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.