Principles

Our role is to assess, plan, and work with parents, families, communities and carers to build safety, belonging and wellbeing. We do this best when children have a say in the decisions that affect them. 

All aspects of our work are guided by:

• the values, principles, knowledge and skills outlined in the Strengthening families Protecting children Framework for practice
• our commitment to the five elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, and
• our commitment to applying the Safe and Together model to partner with domestic and family violence survivors and intervene with domestic and family violence perpetrators.

Focusing on relational, physical and legal permanency, we work to ensure safety at home (where possible). Our decisions are aligned with the Child Protection Act 1999 and its main principle, which is that ‘the safety, wellbeing and best interests of a child, both through childhood and for the rest of the child’s life, are paramount’.

Strengthening families Protecting children Framework for practice

Supporting documents

The Foundational elements document integrates Child Safety’s best hopes and vision for children, young people and families, together with key values, principles, knowledge and practice skills. 

The Practice tools and processes document summarises creative tools, skills and processes required to engage with a child and family while maintaining a sharp focus on a child’s safety, belonging and wellbeing. 

The Collaborative assessment and planning framework booklet outlines the different parts of the Collaborative assessment and planning framework and associated tools, and guides staff in how to use it when working with families.

Safety and support networks 

Safety and support networks and high intensity responses is another key component of the framework for practice. The development of a safety and support network is undertaken in partnership with children, young people and families to increase safety and strengthen supports. Networks assist in developing and implementing immediate safety plans and ongoing safety and support plans. The high intensity response component has been added to acknowledge that a more intensive, seamless, wraparound safety and support plan is required during periods of increased risk and complexity. 

Engagement tools 

Tools associated with the framework for practice aim to increase the engagement, assessment, planning and process skills of workers. These tools include: 

• The Collaborative assessment and planning framework is used in partnership with children, young people, their family and networks to undertake a balanced and comprehensive assessment of harm, risk and safety, and collaboratively identify goals and action steps to build future safety, belonging and wellbeing for a child.
• The Three Houses Tool - a process to involve children, young people and their families in assessment and planning. 
• The Safety House Tool - a process for engaging children and young people in safety planning. 
• Circles of Safety and Support Tool - a process to help parents identify people for their family’s safety and support network. 
• The Future House - a process to support parents and caregivers to identify their vision and goals for children’s future safety, belonging and wellbeing.
• The Family Roadmap - a process to elicit the views of family members for detailed planning 
• The Immediate Story - a process to help children understand child protection interventions. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle

Child Safety must apply the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle to the standard of active efforts (timely, thorough, purposeful), when making a significant decision about an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child (Child Protection Act 1999, section 5F).

This means doing everything that can be done, as soon as possible, to keep the child connected to their family, culture and community.

For more information, refer to the website Making active efforts.

The aims of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle are:

• to keep Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children connected to their family, community, culture and country recognition and protection of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, family members and communities in child welfare matters
• self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in child welfare matters
• reduction in the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system.

Structured Decision Making®

Structured decision making (SDM) assists practitioners to work with and focus resources on families, in an effort to reduce the incidence of subsequent harm and neglect. The SDM assessments are used to support the consistency of critical decision-making and the services provided. 

In Queensland, 3 SDM assessments are used. Each assessment structures the analysis of critical case factors at key decision-making points. Different assessments are used for different decision points as there are distinct issues to be addressed at each stage of child protection intervention. The assessments are not intended to make decisions for practitioners, they help structure decisions by bringing objective information to bear on the critical questions to be answered.

Each SDM assessment tool is based on research or evidence and addresses a specific practice question, to assist practitioners to reach a decision. The assessments are not completed in isolation. Using the SDM tools requires critical thinking and judgement to recognise unique circumstances for a child and family that are not captured within an SDM assessment. The use of professional judgement is critical. 

In integrating professional judgement with the SDM model, practitioners can consider the factors outlined below:

• SDM assessments guide decision-making—they do not make decisions.
• SDM assessments are more than a procedural requirement—they are designed to assist practitioners during the assessment and decision-making process, by providing a formal and consistent method to process or synthesise information relevant to a case. 
• When providing a rationale for decisions made, factors that lead to a decision are to be identified and recorded. Practitioners can then indicate whether a SDM assessment outcome supports the decision made.
• SDM assessments can only be completed appropriately if professional knowledge, skills and values are utilised.
• Practitioners may utilise and integrate a range of professional knowledge sources when making decisions, including the SDM model. Forms of professional knowledge can include theory, research, organisational and personal knowledge and practice experience.
• Practitioners are required to understand and apply a range of theories to inform their use of SDM assessments, for example, the child strengths and needs assessment cannot be employed without a good understanding of child development theory and developmental milestones.
• Communication skills and professional values are crucial to how a practitioner engages with a family, employs interviewing skills or gathers important information. 
• When assessments are not informed by accurate information, it is likely that reasoning and decision-making processes will be impacted, with the risk being that inappropriate outcomes are reached. 
• SDM items/definitions can prompt the practitioner's exploration of certain areas and the gathering of specific information to inform a comprehensive assessment process. 

For further information refer to the SDM Policy and procedures manual.

Safe and together model

Obligations under the Human Rights Act 2019

Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019 protects 23 human rights in law. The Human Rights Act 2019 protects the rights of everyone in Queensland and requires the Queensland public sector to act and make decisions which are compatible with these rights.

The Human Rights Act 2019  requires ‘public entities’ to consider human rights in all decision-making and action, and only limit human rights in certain circumstances and after careful consideration. When delivering services and interacting with the community, public entities must:

• act compatibly with human rights when making decisions or taking actions
• give proper consideration to human rights when making decisions or taking actions.

These obligations apply to Child Safety staff, as employees of a public entity under the Human Rights Act 2019 and apply to all aspects of decision making that is undertaken by Child Safety staff, who have a responsibility to respect, protect and promote the human rights of individuals.

The 23 human rights are not absolute - that is, they are allowed to be limited, but only after careful consideration and only in a way that is necessary, justifiable and proportionate. This means that Child Safety staff can act or make a decision that limits human rights, but only if it is reasonable and justifiable, or if they could not have acted differently or made a different decision because of another law, for example, the Child Protection Act 1999. 

Individuals who believe they have had their human rights limited can raise their concerns with the Child Safety Complaints Unit. (Refer to Compliments and complaints on the Child Safety internet or Resources for staff on the intranet).  After 45 business days, if they remain unhappy, they can lodge a complaint with the Queensland Human Rights Commission.

The Queensland Human Rights Commission will refer concerns back to Child Safety if a departmental complaints process has not been commenced.

The following steps will assist Child Safety staff to make decisions that are compatible with human rights when acting or making decisions:

1. Identify the relevant rights.
2. Consider the impact, and whether the decisions made will limit or restrict any of the relevant rights identified? If not, there is no impact on human rights. If yes, move to step three.
3. Determine whether the limit is reasonable and justified. The following questions will assist staff ensure that actions or decisions that are being considered are compatible with human rights:    

   • Is it lawful? Is there a legal authority or framework which allows you to limit a person’s rights?

   • Is there a purpose? What is the aim of the limitation? Does it achieve a legitimate purpose?

   • Is it reasonable? Will what you are proposing effectively achieve your purpose?

   • Is it necessary? Is this the least restrictive way to achieve your purpose?

Refer to the Compliments and complaints page on the intranet for information on how to raise human rights concerns.

Refer to the Queensland Human Rights Commission website for:

• information about the 23 human rights
• information about public entity responsibilities
• the commission's complaints processes
• resources to support staff to act and make decisions in a way that is compatible with these human rights.

Obligations to victims of violent crime

All government agencies must uphold the rights of victims of violent crime.

Under the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009, Child Safety staff are responsible for:

• upholding the Charter of Victims’ Rights when working with victims of crime
• proactively providing victims of crime with information about services and financial assistance they may be eligible to receive from the Queensland Government through Victim Assist Queensland
• organising an application on behalf of a child identified as a victim of crime who is subject to a finalised or interim child protection order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive.

The Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009 defines victims as those who have suffered harm due to acts of violence (such as physical and sexual offences) that occur in Queensland and result in a physical, psychological or emotional injury. It includes victims who have suffered harm as a result of:

• domestic and family violence committed against them
• a family member or dependent having had domestic and family violence committed against them
• intervening in domestic and family violence.

Responsibilities under the Charter of Victims’ Rights

The Victims of Crime Assistance Act 2009 includes a Charter of Victims’ Rights, which informs victims of crime what they can expect from government departments and non-government agencies that support victims. The Charter of Victims’ Rights requires Child Safety staff to:

• treat victims with courtesy, compassion, respect and dignity
• maintain confidentiality of a victim’s personal information—including address and telephone numbers―unless disclosure is authorised by law
• inform victims at the earliest practicable opportunity about available services and remedies
• give a victim information about the procedure for making a complaint, if they feel that their rights have not been upheld in accordance with the charter.