Practice Frameworks: Conceptual Maps to Guide Interventions in Child Welfare

This paper discusses the development of a practice framework for child welfare in New Zealand. A practice framework is defined as a conceptual map that brings together, in an accessible design, an agency’s approach to social work practice with children and families. Designed as a tool for practitioners, the New Zealand practice framework integrates three perspectives: child-centred; family-led and culturally responsive; and strengths and evidence-based. The practice framework establishes a vision for New Zealand child welfare work that is grounded in the realities of practice, supported by research and embedded in a set of principles and values that are essential to the work. As a concept, it provides a clear understanding of what underpins the work, and how this informs our interventions with children and families. As a tool for practitioners, it provides a theoretically informed intervention logic and a set of triggers to support best practice.