Glossary of terms
Alert
An indicator or 'alert', recorded on the Integrated Case Management System (ICMS), to identify that a significant event (for example, a suicide risk alert) is relevant to a child or family member.
Annual health check
An annual health check is the process undertaken on an annual basis for children with a child health passport. The same forms and process is used as for a baseline health assessment
(refer to Baseline health assessment and Child health passport).
Another entity
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 82(1)(f), allows for a child to be placed in the care of another entity, other than an approved carer or licensed care service, only when that entity is the most appropriate for meeting the child's particular protection and care needs.
Approved carer
Approved carers are persons in whose care a child has been placed by the chief executive,
and include approved foster carers, approved kinship carers and provisionally approved carers.
Assessment
Assessment is the process of gathering, analysing and interpreting information to inform
decision-making.
Assessment care agreement
An assessment care agreement allows a child to be placed by the department in an out-of-home care placement to ensure their safety during an investigation and assessment, with the parent/s consent. An assessment care agreement is for a maximum of 30 days and the parent/s retain all custody and guardianship rights and responsibilities.
Assessment order
A short term order that is granted by either a magistrate or the court, under the Child Protection Act 1999, to allow a range of activities to occur to complete an investigation and assessment, when a parent has not given consent for these actions to occur (refer to Temporary assessment order and Court assessment order).
Authorised officer
A person appointed by the Department of Child Safety under the Child Protection Act 1999,
section 149.
Bail
The release (from the custody of a police officer) of a defendant, who has been charged with
an offence.
Baseline health assessment
A comprehensive health assessment undertaken by a health professional for a child in out-of-home care, which includes:
- physical and developmental assessments;
- nutritional assessments;
- immunisation;
- psychosocial issues;
Blue card
The holding of a current 'positive prescribed notice' or blue card from the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian is a pre-condition of initial and ongoing approval as a foster or kinship carer for all approved carers and other adult household members. A blue card is issued following the conduct of a 'working with children check'. Refer to 'Working with children check'.
Care agreement
There are two types of care agreements which allow a child to be placed in an out-of-home care placement with the parent/s agreement. Refer to 'Assessment care agreement' and/or a 'Child protection care agreement'.
Case management
Refers to the overall responsibilities of the department when intervening in the life of a child and family. Case management is a way of working with children, families and other agencies to ensure that the services provided are coordinated, integrated and targeted to meet the needs and goals of children and their families.
Case note
A record of case-related information.
Case plan
There are two types of care agreements which allow a child to be placed in an out-of-home care placement with the parent/s agreement. Refer to 'Assessment care agreement' and/or a 'Child protection care agreement'.
Case management
Refers to the overall responsibilities of the department when intervening in the life of a child and family. Case management is a way of working with children, families and other agencies to ensure that the services provided are coordinated, integrated and targeted to meet the needs and goals of children and their families.
Case note
A record of case-related information.
Case plan
A case plan for a child is a written plan for meeting the child's protection and care needs. It is developed in a participative process between the department, the child, their family and other people significant to the child and family. It records the goal and outcomes of ongoing intervention and identifies the agreed tasks that will occur to meet the goal and outcomes.
Case planning
Case planning is a participative process of planning strategies to address a child's protection and care needs and promote a child's well-being. It is made up of a cycle of assessment, planning, implementation and review.
Case plan review
A process of reviewing a case plan, based on an up-to-date assessment of the progress made toward the case plan goal and a reassessment of risk, safety, strengths and needs. The outcome
of a case plan review is a completed review report and a new (revised) case plan.
Case responsibility
Case responsibility refers to the actions required by the allocated CSO for undertaking departmental intervention with a child and their family. Case responsibility can relate to the completion of an investigation and assessment or the ongoing case management processes of assessment, planning, implementation and review, until case closure.
Certificate of approval
The authority provided to an approved carer, once the chief executive has made the decision to grant a foster or kinship carer application, or provisionally approval of a carer.
Chief executive
Unless otherwise specified, refers to the Director-General of the Department of Child Safety.
Child
Under the Child Protection Act 1999, a child is an individual who is under 18 years of age. The term child is used throughout the practice manual to signify both a child and a young person.
Under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992, a child is:
- a person who has not turned 17 years; or
- after a day fixed under section 6146 - a person who has not turned 18 years.
Child concern report
A child concern report is a record of child protection information received by the department that has been 'screened out' and does not meet the threshold for a notification.
Child health passport
The child health passport is a folder containing the child's health information that the child's carer requires to be able to meet the day-to-day health needs of the child. Contents include the child information form, the health plan, a photocopy of the Medicare card, and information relating the specific health needs of the child. This folder is prepared by the CSSC and is provided to the carer. The passport moves with the child when the child moves placement and a copy of the passport is provided to the parent when the child returns home or to the young person when they exit care.
Child in need of protection
A child who has suffered harm, is suffering harm, or is at unacceptable risk of suffering from harm, and does not have a parent able and willing to protect the child from the harm.
Child maintenance order
An order made by the Family Court of Australia about child support.
Child placement principle
The child placement principle is the general principle that an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child should be cared for within an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community. The Child Protection Act 1999, section 83 sets out the hierarchy of placement options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people as:
- a member of the child's family: or
- a member of the child's community or language group; or
- another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander who is compatible with the child's community or language group; or
- another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander.
Child protection care agreement
An child protection care agreement allows a child who has been determined to be in need of protection to be placed by the department in an out-of-home care placement to ensure their safety. A child protection care agreement may be used during intervention with parental agreement or ongoing intervention with a directive or supervision order. The child protection care agreement gives custody of the child to the chief executive while the agreement is in force. It can be for an initial period of 30 days and can be extended more than once.
Child Protection Liaison Officer (CPLO)
The Child Protection Liaison Officer (CPLO) within each Queensland Health Health Service District is the Queensland Health contact person for departmental staff. The CPLO will be able to advise departmental staff about the model of care within their district and the health professionals within the local area who are able to conduct the baseline health assessments and develop health plans. In their role they may be able to advise and facilitate appropriate referral processes but will act as the main liaison link for other health professionals within the health service district. Generally, CPLOs are child health nurses or social workers, and in some districts it will be their role to score the Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as part of the health assessment.
Child protection order
A child protection order is an order made by the Childrens Court under the Child Protection Act 1999, when a child is considered in need of protection.
Childrens Court
The Childrens Court is a specialist Magistrates Court that hears and makes decisions in relation to court assessment orders and child protection orders.
Community based order
Under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992, a community based order means a probation order, community service order, intensive supervision order or conditional release order.
Community justice groups
Groups are funded through the Queensland Government and are usually comprised of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from within each community. Community justice groups are responsible for developing alcohol management plans. Once a group is established it will have the authority to:
- make declarations about dry places within their community;
- provide recommendations to the government and to any Community Liquor Licence Board about canteen operations;
- make recommendations to the Minister administering the Liquor Act 1992 about declarations of restricted areas; and
- implement local strategies to address justice issues in their community.
Community visitor program
An independent service provided by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian which monitors the safety and wellbeing of children placed in all forms of out-of-home care and advocates on behalf of the children in these placements.
Contact order
An order made by the Family Court of Australia, under the Family Law Act 1975, regarding the contact between a child and another person or other persons.
Court assessment order
A court assessment order (CAO) is an order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, chapter 2,
to authorise actions necessary as part of an investigation and assessment to assess whether a child is in need of protection, if:
- the child's parents have not provided their consent for these actions or the parents consent cannot be obtained; and
- it is considered that it will take more than 3 days to complete the investigation and assessment.
Child Safety After Hours Service Centre
The Child Safety After Hours Service Centre (CSAHSC) is a 24 hour departmental service that provides after business hours responses to clients of the department, the community, other government departments and community agencies in response to child protection and youth justice matters.
Critical incident
A critical incident is any incident of sufficient criticality to require reporting to the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Child Safety, via a 'critical incident report' form. Critical incidents may relate to:
- children and young people subject to interventions by the department;
- Departmental staff and carers; and
- matters where media attention has occurred or is possible.
Custody
In accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999, a person who has or is granted custody of a child has the right and responsibility to attend to day-to-day matters only, including:
- a child's daily care; and
- making decisions about a child's daily care.
Custody order
A child protection order where custody of the child has been granted to a relative of the child or the chief executive of the Department of Child Safety.
Detention order
An order made under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992, on a child found guilty of a serious offence/s, requiring that a child be detained for a specified period of time, in a detention centre.
Directive order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, directing a parent:
- to do or refrain from doing something directly related to the child's protection; and/or
- not to have contact (direct or indirect) with the child, or to only have contact when a stated person or a person of a stated category is present.
Dual orders
Refers to circumstances where a child is concurrently subject to a child protection order under the Child Protection Act 1999 and a youth justice order under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992.
Educational Support Plan
An educational support plan is developed by the Department of Education and the Arts, in collaboration with the Department of Child Safety, to identify educational goals and targets,
and strategies to achieve those targets, for all children subject to a child protection order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive, Department of Child Safety.
Emotional harm
When the child's social, emotional, cognitive, or intellectual development is impaired or seriously threatened as a direct result of persistent parental behaviour/attitude toward the child. This includes significant emotional deprivation due to persistent coldness or rejection and hostility.
The child's harm may be evidenced by severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, self-harming behaviour, or aggressive behaviour towards others.
FamYJ
A state-wide database that includes:
- key client information from intakes, notifications and investigation and assessments from
- youth justice client information and youth justice orders;
- child protection order information; and
- information about foster carers, approvals and placements.
Family contact
What is meant by 'family' contact, differs for each child placed in out-of-home care, as determined by the range of persons and relationships considered of significance to the child. Family contact may include contact between the child and their siblings, parents, extended family, community members, persons of cultural or ethnic significance and other persons of significance in the
child's life.
Family Court of Australia
The Family Court of Australia is a federal (Commonwealth) court established under the Family Law Act 1975, to deal with a range of matters arising out of relationship breakdowns, including divorce, property settlement and the care of children of a relationship.
Family group meeting
A meeting convened in accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999, section 51, to:
- provide family-based responses to children's protection and care needs; and
- to ensure an inclusive process for planning and making decisions relating to children's wellbeing and protection and care needs.
Foster carer
Any individual, or two or more individuals approved by the department to care for a child subject to departmental intervention and an out-of-home care placement (irrespective of type of placement). A person living with another person on a genuine domestic basis may only be granted a certificate of approval jointly with their partner.
Foster carer agreement
An agreement negotiated between each foster carer or foster carer group and the department and/or licensed care service, that sets out the terms, conditions and responsibilities of the relationship between the foster carer and the CSSC or fostering agency.
Foster or kinship care service
A non-government licensed care service that may receive initial enquiries, conduct assessments of carer applicants and provide training, supervision and support for foster and/or kinship carer/s.
General enquiry
A general enquiry may be a request for information or relate to child welfare issues or child protection concerns, and is one type of departmental response to information received at the intake phase.
Genogram
A graphic representation, similar to a family tree, that illustrates demographical, biological, and household information about family members.
Gillick competency
A term used in medical law to describe when a minor may be able to consent to his or her own medical treatment, despite a young age. The standard is based on a decision of the House of Lords in the case Gillick v West Norfolk and Wisbech Area Health Authority [1985] 3 AII ER 402. The health professional decides if the child is able to provide consent for medical procedures based on the concept of 'Gillick competency'.
Guardianship
In accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999, a person who has or is granted guardianship of a child has the powers, rights and responsibilities to attend to:
- a child's daily care;
- making decisions that relate to day-to-day matters concerning the child's daily care; and
- making decisions about the long-term care, welfare and development of the child in the same way a person has parental responsibility under the Family Law Act 1975.
Guardianship order
A child protection order where guardianship of the child has been granted to a relative of the child, another person, or the chief executive of the Department of Child Safety.
Harm
Any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child's psychological or emotional well-being. Harm can be caused by physical, psychological or emotional abuse or neglect, or sexual abuse or exploitation, Child Protection Act 1999, section 9.
Health care file
A physical client file that is registered in the departmental records management system and cross-referenced to the child's file and contains all health related information on a child in out-of-home-care (after January 2007) and a copy of the child health passport. The original child health passport will also be held on this file when the child is no longer in out-of-home care.
Health plan
A plan developed by the health professional following the baseline health assessment and valid for 12 months. It comprises:
- significant findings from baseline health assessment;
- a proposed health/treatment plan and whose responsibility it will be
- recommended follow-up and timeframe; and
- actions to be taken.
Health plan follow up form
This form is used by a health professional to monitor the child or young person following a baseline health assessment. The intent is to ensure the recommendations from the health plan have been, or are in the process of being, implemented. It is also used to record when the child accesses other services such as dental, hearing, immunisation, pathology or optometry.
Health practitioner
A health practitioner is:
- a nurse under the Nursing Act 1992; or
- a person registered under any of the following Acts:
- Dental Practitioners Registration Act 2001;
- Medical Practitioners Registration Act 2001;
- Occupational Therapists Registration Act 2001;
- Optometrists Registration Act 2001;
- Physiotherapists Registration Act 2001;
- Psychologists Registration Act 2001;or
- Speech Pathologists Registration Act 2001; or
- a person who is eligible for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (Child Protection Act 1999, schedule 3).
ICARE
An interviewing children and recording evidence training program designed to ensure that interviews of children are undertaken in a way that minimises further trauma to the child and information obtained from children meets judicial and legislation requirements.
Informed consent
This will be required for procedures the health professional may undertake as part of the baseline health assessment, or as part of the follow up, for example, immunisation and pathology tests. Informed consent requires the decision-maker (the child if 'Gillick competent' or the child's guardian) to have information about the procedure and have the opportunity to discuss concerns with a health professional before providing consent/signing the consent form.
Intake
Intake is the first phase of the child protection continuum, and is initiated when information or an allegation is received from a notifier about harm or risk of harm to a child, or when a request for departmental assistance is made.
Interim order
On the adjournment of a proceeding for a court assessment or child protection order the Childrens Court has the power to make an interim order. An interim order made on adjournment of a court assessment order may grant temporary custody to the chief executive, or the child's parents will retain custody. An interim child protection order will grant custody to a family member or the
chief executive.
Intervention with parental agreement
Refers to ongoing intervention with a child who is considered in need of protection, based on the agreement of a child's parent/s, to work with the department to meet a child's safety and protection needs.
Investigation and assessment
Investigation and assessment is the second phase of the child protection continuum. It is the department's response to all notifications, to determine the safety and protective needs of a child under the Child Protection Act 1999, section 14, where there are allegations of harm or risk of harm to a child.
Kinship carer
A kinship carer is a person related to the child or a member of a child's community and considered family or a close friend who is approved by the department to provide an out-of-home care placement for the child. Kinship carers may be further categorised as:
- grandparents;
- aunts/uncles;
- other relatives or close friend; and
- for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, relative care may include another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander who is a member of, or compatible with the child's community or language group.
Licensed care service
A service operated under a licence, in accordance with the Child Protection Act 1999, to provide care for children in the custody or guardianship of the chief executive.
Long-term guardianship order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, granting long-term guardianship of the child to a suitable family member (other than a parent of the child), another suitable person nominated by the chief executive, or to the chief executive.
Matters of concern
Matters of concern include:
- a child placement concern report regarding inadequate or poor quality care that fails to meet the standards of care detailed in the Child Protection Act 1999, section 122, but does not meet the threshold for a notification; and
- a notification involving allegations of harm or risk of harm to a child in out-of-home care by persons providing direct care, including approved foster and kinship carers, provisionally approved carers and persons in the carer/s household, and staff of licensed care services or another entity.
Medical examination
Comprises a physical, psychiatric, psychological or dental examination, assessment or procedure, and includes forensic examination and an examination or assessment normally carried out by a health practitioner (Child Protection Act 1999, schedule 3).
Minimum departmental contact requirements
Refers to minimum required frequency of contact that a CSO will have with a child and family (where the child is subject to ongoing intervention), and outline the requirement for the minimum number of contacts each month between a CSO and the child, their parents and other people who can contribute to case work with a child.
Neglect
The child's basic needs of life are unmet by their parent to such an extent that the child's health and development are affected, causing harm, or likely to cause an unacceptable risk of harm to
the child.
Non-government organisation (NGO)
Not-for-profit community-managed organisations that receive government funding specifically for the purpose of providing community support services.
Non-custodial order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, where custody and guardianship of the child remain with the parents.
Notification
Information received about a child who may be at harm or at risk of harm which requires an investigation and assessment response. A notification is also recorded on an unborn child when there is reasonable suspicion that they will be at risk of harm after they are born.
Notifier
A notifier is a person who informs the department about alleged harm or alleged risk of harm to a child and reasonably suspects the child is in need of protection, irrespective of how the information is recorded or responded to by the department.
Ongoing intervention
Ongoing intervention is the third phase of the child protection continuum. It occurs when it is necessary for the department to provide support and assistance to the family to reduce risk to a child, or to the extent necessary to ensure that the child's protection and care needs are met.
There are three types of ongoing intervention, including:
- a support service case;
- intervention with parental agreement; and
- intervention with a child protection order.
Out-of-home care
Out-of-home care refers to placements of children, subject to statutory child protection intervention, with individuals and services approved or licensed under the Child Protection
Act 1999. Out-of-home care includes placements with:
- a licensed care service; or
- an approved carer.
Parent
Under the Child Protection Act 1999, a parent of a child is the child's mother, father or someone who has or exercises parental responsibility for the child. A parent of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child includes any person who under Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander tradition or custom is regarded as a parent of the child.
- Under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 a parent is defined as:
- a parent or guardian of a child; or
- a person who has lawful custody of a child other than because of the child's detention for an offence or pending a proceeding for an offence; or
- a person who has the day-to-day care and control of a child.
Parent able and willing
A parent who has both the ability and willingness to protect the child from harm, Child Protection Act 1999, section 10.
Physical harm
A child has suffered or is at an unacceptable risk of suffering serious physical trauma or injury of a non-accidental nature, due to the actions of their parent.
Placement
When a child is 'placed' in an out-of-home care living arrangement due to intervention by
the department.
Placement agreement
A written agreement between the department and the carers for a child in an out-of-home care placement, excluding placements with parental consent, which:
- provides the relevant information known by the department about the child, and sufficient information to allow the carers to provide adequate care for the child and ensure the safety of a child, the carers and other members of the carer's household; and
- records the agreed support and services to be provided to the carers.
Placement and support packages (PASPs)
Placement and support packages are funded arrangements for the placement and/or support of individual children and young people with extreme care needs who are unable to be placed in available out-of-home care environments.
Pre-notification check
An enquiry by a CSO to another professional, an external agency or an interstate or international child protection jurisdiction, to gather further information about allegations of harm to a child.
Pre-sentence report
Before it sentences a child found guilty of an offence, a court may order the chief executive, Department of Communities, to give to the court a pre-sentence report concerning the child and containing specified information, assessments and reports relating to the child or the child's family or other matters.
Provisionally approved carer
A person who has been approved by the department to care for a particular child for a defined period of time. A provisionally approved carer must have made an application to be either an approved foster carer or kinship carer.
RecFind
RecFind is the department's records management system and registers hard copies of files with the file number, location, original author and file tracking history of open and closed files and files that are held in off-site storage.
Recognised entity
An entity (an individual or organisation) with whom the chief executive must consult about issues relating to the protection and care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Residence order
An order made under the Family Law Act 1975, by the Family Court of Australia, regarding 'the person or persons with whom a child is to live'.
Respite care
A service intended to provide time-limited support to enhance a carer's ability to continue in their role as a primary carer and to sustain the caring relationship. For children in out-of-home care, respite may include a placement (for the purpose of providing respite to the primary carer) or alternative respite options such as recreational camps.
Reviewable decision
In accordance with the Children Services Tribunal Act 2000, a decision that, under an Act (for the purpose of this manual, the Child Protection Act 1999), a person may apply to have reviewed by the Children Services Tribunal.
Risk of harm
The likelihood of a child suffering physical, psychological or emotional harm in the future.
Safety assessment
The purpose is to assess the child's immediate safety and determine what interventions are required to maintain their protection. A safety assessment will always occur at the commencement of an investigation and assessment and will be the focus of the first contact with the child and family. Subsequent safety assessments are completed whenever new information becomes available or circumstances change significantly and/or a threat to a child's safety is indicated,
or prior to closure of an ongoing intervention case.
SCAN System
The SCAN system enables a co-ordinated response to the protection needs of children
by facilitating:
- the sharing of relevant information between members of the system; and
- the planning and co-ordinating of actions to assess and respond to children's protection needs; and
- an holistic and culturally responsive assessment of children's protection needs.
Service provider
A service provider is defined by the Child Protection Act 1999, as a 'prescribed entity' or another person providing a service to children or families; prescribed entity: is defined in the Child Protection Act 1999, section 159D, and includes (but is not exhaustive of) the chief executive
of the department, an authorised officer and the chief executive of Communities.
Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan)
A plan that is developed for a young person in year 10, to support their transition to senior school, training or work. The school or learning provider (for example, TAFE institute) coordinates the process of supporting each young person's SET Plan.
Sexual abuse
Any sexual activity or behaviour that is imposed on a child and results in physical or emotional harm. It includes the inducement or coercion of a child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct or behaviour for the sexual gratification or profit of the person responsible. It also includes circumstances where there is an unacceptable risk that the child may be sexually abused.
Short-term custody order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, where custody rights and responsibilities are granted to a kinship carer or to the chief executive (for a period of up to 2 years). Guardianship rights and responsibilities in relation to the child remain with the child's parents for the duration of the custody order.
Short-term guardianship order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, where guardianship rights and responsibilities in relation to the child, including matters associated with the child's daily care, are granted to the chief executive (for a period of up to 2 years) - see definition of guardianship.
Specific issues order
An order made under the Family Law Act 1975, by the Family Court of Australia, regarding
'parental responsibility for making daily and long-term decisions about a child's care, welfare
and development'.
Statement of standards
Section 122 of the Child Protection Act 1999, prescribes the chief executive's responsibility to ensure that a child placed in the care of an approved foster carer, licensed care service or departmental care service is cared for in a way that meets the Statement of Standards. The term 'standards of care' also refers to the legislated Statement of Standards.
Statutory authority
Legislative mandate to carry out actions.
Structured Decision Making
Structured Decision Making (SDM™) is an assessment and decision making model to assist the CSO and team leader in making critical decisions about the safety of children. SDM™ was developed by the Children's Research Centre, and aims to:
- reduce subsequent harm to children; and
- reduce the time to permanency arrangements for children in out-of-home care.
Suicide risk alert
A suicide risk alert is recorded when it is assessed that a child is a high suicide risk. The child
may be:
- the subject of a general enquiry, child concern report or notification; or
- subject to departmental intervention (including support service, intervention with parental agreement, assessment order or child protection order).
A suicide risk alert in relation to a child subject to ongoing departmental intervention involves the development of an immediate and medium to long-term management strategy (including facilitating access to health services and programs) for addressing the child's physical health and emotional stability.
Supervision order
An order made under the Child Protection Act 1999, requiring the chief executive to supervise the child's protection in relation to the matters stated in the order.
Support service case
A type of ongoing intervention that can only be used when it is determined that a child is not in need of protection, based on an agreement by the parents, pregnant woman or young person to work with the department.
- A support service case is the appropriate departmental response (ongoing intervention):
- to work with a child and family to reduce the likelihood of future harm to a child;
- to work with a pregnant woman to reduce the likelihood of future harm to an unborn child; and
- to provide ongoing support to a young person transitioning from care.
Temporary assessment order
A temporary assessment order (TAO) authorises actions during the investigation and assessment process when parental consent cannot be obtained. A TAO can provide the authority to take a child into the custody of the chief executive,however, guardianship rights and responsibilities remain with the child's parents. A TAO may also order specific actions relating to the assessment of a notification, for example, the conduct of a medical assessment in relation to a child. A TAO can only be granted for not more than 3 days and can be extended by one day.
Transition from care
Transition from care refers to a child's transition from being a child in care to becoming an independent young adult within the general community. The legislated Charter of Rights for a Child in Care, schedule 1, of the Child Protection Act 1999, specifies the child's right to receive appropriate help with the transition from care to independence.
Unacceptable risk of harm
Unacceptable risk of harm refers to situations where the risk identified is probable, not possible, and likely to occur in the near future, where there are insufficient protective factors to ensure the child's safety without departmental intervention.
Working with children check
A detailed check of a person's national criminal history (including any charges, convictions
or investigative information) and disciplinary information held on a person by certain
professional organisations.
Youth justice case worker
A youth justice case worker refers to an officer of the Department of Communities.
Youth justice order
An order made under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992, when a child is found guilty of an offence/s.
A youth justice order may be community-based or require that a child serve a specified period
in detention.
- Last updated
- 30 June 2007
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