This paper is a response to ‘New Directions in child protection and family support in Western Australia: a policy initiative to re‐focus child welfare practice’, written by Nigel Parton and Richard Mathews and published in Volume 6(2) of Child and Family Social Work. Parton and Mathews’ paper describes the policy and provides an analysis of its impact on child protection practice. They find the policy to have been successful on a number of different dimensions. This paper subjects their findings to a broader lens of analysis and arrives at conclusions somewhat different to those of the authors.
This paper describes the technique of participative case planning, a tool developed and used by the author for working with families who have had their children removed because of abuse and/or neglect. This technique seeks to assist families and practitioners to work together in an empowering way to return children home quickly and safely. The particular model draws on theoretical principles and perspectives of empowerment, case management, case planning, crisis intervention, task centred therapy and contracting.The paper outlines the steps involved in participative case planning pom preparation for the meeting to its end. It also addresses a number of issues, including the role of the chairperson, involvement of children and non-return of children.
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