Pointers for Practice: Initial Core group Meeting - Effective Practice

The core group is a working group consisting of those who are responsible for implementing the care and support protection plan.

The following is important:

Understand contribution to the plan

Each practitioner should ensure that by the end of the meeting they are clear about:

• the content of the plan and the rationale behind it;
• child-focused outcome measures;
• the contribution they are making to the plan;
• how they will work with the family in their practitioner role to improve the daily lived experience of the child/ren.

Ensure needs of each child is given due consideration

The needs of children vary; it is important that the concerns about and changes to the daily lived experience of each child in the family are considered separately.

Child-centred outcome measures are used

The aim of the plan is to ensure that the child is protected from harm and the quality of their lived experience improves. Therefore, it is important that outcome measures and markers of progress are framed in terms of improvements expected by practitioners to the quality of the daily lived experience of the child.

Avoid professional short-hand and jargon

Short-hand, for example ‘parent/s to attend parenting programme’, should be avoided. Rather, spell out what concerns about parenting behaviour should be addressed by the parenting programme and how success will be measured in terms of demonstrably, improved outcomes to the daily lived experience of the child/ren.

Ongoing consideration is given to parental motivation and ability to change

For plans to be effective it is essential that parent/s engage meaningfully with the change process. Change requires both ability and motivation to change. An assessment of capacity to change and implications for the plan should be undertaken.

Past behaviours and past engagement with services provide an indication of parental motivation to change.

Ensure parents understand what is expected of them and the rationale

Parents are more likely to engage with the plan if they are clear about the rationale for the plan and why they are expected to make the changes outlined in the plan. It is important, therefore, that the core group goes at the pace of the parent/s to ensure they fully understand what is expected of them and the support they will receive.

Due consideration is given to what the family want to see change

Whilst it is important to focus on practitioner concerns it is also important to consider what the child/ren and parent/s want to change.

Practitioners need to understand how their involvement will contribute to achieving child-focused outcomes

Practitioners need to understand exactly what is expected of them in terms of actions and how progress will be measured.

Ensure to play on strengths and celebrate success

Always recognise family strengths and draw on these when developing the plan.