To complete this part of the assessment, you must choose either the early childhood or school based
Question:
To complete this part of the assessment, you must choose either the early childhood or school based scenarios and complete twoRisk of Significant Harm (ROSH) reports (appendix 1).
Choose either the early childhood or school based scenarios and complete a Risk of Significant Harm (RoSH) Report for each scenario (refer to instructions below):
- Early childhood scenarios (0 - 6 years) OR
- School based scenarios (5 - 12 years)
Your responses must demonstrate your ability to:
- identify children and young people at risk of abuse or neglect by observing signs and symptoms
- be aware of protective issues
- use child protection procedures where appropriate
- respond to disclosure, information or signs and symptoms
- comply with regulations, legislations and duty of care responsibilities and the service policies and procedures
- ensure decisions and actions taken are within own level of responsibility, work role, state legislation and service policies and procedures
- accurately record relevant specific and general circumstances surrounding risk of harm in accordance with state legislation, service policies and procedures and ethics
- promptly record and report risk-of-harm indicators, including the circumstances surrounding the risk of harm according to service policies and procedures
- ensure writing in reports is non-judgemental
- act to protect the rights of children and young people in the provision of services
- read and understand forms and to make accurate reports
- write to record details of children and young people at risk and to make reports using handwritten skills
Risk of Significant Harm (RoSH) report instructions:
- print, complete and submit a handwritten Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH) report 1 and 2, located in Appendix 1. Ensure the details in these reports are objective and non-judgemental.
- access the onlineMandatory Reporter Guide (MRG) (Long URL:https://reporter.childstory.nsw.gov.au/s/mrg) at ChildStory Reporter and complete the relevant decision tree for the chosen scenario. Print and attach a copy of the final decision report.
How you will be assessed:You should refer to the list of criteria in the Assessment Checklist (Part 4) to understand what you need to demonstrate in this section of the assessment.
Table 6 Early childhood scenarios (0-6 years)
Early childhood child scenarios (0 - 6 years) |
For the purposes of these child protection scenarios, you are employed bythe simulated organisationLittle.ly (long URL:www.littlely.eduworks.com.au). Scenario 1: Early Childhood (0 - 6 years) Mack (3 years) attends childcare five days per week. Mack has a 2-year-old brother, Adrian. Mack has no contact with their father however, Adrian, sees their father intermittently. Mack's mother, Alice, lives with Alice's current partner, Jian. The family are also known to a number of community support agencies who regularly assist with food and clothing for the children. Mack tends to assume a protective role with Adrian. Mack is very self-sufficient and often takes whatever food Mack can find in the house for them both. At childcare, Mack tends to be a loner. Mack finds it difficult to share and likes to spend time doing puzzles, drawing, playing with construction sets, and looking at books. Adrian also attends the centre and Mack insists on checking on Adrian several times a day. It is 9:45 am and Mack and Adrian arrive at the centre with Jian. The children are wearing the same clothes they have worn for the previous two days. Adrian's nappy is soaking, and his pants are wet. Adrian is bathed and changed and Kim (Adrian's Educator) notes that he has quite severe nappy rash. It is a warm day and Mack is wearing a long-sleeved top and jeans. Mack is persuaded to remove their top and put on a T-shirt. Kim notices that Mack has bruises of different colours on both of his upper arms. He also has a purple-reddish bruise on his forehead. Several of the staff later comment to the Director that the children 'would be better off without Alice and Jian'. The Director acknowledges that the situation is very stressful and reminds the team that they must act in an ethical manner. It is not up to the team to judge the family, but only to advocate for the best interests of the children. The Director reminds staff not to discuss the incident with other parents. Staff follow the Director's instruction but continue to discuss the incident amongst themselves without regard for their whereabouts or who is around when holding these discussions. One staff member continues to remark "it would be so much easier if we only had to work with the children and didn't have to think about the parents." Many of the remaining staff laugh at this and agree. Scenario 2: Early Childhood (0 - 6 years) Alinta (4 years) has been in your childcare centre for the past 18 months and attends childcare five days a week. Over this time, you have noticed that the approaches to Alinta by Alinta's Mother and Father are very different. Alinta's Mother, Mayleen, is very calm and encouraging towards Alinta whilst the Father, Maliyan, is very stern and abrupt. Maliyan's expectations of what Alinta should be doing is well above Alinta's age and developmental stages. Alinta is meeting the expected developmental milestones. Alinta actively engages in learning through play, however, Maliyan questions the type of activities Alinta engages in and tells Alinta to only undertake structured learning activities and demands staff provide these. Staff have tried to explain the value of the unstructured play experiences provided in the environment, but Alinta's Father appears unsatisfied and continues to direct Alinta to certain experiences only. When you have attempted to raise your concerns with Mayleen, who you find more approachable, Mayleen discloses that they lost a son, Shing, three years before Alinta was born. Shing was tragically killed walking home from school when a drunk driver whose car mounted the curb. Shing was at primary school and was deemed to be 'gifted and talented' and in Mayleen's view, Maliyan is wanting Alinta to be as 'academically able as Shing'. Mayleen confides that she is concerned that Maliyan places too much pressure on Alinta because Maliyan is seeking to make Alinta into a surrogate for Shing. You have noticed a change in Alinta when their father collects them. Alinta becomes more withdrawn and subdued. In observing Maliyan one day you are uncomfortable with Maliyan strapping Alinta into the car. In your view, Maliyan was overly disciplining Alinta for not completing their letter formation. Maliyan is yelling so loudly at Alinta that the other children in the centre are becoming visibly upset and are cowering behind the other educators. You now regret telling Maliyan in your feedback that Alinta found it very difficult to focus during today's learning activities and was easily distracted and playing around with a couple of the other girls. The following day, Maliyan arrives to drop off Alinta. Maliyan seems very quiet and quickly clings to the main educators' leg. Maliyan leaves and the educator attempts to engage Alinta in one of their favourite activities. Alinta sits at the table but does not engage. Alinta continues to be withdrawn throughout the morning. |
Table 7 School based scenarios (5-12 years)
School based scenarios (5 - 12 years) |
For the purposes of these child protection scenarios, you are employed bythe simulated organisationWetlands Central School (WCS) (Long URL:https://share.tafensw.edu.au/share/file/92d77258-406f-4e95-946c-459fd493fd7c/1/Wetlands.zip/Wetlands/index.html). Scenario 1: School based (5-12 years) Marlee is the mother of Lowanna, a 6 year old girl who attends your school. Marlee arrives to drop Lowanna off very distressed. Marlee says their partner Aalam has been very depressed and won't seek help. Aalam has been explosive and unpredictable lately often getting annoyed with Lowanna. Aalam became agitated when Marlee and Lowanna were getting in the car, accusing Marlee of wanting to leave Aalam. Aalam pushed Marlee to the ground and kicked Marlee several times. Finally, Marlee was able to get away and drove straight to the school. Marlee says they hopes Lowanna couldn't see from the car. As you talk to Marlee, you notice that Lowanna is clinging to their mother. Lowanna is crying quietly. Scenario 2: School based (5-12 years) Lenne is a 5 year old boy who attends the school you are employed at. Lenne has a good relationship with both the staff and their peers. Lenne is usually well behaved in class and likes to participate in most activities. After the last school holidays, Lenne has starting picking fights with their peers. Lenne has become aggressive towards a male staff member and fathers bringing their children to the school and has started swearing. Lenne keeps to themself. Lenne has started wearing jumpers and long pants even on warmer days and shows signs of being overheated. When encouraged to take of their jumper Lenne says that they were told they are not allowed to take it off. After further discussion and insistence due to the fact that Lenne is overheating, Lenne agrees to take it off revealing a mass of red welts and recent scarring. Lenne says, "Dad told me not to take off my jumper, will I get into trouble now? I don't want Dad to hurt me again." You overhear a group of staff discussing and talking about Lenne and making judgemental comments about the family. One of them said that the family are real low-lives and don't understand why people bother having children at all. The staff continued to discuss the incident among themselves with little regard for their whereabouts and that other children were around. |