There is no provision or requirement for an independent person, Family Participation Program or family-led decision making processes when assessing concerns during intake.
Participation and engagement of the family in decision making and planning may occur indirectly through other service providers such as Family and Child Connect or Family Wellbeing Services.
Engage with notifiers and services at an intake level, asking questions to obtain information and understand the family’s voice as much as possible. Explore the family network to identify and understand connections with safety and support people who are helpful for the child and their family. The earlier this information is discovered, the more it informs and supports decision making.
Be mindful of cultural bias in notifier behaviour and screening – Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children are more likely to be reported on and be screened in, and more than eight times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children (Queensland Government, 2017).
Practice prompt
The practice guide Culturally capable behaviours prompts cultural considerations in line with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle across all practice. Read the 'In all our practice' and 'Intake' sections to reflect on whether your practice is culturally sound.
Further reading
For information on how to check your biases and assumptions, refer to Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Refer to the procedure Receive and respond at intake.
Responding
NextDecision making and participation in planning during an investigation and assessment
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