Author: Winter, Sarah

Children’s & Families
Assessment, Engagement & Intervention Handbook

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Contents

▪ Introduction 5
▪ Case allocation and preparing to work with the family 6
▪ Section 1: Why are we involved? 8
▪ Section 2: Parental/Family history 11
▪ Section 3: Parent’s understanding of the impact of their behaviour on their child(ren) 16
▪ Section 4: Direct work/communicating with children 21
▪ Section 5: Parenting Capacity (Part 1) 25
▪ Section 6: Parenting Capacity (Part2) 29
▪ Section 7: Analysis and Recommendations 34
▪ Section 8: Views of parent(s) and child(ren) 37

Introduction

This handbook provides a framework to support your work with children and families, so that you are clear about the purpose of visits and the focus of your assessment and intervention. The sections will assist your engagement, assessment and planning skills, so that you can support families to understand what needs to change, how the change will be achieved and how they will know when it has been achieved. Using restorative principles, our strength-based approach will support families to achieve the best possible outcomes for their children and their family, so that they can secure their stronger future.
It is recommended that all the sections in this handbook are completed routinely to support you to identify the areas of strength and areas for improvement, so that you develop a balanced assessment, analysis and plan. (Please note that each section may take more than one visit and sections can be completed in any order). In carrying out the assessment and interventions it is important to empower the family and allow them to explore their strengths and risks so as to develop a plan of action together and review the progress they have made
This assessment, engagement and intervention handbook will enable you to really understand the family that you are working with and therefore make effective and informed decisions. When working through the sections it is important to ensure assessment and interventions are undertaken with the family. This will support them to make the changes, so they can see the progress they are making and how the changes positively impact their children. This may involve asking them to complete tasks between visits and revisit tasks and interventions.
By completing the activities and interventions with the family it will enable you to produce a balanced, evidence-based and comprehensive parenting assessment and plan of support.
When collecting information for assessment, always ensure you speak to other professionals working with the family. This can help you to get a more evidence based and balanced understanding of the family.

Case allocation and preparing to work with the family

• The referral to Children's Social Care will have come from the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). Professionals in the MASH should have shared information relevant to the reported concern and provided some useful analysis about the intervention required to support the family/ address the reported concern. This is a good starting point.
• The MASH pro-forma should highlight whether the family has been previously known to services. This will alert you to any existing records that may provide some useful background reading. An existing chronology or previous assessment will help you get a sense of any patterns of behaviour associated with the family.
• The MASH pro-forma should also outline whether any other professionals are working with this family. You may want to speak with these professionals before you meet with the family. You will certainly want to get their views at some stage of your work with the family. It is important to get the views of other professionals who know the family, they can give you additional insight into the family to gain a more balanced and evidence-based view.
• It is sensible to think about the known risks, what might need to change and how receptive the family might be to your intervention to assist them with this.
• Do the parent/s have a learning disability or intellectual disability? Use the Protocol for Assessment of Parents with Intellectual Disabilities (or suspected ID) to support you to identify if the parents have a learning disability or intellectual disability.
• Check if the parents are able to read and write, if they are unable to, then you will need to consider adapting or using the appropriate tools to ensure that they can fully participate in the assessment activity.
• Have a sense of the restorative conversation you will want to have with the family:
▪ Restorative Practice Handbook
▪ The Workforce Development Strategy (10 Service Standards, 10 Practice Standards, 10 Underpinning Principles)
▪ The Quality Assurance Framework
▪ Team Around the Worker protocol

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson Leader, Portsmouth City Council

Cllr Rob Wood Lead Member for Children and Families Services

Alison Jeffery Director Children, Families and Education

What has happened?

What is happening?

What were they thinking/feeling at the time?

Who has been affected?

How have they been affected?

What needs to happen?

Tools you may find helpful

Section 1: Why are we involved?

Aim:
▪ Families understand why we are involved
▪ Begin to build a working relationship with the parents

• This is your opportunity to build a good working relationship with the parent(s) and children or young people to encourage their engagement and continued participation. It is important to respect their views, allowing the parent to be in a position “of being the expert in their own life.” Give them the opportunity to consider what they think the issues are, why we are involved and what they think would help and support their situation.
• This should involve: actively listening to them, being open and honest, avoiding blame, inviting, recognising and discussing any worries they may have about specific interventions they will be offered. These interventions should be in partnership with the family and it is important to build a level of trust.
• Work in a way that enables trust to develop while maintaining professionalism and not being adversarial or authoritative. Use simple language and explain things clearly. This session is for you to be clear why you are working with them and the purpose of your involvement. By using restorative principles and questions you should be able to explore their understanding of why you are involved and identify any family strengths and what is going well - no matter how small.
• You should explain that part of your work will be looking with them at what changes are needed, so that they can identify what support they need and what you want to do to support them to achieve and sustain the changes - creating a family plan.
• It is always helpful to be clear right at the start. This means explaining what is negotiable and what is not. This will help you and them to identify what is unacceptable and acceptable care of the child/ren and why.
• It is important to be empathic and supportive, but you may also need to offer some careful challenge. Listen to their views with the aim to understand what they are struggling with and how you will support them.
• Ask them who is important to them (in their family)
• Ask about what is going well
• Use restorative principles to explore what isn't working well for them/causing concerns about the wellbeing of their child/ren.
• Ensure all the adults in the family have a good understanding of the areas of concern and why you are involved.
• Start to explore if there any barriers to change.
• Explain that a number of direct work sessions will be undertaken with the children throughout this intervention, prepare dates, plan of sessions, venues and agree these with the family.
Obtain their consent to share the information they provide with other professionals involved.
Ensure the family is aware that throughout your work you will also be seeking information from other professionals working with the family. It is important to get their views to use as evidence in your assessment.

Interventions you may find helpful

Outcomes

▪ Establish a working relationship with the family
▪ Reaching a judgement on the family’s level of understanding of the concerns and what is expected of them, and your initial judgement their capacity to change.
▪ Reaching a judgement on the family’s level of engagement.

Interventions you may find helpful

Go through the referral received
Gain consent to share
Understand parent/carers communication / learning needs or learning styles
Use restorative principles to explore what is working well? Any challenges?
Restorative questions
Allowing parents to be a position ‘of being the expert in their own life’.
Cycle of Change
Resilience Matrix
Service Standards leaflet
Complaints procedure

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

A3.1 Managing Overwhelming Feelings and Thoughts
A3.2 Introduction to Self-Talk
A4.1 Colours: Do I Matter?

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 1

Positive Regards
Panning for Gold
Using Affirmation
A4.1 Colours: Do I Matter?

Outcomes
Establish a working relationship with the family.
▪ Reaching a judgement on the family’s level of understanding of the concerns and what is expected of them, and your initial judgement their capacity to change.
▪ Reaching a judgement on the family’s level of engagement.

Section 2: Parental/Family history

Aim:
▪ To gain an understanding of the family history, including patterns of behaviour and how this may have influenced their current lifestyle, parenting capacity and family functioning – linking the past with the present.
▪ To be clear who is in the family and the nature of relationships between family members so as to clarify who might be able to provide support.
▪ To formulate a pen picture of the parents, being clear about the nature of their relationship, any strengths and challenges or barriers to change

• This session is aimed at you getting an understanding of each parent's childhood and family history that will support your understanding of their current behaviour and lifestyle and identify key factors impacting on their abilities to keep the child/ren safe.
• Supporting the parents to link their past childhood experiences with their current parenting, can help them recognise what needs to change.
Allow the parent to explore their own individual stories as they tell you about their family history.
To start, support the family to draw a family tree (genogram) and talk about the relationships they have with different family members. This will enable you to get a sense of who is in the family and who they may be able to rely on for additional support. Most people enjoy talking about themselves and their families and getting them engaged in drawing their family tree is a good way to get them to open up.
• Parent/s Profile – where were they born, who did they live with? What was their culture, language and religion and what impact did this have/does this have on their lifestyle. Explore their past and current health needs;
• Are they taking any medication?
• If they have current health issues, how do these impact on their parenting?
• Did they have significant physical/mental health problems, and if so, at what age?
• Did they experience any trauma?
• What are the significant events that have occurred in their life?
• Explore each parent's attachments e.g. who comforted them, praised them etc. what are their positive memories and how does this impact on their parenting?
• Ask them to describe each of their parents.:
• Were they affectionate?
• How did they express their love?
• Were they strict?
• How did they implement discipline?
• Did they play with them?
• Did they support them with school/homework? (Ask for examples).
• Did their parents have physical, mental health problems or misuse substances?
• Explore the family’s behaviours and family culture. How do they describe good behaviours and what things had a positive impact on them, as well as anything that had a negative impact.
• Did they ever feel frightened for their safety growing up, when and why?
• Explore their histories, previous relationships and past experiences and how these link to current behaviour and lifestyle. Are they able to reflect on these relationships and identify those that were positive and those that were not?
• You should highlight any issues you have become aware of, through reading key documents and/ or speaking with other professionals. This will enable you to discuss any patterns of behaviour that you might share with them to develop their views and understanding about the strengths and challenges in their lives. This activity will also assist your decision making about how you will deal with the issues raised (immediately if high risk or as part of the ongoing work to address the concerns). During each home visit you should ask if any significant events have occurred and reflection since the last session and any achievements -however small.
• Explore each parent's own support needs and support networks, determine the level of support available and if this is realistic (ask for examples).
• Who are the people in their lives that support them practically and emotionally?
• You will need to be alert to whether the parent(s) have any learning difficulties and adapt your approach accordingly.
• Explore how these influences have led them to where they are now and where they want to be in one years’ time or five years’ time.
• Are they able to accept advice?
• Explore:
• Housing
• Describe the property - is it adequate for the child(ren)?
• Finance
• What is their income?
• How do they manage and organise their money?
• If on benefits, are they claiming all they are entitled to?
• Are any aspects of their life that are impacting on their financial stability?
• Employment issues and the impact of these on their functioning, as well as how these factors impacted historically
• Listen to their life experiences.
• Speak to other professionals working with the parent/s to get a balanced view of the situation. This is important for collaborating information.

▪ Reaching a judgement on the parent’s capacity to change and an understanding of how their own childhood may have impacted on them as an adult and as a parent.
▪ Having an understanding of the family’s culture and values and how these influence the family, their functioning and links to current behaviour and lifestyle.
▪ Assessment of their motivation to changes they want and need to make and their aspirations for the future for themselves and for their children.
▪ Identifying strengths and positive aspects of family life/parenting.
▪ Analysis of overall circumstances, areas for change, working with the family to achieve areas for change and the impact the change would have on the children.
▪ Understanding parents relationship to others and their willingness to work with professionals.

Interventions you may find helpful

Chronology
One minute guide to Chronologies
Genogram
One minute guide to Genograms
Gain an understanding of their childhood experiences
Social Graces
Cultragram
Timeline of my life
Parent/s profile
Parents attachment
Drawing Eco maps
Working with parents with learning difficulties
Distress Screening Tool (TIMOC)
Tree of life (TIMOC)
Timeline of My Life
Working with Parents with learning difficulties

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Do parents understand and recognise their own emotions and those of others?
Recognising Emotions of Self and Others
A3.1 Managing Overwhelming Feelings and Thoughts
A3.3 Recognising Your Emotions
A3.9 Recognising How Other People Feel
A4.7 Responding to How My Child Feels
Recognising Thinking and Impact On Feelings and Behaviours
A3.2 Introduction to Self-Talk
A3.4 Thinking positively
A3.10 Justifications

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Recognising and Managing Specific Emotions
A3.5 Anger and Aggression
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations
A3.7 Guilt
A3.8 Shame
A3.11 Paranoid Thinking
A3.12 Managing Frustrations
A3.13 Low Mood
A3.14 Managing Anxiety
A3.15 Maintaining the Change

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 2

Overshooting
OARS — Open Questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary

Outcomes

▪ Reaching a judgement on the parent’s capacity to change and an understanding of how their own childhood may have impacted on them as an adult and as a parent.
▪ Having an understanding of the family’s culture and values and how these influence the family, their functioning and links to current behaviour and lifestyle.
▪ Assessment of their motivation to changes they want and need to make and their aspirations for the future for themselves and for their children.
▪ Identifying strengths and positive aspects of family life/parenting.
▪ Analysis of overall circumstances, areas for change, working with the family to achieve areas for change and the impact the change would have on the children.
▪ Understanding parents relationship to others and their willingness to work with professionals.

Section 3: Parent’s understanding of the impact of their behaviour on their child(ren)

Aim:
▪ That the parents understand their lifestyle and functioning and the impact of this on their children’s welfare and safety
▪ There is a shared understanding of the risks posed to the children by the parents lifestyle and functioning

• This session will address the parents understanding of any of the following and how their behaviour impacts on the child/ren:
Arguments, volatility and violence
Care by other adults
Substance/alcohol misuse
Mental health issues
Child taking on carer responsibilities, which interfere with the child’s essential normal daily activities.
Parental self-esteem
Parental ability to recognise emotions. Can they recognise their own/others emotions? E.g. anger, guilt, empathy.
Strengths and qualities of the family as a whole and the individuals within it
• It is essential that there is a good understanding of these issues by the professionals working with the family, so that you, as the social worker, can speak to the family with one shared voice.
• You should start to identify things they would like to change and how life could be different for them and their child(ren) if they made changes to their lifestyle or behaviour.
• Once their behaviours are clearly understood you can identify whether any specific work is needed to address the adult behaviours that are impacting on their parenting and having a negative impact on the child(ren).
• Through this work you should identify what the family culture is, how they function as a family and what is important to them, for example:
Their religion, culture or identity
Education
Spending time together as a family etc.
What are the parents attitudes and beliefs?
• This may include giving tasks to the family to carry out before the next session, for example:
• Read bed time stories
• Read together (age dependent)
• Cook or prepare a healthy meal together
• Identify times the parent can praise the child
• Suggest an activity they can do together as a family - maybe going out and doing an activity (and how the whole family managed the activity).
• It is worth spending time to ensure they understand what their child/ren need, so that you can work with them to draw up a plan of what they want to change in their behaviour that they feel would improve life for their children and themselves.
• You will need to be alert to any learning difficulties so as to engage with parents appropriately and in accordance with their skills and abilities.
Speak to other professionals working with the family. What are their views? Explore any differences.

Tools you may find helpful

Outcomes

Interventions you may find helpful

Positive parenting behaviours
Individual harmful behaviours
Cycle of Change
SMART planning
Substance misuse screen tool
Domestic abuse tool
Neglect tool (The day in the life)
Neglect Identification & Measurement Tool (NIMT)
MARAC
Distress Screening Tool (TIMOC)
Continuing Bonds conversation (TIMOC)
Safe space technique (TIMOC)
Grief Work (TIMOC)
Domestic Abuse leaflet
Effects of Domestic Abuse on Children
Ways that Domestic Abuse may affect Children
Things I would like to change
Alcohol Abuse questionnaire

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Do parents understand the impact of their behaviour on children?
Specific session that explore impact
A4.4 Do my relationships affect my children
A3.2 Introduction to Self-Talk
A3.4 Thinking positively
A3.7 Guilt
A4.5 What colour am I with my children
A4.6 Being a green parent
A4.7 Responding to how my child feels

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Other sessions that explore behaviours and consequences which can be focused around impact on children
A3.3 Recognising your emotions
A3.5 Anger and Aggression
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations
A3.8 Shame
A3.10 Justifications
A3.11 Paranoid Thinking
A3.12 Managing Frustration
A3.13 Low Mood
A3.14 Managing Anxiety
A3.15 Maintaining the Change
A4.3 Healthy v Unhealthy Relationships

Sessions to support recognising and managing emotions
A3.5 Anger and Aggression
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations
A3.7 Guilt
A3.8 Shame
A3.10 Justifications
A3.11 Paranoid Thinking
A3.12 Managing Frustrations
A3.13 Low Mood
A3.14 Managing Anxiety
A3.15 Maintaining the Change

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 3

Columbo technique
Cost benefit analysis / decision scales
Cognitive Dissonance
Developing Discrepancies

Outcomes

▪ Parents understanding of the impact of their behaviour on the child, and on their physical and emotional wellbeing.
▪ Parents having a greater responsibility for their own actions.
▪ Parents understanding and acting on what needs to change.
▪ Understanding of the parents’ self-awareness and self esteem.
▪ Understanding of the parent’s knowledge and ability to know their child(ren)’s needs and how they can meet these needs and how self-esteem may impact on this.
▪ Improving the relationship between parent and child(ren).
▪ Parents’ awareness of expectations of their child(ren)’s behaviour, and ability to promote and encourage positive child behaviour.
▪ Understand and acknowledge the parents strengths and qualities.
▪ Evaluate the levels of risk.

Section 4: Direct work/communicating with children

Aim:
▪ Build a relationship with child(ren)
▪ To gain the child(ren)’s view on what life is like for them
▪ Build protective behaviours in children
▪ Build child’s self-esteem and emotional resilience

• Try to ensure the child or young person is comfortable with the environment in which you are going to conduct the direct work:
• Be sensitive and empathetic,
• Listen actively
• Use plain language and check with them their understanding of things you may explain to them.
• Work at the child’s pace.
• This session will also explore the:
• Child’s profile (pen picture)
• Their understanding of why you are involved with their family
• How they explain/describe their family/experiences
• What makes them happy, sad, angry, and scared
• What makes their parents happy, sad, angry, and scared
• How the child manages their emotions. What are their coping strategies?
• Explore how parents provide them with comfort how they praise them
• Child’s self-esteem
Understanding of their friendship networks and ability to socialise.
Child development milestones
• Direct work may be undertaken with the child/ren on protective behaviours, this may give an insight and understanding on how the child feels living in the home and how they protect themselves when faced with parent’s behaviours.
• The child’s wishes and feeling and what life is like for them.
• Through exploration aim to identify the trauma the child is or may be experiencing.

Interventions you may find helpful

Blank Plan Schedule of Sessions with Child/ren
Guidance on direct work with child/ren
Worksheet – Who am I? – Culture and Diversity
Direct worksheets
Emotional Card Games
Feelings Game
House of Worries/3 Houses
Magic Wands
Child/ren’s likes / interests
Developmental / communication needs
Cultural heritage
Genogram
Sociogram
Cultragram
About Me Advocate
SMART planning
Identify key family/ community resources that the child/ren feels are positive
Direct worksheets – Who am I? Culture & Diversity
All About Me Resources
Child’s profile (pen picture)
Emotion cards
Widgets
Blank plan schedule of sessions with child/ren
Emotional Card Games
Feelings Game
House of Worries
Magic Wands
Child Exploitation Risk Assessment Framework (CERAF)
Young People’s DASH
BEARS Screening Tool (TIMOC)
Sleep packs (TIMOC)
Body Clock calculator (TIMOC)
Tree of Life (TIMOC)
Grief work (TIMOC)

Interventions you may find helpful

Relaxation – deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation (TIMOC)
Safe Space technique (TIMOC)
Grounding technique (TIMOC)
Managing Suicide and Self Harm with WRAP plan (TIMOC)

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

A3 Recognising & Managing thoughts & feelings
A3.1 Managing overwhelming feelings and thoughts
A3.2 Introduction to Self-Talk
A3.2 Recognising your emotions
A3.4 Thinking positively
A3.5 Anger and Aggression
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations
A3.7 Guilt
A3.8 Shame
A3.9 Recognising how other people feel
A3.10 Justifications
A3.11 Paranoid Thinking
A3.12 Managing Frustrations
A3.13 Low Mood
A3.14 Managing Anxiety
A3.15 Maintaining the Change
A4 Making my Relationships Healthy
A4.3 Healthy -v- Unhealthy Relationships
A4.4 How my behaviours affect my children
A4.5 What Colour am I with my children
A4.7 Responding to how my child feels
A4.8 Relationships with my Family
A4.9 Relationships with my Friends
A4.10 Relationships with Professionals

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 4

OARS— Open questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary
Cycle Of Change
Columbo technique

Outcomes
Build a relationship with the child(ren) to achieve an open and honest working relationship.
▪ Ascertaining and understanding the child’s(ren’s) views and wishes and an understanding of what it is like in their family and home; and what they would like to be different.
▪ Understanding of child’s feelings and how the parent’s behaviours are impacting on them.
▪ To gain an understanding of the child’s lived experience.
▪ Identify if a child requires further support from specialist services e.g. CAMHS .
▪ “Be Happy, Be Safe, Be Resilient, Be Independent”

Section 5: Parenting capacity (part 1)

Aim:
▪ Gain an understanding of parenting capacity to meet the child/ren’s holistic needs.
▪ Gain an understanding of the quality of the relationships between parents and the children .
▪ The parent’s ability to adapt to the changing needs of the children.

Basic care

• This session will look at the following areas and use the graded profile to identify strengths and areas for change.
• This session may include individual/direct work with the child/ren (or joint work with both parent and child) in building independence skills and resilience.
• Identify how the parents meet the child’s physical and health needs providing appropriate food, warmth and safety. Be aware of the difference between neglect and material poverty.
• Food, nutrition and diet (inadequate provision of food)
• Quality and stability of the home environment, housing, whether there are animals or pets in household (a living environment that is safe for the child’s development)
• Child(ren)’s presentation and hygiene (a poor standard of hygiene that affects their health and socialisation/self-esteem
• Parent’s own personal care needs
• Values and behaviours
• Following identification of the areas for improvement, support the parents to draw up a plan with specific tasks of what they will do to make the necessary changes
• This session may also focus on the child’s health and development (this may be a session that is conducted jointly with the health professional (health visitor) or conducted independently by the health professional (tasks/actions identified through core group/child in need meeting)
• The following areas should be considered in detail:
• Child’s development - if it is a younger child - link with the child(ren) health record and most recent development review. If it is an unborn child, ensure that you link in with antenatal care.
• How are the child’s general health needs being met.
• Are they registered with a dentist and do they attend regular check ups?
• Do they attend eye care appointments?
• Has the child(ren) had all of their immunisations?
• Do the parents comply with hospital appointments?
• Are there any disability or illness issues?
• Are there any issues with the child(ren)’s emotional wellbeing?
• Do they self-harm?
• Are there any issues with bullying?
• Dietary needs - consider obesity, eating disorders, etc.
• Identify the areas of safety you want to cover in this session – road safety, safe play protection from unsafe adults, appropriate supervision, safety in the home etc.
• What are the sleeping arrangements - co sleeping/safe sleeping arrangements?
• Identify the protective factors.
• Identify parents’ ability to make safe decisions for their children.
• How do the parents deal with hazards? (age related)
• Can they identify risks and protect?
• Use the graded care profile to assess the levels of care provided and the grades to identify where the parent/s think they are on the scale.
• Use the graded care profile to look at:
• How they communicate with the child, warmly, harshly etc.
• Do they have routines?
• How do they set boundaries,?
• How do they unsure the safety and supervision of the child/ren?
• How they offer praise/ reprimand/discipline their child/ren, are they consistent?
Identify positives and areas that require improvements and be clear regarding the remedial work that needs to be undertaken. Ask them to identify areas that they will work on and explore how they will do this in detail so they can evidence the progress they make.
Make sure you get the views from of other professionals that may have knowledge and understanding of parental capacity in other situations.

Health

Ensuring Safety

Guidance and Boundaries

Interventions you may find helpful

Use the graded care profile tool to work with the parents, and use the family plan for them to identify tasks in relation to basic care, health, safety, guidance and boundaries that they can complete between sessions.
Use Centile Charts
What Kids Need (Cards, Record Chart and Instructions)
What are the basic care needs
Guidance and Boundaries
Parenting assessment manual
The Framework of the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (Department of Health, 2000)
Assessing Parental Capacity to Change when Children are on the Edge of Care (Department for Education, 2014)
Neglect Toolkit
Emotional warmth
Stability
Stimulation and education
Attachment / quality of relationship
Sibling relationships
Observations of the child and parent interaction
E-safety work
3 House tool
Stimulation and education
Emotional warmth
Home Inventory prompt list
Distressing Screening tool
BEARS Screening Tool (TIMOC)
Body Clock calculator (TIMOC)
Eating well advice (TIMOC)
Healthy Food Choices and managing healthy weight (TIMOC)
Cultural food/ comfort linked to continuing bonds (TIMOC)

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Attachment Style
Adult Relationships
A4.1 Colours – do I matter?
A4.2 Colours – do you matter?
A4.3 Health –v- Unhealthy Relationships
Parent and Child Relationship
A4.5 What Colour am I with my children
A4.6 Being a Green parent
A4.7 Responding to how my child feels
Wider network / support / influence / friends / family
A4.8 Relationships with my Family
A4.9 Relationships with my Friends
A4.10 Relationships with Professionals
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 5

OARS— Open questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary
Devil’s advocate
Scaling on the need for change and confidence in making change
Cycle of Change

Outcomes
Ensuring the safety of the child(ren).
▪ Improved Quality of Care that the child(ren) are receiving and identifying what needs to change.
▪ Identification of ongoing neglect and the impact on the child and identify a plan to support parental change.
▪ Identify protective factors.
▪ Improved health and wellbeing of child.
▪ Improved safety of children.
▪ “Be Safe, Be healthy”

Section 6: Parenting capacity (part 2)

Aim:
▪ Gain an understanding of parenting capacity to meet the child/ren’s holistic needs
▪ Gain an understanding of the quality of the relationships between parents and the children
▪ The parent’s ability to adapt to the changing needs of the children.

Emotional warmth

Strengthening the bond/relationship between parent and child
This session will also explore with the parent/s their bond/quality of their relationship/attachment with their child/ren and what impacts on this, with the aim to strengthen the relationship/bond.
• How did the parent feel about the child when they were born?
• How they put the child’s needs first and above their own.
• What they see as positive and negative values and how they give positive values to the children.
• The sibling relationships and parent’s relationship with each child.
• Current adult relationships and the impact of these on the functioning of the family and the impact of these on the child(ren).
• How they meet and respond to the child’s(ren’s) emotional needs:
• Are they affectionate?
Do they praise the child(ren)
How does the child respond?
• Are the parents responsive to the child? Are they attuned to the child’s(ren’s) needs
How do they manage stressful situations?
Who initiates (child/parent) and how does the other reciprocate?
This session will include an observation of the child and parent interaction
• Be clear about why you are observing the parent and child interaction, be specific about the focus of the observation.
• In the observation you may consider who mainly initiates interaction, does the parent pick up on social clues, and if the child seeks comfort - is this forthcoming?
• Observe mum, dad/partner individually and jointly with the children. Ask them what activities they are going to undertake, try to ensure that this is as natural as possible.
Give the parents feedback on what you have observed praise them on their positive parenting, as they may not think they are doing well.
• On any areas for improvement or change get them to explore why the change needs to take place and consider a specific task that they can work on. Get the parent to think about what the task may be and what difference it will make.
In this session you will explore/discuss:
• Adult relationships/attachments – Explore healthy and unhealthy attachments/relationships that impact on their parenting. How they find time for the children and for themselves.
These sessions will:
Explore with the parent their views and understanding of the benefits/risks of the areas below and their role in meeting these needs and protecting the child(ren) from any potential harm. (Age related see graded care profile)
Check if the parents have any literacy issues themselves, as this will enable you to have a better understanding of the support they will need.
• If the child is known to have particular educational needs check the following with the school:
• Is the child eligible for pupil premium, if yes - do they receive it?
• Does the child need additional support, for example, tuition?
• Does the school have a family support worker or a counselling service. If yes, how could they support the child and family?
• Explore the parents’ own experience of education:
• What did they like about school/?
• What did they struggle with?
• Did they have a good friendship group?
• Did they experience any bullying?
• Does the parent promote play and interact with the child at the child’s level?
• What is the parent’s understanding/approach/role in their child’s education?
• Pre/school attendance/parental engagement and communication with school/ pre school.
• Attending school events e.g. parents’ evening /school social events.
• Is the child achieving the expected academic progress in school?
• Are the parents supporting the child(ren) with school and homework?
• Is the child ambitious and are the parents supportive of them?
• Self-esteem of the child(ren).
• Is the child(ren) experiencing bullying?
• Are they at risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE)?
• Are they E-Safety aware? (link with messages from school, so the message is the same)
• Does the child(ren) have access to social media? Do parents supervise the child(ren)’s social media activity to prevent exposure to inappropriate material/people.
• Building resilience for parent(s) and child(ren),
• Stimulation – leisure/wellbeing/life experience/friendships/social networks.
• Sexual health education.
• Protective behaviours.
• The module will take into consideration all information to date that determines parents understanding and ability to provide their children with stable and consistent care. This should include capacity to provide;
• Consistency of emotional warmth.
• Routines.
• Stable living arrangements.
• The parent’s ability to respond appropriately to the changes in the child(ren’s)/young person’s development.
• Consider the positive contact between the child and other important family members and significant others.
• Identify triggers and risk to instability e.g. new partners, moving accommodation and absence of primary carer. Are there any indicators of a chaotic lifestyle?
• Identify needs and a support plan to assist parents to provide stability for their children

Parenting Observation

Feedback on Parenting Observation

Attachment/quality of relationship

Stimulation and Education

Stability

Tools you may find helpful

▪ Observation template
▪ Attachment
▪ What Kids need (Record chart, Cards and Instructions)
▪ Healthy relationships
▪ 3 House Tools
▪ Stimulation and education
▪ Emotional warmth
▪ Home Inventory prompt list
▪ Childhood Development Checklist

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 6

OARS—Open questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary
Devil’s advocate
Scaling on the need for change and confidence in making change
Cycle of Change
Positive Regard
Cost benefit analysis

Outcomes

▪ Evidence-based feedback to outline the positives and areas for further support/intervention.
▪ Parents achieving positive parenting
▪ Improved outcomes for the child(ren) including good educational outcome and the child living in a stable home environment.
▪ Level of attachment/quality of relationship with the children
▪ Understanding of child’s needs
▪ Parents empathy for their children’s needs and feelings
▪ Building healthy relationships
▪ Family’s own identification of ongoing difficulties and what makes these better or worse

Module 7: Analysis and Recommendations

Identifying progress and overall analysis

• This session is taking stock of what has been or may not have been achieved. It will be important to acknowledge strengths and the progress that has been made, but also being honest about what has not improved or is outstanding. If things have not improved sufficiently, explain why that is your view and be clear about what more needs to be done and with the family. This will provide an opportunity to identify any areas for further intensive work. This may include other adult programmes of work or further work with you. Keep the parents motivated and continue to praise any progress that has been achieved. Include how the parents have engaged.
• Some of the sessions may need to be revisited to review the impact of the work undertaken and progress made or in response to new information of concern.
• Think critically and analytically about this family situation. Analysis involves organising the information collected during the work undertaken, judging its significance and exploring different perspectives, to identify themes and reach conclusions on what these mean for the child or young person and their family. You should draw on knowledge from research and practice combined with an understanding of the child’s needs.
• Provide a summary of your findings and how these support your recommendations. This could include:
• How did the parent engage and how have they worked with you?
• Have the parent/s understood what the problems/issues are and their role in this?
• Have they understood the impact on the children?
• Do they have the resources/support to make the changes needed?
• What were the strengths and what were the issues with their parenting?
• What has been the lived experience of the child(ren)?
Given what you know about the parents’ history are there any patterns or triggers?
What are the risks? And how do they balance with the strengths?
• From your interventions and assessment, what conclusions have you reached regarding the outcomes for the future and the sustainability of the changes the family have made – you must consider the long term as well as the short term?
• What support has been put in place and how effective was this?
• Are there any areas that the parent/s need further support or advice with?
Discuss any recommendations that you will be making to the next Child Protection Conference/Child in Need meeting and explain why.

Overall Analysis

Interventions you may want to consider

Capacity to Change
Protecting Children: A Guide for Social Workers Undertaking a Comprehensive Assessment (Department of Health, 1988)
Parents relationships with other professionals
Multi-agency opinion
Family Group Conference
Fast Feet Forward referral (TIMOC)
Vulnerability & Resilience matrix
Horwath and Marrison (2001) model for assessing change
Restorative cycle
Restorative meeting

UP2U Family Practice Core Sessions

Wider network / support / influence / friends / family
A4.8 Relationships with my Family
A4.9 Relationships with my Friends
A4.10 Relationships with Professionals
A3.6 Managing Stressful Situations

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 7

OARS—Open questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary
Cycle of Change
SMART

Outcomes

▪ Recommendations to the next child protection conference, Child in Need meeting
▪ Updated family plan going forward to sustain change

Outcomes

▪ Recommendations to the next child protection conference, Child in Need meeting
▪ Updated family plan going forward to sustain change

Section 8: Views of parent/s and child/ren

Parent(s) comments/views

Ensure you share the work you have undertaken with the child(ren) and their parents, make the time to go through the work completed in detail with them and be there to answer why you have said what you have and any questions the child(ren) or parent(s) may have.
• What are the parents’ views on the work you have undertaken with them and their child(ren)?
• What is their view of the progress that has been made?
• What are the children’s views on the work you have undertaken? Are things better for them now, or the same?

Child’s(ren’s) comments/views

Tips for using Motivational Interviewing in Module 8

OARS—Open questions, Affirmation, Reflection, Summary
Positive Regard

Outcomes

▪ Represent the parent(s) and child(ren)’s view of the work undertaken and the overall interventions and assessment

Motivational Skills

Empathy
Positive regard
Congruences (kindness)
Respect
Curiosity
Compassion
Structure to conversations
Active Listening
Affirmation / encourage
Give them courgage
Not heavy (create lightness)
Summary
Principles of Motivational Interviewing
Roll with Resistance
Express Empathy
Avoid Argument
Develop Discrepancy
Support Self-efficiency / Responsibility
Reflective conversations
Positive re-framing (Panning for Gold)
Positive challenge (High support, high challenge)
Remember do not use labels
Safe venting
Positive affirmation
Open questions – what, when, how and who,
Columbo technique
Overshooting
Cognitive dissonance – Justification – over estimating
Cognisitve Dissonance – Justification
Cost benefit analysis
Scoring
Devils Advocate
Mind the gap
Connection before correction

• Published: August 2018

www.portsmouth.gov.uk

Restorative Practice Handbook · #

# · Restorative Practice Handbook