Implementing SafeCare® to address child neglect and physical abuse – SafeCare® comes to Australia: Utilizing an engagement and assessment tool for improving implementation readiness of agency managers and organisations

Objectives: There are many challenges when an evidence based program, which is new to an organization, is actively introduced into a service setting. One critical component for successful implementation is the organization's... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives: There are many challenges when an evidence based program, which is new to an organization, is actively introduced into a service setting. One critical component for successful implementation is the organization's readiness for the program (Scaccia et al 2015). SafeCare, an evidence based program shown to effectively address child maltreatment, was recently introduced to the Australian service setting. To ensure that improved outcomes could be realized through implementing SafeCare® in this system we adapted and further developed tailored implementation readiness tools to guide the implementation planning process. This paper will describe the readiness tool and its use in facilitating a readiness process, i.e. building expertise at various levels, determining the “fit” of the innovation, early identification of enablers and constraints, etc.

Method: Starting with an existing readiness checklist we further developed implementation readiness tools utilizing a consultation and consensus process with program developers, agency managers and the public child welfare agency. The focus was on the general capacities of the local sites and organisations as a whole and capacities specific to implementing SafeCare®.

Results: The assessment identified key implementation factors including maintaining leadership & accountability structures at multiple levels, actively equipping ‘champions’, organisational absorptive capacity , trialability of the model, etc. The readiness tool/s focused implementation teams on predictable initial implementation barriers, i.e. referral rates and ‘gate keeping decision making’, differences in public vs private service structures, maintaining accountability in an environment of system reforms, etc.

Conclusion: The process of assessing and enhancing readiness builds critical capacity at multiple levels within a system preparing to introduce a new innovation into an existing service system. The adaptation and further development and use of SafeCare® specific readiness tools is a critical component in the successful implementation of the model in any further larger scale dissemination efforts in Australasia.