Child death case reviews data
Graphs
Deaths of children and young people known to the Department of Child Safety, cause of death by number: Queensland 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007.
| Year | Accidental | Non - Accidental Death | Natural Causes | Sudden Infant Death (SIDS) | Suicide | Unknown/Not yet determined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2006 - 30 June 2007 | 12 | 7 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Deaths of children and young people known to the Department of Child Safety, departmental contact by number: Queensland 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007.
| Year | Child protection Order | Child protection Notification or ongoing Involvement | No curent Involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2006 - 30 June 2007 | 8 | 22 | 27 |
Tables
- Deaths of children or young people known to the department, age group by number (Queensland, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2007)
- Deaths of children or young people known to the department, cause of death by number (Queensland, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2007)
- Deaths of children or young people known to the department, Indigenous status by number (Queensland, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2007)
- Deaths of children or young people known to the department, sex by number (Queensland, 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2007)
What are child death case reviews?
The death of any child known to our department within the three years prior to their death will be subject to a child death case review as stipulated by the Child Protection Act 1999.
A child death case review is conducted where:
- our department was aware of alleged harm or risk of harm to the child
- our department took action in relation to the child under the Act
- the chief executive (Director-General) reasonably suspected the child would need protection once they were born, although they were not born at the time the suspicion arose.
Child death case reviews are conducted by our department under chapter 7A of the Act. Our department commissions an independent reviewer to complete child death case review reports.
The child death case reviews do not investigate cause of death, but focus on the adequacy and appropriateness of our department's interventions, policies, procedures and interactions with other agencies as they related to the child who died.
Why this topic is important
Child death case reviews are the primary mechanism for in-depth analysis of our department's practice framework, systems and service delivery. They provide the opportunity for a 'spot audit' of departmental practice surrounding the case of a child known to our department.
We take seriously our commitment to openness, transparency and accountability. There is also a commitment to fostering a learning and development culture within our department in order to promote continuous improvement in practice quality. This is the real benefit that child death case reviews have provided and will continue to provide.
Trends
In 2006-2007, the department has records for the deaths of 57 children or young people who were known to the department. Records indicate that:
- the cause of death for 12 children was accidental
- 26 children died from natural causes
- in 4 cases the cause of death was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- the cause of death for7 children was non-accidental
- in 4 cases the cause of death was suicide
- for 4 children, the cause of death is not yet known or is yet to be determined.
Records show contact between the department and these children at the time of death was as follows:
- 6 children were subject to Child Protection Orders. Of these children:
- 4 children died from natural causes
- the cause of death for 1 child was accidental
- the cause of death for 1 child was suicide
- 23 children were the subject of current child protection notifications or ongoing voluntary departmental intervention.
- in 22 cases there was no current involvement with the department.
- Last updated
- 14 July 2008