Placement services
Placement services, also known as alternative care or out-of-home care services, provide places and support for children and young people who are unable to live at home.
A range of services are required to respond to the different levels of support needs of the child or young person and provide stable, quality care within Child Safety Services' case management framework.
The types of services that fall under placement services include:
- Foster and kinship care
- Specialist foster care
- Specific response care
- Residential care
- Therapeutic residential care
- Indigenous safe house
- Supported independent living
Foster and kinship care
Foster and kinship care services are responsible for recruiting, training, assessing and supporting carers who have been approved by Child Safety Services.
Foster and kinship care is provided to a child or young person with moderate to high support needs in a carer's home.
Foster and kinship carers should have access to regular and emergency respite, facilitated by the service.
Note:
- Some foster and kinship care services may also support carers who have been provisionally approved by Child Safety Services, while those carers are undertaking the formal departmental carer approval process.
- Some foster and kinship carers are supported directly by Child Safety Services and not a non-government foster and kinship care service.
Specialist foster care
Specialist foster care services are responsible for recruiting, training, assessing and supporting carers who have been approved by Child Safety Services. Specialist foster care is provided to a child or young person, with complex to extreme support needs in a carer's home. Carers supported by specialist foster care services should have access to regular and emergency respite, facilitated by the service.
Note:
- Some specialist foster care services may also support carers who have been provisionally approved by Child Safety Services, while those carers are undertaking the formal departmental carer approval process.
Specific response care
Specific response care services are provided to a child or young person with extreme support needs in the home of a Child Safety Services’ approved foster or kinship carer where the carer is employed and paid a salary or wage by a service provider.
Approved carers are also eligible to receive cost reimbursement paid directly by Child Safety Services via the Fortnightly Caring Allowance and High Support Needs Allowance in accordance with Child Safety Services policy.
Carers supported by specific response care services should have access to regular and emergency respite, facilitated by the service.
Residential care
Residential care services are provided by paid employees or contract workers to a child or young person in residential premises.
These employees or workers may include rostered or live-in staff. Residential care usually involves small group care (up to six places) though may also include individual care.
Residential care is primarily for young people aged 12-17 years and mainly with complex and extreme support needs, though may also accommodate sibling groups or other young people with moderate to high needs.
Therapeutic residential care
Therapeutic residential care services deliver intensive therapeutic care for young people aged 12-17 years with complex to extreme support needs, who are unable to be placed in specialist foster care or other forms of residential care.
Therapeutic residential care services provide a therapeutic environment conducive to young people recovering from the impact of physical, psychological and emotional trauma and pain resulting from their experience of harm or risk of harm.
Therapeutic residential care services will be provided in a least restrictive environment, which is designed to minimise the risk of self-harming and violence.
Indigenous Safe House
Indigenous Safe Houses deliver a supervised residential care service providing a combination of short-term emergency care and some medium-term care placements for children and young people aged 0-17 years and a related Family Intervention service providing practical supports to families, and parenting interventions during supervised contact consistent with case plan goals.
Services will be located on the Indigenous communities of Aurukun, Kowanyama, Napranum, Pormpuraaw, Doomadgee, Palm Island, Torres Strait, Northern Peninsula Area, Eastern Cape York Peninsula, and Mornington Island.
A foster care house will also be located at Yarrabah and other residential care services are located at Woorabinda and Cherbourg.
Supported independent living
Supported independent living services are provided by paid employees or contract workers to a child or young person in residential premises.
These employees or workers do not usually live at the premises or provide overnight care but provide external support through regular visiting.
Supported independent living is usually for young people aged 15-17 years with moderate to high support needs who are transitioning to independent living.
Supported independent living may involve small group or individual care.
Further information
For further information, please contact your zonal Community Support Team.
- Last updated
- 8 July 2009