|
1
|
- STRATEGIES TO PREVENT
- FALSE ALLEGATIONS
|
|
2
|
- Anything that is capable of great
- good
- is also capable of great
- Harm
- Abuse occurs more frequently in the caring profession (churches, CAS,
foster families, teachers, coaches, counsellors) than in the general
population as this is where abusers find ready access to their prey.
|
|
3
|
- Gather Background Information PRIOR to Placement:
- In order for foster parents to protect themselves from allegations of
abuse it is important to understand the background of young people so
that they can be helped to the best of individual foster parents
ability. Understanding the child’s background can also help to avoid
situations which may be perceived as abusive.
|
|
4
|
- Background Information: (cont’d)
- You need to know if the child was previously abused sexually, physically
or emotionally. What was the sequence or process leading to the
abuse? Was it tied into having a
bath, being hit with a specific instrument? etc. You need to know what
happened and “with what" it happened.
|
|
5
|
- Background Information: (cont’d)
- Information on the previous life experiences of the foster child will
help you to be able to decide
whether this child will fit into your current family
constellation.
- When you have a victim of child sexual abuse, do you want to put an
adolescent offender in the same home?
- If the child was sexually abused, and is sexually active, -how well
protected, or aware are your own children or other foster children?
|
|
6
|
- Background Information: (cont’d)
- Has the child made previous allegations; physical or sexual or neglect?
(frequency important).
- Has the biological family made past allegations against foster families?
(frequency important).
- Is child physically aggressive and has he/she ever required restraints,
psychotropic drugs?
|
|
7
|
- Background Information (cont’d)
- Know medical issues and is your family comfortable with these issues.
- What is the child’s personality and does their personality mix well with
your family?
- How many admissions has the child experienced?
|
|
8
|
- Background Information (cont’d)
- Are there attachment difficulties with the child?
- How does the child feel about being in care?
- Is the child indiscriminate with their affection towards males?
- Does the child flinch/cringe when reprimanded?
- School difficulties i.e. supervision
- Frequency of access
|
|
9
|
- Background Information (cont’d)
- Read child’s Society file thoroughly.
- Get as much information about the child before he/she comes into the
home from previous worker, previous and current foster parents.
- Arrange a preplacement visit if possible.
- Continue to acquire ongoing information regarding child (i.e. from
worker, teachers, the child’s
file, cub leaders, therapists, etc.)
|
|
10
|
- The Decision to Foster:
- Are you able to say “NO” or can you be convinced to take “just one
more”;
- Are you able to say no, because the child doesn't fit into your current
mix of kids ‑ or because you are not going to put your own kids
at risk?
- Are you able to say no because your skills cannot meet the needs of the
child?
- Solicit other family members’ opinions;
|
|
11
|
- The Decision to Foster: (cont’d)
- Ask yourself if this placement can truly work;
- Can I manage/help this child;
- Do I have or can I access the required training. Have you had
specialized training to prepare you to work with the type of children
that you have agreed to foster? If you have not, then you are
potentially setting yourself up. You need background information and
concrete ideas on bow to help the children you are caring for. Love is
not enough.
|
|
12
|
- The Setting
- The physical layout of your home, and the space you have for extra
children should be considered.
- Do you have the space or are you making space?
- Have you got an agreement on the number of children you will/can take?
- Do you stick to your agreement or do you allow yourself to be convinced
to take "just one more"?
|
|
13
|
- The Setting (cont’d)
- Look at the sleeping arrangements in particular, e.g., who is sleeping
in what rooms, what are their backgrounds, what is the attitude toward
sharing?
- How important is your child(ren)’s personal space?
|
|
14
|
- Training & Education:
- Foster parents need a general understanding of children's behaviours
and the reasons for behaviours. While certain behaviours may not always
be understood, knowing what children may be seeking from the various
behaviours can be helpful.
|
|
15
|
- Training & Education (cont’d)
- Take training courses/parenting courses; Participate in any training
that is available on working with children and youth who have been
physically or sexually abused. It is important that both parents
participate in the training sessions, not just one. Make time to read
books or pamphlets that will increase your awareness of abuse of
children and offer specific ideas on how you can help those who have
suffered abuse.
|
|
16
|
- Training & Education (cont’d)
- Specialized courses may be required to work with specific children;
- Attend cluster and FPA meetings
- Use CYW support system, your worker and Resource worker whenever
available.
|
|
17
|
- Training & Education (cont’d)
- Access the mentors and Foster Parent Peer Support person.
- Obtain a copy of your Society 's procedures for handling allegations of
abuse, particularly those related to foster care. If your foster family
association has developed procedures in conjunction with your
Society then get a copy. If you
have any questions, then seek answers. It is better to have the
procedures before it is too late
|
|
18
|
- Training & Education (cont’d)
- Get training in Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI)
- Know your Society’s discipline policy
- Know your Society’s position on use of restraints.
|
|
19
|
- Respite
- Have an agreement with your Society as to relief for this child; You
should not live 24 hours a day/365 days a year without some breaks from
fostering.
- Foster children require a lot of emotional support. You need to be
rejuvenated, and you also need time to be alone with your own family.
- Respite should be considered mandatory and be available a minimum of
once a month.
|
|
20
|
- Respite (cont’d)
- Do not assume relief, get it in the Plan of Care;
- Ask for extra relief and support during the “difficult” times;
- Take recuperation time after a particularly difficult incident has
occurred.
|
|
21
|
- Support
- Build and maintain a support system. As a foster family you need better
support systems than most people. You have many additional pressures
caused by the problems of the children you may have, disrupted family
dynamics, and difficulties that may arise in dealing with the social
worker or the Society.
|
|
22
|
- Support (cont’d)
- Support can come to you from attending meetings of your local foster
family association, through close friends, or from your own extended
family. It is very important that you have someone to turn to in time
of crisis. Make sure you have an up‑to‑date list of your
foster family association's emergency contact people.
|
|
23
|
- Support (cont’d)
- Have a plan at the beginning outlining the amount and type of support
that will be required to meet the needs of the child, e.g., CYW, group
and individual counselling;
- Revise the support plan regularly, particularly after the “honeymoon” period;
|
|
24
|
- Support (cont’d)
- Know your limits, ask for assistance when you reach them (Mentor,
Foster Parent Peer Support Person, CYW & Resource Workers);
- Don’t be afraid to say you are in over your head.
|
|
25
|
- Discipline & Treatment:
- Know and use appropriate discipline and treatment procedures;
- Do not hesitate to ask for concrete ideas from Society staff and other
professionals regarding strategies for particular behaviour problems;
- Know your Society’s discipline & use of restraints policy.
|
|
26
|
- Social Isolation:
- Take the time for your personal relationships, e.g. spouse, family and
friends; Don’t sacrifice your personal relationships for the “sake of
the kids”.
- Build up a strong support system.
|
|
27
|
- Reporting:
- You must report serious occurrences;
- Know what serious occurrences are and the procedure for reporting them;
|
|
28
|
- Reporting: (cont’d)
- Report any event which can be interpreted as an abusive situation or
inappropriate behaviour;
- Make sure that you keep your social worker informed of significant
events such as all illness, self‑injury, or injuries due to
fights or falls.
- If there are changing dynamics in the foster family such as illness of
one foster parent or behaviour changes in the foster child, inform your
worker.
|
|
29
|
- Reporting: (cont’d)
- If your foster child has a problem, let the child's worker know as soon as possible. Make
sure you keep a record in your daily log of what you talked about with
your worker (times, days, topics, etc.). Check to see that your worker
correctly interpreted what you said.
|
|
30
|
- Reporting: (cont’d)
- Keep a copy of all annual assessments and documentation pertaining to
your home.
- If possible, report serious misbehaviours with the child present;
- Voice mail and emails are considered reporting.
|
|
31
|
|
|
32
|
- Record Keeping: (cont’d)
- Recording should include both positive and negative situations that
your children have encountered each day.
- Your log should also keep a list of all people who visit you during a
given day.
- Your log should be in a type of journal where pages cannot be removed
or added. This will add credibility to your notes should they be
required in court. i.e. nothing added or altered after the fact.
|
|
33
|
- Record Keeping: (cont’d)
- Encourage your children to keep diaries. Another interesting idea, utilized by
a number of foster parents, is to have your foster children make
monthly written comments on the home. This is like an evaluation, but is
an informal way of opening communication and catching issues of concern
that may be developing.
|
|
34
|
- Record Keeping: (cont’d)
- Personal notes/logs should be kept by you in a locked file;
- Society reports must be returned when the child moves or upon request
of the Society – it is a legal responsibility;
- Share all records/logs with worker(s).
|
|
35
|
- Don’t Set Yourself Up:
- It is strongly recommended that you not leave your children alone
without an appropriate and authorized adult present. Make sure you know
your Society 's regulation on who constitutes an authorized adult.
- Be aware and/or limit one-on-one time with children who have been
sexually abused, particularly, if you are of the opposite sex;
- It is strongly suggested that teen or adult males NOT be alone in the
home or car with female children/teens.
- Be aware of jokes or sarcasm which can be misconstrued;
|
|
36
|
- Don’t Set Yourself Up: (cont’d)
- Know your foster child's personal space in relation to touching, and
hugging;
- Look at who does what and if it is appropriate. e.g., baths, dressing
the child, time spent in the bedroom or bathroom.
- Have house rules for everyone about privacy, night dress, etc.
particularly when dealing with foster children who are sexually aware,
or have been known to have been sexually abused.
- Give the child be given a copy of these rules to keep.
|
|
37
|
- Don’t Set Yourself Up: (cont’d)
- Be Aware of Self and Family Limits. Do you know what your limits are?
Can you define the types of problems that you are able to cope with and
those that you are not? Do you know when you are getting to the 'end of
your rope’? Can you tell when your family, as a unit, is being affected
and having difficulty? Are you able to take a break between placements
of children and young people? Are you taking care of your own needs?
|
|
38
|
- Pre-placement visits:
- Planning for a new foster child for your family should include,
wherever possible, a pre-placement visit. It is also important that your
natural children and any significant others be present.
- Pre-placement visits can be advantageous for several reasons. This
visit allows you and your family a chance to get to know the child. If
you involve your whole family in the decision-making around a new
foster child, then this will give all of you a chance to discuss and
arrive at a decision.
|
|
39
|
- Alternate Caregivers:
- In order to decrease the potential for an allegation of abuse in the
foster family setting, it is important that you take some protective
steps when you obtain an alternate caregiver.
- You should:
- Obtain a substitute caregiver from a pool of trained and approved
foster parents.
- Utilize a substitute caregiver that has been approved by the Society .
|
|
40
|
- Alternate Caregivers: (cont’d)
- Utilize a caregiver who knows your children and their backgrounds.
- Try to have a substitute caregiver stay in your home, rather than
moving your foster children to another home.
- Do not utilize, for any reason, an untrained caregiver or any other
caregiver without permission of your Society.
- Consult your children about who they would prefer as an alternative
caregiver.
|
|
41
|
- Sensible Caregiving & Prudent Fostering
- Foster parents need to have clear rules of what is acceptable in their
home. These house rules need to take into account specific ways of
protecting the entire foster family from abuse or possible allegations
of abuse.
|
|
42
|
- Sensible Caregiving & Prudent Fostering (cont’d)
- Foster parents should establish "house rules" based on the
history and the special needs of the child accepted for foster
placement. They should be documented and attached to the plan of care.
It is important for the social worker to understand the rules. This can
help stop a child from getting accidental permission from the worker to
break a rule.
- Usually it is helpful to establish and follow "house rules"
which cover the following areas: privacy, reasonable dress code,
physical contact and exchange of affection, communication, no secrets,
and third party presence.
|
|
43
|
- Sensible Caregiving & Prudent Fostering (cont’d)
- Basic House Rules:
- Bathroom door closed unless you have to assist a child with personal
hygiene. In this case, it would be advisable to leave the bathroom
door open, or have another adult present if possible.
- Only one child at a time in the bathroom.
- Do not allow children to go into each other's bedrooms. (or no door
closed)
- Everyone should be properly clothed when in public areas of the house.
Wear a housecoat or robe.
|
|
44
|
- Sensible Caregiving & Prudent Fostering (cont’d)
- Basic House Rules (cont’d)
- Beach clothes are for beach and pool only.
- Develop consequences with all the children in your home.
- A closed bathroom and bedroom door are to be respected.
- Always knock, or ask permission, before entering another person's
bedroom.
- Beds are for sleeping ONLY!
- Rules should be age appropriate.
|
|
45
|
- Sensible Caregiving & Prudent Fostering (cont’d)
- Basic House Rules (cont’d)
- Never permit the child to see you without clothes on.
- Never permit the child to walk around wearing inappropriate clothing,
i.e. black nighties, or too little clothing.
- Avoid bathing, even young children, without other adults in the home
and present in the bathing area.
|
|
46
|
- Understand child’s boundary issues
- Hugging is a boundary issue
- Wear discreet clothing Mom, Dad & Kids
- Gestures- watch body language
- Use safe language. –suggestive language is risky.
|
|
47
|
|
|
48
|
- GUIDELINES TO AVOID PHYSICAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS
- KNOW YOURSELF!
- Know your own triggers
- Check your emotional balance.
|
|
49
|
- Discipline
- Discipline is a part of the parent-child relationship that can often
get foster parents in trouble. Many allegations of physical abuse
revolve around the use of discipline. It is important that you know your
Society's policy on discipline and that you follow those policies. The
consequences of not following your Society's policy or procedures is
that you may be charged with abuse.
|
|
50
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- Discipline is a necessary part of the parent-child relationship and of
a child's maturation. Through the
sensitive and judicious use of discipline, a child learns to become
self-disciplined and self-confident. Therefore, it is an expectation
that social workers and foster parents approach the issue of discipline
with knowledge, patience and consistency.
|
|
51
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- Discipline is used for the purpose of teaching and guiding a child
towards desirable and acceptable behaviours, rather than retribution for
wrongdoing.
- The basis for all successful work with children is creating and
sustaining a good relationship with the child. Cultivate relationships employing
positive measures which build self-esteem and cooperation.
|
|
52
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- UNACCEPTABLE DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES
- deliberately harsh or degrading responses that could result in the
humiliation of a child or the undermining of a child's self-respect
- deprivation of basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, bedding
or sleep
- extensive and prolonged withholding of emotional response or
stimulation after the undesirable behaviour of the child has stopped
- placing or keeping a child in a locked room
|
|
53
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- UNACCEPTABLE DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES
- threatening removal of the foster child from the foster home in an
attempt to control behaviour.
It is recognized that foster parents, with older children or
teens, may well have some behaviours that they will not tolerate in
their home. They may discuss these matters with a child, recognizing
that removal could be a consequence, of such behaviours. Plans for
serious consequences are best discussed with the child, foster parent,
and social worker together.
- corporal punishment
- punching, shaking, shoving, pinching, slapping or other forms of
aggressive physical contact
|
|
54
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- ACCEPTABLE DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES
- Positive reinforcement and praise, use of rewards
- Modelling
- Routines and Limits
- Clear Expectations and follow-through
- Prompting
- Redirecting/distraction
- Verbal Disapproval
|
|
55
|
- Discipline (cont’d)
- ACCEPTABLE DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES
- Withholding or granting privileges
- Grounding
- Time-outs
- Logical Consequences
- Chores, Assignment, Restitution
- Negotiating, Problem Solving, Choices
- Ignoring
- Motion Detectors
|
|
56
|
- Prudence is Your Protection
- Report immediately, any inappropriate behaviour.
- Seek immediate medical attention for any medical concerns, i.e. urinary
infections for it could grow into allegations.
- Don't try to resolve trauma all by yourself.
- Report to the worker, any unlawful behaviour, either in the home or
community, i.e. substance abuse.
- Minimize discussion with the child of a sexual nature, as this could
become their fantasy.
- Report problems in school.
|
|
57
|
- Family meetings give a chance for everyone in the foster family to be
heard on issues arising in the family. They encourage open communication
within the family and may help to keep potentially abusive situations or
"secrets" from developing. If everyone in the family has the
right to participate and have input, then the likelihood of an
allegation due to feelings of not being heard or listened to, is less
likely.
|
|
58
|
- Purpose of family meetings:
- Being heard.
- Expressing positive feelings about one another and giving
encouragement.
- Distributing chores fairly among members
- Expressing concerns, feelings and complaints.
- Settling conflicts and dealing with recurring issues.
- Planning family recreation
|
|
59
|
- Guidelines for Family Meetings:
- Meet at a regularly scheduled time so that family members can make
their plans accordingly and can count on a time to discuss the issues
important to them.
- Share the responsibilities of the meeting itself by rotating who chairs
the meeting.
- Keep minutes of family meetings so that you have a record of issues,
plans and decisions.
|
|
60
|
- Guidelines for Family Meetings:
- Together, plan the amount of time you will reserve for family meetings.
- In deciding who will do the household chores, parents and children
together make a list of necessary chores and then decide how to
distribute them.
- Any agreements made in the family meeting are to be in effect until the
next meeting.
|
|
61
|
- Guidelines for Family Meetings:
- Any complaint about decisions from a meeting should be deferred until
the next session.
- All family members have opportunity to bring up matters important to
them.
- Make sure your meetings are more than job distribution and problem
solving sessions.
|
|
62
|
- This concludes the second portion of the Safeguarding training session.
- Click on the “Back” button of your browser to return the Safeguarding
main page to continue
|
Notes