17.3 Carer assessment requests to another jurisdiction
Purpose
This procedure outlines the process for requesting another state, territory or New Zealand (jurisdiction) to undertake an assessment of a person or a parent in relation to the care of a child subject to a CAO, a custody or guardianship order or proceedings in Queensland.
Authority
- Child Protection Act 1999, section 82 and 135
Introduction
The department will request another jurisdiction to undertake an assessment in the following circumstances:
- a kinship or foster carer applicant, who is proposed to provide care for a child;
- a kinship member, for the purpose of a family contact visit/holiday with; and
- a parent, for the purposes of reunification.
1. Request for assessment of carer applicants in another jurisdiction
When requesting a carer assessment for a proposed out-of-home care placement for a child, where the applicant resides in another jurisdiction, the CSO will:
- ensure that the proposed carer is aware of the intended assessment and has indicated a willingness to co-operate in the assessment process;
- ensure that the proposed carer is aware of their need to meet legislative requirements under the Child Protection Act 1999;
- ensure that the carer applicant and any adult household members complete the 'Application for Approval - Form 3 (APA)' (APA form) and either the 'Volunteer foster/kinship carer or adult member blue card application' form or an 'Authorisation to confirm a valid blue card/application for a carer or adult member' form and send the completed forms to the Central Screening Unit (CSU) for processing. The forms can be witnessed by an employee of the equivalent interstate statutory child protection agency, or a Justice of the Peace or a police officer in the proposed carer's jurisdiction, and a certified copy of identifying documents, as prescribed by the 'APA form' must accompany the signed forms;
- contact the ILO and obtain either:
- the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s' form; or
- the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s - Holiday Placement', where the assessment relates to a family contact/holiday placement;
- complete the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s' or the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s - Holiday Placement' form and provide appropriate supporting documentation, for example, medical and psychologist reports on the child;
- have the request signed by the CSO with case responsibility and the team leader; and
- fax or post all relevant documentation to the ILO at Court Services Unit.
Following this the ILO will forward the request and accompanying documentation to the ILO in the other jurisdiction (prior to the completion of personal history checks that are being undertaken by the CSU).
If the CSU manager advises that, based on personal history checks, the applicant/s are not suitable to be approved, the CSO must contact the Queensland ILO immediately, to withdraw the assessment request from the other jurisdiction.
2. Assessment for the purpose of family contact/holiday
When a decision has been made by the CSSC that a child is to visit kinship members in another jurisdiction for family contact/holiday, the CSSC manager has the discretion to determine whether or not the placement will be subject to regulation of care requirements. In making this determination, the CSO must provide the CCSC manager with the following information;
- the goal and outcomes of the case plan;
- the level of risk to the child posed by the contact;
- the child's views about the contact;
- the child's age and vulnerability;
- the history of previous contact between the child and the kinship member or proposed carer; and
- the length of stay, location and circumstances of contact.
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Where the kinship member requests financial support for the placement, the fortnightly caring allowance can only be paid if the kinship member becomes an approved carer for the child. In this circumstance, and in circumstances where the CSSC manager determines that the placement will be subject to regulation of care requirements, the CSO will follow the procedures outlined in '1. Request for assessment of carers in another jurisdiction' above.
Where the CSSC manager determines that the kinship member is not required to become an approved carer, an assessment for the purpose of family contact/holiday will be undertaken. To facilitate this assessment, the CSO will:
- contact the kinship member to:
- ensure they are aware of the decision to send the child for a family contact/holiday visit and are willing for this to occur ; and
- discuss any relevant issues regarding the placement and the child's safety during the proposed holiday;
- conduct interstate or New Zealand child protection history checks through DMS, on the kinship member and all other household members;
- contact the ILO and obtain the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s - Holiday Placement' form.
- complete the 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s - Holiday Placement' form and provide appropriate supporting documentation, for example, medical and psychologist reports on the child;
- have the request signed by the CSO with case responsibility and the team leader; and
- fax or post all relevant documentation to the ILO at Court Services Unit.
Following this, the Queensland ILO will forward the completed request and accompanying documentation to the other jurisdiction for completion of the assessment.
The completed assessment will be returned to the Queensland ILO, who will forward the assessment to the CSSC. The CSSC manager is responsible for the decision about whether the family contact/holiday placement will proceed, regardless of the outcome of the assessment recommendation from the other jurisdiction.
If the family contact/holiday placement is to proceed, the CSO will:
- ensure that the appropriate consents are obtained regarding the decision for the children to travel interstate or to New Zealand for the purposes of a holiday; and
- advise the ILO of the following:
- the decision to proceed with the placement;
- the child's details and type of order the child is subject to;
- the proposed dates for the child's holiday; and
- details of the kinship member/s (their name/s, relationship to the child and address and phone number).
The ILO will advise the ILO in the other jurisdiction of the child's intended holiday visit and:
- request the details of the local office in the jurisdiction that covers the kinship member's home; and
- provide the CSO with the contact details of the local office, should the child or the kinship member require assistance during the holiday contact.
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Note: Any request for assessment must be forwarded to the ILO in a timely manner. The Queensland ILO must receive the assessment request at least 8 weeks before the intended holiday, or the office in the other jurisdiction may not be able to complete the assessment in time.
A CSSC can also request another jurisdiction to undertake an assessment of a non-kinship member who has applied to become a foster carer. In this circumstance, the CSO will follow the procedures outlined in '1. Request for assessment of carers in another jurisdiction' above.
3. Reunification assessment request
When requesting an assessment for the purpose of reunifying a child subject to a Queensland child protection order, with a parent who resides in another jurisdiction, the CSO will:
- ensure that the parent is aware of the intended assessment and is willing to participate in the assessment process;
- undertake a criminal history check of the parent and any other adult household member, if required, in accordance with usual arrangements with the QPS;
- undertake interstate child protection checks of the parent and any other adult household member, if required, in accordance with usual arrangements with DMS;
- contact the ILO and request a 'Reunification Assessment Request' template.
- complete the 'Reunification Assessment Request' and provide appropriate supporting documentation, for example, medical and psychologist reports on the child/parent;
- have the request signed by the CSO with case responsibility and the team leader; and
- fax or post all relevant documentation to the ILO at Court Services Unit.
Additional notes
When undertaking the assessment of a proposed kinship carer, the other jurisdiction will not complete the 'Kinship Carer Assessment Report ' which is only used in Queensland. The other jurisdiction will provide a written assessment report on the proposed carer/s, covering the areas as requested by the CSO on the completed 'Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s' template.
The worker in the other jurisdiction can complete the 'Form 2: Household safety study ' on behalf of the department.
The 'Carer Applicant Health and Wellbeing Questionnaire' should be sent directly to the proposed carer/s to complete.
Forms
The following forms are available from the Queensland ILO at Court Services Unit:
- Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s - Holiday Placement
- Request for Interstate Assessment of Carer/s
- Reunification Assessment Request
- Carer Applicant Health and Wellbeing Questionnaire
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- Last updated
- 23 April 2009
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