Use this procedure to investigate and assess allegations that a child has been significantly harmed or is at risk of significant harm (or that an unborn child will be at risk of significant harm after birth) and to assess a child’s need for protection.
An investigation and assessment is the response provided by Child Safety to concerns received at intake and recorded as a notification. Investigation and assessment involves a process of investigating whether the child has experienced, is experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing significant harm, assessing whether the child is in need of protection and recording the response.
Significant harm used throughout this procedure, refers to the definition of harm in the Child Protection Act 1999, section 9: ‘Harm, to a child, is any detrimental effect of a significant nature on the child’s physical, psychological or emotional wellbeing’.
Child Safety has a statutory obligation to:
- investigate allegations that
- a child has been significantly harmed or is at risk of significant harm
or - an unborn child will be at risk of significant harm after birth
- a child has been significantly harmed or is at risk of significant harm
- assess a child’s need for protection or take other actions considered appropriate.
The investigation and assessment may be Child Safety’s first face-to-face contact with a child who has been abused or neglected and who may need intervention to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
The purpose of an investigation and assessment is to:
- decide if a child is safe
- investigate allegations of significant harm and risk of significant harm
- assess the child and family in their usual home environment
- assess and decide if the child is in need of protection
- decide if an unborn child will need protection after birth
- decide if there are supports that Child Safety or other agencies can provide to the child and family.
Assessment and Service Connect (636)
Children and young people with gender and sexual orientation diversity (648)
Decisions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (641)
Disclosing notifier details to police (649)
Information sharing for service delivery coordination (403)
Investigation and assessment (386)
Managing access to My Health records of children in care (642)
Support for children in the care of long-term and permanent guardians (607)
- Undertake an investigation and assessment
- Plan the investigation and assessment
- Commence the investigation and assessment
- Carry out interviews
- Carry out a safety assessment
- Respond if a parent will not consent to actions required—temporary assessment order
- Respond if a parent will not consent to actions required—court assessment order
- Respond to urgent circumstances—temporary custody order
- Consider a medical examination
- Consider an assessment care agreement
- Consider a Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect team referral
- Consider the differential pathway
- Respond to specific matters
- Gather information from other sources
- Assess the information and decide the outcome
- Finalise the investigation and assessment
- Determine which Child Safety Service Centre will be responsible for case management
- Review an investigation and assessment outcome
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