Is there an emerging need for the role of the Practice Specialist in supporting best practice in the current New South Wales child protection climate?

Abstract

The complexities in social work practice, particularly child protection, in New South Wales is ever growing. As we deal with rising living costs and the growing nature of psychosocial stressors related to this, families are presenting with more complex needs than ever before. Leaders of frontline practitioners in child protection practice often lack time to focus on the ongoing development of skill sets practitioners require to support growing complex needs of families. The role of the Practice Specialist is a role that is beginning to emerge in various organisations. This role has been pivotal in the overall growth of practitioners and the programs they work in, creating a culture of critique, self-reflection and shared decision making for children and young people. Most Practice Specialist roles focus on supporting practitioners to ‘slow down’ in the fast-paced and anxiety-driven culture of child protection practice. This slowing down can be seen as a fundamental component of practitioners striving for best practice approaches in child protection and is believed to facilitate more thought-out, collaborative, and less reactionary interventions for children, young people and their families. What do organisations need to know more about on the unique role of the Practice Specialist to establish or invest more in these roles?