Our AAPP
Australian Assessor Preferred Pathway
Australia’s only learning and development pathway to becoming a skilled Foster and Kinship Care assessor.
ENROLMENTS CLOSED FOR 2024
What is the AAPP
The AAPP is an intensive learning and development pathway designed to build practitioner competency, skill, knowledge and confidence as a professional Foster and Kinship Care assessor.
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Pathway competencies will be attained through a combination of formal and informal education, training and coaching, designed to suit various learning styles. Participants will complete a mix of formative, summative and practical assessment activities to acquire and demonstrate the required skills and knowledge to successfully complete this course.
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This course has been designed by assessors, for assessors. The Social Care Solutions team, who have passionately invested in the creation of the AAPP, have completed thousands of assessments across all of Australia and New Zealand. The AAPP team recognise becoming a skilled assessor is about more than ‘filling in a template’ or following a set of standardised tools.
Discover what you'll receive on your journey to become a professional AAPP assessor.
Nine months of formal learning, education and support
Assessment writing is a niche skill. It’s so much more than filling in a form by simply asking questions and writing down answers. It takes comprehensive skills and a wide knowledge base, evidence, analysis and a framework for practice. While there are some training courses and packages available to teach specifically to a template in some States and Territories, this nine-month intensive, formal learning and education pathway is the only one of its kind.
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Participants will gain a wealth of knowledge from the combined practice wisdom of the senior Social Care Solutions’ team, who have been writing and delivering thousands of comprehensive, complex, and high-quality foster and kinship care assessments across Australia for over 13 years. This course recognises your experience and skills and helps you to build on your practice base, whether you are new to assessing or wanting to hone your skills, through a mixture of mentoring and coaching, supervision, training and professional advice and support.
Full Workshop in-person (Brisbane)
Value = $600
Providing a unique networking experience, participants will gather together to commence their AAPP journey in person in Brisbane*. This day will include the opportunity to meet your Supervisor in person, connect with colleagues and peers on the AAPP program, attend a 4 hour workshop and finish the day with an early evening networking event, with canapes, drinks and guest speakers.
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This full day will give the participants a great opportunity to engage with other new assessors or experienced assessor within the sector who wish to refresh their assessment skills in a hands-on, practical and engaging workshop run by a trained and experienced assessor.
*If a large number of participants are from a similar regional area, consideration will be made to hosting an alternative date in that region.
Monthly online supervision with a Senior Practitioner
Value: 8 x $200 p/hr = $1,600
Participants will be paired with a Senior Practitioner who will provide monthly supervision sessions to ensure the ongoing development, support, and quality assurance to the participant.
Our Senior Practitioners are highly knowledgeable and experienced, and their expertise will positively contribute to the participants professional growth and development along their learning pathway.
Monthly workshops
(online)
Value: 6 x $50 = $1,500
SCS has been delivering their hugely successful Assessment Writing Workshop for over 10 years. Using the content from the AWW, the monthly workshops will provide participants with the opportunity to gain knowledge while also applying this content to a case study. The case study will build from month to month, giving participants exposure to the process, content and analysis required to complete a comprehensive assessment.
Coaching & Mentoring
Value: 3 x $250 = $750
We all know going to training is one thing; putting this into practice in our everyday roles are another. The coaching part of the AAPP ensures participants are fully supported to embed their learnings from the AWW. Participants will work with their Supervisors to complete three mentoring sessions, focused solely on the practical application of three complex areas of assessment work.
Masterclasses of your choice
Value: 3 x $250 = $750
SCS has over 20 online masterclasses, accessible 24/7, for you to download and watch to complement your work in the assessment space. Understanding the Impact of someone’s ACES and PCEs, how to interview and Hear Young People’s Voices, being able to identify and assess potential Grooming Markers, writing Renewals/Reviews, or even just having Difficult Conversations, these masterclasses assist you to hone your skills in any areas of challenge or of interest to you.
Free access to SCS’ suite of online assessment tools for 12 months
Being an exceptional assessor requires a range of skill, knowledge and TOOLS to use. SCS has a suite of online assessment tools it uses to enhance interviewing and analysis of information relating to capacity to care for children. These tools will be accessible and able to be used by AAPP participants for a period of 12 months for free!
Valued at $200
Specialist Practice Area sessions
Value: 2 sessions = $400
Individualised, one-on-one reflective conversations to develop your personal and professional practice wisdom. Spend an hour (online or in person where possible) with Aunty Tammy Solomon, an Aboriginal Elder, discussing her experiences of assessing and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kin and general carers. Spend an hour talking with Nikki, a general foster carer, to hear first-hand how an assessment can impact or influence the fostering journey. The Hour with Aunty and Convo with a Carer are highly sought after, cherished sessions that will enhance and deepen your learning in a way reading a book or article or attending a training session cannot.
Strengths Cards pack from Lighthouse Innovative Resources
Good assessors have a range of good resources at their disposal, so we’ll ensure you have a Strengths Cards pack from Lighthouse Innovative Resources of your own choosing, for you to use in your assessments once you have successfully completed the AAPP!
RRP $55
Become a professional assessor for only
$4,250
What's in it for me?
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Statement of Successful Completion after assessment of competency marked against a rubric matrix
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Use of the AAPP logo trademark to evidence your competency
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Increased opportunities for career progression in this niche skill set.
Why choose us?
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The SCS AAPP is the only comprehensive, personalised, learning pathway for Foster & Kinship Care assessors in Australia
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It’s open to practitioners who are new, new to the sector or those who wish to be upskilled.
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Benefit from formal recognition from peers and demonstrate a higher level of commitment to industry.
How to enrol
There are a range of enrolment options available including:
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Have your agency sponsor YOU as the participant
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Partial payment by agency and participant
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Full payment by participant (payment plans available)
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Apply for sponsorship through us!