St. Luke's

Services offered by St Luke's Anglicare

Children and Family Services

Click on the links above to view the various Children and Family Services offered by St Lukes Anglicare.

Parenting Assessment And Skills Development Service (PASDS)

The St Luke’s PASDS model is based on the following beliefs:

That children have a right to achieve long term wellbeing The achievement of this objective is dependent on the quality of the child’s experiences as they grow up.

Children will not develop successfully unless they receive an appropriate standard of care. Parents want the best for their children, and would always endeavour to provide their children the appropriate standard of care.

Some parents need assistance, and sometimes if this assistance is not available, either inappropriate strategies are resorted to and/or unsafe behaviours are displayed leading to Child protection involvement.

St Luke’s plan to work collaboratively with Child Protection across the region (in particular the High Risk Infant Program) and with other community services where and when appropriate, to provide a model that is flexible and creative around working with parents and their infant children.

Goals

· Enhanced competence of the Primary Carer of an infant child
· Improved risk and need assessment
· Better informed case decision-making
· Improved performance at court
· Improved inter-agency and inter-disciplinary communication and coordination
· Service and Practice innovation

Coverage

This is a whole of Loddon Mallee service. Bendigo will provide residential, day stay and in home assessments and skills development.

The Mallee region will continue to access a residential component at QEC or Tweddle. A High-Risk Infant specialist will develop and broker local services to provide assessments and skills development during 2004.

Target Group

Any primary carer who is subject to a Protective Services Investigation within the terms of the Children and Young Person’s Act 1989, and have children under the age of two. The child would need to be referred by the High Risk Infant Manager.

 

Referral and Assessment

The referral is made to the Bendigo PASDS, Team Leader. Assessments are to begin within 72 hours. An assessment is made of the families practical parenting skills, and the parents capacity to develop these skills.

Assessments are made either in-home (for a period up to 15 hours) or within the Bendigo residential setting (for a period up to 72 hours). The assessment and report is to be completed within 28 days of the commencement with the service.

There is also the capacity to broker other professional services if required.

Skill Development

Skill development, if recommended should commence no later than 30 days after the service commences. This component of the service will provide up to 20 hours of skills development per week for 4 weeks and up to 10 hours skills development per week for 6 weeks.

Following skills development, parenting capacity is reassessed, a report will be provided with clear recommendations and an exit plan in place.

Skills development will be provided in a variety of ways, using visual tools and flexible teaching methods.

Staff

The staff consists of a Team Leader (Maternal and Child Health Nurse), support worker and casual residential workers as needed. There is also a 12 month position for a High Risk Infant Specialist for the Mallee area.

Contact Details

Kay Lehane (PASDS Team Leader)
Phone: (03) 5442 8482 Fax: as per phone

E-mail: info@stlukes.org.au
PO Box 315
BENDIGO VIC 3552