Our Signs of Safety Implementation Story September 2012 Beverley Edwards Service and Staff Development Officer
Our Signs of Safety Implementation Story
September 2012
Beverley Edwards Service and Staff Development Officer
Setting the Scene
• CCARAT Team (Initial Response) • Locality Teams x4 • Child and Family Disability • Fostering (1) & Looked after children x2 • Family and Friends Placement Team • Adoption Team • Service Quality Unit (Chairs) • Family Support Team • Approximately 350 staff • Approximately 2,300 open cases • Population of 240,000
Contemplation Aware a problem exists. No commitment to action
Relapse Fall back into old
patterns of behaviour
Pre-contemplation No intention of
changing behaviour
Preparation Intent upon taking action
Action Active modification
of behaviour
Maintenance Sustained change:
new behaviour replaces old
Stages of Change: The Transtheoretical Model (Prochaska & DiClemente)
Stuck in a Practice Maze Pre-contemplation stage
Workforce & Re-organisation Case Loads-Re-referrals Financial Pressures Welsh Government Agenda Serious Case Reviews Special Measures Performance Indicator driven ICS
Why Signs of Safety? Contemplation Stage Recognising our staff Reflected on Our Vision &
our practice Change and Munro Listening to staff & SOS ‘Framework for practice for us’ & Re-light our fire -
hope
Training Preparation Stage
Commitment to learning Solution Focussed Thinking, Communications and Language Signs of Safety Mentoring in Meetings Our vision presented to the Local Safeguarding Board Members
Multi-Agency Partners & Targeting
Progress so far Action Stage – Using SOS
Using the tools Mapping in supervision, consultations, multi agency meetings and for teams Safety plans Practice Groups Conference Unit & Pilot Steering Group
Where Next? Achieving Maintenance
SOS Project Leader Steering Group & Membership Training Budget Commitment Promoting our practice vision Reviewing our Resources Communications internally and externally Growing practice depth ICS & Munro Exercise Policy and Procedure Evaluating
A Mountain
In the clouds with no map
Dad convicted sex offender LA involvement: Dad moves out of the family
home, supervised contact, child placed on at risk register, issue care proceedings.
Court involvement (2.5years) – Finding of Fact hearing, Final Hearing, 4 expert psychological assessments, court of appeal – no risk management plan (pre-occupied by the level of risk posed by dad).
In the clouds with a map
• Proposed new approach (SOS) discussed with parents.
• Parents and grandparents undertake some preparatory work.
• Safety Mapping meeting convened.
We meet on the summit
• Danger statement co-written and plan developed by mum, dad, grandparents, SSD, School, Health Visitor.
And the Journey together back to base camp begins
• Self-Protective work – Good Touch/Bad Touch (Pictures)
• Picture book compiled by mum, dad and child to illustrate who is to be with her and when.
• Mum and Dad are currently working on Words and Pictures with a number of examples they have been offered.
“Thanks for giving us a chance. It means a lot to us and for K to have her family around her. I know we have a long way to go but if one day I can read her a bed time story and we can sit around the table as a family for dinner in the evenings…that’ll mean a lot to me.”
Dad.