator will ensure that all present receive a copy of the family agreement.
Families will be followed up by the Ngartuitya Coordinator and the DCP social worker within 3 months to see how the Family Agreement is working and to assist with any adjustments. The Ngartuitya Coordinator will check in with the family and may arrange for the family meet again and participate in another conference.
The family is able to request a review if two or more family members who participated in the Family Group Conference believe it is required.
Family involved in a Group Conference will includμι children, parents, extended family and even significant friends and neighbours to the family (who may not actually be blood related) and can include a cultural representative.
Families, including extended family and communities, have an important role in caring for children and young people, and keeping them safe.
Αναγνώριση Χρηματοδότησης
Ngartuitya Family Group Conferencing is funded by the South Australian Department for Child Protection.