• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Why we need to work together to protect Australia's children
• National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children
• Implementing the National Framework
• Appendix A: Current initiatives and reforms

Protecting Children is Everyone's Business

• Previous: Implementing the National Framework

Appendix A: Current initiatives and reforms

The process followed by child protection agencies to deal with concerns about children involves:

• receiving reports of concern from mandated reporters or members of the public (notifications)
• gathering information to determine if an investigation is necessary and conducting an assessment of the risk to the child and the needs of the child
• determining whether the report is substantiated (i.e.the child has been abused/neglected or is at-risk of harm)
• determining whether the safety concerns for the child can be dealt with through referral to a family support service, or whether the risk is so high that the child must be removed from the family and placed in care.

These actions are defined in legislation and policy. Certain legislative principles are common to all:

• The child's best interests are paramount. Interests of the parent/s or carers cannot override this principle; nor can the Aboriginal placement principle.
• The Aboriginal placement principle requires that Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children who are removed from home will be placed with their own family, community or other Indigenous carer.This is achieved in 74 per cent of placements nationally.

In the last decade all State and Territory care and protection systems have undergone major reviews. In most, but not all case, reviews have been triggered by revelations of severe abuse and/or death of children in State care. There are a number of reforms which are common to all systems:

• the safety and wellbeing of children is a shared community responsibility
• collaborative interagency partnerships and, in some instances, priority service to children and young people in the care and protection system
• expanded role for non-government providers of family support and out-of-home care services
• strengthened requirements for the recruitment and training of foster and kinship carers
• charters of rights for children and young people in care
• children and families empowered to participate in decision making
• Children's Commissioner and/or Children's Guardian positions created to advocate for children within systems, monitor the performance of child protection agencies and, in some cases, monitor the performance of the out-of-home care system
• significantly increased investments in services available to vulnerable families and children at-risk
• specific services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients established
• new service delivery models established so many children at-risk can be diverted from statutory intervention.⁵

Today, while many of the challenges have been tackled. A number remain,these include:

• reducing the incidence of abuse and neglect of children and young people across Australia
• working with Indigenous communities to address the complex causes of child abuse and neglect⁶
• recruiting/retaining people with specialised skills demanded in government, non-government and carer workforces
• providing more therapeutic residential facilities for severely affected children and young people who require intensive, sustained interventions
• building local evidence of the extent of child abuse and neglect within Australia and what works to prevent it - for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations
• developing service standards so that any child or young person entering the child protection system, or care, receives quality care
• removing barriers to improved information sharing and comparable national data collections
• creating a strong and responsive network of services (universal, secondary and tertiary) that are accessible, inclusive and non-stigmatising
• improving the care options available and increasing the stability of placements
• building capacity in families, communities and services
• providing much more support in the transition to independent living for young people leaving care at age 18.

The National Framework for Protecting Australia's Children will align with existing initiatives and reforms. Some of the current Australian, State and Territory key reforms and initiatives are described. Further mapping and alignment will take part throughout the life of the National Framework.

[ top ]

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Agency functions

The functions of the ACT Department of Disability, Housing and Community Services cover care and protection of children at-risk of harm, youth justice, early intervention services, out-of-home care services, Indigenous policy and programs, adoption, children's services, therapy services for children, disability services, women's policy, disaster

Care and protection services are delivered from a centralised location which operates intake, assessment using a differential response model, substantiation and referral functions. Two regional Child and Family Centres offer midwifery baby health clinics, targeted playgroups, parenting skills development programs, and case management for vulnerable families. Outposted child protection officers, located in the two Child and Family Centres, work collaboratively with the government and non-government sector to provide early intervention services. The Department funds a number of home care agencies and sets standards and regulates their operations.

The Office for Children, Youth and Family Support (OCYFS) and the non-government sector provide an Integrated Family Support Project (IFSP). The IFSP is a joint initiative between the ACT Government, Australian Government and the non-government sector across the ACT targeting children under 8 years and their families who have multiple and emerging difficulties. The aim of the project is to divert families from the statutory system and prevent re-entry using a case coordination framework.

Major recent and planned reforms

• Children's Plan Services
  • Early Intervention and Prevention Unit established
  • Established new Child and Family Centres to provide universal and targeted services
  • Established the Indigenous Integrated Service Delivery Program
  • In partnership with SIDS and Kids, developed easy to read messages and pamphlets on 'safe sleeping' have been developed
  • Therapy ACT

• Service development for children by
  • Establishing Early Learning Centres and Child and Family Centres
  • Child Protection Reform
  • Established the IMPACT Program to provide a coordinated service for pregnant women, their partners and their children under two years of age
  • Established the Integrated Family Support Project for families at-risk of entering the statutory system
  • Reformed Child Protection legislation
  • Reforming Out-of-home Care Program including a new framework which articulates contemporary service models Appendix A 45
  • Information exchange and established Care Teams.
  • New Out-of-home Care Standards developed.
  • A 'Time to Fly' leaving care kit developed
  • Legislative requirements for day care planning
  • Child Protection Protocols in cooperation with other government agencies

• Sharing Responsibility: A Framework for Service Collaboration for the Care, Protection and Wellbeing of Children and Young People in the ACT outlines the responsibilities of the ACT Government and its approach to working together for the care and protection of children and young people in the Territory.
  • Supervision Framework with Supervision Standards developed to support clinical staff in their roles as practitioners

• A compliance framework that will include the development of a compliance auditing and quality assurance process with the developmentof compliance monitoring tools and applications
  • A newly developed and implemented Case Management Framework to provide more integrated and collaborative responses within the government and non-government sector
  • The development of a Neglect Policy to better support staff in identifying and dealing with this form of abuse
  • Establish a vulnerable Families Project focussing on care co-ordination, referral pathways and information exchange

• Protocols for the Interstate Transfer of Care and Protection Orders Protocol
• A complex case review panel to provide a forum for care and protection caseworkers to present and discuss cases with significant complexity with a panel of professionals.

Reforms since 2000

A review of child protection services in the ACT in 2004 led to the Government adopting andimplementing a 3 year reform program from August 2004, in which the primary goals were:

• to improve the quality standards for care and protection services and immediately expand services targeted at children and young people most at-risk of entering the care and protection system
• to develop a continuum of early intervention and prevention services from birth to 18 years.

Practical measures to achieve these goals have included:

• DHCS' second wave of overseas recruits to Care and Protection positions was undertaken in 2008 resulting in a full complement of staff being achieved in Care and Protection Services
• strengthening accountability measures including the development of a complementary auditing and quality assurance process
• establishing new and better partnerships between government and non-government agencies
• expanding community education and awareness of child safety and wellbeing
• improving training for foster carers
• developing specific responses to meet needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, including establishing a specific functional unit with the department
• establishing the Office of Commissioner for Children and Young People and promoting the participation of children and young people in decision making
• exchange of staff between ACT Health and DHCS
• introducing an interagency agreement for service provision to clients with high level, complex needs
• reviewing Children and Young People legislation in 2005 and again in 2008. The first review introduced the concept of child or young person at-risk of abuse and neglect; clarified who mandatory reporters are; protection and release of information; principles to safeguard culture and community connections for Indigenous children and young people. The second review led to the development of the new Children and Young People Act 2008 and introduced significant reform to the law relating to children and young people in the ACT, particularly in the areas of care and protection including in-utero reporting, youth justice, the regulation of childcare services and employment.

Reforms for the future

• Legislation provides for new OOHC standards – these are currently being developed.
• Continuing with work to improve interactions between care and protection and the legal system, including the Court
• Case Management Framework supporting improved work practices
• Common Assessment Framework is being piloted and will provide a common method of assessment that can be used across all agencies
• Compliance Framework for the Children and Young People Act 2008 iscurrentlybeing developed.

[ top ]

NEW SOUTH WALES

Agency functions

The NSW Department of Community Services (DoCS) functions cover care and protection ofchildren at-risk of harm, early intervention services, out-of-home care services, adoption, children's services, disaster recovery, and services to homeless people. DoCS' services are available through 7 regional offices and 86 community services centres across the state.

Major recent and planned reforms

Following the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW,the NSWGovernment response,Keep Them Safe: a shared approach to child wellbeing 2009-2014 was released on 3 March 2009. Keep Them Safe is a five-year action plan that aims to build a stronger,more effective child protection system in NSW.

A key objective of Keep Them Safe is to create an integrated system that supports vulnerable children, young people and their families. This includes the establishment of new reporting and referral arrangements to allow families to access appropriate services from government agencies and non-government services without having to come in contact with the statutory child protection system. The establishment of alternative service pathways is a similar approach to that adopted by some other jurisdictions, including Victoria.

Key reforms contained within the NSW Government action plan include:

• Establishing Child Wellbeing Units in NSW Health, NSW Police, the Departments of Education and Training, Housing, Ageing, Disability and Home Care and Juvenile Justice, to advise mandatory reporters within these agencies on the new statutory reporting threshold of 'risk of significant harm' and to assist in responding to matters which do not meet this criteria
• Expanded services and a focus on prevention and early intervention, including:
  • expanding the Brighter Futures early intervention program to support vulnerable families with children aged 0-8 by providing access to a range of services, including quality child care, case management, parenting program and home visiting. Consideration will also be given to extending Brighter Futures to 9-14 year olds, including priority access for Aboriginal children and their families, following examination of the evidence base
  • extending intensive family preservation services to support families whose children are atrisk of entering out-of-home care
  • continuing to trial Sustained Health Home Visiting, with further expansion to be considered in 2010, which employs specialist child and family health nurses to work intensively with high needs families in pregnancy and during the first two years of a child's life
  • employing additional Home School Liaison Officers to work with families where there are concerns about non-attendance at school

• A new partnership with, and an enhanced role for, the non-government sector, including:
  • funding NGOs and/or local councils to establish new Regional Intake and Referral services. These organisations will work with the Child Wellbeing Units to improve access to services for children and families. Three initial Regional Intake and Referral services will be established in 2009 48 Protecting children is everyone's business
  • enhancing the role of the NGO sector in the delivery of OOHC and the Brighter Futures early intervention program
  • investing in capacity building and reform of funding arrangements. In particular, the Government will work with Aboriginal communities and organisations to support communities to address the unacceptable overrepresentation of Aboriginal children and young people in the child protection system. Priority work will be undertaken with Aboriginal organisations to build their capacity to play an enhanced role in the provision of out-of-home care and other services.

Reforms since 2000

The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 was implemented in stages from 2000, and reviewed in 2005-2006.

• Brighter Futures early intervention program, introduced in 2002, is a voluntary program providing targeted, tailored support to vulnerable families with children aged under nine years, or who are expecting a child
• Aboriginal Intensive Family Based Service is a unique strengths-based service targeting high risk children. The program provided support to 175 children in 2007-08
• Families NSW brings relevant government agencies together to provide support to families raising children up to 8 years of age. DoCS provided $5.2 million over four years to roll out the Triple P parenting course to all parents with children 3-8 years. First courses began in September 2008. By 2011, 1200 health, welfare and education professionals will be accredited in use of this program
• Preschool Investment and Reform Plan $85 million additional funding for DoCS will provide expansion of the preschool program throughout the children's services sector; 10,500 additional children will attend preschool for two days a week in the year before they start school
• Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Strategy, jointly funded by DoCS and NSW Health, was implemented across the State. The strategy is aimed at improving the health of Aboriginal mothers and their newborn babies by providing accessible, culturally appropriate maternity care programs for women and their families. Since its introduction in 2000, the strategy has achieved remarkable outcomes such as halving the rate of premature birth and perinatal mortality, improving breast-feeding and increasing access to antenatal care early in pregnancy
• Collaboration is promoted through the following interagency plans and processes
  • Joint Investigation Response Teams (JIRT) with DoCS, police and health, who investigate cases of child abuse that may constitute criminal offences. in 2007-08, 3,000 such cases were referred
  • a new policy trialled in 2008 to improve collaboration between DoCS and NSW Health, to support at-risk pregnant women. A joint evaluation is scheduled for 2009. Both agencies have funded statewide expansion of the NSW Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health strategy
  • NSW Interagency Guidelines for Child Protection Intervention 2006 (first introduced in 1991) were updated and evaluated Appendix A 49
  • Interagency Plan To Tackle Child Sexual Assault In Aboriginal Communities 2006-2011 contains 88 actions to prevent child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities and improve the way services are planned, coordinated and delivered to victims and their families, with a budget of more than $52.9 million over four years.

[ top ]

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Agency functions

The Department of Health and Families includes the Northern Territory Families and Children's Division (NTFC), the responsible agency in the Northern Territory for child protection, out-ofhome care, family and parenting support, support for individuals and families in crisis including those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness, women's policy, victims of domestic or family violence or sexual assault, youth services including youth diversion services, and adoption. Mandatory reporting is universal in the Northern Territory. This contrasts with all but one other jurisdiction, where only specified categories of employees are required by law to report child abuse.

The Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 provides the legal framework for care and protection services, screening for child related employment, employment of children, prevention of child deaths and regulation of children's services, and establishes a Child Death Review Committee and the post of Children's Commissioner. The Act requires decisions to be made in the best interests of the child, and describes the considerations that apply in making such a decision. The Act requires children to be treated with respect and to participate in decisions affecting them. Specific provisions relate to the treatment and placement of Aboriginal children. The Act provides for access to support for young people leaving care up to age 25.

Major recent and planned reforms

• Child Abuse Taskforce including Aboriginal Community Resource workers
• Co-located NTFC child protection workers in Indigenous Targeted Family Support Service organisations
• Mobile Response Teams able to be deployed as needed to relevant communities
• Remote Aboriginal Family and Community Workers
• Structured Decision Making tools and systems
• Secure Care initiatives for high-risk young people
• Linked up for Safe Children initiative to coordinate local solutions across the government and non-government sector using a place-based framework
• Family Group Conferencing with an emphasis on providing a culturally secure approach to developing plans for the wellbeing of children at-risk
• Child Protection research partnership with the Menzies School of Health Research
• A Practice Advisor initiative to support case work practice
• A network of Safe Houses established in key communities

Reforms since 2000

The child protection system in the NT has undergone significant change since 2003 when the Caring for Our Children reform agenda was announced. Two critical elements of this reform agenda were the introduction of new legislation and the development of different responses to vulnerable children and families through the implementation of a Differential Response Framework.

In 2006 the Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse (the Inquiry) was established by the Northern Territory Government. The Inquiry's subsequent report (Anderson & Wild 2007) - the Little Children are Sacred report - supported legislative and systemic reforms in the NT as critical child protection measures. Report recommendations focused on the priority action areas including:

• education (getting children to school is vital; at school they are safe) and educationcampaigns to raise awareness of child sexual abuse and how to respond to it
• reducing alcohol consumption
• improving family support services
• empowering Aboriginal communities
• creating a position of Commissioner for Children and Young People

In response,the NT Government developed a generational plan of action (Closing the Gap) tocombat Indigenous disadvantage, with funding of $286.43 million over 5 years for initiativesacross child protection, family violence, policing, justice, alcohol and drugs, health, housing,education,jobs,andculture.Since2007,theAustralianGovernmentNorthernTerritory Emergency Response (NTER) and the Northern Territory Government's responses through Closing the Gap have contributed to the strength and direction of reforms in the child protection system.

Major provisions of the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007(CPCA)wereintroducedinlate 2008.This legislation makes provision for the development of many new initiatives including:

• a Children's Commissioner
• Working with Children checks for all people working in child-related employment
• mediation / family group conferencing
• child Safety Review Teams
• leaving Care support

In addition the CPCA provides the legislative basis for increased interagency collaboration in child protection by supporting the sharing of information between agencies and the development of different responses to child protection reports. The NT Differential Response Framework (the Framework) envisages low risk high needs families being referred to support agencies rather than being the subject of forensic child protection investigation. The Framework is being rolled out in a number of NT centres through the funding and establishing of Targeted Family Support Services (TFSS) to respond to the needs of these families.

The development of Aboriginal Child Protection and Family Support Services by Aboriginal agencies is a key focus in the NT's reforms and in particular the Northern Territory Government has focused on supporting Aboriginal agencies to develop TFSSs. Additionally, Remote Aboriginal Family and Community Workers are being based in a number of major remote Aboriginal communities. NTFC is undertaking a place-based approach to the development and delivery of services for families in remote communities and is planning to engage with communities to ensure that new services meet the needs of the community and that NTFC funded services are linked up with services in the areas of child care and health.

Forensic responses have been strengthened through the establishment and ongoing development of co-located NTFC/Police teams, mobile response teams, and increasing resources within child protection offices including stronger risk management and decision making frameworks for child protection and out-of-home care (OOHC) through the introduction of a suite of assessment and decision making tools

More therapeutic responses and a greater range of options for children in OOHC are being developed through the provision of Specialist Care placements, therapeutic services to children in care and the development of secure care options in line with the OOHC Strategic Plan.

[ top ]

QUEENSLAND

Agency functions

The Department of Communities includes Child Safety Services, which provides statutory child protection services delivered under the Child Protection Act 1999, foster and kinship care and adoption services and has 49 metropolitan and regional Child Safety Service Centres.

The Department of Communities includes Community Services, which has responsibility fordelivering early intervention and family support services.

Major recent and planned reforms

• One Chance at Childhood initiative, a specialist program to secure safety and stability for babies and toddlers in the child protection system
• Establishment of Safe Houses in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to provide on-community placement and support services for children and families subject to statutory child protection
• Establishment of Therapeutic Residential Services to provide an intensive therapeutic environment to support young people to recover from the impact of physical, psychological and emotional trauma and pain experienced from abuse and neglect
• Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) system to provide a multi-agency response to the protective needs of children within the tertiary child protection system
• Establishment of Early Years Centres providing a 'one-stop-shop' where early childhood education and care, family support and health services are available for families expecting a child or with children aged up to eight years
• Referral for Active Intervention Services for families at-risk of entering statutory child protection services
• Evolve Therapeutic and Behaviour Support Services for children with complex and extreme emotional and behavioural issues

Reforms since 2000

• The Queensland Government has undertaken significant reform of its tertiary child protection system in recent years. Children in care now have education and health plans and a range of new services to support the wellbeing of children in care.
• Foster carers are supported with increased allowances, enhanced foster carer training, an after hours carer helpline and a carer handbook setting out carer rights and entitlements.
• Referral for Active Intervention services provide intense family support for families of children at-risk of entering out-of-home care.
• Recognised Indigenous entities are funded to provide support and advice about child protection decisions and placements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
• The Child Safety Practice Manual, Structured Decision Making tools and the statewide Integrated Client Management System have enhanced the quality of child protection practice and the capacity of child protection staff to manage their cases.
• A range of specialist positions support quality practice, including court coordinators, recordkeeping officers, early childhood experts, family group meeting coordinators and therapeutic and behavioural support professionals.
• The Queensland child protection system is more accountable, overseen by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian and the external child death case review committee.
• Child protection officers today receive enhanced training, incentives and support to attract and retain staff, particularly in rural and remote areas.

[ top ]

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Agency functions

The South Australia Department for Families and Communities (DFC) is responsible for childprotection, family support, out-of-home care, young offenders, adoption, refugee children,support to families in poverty, and disaster recovery. Services are delivered through 18 districtcentres across three regions.

The safety and wellbeing of children is considered a shared community responsibility. Accordingly, government continues to work towards greater collaboration between government agencies (particularly health, education and police), with the non-government sector and with families.

Major Recent and Planned Reforms

• New targeted early intervention initiatives
• New family preservation and reunification initiatives;
• A new integrated child and family case management system
• New models for out-of-home care
• Reshaping the child protection system towards relationship based practice
• Children's Centres that bring together health, education, community and family services for families and their children aged 0-8 years
• Whole of government protocol for sharing information where a child is at-risk
• New responses to drug and alcohol related concerns for the care and protection of children
• The Keeping Them Safe - in Our Care strategy will continue in 2008-09 with more community based services to support families who are subject to child protection notifications, to stabilise the family situation and enhance parenting capacity, and to develop intensive family preservation services for families with children at high risk of entry to alternative care, and to return those children who are in alternative care to the safe care of their family.

Reforms since 2000

In 2002, the government commissioned Robyn Layton, QC, to conduct a Review of Child Protection in South Australia.

The Government responded to the recommendations of the Review with Keeping Them Safe: the South Australian Government's child protection reform program. The reform agenda prioritises children's safety and wellbeing and promotes greater collaboration between government agencies, with the non-government sector and with families. The program included amendments to the Children's Protection Act 1993 (proclaimed in 2006) that were proclaimed in 2006 that:

• prioritise the care and protection of children as the first consideration in all planning and decision making
• provide a stronger commitment to make sure that children and their families have access to support services
• build community capacity to protect children through the establishment of child safe environments
• establish common standards across all sectors for criminal history checking
• extend mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse
• establish the Office of the Guardian for Children and Young Persons to promote the best interests of children under guardianship of the Minister
• establish the Council for the Care of Children to review the operations of legislation, and report to and advise the Minister on all matters affecting the safety of children
• establish the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Committee to review the circumstances and causes of deaths and serious injuries to children and make recommendations to Government.

In 2005 South Australia established Rapid Response: Whole of Government Services - a Framework and Action Plan with the aim of ensuring that children and young people under the guardianship of the Minister for Families and Communities receive the supports and services available to those with strong family networks through priority access to government funded services. Part of the focus of Rapid Response is the provision of transition planning from care, including the provision of post Guardianship supports and services.

In 2008 $192 million was committed over four years to the Keeping Them Safe - In Our Care strategy. It emphasises early intervention, early years services, whole child within family context, and 'joined up' government responses. Reforms through the Stronger Families Safer Children program emphasise strengthening families and keeping them together wherever possible; tackling problems and building capacity in families; providing stable, high-quality care; individualised and integrated care plans; taking better care of children with complex needs; training carers and keeping them informed; better remunerating carers; and helping grandparent carers access services for children.

Policies, procedures, practice frameworks and practice guidelines are undergoing considerable review and development across all aspects of the care and protection process to support the substantial reforms.

Aboriginal-specific initiatives include:

• embedding the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle in legislation and policy
• a dedicated Aboriginal service providing advice and assistance on abuse and neglect of Aboriginal children
• a specialist metropolitan-based team of Aboriginal service providers delivering targeted youth work services
• the Aboriginal Culture and Identity Program which supports preservation of family and cultural ties for

In April 2008 SA Parliament received the Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry Report (the Mullighan report) on abuse of children in care from Commissioner The Hon E.P. Mullighan QC. The Government responded initially with services for survivors of abuse and neglect and made compensation available to adult victims. Commissioner Mullighan also investigated allegations of child sexual abuse on the APY lands. The Government is progressing responses to Commissioner Mullighan's recommendations including proposals for legislative reform.

[ top ]

TASMANIA

Agency functions

The responsibilities of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) cover a broad range of services including both acute and primary health care as well as mental health and drug and alcohol services, and human services. Human Services comprise Housing Tasmania and Disability, Child, Youth and Family Services, which are delivered through four area offices. As part of a staged reform process commencing in 2009 some human services will be delivered by the non-government sector. Ongoing partnership arrangements between the Department and service providers will ensure that services are coordinated with a client focus and quality assured.

The Tasmanian Government both provides and funds a range of services to ensure that children and families are supported, particularly in the early years. These are delivered through the universal Child Health and Parenting Services (DHHS); the Department of Education (Launching into Learning); and an array of non-government organisations. Tasmania recognises the need to strengthen parenting capacity and family functioning, as well as the importance of early intervention and the need to monitor any potential for cumulative harm in family circumstances that are less than ideal.

As well as this, the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 mandates that all adults have a responsibility to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child; and certain 'prescribed persons', such as health sector staff, teachers, people who work with children, must report concerns or face a penalty. The legislation describes the safety and wellbeing of children as a shared community responsibility; has a focus on taking on the viewpoint of the child; and includes principles of the best interests of the child and Aboriginal placement.

This legislation is complemented by the Safe at Home Program, an integrated whole of Government response to family violence in Tasmania. Safe at Home is enabled by the provisions of the Family Violence Act 2004. In 2008 the Tasmanian Safe at Home Program was the National Winner of the Australian Crime and Prevention Award.

The Tasmanian Commissioner for Children examines legislation, policy and practices that affect the health, welfare, care, protection and development of all children to help ensure they operate in the best interests of the child. Children includes all children and young people under the age of 18 years.

A series of recent reviews revealed a system with limited capacity to respond to the needs of children, young people and families. Services were not reflecting current research findings about early brain development and the need for a focus on prevention and early intervention to alleviate the stress on the tertiary system. As a result, Tasmania wanted to adopt well researched, outcome-focused service models from other jurisdictions.

[ top ]

Major recent and planned reforms

• Establishing Community Gateway Services to provide a single community entry point in each area which will enable children and families to ask for support (and other professionals to refer them for support) through the Community Gateways without reference to the child protection system.
• Establishing integrated family support services in each of the four areas in Tasmania.
• Establishing 30 child and family centres across Tasmania, with construction on the first eight to begin in 2009.
• Reforming out-of-home care services and disability services including funding to have these services provided by the non-government sector.
• Staged implementation of a new Child Protection Information System (CPIS) from 2008. The new system has given Child Protection Services an increased capacity to manage the entry, allocation and approval of notifications and investigations.
• Integrating local services.
• Introducing the Tasmanian Child Protection Practice Framework based on New Zealand research and practice.

Reforms since 2000

The primary aims of Tasmania's reforms have been to meet the needs of children, young people and their families; to identify and support children and young people at the highest risk of abuse or neglect; to be culturally responsive and strengths and evidence based; and to build a more responsive system through greater use of non-government family services.

Four regional service centres have been created to replace the centralised intake. Each service centre is required to develop a network of service supports building on existing resources (health services, schools, police etc.). Over time these service centres and networks will integrate with the Community Gateways providing a community intake point for children and young people at-risk. A co-located child protection worker will assist with this process.

The aim of the coordinated children and family services is to:

• focus on early intervention and prevention
• create system capacity to respond to needs of vulnerable families
• monitorcumulativeharm
• provide therapeutic services where required
• use coordinated planning for intervention and integrated responses.

Because of the overall focus outlined above, Child Protection Services is able to target the more serious cases of abuse and neglect. Further, in 2008 Child Protection Services adopted a response model which reorientates staff into three teams: intake, response and case management. Intake has been decentralised to each area and intake teams work with senior child protection staff to determine which cases require a child protection response, while the response team is required to conduct an assessment of the risk to children in a way that is timely (completed within four weeks).

A five-year reform plan for out-of-home care services commenced in 2008 and includes:

• providing a greater range of placement options
• improving stability of placement for children and young people in care including the option of transfer of guardianship to an approved stable carer
• improving support to carers
• better coordination and matching of child to carer within the placement process
• a move in the future to recruitment, training and accrediting carers being undertaken by the non-government sector
• the development and implementation of individual care plans for each child or young person in care.

[ top ]

VICTORIA

Agency functions

The Victorian Government has a progressive and ambitious reform agenda for Victorian child and family services. Developed in close partnership with Victorian community service organisations, the Every Child Every Chance reforms have focused on putting children and young people first, the goal being to ensure that vulnerable children and young people thrive, learn and grow and are respected and valued so that they can become effective adults. The reforms are underpinned by a commitment to best practice. They have been informed by contemporary national and international research and innovative approaches to strengthening vulnerable families, protecting children and young people and promoting vulnerable children's healthy development, safety and wellbeing - learning that has been tailored to Victorian circumstances and needs.

Victoria's approach recognises that all children need capable, nurturing parents and a caring child and family friendly community. The reforms emphasise the importance of supporting parents to play this role. Where parents experience stresses that impact on their care of children, Victoria's first goal is always to work supportively with them to keep families together. If children cannot live safely at home, work is undertaken intensively with their parents to address problems, build resilience and enable a child to return home safely as quickly as possible. Where this is not possible, the goal is to ensure that children experience stable and high-quality alternative care. Victoria's approach recognises that the protection of children cannot be separated from policies and programs to improve children's lives as a whole.

Major recent and planned reforms

Enshrining children's best interests at the heart of all decision making

• The Victorian legislation builds a shared responsibility for protecting children and young people, but also proactively promotes their development and longer term wellbeing. Harm needs to be better understood so as to encompass accumulated harm, as well as acute crisis, or a single serious incident. The new best interests principles provide a common framework for everyone working under the Victorian legislation.

Building an integrated service system that is more localised, better coordinated and is responsive to family needs

• The problems facing vulnerable families have become more complex in recent times. Substance abuse and family violence have become the most common characteristics of families in contact with child protection. Where children and young people are at-risk of harm, their families are often grappling with one or more issues from amongst long-term poverty, social exclusion, relationship breakdown, family violence, substance abuse, mental illness or disability. A one-sizefits- all approach will not work. Services need to be tailored to local conditions and needs
• There is no evidence that relying on child protection as the primary service to protect vulnerable children and families makes a sufficient lasting difference. Victoria's approach is based on building a flexible and graduated range of service responses. Major system reform is necessary to bring earlier intervention and child protection sectors together, and link them to early childhood services to form a coordinated system
• From April 2007, Child FIRST (Child and Family Information Referral and Support Teams) were introduced to provide an identifiable entry point to services needed to support children, young people and families where there are concerns for the wellbeing of a child or young person. Child FIRST is now in place across all of Victoria, covering 24 catchments.

Reforms to assist Aboriginal children and families

• The recognition of the positive value of Aboriginal culture is reflected in the Best Interest Principles governing all decision making in Victoria
• The Victorian legislation permits the transfer of gu.ardianship responsibilities from DHS to an Aboriginal Head of an Aboriginal organisation.
• Measures are underway to build the capacity of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to provide child and family welfare services, including out-of-home care, for Aboriginal families.

Children in out-of-home care - improving children's stability

• A critical theme of Victoria's reforms is improving vulnerable children and young people's stability in care and wellbeing, recognising scientific knowledge about the lasting impact of early experiences on the development of young children's brains. This is reflected in a focus on stability planning to address how a child will receive continuous, stable care away from home and the use of specified time frames. Despite reducing the number of new entrants into out-of-home care, Victoria's out-of-home care system is faced with a number of new and emerging challenges into the future.

A new response to children aged 10-15 exhibiting sexually abusive behaviour

• Recognition of the inability of the criminal justice system to provide a reliable pathway into treatment for young people who exhibit sexually abusive behaviour led to a new legislative basis for providing a therapeutic intervention earlier to help prevent ongoing and more serious sexual offences.

The Victorian reforms have so far contributed to a 7.2 per cent drop in substantiated abuse between 1999-00 and 2006-07 while substantiation rates have risen 143 per cent nationally.

Reforms since 2000

The continued progress of Victoria's broad reforms includes:

• enshrining children and young people's best interests at the heart of all decision making and service delivery
• encouraging the participation of children, young people and their families in the decisionmaking processes that affect their lives
• building a more integrated service system across the universal, secondary and tertiary tiers of child, youth and family services - a service system that is localised, better coordinated and that is responsive to family needs
• boosting earlier intervention and prevention through the use of community-based intake, assessment and referral when families first show signs of difficulty, and targeting family support services at the most vulnerable groups and communities
• improving children's stability, especially in the critical early childhood years
• strengthening the cultural responsiveness of services so that community services are inclusive of children and young people from Aboriginal and other cultural backgrounds
• keeping Aboriginal children and young people better connected to their culture and community when in care
• ensuring that all child, youth and family services are accountable and of high quality.

[ top ]

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Agency functions

The Department for Child Protection's mission is to provide for the protection of and care for children and young people, and to support at-risk individuals and families in resolving crises. The Department has the central role in providing for the protection and care of children and young people throughout Western Australia, which is best achieved in partnership with other Government agencies and the community services sector.

Section 21(1)a of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 describes the functions of the Chief Executive Officer of the Department for Child Protection as including to consider and initiate, or assist in, the provision of social services to children, other individuals, families and communities. Directing and encouraging children and families to engage in social services to best address their problems is one of the primary objects of the legislation.

As part of, and in addition to, its statutory functions, the Department for Child Protection provides core service funding to the community services sector to respond to the issues and challenges faced by vulnerable children, families and individuals. This partnership enables a wide range of services and programs to be delivered throughout the State.

The 2007 Ford Review examined the key functions and systems of the former Department for Community Development, resulting in a significant focus on child protection reform in Western Australia. The Ford Review made 79 recommendations to address deficits in the child protection system, and each has been addressed through a comprehensive reform program. Following the Ford Review, the following three service areas were defined by the Department for Child Protection:

1. Supporting children and young people in the CEO's care.
2. Protecting children and young people from abuse.
3. Supporting individuals and families at-risk or in crisis.

These areas reflect the priority that the Department has placed on its protection and care responsibilities through the direct provision of tertiary services. It is important to recognise as well that it also has responsibility in supporting individuals and families at-risk or in crisis through the delivery or contracting of secondary services.

The Department works across government and the community services sector to prevent child abuse and neglect. This is achieved through interagency collaboration and promoting joint responsibility with key stakeholders for responding to concerns about children's safety and wellbeing.

Major recent reforms

The Department is adopting and implementing the Signs of Safety framework as the basis of consistent, evidence-based child protection practice across all Departmental child protection services. Signs of Safety seeks to create a more constructive culture around child protection organisation and practice. Central to this approach is the use of specific practice tools and processes where child protection and other professionals and family members can engage to address situations of child abuse and neglect.

Child protection practice policy and field worker guidelines are being streamlined and revised to reduce unnecessary processes and be more accessible and relevant for front line practitioners. On 1 January 2009, mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse by teachers, doctors, nurses, midwives and police officers came into effect.

The Department's Foster Care Partnership was developed in partnership with the Foster Care Association. It encompasses a partnership model and associated practice guidelines. The model is centred first on the child, and second, highlights the critical role of the foster family team in providing daily protection and nurture to the foster child. The third element of the model is the surrounding, encompassing role of the Department care team supporting the foster placement. The introduction of health and education plans for children in care is underway. All children who enter care will be screened for physical, developmental and educational difficulties. Once their needs have been assessed, a plan to address these needs will be put into place and monitored on a regular basis.

A Strategic Framework and State Plan for Supporting Individuals and Families At-risk is being developed, to bring together the significant range of secondary services that the Department and other government agencies directly provide or fund through the community services sector. A framework that spans current and future directions will help to improve the planning and provision of services, and remain responsive to the community's needs. A family and domestic violence co-location model places Senior Field Workers (Family and Domestic Violence) with the Police Service to improve screening, information sharing and expedite responses.

A range of initiatives to improve the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people in the child protection system are being implemented. They include the creation of Consultants' Aboriginal Services to assist caseworkers to work more effectively with Aboriginal families, and integrating Aboriginal perspectives through the Department's learning framework. Educational resources and guidelines to promote information sharing between as provided for under S23 of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 are being introduced together with a simple model for local Interagency Child Safety Teams.

[ top ]

Reforms since 2000

Organisational arrangements

• The Children and Community Services Act 2004 has been enacted.
• • Ministerial Advisory Council on Child Protection
  • Child Safety Directors Group (interagency)
  • Community Sector Advisory Group
  • CREATE Advisory Group (young people)
  • Aboriginal Reference Group
• The State Government appointed the first Commissioner for Children and Young People.

Aboriginal services

• Initiatives to strengthen responses to Aboriginal families and communities have been implemented, including securing an ongoing commitment to the Strong Families interagency case management program, Community Child Protection Workers in remote areas, Youth and Family Engagement Workers and the Best Beginnings early childhood intervention program.
• A multi-agency approach to dealing with sexual abuse in remote Aboriginal communities has been implemented.

Care standards

• Processes to investigate and respond to allegations of abuse in care have been implemented.
• The Better Care Better Services (Standards for Children and Young People in Protection and Care) have been implemented by the newly established Standards Monitoring Unit.

Interagency developments

• The childFIRST Assessment and Interview Team has been expanded, and provides a joint response between the Department for Child Protection and the WA Police.
• A tripartite protocol has been signed by the Departments of Health, Child Protection and Police regarding the reporting of sexually transmitted infections in children.

Workforce

• A comprehensive workforce development plan has been developed to comprising attraction and retention strategies, role and position redesign, and enhanced quality assurance systems.

5. Victoria led the way for other jurisdictions in this regard, when its research showed that 1 in 5 Victorian children would be reported to child protection authorities if the trends in notifications of recent years were allowed to continue (ChildFIRST program in Victoria).
6. In this context, it should be noted that neglect is by far the biggest causal factor for involvement in the child protection system for all children.

• Previous: Implementing the National Framework

[ top ]