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ACCAN International Conference 2015
Auckland, April 2015
Susanne Llopis, Disability Liaison Professional
‘Can you hear me?’
How a holistic and culturally responsive
approach incorporates the voice of
children who have a disability and/or
mental health issue.
Overview
• Legal frameworks internationally and
nationally
• Best Social Work Practice
• Reality – Facts
• Holistic and culturally responsive approach
• Conclusion
Legislation from an international
perspective
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
(United Nations 1989)
• Article 12 gives children the right to participate and to have
their views heard, considered and taken seriously
• Article 23 recognises the right of disable children to enjoy a
full and decent life in conditions which ensure dignity,
promote self-reliance and facilitates active participation in
the community
• Article 30 gives indigenous children the right ‘to enjoy his
or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own
religion, or to use his or her own language’.
• Ratified by New Zealand 1993
Legislation from an international
perspective
• United Nations Declarations on the Rights
of Indigenous People:
• Article 5 speaks of ... the right of indigenous peoples
- including Maori – to their cultural identity ...
• Endorsed by New Zealand 2010
Legislation from a national
perspective
Treaty of Waitangi 1840:
Key instrument to guide national development and
legislation
• Guarantees made about right of Maori to cultural
identity
• Guarantees made about right to participate in society
Legislation from a national
perspective
Until 1989:
• Monoculture focus of Adoption Act 1955, Guardianship Act
1968 and Young Persons Act 1974: sidelined Maori beliefs and
practices
Changes:
• Ministerial Advisory Committee 1985
• Puao-Te-Ata-Tu report 1988:
Speaks about a profound misunderstanding of the place of the
child in Maori society and its relationship with whanau, hapu
and iwi
Legislation from a national
perspective
Child, Young Persons and their Family Act 1989
• Article 5 states that wherever possible a child (...)
should participate in making decisions that affect
them ..
• Promotes family focused decision making and
advocates for child centred practice
• Different approach was centred on the use of Family
Group Conferences
Legislation from a national
perspective
Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014:
• Forms a significant part of comprehensive measures
to protect and improve the wellbeing of vulnerable
children
• Rests on the belief that no single person alone can
protect vulnerable children
Best Social Work Practice
Practice Frameworks articulates this further:
•
•
•
•
Strengths based practice
Child and young person centred practice
Systems and ecological practice
...
Practice Frameworks comply with Treaty of
Waitangi:
• Incorporates cultural concepts of wellbeing
Reality – Facts
Maltreatment of children with disabilities
• 3 to 4 times more likely to be abused or
neglected than a typical developed peer
• More likely to be seriously injured or harmed
• More than 3 times likely to be sexually abused
http://www.childmatters.org.nz/file/Diploma-Readings/Block-3/Children-with-Disabilities/6.5-maltreatment
of-children-with-disabilities-the-breaking-point.pdf
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/focus.pdf
Reality – Facts
Children’s voices:
• Children’s experience gets repeatedly overlooked
• In many cases interpretations are based on our
perspective and not so much on a child’s perspective
• Children are often not considered as participants but
instead become passive subjects
• Disabled children are often not spoken to because of
communication difficulties.
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/munro-review-of-child-protection-final-report-a-child-centred-system)
(http://www.cyf.govt.nz/documents/about-us/publications/social-work-now/social-work-now-issue-49-feb-12.pdf)
Holistic Approach/intensive
wrap around service:
Child focused/
family centred
approach
Collaborative
approach,
importance of
family meetings
Families with multiple,
complex needs
Multiservice
approach
Incorporates
child’s voice
Strengths based
approach
Culturally, responsive
approach
http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/721880/Families-with-multiple-and-complex-needsspecialist-resource.pdf
Incorporating child’s voice:
•
Engaging
therapeutic relationship
•
Speaking
at a child’s level
•
Listening
child’s perspective
•
Understanding
child’s worries, hopes,
dreams, feelings
•
Respecting
child’s place within his
whakapapa (ancestry)
Culturally responsive approach
• Understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi
• Engaging with Maori in a cultural appropriate
way
• recognising and supporting diversity among
groups and individuals
• understanding how the wider context of
Aotearoa New Zealand both historically and
currently can impact on practice.
Conclusion:
Shift of emphasis is needed – time to listen:
• Give children a voice
• Provide children with tools to effectively
voice their opinions and to participate
• Provide accessible information
• Create space and opportunities
• Understand and interpret a child’s
concept of the world
...
• Complexity of child abuse and neglect requires:
- a multi agency approach delivered by on
agency
- long term involvement
- ability to advocate and negotiate
- ability to mobilise services and to engage
across sectors
• We need to share and build on existing
knowledge/good practice to ensure equal protection
of disabled children
Susanne Llopis
Disability Liaison Professional
Phone: +6407 834 3717
Email: [email protected]