2. Assess the information and decide the response
2.1 Consult with the recognised entity
Ensuring we have relevant cultural knowledge is vital to ensuring that Child Safety Services responds appropriately to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 6, requires Child Safety Services to provide the recognised entity with the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process for all significant decisions for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, and consult with them on all other decisions.
When information is received about an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, contact with a recognised entity should occur prior to the decision being made about the response, and is to occur in keeping with any established local protocols. Where there is no local recognised entity available, contact another recognised entity within the zone.
The recording of a notification is a 'significant decision' (Child Protection Act 1999, section 6) for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child. When a notification is the likely Child Safety Services' response:
- provide the recognised entity with an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, and
- record the information about the involvement and views of the recognised entity in the 'recognised entity participation' form in ICMS.
If no contact is possible with a recognised entity, consult with an elder within the community, if possible and record the information in a case note in the intake event.
It is also a policy requirement for the recognised entity to be given the opportunity to participate in the decision-making about whether to record the notification for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander unborn child.
Efforts to contact a recognised entity are not to delay the timeframes for recording or responding to a notification.
For further information, refer to the practice paper Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Where the cultural identity of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander subject child is not known at the time of recording the notification, a recognised entity must be contacted as soon as the cultural identity is established, to discuss the decision-making processes that have already occurred, and prior to any further decision-making.
2.2 Complete the screening criteria
The consistency of response to child protection concerns received is dependant on the use of professional judgement and a thorough knowledge and understanding of the definitions of the screening criteria and the response priority assessments.
Completion of the screening criteria assists the decision about whether the child protection concerns will be recorded as a CCR or meet the threshold for recording a notification. The screening criteria is not used for matters of concern.
The screening criteria includes an over arching definition for neglect, physical harm, sexual abuse and emotional harm. It also includes screening criteria within these abuse and harm types and a separate screening criteria for unborn children. Professional judgement must always be used in the analysis of all known information and the decision-making process.
One screening criteria is completed for each household where harm has been reported. The screening criteria and definitions focus on the child's experience of the alleged harm, rather than on the parental behaviour or the environment that may impact on the child's safety.
To complete the screening criteria assessment:
- determine whether the concerns meet any of the overarching definitions for each alleged harm or abuse type and consult with the team leader as required
- use the information gathered and the screening criteria definitions to select all applicable screening criteria within each identified abuse or harm type - refer to SDM: Screening criteria
- for an unborn child, consider any previous history, the current circumstances and behaviour of the parents and the risk factors for the child once they are born
- consider the cultural context for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
For further assistance in completing the screening criteria, refer to the risk and protective factors as outlined in the Practice guide: The assessment of harm and risk of harm and the practice paper Child sexual abuse.
If no screening criteria are selected, the matter is 'screened out', and the concerns are recorded as a CCR and submitted to the team leader for approval.
If one or more screening criteria are selected, the matter is 'screened in', and the response priority is completed.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
If the concerns relate to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, in addition to giving the recognised entity an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, the specific cultural considerations incorporated within the screening criteria definitions are to be taken into account. In addition, consideration needs to be given to the different child rearing practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, which include:
- earlier independence of children
- children taking responsibility at an earlier age
- cultural authority within kinship/clan groups
- cultural responsibility among the extended family and community (passing on of knowledge or skills).
2.3 Complete the response priority
Completion of the response priority assists with the decision about how soon Child Safety Services must respond to a notification (or additional notified concerns).
The response priority is completed whenever concerns have been 'screened in' and a notification or additional notified concerns are to be recorded. The response priority guides consideration of the child protection concerns, the child’s need for immediate safety and the likelihood of harm occurring to the child in the near future and recommends a response timeframe for commencing the investigation and assessment. The response priority is not used for matters of concern.
The recommended response timeframe will be one of the following:
- 24 hours
- 5 days
- 10 days
- 5 or 10 days for an unborn child notification - five days where the unborn child is likely to be born within five days of the receipt of the notification, ten days where they are not.
One response priority is completed for each household. To complete the response priority:
- work through the series of questions in section 1 that relate to each of the abuse or harm types selected in the screening criteria, until a recommended response timeframe is reached for each abuse or harm type
- for an unborn child, identify the likely date of delivery
- refer to the response priority definitions in SDM: Response priority and consult with the team leader as required
- where there is uncertainty about the appropriate response, respond to each question in the most protective way
- where more than one timeframe indicated, the recommended response timeframe is always the shortest timeframe
- complete section 2 by determining whether a policy or a discretionary override is appropriate and seek team leader approval if an override is required (see below)
- where a discretionary override is used to either increase or decrease the response timeframe, document a clear rationale for its use
- record a policy override to 24 hours if the circumstances meet one of the two mandatory circumstances (see below)
- submit the completed form to be approved by the team leader.
Discretionary override
A discretionary override is optional and is only to be used in unique circumstances, which are not already captured within the response priority questions and definitions. For example, if there are concerns that physical evidence may be lost if a response is delayed or when the child is known to be in a safe environment (out of the home).
Policy override
There are two policy overrides, which are mandatory when one of the following two identified conditions exist:
- the family is likely to move to avoid investigation and there has been a previous 24 hour priority notification which has not been investigated and assessed
- the current notification involves a parent who has previously caused the death of, or serious injury to, a child due to abuse or neglect.
When this override is selected, a 5 or 10 day response is changed to a 24 hour response.
2.4 Use your professional judgement
Professional judgement draws on the professional knowledge of the worker, which is based on their theoretical, research and procedural knowledge and their practice and personal experiences.
At intake, use the practice framework and professional judgement to critically analyse the available information and decide the appropriate response. The workers professional judgement is supported by the completion of the structured decision making assessments, which aim to ensure the consistent gathering and consideration of relevant risk factors when determining whether a matter meets the threshold for a notification.
Threshold for recording a notification
The threshold for recording a notification requires that there is an allegation of harm or risk of harm to a child, and a reasonable suspicion that the child is in need of protection (Child Protection Act 1999, section 14). Harm in this context, refers to any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child's physical, psychological or emotional well-being (Child Protection Act 1999, section 9(1)(3)).
Where there is discrepancy between the outcome of the screening criteria and the workers assessment, consultation with the team leader is required.
2.5 Consult with the team leader
Team leaders are the delegated officer for approving the decision about Child Safety Services' response to information received from notifiers. Consultation with a team leader is a key component of gathering and assessing information at intake, and should occur at any stage of the intake process and whenever they are required to approve an intake decision.
2.6 Decide the response
Response options
Based on an assessment of available information about a child or unborn child, use of professional judgement and completion of the screening criteria, the response by Child Safety Services will be recorded as either:
- a child concer report (CCR)
- a notification
- additional notified concerns.
Child concern report
A CCR is the appropriate response when:
- child protection concerns are received about a child, or an unborn child after he or she is born, that do not meet the threshold for a notification, that is the child or unborn child is not reasonably suspected to be in need of protection, or in need of protection after birth
- there is alleged risk of harm to an unborn child prior to, or during, the birth process, but there is no identified risk to the child after birth
- the child protection concerns do not meet the threshold for a notification, but involve a possible criminal offence in relation to a child that must be reported to the QPS (Child Protection Act 1999, section 14(2)).
In all cases, the notifier is to be encouraged to re-contact Child Safety Services if they have further concerns about the child in the future.
There are three responses to a CCR:
- Information and advice
- Referral to another agency
- Information provision to the police or another state authority.
These are short-term responses that will not require ongoing action by Child Safety Services and contact will not be initiated with any person other than the notifier. The focus of any action taken for a CCR is to support children and families, for example, Child Safety Services may make a referral to a family support service, if the notifier is a child or family member.
If the notifier is not an immediate family member, they may be able to make contact with another agency and facilitate an appropriate referral for the child or family, or support the child or family to make contact with Child Safety Services for assistance.
Where the information received relates to a possible criminal offence in relation to a child, refer to 4.2 Inform the police of possible criminal offences. Where the information received relates to child protection concerns for a child who lives interstate, refer to 1. What if the child protection concerns are about a child in another jurisdiction? In both circumstances, encourage the notifier to contact the QPS or the appropriate interstate jurisdiction.
For further information refer to the practice resource Child concern report responses and referrals.
All actions taken should be recorded in the intake event. An ICMS event with a CCR response should not remain open and is to be approved by the team leader within five working days. Any subsequent concerns received are recorded in a new intake event.
Referral for active intervention services
RAI services are early intervention and preventative services providing intensive family support for unborn children, children aged 0-10 years and their families. When a CCR is recorded a referral to a RAI service should be considered if there has been contact with the family, where the family meet the referral criteria and it is considered an appropriate action. An RAI Referral must be completed on the RAI information system for all referrals.
For more information about RAI and available services, refer to Chapter 10.5 Referral for active intervention services.
Notification
A notification is the appropriate response when:
- it is reasonably suspected that a child is in need of protection or an unborn child will be in need of protection after birth (Child Protection Act 1999, section 10)
- the child protection information meets the legislative threshold of harm or risk of harm (Child Protection Act 1999, section 9).
Harm in this context, refers to any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child's physical, psychological or emotional well-being (Child Protection Act 1999, section 9(1)(3)).
A notification records the key child protection concerns received from the notifier, including any direct information about the alleged harm or risk of harm to the child or unborn child. When concerns are received about specific children, and there are other children in the home, based on the information received and the child protection history of the family, a decision is required about whether any of the other children may also have been harmed or be at risk of harm and need to be recorded as a subject child and assessed as part of the investigation and assessment.
A notification with a 24 hour response timeframe is to be approved by the team leader within the 24 hours. A notification with either a 5 or 10 day response timeframe, is to be approved in ICMS by a team leader within five working days. The approval of the notification will not delay the commencement of the investigation and assessment.
Each notification will only ever have one related investigation and assessment. One notification will be recorded when:
- the child protection concerns relate to one particular household only
- all subject children reside, either full-time or part-time in the home, including where one or more families are residing together.
In the following circumstances more than one notification may need to be recorded:
- where there is shared custody or care of children in more than one household, and there is concern that there is harm or risk of harm occurring in both households
- where a child who does not normally reside in a household is harmed along with other children who do reside in that household, a second notification is recorded if the child's parents were aware of the risks to their child and were not able and willing to act protectively, for example, a sleep over.
This decision will occur on a case by case basis at the discretion of the team leader. If more than one notification is recorded, each individual household must have an investigation and assessment completed, assessing the risk and protective factors in that home. If the matter relates to extra familial abuse, the matter must be referred immediately to the QPS, using the Police Referral Fax, regardless of the response by Child Safety Services (Child Protection Act 1999, section 14 (2)).
Notifications on an unborn child
In addition to the general intake process, the following information guides the recording of a notification on an unborn child:
- child protection concerns received for an unborn child can only be recorded as a notification if it is reasonably suspected that the unborn child will be in need of protection after birth
- an unborn child may be reasonably suspected to be in need of protection after birth when:
- the parents current behaviour or circumstances, if they were to persist, would place the child at risk of physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or neglect after birth
- or changes to the parents circumstances after the child is born, that are considered likely, would place the child at risk of physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or neglect
- an unborn child and other (living) subject children can be recorded in the one notification - when this occurs record the notification category as 'unborn'
- the gestation period of the woman's pregnancy will have no impact upon the decision to record a notification in relation to an unborn child or to undertake an investigation and assessment within the assigned response timeframe
- a notification is not recorded when the risk relates solely to the unborn child being harmed before or during the birth, including circumstances when a woman chooses, even after receiving medical advice, to take action that is likely to result in death or disability to the foetus
- a notification will be recorded in circumstances where a pregnant woman receives medical advice that the unborn child will require paediatric care immediately after birth, and has stated an intention to ignore the medical advice.
Additional notified concerns
Additional notified concerns are only recorded when child protection concerns are received from a notifier and there is already a notification that has not yet been approved or an open investigation and assessment event in ICMS for the child, unborn child or family. Some exceptions are outlined below.
Additional notified concerns forms are not to be recorded in an intake event with a CCR response.
When additional notified concerns are recorded:
- record the concerns in an 'Additional Notified Concerns' form in ICMS, which includes a screening criteria, and where applicable, response priority assessments
- respond to the new concerns within the recorded response priority timeframe (this may be a shorter timeframe than the original response timeframe)
- approve the 'Additional Notified Concerns' form (team leader) in ICMS prior to transferring an investigation and assessment to another CSSC, where applicable.
There is no limit to the number of additional notified concerns that may be recorded.
Exceptions to the recording of additional notified concerns
The recording of additional notified concerns is based around an individual household, and is not to occur in the following circumstances:
- when there is an unapproved notification or open investigation and assessment for a child in the parents care and new concerns are received about the child in the care of an approved carer (matter of concern)
- when there are two matters of concern that relate to two different approved carers, who have both had the child in their care.
The team leader will decide whether to override the requirement for the use of additional notified concerns and create a new second notification:
- when a child who is subject to an open investigation and assessment case while living in one household, moves to live in another household with a different parent or carer and further child protection concerns are received about harm or risk of harm in the new household
- when an investigation and assessment on a family has been completed, and awaiting write-up or 'approval' and the family permanently moves to another geographical area.
Prior to making this the decision, the team leader will consider the contextual factors of the case, or contact a team leader from the relevant CSSC, where the existing investigation and assessment is not in their CSSC.
- Last updated
- 18 September 2009
Other languages