AbSec has been working in partnership with the NSW Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) for the past 12 months to co-design the Aboriginal sector to meet the needs of Aboriginal children, young people and families involved with the child protection and out of home care system.

This co-design process aims to address the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children and young people involved in the system, while also working to ensure there is an Aboriginal sector with the right capacity to respond to emerging needs around child protection concerns. The process had representation from all Aboriginal agencies involved with the system, the NSW Ombudsman, the Office of the Children’s Guardian, the Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA), Department of Premier and Cabinet and FACS.

Co-designing the future state to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people has been at the heart of the co-design process. It has meant thinking innovatively to tailor responses to vulnerable and at risk Aboriginal children, young people and families, and exploring how the Aboriginal sector is developed to respond to emerging and continuing demand. Importantly, this is about recognising that the best support for Aboriginal children and young people in this system is delivered by Aboriginal community controlled organisations on behalf of Aboriginal communities across the state.

Based on the co-design process, AbSec, on behalf of the Aboriginal sector, with input from FACS has developed an Aboriginal Sector Plan on a Page as an action-orientated strategy for the next five years, with the view being that this will set out implementation activities to 2021, pending support and agreement from the NSW Government. This five year plan will ensure alignment with NSW Government targets and aim to address core gaps in the existing system as it relates to supporting vulnerable Aboriginal children, young people and families, and the Aboriginal sector that supports them.

The Plan on a Page for Aboriginal children and young people is a strategy for self-determination in Aboriginal communities and for ensuring the protection and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people, it is a blue-print for engaging with our Aboriginal communities across NSW, and aims to ensure holistic Abroiginal child and family approaches are established to provide flexibility to deliver greater outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people.