Self-determination is a founding principle of cultural safety (Ramsden, 2002). The right to self-determination for Indigenous peoples is affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and endorsed by the Australian Government. What this means within the Australian child protection context is the source of much debate (see for example Davis, 2019). Whilst acknowledging that scholars and sectoral representatives have argued that self-determination is not currently enacted as a guiding principle in Aboriginal child protection (Davis, 2019), it is identified in policy framework documents and the research literature as a critical element of cultural safety (see for example Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services, 2019). This indicates that much work is to be done by government agencies to enable self-determination and within the sector to determine what self-determination means in relation to early support service provision, and how this can be translated across the diversity of service offerings.
There are a number of activities that service providers can adopt and adapt to ensure that Aboriginal clients feel safe and empowered. Self-determination within service delivery begins, however, with Aboriginal people meaningfully leading, designing and implementing services (Davis, 2019). This will ensure that programs for Aboriginal clients are informed by Aboriginal culture, cultural protocols and ways of knowing.
Some activities are listed below but it needs to be remembered that what may work for one child or family or community, may not work for another, and therefore self-determination should be negotiated with the local Aboriginal community for each service context.
25 Mar 2022
We acknowledge Aboriginal people as the First Nations Peoples of NSW and pay our respects to Elders past, present, and future.
Informed by lessons of the past, Department of Communities and Justice is improving how we work with Aboriginal people and communities. We listen and learn from the knowledge, strength and resilience of Stolen Generations Survivors, Aboriginal Elders and Aboriginal communities.
You can access our apology to the Stolen Generations.