A step towards First Nations justice in child protection – audio
SVA's Doug Hume and Desmond Campbell discuss a Koori-designed program in the Children’s Court of Victoria which is providing a more effective and just response for Koori families. With potential for expansion across Victoria and Australia, it offers a step towards greater self-determination in the child protection system.

Summary
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- SVA Consulting recently conducted an independent evaluation of Marram-Ngala Ganbu – a Koori-designed hearing day at the Family Division of the Children’s Court of Victoria. The program is a step towards a self-determining approach to child protection.
- The evaluation was conducted by SVA Consulting, in a team led by Professor Kerry Arabena, a proud Meriam woman of the Torres Strait, with contributions from Dr Wendy Bunston, an expert in child-led practice.
- The evaluation found the program is providing a more effective, culturally appropriate and just response for Koori families through an adapted court process, that enables greater participation by family members and more culturally-informed decision-making. It has transformed the court experience for Koori children and families and is leading to more families staying together.
- Its success is attributable to the leadership, determination and common-sense approach of the Koori man who designed the program with the community, and the innovative and open-minded magistrates who provided the space for things to be done differently.
- It also demonstrates the importance of providing space for and investing in First Nations-led innovation and approaches to social service delivery. The model has potential for expansion across Victoria, and Australia more broadly.
Author: Doug Hume
Contributors: Desmond Campbell, Susie King and Kate Eccles.
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