Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 1) | Page 61

Vulnerable Persons

lost in the referral process. Casework intervention may include working with
significant persons who can provide care and support for the person and
enabling help agencies to contribute towards building a safety net of support
for the person.
Depending on the severity of the need of the person or the risk of harm,
the agency handling the case should alert protection authorities or relevant
others if the person requires intervention from a more authoritative agency.
The assessment of the risk of harm should be an ongoing one to delay
deterioration from an initially non risk status.
The casework should aim to achieve some permanency for the vulnerable
person with the care being provided in a family based setting, in an institution
or in a community based facility. It could involve transitions across the different
settings over time.
Once concerns about the well being of a person is known, the focus should
shift to getting help to the person as quickly as possible in the right place
and at the right time and avoiding unnecessary processes that cause drift and
delay. When a person needs help, he or she needs it in a timely, sustainable
and informed way. This means coordinated interventions. These could range
from same day rapid response ‘at the point of crisis’ to solution focused
support services promoting effective diversion from care, to longer term
family work or specialist support. If family work is an option, it would involve
constructively engaging with the person, significant others and other care
givers. The approach enables us to promote a planned response to need and
risk and a clear pathway for escalation and de-escalation.
Central to the approach is the need to minimize the barriers to us hearing
the voice of the vulnerable person. This consciousness should be part of the
‘thinking’ and ‘mindfulness’ in the approach. This includes recognizing the
priorities of the vulnerable person (be it to preserve family relations, to seek
help for the perpetrator or to stay at home as far as possible) and putting
aside our personal values and judgment.

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