NSW TAFE assignment, Keep in mind NSW Australia local Rule and regulations.
TAFE NSW ASSIGNMENT. Course Community service. ASSESSMENT 1. CASE STUDY and ANSWER QUESTIONS Instructions This assessment task requires you to read and understand the following case scenario. You are required to answer all (7) seven questions. SCENARIO Andrew Billings is a nine year old boy who lives in a family where there are multiple challenges. His mother, Katie, conceived Andrew while in a relationship with a violent partner. Andrew’s dad Mick, did not want the baby. When Katie refused to terminate the pregnancy Mick regularly assaulted Katie, on occasion punching and kicking her in the abdomen. She described to friends that she constantly felt stressed while pregnant and found it hard to cope. During this period Katie was smoking up to two packets of cigarettes per day and drinking alcohol regularly to “help her cope”. She felt she couldn’t leave Mick as she had two other children to different fathers, and Mick had threatened to harm them if she left. Andrew’s birth was difficult. Katie experienced premature labour following a dispute with Mick. She needed to have a caesarean section due to foetal distress. Andrew was in hospital for four weeks before doctors deemed it safe for his discharge. He was a slow feeder and was difficult to settle. Katie had difficulty visiting him during those four weeks because she had no-one to look after her other children and she didn’t want to leave them alone with Mick. She presented with very flat affect – post-natal depression was suspected but Katie refused to accept help. The nursing records noted that she found it difficult to bond with Andrew and that she demonstrated little joy in her interactions with him. The violence continued after Andrew was brought home. Neighbours called the police regularly and the police reports describe lots of shouting and hitting occurring. Katie consistently refused to press charges against Mick, fearing he would harm the children if she applied for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO). The Early Childhood Centre records state that although Andrew was putting on weight, he had a marked startle response with loud noises, was generally unsettled and did not seem easily settled by his mother. Katie’s depression worsened and the violence continued. Andrew’s weight and height began to fail and he was borderline ‘failure to thrive’. Community Services (previously DoCS) had become involved when Andrew was three years of age following a domestic violence incident. Katie presented to Accident and Emergency (A&E) at the local hospital with facial bruising and a fractured arm. At this time the hospital reported to Community Services that Andrew looked pale, thin, appeared distressed and to have minimal speech while at A&E with his mother and they strongly suspected domestic violence (DFV). The Child Protection team at the hospital looked at Andrew and he was assessed as developmentally delayed with significant behavioural challenges. It was also noted that he was still wearing nappies and that he appeared to have speech delay. The delay was not associated with low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) but with poor nurturing and stimulation. Andrew was placed in family day care three days per week to support Katie but the Family Day Carer could not cope with his difficult behaviour so he was placed in a supported play group to improve his socialisation and peer relationship skills. A slow improvement was noted. Andrew’s older siblings were voluntarily placed with relatives, but Andrew was left in the care of his mother and father. It was thought Katie would be able to manage Andrew if he was on his own and as Mick was his real father, Andrew would be safe. When Andrew was five, the family moved to another suburb. Katie was drinking heavily and Mick was absent from home for extended periods of time on “AOD benders”. At seven years of age, Andrew was frequently seen wandering the streets during school hours and well after dark. His appearance was dishevelled and he appeared small for his age. However, during a Community Services (previously DoCS) investigation, neither Katie nor Andrew disclosed violence, drinking or inadequate supervision. Community Services closed the case. At eight years of age, the school reported that Andrew was having difficulty meeting any of his educational milestones and his peer relationships were very limited because of poor social skills. He also had bruising to his arms. By 12 years old, Andrew had pretty much raised himself. His school performance and behaviour had deteriorated to a point where it was difficult to cope with him. Now Andrew is 14 years old. Andrew and his mum, have been referred to you (a support worker) at the Best Community Centre, following a meeting at Andrew’s school with Katie who disclosed that she is not sure if she is able to cope with caring for Andrew anymore due, in part, to his behaviour, but also because of her own feelings of inadequacy. She reveals to you that she regrets the adversity in her life and a lot of the choices she has made. She says she grew up a lonely child in a violent home. She says she was a nervous child, easily upset and constantly looking out for the next violent outburst from her father. She saw her own mother beaten by her father and lived in fear of what he would do to her, particularly when drunk. Katie says she was not physically abused by her parents, however she doesn’t recall ever being hugged or held by either parent, nor comforted when she was frightened. She says her mother was distracted by her own needs. Katie explains that she did not complete high school; even though she performed well, preferring instead to work and get herself out of home. She explains that she found it difficult to hold down a long-term job, felt she was not very good at anything and consequently had no ‘real friends’. She has not had contact with her parents for many years. She also expresses her guilt at drinking so heavily, having been ‘such a bad parent to Andrew and not doing enough to keep him safe from his father’. Katie says that she has ‘finally’ broken up with Mick, but that he still comes over occasionally and unpredictably against her wishes and at these times, he is abusive to both her and Andrew. She wishes he would ‘disappear for good’ as he has no interest in fathering Andrew and causes ongoing stress for both of them. She met Mick when she was 22-years-old and had had her first two children by different fathers by the age of 19 years, she is now 44 years old. She explains that there was violence with both of these partners and they had left her. She says she always dreamt of having a “nice little family and to not repeat her own childhood experiences with her own children”. She says she ‘just wants to be able to enjoy life, have friends and go out like ‘normal’ people do and that if she could have her time again she would ‘do things very differently’. She explains that these days she ‘often feels too anxious to even leave the house’ which sometimes leaves Andrew responsible for buying groceries for them. In an interview with the current school counsellor after being involved in a school ground fight, Andrew revealed that he “doesn’t get” school. He can’t see why it’s important and finds it hard to concentrate on things he doesn’t understand. He has been on detention numerous times for disrupting his classes and he has also been suspended for bullying other students. The school is also on the verge of expelling him. Andrew explains that he has ‘a lot on his mind’; his mother is drinking heavily, his father only visits occasionally and unpredictably and at these times, he is scared that violence will erupt. He says he loves his mother but explains they do not have a close relationship anymore, if anything, he feels like a burden to her. He doesn’t have any close friendships, he says he doesn’t trust anyone to do the right thing by him and he constantly looks over his shoulder to ‘cover his back’. He says that he does not know why he thinks the way he does, has ‘outbursts of anger’, that he feels alone and just wishes he could hang out with other kids and be accepted by them. Questions 1. Think about Andrew’s current age (8yrs). What might we expect to see from a child with uninterrupted/ expected development at this stage of development (early childhood (0 – 7)? Describe how the child develops physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively at this stage Please outline under these headings. Give specific examples using your knowledge of Erikson, Piaget and any other theorists. 2. Think about Andrew’s current age (8yrs) and stage of development (early childhood (0 – 7). Explain some of the key factors (eg trauma, DFV, lack of stimulation …) around Andrew’s developmental issues at this stage and the impact/effects of these factors. Provide specific examples using your knowledge of Erikson, Piaget and any other theoretical explanations. Please outline under the headings physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. 3. How might ‘attachment theory’ (Bolby and Ainsworth) help you to understand some important issues for this family? 4. Consider and describe a) 5 questions that you would ask Katie and 5 questions you would ask Andrew B) where else you might get information relevant to Andrew’s situation 5. Consider the middle stage of childhood (8-12). Name and describe 4 developmental tasks from this stage. How would an understanding of ‘developmental tasks’ help us work with Andrew at this stage of development? Give examples. 6. A) Explain some of the issues impacting on adolescents using Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. B) Explain how you as a worker help Andrew to adjust to the physical and emotional changes in adolescence? Give specific examples using your knowledge of Erikson, Piaget and any other theorists. 7. Given the information available in the scenario, a) describe risk issues / factors apparent (Child protection, developmental) B) identify your legal / organisational requirements regarding these factors (eg mandatory reporting) C) who would you refer to regarding these issues. Please list individually. kplace Learning Checklist ASSESSMENT 2. ANSWER QUESTIONS Instructions You are required to answer the 7 questions. Questions 1. In your own words explain the sociological terms ‘power’ and ‘dominant ideology’. 2. Identify three (3) of the major social institutions in Australian society (e.g. education systems, family, media, government, legal system, health systems, religion …). Briefly discuss some functions of each and ways they impact on individual clients and/or family /community groups. (consider differing theoretical approaches in your answers). 3. Provide and discuss (3) three examples of inequality in Australian society (e.g. age, health and wellbeing, pay, gender, race, employment …).Include indicators (evidence) for your given examples and describe factors contributing to these aspects of inequality. 4. Identify