Introduction to Structured Decision Making – Safety Assessment and Risk Assessment

This 1-day course provides participants with an introduction to the Structured Decision Making® Safety and Risk assessment tools used in the NSW child protection sector. Both FaCS and non-government agencies now train their staff in the same structured decision making safety and risk assessments, enabling all agencies working with families in the child protection system to speak the one assessment language; facilitating more efficient referral and case transfer between agencies; enhancing interagency collaboration and cooperation; and preventing repetitive assessment of families.

The SDM Safety and Risk assessments covered in this course are specifically designed for New South Wales by the Children’s Research Centre (USA) and incorporates the State’s unique dynamics of child abuse and demographics as well as assisting workers focus on the dynamics of child abuse in general whilst assessing immediate danger and future risk.

The SDM system is a research and evidence based decision support system that assists agencies with child protection responsibilities make reliable and equitable decisions in their work with vulnerable children, young people and families.

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Describe the SDM® system and how it is applied
• Apply the SDM® Safety and Risk Assessment tools
• Describe the elements of a Safety Plan
• Tailor a Safety Plan to the SDM Safety Assessment results
• Begin to apply SDM Safety, Risk Assessment and Risk Reassessment
• Introduce the concepts of Safety Assessment, Risk Assessment and Risk Reassessment to families

Who should attend?

Caseworkers, Managers Casework and support workers working in FSP organisations with child protection and/or restoration service delivery responsibilities.