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1.03.04- Safety Planning Tips.pdf

safety planning tips it’s the relationship always remember, is what i am saying, doing or asking likely to make the family want to work with me or not? honour the family and their efforts.  • start with this. this can be as simple as thanking a parent for speaking with us about their private life or when we’ve had a difficult relationship or disagreements with each other. • be curious about how the parents, carers and anyone in the network is managing right now and how people are pulling together to support each other. how have they changed their approach if they can’t physically visit each other? how else are they helping out? lots of people have come together in different ways during lockdown to support each other so this is an opportunity to really look out for this. listen to what the children are telling us and act on this • talk to the children about what they are worried about, how they want life to be better for them and what they think will help. • check out with the children who they would like to have involved in a conversation / meeting about making life better for them and what they want the rules to be for them to be safe at home. • share this with the parents and the network so that the child is front and centre of our plans. • if children / young people have worries about us sharing how they feel and what they want with their parents, explore this with them – what do they worry will happen if we do share? how might things get better if we do share the worries? who do they think would be the best person to talk to their parents about it? think together with the child / young person about the words we can use to share their worries and views. hear and acknowledge what the parents / carers / network are saying, even if you disagree.  • thank them for sharing their perspective then ask questions to tease out different perspectives – ask lots of relationship questions. what would the kids / your partner / your friend say if we asked them?  • include scaling questions and where they would rate things for themselves. ask where they think that you would rate things. don’t be too concerned if the family rate higher than you. use this as an opportunity to get the family to think about what else would need to happen so that you don’t need to be worried and can get off their back and out of their lives.  • bring in some relationship questions – what would your best friend say that happens in your house that means that children’s social care don’t need to be worried? • taking this approach helps families feel listened to and avoids blame, arguments or telling families what to do. use the parents / carers own language • reflect this back to them. what have they said that they are worried about, or when have they acknowledged some worries? we can use this as a lead in to questions, e.g. ‘you’ve said before that it’s really stressful when the kids are off school and that this can drive you mad. 
can you tell me more about a time when you’ve felt mad or really stressed but you were able to do something different that meant you didn’t lose it with the kids?’ stick to the facts • if there is a dispute, e.g. about how an injury happened, it may not be clear how the injury happened but there will be evidence of an injury, e.g. a child with a cut to their head. we can talk about what we know happened (even if we have a fair idea who was responsible but can’t say for sure how it happened). use hypotheticals • where there is a difference of opinion, e.g. about whether a partner is a sex offender or not, ask the parent what they would think if they were to read about this situation for another family in a newspaper. would they have any worries? if the parent was a social worker working with that family, what do they think the social worker would be worried about? if they were a social worker in this situation, what would they need to see happen so they could be sure that the child was safe? • use ‘same but different’ examples to get family members to think about the same problem in a different family and explore their ideas for making things better for that family. • if we make sense of ‘denial’ as an understandable response when families fear that being honest about their problems will lead to consequences, feelings of shame and being judged, then this approach can open up conversation and encourage thinking about solutions when families find their own problems too shameful to talk about.  protect against further allegations • when working with a difference of opinion / denial, e.g. where a dad has been accused of hitting his child and has denied this, work with this version of events rather than getting caught up in a dispute about who did what. • we can ask the family to think about what would need to happen or what plans would need to be in place that would mean that dad couldn’t be in a situation where he is accused of hitting his child again in future. we want to make sure that the child isn’t hit again and we also want to make sure that dad isn’t accused again, especially if he is saying that he hasn’t hit his child. • this approach can help us to get the accused on board even where there isn’t an admission of responsibility.  use safety journals / safety objects – test out the plan • support the family to take more ownership of safety by encouraging them to use a safety journal (this could be a note pad, notes on a phone, a diary etc) to record the times that they have found things hard or when things could have become unsafe for the kids. get them to record what they (and others) have done to overcome the worry and make sure that the children are safe and review this at each family network meeting / taf / core group. • think creatively about how children could use a safety object to let others know if they need someone to check in on them, e.g. having a safety object in the window so that anyone in the network who walks past can see this, having a safe word as a text message etc  
keep in mind who else is in the room (lockdowns) • this is especially important in families where domestic abuse is a concern and we are making video calls / phone calls. who else might be in the room that we aren’t aware of?  • think about the use of safety object or a safe word that would mean that the conversation is being overheard or that the victim feels in danger. • think about using written notes over video if this is safer than talking, e.g. communicating to victims that they can dial 999 and then 55 if they need to alert the police that they are in danger but don’t feel safe enough to talk.  • work with the perpetrator, in order to reduce the likelihood of violent or controlling behaviour taking place. keep in mind all the tips listed above when carrying out this work.    


18.02.02-30 Teen Safety Plan.pdf

a teen’sguide      to safetyplanningwww.gdass.org.ukrelationshipsabuseeducationwhy do i need a safety plan?everyone deserves a relationship that is healthy, safe and supportive. if you are in arelationship that is hurting you, it is important for you to know that the abuse is not yourfault. it is also important for you to start thinking of ways to keep yourself safe from theabuse, whether you decide to end the relationship or not. while you can’t control yourpartner’s abusive behaviour, you can take action to keep yourself as safe as possible.what is a safety plan?a safety plan is a practical guide that helps lower your risk of being hurt by your abuser.it includes information specific to you and your life that will help keep you safe. a goodsafety plan helps you think through lifestyle changes that will help keep you as safe aspossible at school, at home and other places that you go on a daily basis.how do i make a safety plan?take some time for yourself to go through each section of this safety planningworkbook. you can complete the workbook on your own, or you can work through itwith a friend or an adult you trust.keep in mind:• in order for this safety plan to work for you, you’ll need to fill in personalised answers,so you can use the information when you most need it.• once you complete your safety plan, be sure to keep it in an accessible but securelocation. you might also consider giving a copy of your safety plan to someone thatyou trust.• getting support from someone who has experience working with teens in abusive relationships can be very useful.
my safety plan  part 1staying safe at schoolthe safest way for me to get to and from school is: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................if i need to leave school in an emergency, i can get home safely by: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................i can make sure that a friend can walk with me between classes. i will ask: .......................................................................................................................   and/or......................................................................................................................................i will eat lunch and spend free periods in an area where there are schoolstaff or faculty nearby. these are some areas at school where i feel safe: ...................................................................................................................................... ,...................................................................................................................................... ,..............................................................................................................................  and......................................................................................................................................i could talk to the followingpeople at school if i need torearrange my schedule inorder to avoid my abuser, orif i need help staying safe atschool: school counsellor coach teachers:............................................................................................................................principal assistant headschool security other:............................................................................................................................staying safe at homei can tell this family member about what is going on in my relationship: ......................................................................................................................................there may be times when no one else is home. during those times, i canhave people stay with me. i will ask: ......................................................................................................................................the safest way for me to leave my house in an emergency is: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................if i have to leave in an emergency, i should try to go to a place that ispublic, safe and unknown by my abuser.  i could go here: ......................................................................................................................................and/or here: .............................................................................................................i will use a code word so i can alert my family, friends, and neighbours tocall for help without my abuser knowing about it. my code word is: .....................................................................................................if i live with my abuser, i willhave a bag ready with theseimportant items in case ineed to leave quickly (checkall that apply):  mobile phone and charger spare money keys driver’s license/ other form of id copy of restraining order birth certificatenational insurance cardimmigration papers and other  important documents change of clothes medications special photos / valuable items if i have children, anything they may need (important papers, formula, nappies)other: ..............................................................
my safety plan  part 2staying safe emotionallymy boyfriend/girlfriend often tries to make me feel bad about myself by saying or doing this: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................when he/she does this, i will think of these things i like about myself: ..................................................................................................................................... ,............................................................................................................................... and ......................................................................................................................................i will do things i enjoy, like: ..................................................................................................................................... ,............................................................................................................................... and ......................................................................................................................................i will join clubs or organisations that interest me, like: .................................................................................................................................. or......................................................................................................................................if i feel down, depressed or scared, i can call thefollowing friends or familymembers: name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................getting help in your communityfor emergencies:call 999 national domestic violence helpline: call 0808 2000 247gloucester police non-emergency: call 101 local domestic abuse service: call gdass on 0845 602 9035during an emergency, i couldcall the following friends orfamily members at any timeof day or night: name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................name: ..............................................................phone number:..............................................................
my safety plan  part 3these are things i can do to help keep myself safe every day: i will carry my mobile phone and important telephone numbers with me at all times. i will keep in touch with someone i trust about where i am or what i am doing. i will stay out of isolated places and try to never walk around alone. i will avoid places where my abuser or his/her friends and family are likely to be. i will keep the doors and windows locked when i am at home, especially if i am alone. i will avoid speaking to my abuser. if it is unavoidable, i will make sure there are people around in case the situation becomes dangerous. i will call 999 if i feel my safety is at risk. i can look into getting a protective order so that i’ll have legal support in keeping my abuser away. i will remember that the abuse is not my fault and that i deserve a safe and healthy relationship. these are things i can do to help keep myself safe in my social life: i will ask my friends to keep their mobile phones with them while they are with me in case we get separated and i need help. if possible, i will go to different shopping centres, banks, supermarkets, cinema, etc. than the ones my abusergoes to or knows about. i will not go out alone, especially at night. no matter where i go, i will be aware of how to leave safely in case of an emergency. i will leave if i feel uncomfortable in a situation, no matter what my friends are doing. i will spend time with people who make me feel safe, supported and good about myself. these are things i can do to stay safe online and with my mobile phone:  i will not say or do anything online that i wouldn’t in person. i will set all my online profiles to be as private as they can be. i will save and keep track of any abusive, threatening or harassing comments, posts, or texts. i will never give my password to anyone other than my parents or guardians. if the abuse and harassment does not stop, i will change my usernames, email addresses, and/or mobile phone number. i will not answer calls from unknown, blocked or private numbers. i can see if my phone company can block my abuser’s phone number from calling my phone. i will not communicate with my abuser using any type of technology if unnecessary, since any form of communication can be recorded and possibly used against me in the future.


1.03.01 - Safety Planning - Domestic Abuse.pdf

questions to help with safety planning – domestic abuse  safety planning involves a whole network approach including perpetrators, people who are subject to violence and abuse (typically women), children, wider family members, friends and community resources. these questions are designed to be asked from a number of different people’s perspectives and are given as examples of the kind of questions that could be asked to help people to reflect and think about what they can do differently so that violence and abuse doesn’t happen, or if it does, women (usually) and children can be kept safe in future. many of these questions are aimed at the perpetrator and the wider family network so that we are not holding victims of violence and abuse responsible for the safety of their children, especially given the issue of power and control in the relationship.  reducing violent / controlling behaviour: • on a scale of 0 – 10, if 10 is that you get that there are things that you need to do differently in your relationship for your partner and your kids to feel safe and at ease and 0 is you feel like everything is your partners fault and there is nothing that you need to do differently, where would you rate things? where do you think your partner would rate it? what about the kids? if there was one thing that you could do differently so that home life was a nicer place for your partner and kids, what would that be? what do you think your partner would want you to do differently? what do you think your kids would want you to do differently? • can you tell me about a time that you’ve wanted to raise your hands to your partner or kids but you’ve been able to do something different so that your partner or kids didn’t end up feeling scared or getting hurt? what did you do instead? what else helped you to do this? • what for you are the best things about being in control of what is going on with your partner and kids? what do you get out of it? what about the downsides – what are some of the worst things about feeling like you need to be the one making decisions for everyone or knowing about who does what all of the time? when do you find it easiest to let go a little bit? what would your partner say if i was to ask them? what would your best mate say makes it easier for you to let go? • if i asked the kids, what would they say are the best ways that you are dealing with things that would normally stress you out? what difference is this making to them? what difference is this making to your relationship with the kids? • you’ve said that the reason you don’t like your partner talking to her family is because they don’t like you, but your partner has said that her family is really important to her. what ideas do you have that would mean that your partner could still talk to her family, even if you aren’t always comfortable with this? what could her family do differently that could make things better between you? what do you think they would want you to do differently that would make things better with them?  triggers: • if i were to ask the kids what was happening in the lead up to you hurting your partner, what do you think they would they say? what would your partner say? what would you say happened? • what kind of thoughts go through your head before you’ve ended up doing something to hurt or scare your partner or the kids / before you’ve done something that has led to them feeling on edge?  
• if i was to ask someone close to you what are the things that could lead to a kick off, to the point where someone could get hurt, what would they say?  • when you feel like you’re not in control as much as you’d like, what makes these feelings stronger? where do you think these feelings of needing or wanting to be in control come from? what would your partner / mam / dad/ best friend say about this if i was to ask them? • thinking about life over the next few months what are the things that we need to think about and plan for to make sure that everyone is safe and the kids don’t get hurt or feel scared? warning signs • what would be the first thing that would warn you that the people that you care about, like your partner and kids, were starting to feel scared or like they are walking on eggshells around you? what would the kids say if i asked them? • what would be the first sign for you that you’re about to do something that could scare your kids? what do you think the kids would say if we were to ask them? • safety network: what would be the first sign that you would notice that would tell you that things weren’t going well again in x and y’s relationship? what would make you really worried for mam or the kids? if you noticed these signs, how might you try to step in to help? is there anything that would get in the way of you stepping in to help?  keeping the children safe  • when you are thinking x thoughts or doing x behaviour (link back to triggers), what ideas do you have to stop things from getting worse? who else could help you at these times? where else could you go if you needed some time out?  • if you did end up shouting and yelling, to the point where you’re feeling like you could end up hitting someone or something, what is the one thing that you could do or say to yourself that would stop this from happening so that no one gets hurt? • if i was to ask the kids, what do you think they would say that you should do instead when all you feel like doing is yelling, screaming, or smashing things up, so that they don’t get scared or hurt? what do you think needs to happen to stop things from even getting to this point? what would your partner say needs to happen to stop them or the kids feeling scared? • what is the one thing that you think your partner would want you to do differently that would make them feel happier / more relaxed / more trusting etc around you?  • of all the people that you know, who would be the first to notice / who could you tell if you were feeling scared? who would be the most likely person to step in and make sure that you and the kids are kept safe? what would they do?  • what are all of the ways that you have tried to keep yourself and the kids safe when your partner has been behaving in scary or threatening ways towards you?  • who could you get in touch with if you needed help for you and the kids straight away? who else knows about the violence and the abuse? out of all of these people, who believes you? who has been there for you and the kids in the past when you’ve needed them? • if the worst did happen and you ended up getting hurt, who would help to look after you and the kids? how would this work? who would go where? • who would be the first person that the kids would want to help if they were feeling scared or worried? how could this person help? 
• kids, what would be the best way for you to let people know if you have any worries (could think about a safety object or word here)? who would you feel most comfortable telling? who would be the first person that you could tell (or show) if you feel scared?                      


1.03.02 - Safety Planning - Mental Health.pdf

questions to help with safety planning – mental health managing your mental health: • you’ve said that things are really stressful right now as money is so tight and the kids are bored and fighting all the time, so you’re shouting and yelling more. i know it might not seem very often at the minute, but can you tell me about the times when you’ve managed to not take your stress out on the kids? what have you done instead? who or what else has helped?  • i know you’ve been feeling so low lately that you’ve felt like there’s no point in carrying on. if it was your best friend who was feeling that way, what would you say to them?  • we’ve been on lockdown now for the past few weeks. even though it’s been tough, how it is that you’ve managed to keep going? who or what is it that keeps you going? • what has surprised you the most about the way that you’re coping right now, despite everything that is going on? what has been the biggest help? • out of all the people you know, who would you say knows you best? who is the person who you could confide in about anything, even when you’re feeling at your absolute worst? what are the best things that they do or say that help? • since we’ve all been on lockdown, who has been the person that has helped you the most? how have they been helping? who would the kids say has been the biggest help and how? • what would the kids say are the best ways that you’re staying in control of your feelings at the moment? what about your partner / grandparents / best friend – what would they say is impressing them about the way that you’re coping at the moment?  triggers:  • what is the hardest thing about the current situation with covid 19 and how it’s been affecting you? • what are the most difficult times of the day / week / month / year, when you find it hardest to cope? what do we need to plan for to make sure that your feelings don’t overwhelm you again at these times? • who are the worst people for you to be around when you’re feeling at your worst? what is it that these people do or say that isn’t helpful? • what is the most unhelpful thing that your partner / kids / family could do or say when you’re feeling really crap? • what things are going on for you right now that just make life feel like more of a slog? • if i was to ask the kids what they think you are most worried or anxious about at the minute, what would they say? • if i was to ask the kids how well you’re dealing with these worries at the minute, what do you think they would say? • thinking about life over the next few weeks / months, however long we might be on lockdown, what would be the one big thing that could happen that would make you feel like you just couldn’t cope anymore?  red flags: • if i was to ask the kids, what would be the first thing that they would notice that would tell them that you aren’t coping very well?  what would your partner, friend etc notice? 
• what would be the first thing that would warn you that you’re slipping back into a dark place in your head or your thoughts are running away with you? what would other people notice?  • what would tell you that things have got to the point where you really need to do something different to get back in control of yourself? who agrees with this? what would your partner, friend, grandma etc say is happening when things have got out of control? • what would the kids notice that would tell them that things were starting to get really bad again?  keeping the children safe: • where are you storing your medication so that there is absolutely no way that the kids can get hold of it? • of all the people that you know, who would be the first person to notice that you were really starting to struggle? who would be the most likely person to step in and make sure that the kids aren’t badly affected by this? what would they do?  • what ways have you found to help the kids understand what is going on when you’re crying non-stop, so that they aren’t worrying so much about you? who is the best person you know that can help talk to the kids about this? • if you or the people supporting you could do just one thing differently, even if this just makes a small difference to how well you are coping, what would this be? • if the worst happened and you completely broke down, meaning that you couldn’t care for the kids and they needed to be looked after by someone else, who would this be? who would go where? where would you be? where would the children be? who would decide when it would be safe enough for the kids to be back in your care? how would they know? • if we were to ask the kids what they would want to happen if you were so low / paranoid / up a height again that you were struggling to take care of yourself, never mind them, what would they say? who would they want to help? • the safety plan we had come up with involved your friends jim and jan coming in to check on you and the kids and help out around the house. now that they can’t do that, what other ways can everyone think of that would mean that jim and jan could still help and make sure that the kids are okay?  • what ideas does everyone have that would mean that the kids don’t end up having to take care of each other when you’re feeling so low that you don’t want to get out of bed?  • kids, what would be the best way for you to let people know if you have any worries (could think about a safety object or word here)? who would you feel most comfortable telling? what would you want these people to do?      


1.03.03 - Safety Planning - Substance Use.pdf

questions to help with safety planning – drug / alcohol use managing your drink / drug use:  on a scale of 0 – 10, where 10 is that even though life has got a bit more stressful since everyone has been on lockdown, we’re managing, we’ve got people checking in on us and no one needs to worry and 0 is we’re at the end of our tether, i feel like i could lose it at any point, the only way to get through the day is to get drunk / high, where would you rate it? where do you think i (social worker) would rate it? what do you think needs to happen so that i’ll be less worried and can get off your back about this?   what kind of things are you doing right now to try to make sure that you aren’t drunk in charge of the kids or that you aren’t using drugs around them? how well do you think this is working? what would the kids say if i asked them? what would granddad say are the best ways that you’re coping right now?   when are you least likely to drink to the point where you get drunk or use drugs around the kids?  how do you see yourself dealing with your drink / drug use? is this something you can safely reduce or do you need to be completely sober / clean from drugs? what would your best friend /grandparents / the kids say if we were to ask them?   since i can’t come out to see you, who else could i talk to that would help me understand how everyone is getting on at the minute?  who has been your biggest support in helping you stay off the drink / drugs? how is this working now that it’s harder for people to spend time together? what ways have you found to stay in touch and how is this going?   what would your kids say is the most important thing for you to do about your drinking / drug use? what would they absolutely not want to happen or be around right now? triggers:   what is the hardest thing you’re having to deal with right now that might mean that your drinking or drug use gets out of control?  when your drinking / drug use is at its worst, what kind of things are going on in your life? how do these stressful things compare to what is going on for you right now?  who are the people that you are most likely to drink heavily / use drugs with? if i was to ask the kids, who would they say these people are?  if i was to ask the kids what they think you are stressed about at the minute, what would they say?  if i was to ask the kids how well you’re dealing with stress at the minute, what do you think they would say?  thinking about life over the next few weeks / months, however long we might be on lockdown, what would be the main things that could happen that would make you want to drink / use drugs in an unsafe way?  i know you’re trying your hardest to cut down your drinking / stay sober / cut down your drug use / stay off drugs. what’s the main thing that we need to think about and plan for to make sure that you stay on track with this?  red flags: 
 if i was to ask the kids, what would be the first thing that they would notice that would let them know that your drinking was getting out of hand or you were using drugs around them? what would your partner, granddad, friend etc notice?  what would be the first thing that would warn you that things are starting to slip again with your drinking / drug use? what would be the first thing that your partner / your friends / grandparents etc would notice?  what would tell you that things have got to the point where you need to do something to cut down or stop your drinking / drug use? who agrees with this? what would your partner, friend, grandma etc say is happening when things have got out of control?  what would the kids notice that would tell them that things were starting to get really bad again? keeping the children safe:  if i were to ask the people who know you best what they think is a safe amount and type of alcohol / drug for you to drink / use, before things get to the point where you couldn’t look after the kids properly, what do you think they would say? what would you need to do to help you to stick to this so that it doesn’t get out of control?  of all the people that you know, who would be the first person to notice that you were going off the rails again with your drinking / drug use? who would be the most likely person to step in and make sure that the kids are protected? what would they do?   if you did end up getting so drunk or out of it that you couldn’t care for the kids and they needed to be looked after by someone else, who would decide this? who would go where? where would you be? where would the children be? who would decide when it would be safe enough for the kids to be back in your care? how would they know?  if we were to ask the kids what they would want to happen if you ended up getting so drunk or high that you couldn’t look after them properly, what would they say? who would they want to help?  now that you’re picking up your methadone for the week instead of everyday, where are you keeping this so that the kids can’t get hold of it? how are you making sure that there is absolutely no way that the kids could get hold of it or into it?  the safety plan we had come up with involved your friend sue and aunty pat coming in to see the kids. now that they can’t do that, what other ways can everyone think of that would mean that sue and aunty pat could still help and see that the kids are okay?   kids, what would be the best way for you to let people know if you have any worries (could think about a safety object or word here)? who would you feel most comfortable telling?        


1.08.04 - Safety Planning - Finding and using networks

1.07.05 - Group Supervision Process Handouts - Safety Planning.pdf

group supervision process: safety planningsignssafetyof®part of the signs of safety implementation documents – 2nd edition, march 2017
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell2.signs of safety group supervision process: safety planningthinking about safety planningsafety planning is the business end of child protection work. if professionals are to get out of the family’s life and if the children are to return home, careful focus has to be given to how the parents and people who support them will live their everyday lives so the children will be looked after and be safe. this signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning is one in a series of processes designed to guide professionals in digging into what is ultimately the most challenging question in child protection work: ‘what do we need to see in order to be satisfied we can close the case?’ it is recommended that partici-pants in this group supervision process also refer to ‘creating a safety planning trajectory’ prepared by andrew turnell and the ‘roadmap: family-owned safety planning’. group supervision processthis signs of safety group supervision process is designed for groups of 4–10 people. it revolves around the caseworker who brings forward the case. (sometimes, of course, there is a number of people bringing forward the case). the facilitator leads the group process, assisted by an advisor. other group members are involved as observers/participants. the roles of each are described in the following diagram:the entire group, but in particular the facilitator and advisor, must focus on the process and not get caught up or over-organised about the content and detail of the case. this process is all about growing the capacity for the team to create together a fast process for observer/participantslisten carefullysupport group processwrite their ideas with best thinkingfacilitatorasks questionsleads processdraws on advisor for assistanceadvisorhelps the facilitator and does not talkcaseworkercaseworker(person wanting case reviewed)brings their best intelligence and thinkingo/po/po/po/po/pafc
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell3.working through, and getting direction in, a case. as with every meeting in child protec-tion, effective meetings are always led skilfully.group process1. introductions (2–3 minutes)if the group is new to the group supervision method, the facilitator should introduce the process, including a quick description of each person’s role: the facilitator is the only person who talks directly to the caseworker.  the advisor acts to assist the facilitator to lead the process. the observers/participants have the opportunity to learn by staying out of the content of cases and focusing on analysis and judgement processes, thereby assisting the worker to gain a better overview of the case and the direction he/she wants to take. the facilitator has the professionals, the caseworker, and anyone directly involved in the case say who they are, what their role in the case is, and how long they have been involved in the case. the facilitator will probably need to prevent the professionals involved in the case from going into case content at this point. 2. genogram (3–5 minutes)the facilitator draws the family genogram to include the basic information of age along with the names of the immediate family parents, partners, children, extended family members, and relevant friends. this should include clarifying where children are living, if not with one or both parents. again, to keep the process focused, this is not the time to describe case information.3. background information (3–5 minutes):the facilitator gives the worker 3–5 minutes to provide an overview of the case. the fa-cilitator might ask: ‘what makes this an open case?’ or ‘where are things currently at?’ or maybe ‘what is happening with this family that has prompted you to bring this case forward?’ the worker should be allowed to talk without interruption. the facilitator and observers should make notes of the worker’s exact words and begin to analyse the infor-mation. while listening, the facilitator can make notes at the side of the whiteboard and should not be trying to ‘map’ the case by locating information into particular columns. the more experienced workers become at using the process, the more succinct they will be at providing the critical information that is needed to move through the process. 4. worker’s focus (3–5 minutes)this is the most important part of the preparatory steps because it provides clear focus for the facilitator and group. 
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell4.broadly, the focus of this session is about safety planning for the case that the worker has brought forward. development of the safety plan is an exercise that is undertaken with the family and not done to them. the facilitator asks the worker questions to refine the focus of the session and determine what specifically the worker would like to get out of this session. 5. safety planning: large group exercisethe focus of this exercise is to prepare the worker to undertake safety planning with the family. the safety plan will be created by the professionals asking the parents and network as many questions as possible to think through these issues and to come up with their best ideas and plans about how they can ensure and show the children will be safe and looked after no matter how difficult things get in the future.  part one – questions for crucial issues5.1  everyone thinks through and lists all the crucial issues that need to be discussed and addressed in building a meaningful safety plan, such as stress, alcohol and other drug use, mental illness, violence, etc. everyone develops their best questions for the worker to take to the family and network. the task for the family and network is to think through what rules will need to be put in place and followed in order to address the danger and achieve safety. when creating questions for this purpose, everyone develops questions from different perspectives; e.g. from the child, neighbour, grandparents, best friend, teacher, judge’s perspective. use lots of relationship questions. 5.2 participants share their responses in groups of 3–4.5.3 the facilitator seeks a sample of questions from the large group to share with the worker who has brought the case forward. 5.4 the facilitator asks the worker: ‘what questions do you think will be most useful to you?’5.5 the group provides a copy of their questions to the worker who has brought the case forward. part two – bottom line requirements 5.6 everyone thinks through and writes down what they believe must be the bottom line requirements for this safety plan. 5.7 the facilitator seeks suggestions for bottom lines from the large group to share with the worker who has brought the case forward. 5.8 the facilitator asks the worker what their ideas about bottom lines are and shares his/her own.5.9 the facilitator leads a discussion about what the typical bottom lines would include and the importance of not overwhelming the family. 
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell5.part three – possible safety plan rules5.10 it is important that the family thinks through the rules that will need to be in their safety plan and followed in order to address the stated danger and achieve safety. the worker and decision makers must have a clear sense of what will and won’t be acceptable rules in the safety plan; e.g. if the safety plan is addressing sexual abuse, there must be a rule that states the person who we are concerned will sexually abuse the child is never alone with the child.  part four – next steps5.11 the facilitator now reviews the process so far with the worker by asking, ‘what has been most useful so far?’ and checking to see if the worker is clear on their next steps to move towards developing a safety plan with the family. if the worker needs support to develop a plan of next steps, the facilitator does this now. if time permits, the large group could be involved in putting forward their ideas about what to do and when. the content developed from this session contributes to the development of the safety planning trajectory timeline. 6. safety planning: individual exerciseif time permits, the above process can be repeated with participants working on their own cases individually or in pairs. 7. review and next stepsthe facilitator now reviews the process so far by asking the worker: ‘what has been most useful for you about the process so far?’ then the facilitator asks: ‘on a scale of 0 to 10 – where 10 means i’ve got what i need from the consult already and 0 means i’m no better off or any clearer than when we started – where are you?’ if the group has stayed on track, the worker should be rating relatively high at this stage. the facilitator then asks the worker if this is this enough for now. if the answer is yes, end here. if no, ask, ‘what else do you need to focus on?’ and spend some time on that, usually by listening to the issue and getting questions created for that issue.a low rating from the worker probably indicates the group process has gone off track sig-nificantly from what the worker wanted, or that the worker actually now wants something else or perhaps is feeling swamped and anxious about the case. whatever the problem, the facilitator will need to back up and help the worker identify where the sticking point is and agree on a process to deal with that.8. review process for groupthe advisor leads a review with the whole group about what was useful, what they learned, and any issues they have. (the review should not be about the content of the case).
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell6.how often do we use this group process in the agency or team?when presenting and teaching this group mapping process, these questions are often asked: ‘how often should we do this in our agency? do we do this in every case?’this group process is designed to: build a shared, structured, collective team and agency culture, and process for thinking through cases using the signs of safety approach; enable child protection professionals to explore each other’s cases, bringing their best thinking, including alternative perspectives, and to do this without getting caught in one or two people dominating or the group telling the practitioner whose case it is or what they must do; develop a shared practice of bringing a questioning approach to casework, rather than trying to arrive at answers.this group process cannot be undertaken in every case discussion. however, the process can be replicated in individual supervision and when practitioners are thinking through cases for themselves.building and sustaining this sort of questioning culture for thinking through cases as a team usually requires this process being undertaken at least once every two to four weeks. the process presented here offers quite a tight structure, because helping professionals often tend to default to individual supervision, so group supervision is not a normal part of most agencies’ practice. where group supervision is normal, the group conversations can often be very free form and unstructured with little sense of shared purpose. if the majority of quality supervision is individual, this creates a very privatised practice culture within the agency, places excessive pressure on the team leaders or supervisors to be the fount of all wisdom for all practitioners, and limits the capacity to draw on the knowledge and experience of peers. many supervisors and practitioners shy away from group supervi-sion or, if they have to participate, they do so in a constrained way because of previous bad experiences. it is strongly suggested that supervisors and teams follow the process offered here closely, particularly as they build the habit of group supervision in their teams. this process is safe, well tested, refined, and avoids group dynamics where one or two people dominate.the advisor role is central to the success of the group process. the advisor should be very active, checking in regularly with the facilitator about their sense of direction and effective-ness of what they are doing. likewise, the facilitator should quickly draw on the advisor if they are feeling stuck or unsure. 
signs of safety group supervision process: safety planning    version 1.0 copyright © 2017 resolutions consultancy – andrew turnell, katrina etherington and pene turnell7.


1.06.12 - Safety House Booklet.pdf

5.03.06 - Our network - safety and support for children and families booklet.pdf

our network
safety and support for children and families
durham county council
what is your network?
your network is made up of people who have a connection with you and your family.
they might be family, friends, neighbours, members of your community or coaches from clubs your children attend.
some of your network will live close by and some might live far away.
when it's not possible to see each other in person, networks use many different ways to keep in touch such as phone, text, facetime, whatsapp and zoom.
your network will always know how your children and family members are doing. they are always in touch, some more than others. they also know the things that make them worry about your children and sometimes you (and your partner if you have one), and know what to do if they are worried.
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why do you have a network?
life can be hard at times, but your network is there to support you and your children through any difficulties.
your network makes sure your children are safe, cared for and have what they need, and make sure they are connected to family and their community.
this is important for all children and young people. they need support and guidance from the adults around them as they grow up, and even as adults we need people around to support us too.
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what will happen?
?
your worker will talk with you and ask questions to help you decide who:
. you want on your network
you do not want on your network
your children would need on the network
. your children would not want on the network
who would know everything, and
. who would only need to know some things
your network will need to understand:
. what your children are worried about, or what things are making life hard for you as a family
. your strengths in looking after your children and how your network have helped you keep them safe and well looked after in the past
. what needs to happen so that your worker doesn't have any worries and can leave your family to get on with your lives
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your family/safety plan
your worker will ask lots of questions to help you and your network to make a family/ safety plan.
sometimes these questions will be hard to think about but your worker is there to help you and your network with this.
safety planning conversations may be over the phone, by video call or in person.
there might be more than one safety planning conversation. each one will look at a worry or danger and agree rules about who will do what to make sure your children are safe and well cared for when things are difficult at home or in life.
your family/ safety plan in action
when your family/ safety plan is ready, you and your network can try it out to see what works well and what needs to change to make it stronger. your worker will help you get a final plan that everyone knows can work.
when everyone agrees on the final family/safety plan, you and your network can make a simple version for your children. this will use drawings and words so your children know who will do what when a worry comes up, or what they might need to do.
once you, your network and your worker are confident that the plan works, and will continue to work, your network will take over full responsibility for the plan.
it is important for someone to be in charge of this plan so they can make any changes if needed.
the boss
who are the people in your network?
the boss
name
name
name
name
name
who in our network are available to our children? name
name
name
name
name
name
who would i like to join our network?
who would our children like to join our network?
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