Embracing family led safety planning for an

injured babyPauline Barrett, Group Manager and

Stephanie Snow, Practice Manger, Children Looked After – West Sussex County Council

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Our Journey

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2013 Whole Systems

Implementation

2015 Full Service

Redesign

Billy’s Story § 7 months old§ Previously unknown to us – hospital

presentation with fracture§ Not a single issue case§ Parents hostile and isolated § Previous safety planning not successful

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Anxiety and Challenge§ Challenging the existing

trajectory of the care plan§ Safety planning and family

networks in high risk case work§ Fear and anxiety – what if it all

goes wrong?§ Don’t panic – use of supervision

and professional challenge

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§ Holding the risk –knowing your plan

§ Is it good enough? Is it safe enough?

Common Language and Practice

§ Handing over to North Yorkshire

§ Understanding each other and common challenges

§ Positive working relationships

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A word from Sandra …

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It was clear on my first meeting the family/friends

network that they were fully on board with the

Signs of Safety process, they own the safety plan and they constantly talk and look for safety or

solutions. I have learned so much from working with

them.

On flicking through the pack I saw Danger

Statements and then a Safety Plan and then

Words and Pictures … how very exciting I thought….

The handover phase and talk about worries for future

harm/risk helped to consolidate in my head the SOS work you had already

done and by the time it came to NYCC fully taking on the case, to me it felt like an

ongoing stage of the process rather than everything

starting again or even going backwards.

Impact on Family Network

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Video

Impact on Family Network

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Video

Reflections on Billy’s Case

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• Realistic about what success looks like

• Networks that work

• Use what works for you to hold the risk

• Make the work expected notexceptional

Impact of Billy’s case§ Reflections on past practice§ Our commitment to family led safety

planning

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