Review child adoption and guardianship processes to improve experience for children in state care, their carers and their families
Our client, a government agency asked us to conduct an independent rapid review of the guardianship and open adoption processes for children in out-of-home care, with a view to identify blockages, develop solutions, and improve the process. The review was required to focus on improving carer experience and child outcomes.
At a glance
The Client
Our client is a government department with responsibility for protecting vulnerable children and increasing permanency for children in out-of-home care.
Industry
Government services, human services, vulnerable child and family services
Business need
The Department was keen to deliver improved permanency planning for children, improved decision making and legal processes, timely reviews of permanency goals and achieving guardianship and adoption for children in long term care.
Solution
Open Orbit conducted a rapid yet granular review of the end-to-end process using our Lean value chain frameworks and diagnostic technology platform. Actionable insights were produced in a short timeframe working within the constraints of existing data. Practical and feasible recommendations backed by evidence were provided to the client to inject into their implementation plan.
Challenges
There was limited prior information and data on child and carer experience and timeliness of process. There were significant data limitations making it difficult to track, report and analyse how cases were progressing through the system.
The department had a large number of operational policies, rules, guidance, frameworks and practice supports – however there was no clear end-to-end view of adoption and guardianship processes to enable carers, case workers, and NGOs to navigate the system.
Information gathering and stakeholder interviews had to be conducted with extreme caution and sensitivity given we were dealing with issues relating to vulnerable children and families who had experienced trauma.
Finally, the client was keen to know what can be done quickly and within current constraints of capital and technology. It was essential to find practical pathways towards making a real difference within a short time frame, rather than have recommendations that are dependent on large-scale programs of technology and policy change.
How we helped
Open Orbit conducted the business process review and related stakeholder interviews with carers and families with sensitivity and respectfulness and earned their trust.
Our data and analytics team worked in a secure data environment to review departmental data that could be extracted from a central case management system. We then framed and analysed all qualitative and quantitative information collected using our Lean value chain method and process diagnostic technology platform.
We distilled a clear end-to-end view of the process from multitudes of data sources, and articulated the key metrics, bottlenecks, and recommended solutions against the backdrop of that end-to-end process. This ensured that maximum insights were extracted with relatively small imposition of time on stakeholders. Key recommendations included:
- specific metrics to watch across key stages of the process
- ways to ensure procedural clarity and consistency across a large ecosystem of stakeholders
- fit-for-purpose pathways for specific case types and scenarios
- reduction in hand-offs and repeat approvals in the decision-making process without compromising on quality
- longer-term improvements to systems and technology to sustain the gains
Open Orbit conducted stakeholder engagement with all internal and external participants in a typical process including case workers, team leaders, independent assessors, lawyers, carers, and families to understand their journeys, timelines and experience with current adoption and guardianship processes. This included engaging with carers and families of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children.
Business Impact Delivered
Streamlined adoptions and guardianships processes
Open orbit distilled the intent of current out-of-home case and permanency policies and processes into a clear six-step end-to-end process for adoptions and guardianships. Department staff found this easy to follow and adopted the 6-step end-to-end process structure for communicating and streamlining their operations.
Improved Timeliness of outcomes for carers and children
A major cause for concern was the time it takes to complete an adoption/guardianship case from the time the goal of adoption or guardianship has been agreed, to obtaining a court decision. The team from Open Orbit focused specifically on this facet and identified ways in which typical timelines could be halved without reducing the quality of decision making.
Voice of carer and child
Our work highlighted the need for department to systematically gather voice of child and carers and use this feedback to continually improve departmental processes.
Speed of execution of the advisory engagement by Open Orbit
The business process review – including targeted stakeholder consultations with carers, families, NGOs, courts and independent assessors – was completed within 3 months.