If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll

A pilot project in clinical staff mentoring in child protection: A social work practice innovationConference presenters:Gail SlocombeJane ThomsonJulie ClarkJo Mensinga (other team member) If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll

Why now in Queensland? Post CMC Inquiry CP sector is overburdened High staff turnover at front line Concern about lack of support and professional development opportunities for new staff Realisation that there is little opportunity for the transmission of practice wisdom in current climate.

Why mentoring? Mentoring was seen as a circuit breaker to high turnover and crisis in staff support It was external to workplace It imported experience into the front line workers Mentoring is more focused than professional supervision Opportunity to model collaboration between Gov and NGO sectors

Pilot Clinical Mentoring Project Two sites –statutory and non-statutory • Far North Queensland • 11 participants/ 3 mentors • Logan • 10 participants/ 3 mentors • 1 withdrawn

Research Question to ascertain the extent to which the project has been successful in demonstrating that professional clinical mentoring of staff has a positive impact on the individual with • an increase in job satisfaction, • better staff retention • a stronger sense of the professional self resulting in higher quality output for clients. (Source: EOI for potential evaluators)

Evaluation Project Process • Initial survey (mid-point) • Mentors • Mentees (from statutory and non-statutory orgs) • Feedback to participants • Completion survey (end of process) • Mentors • Mentees • Copies of report sent to participants • Telephone interviews • Line managers • Project co-ordinator Peakcare

Demographics of Mentees • 12 mentees, 11 females, 1 male • 2 participants aged 20-24 years, all age groups represented up to and incl 40-44 years • Seven had SW degrees from Universities Australia-wide. • Majority graduated after 2003 • Majority had less than 4 years experience in CP, all had less than 4 years in current role

Survey focus • To what extent workers felt supported,encouraged,challenged, • How was self care promoted/concern for well-being demonstrated • Were workers assisted to develop child protections skills, assisted to develop child protection processes, • Were workers able to apply new knowledge skills and processes,assisted to develop knowledge about ethical issues, and apply in practice

Survey focus cont’d • Workers were assisted to develop their practice framework, develop reflective practice skills, • felt assisted to understand how values included in practice, develop links to research informed practice. • All felt a safe environment was established, and encouraged to express dissenting views

The experience for mentees • Most attended 5 or more sessions • Most were not receiving other external supervision/mentoring • Most had not received external supervision/ mentoring previously • Most felt their organisation only somewhat supported their participation, the remainder felt they were more strongly supported • Most were supported by their agency allowing them to attend, one had transport provided.

Mentees’ reasons for participating • Improve practice (6) • Build confidence (5) • Obtain support (5) • Acquire knowledge (4) • Manage stress (3) • Career progression/promotion (2) • Other (specify) “Professional supervision is mandated in the AASW code of ethics”

Advantages of project • It allows one to vent, reflect, debrief and re-frame. It is a safe place with a non-biased third party as a sounding board and educator. It is great. • I feel that it is important to have this program as Team Leaders and other managers do not have time to discuss practice frameworks and how to improve practice on a practical level rather than administrative level. • Certainly receiving strong feedback about my work related concerns from an external source is great. More, more, more. • Beneficial having sessions away from [work] - promoted reflective thinking, helped to step outside practice and look in on practice. Extremely beneficial for dealing with organisational tensions […]. • provides an external objective person to discuss issues with. Assisted me in remaining in my current position (would have left) without the mentoring program.

Disadvantages • None (2). • Time out of the office. Increased pressure on work demands. • Not sure how appropriate/applicable it would be for nonsocial workers. A lot of talk around frameworks and reflection is based in social work theory and studies.

What mentees would change • Perhaps a more structured program with clearer boundaries regarding how much should be discussion around cases and how much should be discussion about processes etc. • I would like the program to be discussed and explained to mentees more thoroughly. I did not receive a detailed explanation when I was approached to participate. • Email support between sessions

Other comments from mentees • not necessarily specific to this pilot, it is difficult to find time to 'slot in' on occasion. • I may have left my job at one point - however I believe this program helped me to negotiate the issues I was facing consequently I believe I have developed as a social work practitioners because of the experience. • I would have preferred a Cairns based mentor • (Difficulty in making appointments) because I have been travelling around the Torres Strait Islands • I terminated my employment once the mentoring program finished (the week after). I would have resigned months earlier, (without) the support of my mentor I once the support was withdrawn I knew that I could no longer continue to work for the Department.

About Mentors • All social workers • 10-20yrs+ practice experience • 5-19 years supervisory/ and or mentoring experience • All currently receiving mentoring/supervision monthly or other

Why mentors chose to participate • Allows me to participate in developing skills and knowledge in child protection workers who operate in an environment that has become increasingly depersonalised and non-therapeutic - both for front line workers and for children and their families. (Mentor) • I believe in major benefits of professional supervision and in particular have witness the lack of it in the child protection field and the detrimental effects this has. (Mentor) • Working with mentee: encouraging reflection, acknowledging practice strengths’ working towards the professional development of others - brings a sense of satisfaction, a challenge to provide the best support, sharing of knowledge, skills etc, and to research further issues raised in the mentoring sessions. (Mentor)

Mentors’ reflections • All felt • Frequency about right • Satisfied overall (but not completely) • Child protection knowledge developed • Assisted development of practice frameworks

Mentors were satisfied that they.. • Acknowledged professional and cultural differences • Facilitated expression of emotion* • Encouraged expression of dissenting views • Created a safe environment • Facilitated reflective skills • Showed concern for self care • Offered encouragement • Were supportive

…..satisfied that they • Were challenging • Assisted development of child protection skills and processes • Developed knowledge of ethical issues • Facilitated knowledge about values • Facilitated links to research/evidence informed practice

Advantages of project for mentors • Few mentees have experience of receiving professional supervision/mentoring. Therefore the project allows them the opportunity to engage in professional and practice reflections. Also to think strategically about their practice and theoretical frameworks influence on their work. • It has particular benefits as a model of support - the external nature - of the mentoring has been particularly beneficial. • This provided time with an independent professional to reflect on practice, stresses, client issues and organisational factors.[…], strategies to deal with work pressures, dynamics, and a space for support/encouraged that focuses upon them as people, professionals in challenging workplaces.

Disadvantages • 1. Gives them an experience that will not be followed through by the employer. 2. Organisations do not integrate mentoring as a component of the strategic intent re: client outcomes. • It's challenging to improve work practices for departmental mentees without addressing their issues internally. Some intervention at the management level is required. • While participants volunteered and were willing and keen to fulfil the requirements of the project, it is my guess that if this was provided in another location participants would feel that workload pressures would prevent their involvement.

Limitations • Sequence and timing of tasks eg ethics clearance, recruitment of mentors and mentees in Far North Qld • Staggered start of mentoring process in two locations

Seven Recommendations • External supervision/mentoring • Importance of planning • Embedding evaluation • Additional steps in the preparation process • Engaging all levels of organisations • Matching of mentors and mentees • A longer term project

In Summary • Overall participants were more than satisfied, most felt experience had exceeded expectations • Ratings similar in all but one response • Facilitate appropriate expression of feelings/ emotion • Sequence and timing of tasks • Commitment of agencies • Numbers too small to extrapolate

And since …….. • The evaluation report has been presented to and discussed with DChS • The project has been discussed at skills formation for a across Qld – very enthusiastic approach • Extension of project being considered by DChS

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there. Lewis Carroll