The Needs and Strengths Assessment. Step 2. Social workers

Transcription

1 Step 2 The Needs and Strengths Assessment WL Child, Youth and Family: a service line of Ministry of Social Development August 2006

2 Document your actions and close the case Onward referral to another service Before Step 1, consultation may occur between yourself and other professionals (eg. school or Special Educational Needs Committees) to establish if a referral is required Note: Consent can only be given by the parent/guardian. Once it is given, you may find yourself working with the wider family/whānau. In this diagram, family/whanau includes parent/guardian. Use the intervention goals to develop a plan for the family/whänau Decide whether to refer on to another service Implement the plan This is a joint process between the child, family/whānau, social worker and other support services Receive the referral Discuss the referral with the referrer; assess any immediate safety risk within 24 hours Close the case if: the family/whānau leaves the parent/guardian Explain to them: what SWiS is Record the details what your role is the reason for referral the anticipated process you need their consent to proceed withdraws consent by mutual agreement it is decided to close the case the goals are not achieved Contact parent/guardian Plans must be recorded in a way that is understood by the child and family/whānau they need: identified tasks responsibilities Determine intervention goals agreed time frames Longer-term goals need to be broken down into tasks in the plan that are time-framed and achievable, which ensure progress is made; all parties need to agree to and sign the plan it s a partnership! Give a copy to the family/whānau and record it in the database Identify needs Do this in the SWiS database Identify strengths Make sure the intervention goals are child focused, and family/whānau centred Parent/guardian doesn t consent to further action IN THE PROCESS Prepare for the Needs and Strengths Assessment Receive consent Collect and record the information You can consult with: school parent/guardian other agencies (follow An Interagency Guide to Breaking the Cycle) Decide whether to take further Document your actions and close the case action No further action required Further action required Confirm level of need as soon as possible after consent is given You should: arrange to meet with the child and family/whānau collect information review information prepare to facilitate the meeting Monitor progress of plans you need to continually: agree times and dates to meet with the child and family/whānau to review the plan write any referrals agreed to in the plan adapt the plan/service to meet changing circumstances If the plan breaks down, identify why, review the Needs and Strengths Assessment and, where required, develop another plan The goals are achieved Notes: meet with the child and family/whänau Notify referrer and parent/guardian of next steps and record in database You must ask yourself: Do you have enough information? Do you have to take action? How urgent? With whom? By when? What is the safety risk to the child? Make sure you have parent/guardian consent This will determine your response time: high within 10 working days medium within 15 working days low within 20 working days Assess outcomes Evaluate service Complete closure and record in database Onward referral to another provider/other services Some assistance provided Record in database and close the case Record in database and close the case Step 2. The Needs and Strengths Assessment Introduction In making a Needs and Strengths Assessment you will work with the parent/guardian and family/whānau to understand: the child s strengths and their needs the needs and strengths of the parent/guardian and family/whānau other resources that the parent/guardian and family/whānau can access, or strategies that they have used to resolve previous issues. Step 2 of the process REFERRALS CAN BE FROM A CHILD OR PARENT/GUARDIAN, FAMILY/WHÄNAU, SCHOOL, OR OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY 1 CYF NOTIFICATIONS! THESE CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME 3 Work with child and family/whānau 2 PLAN(S) Plans MONITOR, REVIEW, ASSESS 4 Determine intervention goals Identify needs Identify strengths Work with child and family/whānau Make sure the intervention goals are child focused, and family/whānau centred Prepare for the Needs and Strengths Assessment 2 You should: arrange to meet with the child and family/whānau collect information review information prepare to facilitate the meeting Key points With the consent of the parent/guardian, the family/whānau could become involved in the SWiS process. The time frame for completing a Needs and Strengths Assessment will depend on your initial assessment of the need level of the case, but should be completed as soon as possible after consent is given. The time frame should not exceed the following guidelines: in high-need situations, within 10 working days in medium-need situations, within 15 working days in low-need situations, within 20 working days. All services provided through this programme are to be based on a comprehensive Needs and Strengths Assessment. The assessment process must respect the integrity, culture, values, and priorities of the parent/guardian and family/whānau unit. Informed consent should be maintained at all times. Consent can be withdrawn at any time. The child and parent/guardian and family/whānau should be engaged and should contribute to identifying their needs and strengths. 2 Step 2

3 Key players and responsibilities This table shows the key players and their responsibilities for this step of the process. Key players Responsibilities Social worker Develop a partnership with the child. Develop partnerships with parents/guardians and family/whānau. Gather relevant information. Work with child, parents/guardians, and family/whānau to identify needs and strengths, and develop intervention goals. Maintain a professional role to help child achieve better outcomes. Parent/guardian and family/whānau Develop a partnership with social worker. Work with social worker to identify issues of concern, strengths and needs, and intervention goals. Actively participate to achieve better outcomes for the child. Child Contribute to identification of needs and strengths. Contribute to development of intervention goals. Actively participate in the working relationship with the social worker to achieve better outcomes for themselves. Service provider Have guidelines in relation to children s rights and responsibilities, privacy, and confidentiality of issues and concerns. Professional Provide professional social work supervision. School Provide relevant information. Provide additional support to the child, parent/guardian, family/whānau, and social worker. Other service agencies Provide relevant information. Provide additional support to the child, family/whānau, and social worker. Step 2 3

4 Documentation This table shows the key documents and records you will use to manage this stage of the process. Key document Referral Initial assessment Needs and Strengths Assessment Onward referral Database entry screens (for the relevant child only) What is it used for at this stage of the process? A reminder of the issue that triggered SWiS involvement. Provides an initial assessment of the issues that may need to be addressed and a needs analysis that gives a time frame for completion of the Needs and Strengths Assessment. Clarifies the specific needs of the child and their family/whānau and the strengths they possess in relation to those needs. (May be made at this stage.) Serves to activate other services that may be necessary for the child s well-being. Records the information collected. Also records the analysis of the information, the intervention goals, and the overall goals that the social worker, family/whānau, and child agree to work toward (see the SWiS Database User Manual for more information). Who can view the document? Child Social worker Provider Parent/guardian Professional CYF (Approvals) Child Social worker Parent/guardian Professional Provider Child Social worker Parent/guardian Professional Provider Child Social worker Parent/guardian Professional Provider Child Social worker Parent/guardian Professional Provider 4 Step 2

5 The process Prepare for the Needs and Strengths Assessment In most cases you will have already met with the child s parent/guardian or family/whānau to do the initial assessment. You now have to build a partnership that allows you to continue to work together to address the issues that were identified in the initial assessment. As part of this, you will: review the reasons for concern and the referral answer any questions the parent/guardian and family/whānau have do the Needs and Strengths Assessment provide the family/whānau with information about the services available to them discuss the outcome of the assessment and get the family/whānau view about the most appropriate actions. Those being assessed: must have been advised of their rights and responsibilities have a right to access information about themselves arising from the assessment must have their privacy and confidentiality safeguarded, unless a child s safety is at risk. Where a child s safety is at risk, An Interagency Guide to Breaking the Cycle 2001 must be followed. Service providers are expected to have developed policies in relation to: child rights and responsibilities privacy and confidentiality cultural practice and responsiveness. Get a copy of each of these policies from your provider. You can find out more about child, parent/guardian, and family/whānau rights and responsibilities from your provider and from the copy of the child s rights and responsibilities in this toolkit. Arrange to meet with child and the family/whānau The purpose of this meeting is to: build rapport and trust develop a detailed picture of the child and family/whānau situation from each of their perspectives. This will enable you to work together to do the Needs and Strengths Assessment. Review your experiences from your first meeting with the child and family/whānau. Think about cultural and safety issues to determine the best way to approach this stage of the process. Contact the child and family/whānau to arrange a suitable time, date, and venue to meet. You can meet with each party separately. Check they understand the process, and their rights and responsibilities. Continued over page... Step 2 5

6 The process continued Ask the child or family/whānau if they would like anyone else to attend. Other professionals can attend if there is consent and they are invited and/or they bring necessary skills such as interpreting or cultural advice. You may need to meet with the parties more than once to complete a comprehensive Needs and Strengths Assessment. Your own preparation for the meeting Prepare to meet with the parties. How formal will it be? What processes will be followed? What is the most appropriate venue and time for the meeting that suits the parties? Review what you already know about the child s circumstances and identify what you still need to find out. Undertaking the assessment Explore ä Information collection The Information collection helps with exploring and identifying the needs and strengths of the child and any related needs and strengths of the parent/guardian and family/whānau. Wherever possible, needs should be balanced by strengths. Some of the parents/guardians and families/whānau you work with may have prior experience of talking about their needs or being told about their problems. Try to have a discussion that allows the parent/guardian and family/whānau to express their strengths as well as their needs. Work together to identify resources and skills within the family. Later on you will be able to allocate tasks and responsibilities according to these resources and skills. You are not looking at goals and strategies at this stage. That comes in the planning phase. The information you gather will fall into three categories: a child focused b family/whānau focused c additional information from other individuals or agencies. a Child focused The presenting issue Parent/guardian and family/ whānau relationships Why was the referral made? What impact does this issue have on the child? How does the child interact: with parents? with other adult family members? with other siblings? Child development milestones Has the child attained the appropriate child-development milestones? Child health Does the child have any health issues other than those that have been identified as immediate needs? 6 Step 2

7 The presenting issue Critical incidents or trauma Why was the referral made? What impact does this issue have on the child? Has the child experienced any major incidents that may have had traumatic impact (eg. accidents, deaths, separation of parents, abandonment, or past abuse)? Hobbies and interests How active is the child? Do they have a range of age-appropriate interests? What are those interests? Learning abilities and difficulties Relationships with peers and school Does the child have any previous history or professional diagnoses of learning difficulties? Does the child enjoy learning? What are they good at? What do they have difficulty with? What is the impact of this? Does the child have age-appropriate peer relationships? Do they have a circle of friends? Are they sociable, a leader, a bully, or isolated from peers? Are they willing to attend school? What is their behaviour at school? Sense of future What are the hopes and aspirations of the child? Is the child able to see himself/herself in positive future roles? Physical needs Are there adequate material resources to meet the child s basic physical needs (food, clothes, and housing)? Cultural identity What is the child s sense of his/her cultural identity? b Family/whānau focused The presenting issue Parent/guardian and family/whanau dynamics and management of material resources Why was the referral made? What impact does this issue have on the child? Who has custody of the child? Does the child have access to the other parent? How do the parents relate to each other, the child, and any other children? Are there major issues between the parents that will have an impact on the child (eg. domestic violence)? What are the positive ways in which the parents/ guardians and family/whānau relate to each other and their children? Who lives in the house? How does the child relate to each person in the house? Continued over page... Step 2 7

8 Undertaking the assessment continued Note: This is not a comprehensive list and will change for each child. Discuss any questions with your professional. The presenting issue Family relationships with school Current and past stressors Social and health issues Why was the referral made? What impact does this issue have on the child? What relationship does the family have with school and the child s teacher (positive, no relationship, or disinterest)? Is there a history of any stressors and/or significant life events or traumas? How were these issues resolved? Do the parent/guardian and family/whānau have needs that affect their ability to parent (eg. legal issues, substance abuse problems, financial issues, or emotional or psychological issues)? What skills or resources have the parent/guardian and family/whānau developed to cope with these issues? Explore ä c Additional information from other individuals or agencies In some cases you will need to get information that the parent/guardian can t supply (eg. the public health nurse may have to supply health information, or the school may have information that has not been included in the referral). Check that you have permission from parent/guardian and family/whānau to consult with any agencies or individuals who may have relevant information. An assessment can only ever be a snapshot of a moment in time. The child and family/whānau and their environment and circumstances are dynamic. The assessment, your conclusions, and the subsequent plans must be regularly monitored and reviewed. Analyse the information During the information collection phase; you will have collected all the information needed to identify the needs and strengths of the child, and any related needs and strengths of their family/whānau. It is now time to work together to analyse this information. The analysis must determine the needs and strengths of the child and family/whanau. The analysis must also decide which of these needs will be addressed through the SWiS service. The needs that are to be addressed become the intervention goals for the SWiS service. 8 Step 2

9 See the SWiS Database User Manual for details about recording the analysis and intervention goals in the database. Determine intervention goals An important part of the Needs and Strengths Assessment is the formulation of the intervention goals. This provides the opportunity for all involved to agree on, and commit to, what the child, parent/guardian, and family/whānau will achieve during the SWiS intervention. The social worker should take time to discuss and clarify exactly what the issues are, in what way things need to change, and what the situation will be at the conclusion of a successful intervention. See the SWiS Database User Manual for how to record the overall goals in the database. When you have clarified what the child, parents/guardians, and family/whānau aim to achieve, they will be ready to take these goals and aspirations and, with your assistance, formulate plans detailing how they will achieve these goals. The intervention goals will form the basis of all future plans. You must identify all the intervention goals before you begin the planning process. Step 2 9

10 Step 2 The Needs and Strengths Assessment Seven areas It is useful to analyse the information you have collected by reflecting on the following seven areas. Physical needs Food Housing Clothing Health or disability Finances Communications and transport Management physical needs Knowledge of supports and services Resource management Parenting Positive role models Adult leadership Consistent discipline Appropriate affection Understands child Realistic boundaries Adequate supervision Positive sense of the future Purpose in school Role visualisation Sense of identity and dignity Knowledge of origins Comfortable with self Preferences Balances individual and group Skills to negotiate the world Communication skills Educational ability Social skills Cognitive skills Emotional skills Problem-solving skills Adaptability and flexibility Coping with challenge Ability to plan Pathways to growth Freedom from abuse Freedom from neglect Supportive school Home and school alignment Good role models Absence of trauma Positive peer relations It should be determined whether each of the seven areas is a strength, is adequately met, or is a need. From here, an intervention plan can be developed that addresses any identified needs through the use of existing strengths and any additional resources that may be required. page 10