Working with children and families

Effective engagement contributes to the development of a productive relationship between a practitioner, and the child and their family. Engagement is fundamental to working effectively in child wellbeing and child protection contexts as it can increase the likelihood of realising sustainable, positive change for a child and their family. It is important that children and families are involved in the decisions that will affect them, that their views and preferences are taken seriously and treated with respect. See Supported decision making is a human right

Initially, engagement occurs during the early stages of work with a child and their family, principally when a practitioner first makes contact and there is a commitment to work together. As a process, engagement involves the practitioner creating an environment that is conducive to the child and/or their family actively working to achieve change.

It is also important to maintain a relationship with the child and their family for the full duration of their involvement with the child wellbeing and child protection system.

Strategies that will enhance ongoing engagement include:

• listening to the needs and aspirations of the family and child and reflecting these in service delivery
• creating meaningful opportunities for children and families to participate in decisions about their lives
• delivering services in a flexible way to overcomes barriers to engaging or accessing the service
• understanding and responding to cultural differences in the child protection landscape, which is crucial to engaging families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• being clear and transparent about the practitioner’s role and the role of other organisations
• promoting collaboration between organisations servicing the family to minimise duplication and the potential for excessive or conflicting demands being placed on the family
• being trauma informed, understanding how experiences of trauma may prevent the re-traumatisation of children and families
• ensuring everyone involved understands and works to uphold the rights of children
• demonstrating reliability by keeping appointments and returning phone calls
• maintaining accurate records and confirming with the child and their family any agreements made
• promoting ongoing meaningful discussion with the child and their family
• remembering that practitioners and the family have a common and shared interest in wanting what is best for the child
• demonstrating respect, kindness, empathy and genuine interest in ensuring the best possible future for the child
• being clear and transparent about risk, concerns and expectations of the parents and family, particularly in statutory child protection cases or where there is a need to place a child in out-of-home care
• if there is a need for a new practitioner or a request by the family, a coordinated transition should be undertaken with the child and their family, and the rationale documented in the file
• communicating in a way that the family understands, including meeting their specific communication needs such as providing an Auslan interpreter, written information in easy to read or simple English formats, and using other alternative communication means.

It is important to listen to children and families and understand their needs. If a family can understand the merit of a particular service for their unique circumstances, they may feel more willing to engage with the service. If they feel unsupported, stressed or threatened by the service, or cannot see its practical benefits, they are more likely to avoid participating.

Practitioners need to be vigilant and actively work with families to overcome barriers preventing them from engaging with the service. There can be a wide range of reasons why a family is not engaging with services. It is important to actively follow up and try to understand what these might be. This is especially important for work with Aboriginal families who may have concerns about working with government agencies and also for parents with disability.