Transcript Early Days in Placement Pre service training

Early days in a placement
Module three: Pre service training
Re-cap of Module two: Understanding the past for a
child or young person
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module participants will be able to:
1.
Understand the developmental stages of childhood and adolescence
2.
Understand the experience of abuse and how it impacts on children
3.
Understand what attachment means for a child, and how separation impacts on
attachment
4.
Identify the variety of losses that may be experienced by children who come into
care and by birth family members
5.
Understand and respond to challenging behaviours.
Content
1.
Stages of development
2.
Responding to Attachment
3.
The longing to belong – loss and grief reactions
4.
The experience of abuse
5.
Responding to challenging of behaviours.
Module three: Early days in a placement
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module participants will be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the framework for decision making in
meeting a child or young person’s protective needs.
2. Discuss the factors that would be taken into consideration in deciding
whether to accept a placement.
3. Outline key factors in building a relationship with a child or young person
while respecting their privacy.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to encourage a child or young person’s
sense of self and identity.
5. Demonstrate understanding of advocacy for children and young people.
Module three: Early days in a placement
Content
1. Accepting a Placement – what do I need to know and consider?
2. Building Relationships – how to welcome a child or young person while
maintaining their privacy.
3. Decision Making about how to meet a child or young persons needs
4. Promoting a positive sense of self and identity for a child or young person.
5. Advocacy for children and young people.
Activity
If your own child, or a child who is special to you (niece, nephew or child of
close friend) had to live with someone else for a period of time:
1.What would you expect the carer to provide for your child?
2.How would you as a family expect to interact with your child while they were
being cared for by someone else?
3.What decisions would you be happy to let the carer make and what would
you like to retain control over?
Accepting a placement – what you need to
know and consider
√ Can I meet the Charter of Rights, Principles of the Act and Statement of
Standards?
Briefly review the Charter of Rights and Principles of the Act
Carefully consider each of the Statement of Standards provided to you
Note down one way you could meet each Statement of Standard
Are there any challenges you might face in meeting any of the Statement
of Standards
Discuss your answers or provide solutions to challenge
Accepting a placement – what to consider
Brainstorm
• What information do you think you may need before accepting a
placement?
Accepting a placement – what you need to
know and consider
Is this the right time for my family and the child?
√ Is the placement intended to be emergency/short term/long term?
√ What order is the child on?
√ Is this the child’s first experience of being cared for away from home?
√ What is the goal for this child or young person?
√ How will you interact with the child or young person’s family?
√ Need to seek advice from the worker and your support person who knows
your family and situation, to enable you to make an informed decision.
√ Discuss with your partner and family first before making a decision.
Consider the needs of your own family including physical and emotional
space, safety factors.
√ Does the child have any challenging behaviours or health needs?
Accepting a placement – what you need to
know and consider, summary
•
Consider the Statement of Standards, Charter of Rights, Principles of the
Act
•
Consider the timing for your family – exams, holidays, family commitments
•
Consider why the child has entered care and whether this impacts on their
behaviour and any disciplinary methods
•
Consider the placement carefully, a placement breakdown can increase the
pain, suffering, hurt and feelings of rejection for a child in care
•
Prepare your family – how long, confidentiality, house rules
•
Discuss any of your support needs or services that assist with this particular
child in your placement agreement
Placement Agreement
A written agreement must occur between a carer and Child Safety Services
when a child is placed in out of home care (Section 84 of the Child Protection
Act 1999)
Outlines the relevant information known about the child
– special health needs
– behavioural management needs
– contact for child with family
– financial assistance requirements
Records the agreed supports and services for carers.
– resources to help meet the special needs of the child
Records the responsibilities of Child Safety Services and the carer about the
provision of medical, therapeutic, schooling or other services to the child.
Welcome a child
•
Think about how you would feel being placed with a stranger
•
Welcome and introduce the child to everyone in the house
•
Tell them about the house, pets and the household rules
•
Acknowledge their feelings
•
Listen carefully and use open ended questions
•
Don’t minimise their concerns or worries
•
Help the child explore answers to their own questions
•
Talk to them about contact with their family
•
Set aside time regularly for undivided attention with the child
Privacy obligations
• Children in care have a right to privacy and carers have an
obligation to respect the privacy of children in their care
• Respecting the child’s privacy is also an important way to show
respect and build trust
• Privacy includes physical privacy, communications privacy and
information privacy
• You can protect a child’s information privacy by:
– Only collecting information about the child, their family and others that you need
to care for the child
– Only using or disclosing their personal information to perform your functions as a
carer or for purposes related to the child’s protection or wellbeing
– Keeping their personal information secure (e.g. in a locked filing cabinet or
password protected folder on your computer)
– Returning the child’s records to the department when they leave your care
Confidentiality – use, disclosure & access
Keeping information confidential is a way of protecting privacy &
building trust.
It is also a legal obligation under the Child Protection Act 1999, even
after a child has left your care.
You must not use or disclose any information about a child in care
and their family that you obtain in your role as a carer, or give access
to a document containing that information, except:
–
–
–
–
as necessary to perform your role as a carer
for purposes related to a child’s protection or wellbeing
if required or permitted by law, or
where the information is about the person who is asking for it (e.g. the
child).
Penalties for breaching confidentiality include fine or imprisonment, so
if in doubt about whether you can disclose information, talk to your
CSO or foster or kinship care worker.
(s187 CPA)
Confidentiality – publication
You must not publish (without the chief executive’s written approval)
information, including photographs, that would lead to the identification
of a child as:
– a child who has been the subject of an investigation under CPA
– a child in the chief executive’s custody or guardianship or for whom an
order is in force
– a child in Queensland who has been harmed, allegedly harmed or is
allegedly at risk of harm from/by a parent, step-parent or family member
Publication includes publication on:
– traditional media e.g. television, newspaper, radio
– the internet, e.g. social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace and
discussion forums
– any other form of communication
(s189 CPA)
Confidentiality – summary
Before disclosing information about a child or others, ask yourself:
• Is sharing this information necessary for the child’s care, or for
purposes related to their protection or wellbeing?
If in doubt, don’t share the information and talk to your CSO or foster
and kinship care worker.
Remember:
• Your legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality continues even
after the child has left your care.
• People you tell have a legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality.
• There are penalties for breaching confidentiality obligations.
Decision Making
•
Decisions relate to the type of order, the case plan goals/actions and the
activities the child is involved in.
•
A range of people can be involved in decision making - the parents, child,
family, Child Safety Officer, community members, Recognised Entity and
the carer.
•
Decisions about day to day care of the child relate to custody matters.
•
Decisions about the significant long term welfare and development of
the child relate to guardianship matters.
Case Management and Case Planning
•
Case management = the coordination of services and individuals to meet
the needs of the child. The CSO is responsible for case management.
•
Case plan = a written document that outlines all the activities, discussions,
family contact and people involved to meet the child’s needs. The parents,
child, carers, CSO, service providers, family members and other relevant
people are responsible for actions and outcomes in the case plan.
Key components of a case plan for children –
implications for carers
Education Support Plan (ESP)
A joint plan between Department of Education and Training and Child Safety
Services. Carers support actions in the plan, assist with the child’s learning and
attend ESP meetings.
Cultural Support Plan (CSP)
Required for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child. Can be for other
cultural backgrounds. Carers will support and engage in cultural connections,
identity and activities outlined in the cultural support plan.
Child Health Passport
Some children require medical and therapeutic assistance. Carers may be
required to assist with appointments and follow-up.
Contact with family
Family contact is critical for children in care. Contact arrangements, risks and
frequency will be identified in the case plan. Carers assist with contact
arrangements and feedback on the impacts for the child. Some carers
participate in the contact with family and provide support and guidance.
Decision making and the carers role
•
Participate in the family group meeting and any case plan reviews
•
Provide information on the child’s needs, health, education and cultural
requirements
•
Assist with any actions in the case plan and report outcomes
•
Check if decisions you are making are in the best interest of the child
•
Check if decisions you make are consistent with the Statement of
Standards, Principles of the Act and Charter of Rights
•
Check whether the parents have already made a decision
•
Check the level of decision making -custody or guardianship and what this
covers
•
Consult with a CSO if there are costs involved or activities that are high risk
Decisions you could make for the child or
young person
Daily Routine
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bed time
meal time
home work
low risk activities
Medical
•
Medical attention for a common illness; cold
•
Medical or dental treatment when a general anaesthetic is not required
•
Continued or other health treatments for established conditions, unless the
medical practitioner is proposing a new treatment
•
Diagnostic tests or X–rays for new conditions
•
A second medical opinion (but you alone can not act on it)
Decisions you could make for the child or
young person (cont).
Education
•
Child care arrangements
•
Signing school reports
•
Participation in sport and recreational activities that are low to moderate risk
•
Variations to school routine including participation in day excursions that are
low to moderate risk and not involving interstate travel
•
Participation in curriculum-related activities including swimming, arts council
performances and religious education that are consistent with the views of
the child and the family.
Decisions that can only be made by Child
Safety
Medical
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Immunisations
Blood tests
Major medical and surgical procedures or examinations
Blood transfusions
Testing to determine parentage (DNA testing)
Pregnancy termination
Contraception
Acting on a second medical opinion
Prescribed medications to manage behaviour or mental health conditions
(eg. Anti-depressants, dexamphetamines).
Decisions that can only be made by Child
Safety
Police Interviews
•
Children cannot be interviewed by the Police unless:
– The child has had the opportunity to speak to a support person
– The support person is present during the interview
Low to moderate activities
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Approved school sports
Riding a bike or skateboard
Rides at theme parks
Higher risk activities
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Rock climbing
Abseiling
Go-karts
Motorbikes
Parachuting
Hang gliding
Bungy jumping
Scuba diving
Risk to Child and Carers Assessment

By law carer details are to be provided to the parents.

Child Safety Services undertake a risk assessment about the level of
information able to be provided to the parents and the risk to the child, carer
and carer’s family if carer details are provided.

Where significant risk to the safety of the child or anyone else with whom
the child is living the details may be withheld.

Where you have concerns speak with a CSO, foster or kinship care worker
or a FAST delegate.
Promoting a positive sense of self and identity
•
Encourage positive interdependence in relationships
•
Encourage children and young people to find solutions to problems
themselves
•
Develop positive life stories with children and young people
•
Build on strengths and interests
•
Expand the child or young persons networks, cultural and community
connections
•
Promote family based problem solving
•
Assist with developing positive communication skills
Advocacy
•
How do you advocate for your own child?
– School, health, Dr’s, sport, conflict resolution
•
At Child Safety Services
– Case plan reviews, services, activities, cultural events, family contact
•
Other services
– Foster Care Queensland, Create, OPG
•
Complaints process
– CSO, Team leader, Manager, Child Safety Complaints Unit
– OPG, QCAT, Ombudsman
Community Visitor Program (OPG)
The Office of the Public Guardian provide the Community Visitor Program for
children in out-of-home care.
Community Visitors (CVs) are employed by the Office of the Public Guardian
on a part-time basis to visit children and young people in out-of-home care.
CVs check that children are provided with appropriate standards of care and
advocate on their behalf.
Activity – revise responses
If your own child, or a child who is special to you (niece, nephew or child of
close friend) had to live with someone else for a period of time:
1.What would you expect the carer to provide for your child?
2.How would you as a family expect to interact with that child while they were
being cared for by someone else?
3.What decisions would you be happy to let the carer make and what would
you like to retain control over?
Module three: Early days in a placement
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module participants will be able to:
1. Demonstrate understanding of the framework for decision making in
meeting a child or young person’s protective needs.
2. Discuss the factors that would be taken into consideration in deciding
whether to accept a placement.
3. Outline key factors in building a relationship with a child or young person
while respecting their privacy.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of ways to encourage a child or young person’s
sense of self and identity.
5. Demonstrate understanding of advocacy for children and young people.
Thank you