Parenting Assessment Skills Development (PASDS)

The Parenting Assessment and Skills Development Service (PASDS)

This service is available to parents who have children between 0 and 3 years who are currently clients of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).

The program assesses whether children are growing up in a safe environment and assesses parenting capacity and competency.
It also assesses whether parents can learn new skills to nurture and meet a child’s intellectual, emotional and physical needs.

Goals set by parents, the PASDS worker and the DFFH Child Protection worker, guide this assessment.

About the program

PASDS provides a flexible and tailor-made service to meet families' specific needs and looks at areas of concern or difficulty.

Together, parents and a Baptcare PASDS worker will undertake an assessment focusing on some of the following areas:

• A child’s developmental, physical, social and emotional needs.
• Family history and the impact/ influence this has on current family/individual functioning.
• Parenting capacity – what are parents doing well and in what areas is support needed?
• Family and external supports are available.

From this, a skills development program will be created and implemented to build on areas of strength and address any areas of concern.

PASDS is a voluntary service and you must provide your consent to participate.

What to expect from the Parenting Assessment Skills Development Service?

• We work with families for up to eight weeks.
• Baptcare and DHHS will evaluate the program with you regularly to ensure we are meeting your individual needs.
• After six weeks, formal reviews will be held with you, your PASDS worker and your Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) protective worker to see what is going well and what areas require further development. Informal meetings may also be organised in between this time, for the same purpose.
• Your PASDS worker will work with you in your home a minimum of twice a week for up to two hours until completion of the PASDS program.
• The PASDS team will write a final report which is given to DFFH. The PASDS team and DFFH will discuss the report with you at the PASDS closure meeting. You can make a formal request for a copy of the report from DFFH.

Do you need support caring for your child?

You can call your PASDS worker during business hours Monday to Friday 9 am through to 5 pm on (03) 9373 3800 or the Baptcare on-call service if you need assistance after hours or on weekends at 0400 705 309.