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TIMEWISE FOSTERING

04 November 2008

A New Fostering Initiative is Launched in Dublin, 2008: 

‘TimeWise Fostering' is a new, unique and specialist treatment foster care programme, committed to achieving successful foster care placements & positive outcomes for children aged between 11 - 18 years. The Programme is a partnership between the Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service and the Health Service Executive, local health office North Dublin.

The children who access the programme will all come from within the catchment area of the North Dublin local health office and we are currently seeking to recruit Foster Carers in North Dublin, Louth and Meath.

The TimeWise Fostering programme is based on a highly successful evidenced based model called ‘Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care' (MTFC) which originates from the Social Learning Centre in Oregon. Research evidence of the MTFC programmes show a 75% success rate for the young people referred. Many of the referrals to the programme in the US originate through the Juvenile Justice system whilst children in Ireland will be referred through the Child Welfare system. Therefore, all young people referred to the programme in Ireland will be fully consulted in advance about the treatment programme by both their social worker and the TimeWise Clinical Team Manager regarding their referral, as will their family, and will enter the TimeWise Programme on a voluntary basis in the first instance.  

The young people who enter the programme may have a range of issues and are in need of a structured supportive placement to develop positive coping skills and behaviour. Their complex needs and behaviours may include:

  • Challenging and difficult behaviour
  • Difficult relationships with adults and other young people
  • Poor self esteem or self control
  • Come to the attention of the Youth Justice System
  • Misuse of alcohol and experimented with drugs
  • Have been in, or is likely to be referred to, a residential high support placement
  • Have had numerous care placements

The treatment programme is individualised for each young person. It adopts a behaviourist approach and is underpinned by social learning theory. The programme focuses on making positive changes in young peoples lives in various settings; home, school and their local community. This is achieved by a foster family working in collaboration with the TimeWise Team.  Together, they work with the young person for a defined period of time, up to one year, to achieve better outcomes for the young person so they can return home when possible. The TimeWise team and foster carers work closely and collaboratively at all stages with the young persons allocated social worker.

TimeWise Foster Carers receive comprehensive training prior to the placement of a young person and 24 hour support from the TimeWise team throughout the duration of the young persons stay with them. Each weekday TimeWise collects information from the carers about the previous twenty four hours in terms of the behaviour of the young person and the level of stress experienced by the carer, known as parental daily reports (PDR's). Following   daily analysis of these reports adjustments to the programme for the individual young person can be made if necessary. All of the TimeWise team meet weekly and review the progress of the young person. TimeWise Foster Carers also attend weekly group meetings with the Clinical Team Manager. All this, along with the intensive multi-disciplinary support package for the young person and their Foster Carers, is crucial to the successes achieved by the young people.

The young people have access to a range of staff e.g. education worker, individual therapist and skills coach. The success of the programme is heavily supported by the multi-level interventions that include working with the young people in their foster placements, in the community, at school and with their birth family.

 

  

The aims of TimeWise are;

  • To assist the young person develop appropriate social skills so that they can achieve success at home, school and in their community
  • To help the young person to decrease/eliminate difficult behaviour
  • To promote the young person's return to live with their parent/s, relative or other long-term committed carer.

 

The Programme succeeds by

  • Providing a safe, secure and welcoming home for the young person for a defined period of time - (usually 6-12 months)
  • Providing high levels of support through individually designed programmes with an emphasis on encouraging and rewarding positive behaviour
  • Modelling good social skills, to help the young person develop appropriate behaviour, promote new ways of behaviour and discourage problem behaviour.
  • Applying fair and consistent limits and predictable consequences for the young person.
  • Providing close supervision of the young person, minimising their exposure to negative peer influences.
  • Actively supporting the young person's school attendance and attainment.
  • Providing the young person with a supportive relationship with at least one mentoring adult.
  • Recognising and valuing the unique potential of each young person and working with them to reach it.

The TimeWise team currently includes a Programme Manager, a Clinical Team Manager a Fostering Social Worker and an Administrator/PDR Caller. In January 2009 they will be recruiting for the positions of Individual Therapist, Birth Family Therapist, Skills Coach and an Educationalist.

The partnership approach between the Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service and the HSE, North Dublin Local Health Office permeates through all aspects of TimeWise, from the inception of the programme idea through to launch of the recruitment campaign, consideration of appropriate referrals and ongoing discussions to ensure and enhance best working together practices. This ongoing close communication and collaboration is a prominent feature of the successful development of the TimeWise Fostering Programme.

Anybody interested in finding out more about the TimeWise Programme can contact the TimeWise team on 01- 842 45 25 or log onto their website http://www.timewisefostering.ie/