SERVICE

One or more organisation-operated programmes or activities that have a common general objective and deploy the organisation’s material and human resources in a planned and systematic manner. An organisation that publicly promotes or identifies itself in writing as offering a service, is licenced to deliver a service, assigns personnel and/or space to a service, or allocates financial resources to a service is considered to offer that service.		  
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  FAMILY

Two or more people who consider themselves family and who assume obligations, functions, and responsibilities generally essential to healthy family life. Child care and child socialisation, income support, long-term care, and other care giving are among the functions of family life. The definition of “family” will rest with an individual’s indication of who plays a family member role, including current or former foster family, adoptive family, extended family members, or significant others. Organisations that believe family is the central constellation in a child’s life, and that family attachments are of primary importance for human development, will strive to work with professional staff to develop a common understanding of “family.”		  
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  PARENTS

Parents can include: birth, foster, kinship, and adoptive parents. Please see service standards for more specific information about use of this term. 		 
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  PERSONNEL

The body of employees and/or volunteers that carries out the organisation’s tasks under the organisation’s administration and/or supervision. This definition does not include foster parents who are specifically referenced in relevant standards. 		 
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  PRACTICE

Established actions or ways of proceeding in the regular performance of organisational duties. Policies and procedures often guide practice.		  
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  SUPERVISION

Assumption of responsibility for directly overseeing and evaluating the work or work products of personnel within an organisation. Also includes inspecting the act or process of accomplishing a function or activity.		  
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  WORKLOAD

The amount of work assigned to or expected from a person within a specified period of time. See also CASELOAD.		  
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  ADVANCED DEGREE

A degree at the Master’s level or beyond from an institution of higher education. An advanced degree does not include a Bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree, or an educational certificate.		  
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  SOCIAL WORK

Professionally responsible interventions carried out by persons with formal, professional education at the BSW or MSW level from an accredited school of social work and appropriate licensing, certification, and registration credentials. Interventions are directed toward improving the transactions between people and environments to enhance the adaptive capacities of the participants and improve environments for all that function within them. Social work is a professional practice with a consumer group consisting of individuals, families, small groups, organisations, neighbourhoods, and communities and involving the disciplined application of knowledge and skill.		  
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  ASSESSMENT

An evaluation, which utilises professional expertise and skills in the collection and analysis of data to understand and describe the nature of service needs of an individual, family, or group. Assessment, as in needs assessment, is also used to determine priorities of programme planning and service development for the organisation as a whole. See also DIAGNOSIS.		  
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  SPECIAL NEEDS

A designation used in reference to conditions or characteristics of a person that reflect a need for special care, services, or treatment. When the term is used in the context of adoption services, special needs refers to conditions that make a child harder to place for adoption. This includes children who are members of sibling groups, older children, children with disabilities, children of certain racial /ethnic backgrounds, etc. When the term is used in the context of foster care it refers to the need for a higher degree of specialised case services and attention due to mental and physical disabilities. When the term is used in the context of out-of-school time services, a child or youth may have special physical, behavioural, medical, emotional, or cognitive needs that should be addressed or accomodated. The term is also used in other contexts. See also DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.		  
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  TRAINING

Instruction so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient in a skill or body of knowledge.		  
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  POLICY

A written statement of principles, values, or intent that provides a basis for consistent decision making and guides the actions of staff, management, and board of trustees. A policy is intentionally broad in its language and application. The following is an example of an anti-discrimination policy:

"[Organisation Name] shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and provision of services."

In contrast, a procedure is a detailed, step-by-step description of a process. It tells the reader how to do something. Generally, policies are implemented through procedures. For example, the above anti-discrimination policy would require a detailed grievance procedure in order to operationalise it within an organisation.

The governing body has the fiduciary responsibility for setting organisational policy. Therefore, policies must be approved and periodically reviewed by the organisation's governing body. However, the governing body typically delegates (via policy) the responsibility for policy development to management. In owner-operated for-profit companies, the owner can act as the company's governing body, depending on the company's corporate structure.

In a public agency the responsibility for setting and reviewing policies may belong to the agency's management team, elected officials, another governmental agency, or as is often the case, a combination of the above.

  
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  PROCEDURES

Written instructions that outline the steps for performing a task(s) or operationalising an administrative or service delivery process. A procedure can be written as a step-by-step set of instructions or as a narrative description of a process. A procedure tells someone how to do something not just what to do.

Unlike policies, procedures do not need to be approved or reviewed by the governing body, and need not be associated with a specific policy. For example, whereas a broad anti-discrimination policy requires grievance or other procedures in order to be operationalised within an organisation, assessment procedures do not require a governing body approved assessment policy.

Note: Procedures are sometimes referred to as administrative policies.

  
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  IN-SERVICE TRAINING

Educational programmes provided by an organisation to help personnel become more knowledgeable, skilled, and effective in accomplishing specific tasks or meeting the overall objectives of the organisation. Such training often occurs on the job and for short time periods.		  
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  CASE

A general term used to designate clients (including individuals, families, and groups) served by an organisation for purposes of monitoring the provision of services. A foster care case is generally based on the placement of an individual child, although casework for the child may include services to the child’s family. A child protective services case is based on an entire family household if a family assessment model is used; otherwise a case is defined as a child.		  
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  CASELOAD

The aggregate number of clients and/or consumers of service (including individuals, families, and groups) for whom a given employee is responsible. See also WORKLOAD		  
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  EVALUATION

The review and assessment of organisational operations, programmes and services.		  
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  BACKGROUND CHECK

The review of an individual’s personal information typically performed by or at the request of an employer, which may include verification of educational credentials or employment experience, as well as an examination of the individual’s criminal records, driving records, licencing records, and civil abuse or neglect history.		  
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Adoption Services
  
Private Org  

CA-AS 14: Personnel

 
Personnel are qualified and receive support to facilitate the development of permanent caring relationships between children and adoptive families.
Note: When the organisation is unable to fully implement one or more of the practice standards, intensive efforts should be made to fully implement the other standards. For example, if the organisation is unable to recruit workers with specific qualifications, it can ensure that appropriate supervision and workload standards are implemented.

CA-AS 14.01

 

Adoption workers are qualified by:

  1. an advanced degree in social work or a comparable human service field; or
  2. a bachelor’s degree in social work or a bachelor’s degree with two years of related experience.

CA-AS 14.02

 
Supervisors are qualified by an advanced degree in social work or a comparable human service field and two years of experience in working with children and families, preferably in adoption.

CA-AS 14.03

 

Adoption workers have the competencies to:

  1. facilitate adoptions that meet applicable legal requirements;
  2. conduct assessments and identify children with special needs;
  3. provide support to persons touched by adoption to cope with social and emotional issues;
  4. facilitate adoptions for children with special needs; and
  5. maintain and protect confidential information and assist persons served to access information, as outlined by applicable law.
Interpretation: Competency can be demonstrated through education, training, or experience.

CA-AS 14.04

 

Adoption workers and supervisors, depending on job responsibilities are knowledgeable about job relevant provisions of provincial child welfare legislation and/or policy regarding the placement of aboriginal children, including:

  1. appropriate notice and collaboration with the child's nation;
  2. placement preferences; and
  3. court procedures.

CA-AS 14.05

 
The organisation determines the appropriate type of in-service training needed to ensure personnel remain current on adoption trends and practice issues.
related CA-TS 1,  CA-TS 2

CA-AS 14.06

 

Adoption workers maintain a manageable workload, and cases are assigned according to a system that takes into consideration:

  1. the qualifications and competencies of the worker and the supervisor;
  2. the complexity and status of the case;
  3. services provided by other professionals or team members; and
  4. other organisational responsibilities.
Update: Revised Interpretation, Added Note - 03/01/10

CA-AS 14.06 Original Interpretation:

Case complexity can take into account: intensity of child and family needs and size of the family. Generally, caseloads do not exceed 12-25 families.

Interpretation: Case complexity can take into account: intensity of child and family needs and size of the family. Generally, caseloads do not exceed 12-25 families. However, there are circumstances under which caseloads may exceed these limits. For example, caseload size may vary depending upon the volume of administrative case functions (e.g., entering notes, filing, etc.) assigned to the worker. Caseloads may also be higher when organisations are faced with temporary vacancies on staff.

Note: The evaluation of this standard will focus on whether the assigned workload is manageable for staff, taking into account the factors cited in the standard and interpretation. The specific caseload sizes stated in the interpretation are only a suggestion of what might be appropriate. Each organisation should determine what caseload size is appropriate, and reviewers will evaluate: (1) whether the organisation’s designated caseload size reflects a manageable workload, and (2) whether the organisation maintains caseloads of the size it deemed appropriate.
Research Note: One study of special needs adoptions suggests that high caseloads can make it difficult to recruit prospective adoptive families, and can delay the processing of homestudies and background checks. Additionally, high caseloads may lead to infrequent contact by adoption workers, which can cause some prospective adoptive parents to seek services from other providers.

CA-AS 14.07

 
Supervisors or experienced workers provide additional support when personnel are new or are still developing competencies.
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PURPOSE: Adoption Services establish a permanent family for children and youth awaiting adoption, and increase the well-being and functioning of birth parents, adoptive families, and adopted individuals.
 
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