Program Reviews
SCS has a proven history of providing high quality program and project reviews for agencies across the country. For instance, our team recently reviewed a family intervention service across ten sites in one state, assessing the program's intake, assessment and intervention processes, to ensure consistency and quality service delivery.
Quality Assurance
SCS has a dedicated Quality Assurance (QA) team to ensure our own internal assessments and reports are exceptionally written, both in content and presentation. This is a service we also offer to all of our external clients, offering them objective, independent review of their documents by skilled, experienced practitioners.
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For more information, download our QA flyer
Peer Mentoring Program
Provide your assessment and case management team members with guidance and mentoring to ensure best practice andimproved outcomes for clients and service delivery. Our Peer Mentoring Program (PMP) is a complementary service to line management; we offer personalised mentoring sessions to guide staff through every step of an assessment or case work process, culminating in the Quality Assurance (QA) of their final report or case plan, ensuring exceptional practice in content, process and presentation.
Leadership Development
Senior child protection practitioners with 20 to 30 years of experience, the SCS Executive team of Mel James, Carmen Bonnerand Colleen Moran-Ford offer leadership opportunities, from delivering external supervision to facilitating leadership development days for panels, management and senior staff. Delivered online or in-person, our team can guide developing leaders in their approach to working with child protection practitioners in the field.
Specialist Projects
Every agency is different and has unique needs. Whatever your requirements, the Social Care Solutions team can offer a bespokeapproach to assisting your agency, team or service. Contact us to discuss how we can support you.
Team Development
Outsourcing team development programs and team building days ensures clients can fully engage in their own team processes,rather than having to facilitate or manage these important events themselves. SCS can build, facilitate and evaluate team building experiences for your small to medium services in child protection and child-related fields.
Training
Standard Training
SCS have a selection of standardised training options, including Circles of Security, 1, 2, 3 Magic, ‘Getting Started’ carer training (Qld) available for your staff or clients, whether online or in-person.
Practice Enhancement Project
The Practice Enhancement Project (PEP) was developed in 2020 in partnership with a Qld child protection agency who wished to see role-specific training which was more engaging, practical and evidenced-led than any off-the-shelf product available. The PEP is a peer-evaluated program which assists attendees to better understand the context of their work, develop specific skills and utilise creative resources for how they work with children, young people, carers and families. Risk Assessment, Integrity in Case Noting, Trauma and Statutory Child Protection are an example of the quality PEP modules available to all agencies across Australia.
Australian Assessor Preferred Pathway
The Australian Assessor Preferred Pathway (AAPP) is your intensive learning and development program to become an accredited assessor. Click here for more information.
Tailored Training Development
SCS has a strong reputation for building training and professional development to meet our clients’ unique and specific needs. Teams who struggle with difficult conversations, case note writing, self-care and a myriad of other topics consistently return to SCS to have training built that is written by practitioners, for practitioners, to ensure attendees embed their learnings and improve their practice.
Online Masterclasses
SCS has a range of 24/7 accessible online masterclasses available for download to upskill and inform practitioners in a range of topics. Using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey, What’s Identity Got To Do With It, and Grooming Markers, are examples of the variety of topics available.
These are also available live – check our calendar here
Assessment Writing Workshop
This bespoke workshop was developed due to the absence of quality, practical assessment writing training in Australia. Regardless of the template or style of report, practitioners need to have the information gathering, analytical and presentation skills to deliver high quality assessments. Delivered in-person or online
Assessments
Foster and Kinship Assessments
SCS has assessors, trained and mentored by our senior practitioners, to complete foster and kinship care assessments, both initials and renewals, across the country. Where required, these staff are Step-by-Step accredited. Due to the increasingly high demand for skilled assessors, it’s important to register your interest quickly to secure one of our specialist assessors.
Parenting Capacity Assessments
Sensitively and respectfully assessing parental capacity is a renown skillset of the SCS team. Providing a comprehensive risk assessment with detailed recommendations for support or ongoing intervention ensures confidence in restoration and reunification cases.
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Guardianship Assessments
The specialist role of assessing potential guardians is niche skillset. The team at SCS are available to complete Guardianship and Permanency Carer assessments across the country.
Coaching and Mentoring
A range of coaching and mentoring opportunities are available through skilled senior SCS practitioners, offering guidance and support through assessments, case work, leadership and general child protection and child-related fields.
Support
Placement Support
SCS has a team of placement support practitioners and youth workers who provide in home or in placement assistance to stabilise and reduce placement breakdowns, support children to be reunified or prevent children entering the care system. Through provision of practical assistance, psycho-education, trauma training and parenting support, this vital service offers short to long-term interventions across multiple states.
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For more information, download our QA flyer
Family Group Meetings
SCS have trained Family Group Meeting convenors able to provide assistance to government and agencies with case management delegation, to facilitate safe, supported and respectful case planning discussions.
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For more information, download our QA flyer
Policy and Tender Writing
Policy and tender writing is a niche skillset and SCS can assist your team to write, review or evaluate your organisational policies and procedures, and complete tender submissions on your behalf.
Complex Case Reviews
The objectivity and independence of the SCS team offers a unique opportunity to review agencies’ complex cases and consider recommendations or suggestions for positive outcomes for clients. These reviews can provide suggestions for potential policy and process changes to reduce risk to clients, staff and organisations.
Life Story Work
Trained by renowned LSW specialist Richard Rose, our SCS staff have the skills and resources to complete time-limited Life Story Work with clients directly or provide support to your teams to deliver this crucial work with children and young people in and on the edge of foster and kinship care.
Professional Supervision
Formal external supervision is available for social workers, student social workers and child protection practitioners across the country, facilitated in person or online.