THE QUALITY OF SUBSTITUTE CARE a Challenge for Vocational and Child Welfare Services

1. THE QUALITY OF SUBSTITUTE CARE a Challenge for Vocational and Child Welfare Services Network training module NETWORKING IN SUBSTITUTE CARE

2. Outcome of the module: The student understands: - the characteristics of networking and the different types of networks; - the different steps in networking, beginning with the inclusion of the interested parties up to carrying out the networking meetings; -how the network partners (both individuals and organisations) communicate with each other and how this affects teamwork.

3. The student is able to: - use the network map for the diagnostic and intervention plans in the client’s situation; - plan and carry out the networking by including both the child and their biological family to the fullest extent possible; -determine the family’s situation and resources using a genogram interview and the family’s ecomap.

4. TOPIC 1: NETWORKS AND NETWORK FUNCTIONS Network-based intervention can help more quickly and effectively to solve the client’s problems and will conserve the resources required to help.

5. A network approach in the foster care system means assessing the child in his own community. An essential part of this community includes the child’s biological family and other significant individuals in his life, as well as the officials who deal with him. Often only specialists and foster care officials are consulted when placing a child, and work with the child’s immediate network is either severely lacking or absent altogether.

6. In networks, communication must occur between individuals and groups who may have limited contact. A child in the foster care system is encompassed by two networks: - a social network, or everyday social relationships (biological family, relatives, friends, schoolmates, community, etc.) -a network of officials or institutional representatives who possess information and resources, and are able to work together to solve the child’s problems.

7. Informal networks give people a feeling of inclusion and identity, and give people a support system to deal with problems. Most people belong to many informal networks that are created without effort (for example: family, neighbours/community, friends, co-workers, etc.). Those networks are considered informal or naturally created networks, or also social networks.

8. A social network assumes reciprocal relationships through which an individual can maintain his social identity, and which are essential to our everyday lives within the community (Svedhem, 1994). In a wider context a social network is a community where everyone has their own needs, social relationships occur, communication occurs, and all of the people are connected in a specific way (Korp, Rääk 2004).

9. If a general support system is not sufficient for the individual, a formal or official network and networking will be applied. A network in which a person’s official position is dominant is called an official network. An official network can be instigated either by the client who is seeking help or by a specialist who receives information about the person in need from other officials or through other social networks (Korp, Rääk 2004:13).

10. Official networks can be separated on the basis of activities. a) Interdisciplinary or sectored sharing of experiences within a network, which has a goal of improving the service and the quality of the aid provided. b) A network joining sectors or a teamwork network in which different sectors coordinate their activities. c) Problem-solving network – a teamwork network called together to solve the client’s problem, in which the members in the immediate network of the client will also participate.

11. As a result of network cooperation, a so-called social support system is developed, to which both formal and informal members belong. If a need arises, a specific specialist is able to mobilise these resources.

12. Networking is cooperation that includes the client’s social and unofficial networks. Cooperation is work between two or more individuals and/or organisations that work towards the same goal to achieve better results through joining different resources (time, money, knowledge, et al) (Rissanen 1993).

13. Depending on the situation, in networking the specialist must: - rely on the existing functioning networks; - start up current (but unutilised) systems; - create new networks and support their development.

14. Networking will begin by assessing the client’s social network, after which a social support system will be created, if required. In assessing the client’s situation and developing future steps, a network map can be used as an aid. This will help the worker to gain a picture of the individuals involved in the client’s network who are important to the client in some way and can help in solving the problem.

15. TOPIC 2: NETWORKING IN SUBSTITUTE CARE (creating and managing networks) Networking is begun by the analysis and input of interested individuals. Generally, while working with networking, the person who notices the problem or the key network individual calls together the necessary network, which consists of 6 to 10 individuals.

16. During the description of the networking context, it must be determined what influences us and who/what we intend to influence ourselves. In addition to the child and his or her family, there can be many different representatives in a network who have difficulties in understanding each other and relating – whether it be through ideas, language, or cultural differences. They can also have different interests.

17. We need to find the answers to several questions: • Who is affected by the networking? • What are the dangers and risks? • Who should plan the assembly of the work group?

18. Common goals and values are the basis of networking leadership. A networking team is not a work group with a stable membership and it cannot be managed through a hierarchical system. Network management should be based on the same goals and values.

19. Network teamwork is affected by legal acts. These are different in each country.

20. Coordination of networking means agreement in the info-sharing, decision and result-assessment departments. Coordination is a structured and organised communication process between involved parties.

21. The goals of coordination include the management of resources and contributions, effectiveness of the decision-making process, avoidance of doubling and wasting of resources through parallel activities, equalisation of specific and general goals, including simplification of procedures, and the division of roles and responsibilities.

22. Coordination can happen on different levels, and the network can be either a passive or an active participant: • passive coordination • internal coordination • external coordination

23. Network meetings with a specific structure and action plan keep the work in focus and aid in avoiding wasted time. Network meetings are an essential and effective communication method for networking tasks between individuals and groups.

24. Network meeting comes with the condition that the meetingmust have a specific goal, be well prepared and effectively carried out. • Meeting planning. • Meeting preparation • Carrying out the meeting. • Minutes

25. During networking planning it is essential to point out the sustainability of the solution to the child and his or her family. • Sustainability is ensured by: • An activity plan • Determination of the responsibilities of the partners during the network meeting. • Work with the child’s biological family, which will be dealt with in the next sub-topic.

26. An action plan will evolve in conjunction with teamwork by the individuals involved in the network. Thanks to carefully chosen individuals, a plan will be assembled that will help in the solution or the stabilisation of the situation for the child in the family. The most important roles in the assembly of the case plan belong to the individuals who are involved in the situation and who stand to benefit the most from the solution (parents, child, et al).

27. The case planhas a complete description of the child and family’s situation, and includes the goals that have been set as well as an action plan to achieve those goals. A case plan will be assembled: if the situation requires change (for example removal from a family crisis); if the situation requires stability (for example to avoid a family crisis).

28. A foster child’s child development plan for a child currently in foster care is similar to the case planin its content.

29. The caregivers must consider the rights of the child in foster care. The child has the right to have a say in any decisions that pertain to him or her. The child has a right to privacy and his or her personal life and written correspondence cannot be illegally read.

30. TOPIC 3: WORKING WITH THE CHILD’S BIOLOGICAL FAMILY Good social work practice has been associated with the successful return home of the child and avoidance of multiple moves in the care system. The child’s and family’s situation should be evaluated periodically and if possible, foster care should be terminated.

31. Work with the child’s biological family begins with an assessment of the family’s resources. It is possible to use many resources to assess the family. We will introduce two of them here: genogram interview along with the drawing of a genogram, as well as the assembly of an ecomap for family assessment.

32. A genogram is used for: gaining information with respect to the family and including them in the situation (family structure, generational connections, roles in the family, family function); determining the strengths of the family and discovering their powers.

33. For determining the context of the family, the family’secomap can be used. The ecomap contains the immediate and extended family members as well as other essential people who may not be directly related but live/have lived with the family or play/have played an important role in the family. The family’s current situation is also marked on the ecomap, which contains significant events and problems from the past.

34. The family structure is called the genogram skeleton, to which missing information will be added. The information that will be added includes: demographic information, family member functions and significant family events. Demographic information includes: sex, birth and death dates, location, profession and education.

35. The genogram interview is used to gather information for assembly of the genogram. The structured interview is preferred because if the family is allowed simply to talk about their history, pertinent information might not always be relayed.

36. The structured interview contents: • The current problem in the context of the family • In order to understand the family’s current situation (problem), the following is needed:describe the situation (problem) in detail; • describe how the situation (problem) is connected to the different family members and how it affects them (their behaviour). • The family’s current situation in the context of history/previous situations.

37. 2. Wider/extended family context Social context 3. Facts and the family’s recent and past history 4. Explanation of the family relationships and internal family roles 5. Individual functioning of the family members

38. Discussing family issues with child. Generally relationships with birth families seem to be a key issue.

39. CARDS When working together with a child or a young person, you can use different cards as tools. Two sets of cards produced by Pesäpuu, a national centre of expertise in child welfare in Finland, are in the following slides. Text by Christine VälivaaraLUPAUS LAPSELLE®St Lukes - Pesäpuu ry www.pesapuu.fi www.lastensuojelunkasikirja.fi

40. Teddy bear cards • A set includes 50 cards in which the teddy bears represent various emotions and personality features. Teddy bear cards are also available as A4-sized self-adhesive sheets. Each package includes a guide booklet with texts in Finnish and English. LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

41. For whom? The cards serve as a supporting tool when talking about family life, human relationships, emotions and personality features with children, young people or parents. Teddy bears are also suitable for striking a conversation in various situations such as - social work and family work- family talk between children and parents- family therapy and psychiatric consultations- child groups in day care centres and schools- child health clinics- children's and parents' peer groups- emotional work- supervision of work- adult education LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

42. Why Teddy bear cards? • The cards can help you to open a dialogue, discuss problems, changes and plans for the future, as well as promote the participants' self-knowledge. For example, the teddy bears can be used as an ice-breaker when you start a meeting or want to strike a conversation, when a situation gets into a deadlock or when the topics become difficult or unpleasant. LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

43. How to use Teddy bear cards? The guide booklet presents several ways of using the cards; here are some examples: - Moods- How did you feel about coming to this meeting?- How are things going today?- Networks and human relationships- Present your childhood family / current family- What kind of card would a person close to you pick for you?- Which teddy bears resemble your friends?- Inner and outer emotions- What kind of teddy bear are you inside, how you do look on the outside?- Description of the course of events- What kind of teddy bear were you first, during the event that occurred, and afterwards? LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

44. …how to use Teddy bear cards? - Discussion of change- Go back to the time when you faced a major change in your life: what kind of emotions did you experience?- Family, parenthood- When are you an angry bear? What do the other family members look like then?- What would help you to be at your best at home?- Pick five cards to demonstrate the emotions that your child's behaviour invokes in you.- Setbacks- Choose the card that describes you in a situation where your energy tank was empty / full- What helped you to get along?- What do you do when you notice that your strength is about to be exhausted? LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

45. “Important Things in Life” set of cards A pack of cards includes 32 cards, each with a picture and text on the important things in life. Some cards describe physical, concrete basic needs such as food, sleep etc., others relate to children's abstract needs such as affection, limits etc. LUPAUS LAPSELLE ® Pesäpuu ry,1 October 2007 Further information, training and orders: www.pesapuu.fi And www.lastensuojelunkasikirja.fi

46. For whom? The cards are suitable for working with children or adults, and for working both on an individual basis and in groups. They can be used as a tool for determining child welfare needs. They are also useful in other situations such as in the evaluation of parenthood. In addition to social work in child welfare, the cards can be used for several purposes such as family therapy, psychiatric consultations, social work at schools, child health clinics, supervision of work and adult education. LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

47. Why “Important Things in Life” set of cards? • The cards are suitable for working with children or adults, and for working both on an individual basis and in groups. They can be used as a tool for determining child welfare needs. They are also useful in other situations such as in the evaluation of parenthood. In addition to social work in child welfare, the cards can be used for several purposes such as family therapy, psychiatric consultations, social work at schools, child health clinics, supervision of work and adult education. LUPAUS LAPSELLE®

48. How to use “Important Things in Life” set of cards? The cards can be used as a tool for introducing oneself, getting to know others or telling the story of one's life. They also help to tell about everyday living and to identify the needs for changing the resources related to the child's everyday life. The cards can also be used for making plans in search of desirable things. They can also support emotional work, for example when identifying things that bring joy or are causes of concern. There is no single right way of using the cards; every one is free to use his or her creativity and imagination. LUPAUS LAPSELLE® Pesäpuu ry, www.pesapuu.fi

49. Maintaining contact of the child with her or his biological family should be carefully planned. In general the maintenance of contact between parent and child is required, wherever practicable, by the Children Protection Act.