Elements and Performance Criteria

The contexts for establishing a case plan could include:
A result of a notification/report
A result of a risk assessment
A result of a placement in out of home care
A result of a court order
A result of a contract to provide a service
Part of a case planning meeting or conference

Establishment of a case plan will be carried out within requirements established by:
Commonwealth and state legislation
Relevant international conventions
Organisational policy and procedures
Relevant program standards
Inter-agency protocols/guidelines

Development of a case plan includes:
Working collaboratively with the client and all stakeholders
Identifying priority needs/target needs/risks
Identifying and building on client strengths and/or protective factors
Setting goals which are negotiated with the client
Identifying strategies and actions, roles and responsibilities, timeframes and review
Documentation using formats and procedures

Client need includes:
Developmental needs (physical, social, cultural, emotional and psychological)
Risks
Early intervention/prevention
Supports in parenting
Practical eg housing, income

Relevant stakeholders include:
Child or young person
Family
Significant others
Worker
Carers
Supervisor and organisation
Court and legal practitioners
Community

Information could include:
All official documentation relating to client, full family history, developmental and medical history
All available records, anecdotal material and individual interviews

Client can include:
Child/children
Young person/people
Parents
Family/relative
Significant others
Foster cares

Case management principles can include:
Taking the least intrusive intervention necessary to ensure safety and support protection
Safety, welfare and wellbeing of child or young person is paramount consideration
Using a strength based, partnership approach in practice
Intervention is planned and purposeful
Working in partnership with other service providers
Consideration of culture, disability, language, religion, sexuality and any special needs in service provision
Children and young people placed away from home are entitled to special protection and assistance
Self determination of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
Recognition of the importance of maintaining significant relationships and cultural identity of a child or young person when they cannot live with their family
Working quickly to resolve permanency by planning placement stability and continuity of relationships
Ethical practice
Accountability for decisions and actions

Child centred practice includes:
Engaging in direct work with children and young people
Providing an advocacy role on behalf of children and young people
Understanding the different, and range, of stages of development (including attachment) and how that can inform intervention and planning
Ensuring that the child or young person is an active participant throughout the case management process
Recognising that children and young people are part of families and communities
Safeguarding children can not be separated from promoting their welfare
The role of prevention and early implementation strategies in protecting and supporting children

Family focus includes:
Recognition that parenting can be stressful and challenging
Recognition of the impact of poverty and disadvantage on families
Recognition of the potential impact of statutory intervention on families
Recognition of the complex issues facing that should

Exercising effective communication skills includes:
Identifying and evaluating what is occurring within an interaction in a non judgemental way
Making decision about appropriate words, behaviour, posture
Using active listening
Using clarifying, summarising questions
Putting together a response that is culturally appropriate
Expressing an individual perspective
Expressing own philosophy, ideology and background and exploring the impact of this on the communication
Exploring and unpacking problems
Reflective listening
Providing sufficient time to enable stories to be told
Provide summarising and reflective response in conflict situations

Complex cases can include the presence of a number of complicating factors including:
Multiple abuse/injuries
Ritual abuse
Life threatening/high risk situations
Multiple difficulties present in family
Intellectual or psychiatric disabled clients
Chronic and serious substance abuse/addiction
Family/domestic violence
A wide range of other services involved which requires coordination
Involvement of protective and custodial agencies in the family over a lengthy period
Cases with high public/political sensitivity requiring sensitive and experienced case investigation and management
Poverty including poor housing, inadequate and limited educational, health and social facilities, and high risk communities/neighbourhoods

Case plans can include:
Assessment/investigation plan
Support and management plan
Out of home care plan
Restoration/reunification plan
Protection plan

Case meetings can include:
Case conferences
Protection Planning meetings
Family group conferences
Alternate dispute resolution

Cultural considerations include:
Indigenous and ethnic considerations
Power relationship structures
Rituals, beliefs, hierarchies and practices
Community politics
Gender
Parenting practice and family dynamics

Contract for service provision includes:
Responsibilities of service/agency
Referral service/agency and client are articulated, documented, endorsed and explained to the client and relevant stakeholders
Agreement is sought from client and stakeholders about roles, responsibilities, timelines, actions, milestones and outcomes

Procedures used in crisis situations include:
Ensuring security and safety of all relevant parties including protection and custodial issues and the level of intervention required
Appropriate crisis services such as counselling, respite care, debriefing

Support and prevention strategies includes:
Provision of information
Early intervention and prevention services
Financial and practical benefits

Rights and appeal mechanisms include:
Those operating within all state departments, service provider organisations and external bodies

Recording/documentation of a case plan includes:
Computer report, hand written, electronic, on file, etc

Feedback mechanisms include:
Communicating daily with child, young person, family, significant other, about meeting of needs, participating within a case conference, recording observations about progress on activities

Each contact with client is recorded includes:
Telephone contact, face-to-face interviews, contact with service provider about the client, letters, anecdotal information received from others, enquiries conducted by the worker to other agencies eg schools, doctors etc

Relevant supporting information includes:
Example reports eg medical, school, family assessment, out of home care history, intake forms, referees, financial assistance record etc

Critical aspects of assessment:
Interpretation and application of legislation, policies and procedures
Responding to and managing crisis
Developing and assessing actions appropriate for intervention
Collecting and assessing information
Documentation of plans
Application of all aspects of a structured case management framework to statutory child protection work

Essential knowledge:
Understanding of legal implications and responsibilities of statutory work
Understanding of state and federal jurisdictions, including all courts within the jurisdictions
Detailed understanding of child protection policy and procedures including inter-agency protocols
Detailed understanding of legislation relevant to child protection including Family Court protocols and practice and policy guidelines including legal definitions of abuse
Understanding of risk assessment, comprehensive psycho-social assessment and family assessment
Understanding of indicators of harm, types of harm, definitions and dynamics of harm
Understanding of theories on vulnerability and resilience of children
Understanding of the change process
Understanding of stages of child development
Understanding of workings of court, legal systems and legal processes
Understanding of legal implications of material collected through interviews
Understanding of family dynamics in different cultures
Understanding of recording and reporting systems
Understanding of how to access interpreters for clients and their families who are from a non-English speaking background or who are hearing or speech impaired

Essential skills:
Ability to interpret policies, procedures, standards and statutory obligations
Ability to use communication techniques such as: active listening, reflection, summarising, questions and statements, gaining agreement on actions and explaining outcomes
Ability to use solution focussed interviewing techniques
Ability to interview and engage children, young people and their families in communication exchange
Ability to effectively and impartially collect and analyse information according to risk assessment framework or models
Ability to articulate rationale for decision-making
Ability to interpret legalese into language understood by client and significant others
Ability to set boundaries for roles and actions
Ability to demonstrate empathy and rapport building
Ability to use age appropriate language and questioning techniques
Ability to utilise conflict resolution skills
Ability to manage grief and change processes
Ability to engage and establish a professional relationship with children and young people
Ability to monitor own level of stress and implement stress management strategies
Ability to work appropriately with cross cultural issues
Ability to prepare court reports
Ability to present factual, non-emotive information succinctly
Appropriate use of supervision and consultation

Resource implications:
Access to appropriate workplace where assessment can be conducted or
Simulation of realistic workplace setting for assessment

Consistency in performance:
Assessment may include observation, questioning and evidence gathered from the workplace environment. Workplace evidence can be testimonials, portfolios or copies of completed workplace records/documentation
Assessment may be conducted on one occasion but must include the normal range of workplace situations

Context of assessment:
This unit of competence must be assessed in the workplace within a statutory child protection authority and under the normal range of workplace conditions
Evidence will be determined by selection from the Range Statement, justified in terms of work requirements, work roles and responsibilities and occupational specialisations.

Evidence for assessment of competence may be gathered by appropriate combination of the following:

Demonstration of competency within the working environment in undertaking case management in a statutory child protection environment
Assessment should be in the workplace, however, where there is not an opportunity to cover all of the range statement statements in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on "what if?" Scenarios
Observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questions on Essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
Where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a period of time and/or in a number of locations, any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons
Review of any workplace documentation produced by the candidate related to case management in a statutory child protection environment.