Tähelepanu! Tegemist on väljastpoolt asutust saabunud kirjaga. Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

 

For the attention of Ms Ebeli Berkman, Head of the Child Welfare Department

Dear Ms Berkman,

I am Avi Versanov, founder of ATA Consultancy. I work with child welfare organisations to strengthen practice, supervision and their capacity to sustain improvements for children and families.

Your recent article about parents being able to access support without having to understand the service system caught my attention. Its emphasis on seeing the whole family situation, clarifying responsibilities and agreeing concrete next steps closely connects with our work. I am writing to explore whether this could be useful to the Social Insurance Board and its municipal partners in Estonia.

Safeguarding Together (SgT) is a research-informed practice framework supporting the journey from understanding family history and current circumstances through assessment, engagement, collaborative safeguarding planning and review. It brings together children’s and families’ perspectives, professional observations and evidence of everyday caregiving, including caregivers’ willingness and demonstrated ability to sustain change. Practitioners work with families and their support networks to develop practical plans with clear responsibilities and ways to review progress.

A relevant starting point might be supporting shared assessment and planning between municipal child protection workers and the professionals around a family, while ensuring that children and parents understand the concerns, the help available and what progress would look like. We would begin with your existing practice guidance and priorities.

Thriving Together complements SgT through its focus on children’s identity, belonging and enduring relationships, particularly during separation, alternative care and transitions. It supports meaningful family contact, attention to children’s lived experience, reintegration and preparation for greater independence. This could offer a useful connection with your department’s work across family support and alternative care.

We would welcome exploring a small pilot with interested municipal partners, involving practitioners and supervisors. Our support also addresses reflective supervision, leadership, staff wellbeing and organisational learning, with the aim of building internal capacity. Any exploration would be adapted collaboratively to Estonia’s procedures, language requirements and local service arrangements.

You and your colleagues are welcome to create a free account on ATA Connect to explore the Library and Community. Further information is available at www.ataconsultancy.net.

Would you be open to a brief introductory conversation, or suggest the colleague best placed to discuss this? I would be happy to arrange a time during your working hours in Estonia and discuss any language support needed.

Kind regards,
Avi Versanov, MSW, MBA
Founder | ATA Consultancy
[email protected]
www.ataconsultancy.net