SofS Trainers/ConsultantsGathering - Alnmouth

3-5 July 2013

We are here

New Zealand

Population

4,355,837(February 2010)

Creating Danger Statementsin the

Absence of Previous Harm

Te Whare Kaupapa Awhina• It is rare for there to have been past harm

by the teen parent as they are usually having their first baby

• Many of the teens are still under C&P orders themselves and at times so are their babies

Tools That Have Helped3 Houses

Nikki Weld & Maggie Greening

The Future House

Sonja Parker

Three Houses

Useful for getting young mums to consider the perspective of others

Name: Tianna aged 16yrs

Date: 13/09/2012

House of

DreamsHouse of

DreamsHouse of

Good ThingsHouse of

Good ThingsHouse of

WorriesHouse of

WorriesTianna• I know I can look after my baby• Me and Jake will be great parents• Jake’s Mum thinks we will do OK

with baby• My Mum lives a long way away

and can’t interfere• We have heaps of clothes for

baby• We have a car and can get

around town when we need too• My baby won’t be in care like me

Tianna• Nothing

Judge• Would say I have tried hard to

get things ready for baby• Good we want to look after baby• That I have agreed to go to

TWKA

Judge• CYF say that me and Jake take

drugs and we won’t look after baby

CYF SW• Nothing

CYF SW• That we take drugs• That we will have parties and

won’t look after baby• That I will look after baby like my

Mum looked after us and baby will end up in welfare care

• That we will spend money on drugs and not feed baby

• No CYFS!!!• Drivers license• Maybe hair dressing

course/job• Prove to everyone baby is

well looked after• Own house• Me and Jake get married

Danger StatementCYF and the Judge are worried that Tianna and Jake may take drugs, have parties and not feed or care for baby well and that baby may be hungry, not grow well and may be scared or even hurt.

Safety GoalTianna and Jake will need to work with CYF, OHF and a safety network (of family, friends and professionals) to develop and put into place a safety plan that will show everyone that:

Tianna and Jake will make sure that Baby is getting the food and the care he/she needs to stay at a healthy weight and to do things like rolling, smiling and crawling at the right age for Baby.Tianna and Jake will make sure that Baby is always looked after by an adult who is sober/not affected by drugs and who everyone agrees is a ‘safe’ adult.

CYF will need to see this safety plan in place and working for a period of 12 months so that everyone is confident that the safety plan will keep working once CYF withdraw.

Future House

Helpful to get teen mums to look envisage a future they want and at the same time consider where others would see them on the path to that future

Rawinia’s and Sapphire’s Future Whare

Me and Sapphire living in our own placeNo social workers visiting usNo debts and having some money in the bankNo fighting, hitting, yellingMe and Sapphire reading stories, playing, having funSapphire at Kōhanga Reo and me with a part time jobSapphire’s dad and whanau having her for visits

CYF would say I am at 00

10

I think I am at a 3

Danger StatementCYF are worried that Rawinia may get involved in fights and that she will spend her money on alcohol and not feed Sapphire enough and that Sapphire may be hungry, not grow well and may be scared or even hurt.

Split into groups of three:

•Teen Mum (Carena)

•Social Worker

•Advisor

Carena is aged 15 years. She is 8 months pregnant and living with her partner Jason who is aged 18 years. They live together with Jason’s parents Shona and Randal who had all five of their children removed from their care by CYF due to neglect of the children (related to alcohol and drug abuse). Shona and Randal’s three youngest children are still in the care system. Jason has a number of criminal convictions for burglary and assault. One of the charges relates to punching Carena. He has current charges before the Court that are likely to result in imprisonment.

Carena has a history with Child, Youth and Family but was never formally removed from her parents. There were 8 notifications for Carena from the age of 12 years that related to her:Cannabis and alcohol useOut of control behaviour e.g. violent to others and missing from home frequentlySpending time with much older men who were part of a local gang known for criminal offending and violent behaviour

Carena has been involved in two Youth Justice conferences relating to her assaulting other young people. She has refused to see her parents for the last six months and does not want them to support her in caring for the baby. 

Child Youth and Family have applied to the Family Court for a custody order for the unborn baby and have referred Carena to Te Whare Kaupapa Awhina (Teen Parent Home). Carena is willing to attend TWKA as she has been told her baby will be removed from her at birth if she does not attend. She does not believe that her baby will be at risk in her care.

Advisors Ask MumOn a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 is the process helped you to understand the worries and form the danger statement and 0 is It was a complete waste of time-where would you scale it?

What was the thing that helped most?

Advisors what was the best learning/idea from the group?