Podcasts, powerpoints and/or papers from the presentations are available to LEADR members and
'kon gres 2011 participants via a password protected area. Click here >>

A conversation about the ways we can be mindful of culture and attentive to the whole person within the FDR process and the cultural contexts we are working within.

It is a given that services and practitioners providing family dispute resolution should be responsive to cultural contexts when assisting clients. But how can they do this most appropriately? What are the most effective ways to ensure that FDR services are culturally responsive? What skills, dispositions, understandings and approaches are required, and what are the best ways to acquire these? More importantly, how can services and practitioners ensure that cultural responsiveness is sustained in the busyness of daily practice?

This workshop seeks to consider these questions. It reviews current best practice in training for and sustaining cultural responsiveness in the context of family disputes. It presents the early findings of research initiated by CatholicCare and Anglicare and funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department considering this question.

It hopes to engage participants in a robust discussion of the challenges of responding to culture in their practice, and invites them to share what they think would be most effective in ensuring culturally responsive services.

The session will include:

• Overview of key ideas
• Facilitated small group discussion
• Plenary collation of ideas and discussion.

In 2011, the Commonwealth Attorney-General released the first report from this research Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution in Family Relationship Centres: Access and Practice.

For a copy of the report, click here >>

Podcast: Listen to Susan talk about this session pre-kon gres (6 mins) >>

Sue has worked in different teaching and learning contexts for more than 30 years, and has always been interested in reflective practice. She attempts, generally unsuccessfully, to practice her conflict resolution skills with her adolescent children. Yoga keeps her sane.