1. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Developing Reflective Tool for Engaging with Socially Isolated New Parents Dr Wendy Foote, Deputy CEO ACWA; Adjunct Lecturer Social Work Practice UNSW Dr Robert Urquhart, Senior Researcher ACWA; Researcher School of Social Sciences UNSW Funded by: NSW Government Keep Them Safe (KTS) Child Protection Initiative

2. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Our paper today 1.Our overall research project 2.Background 3.How it was developed 4.What are its uses 5.Strengths and limitations 6.Next steps

3. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Changing Life Trajectories Project Foote W., Urquhart, R. & Matheson, G. (2014) Changing Life Trajectories Project. Educated, Employed but Vulnerable: Supporting Socially Isolated Mothers Through Postnatal Home Visiting Acknowledgments: Asra Gholami, Policy & Membership, ACWA. Partners: ACWA; The Infants’ Home Child & Family Services, Ashfield; United Way Sydney; UNSW. Other key collaborators: Inner West 4 LGA Child & Family Interagency – Working Group on Isolation; Koorana Child & Family Services, Belmore.

4. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies What the literature says: Defining the population – isolated a subset of hard-to-reach and vulnerable groups Engaging social isolated takes time – no one size fits all/creativity needed Community engagement/assertive outreach The characteristics of this population: why this population, with this sort of tool.

5. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Social Relations & Social Isolation A Typology of Different Groups (Pedersen, Anderson & Curtis, 2012, p. 846) 5

6. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies How was the tool developed? CTL research findings - unexpected findings re isolation 4 LGA Child and Family Interagency – sub group Tools development workshop, then testing and refinement-2013 Field Trial - Koorana, EI Disability Service 2014

7. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Input from the following professionals Family support workers (CALD/ MRC) Community workers (child and family) Resources/referral services - Child and Family Child and Family Nurses with mental illness focus EI Disability Social workers, educators and family support workers

8. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Koorana Field trial (EI disability family support/special education/allied health service) More attention on fathers Attach eco map and info. about beliefs about disability

9. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies What worked well Team review and reflection Individual review of established cased ‘Eureka’ moment in a stuck case Drilling down Good for students Right type of tool for client type – ie stigma from disability generates isolation

10. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Limitations and strengths Not actuarial/ or decision making Grounded in practice and informed by research To supplement and strengthen reflective practice

11. Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies

12. More information Comments and suggestions most welcome Contact us if you want a final version Dr Wendy Foote: wendy@acwa.asn.auwendy@acwa.asn.au Dr Robert Urquhart: robert@acwa.asn.aurobert@acwa.asn.au