Joint Submission on Child Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines – June 2018

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Djirra’s contribution to this joint submission on the Child Information Sharing Scheme Ministerial Guidelines focuses on the responsibility of information sharing entities (as prescribed under the scheme) to ensure that their services are culturally safe and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s views are always obtained and considered, where it is safe to do so. This is particularly important given that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people may hold greater levels of mistrust due to past government policies and current high rates of child removal and therefore may be less likely to engage with community services if information is likely to be shared without their consent. Recommendations in this submission include the importance of cultural awareness training for all practitioners and strong engagement and referral relationships with family violence specialist ACCOs such as Djirra to work with Aboriginal children and families where family violence is present or suspected.

Joint Submission on Family Violence Information Sharing and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment and Risk Management Framework – July 2018

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This joint submission by family violence specialist organisations across Victoria, including Djirra, responds to the guiding high-level policy framework of the new CRAF (or common risk assessment framework). Djirra advocates for a culturally safe and relevant model that helps practitioners assess and manage family violence risk for Aboriginal people in a safe and effective way – free from racial prejudice and subconscious bias. This will help ensure that Aboriginal victim/survivors of family violence, predominantly women and children, have access to early and effective support and protection while maintaining autonomy and choice over their lives.