NSW Department of Community

Services

Restoration InitiativesRestoration Initiatives

ACWA Reunification ForumACWA Reunification Forum

6 December 20076 December 2007

ByBy

Linda MallettLinda MallettExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

Child and Family WelfareChild and Family Welfare

DoCS is committed to improving the range and DoCS is committed to improving the range and quality of services for children and young quality of services for children and young people in OOHC with a focus onpeople in OOHC with a focus on

• Permanency planningPermanency planning• Improvements in foster, relative and kinship Improvements in foster, relative and kinship

carecare• Building a robust service systemBuilding a robust service system

DoCS commitment

DoCS Corporate plan 2004/5- 2008/9Objectives and results for OOHCObjectives and results for OOHC

1.1. Children and young people in Children and young people in permanent placementspermanent placements

2.2. Children and young people restored to Children and young people restored to their familytheir family

3.3. Supporting children and young people Supporting children and young people with high needswith high needs

4.4. Improving the OOHC SystemImproving the OOHC System

OOHC Major Project

• Established in June 2006 Established in June 2006 • Involves cross departmental projects Involves cross departmental projects

involving:involving:

• Research and analysisResearch and analysis• Planning and evaluationPlanning and evaluation• Funding and Performance MonitoringFunding and Performance Monitoring• Policy and service model developmentPolicy and service model development• Implementation in RegionsImplementation in Regions

Funding and Performance Monitoring

• $617 million in OOHC funding $617 million in OOHC funding • EOI to be concluded early 2008EOI to be concluded early 2008• Capacity in Aboriginal organisations is Capacity in Aboriginal organisations is

being enhancedbeing enhanced• Costing manual producedCosting manual produced• Service provision guidelines being Service provision guidelines being

developeddeveloped• Performance Monitoring Framework Performance Monitoring Framework

developeddeveloped• OOHC Program Guidelines publishedOOHC Program Guidelines published

Research Agenda• Provides the evidence base to inform Provides the evidence base to inform

policy, practice and program policy, practice and program development and improvementdevelopment and improvement

• Guided by DoCS Research Advisory Guided by DoCS Research Advisory CouncilCouncil

• Overarching focus: Overarching focus:

“ “ what interventions and practice what interventions and practice approaches lead to the desired results approaches lead to the desired results for clients of DoCS and in what context for clients of DoCS and in what context or circumstances?”or circumstances?”

Research Initiatives

• Research to Practice Seminars eg Life Research to Practice Seminars eg Life pathways and decision making for very young pathways and decision making for very young children in care : Professor Harriet Wardchildren in care : Professor Harriet Ward

• Literature Reviews eg Contact between Literature Reviews eg Contact between children in OOHC and their birth familieschildren in OOHC and their birth families

• Research to Practice UpdatesResearch to Practice Updates• Benefit Estimation Database launchedBenefit Estimation Database launched• www.community.nsw.gov.auwww.community.nsw.gov.au

Policy Initiatives

• Permanency Planning Policy Permanency Planning Policy

• Contact PolicyContact Policy

• Restoration Decision-Making GuidelinesRestoration Decision-Making Guidelines

• Parenting Capacity AssessmentParenting Capacity Assessment

• Our Carers for Our Kids: updated training and Our Carers for Our Kids: updated training and assessment package for Aboriginal carersassessment package for Aboriginal carers

Practice changes: Permanency Planning Project

Project goals:Project goals:

• Increase capacity of practitioners to make earlier and better Increase capacity of practitioners to make earlier and better decisions about a child’s future decisions about a child’s future

• Decisions about restoration made within 6 months for Decisions about restoration made within 6 months for children under 2 years, within 12 months for older childrenchildren under 2 years, within 12 months for older children

• Link to evidence about attachment and placement stabilityLink to evidence about attachment and placement stability

• Range of permanency options considered, including Range of permanency options considered, including restoration & adoptionrestoration & adoption

• Four stage rollout of the Project is underway with a focus on Four stage rollout of the Project is underway with a focus on children 0-2 yearschildren 0-2 years

• Expansion to include older children and Aboriginal children being Expansion to include older children and Aboriginal children being plannedplanned

Family Preservation Model: service

elements

• Intensive support to family member/sIntensive support to family member/s

• Assistance managing challenging behavioursAssistance managing challenging behaviours

• Coordination of specialist assessmentsCoordination of specialist assessments

• Development of practical skills (e.g. budgeting)Development of practical skills (e.g. budgeting)

• Access to targeted brokerage fundsAccess to targeted brokerage funds

• Provide or coordinate access to group work and Provide or coordinate access to group work and other activities promoting personal developmentother activities promoting personal development

• Referral to less intensive intervention servicesReferral to less intensive intervention services

Family Preservation Model: service elements for 12 – 15 year olds

• Assist in developing living skills Assist in developing living skills

• Assist with developing interpersonal skillsAssist with developing interpersonal skills

• Assist with access to suitable educational, Assist with access to suitable educational, training and/or pre-employment opportunitiestraining and/or pre-employment opportunities

• Provide information, referrals and advocacyProvide information, referrals and advocacy

• Assist in developing a family reconnection plan Assist in developing a family reconnection plan to support positive re-integration over time to support positive re-integration over time

Evaluation• Ernst and Young have been engaged to Ernst and Young have been engaged to

conduct the OOHC program evaluationconduct the OOHC program evaluation• A performance measure that will be A performance measure that will be

tracked istracked is• ‘‘%of children in OOHC with a case plan %of children in OOHC with a case plan

goal of restoration who:goal of restoration who:• are restored to their parents within 12 are restored to their parents within 12

months of entering caremonths of entering care• do not return to OOHC during the do not return to OOHC during the

subsequent 12 months’subsequent 12 months’

Other initiatives

• Recruitment of additional 300 DoCS Recruitment of additional 300 DoCS OOHC caseworkers to fill new positionsOOHC caseworkers to fill new positions

• Participation in Children’s Guardian Participation in Children’s Guardian Accreditation and Quality improvement Accreditation and Quality improvement programprogram

• Centralised foster carer recruitment and Centralised foster carer recruitment and marketing campaign: 2,000 expressions marketing campaign: 2,000 expressions of interest receivedof interest received

Restoration is an important strategy in the achievement of OOHC policy goals:

• To help parents regain care of their children To help parents regain care of their children

• To provide care in a family-like environment To provide care in a family-like environment for children who cannot live at homefor children who cannot live at home

• To maintain the existing ties that children and To maintain the existing ties that children and young people have with their families and young people have with their families and communities. communities.