Beyond the Sheep Dip - Child Protection Training for Health Workers
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Author
Susan Hill
Organisation
NSW Health Child Protection Trainers' Network and Sydney South West Area Health Service Eastern Zone, Sydney, Australia
Aim/Objective
NSW Health and the Area Health Services developed training plans to
ensure that health staff are equipped to identify and respond to risk
of harm in relation to child abuse and neglect. The purpose of this
paper is to demonstrate that mandatory child protection training is not
just about number crunching, meeting training targets or "dipping"
staff into training, thinking they're done and believing our
responsibility to them has been met. Training is about providing
a useful forum where the trainer is able to respond to the needs of
participants who may be resistant to attending for either personal or
professional reasons. It is also about responding to the needs of
the organisations for whom we work who also demonstrate pockets of
resistance. This paper intends to look at this resistance and
identify strategies to erode it and turn it around into positive
outcomes.
Methods
The following provides an overview of the strategies used by child
protection trainers to effectively manage child protection
training. These will be illustrated with examples and information
about current projects:
- Providing context to mandatory training
- Providing flexible service delivery
- Using group work theory and adult learning principles to work through the levels of resistance of the participants
- Establishing group norms as a tool to mediate resistance
- Using the group process to deal with tunnel vision and differences of opinion
- Managing the effects of vicarious trauma of participants
- Providing ongoing support e.g. through consultation services,
follow-up training, support to work places around specific child
protection issues
Results
- Promotion of a child focus and greater understanding of the relevance of child protection (even for adult services)
- Participants expressing their feelings about attending
- Participants taking responsibility for their own training needs
- Increased reporting of child at risk concerns by health staff
- Staff feeling more supported in their response to child protection issues
- Organisational changes to support child protection training and responses
Conclusions
Mandatory training is not about how many sheep we have dipped in any
given period or responding to training targets set by our agencies. It
is about responding to the issues, the needs and the reactions of those
who are mandated to attend. It is about supporting organisational
change and understanding of the relevance of child protection training
and responsibilities. Ultimately it is about improved responses
to children and families.
Presentation
Paper
Biography
Susan Hill is the Child Protection Training and Education Officer for
Sydney South West Area Health Service, Eastern Zone. She has been
working in this position for 7 years and provides both mandatory child
protection training and a range of other training programs and practice
forums. Susan also provides training on a contract basis via
other training organisations. Susan has been working directly in the
field of child protection for over 16 years including in statutory
organisations. Despite currently being based in the inner city of
Sydney Susan has spent a considerable amount of time working in rural
and remote areas within Australia. This work included a focus on
working with indigenous communities both as the client group and work
force.
Susan has always had an interest in training and supporting
staff. Whilst working as a front line clinician she was also
involved in developing and delivering training. Susan is the
Chairperson of the NSW Health Child Protection Trainers' Network, a
peer support forum, which has proven invaluable for its participants
who often find themselves working in isolation within their
organisations. Susan is a great story teller and manages to
inject some humour despite what may be quite difficult material.
Referees
Karen Becker, Director Drug Health Services, Sydney South West Area Health Service,
Lorna McNamara, Director, Education Centre Against Violence, NSW Health,
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