General principles

1. Take the least intrusive intervention necessary to ensure the goals are met.
2. The paramount consideration is the safety, welfare and wellbeing of the child or young person.
3. Intervention should be planned and purposeful.
4. Work in partnership with other service providers.
5. Consider culture, disability, language, religion, sexuality and any special needs.
6. Children and young people placed away from home are entitled to special protection and help.
7. Encourage self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
8. Recognize of the importance of maintaining significant relationships and cultural identity of a child or young person when they cannot live with their family
9. Work quickly to resolve permanency by planning placement stability and continuity of relationships
10. Be ethical.
11. Be accountable for your decisions and actions

Politics

In some cases, you will be working with other organizations that will appoint their own case managers, and your role is to liaise with them. It is best, however, to have only one case manager for each client. If you have two who could be case managers, choose only one of them.

In a multidisciplinary team, which discipline gets appointed the case manager? Sometimes they jostle. In a hospital, the consultant medical practitioner normally feels that he/she should have more power than anybody else, but, almost by definition, he doesn't have the expertise of the others. In some cases, you can combine the roles of different professionals, such as a social worker and a home care nurse.

You might need to refer somebody for particular kind of service. But if the government hasn't funded it, you'll may to compromise and offer something less than ideal.

Children and families

Child-centred practice involves engaging directly with children and young people. They vary greatly in their stage of development (including attachment to parants, siblings and peers, emotional maturity, and ability to take responsibility), and it should inform your intervention and planning. Similarly, you should recognize that children and young people are part of families and communities. Several principles:

• In some cases you will need to advocate on their behalf.
• Ensure that the child or young person actively participates throughout the case management.
• Safeguarding children can't be separated from promoting their welfare.
• In protecting and supporting children, prevention and early implementation strategies are of most importance.

Having a family focus includes recognizing that parenting can be stressful and challenging. Several principles:

• Recognize the impacts of poverty and disadvantage on families.
• Recognize the potential impact of statutory intervention on families.
• Notice the dynamics within the family.