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Use this procedure to respond to a notification with either:
- a priority response
or - a standard response, including a safety and support response.
A priority response is the response to concerns that indicate a child may be at immediate risk of harm and requires an assessment to determine if a child is need of protection. It is an assessment that is completed by Child Safety, that may result in ongoing intervention.
The term harm, when used in this procedure refers to ‘significant harm’ in line with 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’.
A standard response involves an assessment of a child’s immediate safety, and an assessment of the family’s support needs. The assessment is completed by Child Safety and whenever possible, with an ASC co-responder.
A safety and support response is a sub-set of a standard response. It allows a RIS to make a direct referral to an ASC provider when a notification has been recorded and when the service has capacity to respond. The ASC provider will visit the family, complete a family needs assessment and help the family to access services that will address identified risk factors.
Child Safety has a statutory obligation to:
- assess allegations that
- a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm
or - an unborn child will be at risk of harm after their birth
- a child has been harmed or is at risk of harm
- assess a child’s need for protection or take other actions considered appropriate.
The assessment may be Child Safety’s first face-to-face contact with a child who is reasonably suspected to be in need of protection and who may need intervention to ensure their safety and wellbeing.
The purpose of a priority response is to:
- determine if a child is safe
- assess allegations of harm and risk of harm
- assess the child and family in their home environment
- assess and decide if the child is in need of protection
- assess the child’s experience of the alleged harm
- determine if an unborn child will be in need of protection after their birth
- take appropriate action in response to the outcome of the assessment.
The purpose of a standard response is to:
- determine if a child is safe
- assess the family’s needs
- determine if there are supports that Child Safety or other agencies can provide to the child and family to reduce risk to the child
- take other action to ensure the child’s safety, if required.
The purpose of a safety and support response is to have a support agency:
- assess the family’s needs
- link the child and family or pregnant person with supports to reduce risk to the child.
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)
Immunisation of children in care (638)
Information sharing for service delivery coordination (403)
Managing access to My Health records of children in care (642)
Responding to a notification
Support for children in the care of long-term and permanent guardians (607)
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