Community-based Aboriginal staff taking the lead in family support: a case study of transforming practices prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

The Play to Connect programme is an ongoing action research project investigating implementation of a parenting programme for families and children living in disadvantaged remote Aboriginal communities in Australia’s Northern Territory. The aim of this research was to identify critical skills and supports needed for community staff to deliver family support services in their community. The presented collaborative research project was undertaken by two community-based Aboriginal implementation officers and two visiting practitioners between March 2020 and December 2021. At this time, social service delivery was impacted by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions when visiting staff were temporarily permitted to fly into remote communities. The visiting practitioners interviewed the local Aboriginal community staff after family visits to explore how to build their professional competencies and contribute to the nature of programme delivery. Thematic analysis of the interviews and debriefing notes emphasise three key factors crucial in building professional competencies: experiential and reflective learning; partnership and collaboration; and increased self-efficacy. The promising practices identified have potential for broader application across Aboriginal communities to enhance cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary teamwork for service delivery. These professional development processes can ensure more accessible programmes for Indigenous communities based on cultural relevance and the diverse needs of participating families.

KEYWORDS:

• Aboriginal community
• collaborative research
• family support
• self-efficacy
• reflective learning
• partnerships

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical approval

Human Research Ethics Committee of NT Health and Menzies School of Health Research Reference Number: 2011-1606.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the implementation of the program was provided by Red Cross, Communities for Children Strategy. The research was supported by a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship from the Australian Commonwealth Government.

Notes on contributors

Carolin Christa Stock

Carolin Christa Stock obtained her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Applied Science in Munich, Germany, and has over 20 years’ experience in delivering therapeutic group programs for children and families. Carolin currently works as a project coordinator for the Strong Parents and Children research project with the Centre for Child Development and Education at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, Australia. Her focus is on program delivery in remote Aboriginal communities and action research. She is enrolled as a PhD student at Charles Darwin University, Australia.

Maggie May Kerinaiua Punguatji

Maggie May Kerinaiua Punguatji is a mother and a well-trusted community member of the remote Aboriginal community of Wurrumiyanga on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory of Australia. For over 6 years, she works as a Local Implementation Officer for the Centre for Child Development and Education at Menzies School of Health Research. She uses her knowledge about community protocols and Tiwi language to inform visiting practitioners and to engage and support parents in the community. Maggie has been part of a 2.5-year-long process of developing the Play to Connect parent–child program through piloting cultural informed practice within a Participation Action Research framework. Maggie is motivated to provide the best possible service and outcomes for families in the community.

Aileen Tiparui

Aileen Tiparui is employed as a Local Implementation Officer at the Centre for Child Development and Education at Menzies School of Health Research. Working on her traditional land in Wurrumiyanga, on the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory of Australia, she is determined to ensure that work and research is culturally informed and is benefitting for the community. She is assisting the Play to Connect project to maintain relationships with schools, health professionals, community leaders and other social services and is co-facilitating parent–child programs and home visits to families.

Kate Louise Johnston

Kate Louise Johnston is a Registered Play Therapist (Provisional) with Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association and a clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation Australia. She endeavours to support children, young people, and families across diverse settings using ‘strengths-based’ and child-led approaches. She is supporting the Play to Connect project at Menzies School of Health Research as a Project Assistant since March 2020 and is currently working for KWY Aboriginal Corporation and Wildflower Play Therapy, supporting children and families in South Australia.

Carmen Rose Cubillo

Carmen Rose Cubillo is a Clinical Psychologist and Play Therapist. She is a proud saltwater woman originating from Larrakia and Wadjigan country in Darwin, Northern Territory. Her passion is to help children and families who may have been affected by trauma. Carmen believes in the healing power of relationships and has a diverse toolkit to respond to the challenges that life throws at us.

Gary Robinson

Gary Robinson leads the Indigenous Parenting and Family Research and the Suicide Prevention Research themes in the Centre for Child Development and Education.

He has led the evaluation of health, mental health and educational initiatives in the Northern Territory, including the Tiwi Coordinated Care Trial (1997–2004) and the National Accelerated Literacy Program (2004–2009). He has conducted long-term ethnographic field research into Aboriginal adolescence, family relationships, parenting, suicide and self-harm. In 2012, he led consultations to develop a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.

He has been responsible for the development and evaluation of school-based early intervention and prevention programs for Indigenous children and parents in urban and remote communities, with the program ‘Ngaripirliga’ajirri’ in partnership with the Tiwi Health Board and others, (2000–2004) and the Let’s Start Parent-Child Program (2005–2013). He is currently leading the evaluation of maternal and child health programs in remote communities and whole-of-government reforms to care and protection and youth justice in the Northern Territory.