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Home > Chapters > 8. Regulation of care > 2. Assessment

2. Assessment

The purpose of the assessment of an applicant is to ensure that the care of children in out-of-home care meets the standards of care in the statement of standards, and to ensure that applicants meet suitability requirements under the Child Protection Act 1999, section 135 and the Child Protection Amendment Regulation (No.1) 2006, section 9.

During the assessment process, the assessor will gather evidence relating to the applicant's experiences and actions in other contexts, and draw conclusions as to how this will impact on their ability to provide foster care in accordance with legislative and policy requirements.

The assessment of a foster or kinship carer applicant may be undertaken by Child Safety Services, staff of foster and kinship care services or by a contracted fee-for-service professional.

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2.1 Complete pre-service training

The aim of pre-service training is to equip a foster carer applicant with the necessary skills and knowledge required, to enable them to meet the legislated statement of standards when caring for a child placed in care.

A foster carer applicant is required to complete Pre-service training which consists of four modules, each of three hours duration, which may be undertaken prior to, or following, the lodgement of an application. If feasible, pre-service training occurs over a four week period, however, the content of the modules may be delivered in a range of flexible ways, including one-to-one in the applicant's home, if necessary.

For more information, refer to the Procedures and guidelines for Quality Care: Foster Care Training.

A kinship carer applicant's participation in pre-service training is optional, however, where appropriate the applicant is to be encouraged to participate in Quality Care training sessions, to assist them in meeting their support and learning needs. In addition, support the orientation of a kinship carer by using relevant Carer information sheets and the Carer handbook.

Note: Where the partner of a foster carer applicant is genuinely unable to participate in pre-service training due to the nature and location of their employment, for example, those employed by the defence forces or mining industry and working interstate or overseas, both applicants may be granted approval, with the condition (recorded on the certificate of approval) that the applicable partner completes pre-service training when their circumstances change. In exceptional circumstances, the CSSC manager may waive the requirement for pre-service training entirely.

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2.2 Facilitate personal history checks

The purpose of undertaking personal history checks is to ensure that people who will have regular and ongoing contact or involvement with a child placed in an approved carer's home do not pose a risk to the safety of a child.

All applicants applying for approval, or renewal of approval, and all adult members of their household, must be subject to personal history checks. This includes adults joining a household after an application is lodged.

Prior to issuing a certificate of approval to an individual who wishes to be approved as a foster or kinship carer or provisionally approved carer, the chief executive must be satisfied that the individual is a suitable person.

The outcome of personal history checks is one aspect of determining overall suitability and a decision by the CSU that the application for approval is to be progressed, does not mean that the applicant will be granted approval based on overall suitability requirements.

Personal history checks incorporate applications to the CCYPCG for a blue card and personal history checks undertaken by the CSU. Personal history checks undertaken by the CSU include:

In addition, the CSU conducts child protection history checks on any children residing in the household of the applicant. This will include any other children who meet the definition of 'household member', Child Protection Act 1999, schedule 3. The CSU does not undertake international child protection history checks on children.

For further information about the role of the CSU and the conduct of personal history checks, refer to the practice resource Understanding personal history checks.

Request personal history checks

Personal history checks on the applicant and adult household members will not be commenced until an application is 'properly made' and all necessary documentation has been forwarded to the CSU.  Once the application is 'properly made', post the following documentation to the CSU as a matter of priority:

Note: The conduct of personal history checks should not delay the commencement of the assessment of the application.

If there is a need to undertake urgent or after hours personal history checks, refer to 1. What if the applicant requires provisional approval?

Request domestic violence and traffic history checks

Traffic and domestic violence history checks will only be conducted:

Conduct personal history checks on new adult household members

Once the 'APA form' has been lodged by the applicant, any adult intending to join the household, prior to joining the household, will need to:

Immediately forward the 'New adult household member' form, 'blue card application' or 'blue card validation' form and associated identification documents, where available, to the CSU so that personal history checks will be conducted.

Interstate and international personal history checks

For all applicants or adult household members who have resided interstate or in New Zealand for six months or more, in the five years prior to the application:

The CSSC manager also has the discretion to request interstate or overseas checks where the applicant or an adult household member resided interstate or overseas six or more years ago.

International child protection checks will be facilitated by the CSU and undertaken by International Social Services (ISS). The CSSC manager has the discretion to proceed with the application without this information, or to decide that a full assessment is unable to be undertaken without the completion of international checks.

Decision-making based on personal history check outcomes

The CSU manager has the delegation to decide that either an applicant is not suitable, or that the assessment of the application is to be progressed, based on the outcomes of personal history checks.

The issuing of a certificate of approval must not occur until the CSU has advised the CSSC of the outcome of the personal history checks for all persons included on the APA form, unless a zonal director has granted an applicant provisional approval prior to the CSU finalising personal history checks. Refer to 1. What if the applicant requires provisional approval?

Application for approval is to be progressed

Where the CSU manager determines that the outcome of the personal history checks does not indicate that the applicant or adult household members are unsuitable, the CSU will advise the CSSC, and the application will be progressed.

Not suitable based on personal history

Where the CSU manager determines that the applicant is not a suitable person based on the applicant's or adult household members' personal history checks, the CSU manager will:

In this circumstance, it is the responsibility of the CSSC to:

Where a child has been placed with a provisionally approved carer prior to personal history check results being provided by the CSU, and the CSU then determines that the applicant or adult household members are not suitable, immediately remove the child and cancel the Certificate of Approval (Provisionally approved carer) in accordance with 11. What if a provisionally approved carer's certificate of approval requires amendment, suspension or cancellation?

Impacts of a failure to obtain a blue card

If the applicant or an adult household member is denied a blue card by the CCYPCG, this is referred to as a disqualifying event (Child Protection Act 1999, section 140AB). In this circumstance, it is the responsibility of the CCYPCG to advise the persons affected about the decision and the processes for review.

If the applicant or an adult household member is given a negative prescribed notice by the CCYPCG, and the affected individual intends to appeal the decision, the CSSC manager may temporarily suspend any further assessment of the application for approval, until the outcome of any review process under the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 is known. The application for approval must be refused if:

Change in carer circumstances

When a completed Change in carer circumstances form is received by the CSSC, forward a copy of this form, unless it relates to the carer's health or employment status, to the CSU so that any relevant changes, for example, a change in the address of a blue card holder, or a change in household membership, can be noted and where applicable, personal history checks undertaken.

For further information about changes to be brought to the attention of Child Safety Services by an approved carer, refer to 2. What if there is a change in carer circumstances?

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2.3 Conduct assessment interviews

The focus of the assessment interviews is the applicant's demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as the applicant's ability to reflect on how their experiences, views and behaviour may impact on their ability to provide care for children in care, or for a kinship carer, a specific child.

The interview process should be interactive, with observations and reflections being shared with the applicant. The applicant is also to be provided with sources of information and support, such as referrals to other agencies, including Foster Care Queensland and where applicable, foster and kinship care services.

An applicant living in a spousal relationship must be jointly assessed and if approved, issued a joint certificate of approval.

Note: where the partner of a foster or kinship carer applicant is genuinely unavailable to be assessed and approved, along with their spouse, due to the nature and location of their employment, for example, those employed by the defence forces or mining industry and working interstate or overseas, refer to 5. What if one spouse is unavailable to participate in the assessment and approval process?

Foster carer applicants

A foster carer is approved to care for any child in the care of Child Safety Services and only requires one certificate of approval, regardless of the number of children in the placement. The assessment interviews for a foster carer applicant will consist of:

At least one assessment interview must be held in the applicant's home.

If possible, schedule interviews no less than two weeks apart, to afford the applicant the benefit of time for reflection, time to fully explore issues as they are raised and an opportunity to learn more about fostering during the assessment period. Where the two week timeframe between interviews is not possible, particularly in rural and remote areas, the timeframe may be shortened.

Prior to conducting assessment interviews:

Assessment interviews may also involve adult children residing away from home.

During assessment interviews, include discussions with the applicant about the information and recommendations to be included in the final assessment report.

For specific information about the legislative requirements for approval, and the factors to consider and discuss during assessment interviews with a foster carer applicant in relation to each assessment domain, refer to the Form 3A - Guidelines for completing assessment report - Initial approval only, and the practice paper Assessment of foster carer applicants. The guidelines also refer to a range of ‘Interview resources’ that are accessible in the resource list at the end of this chapter.

Kinship carer applicants

A kinship carer may be a relative or another person of significance to the child. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, a kinship carer may include another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander who is a member of, or compatible with, the child's community or language group.

A kinship carer is approved to provide care for a specific child for a time-limited period.

The assessment framework for a kinship carer applicant is less structured, due to the family connection that already exists between the kinship carer applicant, the child and the child's parents. Kinship care aims to maintain the child's relationships with parents, siblings, extended family, community and culture, in a manner which best serves the welfare and interests of the child.

Assessment interviews with a kinship carer applicant may occur in a more flexible manner and would usually involve two assessment interviews, to assess the applicant's:

At a minimum, at least one interview will occur with each kinship carer applicant, although this may be a joint interview, and where practicable, other members of the household should be encouraged to participate in interview discussions. More interviews may be required for complex or sensitive kinship carer assessments.

When a sibling group is to be placed with a proposed kinship carer at the same time, conduct one assessment process, which takes into account the applicant's ability to meet the needs of each individual child. If approved, a certificate of approval will be issued for each child. Future placements involving additional siblings will require a new kinship carer assessment, drawing on the previous assessment information.

For specific information about factors to consider and discuss during assessment interviews with a kinship carer applicant, refer to the practice resources Legislative requirements for the approval of kinship carers and Assessment of kinship carer applicants.

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2.4 Conduct referee checks, if applicable

The purpose of conducting a referee check is to obtain a character reference about an applicant. The referee check provides general information about an applicant's parenting practices and values, and the nature of their relationship with their own children.

The conduct of referee checks is discretionary and may occur at any point throughout the assessment process based on information available to the person undertaking the assessment, or at the request of the CSSC manager. The CSSC manager makes the decision to conduct referee checks however the check itself is conducted by the person undertaking the assessment. Referee checks are to be conducted by phone wherever possible, at the earliest possible time.

Referee checks should be considered in circumstances where:

Consider the following persons as potential referees:

To conduct a referee check:

Where the referee check cannot be undertaken by phone, complete the Letter to referee, attach the 'Referee questionnaire for carer applicants' and post the information to the referee, along with a reply paid envelope.

Where the nominated referee declines to provide a reference for the applicant, given that any concerns they raise will be discussed with the applicant, ask if they are willing to provide a reason for their decision. This may provide useful information for the assessment, as well as guide the referee check process.

When a nominated referee declines to respond, ask the applicant to nominate an alternative referee.

When assessing information obtained from the referee, consider:

Discuss any concerns raised by the referee with the applicant and where necessary, seek further clarifying information from the referee, or another referee.

Record the rationale for conducting the referee check and the outcome in the relevant section of the:

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2.5 Conduct medical checks, if applicable

The conduct of medical checks is discretionary. The CSSC manager may decide that an applicant requires a medical check at any stage of the assessment process.

The purpose of conducting a medical check is to ensure that any physical or mental health issue for the applicant will not prevent them from fulfilling their responsibilities as an approved carer, and would not significantly impact on any child to be placed with them should they be approved.

Information obtained during assessment interviews, as well as the completed Carer applicant health and wellbeing questionnaire, provided by the applicant upon application (refer to 1.6 Lodge the application), will inform the decision as to whether a medical check is necessary. Sufficient information must be gathered about the nature and potential impact of the medical condition, to enable an informed approval decision to be made.

Conduct the medical check

To conduct a medical check:

Should additional costs be incurred by the applicant, Child Safety Services may reimburse the cost under account code 51020 - Medical/Dental - General.

If an applicant has provided written consent to the doctor for release of medical records, the doctor will not be liable for any breach of confidentiality. The signed consent however does not compel a doctor to release records or speak about the client. If a doctor is not co-operating in relation to such a request, it is the applicant's responsibility to request that the doctor releases information on their behalf, for the purposes of the assessment.

Where consent has been given by the applicant on the 'Carer applicant health and wellbeing questionnaire', provide a copy of medical check results to the foster and kinship carer service, or fee-for-service professional.

Ensure that the original, completed doctor's report is retained on the applicant's file.

Following the medical check

Once the medical check has been completed:

Child Safety Services may reimburse the costs associated with any additional assessments or pay for any consultants contracted, under account code 51020 - Medical/Dental - General.

A plan for managing medical conditions may not be appropriate when a carer applicant has an infectious or communicable disease, such as HIV or Hepatitis C, and risk of transmission is identified and may be grounds for refusal of the application.

Infection control processes must observe the principles of Information Standard No 42 - Information Privacy. Complaints regarding breaches of the standard must be dealt with through the complaints procedure outlined in the Child Safety Services' Information privacy statement.

Record the outcome of the medical check in the relevant section of the:

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2.6 Assess the application for approval

The assessment of foster and kinship carer applicants is a process of collecting information about the applicant's abilities and potential to provide foster or kinship care and formulate a recommendation about their suitability.

To assess and approve an applicant requiring provisional approval, refer to 1. What if the applicant requires provisional approval?

To assess the application and determine whether the applicant meets all suitability requirements, consider all information obtained during the assessment process, taking into account:

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2.7 Complete the assessment report

Once all the assessment activities have been undertaken, complete:

These assessment reports are intended to be a brief summary of all the information gathered and assessed, as outlined in 2.6 Assess the application for approval, including:

When considering the inclusion of conditions on a certificate of approval for a foster carer applicant, in the first instance, determine whether the condition can be included in the Foster Carer Agreement (refer to 4.2 Complete a Foster Carer Agreement). If conditions should change, a 'Foster Carer Agreement' can be updated without difficulty, whereas changing conditions on a certificate of approval is a more complex process and will require an amendment to the certificate.

Prior to finalising either the 'Form 3A' or the 'Kinship carer assessment report':

Once the 'Form 3A' or 'Kinship carer assessment report' is finalised:

Do not provide the applicant with a copy of the 'Form 4: Approval decision'.

File copies of all interview records, reports, handouts and self-assessments on the applicant's paper file.

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Last updated
21 September 2009