South West Child and Family Services Practice Manual

The South West Child and Family Services Alliance brings together a dozen service providers dealing with vulnerable children and their families in south-west Victoria.

In 2022/23, Jen was asked to project-manage the rewriting of a 2013 operations (‘Practice’) manual. The purpose of the Practice Manual is to ensure practitioners from Alliance agencies work collaboratively and consistently and in line with current legislation, policy and regulations, and in the best interests of client families.

The mammoth task of updating the 250+ pages of the old manual involved Jen facilitating a Working Group of team leaders from each agency, who identified redundant material in the old manual and suggested new wording. A hefty amount of research on current guidance was required of Jen and sub-consultant Julie Lilburn.