A relational-invitational approach to building parental capacity Warren Cann, Wendy Roberts, Sue Cleeve & Dawn Meldrum A collaboration with Knox City Council 12th Biennial National Conference Choices that matter: ECI in a new era…

Therapeutic Model Practitioner Child

Family-Centred Practice Practitioner Family Child

Practitioner Parenting support Parent Child

Parent support Parenting support

therapeutic strategies linked to child outcomes Parent mediated model Parenting support Parent delivered therapeutic strategies Parenting mechanisms linked to child outcomes Parenting model Mahoney & Wiggers (2007)

Capacity building Dunst & Trivette (2009)

Relational Participatory Trivette & Dunst (2007)

Relational Invitational Participatory

Relational Invitational Participatory Self-regulation

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

Phases of work 1. Engaging 2. Motivating 3. Exploring 4. Planning 5. Doing 6. Consolidating Adapted from Kanfer & Schefft (1988)

(Complaint/Aspiration) Project Mapping Intention (Complaint/Aspiration) Problem Why? (values, aims) Where? (goals) What? (actions) How? (change actions) Indicator Brian Little (1983)

Framework Aims and focus of each phase Specific actionable guidance on clinical strategies Process charts

Context We focused on implementing the collaborative practice framework at a time when the Knox Council Specialist Support Services was entering a period of transition. We were looking to ensure we were implementing contemporary best practice. We were working towards a more rigorous outcomes based approach in readiness for the introduction of the NDIS system. We gained a full commitment from all levels of our organisation in taking on this co-design of implementation of the collaborative practice framework.   I am going to now talk about WHY we decided to focus on the collaborative practice framework and to work in partnership with Warren Cann to co-design the implementation of this framework.   It was at a time we were entering a period of transition. We were looking to ensure we were implementing contemporary best practice. We were working towards a more rigorous outcomes based approach in readiness for the introduction of the NDIS system. WHAT we did was firstly gain a full commitment from all levels of our organization in taking on this co-design of the implementation of the collaborative practice framework. We set up the Leadership Implementation Team. We had a briefing session with all involved before we started to get everyone on board at all levels. We conducted a series of training sessions 2015 to understand the framework and coaching sessions in 2016 to embed the practice . We set up a buddy system and worked on our individually tailored practice development plans in conjunction with our assigned buddy. We were responsive to whatever came up in all sessions for all involved. We found that the framework works well to deepen and enrich practice with even the most experienced practitioners.

Participants The participants of the Collaborative Practice Project was the whole of Specialist Support Services Team within Family and Children’s Services Department, which included: The Specialist Support Services (SSS) leadership group: Wendy Roberts (Senior Coordinator of SSS), Dawn Meldrum (Team Leader for Inclusion Support Agency Program) and Sue Cleeve (Team Leader for Illoura ECIS and Pre-School Field Officer Program). Inclusion Support Facilitators Early Years Consultants (Pre-school Field Officers) Illoura Early Childhood Intervention Team (Educators and Allied Health Professionals)   The participants of the Collaborative Practice Project were the whole of Specialist Support Services Team within Family and Children’s Services Department, which included The Specialist Support Services (SSS) leadership group - Wendy Roberts (Senior Coordinator of SSS), Dawn Meldrum (Team Leader for Inclusion Support Agency Program) and Sue Cleeve (Team Leader for Illoura ECIS and Pre-School Field Officer Program). AND Inclusion Support Facilitators Early Years Consultants (Pre-school Field Officers) Illoura Early Childhood Intervention Team (Educators and Allied Health Professionals)

PALS (Participatory Adult Learning Strategy) Dunst & Trivette, (2009)

Implementation Team orientation meeting Training workshops (3.5 days over 6 months) Framework manual Buddy System Individual Practice Development Plans Group Coaching sessions (Nine 3-hour sessions over 4 months) Implementation Team (Team Leaders)

Observations Deeper understanding of family-centred practice. We drilled down in a way that improved and enhanced our already honed practice skills. Identified need for self-compassion as practitioners. Identified and discussed self compassion with families, improving our capacity building and our advocacy skills. Making a plan/setting an agenda: added a new dimension in meetings with families. provided a formal structure for reflection & review. Increased use of reflective questions by key workers with families to support the building of the family’s capacity. THE IMPACTS we experienced from our participation included the following: We have checked with the team who are happy to share these observations   Deeper understanding of family centred practice. We drilled down in a way that improved and enhanced our already honed skills in family centred practice. We looked at self compassion and applying the same compassion to ourselves as we do with the families, which led us to an area for growth and allowed us to minimize stress and understand much more about families at a deeper level helping us to identify and discuss self compassion with families, which improved our capacity building and our advocacy skills. Making a plan/setting an agenda resonated well with both staff and families and added a new dimension to what was talked about in meetings with families. Some families are now ringing key workers with what could be included onto the agenda for discussion. At the beginning the family and key worker check if the plan/agenda is still relevant. At the end of the session, the family and key worker review their discussions to ensure they have covered topics as planned and identify a plan/agenda for the next meeting.

Observations (cont.) Practice process maps – flowcharts: more efficient within the key worker role; alerts to the broad range of complexities that surround some families; valuable in working out more quickly the real issue/problems and being more effective in supporting change. More time is spent on reviewing strategies and adjusting as necessary as opposed to reviewing the goals. Buddy opportunity – very valuable. Effective development to further capacity build with educators. The Inclusion Support Facilitators developed a great consultation tool to use when they go out on support visits. Practice process maps – flowcharts -  have helped staff to be more efficient within the key worker role (as identified by ECIS), have alerted staff to the broad range of complexities that surround some families (as identified by PSFO’s), have been valuable in working  out more quickly the real issue/problem with our clients and be more effective in supporting change (as identified by ISF’s).  Now more time is spent on reviewing strategies and adjusting as necessary as opposed to reviewing the goals having a buddy opportunity – helped in lots of ways including – monthly meetings made us accountable; great support to keep the learnings at front of mind, for what they had committed for their next meeting together More effective support to capacity build with educators in contributing to compiling goals and strategies when they are meeting with families at PSG’s – particularly the ISF’s and PSFO’s The ISF’s developed a great consultation tool we use when we go out to support visits.

Phase 1 Training: Relevance and usefulness (n=20)

Self-rated practice change 28 Skills: Examples Developing a collaborative relationship Exploring my client’s intentions Identifying and refining meaningful goals Linking goals to core values Introducing strategies to a client Using active skills training, like modelling, rehearsal and feedback Developing and reviewing between-session work and activities

Practice skills (n = 28) How to read the graph – bar represents % of staff who rated their practice in this area as “A lot” or “Very Large” – 55% of staff rated their change as a lot or very large on this item On 26/28 items 20% or more of staff rated their practice change as a lot or very large All items achieved 70% change rated as some or greater On 17/28 items 80% rated change as ”Some Change” or greater No change at all did not get over 10% for any item bar one. A lot/very large Some/moderate A little change No change

Next Steps Refining and sharing resources (www.parentingrc.org.au) Refining practice development process Evaluation (quality of relationships and service effectiveness).

Acknowledgements Tweddle, Ngala, Queen Elisabeth II, Tresillian Development Group, Noahs Ark Staff of the Parenting Research Centre The Specialist Support Services Team, Knox City Council

Contact for further information: Warren Cann Wendy Roberts @warrengcann wcann@parentingrc.org.au wendy.roberts@knox.vic.gov.au