how signs of safety came about it is an approach to child protection casework began around late...
TRANSCRIPT
How Signs of Safety came about
• It is an approach to child protection casework• Began around late 80’s• Explosion of interest in last couple of years,
from all around the world• Designed to help everyone think their way
into and through the case from the ‘biggest’ to the ‘smallest’ person
Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Questions, questions, questions?
• Scaling questions• Exception questions• The miracle question
Scaling Questions• A way of setting goals, monitoring progress and identifying
achievements• The skill is in the ‘naming’ of the scale and in the follow-up
questionse.g. Depression:
On a scale of 0 – 10 where 10 means that you are trying you are coping really well with life and 0 means you want to kill yourself …..Safety:On a scale of 0 – 10 where 10 means you feel completely safe at home and 0 means you don’t feel safe at all ……….
– And the follow upWhere are you on the scale?How did you manage that?
How will things look when the number is higher When is the last time things were better?
How did you do that? What small step do you think you could do?
Exceptions• The practitioner encourages the client to search for
exceptions to the problem i.e. times when the problem does/did not happen or happened in a different way. Lots of detail is then asked for by the practitioner.
– Doing this can draw the client’s attention to positive aspects of their lives which they may not be noticing so much
– This creates hope for the client and the worker that the problem does not always exist
– Exceptions may indicate solutions that have worked in the past and can be reapplied or adapted in the present.
The Miracle Question
• Typically (although it can be adapted and varied) the question is worded as “Imagine as you sleep tonight a miracle happens and the problems go away, but because you are asleep you don’t know it has happened. When you wake in the morning what would be the signs that the miracle had taken place?”– Can help to clarify goals;– Can lift the conversation out of ‘problem-talk’; and into
‘solution-talk’
Four domains of inquiry
• What are we worried about? (Past harm, future danger and complicating factors)
• What’s working well? (Existing strengths and safety)
• What needs to happen? (Future safety)• Where are we on a scale of 0 to 10 where 10
means there is enough safety for child protection
Local context…..
• Strategy discussions / meetings January 12• Initial CPCs April 12 - rationale
Child protection Conferences
What are your views on the ‘traditional’ system?What are your views on the ‘traditional’ system?
What does research say about traditional Child Protection Conferences?
• a valuable forum for professionals from a number of agencies to come together
• professionals often talk about the information-sharing that takes place between agencies
• the development of an action plan and the positive work of Core Groups
• the child protection conference as a forum is taken very seriously.
What are the weaknesses?
• Insufficient time spent on planning, therefore plans are often of a poor quality
• Parents usually take a fairly passive role at conferences and have little impact on decisions made.
• Once particular decisions are reached at a conference, they often go unchecked at subsequent meetings/reviews
• The Child Protection Process is often seen by parents as a test of their 'willingness to co-operate'.
How does the ‘Signs of safety approach’ build on these positive features?
• Collaborative• Strengths based• Prospective• Relationship focussed
Genogram
Who is important in your family?
Who is important in your family?
DANGER / HARM
COMPLICATING FACTORS
SAFETY
STRENGTHS +PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Danger/Harm• Why are we here?
• How do issues impact on the children?
Descriptions of past harmTHE BEST PREDICTOR OF FUTURE HARM IS PAST HARM
– Other things that are currently happening that represent danger to the child/ren
• Complicating factors– Conditions/behaviours that contribute to greater difficulty
for the family
Safety/Strengths
• What safety currently exists– Strengths demonstrated as protection over time– Pattern/history of exceptions
• What are the strengths of this family resources and capacities within family, individual/
community
Risk Statement
• If things were to carry on as they are now, what will happen to the child/children/young person?
SAFETY PLAN
• A detailed plan that describes how the family will live everyday life, that shows everyone the child/children will be safe
• Involves skilful authority• Safety networks-
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOOL
• It is a questioning approach• Keeps the child at the centre - Impact• Designed to be used with young people and
their families• Focuses on the key current issues • Highlights what is already working well• Can trigger immediate progress• Collaborative working