New resource to help organisations engage with Aboriginal children and young people

The Commissioner has released the Engaging with Aboriginal Children and Young People Toolkit that sets a clear benchmark for collaborating with Aboriginal children and young people and their communities.

In 2014, the Commissioner consulted 1,271 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people across WA to give them a voice on what is important to them, what they hope to do in the future and what help they need to get there. The toolkit is one of the outcomes of this consultation process.

The toolkit is designed to support Aboriginal children and young people by increasing opportunities to participate in decision making about programs and initiatives that affect them. The processes utilised by the toolkit are sustainable, evidence-based and embedded in culturally secure practice.

For some organisations and agencies this will be a useful step-by-step guide in developing their approach to engaging with Aboriginal communities and their children and young people. For others it will be a useful guide to reviewing and refreshing their practices throughout all stages of planning, implementation and review of projects and programs.

“Improving the lives of Aboriginal children and young people must be seen as core business for all organisations and agencies engaging with Aboriginal people and communities,” Mr Pettit said.

“Aboriginal children and young people comprise almost 40 per cent of all Aboriginal people in WA. We must ensure that they are able to have a say in the issues that affect them.

“The toolkit we have created is a dynamic resource that will be continually updated with new case studies and examples of best practice.”