western australia department for child protection and family … · 2016-10-31 · as you may be...

Government of Western AustraliaDepartment for Child Protection and Family Support

Western AustralianSigns of Safety GatheringReflect, Reboot, Renew

25-27 October 2016Technology Park, Bentley

2016

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PROGRAM

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Reflect, Reboot, RenewWestern Australian Gathering

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Reflect, Reboot, Renew

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Western Australian Gathering®

About the ArtworkArtist profile

My name is Roseanne Murray and I am a Wangkatha (Wong-gu-thuh) artist from Cosmo Newberry, an Aboriginal community in the north eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. My skin group is Bunuga and I grew up in Cosmo Newberry Aboriginal Community and Laverton W.A. I love painting traditional and contemporary art pieces on canvas. I paint stories of my childhood and my culture.

“Signs of Safety”

This painting represents the Signs of Safety Approach to casework undertaken by the Department for Child Protection and Family Support. The light green circle in the top left hand corner of the painting represents the child protection workers and the professional knowledge they bring. The light green circle in the top right hand corner represents the family and the cultural knowledge they bring. The footprints from these two circles into the centre represent the journey of the two groups coming together to meet. The central circle shows the child protection workers and families working together to rigorously explore harm and danger alongside indicators of strength and safety. The central circle is half yellow and half blue to show the balance of the two. The three paths leading out from the inner circle have two sets of footprints to show the child protection workers and the family working and walking together forward. The three paths leading out represent “What are we worried about?”, “What’s working well?” and “What needs to happen?”.

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tAble of ContentS

About the Artwork ��3

SCheDule ��5

welCoMe froM the MInISter for ChIlD ProteCtIon ��8

foreworD froM the DePArtMent for ChIlD ProteCtIon AnD fAMIlY SuPPort ��9

DAY one ��10Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, Canada ...............................................10Goldfields District .................................11Cannington District ..............................12ChildFIRST ..........................................14Mirrabooka District ..............................15Residential Care and Joondalup District ................................16Pilbara District .....................................17Fred Magie (Canada) and Mann van’t Slot (The Netherlands) .......19

DAY two ��20Open Home Foundation, New Zealand .......................................20West Kimberley District ........................21Perth District ........................................22Great Southern District ........................24Aboriginal Engagement and Coordination Directorate ......................25

Fremantle District .................................26Peel District .........................................27Murchison District ................................29Wheatbelt District ................................30East Kimberley District .........................32

DAY three ��34Building Capacity – Consulting and Counseling Services, Canada ..............34Service Delivery Practice Unit and West Kimberley District .................................35Child Protection Services – North West, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania ..............................36South West District ..............................36Joondalup District ................................38Armadale District .................................39Rockingham District ............................41Midland District ....................................42

MAPS ��44CPFS Country Districts and Offices .....44CPFS Metropolitan Districts and Offices ..........................................45Tindale Tribal Boundaries .....................46

feeDbACk ��47

noteS ��48


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Day one - Tuesday 25 October

8:45am INTRODUCTION

welcome to Country Dr Richard Walley OAM

Choir performanceMoombaki Adult Ensemble

official openingHon. Andrea Mitchell MLA, Minister for Child Protection

the Department’s Signs of Safety JourneyEmma White, Director General, Department for Child Protection and Family Support

Creating More from lossThe use of Signs of Safety to create change in adoption practice

Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County, Canada

10:30am MORNING TEA

“Malparara” (two way learning)Culture inside safety

Goldfields District

Meeting People at their own tableUsing Words and Pictures to help bring about positive change with two Cannington families

Cannington District

Multiagency Investigation and Support team (MISt)Using the principles of Signs of Safety in a forensic, multiagency response to child sexual abuse

ChildFIRST

12:30pm LUNCH

from 0 to 10Planning for reunification within 12 months of the children coming into care

Mirrabooka District

Signs of SanctuaryA glimpse at a child’s journey through the Signs of Safety / Sanctuary interface

Residential Care and Joondalup District

Stick figure YarningSafety planning in remote Aboriginal communities

Pilbara District

3:10pm AFTERNOON TEA

Do You want to Implement Signs of Safety?Appreciative Inquiry, the easiest way into implementation

Fred Magie (Canada) and Mann van’t Slot (The Netherlands)

4:40pm CONCLUSION

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Day two - Wednesday 26 October

8:45am INTRODUCTION

our 10 Year Journey with Appreciative InquiryThe use and promotion of Appreciative Inquiry and the impact it has had on our organisation’s culture

Open Home Foundation, New Zealand

little wawanyi Making tracksA child’s journey from pre-birth planning to permanency

West Kimberley District

10:15am MORNING TEA

words and Pictures: the key to Many DoorsUsing Words and Pictures to help a young person in care struggling with identity, belonging and cultural disconnection

Perth District

“I Just wanna be a normal kid”Interagency and multidisciplinary collaboration at its finest!

Great Southern District

Culturally responsive Child Protection Practice in western AustraliaSigns of Safety: an Aboriginal Way approach

Aboriginal Engagement and Coordination Directorate

12:20pm LUNCH

Stay on targetMaintaining focus in complex multi-agency working when child issues don’t neatly match child protection involvement

Fremantle District

I’m 20 weeks Pregnant, what Does that Mean for My family?Pre-birth safety planning to reunification

Peel District

Making the extraordinary, ordinaryIntegration of the skilful use of Signs of Safety tools and principles into every day practice

Murchison District


It’s as easy as one, two, threePermanency planning within Signs of Safety to produce a trajectory for reunification alongside the legal process

Wheatbelt District

thank You: Gija way, a reunification reflection Application of the Permanency Planning process with an Aboriginal family in the District

East Kimberley District

Signs of Safety film trailer

4:45pm CONCLUSION

5:00 – 7:00pm NETWORKING FUNCTION


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Day three - Thursday 27 October

8:45am INTRODUCTION

thinking through Signs of Safety togetherModel fidelity as an organisational story about aspiring to the “what” and the “what for”

Building Capacity – Consulting and Counseling Services, Manitoba, Canada

listening, honouring and learning: Slowing Down Practice to Grieve and GrowInnovative practice in Critical Incident - Collaborative Inquiry (CICI)

Service Delivery Practice Unit and West Kimberley District

10:15am MORNING TEA

“times, they Are a-Changin’”: response team Perspectives Using Appreciative Inquiry and the Three W’s to navigate organisational change and develop team culture

Child Protection Services – North West, Department of Health and Human Services, Tasmania

haamiah’s StoryReunification of a child who was fifth generation removal

South West District

After 5Using Signs of Safety in building a non-professional safety network with an isolated client

Joondalup District

12:20pm LUNCH

remember we Are real People with a history!Signs of Safety as a means of keeping a family together

Armadale District

Safety Goals with a DifferenceUsing Signs of Safety to create a realistic reunification plan

Rockingham District

koorlonga karup Moort: Children, home, familyIncreasing family confidence and participation in facilitated meetings, to prevent Aboriginal children coming into care

Midland District


reflection sessionProfessor Donna Chung, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Curtin University

Summing up and conclusion Emma White, Director General, Department for Child Protection and Family Support and Andrew Turnell, Director, Resolutions Consultancy

4:45pm CONCLUSION

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welCoMe froM the MInISter for ChIlD ProteCtIon

It is my great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all delegates participating in the fourth Signs of Safety Gathering to be held in Perth, Western Australia.

As you may be aware, the Signs of Safety child protection practice framework was originally developed in Western Australia, and such has been its success it is now widely used across a multitude of jurisdictions in North America, Europe and Australasia.

In Western Australia, the Signs of Safety framework provides the basis for consistent, strengths-based safety and planning for the most vulnerable in our communities.

It enables and supports the full participation of families and children in working together with the Department for Child Protection and Family Support.

Most importantly, it has an uncompromising focus on the safety of children.

This year’s Gathering theme, ‘Reflect, Reboot, Renew’, provides the ideal opportunity to take stock, celebrate the many achievements and continue on a journey of growth and development.

The program over the next three days is varied and promises to be insightful and engaging with a range of local and international presentations.

I encourage all delegates to embrace the spirit of the Gathering, to share your experiences and learn from each other in what is an incredibly challenging and complex field in which to work.

It is through important events such as this, that we can collectively grow our practice depth and continue to achieve the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children.

I welcome you all to the Gathering and thank you for the incredible work you are doing with vulnerable children and families.

hon Andrea MitchellMInISter for ChIlD ProteCtIon


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foreworD froM the DePArtMent for ChIlD ProteCtIon AnD fAMIlY SuPPort

Greetings,

This year marks eight years since our Department began implementing the Signs of Safety framework. With its uncompromising focus on child safety, the implementation of this framework was a landmark that redefined the way we worked with families.

Widely considered to be leading the nation with our Signs of Safety approach to child protection practice, much of our success has been achieved in partnership with our community sector agencies.

Through wide ranging collaboration, shared learning and a common vision we have been able to vastly improve the way we protect children and young people who are in need, and support families and individuals who are at risk or in crisis.

To continue to achieve the best possible outcomes we must constantly review if our practice efforts are achieving the desired outcomes. To achieve this we continuously improve our work and strengthen our Signs of Safety practice including program logics, tools and processes so our work remains purposeful and meaningful for children and families

Since our last Gathering in 2014, the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) based at the University of South Australia has completed the Signs of Safety Program of Research which was a collaborative effort with the Department over three years.

The findings from this research are extremely timely as we look to Reflect, Reboot and Renew at this year’s Gathering.

While making extensive progress in our journey so far, and being recognised as leaders in our field, we also know that implementation is a journey and there is a constant need to review and improve.

Additionally, the dynamic and ever changing nature of child abuse and neglect means we must constantly evolve in order to give rise to new Signs of Safety practice developments. As a learning organisation we are well placed to embrace these developments so our practice can be strengthened.

The Gathering offers us all the opportunity to continue in this learning journey and to deepen our skills, knowledge and understanding of the incredibly complex work we undertake.

I welcome everyone to our Gathering and invite you to actively engage in the diverse program and to share in the goodwill of our unique Signs of Safety community.

emma whiteDIreCtor GenerAlDePArtMent for ChIlD ProteCtIon AnD fAMIlY SuPPort

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family and Children’s Services of Guelph and wellington County, CanadaSize: 2,657 sq. km (Wellington County)

Population: 200,000

Children in care: 200.

Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County has been delivering child welfare services in our community since 1893.

We are a county of about 200,000 people and are located about an hour west of Toronto. At any given time we serve roughly 200 children in care and we have between 400 - 600 open child protection files working with families.

We are proud of our longstanding goal to support families and kids in their own family. We have achieved success for many years in terms of preventing kids from coming into state care; 97% of the kids in the families we work with never come into state care.

Signs of Safety practice has become an integral part of how we deliver service in our community in order to achieve our goal of supporting families to keep their kids safe.

Creating More from loss

PreSenter:

y Beth Farquharson – Children’s Services Worker.

AbStrACt:

In the province of Ontario there are 8,300 children who have been permanently removed from their families.

In these difficult cases where parental rights have been permanently severed, Signs of Safety brings the voice of children to the centre of all decision making in issues of adoption and permanency.

Two case examples will be used to demonstrate how Signs of Safety tools and principles can be used to amplify the child’s voice in guiding clinical case work and permanency decisions, as well as decisions about ongoing relationships with birth family.

Through the use of the Signs of Safety approach, birth families and adoptive families can be brought together creating connection for children, instead of amplifying loss.

DAY one | Tuesday 25 October

CAnADA

wellInGton CountYontario

Toronto


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GolDfIelDSDIStrICt

MurChISon

wheAtbelt

PIlbArA

Albany

Kalgoorlie

GreAt Southern

Perth

Goldfields DistrictSize: 771,276 sq. km.

Population: 57,711.

Staff: 81 FTE.


Goldfields District covers the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Shire of Dundas, Shire of Esperance, Shire of Coolgardie and the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. It is the largest child protection district in Australia.

The population significantly varies due to the Aboriginal population moving between remote communities along the borders shared with Northern Territory and South Australia.

Of the 122 children in care, 110 are Aboriginal.

“Malparara” (two way learning)

PreSenterS:

y Alison Braid – Assistant District Director.

y Len Coleman – Senior Community Child Protection Worker.

y Ryan Davies - Senior Community Child Protection Worker.

y Foster carers – Wanslea Family Services.

AbStrACt:

This presentation focuses on how child protection, family and the local community worked together to make sure that cultural connection was weaved into the safety that was made for a young child in care.

The Department first assisted the family in March 2013 when Beryl was two months old.

Whilst significant work and safety planning was developed in partnership with family, Beryl was taken into care in October 2014 due to physical and emotional harm. She was placed with a relative carer on the Lands.

As risk continued to increase, the safety developed to protect Beryl’s physical and emotional development continued to deteriorate. Beryl was removed from the Lands in August 2015 to a Wanslea supported placement in Mandurah, off country and away from family.

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In order to have open and meaningful discussions with the family that would promote safety for Beryl in a culturally appropriate way, Signs of Safety meetings were undertaken in a manner requested by the family to be meaningful to them. This included meeting in places of significance to the family such as camps, using a story telling or yarning approach to discuss Beryl and her life journey so far, and using a mixture of Ngaanyatjarra and English words to ensure that the full range of information could be accurately captured with the appropriate impact. Family used “story wires” to tell their stories in the dirt, which was an important way of creating a visual representation so that everyone could see that we were on the same page.

The journey of safety from home, to family arrangements, to being brought into care with a relative carer, to being removed from country, was driven by Beryl’s families’ engagement with Signs of Safety and their shared expertise of her life.

Cannington DistrictSize: 1249.30 sq. km.

Population: 250,000.

Staff: 105.


Cannington District is located in the south eastern corridor and includes 39 suburbs; the main ones being Cannington, Victoria Park, Belmont and Canning Vale.

All areas are densely populated, with a high percentage of Department of Housing properties in the area. Belmont has the most housing properties of any Metropolitan District.

The South East Metropolitan corridor (of which Cannington is a part) has the highest number of reported domestic violence incidences in the state.

Cannington attracts a high number of refugees from a range of cultural backgrounds; particularly Afghani, Pakistani and African nationalities.

A large percentage of our work is also with Aboriginal families, with Noongar being the dominant tribal group. As a result, a large percentage of carers in the area are relative carers and are largely Aboriginal, making up around 70% of the total number of carers overall.

CAnnInGtonDIStrICt

Perth

Midland

Armadale


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Meeting People at their own table

PreSenterS:

y Jamie Todd – Senior Child Protection Worker, Child Centred Family Support.

y Aaron Gibson – Senior Child Protection Worker, Parent Support.

AbStrACt:

The first piece of work presented will focus on the “process” that was used to bring a family along a journey to understand the Department’s danger statements and the purpose of a Supervision Order.

Services including the Department, local primary school and State Child Development Service had found the family difficult to engage in the usual ways, and the family refused to attend Signs of Safety meetings.

After only being able to meet the other professionals at “their table”, the case manager from the Child Centred Family Support team, in consultation with the District Psychologist, developed a Words and Pictures explanation to help the family understand the worries, as well as the purpose of a Supervision Order.

The “difference” in using this Signs of Safety tool meant that workers were able to engage family “at their own table”, and the family were able to engage better both with the Department and other services to ensure positive outcomes for their children.

The second piece of work presented will highlight the Words and Pictures that was developed with a mother working towards reunification of her children. Through a short Appreciative Inquiry the mother will share some of her story about the work that she has done to be successful in reunification and her experiences in creating the Words and Pictures that was shared with her children.

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ChildfIrSt

Multiagency Investigation and Support team (MISt)

PreSenterS:

y Mike Bastow – Team Leader.

y Anastasia Naumova – Senior Child Protection Worker.

y Nadia Antonelli – Senior Child Protection Worker.

AbStrACt:

This presentation will showcase the use of Signs of Safety in the context of the Multiagency Investigation and Support Team (MIST).

The MIST is based in the local community and provides a multiagency response to allegations of child sexual abuse that occur in the South East Metropolitan Corridor for Perth. The team comprises staff from the Department, Western Australia Police, Department of Health and Parkerville Children and Youth Care Inc. This is a pilot program which commenced in July 2015 and continues to operate in the George Jones Child Advocacy Centre in Armadale.

When responding to allegations of child sexual abuse, multiple agencies become involved often regardless of if families wish for this to occur. Police commence a criminal investigation, the Department commences a Safety and Wellbeing Assessment, and medical examinations may be required. Further support agencies are then often engaged.

This presentation will showcase the benefits of how the Signs of Safety Framework and Principles allow the child’s safety to be assured while also meeting the investigative and assessment needs of the statutory agencies; medical needs are attended to and appropriate supports are engaged. Effective use of Signs of Safety in this context allows all of this to occur with minimal duplication and maximum support being provided to victims and their non-abuse care providers.


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Mirrabooka DistrictSize: 77 sq. km.

Population: 89,588.

Staff: 97 FTE.

Children in Care: 328.

The Mirrabooka District spans just 15 suburbs in the metropolitan area and is the smallest District in Western Australia.

It oversees a Family Support Network which was established in 2014 as the second in the State. This developed organically through the existing Parenting Services Forum.

Mirrabooka is distinguished by its culturally diverse population, with estimates of 240 different language groups across the District. In some suburbs more than 50% identify as being born outside of Australia.

Significantly, more than one third of children in care in the Mirrabooka District are Aboriginal.

Mirrabooka prides itself on developing professional and productive working relationships across the human services sector.

from 0 to 10

PreSenterS:

y Kelly Van Maanen – Acting Senior Practice Development Officer.

y Lisa Ludgwick – A/Team Leader, Children in Care Team 2.

y Pauline Bradley – Child Protection Worker, Children in Care Team 2.

AbStrACt:

This presentation will describe how the Signs of Safety approach was used to engage the family and safety network of two children, to plan for a return home within 12 months of the Department bringing them into care.

Reunification is a challenge across the organisation. In this case the District team worked with the family to create safety by reducing risks of domestic violence, parental alcohol and drug use, and mental health issues.

MIrrAbookADIStrICt

Perth

Midland

Joondalup

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This presentation will focus on how the Signs of Safety approach was used during Stage 2 - Assessment of likelihood of reunification, Stage 3 - Decision whether to proceed with reunification, and Stage 4 - Transition to Reunification.

It brought parents, relative carers and the safety network into a space where they were able to reflect upon their journey thus far, begin to redefine relationships, and continue to build upon the strengths and safety within the family system.

The Signs of Safety approach established decision making for the children as the primary focus and provided a shared language, along with the flexibility to engage with each family separately and together.

This presentation is a document of the practitioners’ and families’ reflections on their journey from 0 to 10.

residential Care and Joondalup District

Signs of Sanctuary

PreSenterS:

y Nicola Shaw – Manager, Residential Care, Mariginiup House.

y Danielle Bunce – Team Leader, Child Protection, Joondalup District.

y James Gatenby – Director, Residential Care.

AbStrACt:

This presentation is designed to look at the interface between the Signs of Safety and Sanctuary Frameworks and the experience of workers from the Joondalup District Office and Mariginiup House.

It takes us on the journey of a young child, Filly; a child in care who came to the house with a significant trauma history.

Throughout the presentation you will see and hear how workers from the District and the House interpreted what was happening for Filly and in particular how safety was viewed. It will look at the Signs of Safety mapping process and how engaging the House staff in this redefined the direction of the case.

We will hear how workers in the District were concerned about “safety” using their Signs of Safety lens, and how the residential care home workers were worried about “safety” using their SELF (Safety, Emotions, Loss and Future) lens.

It will track through the decision making processes which eventually led to Filly being placed back with her wider family.


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Pilbara DistrictSize: 502,000 sq. km.

Population: 65,859.

Staff: 119.


The Pilbara District, known for its stunning landscapes and mineral rich red earth, is home to 31 traditional Aboriginal language groups who continue to practice traditional culture.

The Department’s offices are located across six main town sites and one multifunction site in the Western Desert.

The Pilbara District has developed a strong reputation of being a “learning district” that is on a continual journey of reflection, growth and change. It is through this focus that child protection workers continue to work in partnership with families and children despite various challenges, to empower families to create their own solutions to building safety.

Stick figure Yarning

PreSenterS:

y Natasha Bargeus – District Director.

y Kathy Bertola – Assistant District Director.

y Adam Tombs – Aboriginal Practice Leader.

y Donna Johnston – Field Worker.

y Natasha Lee – Senior Child Protection Worker.

y Sarah Edwards - Senior Practice Development Officer.

PIlbArADIStrICt

MuChISon

GolDfIelDS

weSt kIMberleY

Roebourne

Carnarvon

eAStkIMberleY

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AbStrACt:

In a very small remote Indigenous community on the fringes of the WA border, two workers sat down under a veranda in the outback and yarned with a family.

The yarn was important Department business, but through simplicity in practice and the tool of Words and Pictures, it became necessary community business in protecting a young girl and a vulnerable baby from experiencing violence.

In remote Indigenous communities resources are limited, with usually only a health clinic, school and shop; there are no agencies to which families can be referred. This creates an opportunity to work directly with families to develop safety in a culturally competent way, and empower Indigenous communities to find ways to protect their children.

In the words of the Senior Child Protection Worker: “As I approached the home to meet with the family what was running through my head was, ‘What formal / professional networks are available out here?’ When I got to the gate I was told the family don’t even speak English. I thought, ‘Far out! How am I going to achieve a safety plan when the parents don’t even speak English; now this is a challenge’.”

However through creating space and yarning, the family as a collective took ownership for perpetrator accountability and creating safety for the victim and children. Through the use of Words and Pictures a common language was used to bring the elders, family and Department workers together.

Whilst it was only a small piece of work, it had a profound impact upon the workers involved. Through reflecting on the practice journey, it created a new found joy and passion in the use of Signs of Safety tools.

This presentation will reflect not just on this one piece of practice, but provide a contextual reflection on the Pilbara District’s eight year journey in the practice of Signs of Safety, and our vision of taking it to a new level.


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fred Magie (Canada) and Manna van’t Slot (the netherlands)

Do you want to Implement Signs of Safety?

PreSenterS:

y Fred Magie - Licensed Signs of Safety Trainer and Consultant (Canada).

y Manna van’t Slot – Licensed Signs of Safety Trainer and Consultant (The Netherlands).

AbStrACt:

Signs of Safety is being implemented in many countries.

In both large and small organisations we have learned the real difference in a grounded and far reaching strategy, is the use of Appreciative Inquiry. This is the main tool that creates an organisation that learns.

In Signs of Safety we are interested in Appreciative Inquiry of good practice for two reasons; learning and celebration. To learn from good practice is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation being poised and willing to see how using Signs of Safety is making a difference. Celebrating good practice, as is happening with this Gathering, is the foundation of a growing culture of practice.

We want to zoom in on the detail of an Appreciative Inquiry, the sets of questions, how to keep on track, and the different possibilities. All this will lead to awareness of the worker and their team.

We have written this book to give organisations a clear picture of Appreciative Inquiry as the centre of, and throughout an implementation strategy.

We want to talk about bringing Appreciative Inquiry into agencies where the common practice culture is critical scrutiny. This presentation will throw light on the process by looking at the questions we use and also how we organise the Appreciative Inquiries to bring about interest, willingness, and active participation.

CAnADA

hAMIltonontario

Toronto

netherlAnDS

united kingdom

Germanybelgium

france

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DAY two | Wednesday 26 October

open home foundation, new ZealandSize: 14 Service Centres throughout New Zealand.

Staff: 200.

foster parents: 550.

The Open Home Foundation of New Zealand is a Child and Family Support Service that provides social work and foster care. We work closely with the statutory agency in situations where there are care or protection concerns for children, providing foster care, safety planning and other social work services.

Open Home Foundation also provides social work and respite care for children and young people with a disability.

our 10 Year Journey with Appreciative Inquiry

PreSenterS:

y Jill Devlin – National Training Manager.

y Lee Roberts – Principal Advisor, Social Work.

AbStrACt:

In June 2005 Andrew Turnell trained seven people in Open Home Foundation, New Zealand in the use of Signs of Safety.

One of the things we grasped really quickly was that Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was going to be the most important vehicle to change the deficit culture we were working in. AI quickly became the most used phrase on our lips!

At the beginning we used it to help workers stake a claim for good practice and to celebrate the things that worked well. We quickly moved to use it with the families we worked with, and at times we were astounded with the impact that it had.

As the years moved on we used AI in every situation that we could; in the times when things were going well and in the times when things had gone really badly. Katrina Etherington once commented that she had “three Column-itis”; well we had a case of A.I-tis!

So 10 years on we reflect on whether AI has made a difference. If so, what is the difference and for whom has it made the most difference?

Christchurch

Wellington

Auckland

new ZeAlAnD


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west kimberley DistrictSize: 192,000 sq. km.

Population: 27,000.

Staff: 91.7 FTE. (32% Aboriginal staff).


The West Kimberley works from three main offices located at Broome, Derby and Fitzroy Crossing, and three remote locations (co located with Western Australia Police) at Bidyadanga, Dampier Peninsula and Looma communities. Most of our work is with Aboriginal families, often in a remote context and is mostly characterised by neglect, domestic violence and homelessness.

Many of our staff are local to the region and love what they do!

little wawanyi Making tracks

PreSenter:

y Andrea D’Antoine – Aboriginal Practice Leader.

AbStrACt:

This is a story about a special Bunuba baby girl, referred to as “Wawanyi”. This is the Bunuba word for a female Goanna, which is the baby’s totem. The Bunuba people are one of the traditional owner groups in the Fitzroy Valley.

Even prior to her birth, everyone was worried about little Wawanyi due to the difficulties experienced by her Mum. We began our journey with her through the pre-birth planning process.

When Wawanyi was born it was identified that she had an extremely rare medical condition and this made planning for her even more complex, as her needs are so significant and her life expectancy was very uncertain. Given the significance of the concerns, Wawanyi was brought into care.

This presentation outlines Wawanyi’s journey and the journey that Departmental staff took together with her carers and family to reach a decision about permanency. We will show how we balanced all of her needs when determining the best place for her to grow up and deciding on her guardianship.

The principle of “landing grand aspirations in everyday practice” is evident from pre-birth to permanence, by staff creatively using aspects of the Signs of Safety Framework to respect the varying views of all the people who felt invested in the decisions for Wawanyi.

weSt kIMberleYDIStrICt

Broome

Wyndham

PIlbArA

eAStkIMberleY

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Perth DistrictSize: 215 sq. km.

Population: 337,000

Staff: 83.35 FTE.


Perth District is comprised of 54 suburbs.

It stretches across eight different local government areas inclusive of the City of Bayswater, Town of Cambridge, Town of Claremont, City of Nedlands, City of Perth, City of Stirling, City of Subiaco and City of Vincent. Of the total population 63,571 are children.

The Perth area continues to grow steadily as a result of changes to local government high density codes, and a significant rise in inner city apartment and high rise residential development. Young families, single professional people and couples are attracted to the inner city and surrounding suburbs to take advantage of the established infrastructure and to avoid the negative consequences of the urban sprawl.

Located within the Perth District’s catchment area are major teaching hospitals, women’s refuges, crisis and short term accommodation services, and day centres which cater to the immediate needs of homeless people who are also drawn to the inner city. This is partly because of the services offered and partly because of some inner city locations having cultural and historical significance.

The District is an active member of a number of interagency working parties established over time to provide a coordinated response to social issues particularly prevalent in the inner city; among them homelessness, unsupervised youth, and transient families, where child safety worries have come to the notice of agencies operating in the inner city.

The District’s children in care are currently managed by four teams with 36% of these children being Aboriginal. The number of children in care managed by the District has remained stable over a number of years – there is a major emphasis and parallel interagency collaboration focussed on diverting children and families away from the child protection system and providing families with a coordinated family support response. The District has developed and nurtured key working relationships with a number of agencies operating within its boundaries; among them Nyoongar Patrol, Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Service, Police and Community Youth Centres, Yorgum, St Bartholomew’s House, Centrecare – Entrypoint, Ruah, the North Metropolitan Community Drug Service, Mission Australia and FinWA.

An active group of 33 Signs of Safety Advanced Practitioners come together regularly to develop skills and confidence so that they in turn can support other District staff. The Signs of Safety Framework underpins and is well embedded in the District’s case practice and is readily reflected in its broader team operations.

Perth DIStrICt

Fremantle

Perth

Midland


23


words and Pictures: the key to Many Doors

PreSenterS:

y Pippa Lane – Senior Child Protection Worker and Case Manager.

y Nick Trahanas – District Director.

y Dennis Taylor – Aboriginal Practice Leader.

y Fran Orford – Team Leader.

AbStrACt:

The sudden passing of Cale’s father brought to the fore a range of unmet needs and ignited the team’s focus and energy to connect him to extended family previously unknown and with whom he was not in contact.

Cale is a 12 year old Aboriginal boy who has been in the care of the Department since August 2008 and is placed with a single, general foster carer. This is a permanent care arrangement for him, as the subject of a long term Care Order.

Since 2009 Cale had no face to face contact with his father and always had a yearning to know more about him. The sudden death of his father in late 2015 triggered a range of emotions for Cale about his history, place in family and community, cultural identity, and future relationships.

Cale’s pain motivated and challenged his worker and her colleagues to come up with a plan to engage important people in his life (mother, extended family, and carer) and harness their resources in helping him through the crisis.

The principles of Signs of Safety were applied vigorously. Words and Pictures was used as a process and outcome to aid Cale’s understanding of mental health, suicide, grief and loss, and as a reintroduction to his paternal family.

Time was spent yarning with Cale’s extended family to cross reference information available to the Department about the paternal family (particularly his father) and capture their perspective prior to preparing a “Life Story” explanation for him. This helped him understand his past history, family’s struggles over the years, and his father’s untimely death in late 2015.

Recognising the importance of connection with family and culture and contact for children in permanent care and acting upon that recognition is not an option but a “must” for all Departmental staff involved with Children in Care.

Words and Pictures offers workers a powerful tool to help children in care understand their history and present circumstances, and an unmissable opportunity to engage all adults with an interest in the child on a journey of reconnection for him / her with family and culture. Persistence, innovation, teamwork and passion to champion the child’s needs, are ingredients that Departmental workers can’t afford to compromise on.

24


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Great Southern DistrictSize: 60,200 sq. km.

Population: 71,000.

Staff: 59.45 FTE.


Offices are located in Katanning, Manjimup and Albany with carers across the whole region; a high proportion of whom are relative carers. As a vibrant and cohesive District we strongly believe in the power of partnerships and are constantly enhancing and building on the numerous positive relationships we have with the community, our carers, our local services and of course each other.

“I Just wanna be a normal kid”

PreSenterS:

y Catherine Lynch – Senior Practice Development Officer.

y Ken Fielder – Parent Visitor.

AbStrACt:

This case was a long term, difficult and at times extremely “stuck” case. As K’s functioning declined, his world shrunk, and the Case Manager and her Team struggled to “hold” both K and his Grandmother. Help was needed, and in a small town like Albany we had to get creative.

Creative in this case meant exploring how all areas of the Department, as well as our local government partners, could wraparound this young man and work towards lasting and significant change. It was not easy!

However, upon reflection, what maintained this successful, and at times stressful, intra and interagency partnership, was adherence to the Signs of Safety Principles. By Working Together, Fostering a Stance of Inquiry, and Landing (and celebrating) Grand Aspirations in Practice, the life of this young man was completely “rebooted”.

When addressing each challenging scenario, all parties contributed to the solutions and supported one another, even when it seemed nothing was going right; maintaining cooperation. The trust that was built in the Team around this child appeared to build resilience in the child and faith in the process, no matter how difficult.

GreAt SouthernDIStrICt

Perth

Albany

Merredin

MurChISon

GolDfIleDS

South weSt

Peel


25


Strong Families and the Responsible Parenting Service, as well as the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, Western Australia Police, and the District Education staff were new to the Signs of Safety Framework. However they were “veterans” at the use of the Signs of Safety Principles and with rigorous collaborative practice.

Through this combined perseverance and the maintenance of hope, K is now managing in a mainstream high school, his anxiety is no longer impairing his functioning, his relationship with his Grandmother is healthy, and his placement is stable (both he and Grandmother give it a 10 out of 10!).

Aboriginal engagement and Coordination Directorate

Culturally responsive Child Protection Practice in western Australia

PreSenter:

y Verity Roennfeldt – Director, Aboriginal Services.

AbStrACt:

This presentation about Signs of Safety an Aboriginal Way approach uses a short video to illustrate the Signs of Safety Core Principles; Working Relationships, Critical Thinking and Landing Grand Aspirations.

The Big Picture illustrates a way of talking to a family about the past, in order to make sense of the present. It is also a story with a vision and hope for the future, helping us think critically about the impact of intergenerational trauma before we ask what is working well, what is not working so well and what needs to change in practice with Aboriginal children and families.

We have developed a series of Getting Ready teaching resources that will enable a two way learning process through the Aboriginal Practice Network (APN) learning system in each District, facilitated by the Aboriginal Practice Leader and Senior Practice Development Officer.

Creating conversations around The Big Picture highlights the interconnectedness of everything we do when working with Aboriginal children, families and communities; orienting our practice to an Aboriginal worldview that is both holistic and strengths based.

26


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fremantle DistrictSize: 305.2 sq. km.


Staff: 108.


Fremantle District stretches down the coast from the beaches of Cottesloe to Wattleup, and inland to Banjup. It contains over 40 suburbs within seven local government authority boundaries. A number of these suburbs have the highest densities of people in the State, exceeding 2,000 people per square kilometre. There are areas of significant population growth in the remainder of the suburbs with a projected increase of up to 80% over the next decade.

Stay on target

PreSenter:

y Jack Davenport – Team Leader, Intake, Assessment and Intervention Team 2

AbStrACt:

This is a presentation about a 16 year old female, who was referred to the Department due to concerns of suicide attempts, suicide ideation and self-harm.

There was evidence of complex needs and trauma from her life, and there were challenges in liaising with health services to provide necessary support. We had to find a way to coordinate effectively with the young woman, her family, and health services to provide her with the support and safety she needed.

In the course of our involvement we found many hurdles, but we were able to bring greater coordination and consolidation of mental health supports, and identify with the young woman regarding what stability and safety looked like for her in the future. The case required us to reflect on the challenges we faced, and how conventional approaches did not fit this young person’s particular situation.

The various challenges and drive to help kept us invested and energised in this process, by needing to find innovative ways to a problem not easily remedied by conventional approaches.

This presentation details how we worked with health services while attempting to manage lack of communication and lack of trust, and provide greater opportunity for this young woman to have a voice in her life.

freMAntleDIStrICt

Fremantle

Perth

Armadale

Cannington


27


Peel DistrictSize: 4618.2 sq. km.


Staff: 65.


Peel District is located in the south west corridor and is identified by the four local government boundaries of City of Mandurah, Shire of Murray, Shire of Boddington and Shire of Waroona. This includes the townships of Pinjarra, Dwellingup, Boddington, Waroona and Lake Clifton. Mandurah is the health and community service centre of the Peel region and is located approximately 74 kilometres from Perth.

The Peel District population is projected to be not only the fastest growing in the State but also nationally, with one in six of the Western Australian regional population residing in the region. By 2050 Peel is expected to be one of the most populated regions outside of the Perth metropolitan area, with a projected population of 310,000.

Peel’s main District office is situated in Sutton Square, Mandurah with sub offices at Cooper Street, Mandurah and Coodanup House, Coodanup. The latter also operates as the District’s newly revamped Enhanced Contact Centre. The aim of this Centre is to provide individual and group programs focusing on parental capacity building and parenting skills for parents working towards reunification.

Prevalent in the District are cases where family and domestic violence, adult mental health issues, child / adolescent mental health issues, substance abuse and sexual abuse are primary presenting issues.

As of July 2016, the District had 228 children in care, 59 of whom are Aboriginal. 72 children in care are placed with Family Carers. There are currently 82 General Carers and 75 Family Carers being supported by the District. In addition, 159 cases are open for assessment or family support.

Peel DIStrICt

Perth

Albany

MurChISon

GreAt Southern

South weSt

28


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I’m 20 weeks Pregnant, what Does that Mean for My family?

PreSenterS:

y Kelly Jones – Senior Child Protection Worker.

y Jo Morrison – Senior Practice Development Officer.

AbStrACt:

This presentation will reboot and renew our ways of thinking about safety planning with vulnerable families in high risk situations, utilising the Signs of Safety Practice Framework. Safety Networks can be developed and established in a crisis, and safety can be achieved with rigorous planning and clear bottom lines.

The Department has significant contact with this family group, including the father having spent time in the CEO’s care as a child.

In 2013 there were significant child protection concerns pertaining to domestic violence, alcohol and drug use and neglect of the children. Over a 12 month period the Child Centred Family Support team worked with the family, however the child protection concerns were not sufficiently addressed and the three children entered the CEO’s care. The case was transferred to the Children in Care team.

In August 2015 Mum advised that she was 20 weeks pregnant with her fourth child. Pre-birth planning was initiated. Throughout this process it was identified that the same concerns existed for the unborn baby as for the three children already in care. Although the mother and father had started to make changes, these had not been demonstrated over time.

When the baby was born the pre-birth assessment was incomplete. The decision was made by the District Director that the baby would enter the care of the CEO for a 12 month period, and unless a robust safety plan could be developed the baby would be placed in foster care.

We will hear from family members, the safety network, key child protection workers, and the eldest child as they describe their experiences with the Signs of Safety planning tools and processes, to achieve safety for a newborn to remain in the physical care of his mother and reunification for the eldest child. Planning for reunification of the two other children is currently progressing.


29


Murchison DistrictSize: 605,000 sq. km.

Population: 67,000.

Staff: 94 FTE.


The Murchison District includes the regions of the Mid West and Gascoyne, and comprises nearly one quarter of the State. The area comprises 21 Local Government Areas, including the City of Greater Geraldton, plus 27 rural towns, and approximately eight Aboriginal communities. Staff are located across eight sites within the District.

Over 10 per cent of the population of the Mid West and 17 per cent in the Gascoyne region identify as Indigenous. The region is broadly known as Yamaji country, although there are several major language groups in the area. People of non-English speaking backgrounds represent approximately 4% of the total Murchison District population.

Making the extraordinary, ordinary

PreSenterS:

y Caroleanne Leeson-Crane – Team Leader.

y Amanda Meney – Child Protection Worker.

AbStrACt:

This presentation will focus on the use of the Signs of Safety Framework and tools in ordinary every day practice.

It will concentrate on how the Framework is not just for the show stopper cases, but is incorporated into all that we do. The presentation will demonstrate how the use of a questioning approach in the engagement and collaboration with children, families and stakeholders has become a norm. This continues to bring ongoing benefits in relationships that are developed in the communities encompassing the Murchison District.

MurChISonDIStrICt

PIlbArA

GolDfIelDS

Carnarvon

Geraldton

wheAtbelt

30


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The presentation will explore the integration of Signs of Safety across our work and throughout the life of a case. Our intake team is focused from the first contact on finding safety, using a questioning approach. This approach is invaluable in communities such as Meekatharra where very few services to support families exist. It provides a clear safety lens on what cases need to be progressed to intake and provides structure to work beyond this.

The skilled use of harm and danger statements and safety goals at the front end form a basis for ongoing work. They are developed, edited and refined throughout the life of a case.

Murchison District has been able to “land grand aspirations in everyday practice” through sharing learning and celebrating success. While there are always challenges, we work together well. The District has been undertaking short, targeted learning sessions regarding specific tools and processes within the Framework (i.e. trajectory work, Words and Pictures, safety planning etc.).

Staff have demonstrated openness in inviting their colleagues to internal planning meetings. This enhances learning throughout the District and the worker has access to the best thinking of their colleagues.

We will use various examples and short interviews with workers in varied District roles, regarding their application and understanding of the merits of using such a robust framework in their everyday practice.

We hope that this presentation will give other child protection workers some applicable ideas and increased confidence in implementing Signs of Safety in the work they do.

wheatbelt DistrictSize: 154,862 sq. km.

Population: 75,000.

Staff: 82 FTE.


The Wheatbelt is the State’s largest agricultural producer and has a growing mining sector.

Staff are located across four offices in Moora, Merredin, Narrogin and Northam. The District has over 200 small communities in the area between Jurien Bay on the north west coast, to Southern Cross in the east, and Wagin in the South.

wheAtbelt DIStrICt

Albany

Perth Merredin

GreAt Southern

MurChISon

GolDfIelDS

Peel

South weSt


31


The area is home to four Aboriginal Clans; Njaki Njaki Nyoongar People, Yued Nyoongar People, Gubrun People and Ballardong Nyoongar People, with 5% of the population in the District being Aboriginal.

It’s as easy as one, two, three

PreSenterS:

y Emma Brown - Team Leader.

y Leah McLernon - Child Protection Worker.

y Leah Young – Lawyer, Legal Aid WA.

y Diana Locke – Family Inclusion Network of Western Australia.

AbStrACt:

This presentation looks at how Departmental workers, Mum and stakeholders worked through the Permanency Planning Stage 1 family meeting process and Stage 2 review process, using the Signs of Safety Framework to develop a trajectory for reunification.

The young mother had experienced significant trauma, been a child in care, and had ongoing thoughts of suicide and self-harming behaviours. She already had her other child in care and there was a need to land the grand aspiration of the best reunification plan possible, so that progress could be made within the first 12 month period.

In order to make clear the reunification requirements and trajectory, the workers had the confidence to say we are not the experts and that a thorough psychological assessment with recommendations was needed before we could finalise a plan for the reunification.

This took several months. There had already been delays in terms of finalising assessment, and mother and stakeholders were feeling frustrated. The workers managed the relationships and brought everyone together at the Stage 2 review meeting to contribute to the final plan.

We will show how with an honest, empathic and very down to earth approach from the workers, that the three core principles, the disciplines of everyday language and the underlying assumption that the assessment was a work in progress, were incorporated into the first two permanency planning stages. This provided everyone with hope, understanding and a clear pathway for reunification.

32


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east kimberley DistrictSize: 265,000 sq. km

Population:

•Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley - 8,000 (approximately half are Aboriginal).

•Shire of Halls Creek - 5,500 (up to 85% are Aboriginal).

Staff: 80 FTE (including Residential Care staff).

Children in care: 154 (100% are Aboriginal).

The East Kimberley is located in the ruggedly picturesque and sparsely populated north east corner of Western Australia.

With its tropical climate, rich local culture and many natural attractions, it is a place where many people passing through have decided to make their home. However despite its rugged beauty, the region faces many unique and complex social challenges.

The District is made up of the Kununurra, Halls Creek and Wyndham Offices, as well as the Balgo, Kalumburu and Warmun Aboriginal Community remote sub offices. There are 65 Aboriginal communities within the Shires of Wyndham East Kimberley and Halls Creek and approximately 28 languages spoken within the District.

Many of these communities are difficult to access. So whilst you can often be travelling to some of the most wonderfully scenic and remote locations, delivering comprehensive child protection and family support services in these areas is complex, resource intensive and a specialised area of practice.

thank You: Gija way, a reunification reflection

PreSenterS:

y Tomas Lourenco – Child Protection Worker.

y Justine de Candia – Senior Practice Development Officer.

eASt kIMberleYDIStrICt

Broome

Wyndham

PIlbArA

weSt kIMberleY


33


AbStrACt:

The Department’s Permanency Planning Policy was redeveloped and rolled out in 2015 with a focus on the improvement of reunification case planning for children in care on Time Limited Orders. This presentation focuses on one of the first reunification cases in the East Kimberley District to use the new Policy, and includes the case worker and family’s reflections of the process.

While the Policy certainly provided more clearly defined direction / guidelines for the work being done in the reunification area, we wanted to ensure that the implementation of these processes was respectful and inclusive of the local Indigenous culture and practices.

The work in this case centred around the reunification with parents of a one year old Aboriginal girl who had been removed shortly after birth. The work was particularly challenging because the little girl was the parents’ only child and they had no prior experience as parents. The process included the establishment of clear safety goals in simple language, regular review meetings with parents, family and safety network members, and a variety of different forms of supported contact to assist the parents to learn and practice the necessary skills to care for their child.

The Permanency Planning Process, together with the worker’s culturally sensitive and intuitive practice, combined to achieve a very positive outcome for the child and her family. This was highlighted by the family inviting the case worker and Team Manager to a “smoking ceremony” to thank them for working with them to enable the child to return to the care of her parents.

34


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DAY three | Thursday 27 October

building Capacity – Consulting and Counseling Services, Canada

thinking through Signs of Safety together

PreSenter:

y Mike Caslor – Owner and Operator.

AbStrACt:

As Signs of Safety has grown around the world, many efforts have been made to “quality assure” the practice to ensure it is facilitated with families as intended.

Implementation efforts from around the world have shown it is as important that everyone in the organisation has vision for how the principles, tools, and disciplines of the model apply to their work.

As implementations continue, the pursuit of meaning measures has the potential to propel us all forward with more clarity and confidence.

During this presentation Mike will briefly describe an understanding of what Signs of Safety fidelity is, and how it is being pursued around the world. With the assistance of Department Leadership, details will be shared about how fidelity is being field tested in Western Australia, what we are learning, and what may need to happen next.

CAnADA

TorontoMontreal

Vancouver


35


Service Delivery Practice unit and west kimberley District

listening, honouring and learning: Slowing Down Practice to Grieve and Grow

PreSenterS:

y Jane Simmons – Director, Service Delivery.

y Peta Barry – Project Manager, Kimberley Family Violence Regional Plan.

y Fiona Fischer – District Director, West Kimberley.

AbStrACt:

Child protection practice has at its centre working with individuals and families through loss and grief.

This presentation explores how the disciplines of Signs of Safety, combined with the Critical Incident – Collaborative Inquiry (CICI) Approach, were used to help staff from the Department and partner agencies work through a case where a young Aboriginal woman died. She belonged to a family where Family and Domestic Violence had been part of family life.

The presentation honours the work that the mother did to protect her children and highlights the impact of structural disadvantage and the history of colonialism on the lives of Aboriginal Families in the West Kimberley. It explores how the process of a Collaborative Inquiry into practice can support practitioners from across agencies to process their collective grief, examine what has worked well and grow practice depth.

This case study examines the challenges for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff working in rural and remote communities with children and families affected by family and domestic violence. It explores how the Signs of Safety principles and disciplines can be harnessed to grow practice.

Finally, participants will reflect on how the CICI process and the Signs of Safety Approach allows a safe space to slow down practice, learn what has worked well, honour the contribution of staff, family and community, and use a deeply sad situation to grow interagency collaboration and practice depth.

36


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Child Safety Services – north west, Department of health and human Services, tasmania

“times, they Are a-Changin’”: response team Perspectives

PreSenterS:

y Natasha Beattie – Child Safety Officer, NW Response Team.

y Jade Watkins – Child Safety Officer, NW Response Team

AbStrACt:

Our Team use Signs of Safety tools, such as Appreciative Inquiry and the 3 Three W’s, to build a supportive, engaged and resilient team culture during a time of change across the Service.

The Department is implementing a service model redesign under the broad vision of “Strong Families – Safe Kids”. We are “early adopters” of this approach. Best case practice involves intensive case work with families to build capacity and with services to create safety for children within the community.

We use Signs of Safety tools as a foundation for our team culture. The Three W’s assist with case work and Appreciative Inquiry celebrates and embeds good practice. These tools encourage collaboration and robust safety planning with families and services, which in turn enhances the quality and efficacy of our relationships.

This approach has not come without its challenges, however these are navigated such that positive outcomes are achieved whilst we continue to evolve future focused practices.

We use Signs of Safety to adopt a “shared leadership” approach in supporting best practice within the Service, and to underpin a team culture ideally positioned to embrace future changes.

South west DistrictSize: 18,445 sq. km.



Outside of the Metropolitan area, the south west has the fastest growing cities in Western Australia; Bunbury and Busselton. Staff are located over four sites - two in Bunbury and sub offices in Collie and Busselton.

South weStDIStrICt

Perth

Albany

Merredin

GreAt Southern

Peel

wheAtbelt

tASMAnIA

Hobart


37


The District is varied, from the sparsely populated east border with the Wheatbelt, to the more densely populated inner city of Bunbury, Busselton, the suburban shires of Harvey, Dardanup and Capel, and further south to the holiday hot spots of Margaret River and Augusta.

Work is characterised by growing substance use issues particularly in the south, and the complex issues of family violence and homelessness experienced across the region. The area also is home to a growing number of non-government agency placements for children in care from across the State.

haamiah’s Story

PreSenter:

y Narelle Davey – Senior Practice Development Officer.

AbStrACt:

This presentation will demonstrate how the concept of collective responsibility was undertaken by the family and the Department to achieve reunification using the Signs of Safety tools and processes.

It will focus on the primary work with a mother, who herself was in care, and how she worked through the process of the Signs of Safety Framework to achieve reunification.

In small country towns across the State the Department is working intensively with families impacted by generational trauma, alcohol and drugs. This story is no different. It is a story about shared responsibility. It is a story about the collective responsibility shared with a mum, to support her to develop her strength and capacity to work through her trauma, so that she would be in the best position to have her daughter returned to her full time care.

Signs of Safety underlined all of the practices and processes from the moment of first contact with the mother (post birth). At times the process was extremely difficult to participate in, given Mum’s trauma response to working with the Department. However through all of this there remained a commitment by workers in the Department to explore every avenue to engage and work with Mum.

This story beautifully demonstrates how a collective response strengthened the Signs of Safety Framework and the work undertaken by a mother, so that her daughter could come home to her and break the cycle of generational removal.

38


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Joondalup DistrictSize: 45 km kilometre coastal strip from Beach Road in the south to Two Rocks in the north. The District spans two local government municipalities - the City of Wanneroo and City of Joondalup.

• City of Joondalup – North west corridor of Perth, 15 to 35 kilometres north of the CBD.

-Size: 97 sq. km.

-Population: 164,000.

• City of Wanneroo – North east fringe of Perth, 12 to 60 kilometres from the CBD.

-Population: Forecast to be 187,392 for 2015, and 354,042 by 2036.

Staff: 80 FTE plus part time staff.


The upper northern suburbs of Joondalup District are one of the fastest growing areas in Perth with the availability of lower cost housing attracting an increasing number of young families; much of the growth occurs in the outer suburban areas.

The District faces unique challenges in meeting the needs of a very rapidly increasing and changing population, with current service providers struggling to keep up with demands for their services. Critical shortfalls in service provision have been identified in areas of mental health, family support, at risk young people, homelessness, domestic violence and increased drug use.

In Joondalup 39% of the population identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and 10% identify as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.

After five

PreSenterS:

y Tamie Nicolson – Team Leader.

y Jelia Grbic – Case Worker.

y UnitingCare West

JoonDAluPDIStrICt

Perth

Midland

Joondalup


39


AbStrACt:

This presentation focuses on different ways Signs of Safety was used, in collaboration with other agencies and services, to rethink and develop the non-professional safety network for an isolated client who found it difficult to identify any friends or family members.

Connections to family and significant others remain an important source of support and guidance for children and families. It is important to assess who is available for them and engage them in the safety planning process. We worked with an isolated parent who had no non-professional supports around her to be part of her safety network and be there for her and the children after hours.

Through the planning meetings we wanted to use the Signs of Safety tools to focus on strengths as well as difficulties, and identify:

a) Who “surrounds” the parent and what is the nature of those relationships?;

b) Are they safe and appropriate relationships?;

c) If the parent is not able to respond to the children’s developmental, educational, social, emotional, recreational, nutritional and medical needs, who is?; and

d) Who are the family members (genogram) and are they involved, or disengaged from, or emotionally enmeshed, with one another? What are the trans-generational patterns?

While it was difficult for the parent to build a non-professional safety network, the collaborative effort between Departmental workers, the parent, and other agencies and services, led to safety plans being developed, tested, and reviewed to ensure the children are being kept safe when in their mother’s care.

Armadale DistrictSize: Starts about 20 km south east of Perth city and stretches over 50 km down into the semi-rural areas north of Mandurah.


Staff: 108.5 FTE.


Armadale District covers three local government areas and overlaps with a further two. The 2011 census anticipated the overall population will grow at a rapid rate to be around 338,000 by 2020. Whilst there are some pockets of well-to-do suburbs, the overall profile of the District is one of relative socio-economic disadvantage and all the correlated social problems. Our work is challenging and relentless but full of opportunities to think outside the square and innovate.

ArMADAleDIStrICt

Fremantle

Perth

Rockingham

Armadale

40


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remember we Are real People with a history!

PreSenterS:

y Robert Becker – District Director.

y Carolyn Vermeulen – Assistant District Director.

y Jo Hooper – Senior Practice Development Officer.

y Renee Edwards – Aboriginal Practice Leader.

y Kris Wohlan – Team Leader.

y Jacqui Daniel – Case Manager.

AbStrACt:

The case under study is one that was accepted by Armadale District from another work location. The trajectory of the case at that time was for the children to remain in care until 18. With the impending arrival of another child and a fresh set of eyes on the case, pre-birth planning identified a number of strengths in the family structure, despite the father being incarcerated in jail.

Interagency work included Yorganop and Wanslea. Not only did the new baby remain in the care of the parents but the older children were reunified as well.

The discussions with the family, mother, father and grandmother focus on how the tools enabled an inclusive and respectful approach that led to an open and honest relationship between Departmental workers and the family. The use by the case worker of the Three Houses tool helped establish that there is in fact sufficient safety for the children to be at home.

Discussions with other agency representatives highlight the value of a common assessment framework where all parties are “speaking the same language” and the outcomes speak for themselves.


41


rockingham DistrictPopulation: 171,868.

Staff: 78 FTE.


The Rockingham District office is located in the City of Rockingham, approximately 40 minutes from the Perth CBD. The District lies on the coastal strip between Woodman Point and the Peel Region, taking in the local government Cities of Kwinana and Rockingham. The District operates services out of four locations; the main District Office, Civic Boulevard sub-office, Kwinana Office, and the Port Kennedy Contact Centre.

The key challenge for the District is meeting the service demands of an increasing population, given that it is anticipated that this area will be one of the biggest growth areas over the next 20 years. Despite the District’s small size in population at present in comparison with other metropolitan Districts, it consistently has a higher than average number of referrals through Duty.

Safety Goals with a Difference

PreSenterS:

y Josephine Carter – Case Worker.

y Clare Stephens - Team Leader.

y Marion Hewitt – A/Senior Practice Development Officer.

roCkInGhAMDIStrICt

Perth

Rockingham

Armadale

42


®

AbStrACt:

This presentation aims to help you think differently about safety goals, so that you feel confident to try a different approach and create a plan for parents with a focus on behaviour change that they can demonstrate and the Department can measure.

Families often tell us they don’t know what the Department wants or needs to see for them to get their children back. They say they don’t understand the paperwork and that the Department changes the “goal posts”.

We wanted to try something different that built on strengths and framed behaviour change in a positive way. We had to be clear about what the Department wanted to see the parent doing and how we would know she was doing it.

In the early stages of Permanency Planning the Case Worker identified some struggles with defining what the Department wanted to see Mum doing so the children could return to her care.

The Case Worker and the Senior Practice Development Officer held a lengthy consultation where every danger statement was examined in detail and flipped over to reveal the opposite. These were then phrased in down-to-earth language and discussed with the Mum.

She understood the goals, the plan was formalised for Court, and she started to work towards the changes. The Magistrate said she liked how the goals were different and easy for a parent to understand and achieve.

It takes a lot of courage to try new things and experiment. The Case Worker, the Mum and the Magistrate will reflect on their experience and learning though the “Safety Goals with a Difference”.

Midland DistrictSize: 14,000 sq. km.


Staff: 97 FTE.


Midland is a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal people from the Wheatbelt and Goldfields and a hub of new community expansion and rapid population growth. Midland is very diverse – including suburban living, areas of intensive public housing and isolated rural areas. Alongside affluent life styles are significant patches of endemic poverty and antisocial behaviour which impacts on our workload.

MIDlAnDDIStrICt

Perth

Midland

Joondalup


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koorlonga karup Moort: Children, home, family

PreSenterS:

y Leza Radcliffe – Aboriginal Practice Leader.

y Katherine Fendley – Team Leader, Child Centred Family Support.

AbStrACt:

Midland District are concerned about the high proportion of Aboriginal children in care and want to reduce this whilst keeping children safe, so they are developing a project which has become known as Koorlonga Karup Moort.

The District is committed to looking at ways within their established practice to increase the number of families who are:

y Confident to work with the Department.

y Assisted to feel involved in meetings and decisions about their family.

y Able to achieve something from their relationship with the Department and other agencies, with the overall goal of making sure their children stay safe and grow up strong / “deadly”.

The target group for the Koorlonga Karup Moort Project is families who present with chronic neglect / cumulative harm, by utilising an enhanced “team around the child” model. The focus is on cases where there is significant risk and abusive behaviours, but where impact and harm are not so clear.

The key stages are:

y Rapid initial response – for the best impact.

y Multidisciplinary case consultation.

y “Getting Ready” – preparing families, linking supports to increase good two way communication.

y Signs of Safety meetings with the family.This will lead to working with the family according to their identified needs via the most appropriate Departmental response:

y Early intervention.

y Child Centred Family Support.

y Intervention.

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Department for Child Protection and Family Support


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© Department of Aboriginal Affairs 2015Based on Information provided by and with the permission of theWestern Australian Land Information Authority (Landgate) (2015).Acknowledgement to The Regents of the University of California

WESTERN AUSTRALIATindale Tribal Boundaries

www.daa.wa.gov.au

Last update: June 2015

For Dr. David Horton's map "Aboriginal Australia" © 1994see http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/asp/map.html

The Tindale tribal boundaries were determined The Tindale tribal boundaries were determined by Norman Tindale, after extensive researchby Norman Tindale, after extensive researchacross Australia, publishing his findings in 1940.across Australia, publishing his findings in 1940.This map was republished in 1974, and the map This map was republished in 1974, and the map included here is an adaptation of Tindale's.included here is an adaptation of Tindale's.Copyright is held by the Tindale family, and is Copyright is held by the Tindale family, and is managed by the South Australian Museum.managed by the South Australian Museum.

The Tindale Tribal boundaries map is sourced from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) website, found at http://www.daa.wa.gov.au/en/Information/Maps/ and reproduced here in its entirety for the Department for Child Protection and Family Support WA Signs of Safety Gathering 2016. Please note the disclaimer and copyright information provided by the DAA on their website.


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feeDbACk

Provide your feedback at any time during the day via:

SMS

Start your tet with the letters “cpfs”, then send to 0427 541 367

the internet

Visit polley.com/cpfs and tap on “submit response”.

nb

y Standard rates apply to the cost of sending an SMS

y Feedback will be displayed on the screen in the Seminar Rooms 1 and 2 combined (where plenary sessions are held).

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western australia department for child protection and family … · 2016-10-31 · as you may be...

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