signs of something safety plan example avi versanov
Signs of Something Safety Plan Example - Mike Developed by Avi Versanov
Background Info: • •
Supervisor: Don Worker: Mike
Mike is a veteran child protection worker and has been in the field for 12 years. For the first 5 years of his career, Mike worked as a screener and then an intake worker. Finally, he took a position as a family service worker. Mike has been married for 7 years and has no children. Mike has always been a consistently hard worker, considered a veteran and the go-to person by his peers. He is an active member of several committees at the office and is an exemplary worker. His clients say that he is a humble, non-judgmental and a fair worker. Don would say that Mike is a hard worker, his clients appreciate him and his colleagues go to him for support. His annual reviews have always been excellent. However in recent months, Don began to notice changes in Mike’s attitude at work and towards the families that he works with. Don noticed that Mike had started to become judgmental about his clients and was quick to react with angry outbursts. Don also started receiving calls from Mike’s clients complaining about his attitude towards them complaining that he was rude, abrupt, late for appointments and dismissive of them. One client said that during a recent home visit, Mike made several rude statements to her such as, “I have given you so many chances and if you don’t get your act together I will have to be more intrusive and I don’t know if you can keep your kids anymore”. She added that Mike was late to the appointment and did not seem “like himself”, that he was distant, dismissive of her ideas and when she asked him what he wanted her to do differently he said “I’m tired of repeating myself. Just be a better parent”. The client told Don that she felt, threatened, judged, betrayed by Mike and afraid that he no longer has her best interest in mind. She had given up hope that things would be different or helpful moving forward. The clients requested a different worker. Don also had a challenging encounter with Mike when he tried to address some of the issues that he had noted. Mike became angry, defensive and said to Don “I know what I’m doing and I don’t need anyone to challenge me. I’ve been doing this work for years”. Mike also said “That woman is a liar and a crack head and there is no hope for her. I’m tired of her excuses and she doesn’t deserve those kids”. At the office, Don also noticed that Mike had not completed several of his assessments and had been late in completing his paper work.
Danger Statements and Safety Goal Worst Outcome Statement: • Don noticed that in recent months Mike appears to be struggling with some of his clients. Don heard from one of Mike’s clients that during an appointment with her, Mike made several worrisome statements such as, “I have given you so many chances and if you don’t get your act together I will have to be more intrusive and I don’t know if you can keep your kids anymore”. The client added that Mike was late to the appointment and did not seem “like himself”, he was distant, dismissive of her ideas and when she asked him what he wanted her to do differently he said “I’m tired of repeating myself, just be a better parent”. The client told Don that during this meeting she felt threatened, judged and betrayed by Mike and afraid that he no longer has her family’s best interests in mind. She added that as a result of his actions, she no longer has hope that Mike can help her situation improve and asked for a new worker.
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
Don also noted that Mike had not completed several assessments and contact notes on time and was not in compliance with ministry standards. This happened on at least 6 case files in the last 3 months, which impacted the agency’s compliance rate in the most recent ministry audit. Worry Statements: • Don appreciates that front line child protection work can be challenging, intense and exhausting. Don worries that if/when Mike feels challenged and exhausted by the work that he will continue to make similar statements like the ones he made to his client and people he works with will no longer feel that he is fair, honest, and helpful and worst of all, Mike’s clients could think that the system is working against them and will be afraid to partner and embrace child welfare. Don worries that if all that was to continue, families will not want to work with the system, children’s safety may be in jeopardy, some children could stay in care longer than they have to and that some may never get to go home because the partnership that is required for the work will not be developed, complicating everyone’s ability to work together towards a rigorous safety plan. • Don also worries that if Mike cannot complete his assessments and contact notes on time, that he will continue to fall behind and this could further overwhelm his ability, capacity and willingness to do his work. If all this continued, Don worries that Mike could become further annoyed and overwhelmed with his work and clients and may not be the best worker that everyone knows that he can be. Vision for Excellence: Don is impressed by Mike’s extensive experience and dedication to his clients and wants Mike to continue to be the best worker that he can be and for this to happen he would need Mike to: - Complete all case assessments and case notes on time. - Speak to his clients with respect and kindness and demonstrate firmness but be compassionate and non-judgmental. - Always work towards developing partnerships in collaboration with his clients.
What’s working well/Solution focused questions: •
Mike, what would you say are the best things about being a child protection worker? What do you suppose your clients would say are the best things about being your client?
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Mike, what would your colleagues, me, your clients say gives them the confidence that you are the worker that will help them through their most challenging situations?
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Mike, who helps you most and is best at helping you to be the best worker that you can be? How do they help and what do they do that is really helpful?
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What do you do that makes things better? What do others do to make things better? How do they do that? What has been the most helpful thing about that?
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Mike, we have discussed your challenges in meeting deadlines and I know that you are an excellent worker and that you are trying hard to correct the situation. So, it occurs to me that perhaps I may not have looked at this issue from your perspective and it is very likely that you must have a good reason to be missing deadlines. Perhaps I have been insensitive to your circumstances. Can you tell me what are some good reasons you have for this challenge?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Mike, I can see that you are trying to get things done but it is difficult to make things work all of the time. Now, just suppose that everything worked out right now. It may sound strange, but somehow it worked out like magic, that all this is behind you right now. What would you be doing then that you are not doing now?
Scaling Questions: Outcomes Scale: - On a scale of 0-10 where 10 means, even though this job can be hard on Mike and sometimes even overwhelming, Mike has the best people and plan and strategies in place that he can rely on to always be able to overcome and continue to get his work done on time, be respectful, humble, compassionate and non judgmental, and 0 means that this work is hard and overwhelming and regardless of what plans are in place, it’s gotten to a point that Mike is no longer willing to put up with it and may have even lost the energy and passion and he will continue to be late completing his work, not have compassion for his clients be judgmental and demonstrate little respect. Where do you scale Mike today? Excellence: - On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means that even though this job can be hard, frustrating and overwhelming, you are always at your optimal self because you have developed excellent coping skills and you are always able to manage the work in partnership with compassion, honour and collaboration, and 0 means that although you are an experienced worker and want to always be the best that you can be, the fact that this job can be hard, frustrating and overwhelming gets to you and it’s hard to overcome this and your attitude towards this job and the families has changed and is impacting your ability to be the best that you can be. Where are you at today? Support: - On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means the job that you do is often challenging and can take a toll on your professional and personal life but in spite of these challenges, you always feel that (can use individual scales for each) the system, your managers and supervisor are always there for you in making sure that you can be the best child protection worker because there is trust, honour and compassion from everyone and you can always rely on these people to help you get through the tough times, and 0 means the work that you do is unappreciated and the system, your managers and your supervisor are not focused on making sure that there is trust, compassion and honour set up in the office for staff and the focus is on getting the work done and not about the person doing the work and that you never feel like you are supported when times are tough. Where would you rate yourself today? Readiness: Now this might be a challenging question to think through but I believe it’s an important one because it’s about us working honestly and collaboratively on getting you right back on track so you can continue to be an excellent child protection worker. - So, on a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means this whole situation has rattled you and made you think that although you have been in this field for 12 years and done excellent work, if you were honest with yourself you would say that your heart is no longer in this job and you cannot continue to give it your all, but this is a good thing because if you changed jobs you would be happier and more content professionally and personally
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
and 0 means, what happened has no relation to my capacity, ability and professionalism and it’s more about the clients we are working with and in this field everyone has tough times but it’s just part of the job and clients just need to accept that and move on and there is no way that you will leave this job. Where are you at today? Determination: - Now this question is an important one for both of us to think about critically because it explores your commitment to getting back on track. On a scale of 0-10 where 10 means what happened was just a blip in the road and although it’s been hard on you and the families you work with, whatever happened is not a true reflection of your professionalism, commitment to your job and the reason you got into this work in the first place and you will quickly recover and get back on track in no time, and 0 means that although you got into this work for all the right reasons, the past 12 years have been hard on you personally and professionally and you are no longer willing to put up with it, you realize that your heart and passion are no longer in this and that there is nothing you or anyone else can do to relight that passion and it’s time to let go, where would you rate yourself today?
Questions to Build the Success Plan: Times when Mike dealt with a problem well (exceptions) - Mike, you said that this client was challenging and has not done anything to change her ways and that she is to blame for the stalled process. I am wondering about those times that you worked with clients who did not follow through, how did you inspire them, collaborate with them and give them hope that things can be different and better for themselves and their children? What did you do? How did you do that? What would your client say about that? Your supervisor? Your peers? - Mike, can you tell us about a time when the office was very busy and cases were just flowing in and it was all hands on deck but you still managed to get all your assessment and case notes completed on time, how did you manage to stay afloat? What was different that time? What or who helped you make sure that all of your work was always completed on time? Triggers: - What are the worst things that trigger you to feel challenged and frustrated? - On any single day what would be the ‘perfect storm’ of things that if they happened together would almost always guarantee you losing your ability to be collaborative and compassionate with families and/or get your work done on time? Red Flags: - If things were getting difficult for you at the office and with clients, what would those around you first notice? Who will do what if the Red Flags happen: - What should your network and you do if/when you realize it’s happening or they notice the red flags? Fail-safe actions that would trigger immediate conversation with your supervisor:
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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These are the bottom line scenarios that would alert the network, your supervisor and you that things are far too serious and unprofessional, and should trigger a meeting with your supervisor.
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Asking the network, Mike, what would you, your network, your supervisor and families you work with be seeing that told us that you are frustrated, overwhelmed and that your heart is not in this anymore and if nothing changed your actions could have long term consequences on compliance, children’s safety and families trust in the system?
Possible fail-safe alerts: - Supervisor receiving client complaint calls that Mike is not demonstrating compassion honour or partnership with families, assessments and case notes are not completed on time.
Personal/Professional Support People Meeting: Unlike the networks found in protection cases, the personal and professional networks will often comprise of key individuals such as a union rep, an assigned mentor, colleagues and personal friends and/or spouse and family. Those who will be invited to the network meetings will for the most part involve the professionals and not the personal individuals. The worker will be responsible to introduce the processes to his/her personal network and keep them advised of the developed rules requiring their support. Prior to initiating the success plan meetings, Don should meet with Mike’s professional support network to have a conversation about expectations. Don will also set a collaborative tone by asking partnering questions. Example of Partnership Questions: • I can appreciate that we are all here because we understand that this job is hard and want to help Mike continue to be the best worker that he has been all these years. I wonder, when thinking about this meeting, what would you say were or are your biggest challenges about participating in this process? • On a scale of 0-10, where 0 means that you have little to no confidence in this process and 10 means that you have all the confidence that this process will be successful, where are you at? What brings it all the way up to…? What makes it a…? How come you did not say…? Or a…? What needs to happen, what do I need to do now to make things better for you right now, today? • What are all the good things you have heard about this process? What kind of impression has that left for you? What are the not-so-good things you heard about this process and how has that made your consideration in participating in this process that much harder? • How should we work together to ensure that we are successful in helping Mike get back to being his best? • What needs to change right now so we can start to develop the best working relationship? • How helpful do you think this process can be to Mike on a 0-10 scale, 0 means this is a waste of everyone’s time and 10 means this work is important and necessary and you appreciate the value in all of us working together, where are you at today?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Now that we have had the chance to talk, and I was able to answer your questions and you have a better idea about what I am hoping to do and how I would go about doing it, I am wondering if I can ask you to re-scale your confidence in the process?
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Don will want to then ask the following questions to assess the networks capacity/ willingness and ability to participate in the process: o I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for joining us and for agreeing to help Mike. Before we begin, I am wondering, what is everyone’s understanding of what happened to lead to this meeting?
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Mike then reads the Worst Outcome/Worry statements and vision for success and bottom lines. Followed by a discussion and answering questions by network. o In hearing Mike’s Worst Outcome/worry statements and vision for success, are there any thoughts? Any questions?
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I was wondering, what is (to each member) your understanding of the expectations asked of you?
Trajectory: (Holding Mike accountable for Excellence) Worry statement (0)---------Trajectory Planning---------Vision for success (10) 0 What we want to achieve Tasks
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What we will notice
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Mike and his supervisor approve the trajectory and timeline. Advise HR, union rep and branch manager of Trajectory and success planning work with Mike.
Mike, Don, manager and HR sign on to the trajectory and timeline.
Mike demonstrates a willingness to engage and actively participate in this process by attending meetings and actively participating and completing assigned tasks.
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First success planning meeting occurs with Mike and the network and structure of the meeting is established. ‘Justification of actions’ is managed at this point and Mike is held accountable for success.
Don and Mike will invite Mike’s network to the first meeting. Mike will read the Worst Outcome/Worry statements, vision for success and bottom lines. First meeting is focused on identifying triggers/red flags and fail-safe actions that would trigger a conversation with Don. Reach out people are identified by Mike to connect with when things are at their hardest for him.
Mike following through on assigned tasks such as connecting with his professional and personal network. Mike is also ensuring that his network is kept aware of meeting dates and continues to participate in all meetings.
Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Success planning meetings occur, rules are created for Mike for how he will manage his work even when things get hard. Rules will also be developed to distinguish how Mike will access support from his personal and professional networks. Mike and his professional network including Don and the network identifying existing strengths and existing competencies in order to build on them in developing rules. Success Journals are in place for Mike and Don and they will document what they see is going well, what is not going well and what they think needs to change. Mike to draft a personal Success Plan Words and Pictures (W&P).
Mike informs everyone in the network about the findings from the 3-column conversation with Don (Signs of Progress) and any issues raised are addressed. Success plan is completed and the trigger, red flags and stressors have been identified and all rules developed. HR, union and branch manager are kept aware of each other’s progress to date.
Mike and Don will be responsible for scheduling the meetings, booking the room and sending out email notifications and alerts to participants.
We will notice Mike starting to apply the new rules to his everyday functioning at work and engaging his network as needed. Mike continues to complete all assigned tasks and attend all scheduled meetings.
Mike and Don keep track of times when Mike has been successful in meeting timelines and working with families. Don and Mike will also document their reflections about the viability of the success plan that is being developed. Mike will meet with Don and participate in a 3 column conversation (Signs of progress) assessing progress to date, thinking about what is going well, what are some of the challenges that have come up and what everyone thinks needs to happen. Meeting is held with professional network to address and manage any issues that may have come up in the Signs of Progress conversation.
We will notice Mike continuing to use his success plan and connecting with network as needed. We will notice Mike keeping track of his progress in his journal and engaging in conversations with Don about his progress.
Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Success plan is approved by Mike, Don and branch manager. Fire drill completed.
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Meeting held to review fire drill outcomes. Success celebrated and/or issues are addressed.
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Mike advises his professional network of the final plan and a copy is given to Don, union and HR. Other participants will receive a copy only if Mike is in agreement. Don arranges a fire drill scenario at the office. Meeting is managed with a 3column conversation (Signs of Success) between Don and Mike.
Mike always follows his plan especially if/when red flags and triggers occur. Mike follows through with the necessary follow up meeting. Mike continues to keep a journal of the process.
Final meeting with network finalizing success plan.
Review meeting 3 months post success plan completion between Don, Mike, HR and union rep to review progress. On a monthly basis Don and Mike will hold a Signs of Progress conversation. End of process. As of this point, the process is considered to have been a success and all related matters (involving HR or union) are closed. HR summarizes the successful process in a letter to be included in Mike’s personnel file. A copy is provided to Mike as well.
Mike and Don will arrange this meeting and advise everyone in the network.
During these 3 months, we will see Mike referring to his success plan as needed and relying on his network.
Don and Mike (and network if Mike chooses to include them) celebrate Mike’s success by going out to a celebratory lunch.
End of process. As of this point, the process is considered to have been a success and all related matters (involving HR or union) are closed. HR summarizes the successful process in a letter to be included in Mike’s personnel file. A copy is provided to Mike as well.
Success Plan Example: Typically, partnerships already exist between workers and supervisors and other managerial figures. However, in consideration of these circumstances and the anxiety and fear that this process can create for workers, Mike’s supervisor may want to ask a few questions to asses his and his colleagues’ level of partnership with Mike. This may be critical because Mike may not trust in the process, or the individuals involved, which will seriously compromise his capacity to succeed. ▪ Try asking: § So on a scale of 0-10 where 0 means Mike, you have worked with your supervisor and manager for several years and your relationship with them has always been cordial and respectful but you have minimal trust in their commitment to your success and you suspect that their involvement in this process is all about maintaining numbers and if you don't shape up they can easily replace you, and 10 means you have worked with your supervisor and manager all these years and have grown to respect them and they have demonstrated their commitment to your success and you trust that they have your best interest and success in mind and you
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
know that they will stand by you because they know how valuable you are to this organization, where would you rate yourself today? Developing the Success Plan Rules: ▪ Step A: Normally, the process of developing the rules begins with the supervisor thanking everyone for their time and honouring them for participating in the process. The supervisor should commence the meeting by sharing those things/characteristics that impresses them most about the worker’s professionalism, work ethics and capacity to do this hard work. ▪ Step B Mike reads the Worst Outcome/Worry statements, Vision for Success and Bottom Lines. Don will then ask the group: So, I want to make sure everyone fully understands what we are hoping to accomplish and what our end goal is for this process. If we were to think of our vision for success, where do you suppose we should start? What is the first thing we should talk about? ▪ Step C Lead the process in identifying the following: Triggers Examples for Mike: - During the busy months, when cases need to be assigned regardless of a worker’s case status and capacity. - When families do not demonstrate change even after several months of work. - Parents of young children abusing drugs. Red Flags examples for Mike: - Mike distancing himself at the office from his colleagues and is out of the office a lot. - Mike using blaming language when talking about his clients with Don. - Case notes and assessments are not completed on time. Who will do what if the Red Flags happen to Mike: - Mike will connect with the identified network individuals. - Mike will consider using his vacation days to get a break. - If a network person notices these red flags, they will follow the success rules. Fail-safe actions for Mike’s case: - Don receives complaint calls from Mike’s clients. - Mike cannot keep up with his timelines. ▪ Step D: Success Plan questions to develop rules: - What would your professional/personal future look like if we did not do anything differently? What would it look like if we created a success plan? - What would your supervisor/colleagues/partner say are early signs that things are beginning to slip again? - What might...need to know in order to keep you on track now and in the future? - What if it got busy again and you were assigned more cases? What if you had to deal with a family who did not make any progress? Or if the Parents were abusing drugs? - What would be the worst possible set of circumstances? What would you do? - If you find that you are falling behind on your paper work, what will you do?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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How will you ensure that you are always completing your paper work and that you are always compassionate, honouring and developing partnerships with your clients? What needs to happen for you to think that you are in way over your head and need support?
What would be the very first sign that: - Mike isn’t coping? Things are starting to go wrong? - That the success plan is not working? - That Mike needs help? Coping and Exceptions: - Can you tell me about a time you are most proud of, a time when you were overwhelmed with cases and you had clients that made little to no progress and were just not trying and you felt like you were working harder than they were but you managed to slow yourself and your thinking and you managed to get all your work done and were able to still have compassion for your clients in spite of all the chaos? What did you do differently? How did you do that? Did someone help you? Relationship Questions - If these were to start happening, what things would worry your supervisor the most? (use specific scenarios) - What behaviour would start to get your supervisor and the families you work with worried that everything could go wrong again? - How should those around you help? What would they need to know so they can always be the most helpful? - How will others know that things are working out just as planned for? What will your clients be telling your supervisor that would make everyone feel confident that you are back to being your best?
Example Rules of Mike’s Success Plan: Everyone involved in this process agreed that this plan will be in effect for the next 6 months and/or until such time that significant improvements are noted and it has been determined that this process is no longer necessary. 1. Mike agreed and asked for a mentor to be working with him. The mentor’s role will be to help Mike manage his casework. Don and Mike agreed that the Mentor will be part of all meetings that will occur between Don and Mike. 2. Don agreed to talk to Mike before arbitrarily assigning cases to him. Don will let Mike know that cases need to be assigned and Mike will meet with Don to have a discussion about the cases that Mike will be most comfortable with. 3. When Mike suspects that he is being triggered, he will connect with his mentor and/or someone he has chosen to talk to from his professional/personal network. 4. If Don, or others from Mike’s network, notice that Mike is exhibiting the identified red flags they will ask to have a conversation with Mike using a Signs of Stability 3-column conversation. The results will then be shared with Don. 5. If any of the fail safe actions occur, Mike understands that this requires an immediate meeting with Don to be managed with a Signs of Success 3-column conversation. 6. Mike will present his Words and Pictures and success plan to explain to his network, how he will always manage to get his work in on time, and how he will always partner with his clients and demonstrate compassion and honour.
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
7. Don agreed that he needs to have more conversations with Mike about his professional development. Don also agreed that he will (once a month) set aside time during supervision to talk to Mike about his professional, self and educational needs and wellbeing at the agency. 8. Mike’s manager and Don agreed that they need to ensure that Mike has a sense of sanctuary at the branch and that he can trust that his success is their priority. 9. Mike will share his success plan and Words and Pictures with his personal network at his discretion and will negotiate their supportive roles.
Questions supervisors and mangers can ask to assess a success plan Supervisors may consider the following questions to assess the quality of the success plan: 1. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means, we have thought of everything; who will do what, what will happen if rules are not followed, all the what if’s and all other considerations that if enacted will definitely make this the best success plan we can develop, and 0 means we worked really hard on this but in thinking about the process and the rules it has now become obvious that we missed important processes and things and as a result Mike’s challenges have not been directly addressed and he is more than likely to continue being unable to meet his deadlines and will end up frustrated with his clients and make judgmental and threatening statements?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
Background Info: • •
Supervisor: Don Worker: Mike
Mike is a veteran child protection worker and has been in the field for 12 years. For the first 5 years of his career, Mike worked as a screener and then an intake worker. Finally, he took a position as a family service worker. Mike has been married for 7 years and has no children. Mike has always been a consistently hard worker, considered a veteran and the go-to person by his peers. He is an active member of several committees at the office and is an exemplary worker. His clients say that he is a humble, non-judgmental and a fair worker. Don would say that Mike is a hard worker, his clients appreciate him and his colleagues go to him for support. His annual reviews have always been excellent. However in recent months, Don began to notice changes in Mike’s attitude at work and towards the families that he works with. Don noticed that Mike had started to become judgmental about his clients and was quick to react with angry outbursts. Don also started receiving calls from Mike’s clients complaining about his attitude towards them complaining that he was rude, abrupt, late for appointments and dismissive of them. One client said that during a recent home visit, Mike made several rude statements to her such as, “I have given you so many chances and if you don’t get your act together I will have to be more intrusive and I don’t know if you can keep your kids anymore”. She added that Mike was late to the appointment and did not seem “like himself”, that he was distant, dismissive of her ideas and when she asked him what he wanted her to do differently he said “I’m tired of repeating myself. Just be a better parent”. The client told Don that she felt, threatened, judged, betrayed by Mike and afraid that he no longer has her best interest in mind. She had given up hope that things would be different or helpful moving forward. The clients requested a different worker. Don also had a challenging encounter with Mike when he tried to address some of the issues that he had noted. Mike became angry, defensive and said to Don “I know what I’m doing and I don’t need anyone to challenge me. I’ve been doing this work for years”. Mike also said “That woman is a liar and a crack head and there is no hope for her. I’m tired of her excuses and she doesn’t deserve those kids”. At the office, Don also noticed that Mike had not completed several of his assessments and had been late in completing his paper work.
Danger Statements and Safety Goal Worst Outcome Statement: • Don noticed that in recent months Mike appears to be struggling with some of his clients. Don heard from one of Mike’s clients that during an appointment with her, Mike made several worrisome statements such as, “I have given you so many chances and if you don’t get your act together I will have to be more intrusive and I don’t know if you can keep your kids anymore”. The client added that Mike was late to the appointment and did not seem “like himself”, he was distant, dismissive of her ideas and when she asked him what he wanted her to do differently he said “I’m tired of repeating myself, just be a better parent”. The client told Don that during this meeting she felt threatened, judged and betrayed by Mike and afraid that he no longer has her family’s best interests in mind. She added that as a result of his actions, she no longer has hope that Mike can help her situation improve and asked for a new worker.
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
Don also noted that Mike had not completed several assessments and contact notes on time and was not in compliance with ministry standards. This happened on at least 6 case files in the last 3 months, which impacted the agency’s compliance rate in the most recent ministry audit. Worry Statements: • Don appreciates that front line child protection work can be challenging, intense and exhausting. Don worries that if/when Mike feels challenged and exhausted by the work that he will continue to make similar statements like the ones he made to his client and people he works with will no longer feel that he is fair, honest, and helpful and worst of all, Mike’s clients could think that the system is working against them and will be afraid to partner and embrace child welfare. Don worries that if all that was to continue, families will not want to work with the system, children’s safety may be in jeopardy, some children could stay in care longer than they have to and that some may never get to go home because the partnership that is required for the work will not be developed, complicating everyone’s ability to work together towards a rigorous safety plan. • Don also worries that if Mike cannot complete his assessments and contact notes on time, that he will continue to fall behind and this could further overwhelm his ability, capacity and willingness to do his work. If all this continued, Don worries that Mike could become further annoyed and overwhelmed with his work and clients and may not be the best worker that everyone knows that he can be. Vision for Excellence: Don is impressed by Mike’s extensive experience and dedication to his clients and wants Mike to continue to be the best worker that he can be and for this to happen he would need Mike to: - Complete all case assessments and case notes on time. - Speak to his clients with respect and kindness and demonstrate firmness but be compassionate and non-judgmental. - Always work towards developing partnerships in collaboration with his clients.
What’s working well/Solution focused questions: •
Mike, what would you say are the best things about being a child protection worker? What do you suppose your clients would say are the best things about being your client?
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Mike, what would your colleagues, me, your clients say gives them the confidence that you are the worker that will help them through their most challenging situations?
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Mike, who helps you most and is best at helping you to be the best worker that you can be? How do they help and what do they do that is really helpful?
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What do you do that makes things better? What do others do to make things better? How do they do that? What has been the most helpful thing about that?
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Mike, we have discussed your challenges in meeting deadlines and I know that you are an excellent worker and that you are trying hard to correct the situation. So, it occurs to me that perhaps I may not have looked at this issue from your perspective and it is very likely that you must have a good reason to be missing deadlines. Perhaps I have been insensitive to your circumstances. Can you tell me what are some good reasons you have for this challenge?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Mike, I can see that you are trying to get things done but it is difficult to make things work all of the time. Now, just suppose that everything worked out right now. It may sound strange, but somehow it worked out like magic, that all this is behind you right now. What would you be doing then that you are not doing now?
Scaling Questions: Outcomes Scale: - On a scale of 0-10 where 10 means, even though this job can be hard on Mike and sometimes even overwhelming, Mike has the best people and plan and strategies in place that he can rely on to always be able to overcome and continue to get his work done on time, be respectful, humble, compassionate and non judgmental, and 0 means that this work is hard and overwhelming and regardless of what plans are in place, it’s gotten to a point that Mike is no longer willing to put up with it and may have even lost the energy and passion and he will continue to be late completing his work, not have compassion for his clients be judgmental and demonstrate little respect. Where do you scale Mike today? Excellence: - On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means that even though this job can be hard, frustrating and overwhelming, you are always at your optimal self because you have developed excellent coping skills and you are always able to manage the work in partnership with compassion, honour and collaboration, and 0 means that although you are an experienced worker and want to always be the best that you can be, the fact that this job can be hard, frustrating and overwhelming gets to you and it’s hard to overcome this and your attitude towards this job and the families has changed and is impacting your ability to be the best that you can be. Where are you at today? Support: - On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means the job that you do is often challenging and can take a toll on your professional and personal life but in spite of these challenges, you always feel that (can use individual scales for each) the system, your managers and supervisor are always there for you in making sure that you can be the best child protection worker because there is trust, honour and compassion from everyone and you can always rely on these people to help you get through the tough times, and 0 means the work that you do is unappreciated and the system, your managers and your supervisor are not focused on making sure that there is trust, compassion and honour set up in the office for staff and the focus is on getting the work done and not about the person doing the work and that you never feel like you are supported when times are tough. Where would you rate yourself today? Readiness: Now this might be a challenging question to think through but I believe it’s an important one because it’s about us working honestly and collaboratively on getting you right back on track so you can continue to be an excellent child protection worker. - So, on a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means this whole situation has rattled you and made you think that although you have been in this field for 12 years and done excellent work, if you were honest with yourself you would say that your heart is no longer in this job and you cannot continue to give it your all, but this is a good thing because if you changed jobs you would be happier and more content professionally and personally
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
and 0 means, what happened has no relation to my capacity, ability and professionalism and it’s more about the clients we are working with and in this field everyone has tough times but it’s just part of the job and clients just need to accept that and move on and there is no way that you will leave this job. Where are you at today? Determination: - Now this question is an important one for both of us to think about critically because it explores your commitment to getting back on track. On a scale of 0-10 where 10 means what happened was just a blip in the road and although it’s been hard on you and the families you work with, whatever happened is not a true reflection of your professionalism, commitment to your job and the reason you got into this work in the first place and you will quickly recover and get back on track in no time, and 0 means that although you got into this work for all the right reasons, the past 12 years have been hard on you personally and professionally and you are no longer willing to put up with it, you realize that your heart and passion are no longer in this and that there is nothing you or anyone else can do to relight that passion and it’s time to let go, where would you rate yourself today?
Questions to Build the Success Plan: Times when Mike dealt with a problem well (exceptions) - Mike, you said that this client was challenging and has not done anything to change her ways and that she is to blame for the stalled process. I am wondering about those times that you worked with clients who did not follow through, how did you inspire them, collaborate with them and give them hope that things can be different and better for themselves and their children? What did you do? How did you do that? What would your client say about that? Your supervisor? Your peers? - Mike, can you tell us about a time when the office was very busy and cases were just flowing in and it was all hands on deck but you still managed to get all your assessment and case notes completed on time, how did you manage to stay afloat? What was different that time? What or who helped you make sure that all of your work was always completed on time? Triggers: - What are the worst things that trigger you to feel challenged and frustrated? - On any single day what would be the ‘perfect storm’ of things that if they happened together would almost always guarantee you losing your ability to be collaborative and compassionate with families and/or get your work done on time? Red Flags: - If things were getting difficult for you at the office and with clients, what would those around you first notice? Who will do what if the Red Flags happen: - What should your network and you do if/when you realize it’s happening or they notice the red flags? Fail-safe actions that would trigger immediate conversation with your supervisor:
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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These are the bottom line scenarios that would alert the network, your supervisor and you that things are far too serious and unprofessional, and should trigger a meeting with your supervisor.
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Asking the network, Mike, what would you, your network, your supervisor and families you work with be seeing that told us that you are frustrated, overwhelmed and that your heart is not in this anymore and if nothing changed your actions could have long term consequences on compliance, children’s safety and families trust in the system?
Possible fail-safe alerts: - Supervisor receiving client complaint calls that Mike is not demonstrating compassion honour or partnership with families, assessments and case notes are not completed on time.
Personal/Professional Support People Meeting: Unlike the networks found in protection cases, the personal and professional networks will often comprise of key individuals such as a union rep, an assigned mentor, colleagues and personal friends and/or spouse and family. Those who will be invited to the network meetings will for the most part involve the professionals and not the personal individuals. The worker will be responsible to introduce the processes to his/her personal network and keep them advised of the developed rules requiring their support. Prior to initiating the success plan meetings, Don should meet with Mike’s professional support network to have a conversation about expectations. Don will also set a collaborative tone by asking partnering questions. Example of Partnership Questions: • I can appreciate that we are all here because we understand that this job is hard and want to help Mike continue to be the best worker that he has been all these years. I wonder, when thinking about this meeting, what would you say were or are your biggest challenges about participating in this process? • On a scale of 0-10, where 0 means that you have little to no confidence in this process and 10 means that you have all the confidence that this process will be successful, where are you at? What brings it all the way up to…? What makes it a…? How come you did not say…? Or a…? What needs to happen, what do I need to do now to make things better for you right now, today? • What are all the good things you have heard about this process? What kind of impression has that left for you? What are the not-so-good things you heard about this process and how has that made your consideration in participating in this process that much harder? • How should we work together to ensure that we are successful in helping Mike get back to being his best? • What needs to change right now so we can start to develop the best working relationship? • How helpful do you think this process can be to Mike on a 0-10 scale, 0 means this is a waste of everyone’s time and 10 means this work is important and necessary and you appreciate the value in all of us working together, where are you at today?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Now that we have had the chance to talk, and I was able to answer your questions and you have a better idea about what I am hoping to do and how I would go about doing it, I am wondering if I can ask you to re-scale your confidence in the process?
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Don will want to then ask the following questions to assess the networks capacity/ willingness and ability to participate in the process: o I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for joining us and for agreeing to help Mike. Before we begin, I am wondering, what is everyone’s understanding of what happened to lead to this meeting?
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Mike then reads the Worst Outcome/Worry statements and vision for success and bottom lines. Followed by a discussion and answering questions by network. o In hearing Mike’s Worst Outcome/worry statements and vision for success, are there any thoughts? Any questions?
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I was wondering, what is (to each member) your understanding of the expectations asked of you?
Trajectory: (Holding Mike accountable for Excellence) Worry statement (0)---------Trajectory Planning---------Vision for success (10) 0 What we want to achieve Tasks
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What we will notice
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Mike and his supervisor approve the trajectory and timeline. Advise HR, union rep and branch manager of Trajectory and success planning work with Mike.
Mike, Don, manager and HR sign on to the trajectory and timeline.
Mike demonstrates a willingness to engage and actively participate in this process by attending meetings and actively participating and completing assigned tasks.
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First success planning meeting occurs with Mike and the network and structure of the meeting is established. ‘Justification of actions’ is managed at this point and Mike is held accountable for success.
Don and Mike will invite Mike’s network to the first meeting. Mike will read the Worst Outcome/Worry statements, vision for success and bottom lines. First meeting is focused on identifying triggers/red flags and fail-safe actions that would trigger a conversation with Don. Reach out people are identified by Mike to connect with when things are at their hardest for him.
Mike following through on assigned tasks such as connecting with his professional and personal network. Mike is also ensuring that his network is kept aware of meeting dates and continues to participate in all meetings.
Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Success planning meetings occur, rules are created for Mike for how he will manage his work even when things get hard. Rules will also be developed to distinguish how Mike will access support from his personal and professional networks. Mike and his professional network including Don and the network identifying existing strengths and existing competencies in order to build on them in developing rules. Success Journals are in place for Mike and Don and they will document what they see is going well, what is not going well and what they think needs to change. Mike to draft a personal Success Plan Words and Pictures (W&P).
Mike informs everyone in the network about the findings from the 3-column conversation with Don (Signs of Progress) and any issues raised are addressed. Success plan is completed and the trigger, red flags and stressors have been identified and all rules developed. HR, union and branch manager are kept aware of each other’s progress to date.
Mike and Don will be responsible for scheduling the meetings, booking the room and sending out email notifications and alerts to participants.
We will notice Mike starting to apply the new rules to his everyday functioning at work and engaging his network as needed. Mike continues to complete all assigned tasks and attend all scheduled meetings.
Mike and Don keep track of times when Mike has been successful in meeting timelines and working with families. Don and Mike will also document their reflections about the viability of the success plan that is being developed. Mike will meet with Don and participate in a 3 column conversation (Signs of progress) assessing progress to date, thinking about what is going well, what are some of the challenges that have come up and what everyone thinks needs to happen. Meeting is held with professional network to address and manage any issues that may have come up in the Signs of Progress conversation.
We will notice Mike continuing to use his success plan and connecting with network as needed. We will notice Mike keeping track of his progress in his journal and engaging in conversations with Don about his progress.
Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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Success plan is approved by Mike, Don and branch manager. Fire drill completed.
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Meeting held to review fire drill outcomes. Success celebrated and/or issues are addressed.
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Mike advises his professional network of the final plan and a copy is given to Don, union and HR. Other participants will receive a copy only if Mike is in agreement. Don arranges a fire drill scenario at the office. Meeting is managed with a 3column conversation (Signs of Success) between Don and Mike.
Mike always follows his plan especially if/when red flags and triggers occur. Mike follows through with the necessary follow up meeting. Mike continues to keep a journal of the process.
Final meeting with network finalizing success plan.
Review meeting 3 months post success plan completion between Don, Mike, HR and union rep to review progress. On a monthly basis Don and Mike will hold a Signs of Progress conversation. End of process. As of this point, the process is considered to have been a success and all related matters (involving HR or union) are closed. HR summarizes the successful process in a letter to be included in Mike’s personnel file. A copy is provided to Mike as well.
Mike and Don will arrange this meeting and advise everyone in the network.
During these 3 months, we will see Mike referring to his success plan as needed and relying on his network.
Don and Mike (and network if Mike chooses to include them) celebrate Mike’s success by going out to a celebratory lunch.
End of process. As of this point, the process is considered to have been a success and all related matters (involving HR or union) are closed. HR summarizes the successful process in a letter to be included in Mike’s personnel file. A copy is provided to Mike as well.
Success Plan Example: Typically, partnerships already exist between workers and supervisors and other managerial figures. However, in consideration of these circumstances and the anxiety and fear that this process can create for workers, Mike’s supervisor may want to ask a few questions to asses his and his colleagues’ level of partnership with Mike. This may be critical because Mike may not trust in the process, or the individuals involved, which will seriously compromise his capacity to succeed. ▪ Try asking: § So on a scale of 0-10 where 0 means Mike, you have worked with your supervisor and manager for several years and your relationship with them has always been cordial and respectful but you have minimal trust in their commitment to your success and you suspect that their involvement in this process is all about maintaining numbers and if you don't shape up they can easily replace you, and 10 means you have worked with your supervisor and manager all these years and have grown to respect them and they have demonstrated their commitment to your success and you trust that they have your best interest and success in mind and you
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
know that they will stand by you because they know how valuable you are to this organization, where would you rate yourself today? Developing the Success Plan Rules: ▪ Step A: Normally, the process of developing the rules begins with the supervisor thanking everyone for their time and honouring them for participating in the process. The supervisor should commence the meeting by sharing those things/characteristics that impresses them most about the worker’s professionalism, work ethics and capacity to do this hard work. ▪ Step B Mike reads the Worst Outcome/Worry statements, Vision for Success and Bottom Lines. Don will then ask the group: So, I want to make sure everyone fully understands what we are hoping to accomplish and what our end goal is for this process. If we were to think of our vision for success, where do you suppose we should start? What is the first thing we should talk about? ▪ Step C Lead the process in identifying the following: Triggers Examples for Mike: - During the busy months, when cases need to be assigned regardless of a worker’s case status and capacity. - When families do not demonstrate change even after several months of work. - Parents of young children abusing drugs. Red Flags examples for Mike: - Mike distancing himself at the office from his colleagues and is out of the office a lot. - Mike using blaming language when talking about his clients with Don. - Case notes and assessments are not completed on time. Who will do what if the Red Flags happen to Mike: - Mike will connect with the identified network individuals. - Mike will consider using his vacation days to get a break. - If a network person notices these red flags, they will follow the success rules. Fail-safe actions for Mike’s case: - Don receives complaint calls from Mike’s clients. - Mike cannot keep up with his timelines. ▪ Step D: Success Plan questions to develop rules: - What would your professional/personal future look like if we did not do anything differently? What would it look like if we created a success plan? - What would your supervisor/colleagues/partner say are early signs that things are beginning to slip again? - What might...need to know in order to keep you on track now and in the future? - What if it got busy again and you were assigned more cases? What if you had to deal with a family who did not make any progress? Or if the Parents were abusing drugs? - What would be the worst possible set of circumstances? What would you do? - If you find that you are falling behind on your paper work, what will you do?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
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How will you ensure that you are always completing your paper work and that you are always compassionate, honouring and developing partnerships with your clients? What needs to happen for you to think that you are in way over your head and need support?
What would be the very first sign that: - Mike isn’t coping? Things are starting to go wrong? - That the success plan is not working? - That Mike needs help? Coping and Exceptions: - Can you tell me about a time you are most proud of, a time when you were overwhelmed with cases and you had clients that made little to no progress and were just not trying and you felt like you were working harder than they were but you managed to slow yourself and your thinking and you managed to get all your work done and were able to still have compassion for your clients in spite of all the chaos? What did you do differently? How did you do that? Did someone help you? Relationship Questions - If these were to start happening, what things would worry your supervisor the most? (use specific scenarios) - What behaviour would start to get your supervisor and the families you work with worried that everything could go wrong again? - How should those around you help? What would they need to know so they can always be the most helpful? - How will others know that things are working out just as planned for? What will your clients be telling your supervisor that would make everyone feel confident that you are back to being your best?
Example Rules of Mike’s Success Plan: Everyone involved in this process agreed that this plan will be in effect for the next 6 months and/or until such time that significant improvements are noted and it has been determined that this process is no longer necessary. 1. Mike agreed and asked for a mentor to be working with him. The mentor’s role will be to help Mike manage his casework. Don and Mike agreed that the Mentor will be part of all meetings that will occur between Don and Mike. 2. Don agreed to talk to Mike before arbitrarily assigning cases to him. Don will let Mike know that cases need to be assigned and Mike will meet with Don to have a discussion about the cases that Mike will be most comfortable with. 3. When Mike suspects that he is being triggered, he will connect with his mentor and/or someone he has chosen to talk to from his professional/personal network. 4. If Don, or others from Mike’s network, notice that Mike is exhibiting the identified red flags they will ask to have a conversation with Mike using a Signs of Stability 3-column conversation. The results will then be shared with Don. 5. If any of the fail safe actions occur, Mike understands that this requires an immediate meeting with Don to be managed with a Signs of Success 3-column conversation. 6. Mike will present his Words and Pictures and success plan to explain to his network, how he will always manage to get his work in on time, and how he will always partner with his clients and demonstrate compassion and honour.
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
7. Don agreed that he needs to have more conversations with Mike about his professional development. Don also agreed that he will (once a month) set aside time during supervision to talk to Mike about his professional, self and educational needs and wellbeing at the agency. 8. Mike’s manager and Don agreed that they need to ensure that Mike has a sense of sanctuary at the branch and that he can trust that his success is their priority. 9. Mike will share his success plan and Words and Pictures with his personal network at his discretion and will negotiate their supportive roles.
Questions supervisors and mangers can ask to assess a success plan Supervisors may consider the following questions to assess the quality of the success plan: 1. On a scale of 0 to 10 where 10 means, we have thought of everything; who will do what, what will happen if rules are not followed, all the what if’s and all other considerations that if enacted will definitely make this the best success plan we can develop, and 0 means we worked really hard on this but in thinking about the process and the rules it has now become obvious that we missed important processes and things and as a result Mike’s challenges have not been directly addressed and he is more than likely to continue being unable to meet his deadlines and will end up frustrated with his clients and make judgmental and threatening statements?
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Signs of Something Safety Plan Example – Mike by Avi Versanov ©2017 Resolutions Consultancy
