Amplifying Aboriginal voices in out-of-home care through research and co-design
Aug 2024
Written by Bradley Burns
As I approach seven years in the out-of-home care (OOHC) sector, my journey has taken me from studying Early Childhood and Primary Teaching, to pursuing Criminal Justice, and eventually earning a Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare. This academic and professional background has equipped me with a deep understanding of the complexities and intersectionalities within the OOHC space. My career has spanned various roles, from caseworker to a senior advisory position in a major non-government organisation.
The frustrations and motivations behind my research
My commitment to research is deeply personal. Daily, I witness the challenges our system faces in keeping Aboriginal children connected to their culture. I observe the struggles governments encounter in implementing necessary reforms and the difficulties both governmental and non-governmental organisations face in applying research-based strategies effectively and promptly. It’s frustrating to see a system that seems set up to fail our children and young people, one that often neglects their needs and fails to act swiftly on best practices.
This frustration is what drives me. My current research project aims to address these issues by empowering young Aboriginal people to share their voices and ensure they are heard and acted upon through a co-design approach. This project will serve as a model for integrating the perspectives of Aboriginal young people into service delivery, demonstrating how their insights can lead to a more effective and respectful system.
Bridging research and practice: lesson learned
Transitioning from practice to research has clarified many observations I made on the ground. I found that many ‘solutions’ previously implemented, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle and mandatory Cultural Support Plans, have not achieved the systemic impact they were intended to. These initiatives, while crucial, have often failed to address the real needs of Aboriginal children and young people due to differences in worldview, lack of contextual understanding, and competing demands.
My research has highlighted a significant gap: the absence of Aboriginal children and young people’s voices in these solutions. While practitioners and researchers can identify areas for improvement, we are sometimes distanced from the real impact of service delivery. Cultural Support Plans, for instance, are often inadequately completed, despite their importance in maintaining identity and cultural connections for Aboriginal children and young people. When these plans are not collaboratively designed with the involvement of the child, their family, and the community, they become mere compliance documents rather than effective tools for cultural connection and support.
Supporting youth voice through co-design
Effective youth participation should embrace not only individual voices but also the collective wisdom of community traditions. Even when displaced, Aboriginal young people carry within them a vibrant cultural heritage, ready to be awakened and expressed. Their voices, grounded in ancestral knowledge and connection to Country, are crucial for meaningful change.
Our current research project is focused on recruiting Aboriginal young people and commencing data collection. We aim to understand their ideas for change and work collaboratively with professionals to implement these insights into practice through co-design. This approach will ensure that the voices of young Aboriginal people directly influence service delivery and policy, leading to practical, culturally respectful improvements.
Next steps
As we move forward with this research project, we anticipate producing several papers detailing our findings. These results will be shared throughout the sector, contributing to a broader understanding of how to integrate Aboriginal young people’s voices into the OOHC system. Our goal is to create a robust implementation plan that reflects their needs and aspirations, ultimately fostering a more responsive and effective system for all.
Bradley Burns is an Aboriginal Kamilaroi man and is a current PhD Candidate at Western Sydney University. His research focusses on how we can better support Aboriginal children and young people in Out-of-Home Care, specifically looking at elevating the voices of Aboriginal children and young people and then translating voices into practice through co-design. Bradley has been an OOHC practitioner for coming up to seven years, beginning his career on the frontline in a caseworker role, and working within a variety of roles including his current position as a Senior Advisor supporting the ongoing connection to culture and family for Aboriginal children in care.
To learn more about Bradley’s research and approach, read his newly published article in the International Journal of Childhood and Children’s Services below. Bradley will also be running an upcoming virtual workshop on 21 November for OOHC staff focused on supporting Aboriginal young people in care.
Burns, B., Grace, R., Drake, G., & Avery, S. (2024). What are Aboriginal children and young people in out‐of‐home care telling us? A review of the child voice literature to understanding perspectives and experiences of the statutory care system. Children & Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12880
