Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T05:12:17.788Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

When “Culture Trumped Safety”, Developing a Protective Weave in Child Welfare Organisations: A Case Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2015

Karen Menzies  and
Lyn Stoker Open the ORCID record for Lyn Stoker [Opens in a new window]
Karen Menzies*
Affiliation:
Wollotuka Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
Lyn Stoker
Affiliation:
Family Action Centre at the University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Karen Menzies, The Wollotuka institute, Birabahn Building, University Drive, Callaghan 2308. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has uncovered evidence that organisations sometimes provide opportunity for the sexual abuse of children. How do organisations go about preventing this? The authors of this paper consider the case of an out-of-home care (OOHC) agency which failed to protect children. By identifying gaps in practice and culture in this case, the authors suggest that protecting children in OOHC requires a “weave” of organisational structures, staff development and cultural competence. In this case, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation was able to create an opportunity for access to vulnerable young people by using strategies we can now identify as grooming behaviours. He did this by using his positional power. He ignored standards, isolated protective adults and therefore children and young people, rewarded compliance, discouraged reflective practice, used his culture to avoid scrutiny from funding and oversighting agencies, and created an organisational culture of fear and secrecy. In effect, he used culture to trump safety. Even in the stressful conditions of managing an OOHC service, good practice is important, not only because it meets the standards and legislation, but because this is how services maintain the safety of children and young people in care.

Keywords

Child protectionorganisational cultureIndigenous childrenchild safe organisations
Type
Conference Proceedings
Information
Children Australia , Volume 40 , Issue 3: INTERPRETING NEUROSCIENCE, CREATING EVIDENCE - A COLLECTION OF AUSTRALIAN BASED TRAUMA INFORMED RESEARCH AND PRACTICE , September 2015 , pp. 260 - 268
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AASW (2013). Practice Standards 2013. Retrieved from http://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/4551, Accessed 6 june 2015.Google Scholar
Aldgate, J., Healy, L., Malcolm, B., Pine, B., Rose, W., & Seden, J. (2007). Enhancing social work management: theory and best practice from the UK and USA. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.Google Scholar
Atkinson, J. (2002).Trauma trails: recreating song lines: the transgenerational effects of trauma in Aboriginal Australia. North Melbourne: Australia Spinifex Press.Google Scholar
Atkinson, J., Nelson, J., & Atkinson, C. (2010). Trauma, transgenerational transfer and effects on community wellbeing. In Purdie, N., Dudgeon, P. & Walker, R. (Eds.), Working together: aboriginal and torres strait islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice (Vol. 135–144., pp. 135–144). Canberra, ACT: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.Google Scholar
Bamblett, M., & Lewis, P. (2006). A vision for Koorie children and families: embedding rights, embedding culture. Just Policy: A Journal of Australian Social Policy No 41, (pp. 42–46).Google Scholar
Blaustein, M., & Kinniburgh, K. (2010). Treating traumaticstress in children and adolescents: how to foster resilience through attachment, self-regulation and competency. New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Bullen, P. (2013). Management alternatives for human services. Retrieved from http://www.mapl.com.au/.Google Scholar
Community Services. (2004). Good practice guidelines for funded services manual. Retrieved from http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/good_practice_guidelines.pdf.Google Scholar
Conte, J. R., Wolf, S., & Smith, T. (1989). What sexual offenders tell us about prevention strategies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 13 (2), 293–301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coulshed, V., & Mullender, A. (2006). Management in social work (3rd ed.). Hampshire UK New York: Palgrave McMillan.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craven, S., Brown, S., & Gilchrist, E. (2006). Sexual grooming of children: review of literature and theoretical considerations. Journal of Sexual Aggression, 12 (3), 287–299. doi: 10.1080/13552600601069414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services (2010). Child safety practice manual: Children in out-of-home care. Brisbane, Australia: The state of Queensland. Retrieved from https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/childsafety/child-safety-practice-manual/chapters/5-children-in-out-of-home-care.Google Scholar
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2011). CHCCHILD505B Work effectively in child protection and out of home care for children and young people. Retrieved from https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/CHCCHILD505B.Google Scholar
Department of Human Services. (2012, December 24, 2012). Child protection practice manual: Out of home care. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/cpmanual.Google Scholar
Department of Social Services. (2011). National Standards for Out-of-home Care: A Priority Project Under the National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children 2009–2020. Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/an-outline-of-national-standards-for-out-of-home-care-2011Google Scholar
Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (2014). Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice (2nd ed.). Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research, the Kulunga Research Network, and Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.Google Scholar
Farrelly, T., & Lumby, B. (2009). A best practice approach to cultural competence training. Aboriginal & Islander Health Worker Journal, 33 (5), 12–22.Google Scholar
Figley, C. R. (2013). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. USA: Taylor and Frances.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foote, W. (1999). Unravelling the web of deceit: enduring perpetrator dynamics and recovery from child sexual assault. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 20 (2), 70–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, J. (2011). Effective supervision in child centred practice. Retrieved from http://www.childcentredpractice.co.uk/Websites/ccp1/images/CCP%20main/6-1%20Handbook-Effective%20Supervision%20v7-1.pdf, Accessed 8 June 2015Google Scholar
Friend, J. (2012). Mitigating intergenerational trauma within the parent-child attachment. Australian and New Zealand. Journal of Family Therapy, 33 (2), 114–127. doi: 10.1017/aft.2012.14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ginsberg, L., & Keys, P. R. (1995). New Management in Human Services (2nd ed.). Washington: National Association of Social Workers Press.Google Scholar
Golding, K. S. (2007). Nuturing attachments: Supporting children who are fostered or adopted. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.Google Scholar
Hailey, J., & James, R. (2002). Learning leaders: The key to learning organisation. Development Practice, 12 (3/4), 398–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herman, J. L. (1998). Trauma and recovery. USA: Pandora.Google Scholar
Herring, S., Spangaro, J., Lauw, M., & McNamara, L. (2013). The intersection of trauma, racism and cultural competence in effective work with Aboriginal people: waiting for trust. Australian Social Work, 66 (1), 104–117. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2012.697566.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. (1997). Bringing them home: Report of the national inquiry into the separation of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. Sydney, Australia.Google Scholar
Hunter Aboriginal Children's Service Website (n.d.). Retrieved from http://culturehunter.org/directory/hunter-aboriginal-childrens-services, Accessed 5 January 2015.Google Scholar
Innovation & Business Skills Australia. (2011). Karpin report revisited: Leadership and management challenges in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.ibsa.org.au/sites/default/files/media/Karpin%20Revisited,%20Leadership%20and%20Management%20Challenges%20in%20Australia.pdf. Accessed 8 June 2015.Google Scholar
Langton, M. (2012). The quiet revolution: Indigenous people and the resources boom. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/boyerlectures/2012-boyer-lecturs/4305696, Accessed 1 August 2014.Google Scholar
Mathieu, F. (2012). The compassion fatigue workbook: Creative tools for transforming compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization. Retrieved from http://www.cis.org.au/media-information/opinion-pieces/article/4047-mandatory-reporting-has-not-failed-children.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAlinden, A.-M. (2012). ‘Grooming’ and the sexual abuse of children: Institutional, internet, and familial dimensions. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menzies, K., & Gilbert, S. (2013). Engaging communities. In Bennett, B., Green, S., Stephanie, G. & Bessarab, D. (Eds.), Our voices: Aboriginal and torres strait islander social work (pp. 50–69). Australia: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Menzies, K., & McNamara, L. D. (2008). Towards healing: Recognising the trauma surrounding aboriginal families. (pp 38–53) In Fawcett, B. & Waugh, F. (Eds.), Addressing violence, abuse and oppression. Sydney: Routledge.Google Scholar
Miller, L. (2013). Sexual offenses against children: patterns and motives. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18 (5), 506–519. doi: 10.1016/j.avb.2013.07.006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mooney, J.-L., & Ost, S. (2013). Group localised grooming: What is it and what challenges does it pose for society and law. Child and Family Law Quarterly, 25 (4), 425–450.Google Scholar
Office of the Children's Guardian. (2013). NSW Standards for Statutory Out-of-Home Care Sydney, Australia. Retrieved 5 June 2015 from http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/Out-of-home-care/Statutory-out-of-home-care/nsw-standards-for-statutory-out-of-home-care.Google Scholar
Perry, B. D. (2009). Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: clinical applications of the neurosequential model of therapeutics. Journal Loss Trauma, 14 (4), 240–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radio National (Producer). (2014 5 January 2015). Beyond victims: Dr Chris Sarra on the challenge of Indigenous leadership. Big Ideas. [Radio interview transcript] Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/beyond-victims-the-challenge-of-indigenous-leadership/5727864.Google Scholar
Reconciliation Australia. (2013). Indigenous Governance Toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.reconciliation.org.au/governance/.Google Scholar
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. (2014a). Report of case study no. 1: The response of institutions to the conduct of Steven Larkins. Retrieved from http://childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/56689f9e-95af-4b31-a8c4-440359b5438e/Report-of-Case-Study-No-1.Google Scholar
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. (2014b). Royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse: Case study 1, September 2013, Sydney Transcript (Day 004): 18 September. Retrieved from http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/8ccfdc39-f4fe-4eb8-a808-6bcc013e0da2/case-study-1,-september-2013,-sydney.Google Scholar
Sarra, C. (2007). The way forward indigenous children of the education revolution. Retrieved from https://chrissarra.wordpress.com/.Google Scholar
Schore, A. N. (2001). The effects of early relational trauma on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22 (1/2), 201–269.3.0.CO;2-9>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tucci, J., Mitchell, J., Holmes, D., Hemsworth, C., & Hemsworth, L. (2015). Constructing a child protection policy to support a safeguarding children culture in organisations and institutions. Children Australia, 40 (1), 78–86. doi: 10.1017/cha.2014.42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar