Susan's Story

She had a real opportunity to go home, but her relationship with family and culture wasn’t a priority.

"I had been working with a young girl for a few months. She had recently had a placement end and was living in an ACA (alternative care arrangement) which is essentially an Airbnb with staff.

I was encouraged by my managers and the Department to conduct intensive family finding. Seeing a child go home to family is the dream of many caseworkers.

I tracked down her father, who lives overseas with his wife, children, and a home with space for his daughter. He had a closeknit family and strong connection to culture and community.

He wanted his daughter home more than anything but was hesitant to engage. He'd spoken to many caseworkers before about restoration. They made promises to support him but moved on before any work could be done.

It took months to earn his trust. We spoke frequently and built a great relationship. He shared his worries and past experiences, and I told him how important it was for his daughter to be with family and in culture and that I believed in him. There were no safety concerns, just a tricky legal process to get through with him being overseas.

I had the honour of being with his daughter when they spoke via video call. They had a beautiful connection. He listened to her, shared stories, and taught her what her name meant and who her family was.

At the same time, the agency pursued other options. We all wanted her out of the ACA quickly. A lovely carer was found who met many of her needs.

This didn’t change my desire for her to return to family. But I noticed an immediate change in tone from management and DCJ. The conversation shifted from praising dad and restoration to saying he hadn’t engaged to their standard, and that she was now with a wonderful carer.

I went from having support, time and resources to being told this was no longer a priority. She had a real opportunity to go home, but her relationship with family and culture was no longer deemed important once she left the ACA.

I spoke to her dad and encouraged him to keep trying for restoration, but I could see how disapointed he was. I had failed him on my promise to help. I was so disappointed. I believed those around me wanted long-term family connection, but they were more focused on the quickest solution.

This was one of the heartbreaks of my career and ultimately contributed to my decision to leave casework."

- Susan’s story, a former caseworker (name changed to protect privacy). Photograph provided by Susan.

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