Wherever possible
the Request for Service (RFS) process is conducted over the
phone.
In circumstances
involving more urgent or complex service needs, including
Significant Concerns for a Child's Wellbeing referrals, the RFS
process is carried out in the family home or during a face to face
contact at relevant service agency.
The decision to
offer a face to face RFS is informed by recommendations from the
referrer, feedback from the family and the workers assessment of
what kind of engagement approach is most likely to succeed. The
time involved in carrying out the RFS process averages between 1
½ and 3 hours (not including travel).
Wherever possible,
home visits for the RFS process for new families will be carried
out by 2 workers. The second worker may be a team member from
our local partner agencies.
Where families are
identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the RFS process
is facilitated by the Child FIRST Indigenous worker, with the
support of Child FIRST when required.
The purpose of
the Request for Service process is to:
-
gather information respectfully and
ascertain most appropriate service(s)
-
understand the reasons why the person
is contacting the service at this stage
-
understand/assess the key issues of
concern for the family, child/ren and referrer
-
provide further information to the
family on the processes used within family services
-
understand the history of involvement
with other family services and assess the involvement of other
relevant services or individuals
-
collect further information about the
family strengths, challenges, supports, current services, natural
networks and coping strategies that the family is currently
using
-
understand the kind of changes that
the family wants to achieve or needs to achieve to ensure the
safety and wellbeing of the child/ren
-
assess existing expectations or court
ordered conditions that may relate to the services requested or
needed from Family Services (eg. CPU case plan, Family Court
orders)
-
ensure a smooth and respectful
introduction to family services by building on the existing
relationship between family and referrer in order to maximize
successful engagement
-
develop a clear action plan with the
family and referrer in relation to immediate concerns and support
needs whilst awaiting allocation
-
gather all relevant information needed
to accurately register the family on Iris
