Interactive Knowledge Capture Safe Home for Life Project 4- 5th February 2015

Introductions •  Barnardos Practice Development Centre

•  15 year partnership of social work and IT •  Widespread use of OOHC, and family support guided

practice/ child welfare database

Presenter: Susan Tregeagle- Senior Manager Barnardos Australia and Adjunct Senior Lecturer Sydney University

Wendi Keenan, Senior Manager Practice Development Unit In partnership with CREATE

Project 4

To assist caseworkers to communicate with children and young people and meet SHFL KPIs: – Part A- identify Apps to assist communication

between workers and children at initial contact in child protection situations

– Part B- to hear the voice of children aged 5-9 who are on permanent orders - to prepare for review meetings

This presentation

•  First consultation with Department allocated to us on 28th January

•  This partial presentation will describe: •  Aims •  Benefits-SHFL and compliance with legislation •  Proposed functionality •  Initial wireframes with modifications following

consultations

Progress to date PART A

•  Identification of Apps suitable for initial relationship development: – Pre-schoolers – 5-9 year olds – Adolescents

•  Consultation with children in this age group through workers in long-term fostering and residential care, CREATE and community.

Progress to date PART B

•  Review existing research including consultations with children and CREATE

•  Consultation with FACS workers and managers- 28th January

•  Initial wireframes and concepts, design and illustrations which incorporate initial stakeholder feedback

Safe Home For Life KPIs •  Fewer children re-reported: Part A provides better

information on which to assess children’s needs

•  More children receive face to face service: Part A and B provide clear guidance for workers and attractive interface will require less worker time

•  More children exit OOHC: Part B means children’s progress and exit from OOHC better is assessed

•  Possibility of restoration or adoption: Part B allows the conversation to occur in relaxed setting

•  Children transitioned to NGOs: Part B means enhanced assessment suitability for transfer

•  Children avoid placement :P Part A ensures better assessment

Benefits of this project- Demonstrates compliance with ‘participation’ in:

•  Legislation Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 8B,9,10-14,140,142,

149,150,160,162, 165, 166 and Regulations 14,34,42,48(3)

•  UN Convention on the Rights of the Child •  National Standards for Out of Home Care-

currently measured in Viewpoint •  NSW Accreditation SOOHC and Adoption •  Charter of Rights for children

in care

Functionality: address difficulties in communication

•  CREATE 2013 survey of 1,069 children and young people nationally- – 9% would confide in their caseworker – 40% felt they could not contact their

caseworkers as often as required – One third did not know anything about the Care

Plan •  Auditor General claims that only half of NSW

reviews completed annually

Functionality: create practical App based on ICT use •  We will address problems identified in research

including: •  Lack of worker responsiveness is problematic for

children and young people •  Major concern of children is privacy •  Use of technologies is variable- gender and age •  Literacy levels variable •  Must address issues of Aboriginal children

Functionality –exploit advantages of ICT •  Fun association- Visuals and graphics make

appealing •  Control- Young person can initiate •  Non-sequential communication •  Reduces isolation- geography, loneliness •  Easier engagement with ‘taboo’ subjects •  Enhance self-disclosure •  Better distribution- record can be kept, distributed •  Link relationship building to data to comply with

Functionality: avoid dangers

– Maintenance of relationship – Distortion of communication – Lack of access to technology- kincare –  Individual difference

Learning from consultations •  An interactive app- not game •  Greater emphasis on explaining use of

information- privacy, confidentiality •  Better definition of caseworkers

responsibility for follow-up •  Want good electronic identification for

retrieval •  Move questions to other screens •  Alterations to avatars and characters

Gamification Collecting information with children using games Proof of concept

Problem When we’re working with children it can be difficult to get information from them. It’s especially difficult when children don’t understand the situation they’re in and what’s going on around them. This impacts the quality and reliability of the information.

Hypothesis Creating a game to gather this information and facilitate their involvement will increase the flow and quality of the information about the child. This will also help educate the child about the process.

Meet Leah Leah is a 25 year old caseworker. She uses a desktop PC in the office and uses a mobile device when out visiting parents, carers, families, children and young people in the field.

Leah will use an interactive app on her iPad when visiting Aiden for his consultation prior to his review. The interactive app will allow her to:

•  Improve the quality and quantity of information provided by Aiden

•  Ensure that Aiden’s voice and views are being being heard and captured

•  Engage and educate Aiden in the decision-making processes which relate to his care

Meet Aiden Aiden is a 6 year old boy in out-of-home care. Aiden will be visited by Leah, his caseworker. He’s not sure what it’s about. He was removed from his parent’s home 18 months prior and is now on permanent orders. He has lots of questions and worries.

The interactive app will allow Aiden to:

•  Easily provide information about his experiences, hopes and concerns.

•  Feel that he has been heard and understood through the consultation process.

•  Understand the decision-making processes that relate to his care.

What you’re about to see A child’s voice does not just need to be heard but must influence the decisions that are being made about them. Children in out of home care often have considerable concerns around talking about intimate personal and family matters; they need to know what will happen to this information. They have particular difficulties recalling who their caseworkers are and understanding their care plans.

Today’s presentation •  Log-In and choose an avatar, how are you feeling

•  Who’s important to Aiden- people, pets and contact views

• What’s happening- education, health, feeling safe, recreation, sport and fun

•  This is me- identity and culture

•  My future plans- the review meeting and who will attend

• Wrap up- Tasks and signatures

Future’s screens

Introducing

How u going