This document discusses East Lothian Council's adoption of a strengths-based, inclusive approach to child protection called Signs of Safety. It notes key reports and legislation driving this change and outlines East Lothian's multi-year implementation process beginning in 2011 with workshops and establishing governance groups. This included introducing Signs of Safety for initial case conferences in 2013 and all conferences, supervision, and core groups by 2014. Feedback found professionals and families felt meetings were inclusive and addressed risks fully, though plans were sometimes incomplete. This led to a research project on making plans more specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based.

1. An Inclusive and Families Strengths Based
Approach in Child Protection
Anne Beattie Shaun Thomas
East Lothian Council and Children1st

2. Why take the journey to a more inclusive
practice
• 21st Century Review of Social Work
• CHRISTIE REPORT
• MUNRO REPORT
• GIRFEC – now enshrined in legislation
• Inspection 2010/2011 – doing well – can do
better!
• Research

3. partnership
with families
collaboration
between agencies
professional
knowledge
family
knowledge
harm
and danger
strengths
and safety
solution focused approach to build safety for children -
Signs of Safety…
What's going well? - What we are worried about ? - What needs to happen?

4. 2011 – multi agency workshops to introduce
Signs of Safety
2012 – set up multi-agency operational , overview and reference
group supported by WithScotland
2013 – introduce Signs of Safety model for Initial/Pre-birth
Case Conferences
2014 – Introduce Signs of Safety Model for all Case
Conferences , supervision, core groups
2014 – Year 2 of 5 year implementation
2015 – SMART Plans training – the journey continues
2014 - 2015 – research project with IRISS - SMART Plans

5. The 3 Ps
• PREPARATION
• PARTICIPATION
• PLANS

6. Visit family and
compile family
tree/eco map to
identify key family
members /support
network
Visit family to discuss
identified harm and
danger and make sure
they understand the
process
Support family to
prepare for meeting
– what’s going well,
what are we
worried about,
what needs to
happen
Visit child –
get their
views – 3
houses,
fairy, wizard
Family can’t
attend? – get
written views
for meeting
Preparation is Key

7. Child: Date:

8. They explained
that’s how you see it
and this is how we
see it
The Family

9. The
Professionals
Each risk
discussed fully,
Discussed in
good detail

10. Key Messages
• Professionals and Families feel the meetings are inclusive
• The visual aspect of the meeting is helpful
• Families appreciate their strengths being recognised – do
not feel judged
• Professionals and families believe all harm/risks are
addressed fairly and fully
• Professionals report that Plans are robust, but not always
complete
• Families feel the Plans are likely to help

11. PLANNING IN CHILD PROTECTION
We need to make plans more :
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time based
This led to a joint research project:-