Safeguarding Decision Making for Aboriginal Children (SDMAC)

The SDMAC Panels reflect the Aboriginal Case Management Policy and its focus on Aboriginal people, families and communities leading decision-making. Panels are
consistent with the new legislative requirement for practitioners to make ‘active efforts’ to prevent children from entering out of home care, community involvement and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young Persons Principle. The participation element recognises that Aboriginal community representatives should participate in individual decisions about children and young persons.

SDMAC Panels operate in all districts and aim to improve how DCJ makes decisions about the safety, removal and placement of all Aboriginal children in each Community Services Centre (CSC).

Each SDMAC Panel includes Aboriginal practitioners to ensure consideration of culture remains front and centre of all decisions and representatives from Child Law to provide ongoing legal advice and guidance. Aboriginal staff who sit on SDMAC Panels receive ongoing support around their cultural safety. Decisions are informed by diverse perspectives and independent consultation with senior practice leaders before a Director Community Services makes a decision to remove a child from their family.
Resources, including information sessions and workshops, have been provided to each district and the ACiP Unit provides ongoing support.
Integrity and validation measures are planned to track the outcomes of decisions made by SDMAC Panels to help refine and improve the model over time. Changes to ChildStory and the establishment of a dataset are being developed to support this.