Note
The purpose of the SCAN team system is to enable a coordinated response to the protection needs of children. This is achieved by SCAN team members:
- sharing information in line with the Child Protection Act 1999, Chapter 5A, part 4
- planning and coordinating actions to assess and respond to a child’s protection needs, and
- providing a holistic and culturally responsive assessment of a child’s protection needs.
Core members of the SCAN team system are Child Safety (lead agency), the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health and the Department of Education.
Consider a referral to a SCAN team, if:
- coordination of multi-agency actions and/or expert advice from more than one core member representative is required to effectively assess and respond to the protection needs of the child, and
- one of the following criteria is met
- Notification - the matter has been assessed and screened in by Child Safety as a notification and the investigation and assessment has not been finalised.
- Ongoing intervention - Child Safety is responsible for ongoing intervention through a support service case, intervention with parental agreement or a child protection order.
- Missing child - a child in care has been reported as missing to the Police. Refer to Appendix 4 SCAN Team Response Protocol – when a child in care is missing.
- Child concern report consult - a matter has been recorded as a child concern report by Child Safety and, following a discussion with the Child Safety senior team leader, a core member representative is seeking a multi-agency discussion.
Refer a matter to a SCAN team if it meets the referral criteria, as outlined in the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Team System Manual.
Note
If the family has is being actively supported by a service who is not core member agency, invite the support worker to all SCAN team meetings about the family in accordance with section 2.11 of the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Team System Manual.
Advise the SCAN team coordinator, using the SCAN team referral or information form, of the details of the relevant identified stakeholder to be invited.
To make a referral:
- complete the SCAN team referral in Unify, including whether an emergency meeting is required
- forward it to the senior team leader for approval.
Time sensitive
Submit a referral at least three days before the SCAN team meeting to provide the core member representatives adequate time to prepare for the discussion.
Seek agreement from the SCAN team coordinator to refer a matter less than three days before a SCAN team meeting.
The senior team leader will either:
-
approve the referral
or -
return the referral for further work
or -
close the referral, if it is no longer required.
The SCAN team coordinator will accept the referral in Unify, which will allow the SCAN team core representatives to view the referral.
The SCAN team coordinator will schedule the matter for discussion at a SCAN team meeting. If additional information is received after the matter has been accepted, notify the SCAN team coordinator that an emergency meeting may be required.
Note
A referral to a SCAN team does not replace the requirement for Child Safety to immediately notify the QPS of a possible criminal offence under the Child Protection Act 1999, sections 14(2) and (3).
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