4.15 Completing a case plan review
Purpose
This procedure outlines the process for completing a case plan review for a child subject to ongoing intervention.
Authority
- Child Protection Act 1999, section 5, 51C, 51D, 51V, 51W
Introduction
Every case plan developed for a child under the Child Protection Act 1999, part 3A, must be reviewed. The purpose of the case plan review is to ensure that intervention with a child and family is responsive to the child's needs. This includes case plans developed for children subject to intervention with parental agreement or child protection orders, but excludes support service cases. An ongoing intervention case cannot be closed until a case plan has been reviewed and closure has been recommended.
The review will be conducted in collaboration with the child, parents, service providers and other people identified as significant to the child. The participants in the review will provide the source of information for the review. The recognised entity for the child will be given the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child.
Frequency of reviews
Case plans are to be regularly reviewed. When deciding when, or how often to review the case plan, the following factors are to be taken into account:
- the child's age and developmental needs;
- the provisions of the case plan;
- any change that has a significant impact on the direction of the case plan.
As a minimum the case plan must be reviewed every six months.
Use of a family group meeting for a case plan review
When reviewing a case plan, the use of a family group meeting is not required, but may be an appropriate way of engaging people, particularly when:
- there is disagreement between family members and the department about the case plan;
- previous actions have not been completed; and
- changes to the case plan are being proposed which would significantly change the goal or outcomes.
When a family group meeting is to be held, the processes relating to holding a family group meeting will be implemented. The CSO will complete the tasks required for a review and a delegated officer will convene the family group meeting.
When a family group meeting is not to be used for the case plan review, the CSO will consider a combination of strategies to conduct the review to ensure it occurs in an inclusive and participative way, for example, meetings with the family, meetings with individuals or groups of individuals or, where necessary, telephone interviews.
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Case plan review participants
The following people must be given an opportunity to participate in the review of a case plan (Child Protection Act 1999, section 51W):
- the child (if age appropriate);
- the child's parents;
- other members of the child's family group who are considered likely to make a significant contribution to the case plan;
- other people with whom the child has a significant relationship, for example, the child's approved carer);
- any legal representative for the child;
- a member of the recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entity when the child is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child; and
- relevant service providers.
Participants in the review of the case plan may or may not have participated in the development of the case plan or in a previous case plan review.
The CSO, in consultation with the team leader, and in keeping with the principles of inclusiveness, will decide who is invited to participate in the process, including people who are within the child and family's network of support. This decision will be made by considering:
- the aim of engaging and working with those people who are connected with the child and are within the child and family's network of support (Child Protection Act 1999, section 5 and 51D);
- the need to promote and prioritise continuity of relationships for the child (Child Protection Act 1999, section 51D(e)); and
- case planning obligations.
Assessments and reassessments for a case plan review
The table below identifies when the structured decision making tools are completed as part of the case planning review process.
| SDM™ tool | Reviewing a case plan - in-home intervention | Reviewing a case plan - CPO with a case plan goal of reunification | Reviewing a case plan - CPO with a case plan goal other than reunification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child strengths and needs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Parental strengths and needs | Yes | Yes | |
| Family reunification assessment | Yes | ||
| Family risk re-evaluation | Yes* |
* If the family risk re-evaluation recommends closing the in-home case, a safety assessment must be completed prior to returning the child home. The child can only be returned home if he or she is 'safe' (where no safety plan is required) or 'conditionally safe' (where a safety plan is required).
The assessments required for the review are completed and provide information to evaluate the progress of the case plan. The assessments that may be required include:
- the child strengths and needs assessment;
- the parental strengths and needs assessment, where required;
- the family reunification assessment, when the child is living out-of-home and the goal is reunification;
- a family risk re-evaluation, when the child is living at home; and
- a safety assessment.
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Reassessing the child and parental strengths and needs enables the CSO to measure whether any progress has been made since either the case plan was developed or last reviewed. The case plan review may also be informed by professional assessments or reports received from other agencies and professionals working with the child and family. These assessments and reports may have been agreed as part of the case plan, or may be sought by the department when required to provide additional information to the case planning and review process.
The CSO will evaluate the information gathered, including whether the services being provided are able to meet the needs of the child and family.
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Key steps in the process
For a case plan review, the CSO will undertake the following steps:
- Determine who will participate.
- Gather information from the participants.
- Identify any protection needs the child may have.
- Reassess the child's strengths and needs.
- Reassess the parent/s strengths and needs.
- Complete the family risk re-evaluation tool, when the child is living at home.
- Complete the family reunification assessment tool, when the child is living out-of-home and the goal is reunification.
- Complete a safety assessment, where case closure is being considered.
- Meet with the child, family and other significant people or hold a family group meeting to evaluate the progress of the case plan.
- Following the meeting/s to review and revise the case plan:
- complete the review report in ICMS; and
- complete a new case plan for the child in ICMS.
Outcomes of a review
The review process is not completed until both the review report and a new (revised) case plan are completed in ICMS. The team leader is responsible for endorsing the revised case plan. A copy of the new case plan is given to the child (when age appropriate), the child's parents, relevant service providers and other significant people.
The review report and revised case plan must be provided to the Childrens Court when an application is made for a child protection order, including an extension of an order or for a variation or revocation of an order.
When the case plan is reviewed during the course of a proceeding before the Childrens Court (in which a child's case plan has been lodged), a copy of the review report and revised case plan must be filed with the court. The review report and revised case plan do not have to be provided to the court in any other circumstance.
Providing information to case plan participants
Participants in the case plan review must be provided with the information they need to participate in the review process which includes:
- updated information about the implementation and progress of the case plan;
- any major event in the child's life since the last case plan was developed; and
- any relevant history that directly impacts upon the review and revision of the case plan.
This information must be provided to the participants in a timely way that allows them to contribute effectively to the review.
- Last updated
- 28 April 2008
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