Engaging with Families: Using Questions as an Intervention – Appreciative Inquiry and Solution-Focused Questions

This 2-day course provides participants with an introduction to solution focused questioning and appreciative inquiry when working with families in the early intervention and child protection space. A key component of this work is assisting families bring about change to promote safety for their children. The solution focused approach assumes that people and families are competent and expert in their own lives and can initiate and maintain change if they have a hand in developing the change focused solutions and strategies. Solution focused conversations use appreciative, respectful curiosity and skilful questioning that invite reflection and solution finding and create opportunities for the family to think creatively about how to progress towards their goals of safety for their themselves and their children.

The parallel practice process, Appreciative Inquiry, is the cooperative search for the best in practitioners. A fundamental notion underpinning Appreciative Inquiry is what we pay the most attention to has the best chance of growing. By asking skilful questions supervisors and managers discover their practitioners' practice at its most effective and most capable. During the processes of supervision and case consultations, Supervisors and Managers of casework model the questioning approach Caseworkers will use with their families, using the E.A.R.S. approach to Appreciative Inquiry.

In this highly interactive workshop, participants will be introduced to and practice the parallel approaches.

Learning Outcomes:

• Develop their knowledge and skills in family engagement and to practice the micro-skills used in intentional conversations and building a helping relationship
• Develop an understanding and have opportunity to practice solution focused questions and appreciative inquiry

Who should attend?

Case workers, case managers and support workers working in government and non-government organisations with child protection service delivery responsibilities