ISS February 2008 Newsletter
In this issue you will find:
- New Research and Service Development Projects
- Who's Who at ISS Australia - New Personnel
- Sharing our Learning on Quality Assurance
- Did you know? – The Hague Conference on Private International Law
- Global Child Rights Corner - the Internet and Child Rights
- Correspondent Profile – ISS Correspondent in Indonesia
- Case Study - A Young Person's Move to Australia
NEWS
New Research and Service Development Projects
By Carmel Alakus, National Casework Coordinator
ISS Australia has embarked on two exciting projects in 2008. The first, funded by the Ian Potter Foundation, will explore the implementation of 1996 Hague Convention on Child Protection. The project is a great opportunity for ISS to make a contribution as the Australian government’s key NGO partner in the implementation of this new Convention by delivering support services for families and children involved in these matters. Amy Willis, a final year social work student from Victoria University, will work with other ISS Australia staff to deliver the project, undertaking research into the Convention and developing a new service delivery model to respond to the expected increase in demand for ISS services.
The second project, funded by the Fred P Archer Charitable Trust, is the Victorian Kinship Placement Project, which aims to improve our working partnership with the Victorian Department of Human Services in order to explore care options for children in out-of-home care in Victoria whose extended family – and potential carers – are overseas. Another student is being recruited from Victoria University to assist with delivery of the project.
WHO’S WHO AT ISS AUSTRALIA
New Personnel
In the last two months we said farewell to some colleagues and welcomed some new ones. Liz Forsyth, our NSW Service Coordinator, left to pursue further study and we have been fortunate to recruit Damon Martin as the new Coordinator. Martin has more than 10 years’ experience working in the child protection field and will be a great asset for ISS. We also farewelled Jordan Shank, the NSW Administrative Officer and her replacement, Rosemary Bailey will commence in February. Welcome to Rosemary and Damon!
At the National Office of ISS Australia, we have two new volunteers assisting with casework - Alex Connelly (formerly on student placement) and Celia Dynon - and another new volunteer assisting with office administration - Kim Chi Thi Nguyen; it’s great to have their contribution to the work of ISS. We recently said goodbye to Lauren Power and Brenda Nyoni who completed their student placements in February and two more students from Victoria University will commence in February to work on our new projects.
ISS CASEWORK
Sharing our Learning on Quality Assurance
By Feray Ergun, Social Worker, ISS Australia, National Office
Last September we reported that in 2007, ISS Australia completed a successful project looking at the quality of our casework practice compared with the requirements of the ISS Manual, developed by the General Secretariat’s Casework Division in 2000.
The Quality Assurance exercise has been of great benefit to ISS Australia, helping us to produce a 2008 Development Plan as part of our program of continuous improvement of our service delivery.
In order to undertake the quality audit, a customised database was developed by Ugur Oztopcu of UITS, a local Information Technology solution provider that has given its services pro bono. Ugur Oztopcu has now offered to share the database with others in the ISS network who may benefit from undertaking their own quality assurance work.
The database is simple to install and use and is now available free for members of the ISS network. To obtain a copy, please contact Feray Ergun on feray.ergun@iss.org.au and the database will be sent out on CD-ROM with instructions.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Hague Conference on Private International Law
By Sandra De Silva, IPCA Service Coordinator, ISS Australia
The Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) is an international intergovernmental organisation that began in 1893. Its purpose is to unify private international law between countries by drafting multilateral treaties that provide legal security and protection for individuals across national borders. These treaties are known as the Hague Conventions and are particularly concerned with:
· Jurisdiction – which country’s authorities are entitled to decide matters when they cross
international borders?
· Applicable law – which country’s laws should be applied in a given situation?
· Recognition and enforcement – when must a foreign decision or judgment be recognised
or enforced?
The Hague Conventions only apply to countries that are signatories to the same convention and function through co-operation between Central Authorities. These authorities act as the key contact and coordination point within a signatory country and between signatory countries. In Australia the Federal Central Authority is the Attorney-General's Department.
Australia is signatory to three Hague Conventions relating to families and children relating to international parental child abduction (1980), inter-country adoption (1993) and child protection (1996). These conventions underpin much of the work of ISS around the world.
GLOBAL CHILD RIGHTS CORNER
The Internet and Child Rights
By Sally Szmerling, Social Worker, ISS Australia, National Office
Bill Gates aptly describes the internet as “the town square for the global village of tomorrow”. The internet is an endless portal to information and knowledge, a social connector and primary means of communication. Importantly, it enables social change and development. In Australia children usually have access to the internet through their school or public library. This has played a huge role for children in rural areas in providing access to similar levels of information to that of children in cities.
However, the world’s poorest children have little prospect to participate in the benefits of the internet that children in developed countries are increasingly accustomed to. Having access to the internet can promote a number of important children’s rights as described in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), for example:
Article 13 - Freedom of expression
Article 17 - Access to appropriate information
Article 28 - Education
Article 31 - Leisure, recreation, and cultural activities
The key article of relevance to the work of ISS is Article 9 of the CRC, which includes the right of children to maintain contact with both parents. In support of this article, the internet is now an important tool for linking up families separated by international borders. We often hear stories of children maintaining regular communication with parents, siblings or extended family members overseas using e-mail, Skype and webcams. Whereas being separated by borders used to mean that many children effectively lost these family relationships, in the age of the internet, overseas family members are really not so far away.
CORRESPONDENT PROFILE
ISS Correspondent in Indonesia
By Mrs Mimi Sharif, ISS Correspondent, Indonesia
My work in Indonesia is mostly about tracing of biological parents. Between 1978 to 1983 many Indonesian children were adopted by European couples. At that time, registration of people at the Municipality level was almost non existent, making it very difficult to trace the biological parents of adopted children. So, in Indonesia, ISS has to work with minimal data. As most children were born in rural areas, this also makes my work even more challenging. I often have to hire a motorcycle taxi, sitting on the same seat as the motor cyclist and driving down very narrow streets in temperatures hotter than 38 degrees Celsius!
Editor’s note: Mrs Sharif is a volunteer and does not get a salary for the work she does for ISS. Many members of the network have worked closely with Mimi on tracing cases and her contribution is even more appreciated given that it is entirely voluntary.
CASE STUDIES
A Young Person's Move to Australia
By Tara Harvey, Inter-country Social Worker, ISS Australia, NSW Office
Sarah and her brother Samuel were born in the UK. For the first 10 years of her life Sarah grew up in a family where there was domestic violence. Sarah and her brother were in and out of foster care for about two years before both their parents were tragically killed. Sarah’s maternal aunt and family, living in Australia, said they would take on the responsibility of caring for the children.
ISS was asked to assess the viability of Sarah and Samuel being placed with their Aunt. After the assessment and support leading up to the placement, the children arrived in Australia. They have now been living with their Aunt and family for three years. They are settled and well supported here. ISS has continued to provide support to the family for the placement and provide regular reports to the United Kingdom on the progress of the placement. All identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of ISS clients.
CONTRIBUTIONS AND FEEDBACK WELCOME
The ISS newsletter is produced every two months. If you would like to contribute to the newsletter, either by writing an article or a letter to the editor, please contact Maria Brett at maria@iss.org.au.
We always appreciate your feedback. To respond to articles or give us feedback, please e-mail the editor.
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