Downgrade or delete an approved notification

When deciding whether to approve the downgrading or deleting of an approved notification, the CSSC manager will consider the following:

• all relevant information, including the child protection history for the child and family
• that the decision must be in line with current policy and procedures
• Child Safety’s responsibility to make, keep and preserve complete and accurate records
• that approved documents contain information and decisions about Child Safety business processes and must be retrievable within a central system
• that electronic records must be reliable, protected and secure from unauthorised access and alteration.

Request approval to downgrade or delete a notification

To request that an approved notification be downgraded or deleted, the senior team leader responsible for the investigation and assessment will:

• Consult a senior practitioner about the decision, the rationale and whether the request is in line with current policy and procedures. (Refer to Decide if a child concern report is appropriate and Decide if an intake enquiry is appropriate.)
• Send an email seeking written approval for the decision to the CSSC manager responsible for the investigation and assessment.
• Record the email in the intake event.

Downgrade a notification

A decision to downgrade an approved notification should occur only rarely.

It may be appropriate to downgrade an approved notification:

• if the CSSC responsible for the investigation and assessment decides that a notification approved by a RIS or the CSAHSC: 
  • does not meet the threshold for a notification
  • meets the criteria for recording a child concern report or intake enquiry, in line with intake policies and procedures
• in response to a review, audit of work or quality assurance process carried out by a senior team leader, senior practitioner, CSSC manager or other senior Child Safety practitioner
• in response to a director-general-approved policy or procedural directive resulting in a practice change and need to review existing work.

It is not appropriate to downgrade an approved notification in response:

• to the inability of a CSSC to commence or complete an investigation and assessment within the timeframe prescribed by the policies and procedures at the time the notification was recorded
• to receiving subsequent mitigating information about concerns already recorded and approved.

Downgrade to a child concern report

After approving the downgrading of a notification, the CSSC manager will email approval for the decision and the rationale to the senior team leader and CSO.

To downgrade the approved notification to a child concern report in ICMS, the senior team leader will:

1. Re-open the intake event and intake form to allow editing by the CSO—this will require a rationale to be recorded.
2. Make sure a copy of the CSSC manager’s approval email is attached to the intake event—and if the subject child is also subject to ongoing intervention, in the ongoing intervention event.
3. Make sure the intake form is edited to record a child concern report, including: 
   • retaining information from the notification, including subject children, relevant persons, child protection concerns
   • amending the screening criteria and analysis of concerns
   • documenting the approval and rationale for the downgrade decision and process. Include the date the original document was approved and by whom.
4. Make sure any documentation in the investigation and assessment event is recorded in the intake event to be retained in ICMS.
5. Record information about the downgrade process and rationale in a case note in the investigation and assessment event.
6. Only then:
   • delete the investigation and assessment event. This will require a rationale and approval details.
   • approve the intake form (child concern report). This will close the intake event.
7. Make sure that a professional notifier is advised of the new decision and rationale.

Downgrade to an intake enquiry

To downgrade an approved notification to an intake enquiry in ICMS, the senior team leader will:

1. Re-open the intake event and intake form to allow editing by the CSO. This will require a rationale to be recorded.
2. Make sure the intake form is edited to record an intake enquiry, documenting the approval and rationale for the downgrade decision and process.
3. Make sure a copy of the CSSC manager’s approval email is attached to the intake event—and if the subject child is also subject to ongoing intervention, in the ongoing intervention event.
4. Make sure any documentation in the investigation and assessment event is recorded in the intake event to be retained in ICMS.
5. Record information about the downgrade process and rationale in a case note in the investigation and assessment event.
6. Only then:
   • delete the investigation and assessment event. This will require a rationale and approval details
   • approve the intake form (intake enquiry). This will close the intake event.
7. Make sure that a professional notifier is advised of the new decision and rationale.

Delete a notification

It may be appropriate to delete an approved notification only if an exact duplicate notification has been recorded in error. Do not delete a notification in response to receiving subsequent mitigating information about child protection concerns already recorded and approved.

After a CSSC manager approves that a duplicate notification be deleted:

• They will email approval for the decision and the rationale to the senior team leader and CSO—a copy of the email will be attached to the intake event that is to be retained in ICMS—and, if the subject child is also subject to ongoing intervention, in their ongoing intervention event.
• The senior team leader will make sure 
  • additional text about the deletion process and rationale is recorded in a case note in both investigation and assessment events
  • all information contained in the duplicate intake form is recorded in the intake form to be retained in ICMS. To edit the intake form that is to be retained, first delete the corresponding notified concerns/response priority in the investigation and assessment event
  • any documentation related to the duplicate notification saved in the intake and investigation and assessment events is saved in the intake or investigation and assessment event of the notification, to be retained in ICMS.
• Only then, delete the intake event and investigation and assessment event related to the duplicate notification.