6. Intervention with parental agreement
Purpose
An intervention with parental agreement case enables Child Safety Services to provide support and assistance to a child and family in circumstances where all of the following apply:
- the child is in need of protection
- the parents are able and willing to work actively with Child Safety Services to reduce the level of risk in the home
- a child protection order is not appropriate
- it is assessed that the child is safe to remain at home for all, or most of the intervention
- it is likely that the parents will be able to meet the protection and care needs of the child once the intervention is completed.
Intervention with parental agreement aims to build the capacity of the family so that following the intervention they are able to meet the child’s protection and care needs.
Intervention with parental agreement is one type of ongoing intervention. It is generally of a short-term and intensive nature, and it is usual for the child to remain at home for all, or most of, the intervention period. The willingness of the parents to work with Child Safety Services to address the child protection concerns does not lessen Child Safety Services' responsibility to meet the child’s protection and care needs, and Child Safety Services will undertake work with the family, as well as refer to appropriate services to address the child protection needs in a timely way.
Key steps
- Provide intervention with parental agreement
- Review an intervention with parental agreement case
- Place a child using a child protection care agreement
- Close an intervention with parental agreement case
What ifs - responding to specific intervention with parental agreement matters
Standards
- The level of risk to the child is such that the child is able to remain safely at home with their parents for the majority of the intervention, while the safety and risk issues are being addressed.
- The parents are assessed as both able and willing to work cooperatively with Child Safety Services to meet the child’s protection and care needs.
- The level of risk in the home is constantly monitored and assessed to ensure the ongoing appropriateness of the intervention.
- Where required, the child is placed in a short-term placement, using a child protection care agreement.
- Case plans are reviewed regularly and at a minimum, every six months.
Practice skills (key areas for reflection)
- Have I engaged effectively with the child and family and enabled them to actively participate in decision-making?
- Have I engaged appropriate service providers to work with the family and progress the case plan goal, outcomes and actions?
- Has my face-to-face contact with the child and parents been meaningful, purposeful and goal-directed?
- Have I actively engaged with the child, family and service providers in order to ensure the child is not at risk of immediate harm?
- Have I assessed the progress of the family’s ability and commitment to address the child protection concerns?
- Have I assessed whether intervention with parental agreement is still the most appropriate form of intervention to ensure the child’s ongoing safety?
Authority
- Child Protection Act 1999, section 5, 6, 10, 11, 14, 21A, 51A-51Y, 51Z-51ZI
- Family Law Act 1975
- Policy No. 597-1: Child Related Costs - Carer Support
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Policy No. 598-2: Child Related Costs - Client Support and Family Contact - Policy No. 599-1: Child Related Costs - Education Support
- Policy No. 596-1: Child Related Costs - Medical
- Policy No. 600-1: Child Related Costs - Outfitting
- Policy No. 595-1: Child Related Costs - Travel
- Policy No. 365-4: Expenses - Fortnightly Caring Allowance and Inter-state foster payments
- Last updated
- 24 August 2009
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