Allied support workers

Allied support workers sit within the social work team and carry out assigned tasks under the direction of the supervisor. They work within the boundaries of their role.

Before completing any task, allied support workers need to understand:

• the purpose of the task
• the current circumstances of te tamaiti or rangatahi, their whānau or family, and the caregivers
• any known risks or relevant considerations – this includes reviewing relevant information in CYRAS (including Te Aronga) and CGIS, as directed by the social worker
• confirm the expectations and escalation points with supervisor.

Allied support workers are responsible for identifying, recording and escalating concerns, risks, changes in circumstances, or information that may affect the safety, oranga or care of tamariki and rangatahi to the allocated social worker or supervisor.

If they encounter a matter that requires social work assessment, professional judgement, analysis, risk determination, statutory decision-making or recommendations affecting tamariki or rangatahi, the allied support role is to:

• ensure immediate safety where necessary
• record factual observations and information
• notify the allocated social worker or supervisor.

Some weekend and after-hours work may be required, by agreement, to support the needs and plans of te tamaiti or rangatahi.

The role of the allied support worker includes:

• attending case-related meetings and engagements with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, family, caregivers, professionals and colleagues to provide support and assist with accurate record keeping
• supporting tamariki and rangatahi in accordance with their Goal Plan, including providing supervision, transporting them safely to appointments and activities, and supporting them while they are out of school, awaiting a care arrangement or otherwise requiring assistance
• supporting supervised access arrangements, including transporting tamariki, rangatahi, whānau or family members to visits, facilitating contact in accordance with the agreed plan, and recording observations and contact notes following the visit
• providing administrative casework support, including entering casenotes, maintaining accurate, factual records, assisting with documentation, and undertaking other administrative tasks as directed
• liaising with professionals, community service providers and others involved in supporting tamariki, rangatahi, whānau, family and caregivers.

The role of the Caregiver Recruitment and Support allied support worker also includes:

• supporting caregivers in accordance with their caregiver support plan, including following up actions and tasks that do not require a social work response
• supporting caregiver social workers to find suitable care arrangements for tamariki and rangatahi and undertaking associated non-social work tasks
• assisting with caregiver meetings, training activities and caregiver training programmes, including preparation, coordination and practical support.

Allied support workers cannot:

• hold case responsibility, lead case direction, be allocated as a key social worker, or manage a caseload
• undertake, manage or respond independently to matters requiring social work judgement, assessment, planning or decision-making
• undertake social work analysis or professional assessment, or determine risk and safety thresholds
• undertake statutory social work functions, including completion of Tiaki Oranga, assessment reports, Goal Plans, caregiver assessments and court documents
• represent Oranga Tamariki in professional decision-making forums, such as Family Harm Tables
• attend Family Court proceedings, unless required to attend court as a witness in respect of casenotes in CYRAS or CGIS that have been completed by them.

Allied support workers report to a designated supervisor and work within a social work team. The supervisor provides regular line management supervision, coaching, support and debriefing to support safe practice, capability development and professional wellbeing. The supervisor is responsible for ensuring the allied support worker is well supported and works safely and effectively and within the boundaries of their role.

The supervisor directs the allied support worker to complete tasks (identifies the task, explains the purpose, discusses relevant information and risks, and clearly explains the expected outcome).

The supervisor must ensure the allied support worker has the appropriate knowledge, skills, experience, resources, support and supervision to undertake directed tasks. Assignment decisions must reflect the complexity, level of risk, practice considerations and the capabilities of the allied support worker.

The supervisor will:

• ensure tasks assigned to an allied support worker are appropriate to the role and do not involve statutory social work functions, professional assessment, analysis, recommendations or decision-making
• maintain oversight of all work undertaken by the allied support worker and ensure it remains within the approved scope of the role
• allocate the allied support worker on CYRAS or CGIS as necessary for cases that require their ongoing involvement
• ensure planning occurs between the allied support worker and social worker before engagement, including consideration of known risks, safety requirements, expected actions and escalation pathways
• review casenotes completed on supervisor-directed tasks, and ensure recording is factual and consistent with practice expectations.

The social worker remains accountable for assessment, analysis, planning, recommendations and decision-making and any statutory social work functions or delegated responsibilities associated with the tamariki and rangatahi and whānau or family they are working with.

Social workers should proactively review their caseloads and identify tasks that may be suitable for an allied support worker. The social worker should consider the known risks, complexity of the work, and the appropriateness of the task for an allied support worker. Where suitable tasks are identified, the social worker should discuss them with the allied support worker's designated supervisor, who is responsible for assigning work to the allied support worker.

The social worker provides professional guidance and oversight to ensure work undertaken by the allied support worker is completed safely and within agreed role boundaries. They should be reasonably available to address issues as they arise, respond to matters escalated by the allied support worker, and determine any required social work or statutory response.

While the allied support worker's supervisor is responsible for day-to-day line management and work assignment, the social worker remains responsible for the quality and appropriateness of services provided in relation to their case. Any concerns about an allied support worker's capability to undertake a task should be discussed with the designated supervisor.

The social worker is responsible for:

• planning with the allied support worker before any engagement and checking that the allied support worker understands the purpose of the task, relevant background information, known risks, role boundaries and communication arrangements (this includes directing the allied support worker to access relevant information in CYRAS and CGIS for review) – the Organising My Practice tool may be used to support this process
• providing a supervised access (contact) plan for te tamaiti or rangatahi when tasking an allied support work to supervise contact. The plan will provide clear expectations of the allied support worker's role. It must align with the Goal Plan and include guidance on how to respond if te tamaiti or rangatahi becomes distressed, or if adult behaviour raises concerns about the wellbeing or safety of te tamaiti or rangatahi
• reviewing all casenotes completed by the allied support worker and ensuring information is accurate, appropriately recorded and considered within the broader case context.

The engagement template records engagement undertaken by an allied support worker with tamariki, rangatahi, whānau or families, professionals and colleagues.

Accurate recording supports continuity of social work services by ensuring important information gathered by the allied support worker is available to the social worker, supervisor and others involved with te tamaiti or rangatahi. It also helps build a clear picture of progress, strengths, concerns and outcomes to inform planning and decision-making.

Practice standard: Keep accurate records

Engagement – template (DOCX 38 KB)