The practice framework for screening and assessment provides a structure to ensure a systematic and consistent approach to screening and assessment based on knowledge from international and Australian practice in this field.
Background
The objectives of the Family Relationship Centres and the Family Relationship Advice Line are to:
- give intact families help with their family relationships and parenting through appropriate information and referral
- give separating families help to achieve workable parenting arrangements (outside the court system) through information, support, referral and dispute resolution services, and
- deliver high quality, timely, safe and ethical services.
The Centres and the Advice Line are gateways to a wider service system. They assist:
- couples about to be married to get information about pre-marriage education
- families wanting to improve their relationships to get information about family relationship education and other services that can help strengthen relationships
- families having relationship difficulties to get information and referral to other services that help to prevent separation
- separating partners with information and referral
- separated parents to resolve disputes and reach agreement on parenting arrangements outside the court system through child-focused information, advice and dispute resolution, as well as referral to other services
- separated parents whose arrangements have broken down or whose court orders have been breached, to resolve the issue outside the court system, through information, advice, referral and dispute resolution
- other people who deal with families such as teachers or doctors, and
- grandparents and other extended family members affected by a family separation through information, advice, referral or dispute resolution services.
Underpinning the Government’s reforms is the importance of promoting healthy family relationships, preventing conflict and separation, encouraging agreement rather than litigation, and promoting the right of children to have meaningful relationships with both parents. The arrangements recognise that with some assistance most separating families are able access the broader range of services available to support them, and to develop satisfactory parenting arrangements for their children.
Helping separating parents to reach parenting agreements in joint sessions is a very important part of the Centres’ work. In addition to providing a broad range of information and assistance to families as they develop new arrangements for their children, the Centres will also ensure that safety issues for family members receive proper attention. Identifying and responding to the needs of adults and children who experience violence; children for whom there are concerns about child abuse; and partners for whom the loss and grief associated with separation can lead to serious concerns about self harm will be assisted by the use of sound screening and assessment methods.
Definition of screening and assessment
The term ‘screening’ in the context of the Centres and the Advice Line refers to processes which identify:
- the nature of the enquiry or assistance being sought by the person contacting the Centre or the Advice Line
- the type and timing of the service offered by the Centre, the Advice Line, or other agencies to which the client should be directed or referred as the next step in providing assistance (a ‘triage’ function)
- the existence or likelihood of domestic and family violence and of harm to others
- the risk of child abuse or abduction
- the risk of self-harm
- the urgency of required action, and
- barriers which need to be overcome before a client is able to benefit from the services offered by the Centres and the Advice Line.
The term ‘assessment’ in the context of the Centres and the Advice Line refers to processes which enable a more in-depth analysis of client strengths and needs (including, but not only, the need for children and parents to be safe). Assessments will take into account:
- the expressed and underlying needs of the clients, including children (and others such as grandparents) involved in a case of potential or actual separation
- the strengths of clients which can be called upon to build their capacity to deal with the issues facing them, including parenting, and
- any factors relevant to making a judgement about the advisability or otherwise of a client participating in any joint dispute resolution process or group program.