4. Ongoing intervention

• 4.1 Ongoing intervention and case planning: an overview
• 4.2 Undertaking the assessment stage
• 4.3 Completing the child strengths and needs assessment tool
• 4.4 Completing the parental strengths and needs assessment tool
• 4.5 Case planning and family group meetings
• 4.6 Preparing for a family group meeting
• 4.7 Convening the family group meeting
• 4.8 Developing key items in the case plan
• 4.9 Endorsing and distributing the plan
• 4.10 Implementing the case plan
• 4.11 Engaging a service provider
• 4.12 Minimum departmental contact requirements between the CSO and the family
• 4.13 Visiting a child, parent or carer
• 4.14 Substance testing of parents
• 4.15 Completing a case plan review
• 4.16 Completing the family risk re-evaluation tool
• 4.17 Completing the family reunification assessment tool
• 4.18 Assessing the progress of the case plan
• 4.19 Preparing a review report and a revised case plan
• 4.20 Case closure
• Resources

4.18 Assessing the progress of a case plan

Introduction

This procedure identifies the process for assessing the implementation of the case plan and progress toward the case plan goal.

Authority

• Child Protection Act 1999, section 59, 122 and schedule 1

The CSO, in consultation with the people participating in the case plan review, will consider the information gathered and evaluate the progress made in implementing the case plan, prior to revising the case plan for the child.

The progress of the case plan must be evaluated against the case plan outcomes and will identify whether key actions have been completed. The case plan outcomes are linked to the case plan goal and may remain consistent while the completion of one set of actions will lead to new actions being included in the revised case plan.

The CSO will consider the following issues as part of the case plan review.

Top of page

Assessing case plan progress

In consultation with the people participating in the case plan review, the CSO will consider the information gathered and evaluate the progress made in implementing the case plan, prior to revising the case plan for the child.

The progress of the case plan must be evaluated against the case plan outcomes and will identify whether key actions have been completed. The case plan outcomes are linked to the case plan goal and may remain consistent while the completion of one set of actions will lead to new actions being included in the revised case plan.

The CSO will consider the following issues as part of the case plan review.

Outcomes and actions

• Are the case plan outcomes still relevant?
• Have the key actions been completed?
• If the key actions have not been completed, are they still relevant and what is needed to complete them?
• Are new actions required to achieve the case plan goal and outcomes?
• Are there any current risks to the child's safety?
• What is the outcome of the child and parental strengths and needs assessments?

Services to child

• What services have been provided to the child and have they met the child's needs?

Top of page

Living arrangements

• Do the child's living arrangements comply with the statement of standards (Child Protection Act 1999, section 122 and schedule 1)?
• Do the child's living arrangements meet their protection and care needs and support progress toward the case plan goal?

Contact arrangements

• Are the contact arrangements consistent with the case plan goal and do they meet the child's needs?
• What is the child's reaction to the parents during contact visits?
• What are the child's views about the current contact arrangements with the parents?
• Are the parents focused on the needs of the child during contact visits?
• When the case plan goal is long-term out-of-home care for the child, is the contact maintaining and supporting the child's identity and connection with the family?
• When the case plan goal is reunification, are there changes that need to be made to contact visits to develop the parent/s skills and prepare the parents and child for reunification? Has the relationship between the child and the parent/s improved? Are there continuing problems? Are there ongoing problems which impact on the contact visits such as the child's grief and loss in living away from the family?
• Is the child having contact with the siblings and other members of the family group and cultural community? How is the child reacting to the contact arrangements? What are the child's views about the contact arrangements? Is the contact in the child's best interests? Should the arrangements be changed?

Top of page

Child protection orders

• Is the child protection order still needed or should it be varied or revoked?
• Will another order be required when the current order expires or should the current order be extended? What should be the length of the order or extension of the order?
• If another order is required, what is the most appropriate and least intrusive order for the child (Child Protection Act 1999, section 59 and 61)? The CSO makes this decision by considering the goal of the case plan, the child's needs (including the need for long-term stability) and the progress made in implementing the case plan.
• When a child has been placed in out-of-home care without an order, will a child protection order be required when the agreed period expires?

Additional factors to consider when the case plan goal is reunification

• Is reunification still in the child's best interests?
• Is it in the best interests of the child to return to live with the parent within a certain timeframe, appropriate to the child's age?
• Are there risks in returning the child to live with the parent within a certain timeframe? What are the risk factors?
• Are there services or actions that are needed to address the risk factors which may prevent reunification?
• Do the identified risk factors indicate that the child will return to live with the parent within a certain timeframe and should planning for out-of-home long-term care for the child commence?
• When this planning has begun, have these arrangements been progressed?

Top of page

Additional questions to ask when the child is in out-of-home care without an order:

• Does the out-of-home care placement meet the child's needs?
• Does the parent still agree to the child's placement?
• Is it likely that the child will be able to return to live with the parent at the end of the agreed period?

Case plan goal

• Is the case plan goal still appropriate for the child?
• What is the outcome of the family reunification assessment?
• What is the child's age and needs (safety, stability, attachment and connections)?
• Have the case plan outcomes been achieved?
• What is the evaluation of the contact arrangements?

Top of page

Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Access keys | Other languages

© The State of Queensland (Department of Communities) 2004-2009.

Queensland Government