Working with children and families
Our relationship with families should acknowledge and understand their individual and family circumstances. This includes experiences of discrimination, grief, loss and violence.
Overview
A critical factor for successful change lies in the quality of the relationship between practitioners and children and their families. Our relationship with families should acknowledge and understand their individual and family circumstances, including experiences of discrimination, grief, loss and violence. It is important to acknowledge and understand families’ resilience, strengths and protective factors despite these experiences. Our compassion, empathy and recognition of their lived experience provides the building blocks to promote and foster healthy relationships.
Building successful relationships relies on an active appreciation of a family's culture. It is critical that practitioners role model healthy and respectful interactions, behaviours and relationships.
In Part 3 we will explore practice tools, principles and frameworks essential to working with children and families:
- Permanency Case Management
- Purposeful partnerships
- Engaging children and families
- Keeping families together
- Processes to support case management and decision making
- Understanding and working with families who experience trauma and resistance
- Upholding the rights of children
- Working with Aboriginal families and communities
- Culturally responsive practice with diverse communities
- Working with people with a disability
- Supporting a positive gender and sexual orientation identity
- Resources to support quality practice