Workforce and the aboriginal community-controlled child and family support sector: a review of the evidence and a guide for practice

Indigenous children and families have been seriously harmed by services intended to help them. Recent policy changes in high-income settler-colonial countries seek to shift responsibility for child and family support services to the Indigenous community-controlled sector. Delivering quality outcomes for Indigenous children and families requires skilled, credentialed, and culturally safe workers. This review was undertaken to understand the evidence about the Indigenous child and family support services workforce in the community-controlled sector and to inform practice change. The review focused on workers in the Indigenous child and family support services community-controlled sector in high-income settler-colonial countries. Results were reported using the PRISMA statement. Included papers were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute and CREATE tools. A thematic analysis was conducted of the process and findings of the included papers. The review identified thirteen papers from which five themes emerged: 1 skills, education and training; 2 depth of experience and importance of cultural knowledge; 3 measuring outcomes; 4 systemic racism; and 5 models of service provision. The review found that whilst very thin, the available literature provides important policy and practice direction for child and family support services.