Department of Human Services Bottling Trust and Reciprocity: The key to successful early...
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Transcript of Department of Human Services Bottling Trust and Reciprocity: The key to successful early...
Department of Human Services
Bottling Trust and Reciprocity: The key to successful early intervention and prevention programs?
Mick NaughtonOffice for ChildrenDepartment of Human ServicesVictoria
Trust and reciprocity
• Victorian Context• Changing relationships• Trust and Reciprocity• Evaluation findings• Key considerations
A note on the Victorian context
• Victoria – population 5 million, 1 million children• Family Support services delivered entirely by
Victorian CSOs• Child protection services are delivered internally
by the Office for Children, Department of Human Services
• Since 2003 there has been significant new investment in Victorian family services– That target families that traditionally ‘cycled’ through
statutory child protection services and CSOs
“New Zealand and some parts of Australia now have
notification rates much closer to that of the US than the
UK…Such a scenario is like the Titanic heading toward the
iceberg at increasing speed. It is illusory to think we
protect children by extending the reach of the statutory
child protection system, yet in the wake of child abuse
tragedies that is exactly what tends to happen – a vicious
negative feedback loop is established”
Professor Dorothy ScottAustralian Centre for Child ProtectionUniversity of South Australia
Impetus for change
Key data supporting the change
It was clear (in 2001-02) that we faced a number of challenges in Victoria:
Growing demand – in particular through child protection renotifications, running at 62% and rising
Notifications from professionals were increasing, especially schools and police (doubling every 4 years)
Compelling evidence of increasing client complexity (Drug and Alcohol/Family Violence in particular)
Projections based on unchanged policy settings indicated continued growth in front-end demand…
Even ‘IF’ notifications stabilised, still looking at 19% of Victorian children notified to child protection during their childhood
Key policy driving the change
• Traditional policy response was to grow the child protection system
• Victorian strategy included new investment in family support services …
• … that has subsequently accelerated, with the approach piloted in the Family Support Innovation Projects now being mainstreamed …
• … and new legislation that further supports the emerging directions set by these projects.
• Trust and reciprocity based around strong local partnerships have been a key feature of this work
‘Rather like the child whose world is mediated through the quality of relationships between the parents, so the experience of vulnerable families in the child protection process is mediated through the modeling of multidisciplinary relationships and behaviour. One cannot feel safe as an airline passenger whilst witnessing the crew arguing amongst themselves,or worse providing conflicting accounts of what is happening and what todo when the plane is in trouble.’
Tony Morrison
Vinson and Hornibrook
• Undertook analysis of well functioning local human services system
• Observed a shift away separate organisational forms to new collaborative arrangements
“…the merging of older conceptions of separate service organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, into an integrated system that needs to be managed as a system and held accountable for effective service provision in the context of local needs and conditions.”Vinson, T and Hornibrook, J (2001) Visible signs of a well-functioning community service system
• Trust
noun 1 firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. 2 acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation. 3 the state of being responsible for someone or something.
verb 1 have trust in. 2 (trust with) have the confidence to allow (someone) to have, use, or look after. 3 (trust to) commit (someone or something) to the safekeeping of.
• Our daily work is mediated by a complex range of hard and soft relationships and dependencies
• Evidence of growing range of relationships and dependencies
• Reflecting complex circumstances faced by vulnerable children and families
• Significant changes in the nature and conduct of relationships between Family Services CSOs and between CSOs and Government
• Have been incubated and tested in the roll out of significant new investment in Victorian family services since 2003 (Family Support Innovation Projects)
• Evaluation of these new projects undertaken by La Trobe University has included a focus on these changing relationships
Collaboration and integration
Activities Pre- introduction of Innovations
59.5 58.8
51.454.1
5.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Joint training ofyour staff
Joint delivery ofservices
Joint clientoutreachactivities
Joint casemanagement of
clients
Management ofjoint waiting lists
Activity
Per
cen
tage
Not at all/ notapplicable
With some, most orall agenceis
Collaboration and integration has improved
Activities since the introduction of Innovations
83.780.6 78.4
44.5
81.0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Joint trainingof your staff
Joint deliveryof services
Joint clientoutreachactivities
Joint casemanagement
of clients
Managementof joint waiting
lists
Activity
Pe
rce
nta
ge Not at all/ not
applicable
With some, most orall agenceis
Positive Early Evaluation Findings
Number of Substantiations by State & Territory
02000400060008000
100001200014000160001800020000
Vic
toria
NS
W
Que
ensl
and
WA SA
Tas
man
ia
AC
T NT
1999-00
2004-05
Growth in demand
Learning to Date…
• TRUST and RECIPROCITY are critical factors in the establishment of successful collaborations between the key partners and critical factors in achieving the projects’ objectives
• But how do we ‘bottle’ trust and reciprocity?
By investing in and developing strategies to achieve and sustain successful partnerships and collaborations…
Proposition:
Successful service collaboration can lead to better outcomes for vulnerable
children and their families
“After the despair of recent decades, it is heartening to report progress in Victoria. The incidence of confirmed abuse has begun to decline, albeit marginally, as the state increases its practical capacity to intervene earlier when children are at risk”
The Age, Melbourne, 23 January 2006, Lead Editorial, Early intervention and the tide of child abuse
Department of Human Services
www.dhs.vic.gov.au/everychildeverychance
Further information