Engage and partner

We engage and partner in line with the values of partnership and participation in the Framework for Practice. We build collaborative working relationships and use our authority respectfully and thoughtfully. We use our skills in the development of effective working relationships.

We work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations in line with the elements of partnership and participation in the Child Placement Principle.

Partnership:

— ensuring the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community representatives in:

• service design
• service delivery
• individual case decisions.

Participation: 

— ensuring the participation of children, parents and family members in decisions regarding the safety belonging and wellbeing of their children.

We value our partnerships with peak bodies and their members in Queensland, including:

• Create — children and young people
• Family Inclusion Network (FIN) — parents
• Queensland Foster and Kinship Care (QFKC) — carers
• PeakCare - non-government organisations delivering of child protection, out-of-home care and related services.
• Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak (QATSICPP).

In providing services to vulnerable children and families in Queensland, we work together with other government agencies to provide priority services, especially:

• Queensland Family and Child Commission
• Health
• Education
• Housing
• Justice (Office of the Public Guardian, Director of Child Protection Litigation)
• Youth Justice
• Disabilities.

In providing services to children, young people, parents and families impacted by domestic and family violence we work together with domestic and family violence services in Queensland and are guided by the Domestic and family violence services: Practice principles, standards and guidance.

To develop better outcomes for children and families, we engage collaboratively with stakeholders  including:

• SCAN teams
• Evolve
• High Risk Teams for Domestic and Family Violence.

Respond to complaints

We are committed to effectively managing complaints in an accountable, transparent, timely and fair manner. We recognise that effective complaints management is integral to good client service and take a people-focused approach when responding to complaints.

We ensure complaints are managed in a fair, efficient, consistent and culturally responsive manner and analyse information from complaints to identify opportunities to improve our working relationships with children, parents and family members, carers and community and government partners.

Staff in Child Safety Service Centres and Regional Intake Services apply the First attempt at resolution (FAAR) process when managing a person’s initial expression of dissatisfaction. Refer to Practice guide: Complaints management: First attempt at resolution.

If an expression of dissatisfaction becomes a formal complaint, the complaint is responded to in accordance with the department's complaints management policy and procedure.  If the complaint is raised directly at a local level with a staff member, they will complete the Complaint received at local level template, to ensure Child Safety has a record of the complaint. For further information refer to Compliments and complaints.