We make sense of the situation by drawing on a range of sources, views, professional and whānau knowledge, research, views and ideas. Understanding how practice models, skills and behaviours help us to do this means we:

• collaborate with others to build an understanding of risks, worries, history and intergenerational impacts, oranga and strengths, in order to understand the present context for whānau and families as we work toward oranga (wellbeing)
• take an oranga focus, explore strengths and resources in whānau, while being clear on what constitutes abuse, neglect, harm and maltreatment, including exposure to family violence and the impacts of cumulative harm (use the chronology tool and hypothesising to help with analysis)
• intentionally invite cultural and whānau, hapū and iwi perspectives and views to inform practice understandings
• are open to new or contradictory information and continue to revise our casework accordingly
• use professional reasoning to explain how we reached case and practice decisions.

Related practice standards

Create, implement and review a written assessment and plan

Keep accurate records