What ifs - responding to specific intake matters
1. What if the child protection concerns are about a child in another jurisdiction?
Alerts
When child protection concerns are received about a child and the child's whereabouts is not known, but where the family is believed to be residing in another state, territory or New Zealand (jurisdiction), an alert will be raised to notify the relevant jurisdiction. Please note that an alert can be raised in more than one jurisdiction.
To instigate an alert, complete a Request for interstate alert form and email it to DChS.interstatealert@childsafety.qld.gov.au. The alert will be sent electronically to the other jurisdiction either by the Interstate Liaison Officer (ILO), or by the CSAHSC staff if the alert is received after hours.
The notifier should be encouraged, where considered appropriate, to also contact the appropriate interstate jurisdiction directly.
Notifications
When a notification has been recorded on a child living in Queensland, but the child now lives in another jurisdiction, and the family's address in the other jurisdiction is known, a notification can be made to the other jurisdiction.
To do this, complete a Request for interstate notification form, including the child's current address in that jurisdiction, and fax it with the notification to the ILO at Court Services Unit (on (07) 3235 9851).
The ILO will forward the information to the ILO in the jurisdiction where the child now resides, and the other jurisdiction will make a decision about whether they will investigate and take action in accordance with the requirements of their legislation.
2. What if child protection concerns are received from another jurisdiction?
Alerts
Another state, territory or New Zealand (jurisdiction) may contact Child Safety Services to request that an alert be raised in Queensland, where the child's whereabouts are not known but the child and/or family is believed to be in Queensland. These requests are sent electronically by the other jurisdiction via DChS.interstatealert@childsafety.qld.gov.au and processed by either the ILO or by CSAHSC staff.
The CSAHSC manager and team leaders are responsible for ensuring that the alerts are responded to in accordance with relevant policy and procedures and, where applicable, recorded in ICMS.
Notifications
Another jurisdiction may contact Child Safety Services to request a response to a notification received in that jurisdiction, that relates to a child living at a known address in Queensland. All relevant information (details of the notification, current address, contact details, child protection history) will be forwarded by the ILO to the relevant CSSC for their consideration and response in accordance with normal intake procedures.
3. What if Centrelink is the notifier?
The 'Case Management Protocol between Commonwealth Agencies and State/Territory Welfare Authorities for Unsupported Young People' (the Youth Protocol) outlines requirements for Centrelink and the Child Safety Services, when a Centrelink employee is the notifier.
Under this agreement, a Centrelink worker who has concerns about a child is required to:
- contact Child Safety Services by telephone
- follow up with a written referral within 48 hours, using the 'Referral to State/Territory Welfare Authority' form
- assist the child to attend the local CSSC, if necessary.
Under this agreement, Child Safety Services is required to:
- advise the Centrelink worker of any action Child Safety Services intends to take and the rationale for the decision, within 48 hours of the child being referred to Child Safety Services
- where a notification is recorded, within 48 hours of the investigation and assessment outcome decision:
- advise Centrelink by telephone of the investigation and assessment outcome and any proposed actions
- complete and send the 'Advice to Centrelink' form attached to the written referral to the relevant Centrelink office.
If the decision is made that a notification will not be recorded, the CSO and Centrelink worker should jointly consider whether other support can be provided to the child. For example, the child may be eligible for special benefit payments.
For more details of the operational guidelines for the Youth Protocol, refer to the Operation of the case management protocol between commonwealth agencies and state/territory welfare authorities for unsupported young people and the provision of youth support payment policy.
4. What if there is an enquiry about becoming an approved carer?
All enquiries about becoming a foster carer or kinship carer should be referred to the statewide foster carer enquiry line on 1300 550 877.
5. What if the notifier is vexatious or malicious?
A vexatious notifier is a person who contacts Child Safety Services repeatedly with concerns about a child that are without grounds. A malicious notifier is a person whose ulterior motive for contacting Child Safety Services is ill will towards another person.
In both circumstances, concern about the best interests of the child is not the reason for the notifier's actions. It includes situations where a number of previous investigation and assessments have been unsubstantiated and the same notifier continues to contact Child Safety Services with similar concerns, which appear to meet the threshold for a notification.
If there are concerns that a notifier is acting in a vexatious or malicious manner or has previously provided false information which was recorded as a notification, refer the concerns to the team leader for further action.
For further information refer to the practice resource Vexatious or malicious notifiers.
6. What if a child needs to be moved to a safe place - section 21?
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 21, provides the authority for an authorised officer or police officer to move a child (under the age of 12) from a place, to be cared for until a parent or family member resumes care of the child. When there are no child protection concerns involved, the child is moved, the use of this power is recorded in a 'safe place movement record' in ICMS, and no further action is required.
A child must not be moved to a watch-house.
When exercising this authority, the officer must move the child, or make arrangements for another reliable person to move the child to a safe place, where they can remain until they return to the care of the parents or a family member. The officer may obtain help that is reasonable in the circumstances to move a child to a safe place. A safe place can be:
- the home of a neighbour who knows the child and parents
- the home of a relative or friend
- the child's family day care provider
- a hospital
- an approved foster placement
- a CSSC
- a police station.
As soon as practicable after a child has been moved to a safe place, the authorised officer must:
- take steps to advise at least one of the child's parents or a family member of the child's whereabouts
- provide their name, position, department and show their identity card as required by the Child Protection Act 1999, section 153
- explain their authority to move the child to a safe place under the Child Protection Act 1999, section 21, and why the authority was used
- record the use of power, including situations where the power has been exercised jointly with the QPS, in a 'safe place movement record' in ICMS.
Any child protection concerns identified while moving the child will be recorded as per normal intake procedures. If a parent is unable to be located within a reasonable timeframe, consult the team leader as further action may be required.
- Last updated
- 4 September 2009
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