Signs of Safety

Update October 2018

ALBERTA PS4LLC CAREGIVER INFORMATION PACKAGE 2018

Practice Strategies for Lifelong Connections
The integration of the original 6 Practice Strategies and the philosophy and 4 strategies of Lifelong Connections has resulted in principle-based practice approach called Practice Strategies for Lifelong Connections. The original 6 practice strategies focused on the “front end” of practice, specifically intake, assessment and decisions related to children coming into care. They embed family centered and strengths-based practice early into the assessment process through slowing down and critically thinking through decisions, involving parents as active partners and engaging extended family and natural supports early in the process of safety planning for children and youth…

Practice Strategies for Lifelong Connections pptx
Practice Strategies for Lifelong Connections is a principle-based practice approach under the Child Intervention Practice Framework that includes 10 practice strategies focusing on promoting safety, well-being, and connections, from intake to file closure and supports critical thinking in decision making, creating and maintaining connections, and thoughtful transition planning…

4 Areas of Connection
Through consultation with stakeholders, 4 key areas where strong relationships are critical were identified. They describe how strong lasting relationships support overall well-being and safety of children and youth.  These key areas focus on the importance of human relationships within a family and community context and guide creating and maintaining meaningful connections for children and youth to people who love them unconditionally. The 4 areas of connection expand our understanding of permanency for the children, youth and families we all work with, moving the focus beyond just legal permanence. These connections are established and maintained through collaboration, critical thinking and intentional planning for children and youth.

Frequently asked Questions: Practice Strategies for Lifelong Connections – Caregivers

Family Finding – Caregivers
Family Finding is an approach that seeks to build and maintain a natural support network for children and youth disconnected from their home and community.  It helps children and youth in care connect or reconnect with, create, and maintain relationships with adults who are important to them.  These people can include parents or guardians, siblings, past caregivers, extended family members, adult siblings from previous placements, teachers, daycare providers, or anyone else they have had significant relationships with in the past.  These relationships are important for children’s well-being, allowing them to know who their family is and where they come from, to know their cultural or religious heritage, and to establish supportive connections into their adulthood…

Signs of Safety®An Overview for Alberta
Signs of Safety is an approach to Child Intervention that was developed by Child Intervention staff to enhance child safety and uses professional social work concepts such as strengths-based and solution-focused methods and integrates them with the family’s expertise and cultural knowledge. It encourages a balanced and rigorous exploration of danger or harm as well as indicators of safety and focuses on risk assessment and safety planning...

Update March 2018

2017 International Signs of Safety Gathering Videos and Presentation Materials Available for a Limited Amount of Time.

Please note that all presentations will be freely available to watch on signsofsafety.net for three months from the date that they are published. Following that, five presentations will be selected to remain available for two years. All the presentations from this and past International Gatherings are always available through an organizational subscription to the Signs of Safety Knowledge Bank.

Update September 2017

Signs of Safety working group.  Children Services has implemented Signs of Safety 2 day Provincial Delegation training. The working group is looking at how to implement a plan that insures all current CS staff also receive the 2 day Provincial training, whether or not they have had previous training in the past. This is to ensure everyone has received the same provincial specific training.  A 1 day training has been developed for agency partners and caregivers. The committee is in the process of developing a plan to offer the training provincially

Signs of Safety Newsletter October 2017

The first presentation video from is now up. Watch Demonstrating Safety Within the Drug Epidemic

Update Fall 2016

Nicole McFadyen (ALIGN) has been invited to sit on the Signs of Safety working group (fall 2016). Updates to come in this area

Signs of Safety Is an innovative strengths-based, safety-organized approach to child protection casework. The model of its approach was created in Western Australia by Andrew Turnell and Steve Edwards, who worked with over 150 front-line statutory practitioners and based it on what those practitioners know works well with difficult cases. The Signs of Safety approach has attracted international attention and is being used in jurisdictions in North America, Europe and Australasia

New and Related Resources

A new book, Strengths-Based Child Protection: Firm, Fair, and Friendly by Carolyn Oliver has recently been released which we are very happy to recommend. Forward by Andrew Turnell: Signs of Safety

To make any sense of strengths-based thinking and practice in child protection you have to address the fundamental questions:

  • How can the practitioner use their authority skilfully and still work collaboratively with parents?
  • How can the practitioner bring rigorous professional knowledge about harm and danger and at the same time approach parents and extended family as people who bring strengths, resources, and solutions?

The book tackles these issues head on and frames answers based in practice and in language that will resonate with child protection professionals everywhere. This book significantly extends our professional thinking about how to do child protection and how to research and build theory together with practitioners. Anyone who wants to do child protection practice more rigorously and more compassionately should read this book.

The author, Carolyn Oliver, is an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at the University of British Columbia as well as the Strategic Policy Advisor for Canada’s largest urban Aboriginal child protection agency.4th Edition of the Signs of Safety Briefing Paper Released May 2017
The Signs of Safety is a constantly evolving practitioner’s model and because of this, written material cannot usually keep up with the latest developments. The Signs of Safety Briefing Paper has been continually updated to provide the most up to date overview of the Signs of Safety as it continues to evolve. This fourth edition of the Signs of Safety Briefing Paper offers a comprehensive overview of the Signs of Safety approach and underpinning theory, as well as detailing the research and implementation science that supports it.Signs of Safety IT System April 24, 2017 was a breakthrough day for the Signs of Safety approach.
On that day in Islington London, together with Servelec HSC, the first fully specified Signs of Safety information management system was launched.The system’s forms embed all the of the Signs of Safety practice elements, from intake through to closure, and include all the assessment and planning methods. Comprehensive Signs of Safety practice guidance is also embedded throughout the system. Since the Servelec system is built in the English context, the system is also fully compliant with English legislative and statutory returns requirements…With the launch of the Signs of Safety IT system, Signs of Safety consultants can now offer any child protection organization the forms, experience and IT partners that are needed to implement a Signs of Safety IT system for their agency. This will enable the agency to create the recording environment where workers are supported to practice using the Signs of Safety approach, and deliver an IT system that workers will want to use because it will help them carry out their direct work with families…

Video from the Fourth Western Australian Signs of Safety Gathering  October 2016
The Western Australian Department for Child Protection and Family Support hosted their fourth Signs of Safety Gathering. Featuring the theme “Reflect, Reboot, Renew” the event was attended by Departmental staff, representatives from other government and non-government agencies, and also international presenters:
Mike Caslor – Canada
Beth Farquharson – Canada
Jill Devlin and Lee Roberts – New Zealand

Signs of Safety The Three Houses App  is the first of a series of practice-focused apps that will be integrated into a Signs of Safety IT and recording system that is currently in development as part of the Signs of Safety England Innovations Project.

The Power of Partnership Video & Workbook: How to Use Signs of Safety in Child Protection

Signs of Safety Supervisor Practice Fidelity Assessment Casey Family Programs have just released the first report that describes the development of a supervisor assessment fidelity measurement tool

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