Maintaining a child focus and building communities of support
What's Important To Us
Being child-centred throughout all phases of our work keeps the focus on the safety, needs and wellbeing of the child. It is important that our case-notes, reports and written accounts clearly show we are putting the child at the centre of our assessment and intervention. Can we see engagement and relationship with the child? How is the child being involved in key decisions and planning? How are their views represented? Can we see from analysis that the vulnerability and needs of very young children are recognised and secured?
Children are the building blocks of nations and of all humanity (UNICEF, 2001). As such, we need to provide them with love, care and support so that they can grow up to be motivated, positive and productive members of society. This key information outlines how we can maintain a child-centred approach and talks about the importance of engaging with others to build a support network around the child.
Being child-centred
When you are busy and there are lots of competing priorities, it can be easy to lose sight of the child and allow other interests to dominate (Winkworth & McArthur, 2006). Being child-centred means keeping the child’s perspectives and experiences at the forefront of all considerations. There are four key areas we need to have as our focus when working with children and their families:
1. Safety: Our first and paramount concern is for the safety of the child, particularly those aged five years and under. If there is an under five in the sibling group, use the Vulnerable infant triggers. When we are thinking about the safety of a child we need to consider the following:
- Is there an adequate protector in the home?
- Is there a history of violence involving anyone in the household?
- Is there mental health, drug or alcohol issues or other significant stressors in the home which are likely to contribute to an unsafe situation for the child?
- Is the child at an age/stage where they can make themselves safe if things start to go wrong in the home?
2. Attachment: Children need to have strong, stable attachments with people who care about them so they can learn to trust others. We need to engage and spend time with the child and their family so that we have ample opportunity to observe attachment patterns which will add depth to our assessment. During this observation we should be asking ourselves the following questions:
- Is the child having their needs met by their parent in a warm, loving and continuous relationship?
- Does the parent demonstrate concern and interest about the child’s wellbeing, or are they indifferent to the child with little demonstration of nurturing behaviour?
- Does the parent provide adequate physical care and safety, but lack emotional warmth and nurture?
Also, talk to the parents about their own experience of attachment as children. Find out if they felt wanted and cared for, and if their own parents were emotionally available and comforting.
3. Family: Ask the child to tell you who lives in their home and who is in their family. Engage with the people who are important to the child and see these relationships from the child’s perspective. Sometimes the adults in the whānau don’t get on, and these adult issues can be a barrier to child-centred practice. In these situations talk with family members about why it is in the child’s best interests that they all work together. Try using the Three houses with the child and their whānau to understand what their hopes and dreams are for their family and where the vulnerabilities are. This helps us to understand what the barriers are to good parenting and how we can work with whānau to overcome these.
4. Environment: Use an eco-map with the child to find out who in their whānau and wider community is supporting them as they grow and develop. Is there a teacher, sports coach or grandparent who provides guidance and mentoring to the child? Is there a community club, parenting group or church that the family connects with? Are these groups child-centred? How will they support and monitor the child’s wellbeing? Family are the cornerstone of the community of support and if immediate family are unable or unwilling to be involved, draw in positive wider family. Build a genogram and engage family who can support, care and be there for the child throughout their life.
Building child-centred communities of support
Parents, siblings, extended whānau, friends, teachers, peers, and other members of the community all play an important part in shaping a child’s development, and the social support provided by these relationships can have a significant impact a child’s emotional health (Belle, 1989). Additionally, research shows us that family and community support can enhance a child’s sense of competence, while a lack of such support can undermine this sense (Hutchison, 2003). A major part of our role when working with children is to help strengthen the social and professional supports around them to ensure there are people looking out for their best interests. Outlined below are some of the ways in which we can do this.
"Five eyes on under fives"
Recognising the particular vulnerability of children under the age of five, the “five eyes” concept was developed to ensure there are at least five sets of “eyes” focused on looking out for the safety and wellbeing of these very young children. The “five eyes” includes a household family member, a member of the extended family/whānau, a health professional (e.g. GP, Wellchild provider) an educator (e.g. teacher, teacher aide) and a community member.
Think back to your own childhood and name the ‘five eyes’ on you and your siblings when you were under five, or older. Along with a safe, nurturing family, think about what community supports are available to the child you are working with. Does the child or family belong to a sports club, church group or supportive neighbourhood community? Is Plunket or a Public Health Nurse involved? We need each of these five pairs of eyes to be a regular and ongoing part of a child’s life. A person who sees the child every six months cannot be one of the “five eyes” – but someone who sees the child within their family context every few days could be. Think about who will continue to be involved with the child and their family when Child, Youth and Family are no longer involved and make sure these people are part of our planning.
See Key Information: Strengthening practice with vulnerable infants for more detail.
Maori tamariki
Whenever a Maori child needs support we need to know what hapu and iwi they identify with, both on their paternal and maternal sides. Sometimes tamariki may be living in an urban context or at considerable distance from their hapu or marae. We need to make every effort to contact the child’s extended whānau and hapu so that they can identify local support to wrap around the tamariki and their whānau. In some cases this might need to be provided by an urban iwi authority that has links with the child’s hapu and iwi. It is important that enduring support is provided by those who will be available to the whānau for as long as they are needed.
Pacific children
In identifying support for Pacific children, we need to know what Pacific island and village they come from. If church is an important part of the life of the family, it is important that we engage the church leaders and congregation to provide support to the child and their family. Does the family belong to a cultural performing group or are they currently linked into a support agency within their local community? Who are the family elders and how do their decisions influence the child’s parents or affect the wellbeing of the family?
Immigrant children
When children and their families are new to New Zealand, they will likely face numerous difficulties in adjusting to a new way of life. Sometimes this process can be overwhelming and more than they are able to cope with. We need to understand who their community of support is and make sure we are in touch with the right people who will continue to support the family when Child, Youth and Family is no longer involved. Many immigrant families we work with may need an interpreter to help them understand what is happening. Don’t use the children in the family to translate for their parents. Be sure to involve a cultural consultant who can guide you in protocol, gender and age issues and help you understand the cultural norms and expectations of the family you are working with.
Getting around the table
Holding regular collaborative meetings and group consults are one of the keys to improved outcomes for children. They are essential for information gathering, reviewing a child’s case plan and making decisions about next steps. Identify who are the people that are important to the family, are providing support and will continue to work with the family in the future. If well set up, the community of support will be an enduring network that will exist long after Child, Youth and Family has gone. Consideration should also be given to allowing the child (if age appropriate) and their parents to attend any group meeting – after all, any decisions that are made need their input too. Facilitating a meeting involving families, professionals and community members can be challenging and you may need support to do this. Talk to your supervisor about what this support might look like. In some instances you may wish to have a colleague co-facilitate the meeting with you.
When progress has broken down
If a child is notified to Child, Youth and Family a second time, it makes sense to re-assess the efficacy of our first intervention in order to support future planning. This is also true of a first report of concern for any other child in a household where a previous report has been made, or if someone has concerns about a new baby in the home. If children have previously been removed from the home and a new report of concern is made, read Key information: Am I Safe Now?
Sometimes a new report of concern will be made by a member of the child’s community of support, as agreed in the first intervention, and this can be a positive move to re-evaluate how things are going and to help strengthen the current supports. Bring together the family and community of support to assess the strengths and vulnerabilities of the first intervention. What worked well and what didn’t? Have there been changes in the family/whānau that have weakened the support or family functioning? Are the reported concerns the same as the first time or has a new challenge overwhelmed the whānau? How can we strengthen the community of support and have confidence that the desired change will be enduring? Talk to the social workers who have worked with the family in the past and involve them in a Child and Family Consult.
References
Belle, D. (1989). Children’s Social Networks and Social Supports. Canada: John Wiley & Sons.
Hutchison, E.D. (2003). Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course (2nd ed). California, USA: Sage Publications Ltd.
UNICEF (2001). Child-centred Development: The Basis for Sustainable Human Development.
Winkworth, G. & McArthur, M. (2006). Principles for Child Centred Practice. Australian Catholic University, Canberra: Institute of Child Protection Studies.
