Identifying and assisting individuals who experienced institutional care as children 106-01030040

Identity confirmation can be very challenging for people placed in institutional care as a child. State departments and organisations that ran child institutions did not place a high priority on preserving records. Accessing records that do exist can be time consuming, challenging and painful.

Children's names were often changed when they entered care. Many have formed new identities since leaving care and do not have official documents to confirm their identity.

When a customer is experiencing difficulty in confirming their identity, consider using the Alternative Identity procedure to satisfy the department's identity requirements.

For customers applying for the National Redress Scheme, see Identify Confirmation and Alternative Identity for the National Redress Scheme.

Illiteracy can be a barrier when accessing and interacting with Services Australia. Many adults who were in institutional care cannot read, write or do basic sums because their educational needs were neglected.

Some have developed a means to navigate their literacy issues, for example by asking a partner or family member to read for them. For others, the shame attached to illiteracy can prevent them from seeking assistance.

Make information available in other ways rather than a printed form. Be aware of signs of discomfort when asked to read something or to complete a form, see Accessibility.

Some customers have limited access to computers or internet, while others may struggle to use computers without other supports, see Troubleshooting self service.

Individuals who have been in institutional care can feel challenged by questions about their personal background. In particular, questions regarding their family backgrounds, place of birth or next of kin. Acknowledging or speaking about their personal histories and circumstances may be difficult, painful and traumatising.

Due to past experiences, they may have difficulty trusting authorities and often have prior negative experiences of professionals and in the past may have experienced people not believing their story.

Communicate with respect and transparency. Explain the reasons for gathering personal information or say to the customer, 'I'm going to ask a few questions about your background'. Explain clearly why the information about their background is required.

Be patient, respond sensitively and allow the customer to share their personal information when they are comfortable to do so.

Some individuals who have been in institutional care may react with anger, fear or hostility when they experience frustration, or feel like they are being treated unfairly or not being heard.

Waiting in queues in front-of-house or on the phone can sometimes trigger painful memories, and can escalate feelings of anxiety, frustration and anger.

Some people may become aggressive or angry if they feel people do not understand their experiences.

Some people may feel resentful and angry towards government services due to the lack of education, preparation for employment and lack of health care that they have experienced. They may also be under added stress if they are currently involved in presenting to an inquiry, and are having increased interactions with government and other services as a result.

Be aware of power issues: Fear of authority and bureaucracies can be deep-seated and long-standing. Keep customers informed and involved in decision-making. Remember that they are the expert about their own lives. Acknowledge their experience and the impact it has on them. Consulting with customers and showing them respect will help to reassure them, and will prevent re-victimisation.

If the customer becomes agitated or has difficulty explaining their circumstances, understand and acknowledge their experience of being in institutional care. This may help to de-escalate the situation, see Customer aggression guidelines.

Identify their strengths, all individuals have strengths and coping mechanisms. Work with them to help them recognise these strengths and to tailor them to develop effective and appropriate responses.

People who have been in institutional care can have a Special Contact Consideration note recorded on their customer record to avert the need for them to repeat their circumstances at every interaction.

It is essential to obtain the customer's consent before a Special Contact Consideration Note is added to their record. Some may prefer not to have this information recorded on their record. The note can be removed at any time at the customer’s request.

Clearly explain why the flag is being offered, and what might change for the customer as a result of the Special Contact Consideration note.

See Creating, reviewing and deleting documents (including Fast Notes and DOA DOCs) for how to create, annotate, delete, print and transfer a DOC, as well as create a Display on Access (DOA) DOC. The DOA DOC should be coded SCC - Special Contact Consideration.

The following is suggested text for the Extra Details field:

'This customer has experienced institutional care as a child and has consented to this information being recorded on their record. To ensure that this customer is serviced in a sensitive and appropriate manner, refer to Identifying and assisting individuals who experienced institutional care as children 106-01030040'.

Consider any other information that the customer wishes to record that may be important for interacting with them, such as 'read/write assistance required'. Read to the customer what has been written, to ensure that it accurately reflects their request.

Customers who are distressed, present with highly complex circumstances and/or have indicated that they are at risk of suicide or harming themselves, may require a referral to a social worker.

See National Support Services for links to support and assistance that is available for survivors of the institutional care system.