1. Branch Purpose & Scope Statement

Add a section that clearly defines:

Purpose

• To provide culturally safe, trauma-informed OOHC services for Aboriginal children, young people, families, and kin.

• To strengthen cultural connections, identity, and safety for children in care.

• To embed Aboriginal perspectives in all assessments, decisions, and casework.

Scope

• Family Group Conferencing (FGC)

• Cultural Consultation

• Cultural Care Plans & Identity Mapping

• Supervised Contact (where applicable)

• Advocacy & Family Restoration Support

• Youth mentoring, community engagement, cultural healing programs

• Carer training (cultural safety, trauma-informed, kinship-focused)

• NDIS/OOHC interface support (for children with disability in care)

2. OOHC Service Descriptions (Add to Service Streams)

A. Family Group Conferencing (FGC)

• Early intervention and statutory FGC

• Facilitated by accredited Aboriginal practitioners

• Pre-conference preparation, conference delivery, and post-conference follow-up

• Focus on restoration, preserving family connection, and kinship placement

B. Cultural Consultation

• Section 9 Cultural Advice

• Comprehensive cultural profiles

• Family mapping and cultural identity mapping

• Elder/Cultural Advisor endorsement

• Culturally-informed placement recommendations

C. Cultural Care Plans

• Development and review of OOHC Cultural Plans

• Integration with CYPS case plans

• Monitoring cultural participation and identity outcomes

D. Placement Support & Carer Support

• Cultural safety training for carers

• Support for kinship carers

• Cultural mentoring for children and young people

• Crisis support and placement stability interventions

E. Youth Programs for OOHC

• Cultural camps

• On-Country mentoring

• Life skills and independence preparation

• Healing and wellbeing programs

3. Legislative & Policy Alignment

Add a section that outlines alignment with:

• Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW)

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principles

• Permanency Support Program (PSP) reform

• National Principles for Child Safe Organisations

• NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework (for dual NDIS/OOHC clients)

• Aboriginal Case Management Policy (ACMP)

• Culturally Safe Practice Frameworks

4. Referral Pathways & Eligibility

Include:

Referrers

• DCJ / PSP providers

• ACCOs

• OOHC agencies

• Youth justice

• NGOs

• Schools (for cultural planning)

Eligibility

• Aboriginal children/young people in OOHC

• Aboriginal families & kin involved in safety planning

• Young people transitioning to independence

• Non-Aboriginal carers seeking cultural support

5. Workforce Requirements & Structure

Add a dedicated OOHC workforce section, including:

Roles

• OOHC Manager / Lead Practitioner

• Family Group Conference Facilitators

• Cultural Advisors / Elders Panel

• Cultural Support Workers

• Youth Mentors & Program Officers

• Casework Support Practitioners

• Clinical/Wellbeing Consultant (outsourced or contracted)

Workforce Competencies

• Trauma-informed practice

• Aboriginal Cultural Frameworks

• High-level stakeholder engagement

• Conflict resolution

• Statutory reporting knowledge

• Child protection understanding

6. OOHC Governance, Risk & Compliance

Add a new subsection under governance that explains:

Governance Elements

• Cultural governance through Elders/Cultural Panel

• OOHC risk management procedures

• Mandatory compliance with child-safe standards

• File and case note management protocols

• Incident reporting (aligned with PSP + NDIS if relevant)

• Privacy & information sharing (Chapter 16A compliant)

Key Risks

• Placement breakdown risks

• Cultural disconnection risks

• Service delivery delays

• Non-compliance with statutory timeframes

• Safety incidents during FGC or youth programs

Controls

• Mandatory cultural review for all OOHC cases

• Elders sign-off for Cultural Plans

• Pre- and post-conference safety plans

• Supervision, audit schedule, and case review procedures

7. Operating Procedures

Add operational workflows for:

• FGC intake → preparation → facilitation → post-conference monitoring

• Cultural Consultation workflow

• Cultural Care Plan development process

• Carer training schedule

• Youth mentoring and community engagement programs

• Crisis response pathway

• File storage + CRM data entry flow

I can generate process maps if you want visuals.

8. Pricing & Fee Schedule (OOHC Stream)

You’ll need a simple pricing section:

Typical OOHC charges:

• FGC (full service): $3,200–$4,500 per conference

• Cultural Consultations: $950–$1,500

• Cultural Care Plan creation: $1,200–$2,000

• Supervised Contact: Hourly rate + travel

• Youth mentoring: Hourly or program-based

• Cultural camps: Per participant / NDIS-aligned costing

(I can format a full pricing schedule for agencies.)

9. Partnerships & Community Engagement

Add:

• Local ACCOs and Elders groups involvement

• Agreements/MOUs with community services

• Cultural governance panel (role, function, selection)

• School/community organisation partnerships

10. Outcomes & KPIs (Add to Performance Measures)

Child/Family Outcomes

• Increased cultural identity and participation

• Stronger family connection

• Higher restoration success rates

• Reduced placement breakdown

• Improved young person wellbeing

Organisation Outcomes

• Number of FGCs delivered

• Number of Cultural Plans completed

• Timeframe compliance

• Feedback from agencies, families, and carers

11. Templates Required (Add to Appendix Section)

You should list or attach:

• OOHC Cultural Consultation Form

• Cultural Care Plan (Yawarra-branded)

• Family Group Conference Pack

  • Referral form

  • Family mapping

  • Safety plan

  • Agenda

  • Post-conference plan

• Elders Sign-Off Sheet

• OOHC Carer Support Information Sheet

• Youth mentoring plan template

• Client intake form customised for OOHC