Engaging Parents in Problem Identification and Solving

1. HCS321
Engaging Parents in problem
identification and solving

2. Agenda
Patterns in Childhood deprivation
Population Health models
Working with parents- Dual role
Problem identification
Worker/ client relationship

3. Patterns in childhood deprivation
Individuals, Groups and Communities
 When does an individual child need help?
 What types of groups in the community can/
should be targeted for assistance with
parenting?
 What communities have the greatest need for
assistance?

4. Population health models for children's welfare
 Emerging in response to the “public failure
of child protection” (Scott, 2006)
 Emphasis on responding to community level
disadvantage – stopping deterioration
 Avoids crisis driven interventions, responds
to evidence based need, not moral alarm or
personal calamity
 Tolerates adversity – Is it wrong for children
to grow up poor?

5. Working with people who are parents
 Tendency to define Parents as Roles rather than people
 Parenting relationships with children are stressful
 People generally respond better to supportive than directive
interventions
 Supportive interventions by definition require the forming
and building of a relationship – takes time!
 That problem dependence can overwhelm both the helpee
and the helper
 Finding answers is not simply about stopping, it is about
making alternatives and practicing them.

6. Dual role
Helper
Versus
Investigator

7. Problem identification
‘It is about identifying what the client sees
as problems- discussing and negotiating.
About the worker being very open and
looking broadly at issues- exploring and
broadening the picture. Once you have
agreed on the problem it’s about setting
goals and prioritising tasks, including other
people and setting time frames- and being
concerned about evaluation’
Child Protection worker cited in Trotter 2014 p.74

8. The worker client relationship
How confident would you be to use the
following elements described by Trotter
(2015) in practice?
Empathy
Touching
Optimism
Humour
Self-disclosure

9. Final Thoughts
Start where the client (parent, family,
child) is at
Always remember that parent’s are the
experts of their own family situations
Respect and acknowledge client
perspectives