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Creating a Culture of Interdependence

A care team approach to making high needs placements work.

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Presenter

• Stephan Lund

Co-ordinator, Spectrum Specialist Foster Care,

Perth WA

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About Spectrum

• Specialist foster care service for children and young people with high needs in metropolitan Perth

• Collaborative project between Wanslea Family Services and Anglicare WA

• Established in February 2004

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Interdependence

That combination of internalised resources and the capacity to trust in and use available external resources has the power to reduce anxiety and promote competence and confidence.

(Schofield, 2003)

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Behaviour Management

Mentoring

A/H response

Counselling

Anglicare

Interdependence Spectrum style

Financial management

Program management

Collaborative relationships

Family CareWorkers

Wanslea

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What has worked• Co-ordinator works for both

agencies• Relationship with other

agencies is critical• We work hard to collaborate• Carers and SW staff know

expectations• SW staff and carers are

passionate and forgiving• Staff are responsive and

needs based

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Challenges

• Maintaining staff and carer morale and energy

• Operating within a very tight budget

• Working differently in a generally conservative sector

• Balancing differences in practice wisdom

• Patience versus assertiveness

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Peer support

• Monthly group to check in and problem solve together

• SW staff and carers• Safe environment-

personal issues are not taboo

• Facilitated for joint learning and relationship building

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Monthly training

• Carer focused- 6 monthly audit of carer’s training needs

• Always includes childcare and lunch

• Facilitated by Spectrum staff and outside presenters

• Regular consultation with psychiatrists and psychologists

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Spectrum focus

Co-ordinator

Social Worker

Carer

Child The focus of Spectrum’s work is the stabilising and positive development of the child.

Each stakeholder is interdependent and relies on work done by the others to make this work.

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Case Study- Phillip

• 9 years old- multiple placement breakdown• Long term foster care- parents with mental health and

disability issues• Disrupted attachment, neglect, physical abuse• 2 older siblings- one in care, one at home• Sporadic school attendance- low literacy and numeracy

level• Previous unsuccessful reunification attempts• Short attention span, excellent spatial awareness• Issues in placement: Absconding, defiance, disrespect,

lack of trust, destruction of property, poor social skills

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Your task

• Split into stakeholder groups• Look at current presenting issues for

Phillip• Work out strategy to address these

issues• Allow for input of other stakeholders-

focus on interdependence• Feedback your ideas to the group

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ScenarioPhillip has been in placement for nearly 2 years with the same Spectrum carer. He

has been particularly unsettled for several weeks. Contact with his parents and 11 year old brother has been problematic due to their responses to his difficult behaviour. Recently his brother beat him up and his parents watched, not intervening. Phillip has been refusing to attend school and has absconded when dropped off. Recently he took an opportunity to call his parents and asked them to pick him up from the foster carer’s house in the early hours of the morning. They cut a window chain and took him from the placement. Phillip was found the next day and transported back to placement. His behaviour continued to be provocative and defiant. One week later he again contacted his parents from the carer’s home and they again came to get him in the night without the carer’s knowledge. Phillip is saying that he doesn’t understand why he can’t stay with his parents. His parents have a long adversarial history with the state welfare department. Father has a psychotic mental illness and mother has a learning disability.

How can this situation be addressed from your stakeholder’s point of view?

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Case study- Phillip continued

What has worked.• Consistency and persistence- carers and staff• Stability of Spectrum caseworkers• Regular respite care with the same carers• Regular communication with the school• Long term counselling relationship- play therapy• Group problem solving• 24 hour response in crises• Creative and inclusive ways of working• Formal and informal support of staff and other carers

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Conclusion

• Each person’s part in caring for a child is part of an interdependent system

• Practical, emotional and needs based support can stabilise a high needs child

• Creative ways of working and multi-disciplinary intervention help

• Keywords are consistency, persistence and resilience

• The child needs to be recognised as an influencer of his/ her own destiny.

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THANK YOUFor more information

please contact:

Stephan Lund

Spectrum Co-ordinator

slund@wanslea.asn.au

www.wanslea.asn.au