An Anti-Oppression Framework for Child Welfare in Ontario

Anti-Oppression Framework for Child Welfare in OntarioAugust 2010Appendix D: How to Integrate Individual, Group and Institutional/Systemic ActionStepsThe following suggested actions have been informed by the input from the consultationparticipants. Participants presented some suggested AO action steps that have been integratedin this section at the individual, group and institutional/systemic level in the following key areas:Leadership, Accountability, Communication, Learning and Development, HR Practices, Involving(Collaborating) with Service Users, Supervision, Working with Community. Some of theseactions may be relevant to your agency during engagement in Step 7: the identification ofindividual, group, institutional/systemic action steps.LeadershipAccording to the Anti-Oppression Roundtable Discussion Paper (2008), Anti-Oppression in ChildWelfare: Laying the Foundation for Change, to become an anti-oppressive organization requiresactive commitment of senior leadership, and the ability to model and advocate for antioppressivepractice throughout the organization. The consultations also showed the importanceof leadership in modeling and leading anti-oppression work within agencies. The followingquotes reflect this vision.(For) Leadership and staff (there) would be no question of whether oppression exists, everyonewould have an understanding of oppression and would actively work [to] understand their role inoppression [in affecting] the people [that] they work with.- Consultation Participant, 2009(For) Leadership… there is an advocacy role outside of the organization to change and addressoppressive issues [in] both legislative and regulatory changes.- Consultation Participant, 2009(We) see things through a very white Eurocentric lens; if you look around our leadership tableyou would see a sea of white – Eurocentric, Anglo-Saxon individuals which is mirroredsystemically.-Consultation Participant, 2009Some examples for action that Senior Leaders can provide as an integrated individual, group andinstitutional response are shown below. As mentioned, these recommendations have beeninformed by the Consultations.41 | P a g e