Investigation and assessment data
Graphs
Number of notifications requiring investigation by outcome: Queensland, 2003-04 to 2007-08.
| Year | Substantiated | Unsubstantiated | Unable to be commenced / completed | Investigations not yet finalised (a) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 17473 | 6130 | 1775 | 5020 |
| 2004-05 | 17307 | 6094 | 1392 | 11357 |
| 2005-06 | 13184 | 8374 | 1006 | 11048 |
| 2006-07 | 10108 | 10734 | 1151 | 6518 |
| 2007-08 | 8028 | 10021 | 805 | 6149 |
Proportion of notifications requiring investigation by outcome: Queensland, 2003-04 to 2007-08.
| Year | Substantiated | Unsubstantiated | Unable to be commenced/completed | Investigations not yet finalised (a) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | 57.5 % | 20.2 % | 5.8 % | 16.5 % |
| 2004-05 | 47.9 % | 16.9 % | 3.9 % | 31.4 % |
| 2005-06 | 39.2 % | 24.9 % | 3 % | 32.9 % |
| 2006-07 | 35.5 % | 37.6 % | 4 % | 22.9 % |
| 2007-08 | 32.1 % | 40.1 % | 3.2 % | 24.6 % |
Notes:
(a) Investigations not yet finalised include:
- investigations still in progress
- investigations completed but data not yet available
- investigations completed but not yet approved.
Tables
Quarterly data
What is an investigation and assessment?
The purpose of an investigation and assessment is to determine the safety and protection needs of the child.
The child safety officer will:
- investigate allegations of harm and risk of harm
- assess the child’s immediate safety
- assess whether the child has been harmed or is likely to be harmed in the future
- assess whether the child is in need of protection
- assess whether the child has a parent able and willing to protect them
- determine whether ongoing intervention is required to meet the care and protection needs of the child.
Why this topic is important
The department has the statutory authority to investigate allegations that a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm, assess a child's need for protection or take other actions that are considered appropriate.
The department's response to all notifications is to conduct an investigation and assessment. A thorough investigation and assessment is critical in determining the current and ongoing safety and protective needs of the child.
Trends
Of the 25,003 notifications recorded by the department in 2007-08, 18,854 investigations were finalised in the reporting period. Of these:
- 8,028 (32.1 per cent) resulted in an outcome of 'substantiated' – it is assessed the child has experienced significant harm and/or there are identifiable risk factors that suggest the child may be harmed in the future. Where the risk of future harm is present and the child does not have a parent able and willing to protect them, a child is considered to be in need of protection.
- 10,021 (40.1 per cent) resulted in an outcome of 'unsubstantiated' – there is no evidence that the child has experienced significant harm and the assessment suggests no identifiable risk. In these instances the family may be referred to a support service to help them address risk factors that would lead to future harm.
- 805 (3.2 per cent) were unable to be commenced, or commenced, but were unable to be completed due to circumstances beyond the control of the Department, and were subsequently closed. This may occur in circumstances where insufficient information is available or where a family is unable to be located.
The remaining 6,149 notifications were recorded as not yet finalised, representing 24.6 per cent of all notifications recorded in 2007-08.
There are a number of reasons a notification may not be reported as finalised within the financial year it commenced. For example, there can be delays in sighting and interviewing children and their families due to incomplete information about the family’s location, or the family relocating.
- Last updated
- 28 August 2009