ACWA Conference 2010 Barnardos Find-a-Family Working Together – Promoting Positive Relationships to Enhance Permanency Lisa Velickovich and Laura Ritchie

Barnardos Find-a-Family Adoption and Permanent Family Care o The integrated Permanent Care and Adoption Program has been operating since 1985 and over 450 children have been placed in permanent care. o The Program only accepts referrals of children who have an order of Parental Responsibility to the Minister until the age of 18 years. o Find-a-Family specialises in services to children age under 12 years on referral.

o Find-a-Family recruits and assesses families to match with ‘hard to place’ children - who have experienced multiple types of abuse, have had many placements and are often part of large sibling groups o Children are almost always maintained in sibling groups and we make every effort to place with culturally appropriate carers. o Over 50 % of children who exit the programme will be adopted and the average age at adoption is 9 years.

Beginning of the relationship o Referrals predominately from Community Services. o Children have long term orders and birth family are often not aware of the referral to our agency. o Often a history of negative relationships and lack of trust between birth family and services. o Where to next ?

Building a relationship with the birth family o Engage with birth family as soon as child enters programme. o Face to face meeting with Caseworker and Programme Manager. o Anxiety about role of Barnardos - will the relationship be different? - Barnardos is seen as either part of the system that removed child or as a completely separate new beginning.

Relationship with birth family (cont..) o Consistency of worker. Low turnover of staff. o Caseworker will supervise all siblings even if in separate placements. o Programme Manager also has contact with birth family.

Building a relationship with the carer o Comprehensive assessment and training. o Consistency of worker. o Regular home visits and support. Carers have workers mobile number. ( no on call system).

How we develop and maintain relationships with all parties o Preparation with all parties prior to first meeting. o Case reviews are held 6 monthly and birth family, foster carers and child are invited to attend o Consultation – Looking After Children consultation papers

Contact Contact is dynamic, changing across time as individual circumstances change. Contact is the means through which all parties can work at relationships, and relationships are not easy or simple. The role of the social worker is to facilitate this work by ensuring that arrangements are made that are feasible, safe and supported by all parties. This requires experience, skill and time (Selwyn, 2004:162 ).

Contact (cont...) o Contact is an area that can often be emotionally challenging. o Each party comes into it with preconceived ideas of how it will work o Challenge is to give the parties the opportunity to get to know one another

Contact (cont...) Carers are encouraged to bring photos, Christmas cards, school awards to contact Caseworker’s role is not just to supervise contact but to facilitate and encourage the relationship. This is particularly important for children with adoption case plans

Case Example 1 o Sibling group of 5 in 3 separate permanent placements with FAF o History of exposure to domestic violence, neglect, and mental illness of birth parents o One set of carers were initially fearful of contact with birth father due to his history of violence. o Extensive consultation with carers and birth father was required to ensure both parties needs were being met

Case Example 1 (cont...) o Following consultation it was agreed that contact occur in indoor play centres o Contact has been successful since this time and once both parties had their needs respected, the anxiety around contact has reduced and allowed for relationship building o Carers reported that they now feel comfortable with birth father and feel that the visits are positive for all involved

Case Example 2 o Sibling group of 5. History of exposure to domestic violence, drug abuse and exposure to adult sexual activity o Birth family are of Middle Eastern background, carers are Anglo-Australian o Contact is currently 6 times per year with birth father and grandparents, 4 times per year with birth mother and 4 times per year with siblings.

Challenges o Birth father and grandparents attend contact together. o Grandparents speak very little English. o Cultural differences: food sharing, very affectionate o One set of carers are experienced, the others are first- time carers

Strategies o Carers attend contact o Birth father translates so that grandparents are involved in conversations o Carers are involved in food sharing and grandmother provides food for children to take home. o Carers are comfortable with the displays of affection

Summary of what works in building relationships? o Information o Preparation o Consultation o Respect o And most importantly patience and perseverance !!

“It is the relationships that are developed between all parties that underpin the stability and success of the permanent placement.”