Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) Expansion of services

Working together >Schools are important partners in our work with children, young people and their families. >Teachers see children and young people every day, and are often best placed to notice if something isn’t right, or if families are struggling. >There has been strong demand from schools for specialist support to deal with children’s increasingly complex and sometimes harmful home situations. >By working together, we can improve outcomes for vulnerable children

Overview of SWiS service >SWiS is a school-based community social work service >SWiS social workers support children and their families/whanau >Social workers are employed by NGO social service providers, and work in partnership with school staff as part of the school community. >A social worker will work in one school, or a group of schools

Effectiveness of SWiS >The work of social workers in schools is shown to contribute to improved outcomes for children, by working with schools to reduce barriers to learning. >Evaluations of the SWiS service found that positive changes, include: >improvements in children’s behaviour >Children better able to set positive goals for the future, and take steps to achieve them >parents using more positive discipline strategies.

Who it’s for The SWiS service is aimed at: >children who have poor attendance or engagement in school >children with social or behavioural problems >children experiencing grief or loss >families who may be struggling financially, or with issues such as overcrowding, gambling etc. >at-risk families, including those who have been referred by Child, Youth and Family for community based support.

Referral process >Referrals can be made by: >children and families/whanau (self referrals) >schools >agencies such as Child, Youth and Family, nurses, community agencies working with families. >Referrals to the service are made with the consent of families. >The social worker takes a whole of family approach, which may include working with siblings

Role of the SWiS worker >The role of SWiS social workers is to address concerns that are affecting: >children’s safety or wellbeing >children’s ability to learn due to emotional or social worries >families’ ability to manage aspects of their lives. >SWiS work has three key components: >social work with children and their families >group programmes >community liaison and service coordination.

Social work with children and their families This component of the service involves: >development of supportive, trusting relationships with children and their families >Working with children and families to develop goals for change, and teaching strategies for managing difficult situations >advocating for children and their families within the school setting >keeping child safety paramount, and supporting schools to make notifications to CYF where appropriate >Working in partnership with other support services

Group programmes This component of the service involves: >assessing the needs of children and families which can best be met within a group context >advising the SWiS governance group about referral trends and proposed group programme responses >planning, coordinating and delivering group programmes for children and families >evaluating the effectiveness of group programmes.

Community liaison and service coordination This component of the service involves: >using networks to connect children and their families to community supports >working with other professionals to identify, refer and address specific problems affecting a child’s wellbeing >developing a collaborative relationship with local CYF offices to ensure work with children at risk is coordinated >providing support to the ‘strengthening families’ process when children with complex needs require a multi-agency approach

Role of the SWiS provider The SWiS employer : >employs and supports social workers >provides opportunities for ongoing training and professional development >addresses any concerns that may arise between the school, the social worker, and/or the Provider >ensures appropriate community liaison and networking links are made >links with local CYF sites to share knowledge and expertise >coordinates SWiS Governance Group meetings.

Role of the school The school: >supports SWiS to access client children during the school day >understands the SWiS service and promotes it to school staff and families > gains consent from family/whānau for referrals to the Service >provides a private room within each school for social workers, (the base school provides the primary work space) >supports the delivery of group programmes within the school >Principal or DP is a member of the local SWiS Governance Group, and signatory to the SWiS Partnering Agreement >attends, and contributes to SWiS Governance Group meetings >helps address any concerns or conflict that may arise.

Role of Child, Youth and Family Child, Youth and Family: >manages SWiS funding >selects and contracts with approved NGO Providers >attends SWiS Governance meetings >monitors service delivery and financial management by the Provider >liaises with the Ministry of Education nationally and regionally >coordinates meetings with SWiS social workers to share knowledge and expertise.

Role of Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education: >education representatives attend SWiS Governance Group meetings >assist SWiS partners to resolve any issues that they have expertise in, or responsibility for >work with the school to resolve any issues with accommodating SWiS in the school.

Governance Groups >This will involve providers, principals, CYF operations or site managers, and local representatives from the Ministry of Education. >The group will meet regularly to: >review the service over the previous quarter >set strategic priorities for SWiS services in their community >assess and review the needs of the community >ensure that services are aligned transitions are smooth for students >consider how agencies can work together to share knowledge and expertise

More information >More information about the SWiS service is available on the Child, Youth and Family website Child, Youth and Family website >If you have any questions, please contact: >Amanda Watson, Project Manager on or >Diane Garrett, senior advisor,Social Workers in Schools on or