Child Welfare Transformation in Leeds and Grenville – Here we go!!!

1. Child Welfare Transformation in Leeds and Grenville – Here we go!!! February 2006 (Actually we are well underway in many areas)

2. Getting ready • Our Strengths • Our values and our vision for clients mesh nicely with many Transformation initiatives • We have already begun in many areas because this was the right thing to do: e.g. Collaborative approach to engage families, Alternatives to Court; OnLAC; PRIDE; SAFE + overall general good practices that are being reinforced by Transformation • As an agency, we have a history of success in working together to implement other changes very well, supporting each other across units and without creating ‘impermeable silos’ • Our Challenges • Finding the time to make sure everyone has an opportunity to provide input to processes that impact their work

3. Transformation Goals • To enhance services to families & children • To engage the broader community in child welfare • Capitalize on research and proven best practices • Serendipitously, it will move our own mission, vision and values along quite nicely • Timing – start now and continue until we feel satisfied that it will work for our clients

4. Training 04/05 Service Plan Goals DV + Other Research Education + EPPII Services FP Support CommunityVolunteerServices + Gananoque Office Research PIP Youth Position InfrastructureSpending Planning to Plan 2005-2006 • Transformation Planning • Differential Response • 8 Pillars of Permanence e.g. OnLAC, PRIDE, SAFE, Kinship • Mediation/Family Conferencing • Quality Assurance • Community Linkages • Regional Adoption • Accountability Super Access Doc Imaging Our Meta Plan2005/2006 Who Will Lead what? When to Sequence? $’s available/required? Themes of: Balance – workload, power with responsibility Teamwork – frequent communication, support Observable Outcomes-Client Focus Family Counselling P/C Conflict

5. The Transformation ‘House’ TRANSFORMATION Court Processes Mediation Differential Response Permanency Planning Multi-Year Results Based Planning SIS Research Accountability

6. The House Further Divided • We may decide that the seven main components have several sub-components that would be easier to tackle by creating several specialized or project teams. • This would capitalize on the expertise we have internally, develop our understanding of specific areas in a more comprehensive way and give interested staff a chance to enhance their knowledge and skills in these areas

7. The Seven Components & Possible Projects • 1. Potential Differential Response Projects: • New VAW approaches, alliances • 0-6 cross sector services • Community Linkages • Teens - Parent Child Conflict • Strategies to keep youth in their families

8. 2. Permanency Planning : • OnLAC • PRIDE • SAFE • Enhanced Foster Care systems & support • Kinship in Care • Kinship Out of Care • Youth Leaving Care • Regional Adoption • Supervised Access • Transitional Aged Developmentally Delayed Youth • Enhanced Educational approaches for CIC • PIP enhancements e.g. Youth position.

9. 3. Alternatives to Court : • Mediation • Family Group Conferencing 4. Multi Year Results Based Planning Family -- ‘Team Boring Nerds’ 5. Single Information Systems • Protection • Foster Care • Legal

10. Research - VAW with other CAS’s - Client Engagement - Trocme’s measures • Accountability - QA systems - Outcomes - File Audits - Training - Orientation processes

11. Team/Resources • We need to fit the approach to implementing each part of Transformation to what makes most sense rather than imposing a structure • In services we talked about the idea of the default process being something like a ‘Transformation Project Team’ consisting of: • Lead person – Responsible for chairing, scheduling & • Champion – Responsible for promoting the team’s work at the management table • Team members – staff with an interest or passion for this piece of our work

12. Project Meetings • We would structure the duration of the committee based on the need to implement that piece in sequence to the others, the scope of the project and the team’s capacity. • Meetings would be relatively short in duration, at specified times so that team members could plan ahead & would not be diverted too often or too long from their day to day work. • Once the project team’s outcomes have been achieved, they would stop – could be as few as two or three meetings over a two month period or continue on for several months depending on the scope of the project.

13. Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Sep Oct Nov Dec Schedule • Teams will need to do a schedule & keep other teams up to speed on their progress: Fact finding Training Implementation

14. Sample Progress Table

15. Next Steps • Think about what areas you want to move ahead • We will establish interim champions & leads soon to start organizing • Our agency planning day may be the time to establish our teams • Ask if you want some background information on any specific area