Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 1) | Page 102

Family-Centred Practice

Skills Required for Each Stage of Intervention
1. Skills needed for family engagement or setting goals with children,
youths, families.
Social workers work with families to set mutually acceptable goals by
developing an initial working agreement with families about the issues to be
addressed. They also identify with the family what success will look like so that
the family will know what is expected of them and when they have achieved
the goals. In order to do this, social workers apply a range of skills at this
stage and primarily use rapport building and relationship building skills which
are part of engagement.
2. Skills to help facilitate and participate in family team meetings.
Effective facilitation is key to getting a family to work on goals that they
share. Facilitators must have specific skills that reflect the value base of family
engagement and teaming in order to carry out these activities.
• Preparing for the team meetings
# Preparing families in person, in advance of their first team meeting.
# Asking families to identify who they want to participate on the team.
• Facilitating (not directing) the team meetings
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Helping the family to set the agenda.
Understanding the structure and process of family team meetings.
Engaging the family in the assessment process.
Engaging the family in creating a comprehensive and effective plan
for the child/ youth/ older person/ family that is tailored to the family’s

expressed needs.
# Recognizing, supporting and building the family’s capacity to protect and
care for the child/youth.

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