4. Provide information to another CSSC or other agencies
4.1 Transfer intake information to another CSSC
CCRs and notifications are able to be accessed statewide in ICMS and do not need to be electronically transferred to another CSSC.
When a CCR or a notification is recorded for a subject child who resides in another geographical area:
- immediately advise the CSSC where the subject child resides of the details recorded, and
- have the team leader reassign the investigation and assessment event for a notification in ICMS, to the pending allocation tray of the appropriate CSSC.
4.2 Inform the police of possible criminal offences
If any information received at intake involves allegations of harm that may have involved the commission of a criminal offence relating to the child, the information must immediately be provided to the QPS (Child Protection Act 1999, section 14(2)), as well as being recorded in ICMS. Refer to the practice resource Schedule of criminal offences for further information. For further information refer to Chapter 10.3 Statutory obligation to notify the Queensland Police Service of possible criminal offences.
Where a medical practitioner confirms that a child under 16 years has a sexually transmitted disease or is pregnant, the information must immediately be provided to the QPS, and consideration will also be given to recording a notification on the child, where the information meets the threshold for a notification.
To provide information to the QPS:
- complete a Police Referral Fax and send it, along with relevant attachments, to the officer in charge of the nearest:
- Child Safety and Sexual Crimes Group (for Brisbane metropolitan CSSCs), or
- Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU), or
- Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), or
- police station
- contact the QPS by telephone to ensure they have received the information, discuss any possible action required and record the police job number or the name of the person contacted.
In cases where there is uncertainty about the need to report a matter to the QPS, the matter will be reported to the QPS for their determination.
4.3 Inform the police when a child is harmed by a person living outside the home
Child Safety Services does not automatically investigate and assess harm or risk of harm to a child if the alleged person responsible lives outside the child's home (extra-familial abuse). The focus of the decision is on the information available to Child Safety Services about the ability and willingness of the parents to act protectively towards the child.
When making a determination about the ability and willingness of the parents to act protectively towards the child, the following questions need to be considered:
- Are the parents aware of the harm or risk of harm?
- What is the parents protective capacity?
- What is the parents response to the child, have they rejected the child or are they refusing to take action to ensure the child's safety?
- Do the parents support the child, believe the child or blame the child for the abuse?
- Do the parents have an ongoing relationship with the alleged offender or person responsible, that will affect their ability to protect the child?
- Are the parents willing to protect the child, but not able to do so, due to factors impacting on their capacity to respond, for example, due to addiction or psychiatric illness, disability or fear of the alleged person responsible?
- Are the parents willing to protect the child, but not able to do so because of parent/adolescent conflict?
- Are the parents willing to protect the child, but not able to do so because of existing Family Court of Australia parenting orders?
The QPS is responsible for investigating any criminal offence, for example, any form of serious neglect or assault, kidnapping or sexual exploitation. Where the information received by Child Safety Services contains allegations of harm that may have involved the commission of a criminal offence relating to the child, regardless of who is allegedly responsible for the harm, the information must be provided immediately to the QPS, using a 'Police Referral Fax' and include any relevant attachments (Child Protection Act 1999, section 14(2)).
The information provided to the QPS will then be recorded in ICMS as a general enquiry, CCR or notification, depending on the nature of the concerns. The QPS will re-contact Child Safety Services if they believe there are ongoing concerns for the child's safety within the home.
4.4 Provide feedback to government and non-government agencies notifiers
Child Safety Services must provide notifiers from government or non-government agencies with information about the response to the child protection concerns provided (Child Protection Act 1999, section 159M). The notifier is to be asked whether they require feedback at the time of the initial contact with Child Safety Services.
This feedback may assist the agency to identify and action any plan for the support or safety of the child and family, and recognises that government and non-government agencies provide a range of services to children and their families, which may be disrupted or affected by Child Safety Services' intervention, particularly if the intervention results in a child being removed from their family. This includes where the notifier is another professional working with the family of an unborn child.
If the notifier requests feedback:
- provide information about the response, the rationale for the decision and the likely timeframes for any contact with the child or family
- provide the feedback either at the time of the initial contact by the notifier, if the response is apparent, or by a follow up phone call, facsimile, email or letter, once the information has been screened and the response has been determined.
The information must be provided as soon as possible when:
- it is assessed that the information is critical to the notifying agency
- a safety issue is identified.
If Child Safety Services becomes aware of any safety issues for the notifier at any stage, for example, if a parent makes a threat about a suspected notifier, this information must be provided to the notifier as soon as possible.
- Last updated
- 18 September 2009
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