Report 2013-110 Recommendation 27 Responses

Report 2013-110: Child Welfare Services: The County Child Welfare Services Agencies We Reviewed Must Provide Better Protection for Abused and Neglected Children (Release Date: April 2014)

Recommendation #27 To: San Francisco Human Services Agency, City and County of

To help strengthen safety plans to effectively mitigate safety threats, the San Francisco County CWS agency should ensure that supervisors are reviewing and approving all safety plans.

1-Year Agency Response

Policy: Specific instructions have been included into the appropriate Policy and Desk Guide sections of the ER, ER/AF, and the SDM manuals instructing supervisors of the expectation that they review and approve all Safety Plans, to mitigate safety threat(s). The Completing the Safety Plan Section of the SDM Desk Guide, states that the supervisor must:

1. Be available to provide consultation to the PSW who is completing the Safety Plan with the family 2. Review the Safety Plan completed by the family and the PSW to evaluate whether safety threat(s) are being mitigated and

3. Sign the Safety Plan documenting approval.

When a Safety Assessment is required during After Hours, policy states that the After Hours supervisor:

1. Verbally approve all Safety Plans created in the field before it is finalized with the family, and

2. Sign the Safety Plan. After Hours PSWs will fax or scan and email the Safety Plan to the After Hours supervisor by the start of the following day.

Program Directors will utilize the Safe Measures application to monitor the completion, supervisory approval and overrides of tools, as well as fidelity to the tools.

The SDM Policy and Desk Guides were completed on 3/13/2015. Final approvals are being obtained and they will be disseminated to all staff by 4/30/2015. The Emergency Response After Hours (ER/AH) policy and DG are both undergoing final review, and are expected to be finalized by 4/10/15. Publication of the Policy and Desk Guides will be completed by 5/8/2015.

CQI: Once the CQI unit is firmly established and trained, they will supplement their ongoing CFSR Case Review with targeted reviews to ensure supervisory compliance with the new FCS polices.

- See Supporting Documentation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

The policy referenced above became effective on April 27, 2015. As a result, this recommendation is fully implemented.

6-Month Agency Response

The last cohort of supervisors is currently participating in Safety Organized Practice (SOP) training. The training will help supervisors to better define and mitigate safety threats.

Once all supervisors complete SOP, and the policy and desk guides are completed, supervisors will be trained in their responsibility for ensuring that they review and approve all safety plans.

CQI will conduct ongoing reviews to ensure that supervisors are reviewing the plans and that they effectively mitigate safety threats to the child(ren).

Estimated Date of Completion: February, 2015

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

To date we have hired a Policy Supervisor who will develop policies and procedures requiring supervisory review of the hotline tool. The supervisor will come on board June 9, 2014. Additionally, we are in the process of redirecting 5 Protective Services Worker (PSW) positions to the Policy unit. We expect to have them on board by July 21, 2014.

We are waiting for approval to hire 6 Q.A. staff including 1 supervisor and 5 analysts to ensure compliance with new policies. Once the policy unit is established, it will develop clear policies and procedures for the use of safety assessments and plans, Q.A. will conduct random audits to ensure that supervisors are providing thorough reviews. Additionally, Q.A. will develop tools to monitor the quality and appropriateness of safety plans in effectively mitigating safety threats.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2013-110

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.