The fundamental purpose of care is to provide for the child’s safety, belonging and wellbeing, and ensure that their ongoing protection and care needs are met.
Placement matching enables the identification of the type of care and placement that best suits the child. In selecting a placement it is vital that the safety and care needs of the child are able to be addressed by the proposed placement.
Consideration must also be given to whether a placement will assist in promoting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child’s ongoing connection to family, community, culture and country. Placing the child in the first available placement, if the carer is not well matched to the child’s needs, or does not have the required supports necessary for the child or the carer, is unlikely to achieve placement stability or permanency for the child and may contribute to an escalation of the child’s placement support needs in the future. An escalation in placement support needs is likely to arise from the traumatic and cumulative effects of harm experienced by the child before entering care, and compounded by disrupted placements.
Further, the research indicates that when a child has experienced two or more placement breakdowns, there is a significantly increased likelihood of this pattern continuing.
The placement matching process is informed by the case plan goal and a thorough assessment of the child's strengths and needs, including the extent to which these impact on the child's daily functioning and the domains in which they are present. These factors will determine the level of support that the placement needs to be able to provide for the child. For further information, refer to the SDM: Child strengths and needs assessment.
In some cases, the circumstances contributing to the need for placement, for example, a child’s sudden entry into care, an unexpected placement breakdown or the need to locate a placement after hours, are likely to restrict the extent to which placement matching is able to be completed. In these cases, place the child with the placement that is the best possible match in the circumstances. Once the child’s immediate placement need has been resolved, and as soon as possible following the commencement of the child’s placement, ensure that the current placement is the best available option based on the child’s level of support needs and the case plan, or locate a more suitably matched placement for the child.
Note: Ongoing intervention with a support service case will not involve the provision of a placement. For further information, refer to Chapter 7. Support service cases.
For information about the roles and responsibilities of the CSSC and PSU in relation to pre-placement processes, refer to the Pre-placement checklist. For evidence-based information about placement matching and decision-making, refer to Support needs and placement matching in care - A Literature Review and the practice resource, Complex/extreme support needs and placement matching .
When deciding in whose care the child should be placed, give proper consideration to placing the child, as a first option, with kin (Child Protection Act 1999, section 5(2)). Fully explore kinship care options within the child's family and community. When there is insufficient information available to immediately identify a suitable kinship carer and the child is placed in another type of placement, efforts to identify a suitable kinship care option will continue until such time that an informed decision is possible.
The positive outcomes of kinship care are well documented, with children benefiting from maintaining familial, cultural and community connections. Kinship carers often face additional challenges, including the complexities and tensions that arise from family loyalties. Consider whether there are any factors that could impact on the safety of the child in a proposed kinship care placement and possible strategies to mitigate these factors.
For further information about Child Safety kinship care program and the factors that are unique in relation to locating and identifying a potential kinship carer for a child, refer to the Kinship care program description.
To assess the placement option best able to meet and respond to a child's needs, refer to Support needs and placement matching in care - A Literature Review , the practice resource Complex/extreme support needs and placement matching and the practice resource Placement matching principles , and:
When a sibling group requires placement, the first preference is to keep the sibling group together, where there is a suitable kinship care, foster care or licensed residential care service placement available, and the placement option is in the best interests of all the children. It will not always be possible or appropriate to place siblings together.
Factors to consider when making this decision include:
When it is necessary to approve placements where sibling groups are separated, consider the most appropriate combination of siblings to place together, in separate placements. This will include assessing each child’s needs and emotional attachments within the sibling group, to identify the placement configuration that will foster each child’s sense of safety, security and continuity of relationships. Where siblings are placed separately, placement decisions and case planning must include arrangements which provide regular and meaningful contact between siblings.
The Child Protection Act 1999, requires Child Safety, in consultation and with the consent of the child and their family, to arrange an independent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity for the child (referred to as an ‘independent person’) to facilitate the child and family’s participation in decision-making processes:
For further information, refer to Chapter 10.1 Decision-making about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
When an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child is placed in care, including a respite placement, Child Safety must place the child with a member of the child’s family group.
The child’s family group may include:
If it is not practicable to place the child in the care of a member of the child’s family group, the child must be placed with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is compatible with the child’s community or language group.
If it is not practicable to place the child in the care of a person mentioned above, the child must be placed with another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person.
If it is not practicable to place the child in the care of a person mentioned above, the child must be placed with a person who lives near the child’s family, community or language group; and has a demonstrated capacity for ensuring the child’s continuity of connection to kin, country and culture.
Child Safety must give proper consideration to the views of the child and the child’s family about where and with whom the child will live and ensure the decision provides for the optimal retention of the child’s relationships with family members and other people of significance to the child under Aboriginal tradition or Island custom.
Prior to placing an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child with a carer who is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, ensure that the child's carer is committed to:
When an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child is placed with a carer who is not an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, Child Safety staff must continue, in partnership with the placement service, to regularly review the child’s placement and continue to attempt to arrange a placement for the child within their family, community or language group (Child Protection Act 1999, section 83(4)).
Complete the following forms in ICMS:
For further information, refer to The Child Placement Principle Prompt Sheet and Chapter 10.1 Decision-making about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Using the outcome of the child strengths and needs assessment and all other relevant, available information, determine the extent to which the child's behaviours and characteristics may impact on the child's daily functioning and the areas of functioning that are affected.
This will assist in determining the likely level of support that the child will require from the placement, and the services that may be required (including contingency planning for a child who has a history of, or is likely to experience, placement instability).
Support levels are categorised as:
For a detailed description of the child's characteristics that apply to each of the support levels, refer to the practice resources Support levels and behaviour characteristics and Complex/extreme support needs and placement matching .
Where the child has an identified risk of placement disruption or instability, consider whether additional supports are required, based on the outcome of the child strengths and needs assessment and any other relevant information.
Where there is an identified risk of placement disruption or instability, the case plan and placement agreement will include strategies to address this risk, to minimise the likelihood of further placement disruption and avoid an escalation of the child's emotional and behavioural support needs.
Strategies to respond to this risk may include:
When the level of support needs for the child is decided, determine the most suitable placement type and identify who may approve the placement, with reference to the below table.
Moderate to high | |
---|---|
Kinship care | Kin is defined in the Child Protection Act 1999 as any of the child's relatives who are persons of significance to the child, and anyone else who is a person of significance to the child. If kinship care is available, approval, or provisional approval must be granted before the placement with kin commences. For further information, refer to the Kinship care policy and the Kinship care program description. |
Foster care | If kinship care is not a suitable option, consider placing the child with an approved foster carer or a foster carer applicant who is granted provisional approval. *placement may be approved by a team leader, CSSC manager or CSAHSC manager or team leader< |
Supported independent living | Supported independent living services provide accommodation and support workers, but not live-in workers or carers. This placement option is best suited to a young person aged from 15-17 years who is in the process of transitioning from care. *placement may be approved by a CSSC manager or CSAHSC manager or team leader |
Safe houses | Safe houses are residential care services located in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with attached family intervention services, which provide short to medium-term care for the purpose of supporting a child to remain in, or return to, the child’s community of origin. *placement may be approved by a team leader |
Moderate to extreme | |
Residential care | Residential care is provided at premises (not a carer’s own home) that are owned or leased for the specific purpose of accommodating children subject to statutory intervention, and may range in levels and combinations of staffing, including live-in workers (such as houseparents), rostered workers with a combination of sleepover shifts and/or on-call arrangements, or rostered workers on duty 24 hours a day.
For further information refer to the Residential care policy |
Complex to extreme | |
Intensive foster care | Intensive foster care is a placement option for children who require more intensive support and service coordination than is typically provided for foster and kinship care placements. Placements in intensive foster care may be with either an approved kinship or foster carer.
For more information refer to the Intensive foster care program description . |
Therapeutic residential care | This placement option is for young people unable to be placed in home-based care or other residential services, and aims to promote the development of the skills and behaviours required to transition to less intensive forms of care.
For further information, refer to the Therapeutic residential care policy and A guide to the placement of young people in therapeutic residential services. |
Special circumstances | |
Placement with another entity | The Child Protection Act 1999, section 82(1)(f), allows for a child to be placed in the care of another entity (other than an approved carer or licensed care service), only when that entity is the most appropriate for meeting the child's particular protection and care needs.
*may be approved by the CSSC manager or CSAHSC manager or team leader |
Placement in emergent accommodation - overnight or short-term accommodation such as a motel or caravan park | A type of placement, that may only be used when there are no grant funded placements available (or one cannot be supported with the use of child related costs – placement support funding) and the child's placement need is urgent. The child is cared for by direct care workers, and the quality of the care will be monitored and recorded using the Checklist for placement of a child in emergent accommodation.
For further information refer to the Emergent accommodation policy . |
Placement funding arrangements and financial supports will vary depending upon the type of placement, and any payments made directly by Child Safety require the approval of the financial delegate prior to costs being incurred. Refer to the Child related costs – Placement funding policy and procedure for placements funded through child related costs.
Foster and kinship carers receive financial assistance in the form of:
Residential care services are funded by Child Safety to cover the full range of service costs related to their direct care of the child, excluding the child related costs that would otherwise be incorporated into the complex support needs allowance.
A child who is subject to a care agreement or an order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive may be placed with an employee of Child Safety, including a person undertaking employment through a traineeship or student placement, where:
A Child Safety employee who is employed in a direct service delivery role and who does not meet the legislative definition of kin may only be approved as a foster carer, including a provisionally approved carer, in exceptional circumstances, subject to the approval of the regional director. For further information, refer to Chapter 8, 3. What if a carer or carer applicant is also a Child Safety employee?
Any child placed with a Child Safety employee who is also an approved carer, including a provisionally approved carer, will be recorded as a sensitive client. Select 'person sensitivity' as the sensitivity type - for further information, refer to Chapter 10.5 Recording sensitivity.
To initiate placement, complete a PSU referral and contact the PSU in your region.
The PSU will, as a first point of discussion, require that kinship care options be fully explored and if this placement option is not immediately available, the PSU will commence actions to locate a placement, including searching ICMS for information about current approved foster carers and licensed residential care services.
The PSU is responsible for updating a carer’s ‘Carer entity status’ in the Carer entity profile in ICMS, including details about the expected inactive period end date and inactive reason. A status of ‘Active’ indicates that the carer is operational and taking placements and a status of ‘Inactive’ indicates the carer is operational (approved) but temporarily unavailable to accept further placements, for example, the carer is travelling overseas or is unable to take placements due to a temporary illness.
For information about the roles and responsibilities of the CSSC and PSU in relation to making a referral to the PSU and confirming a placement, refer to the Pre-placement checklist.
Taking into consideration the child's age, ability to understand and level of maturity:
For placement decisions about an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child arrange for an independent person to assist the child participate in the placement decision, refer to 10.1 Decision-making about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
If a child objects to the disclosure of sensitive information about themselves, assess whether disclosing the information to the carer or service is necessary to enable the carer to meet the safety and care needs of the child or other children in the placement. If disclosing the information is assessed as not necessary, the child’s privacy will be respected. If disclosing the information is assessed as necessary, advise the child that the information has been disclosed to the carer and why it was necessary. For further information, refer to the practice resource Participation of children and young people in decision-making and the Children and young people's participation strategy.
Record any views obtained from the child in a ‘Case planning/Implementation’ case note, titled ‘The child’s views'.
Note: In order to meet the needs of the child and other children in the placement, carers of a child with a sexual abuse history are to be given the child’s complete history, including full details of the abuse. This is to occur, regardless of the child’s views. For more information about providing relevant details of a child’s sexual abuse history, refer to the practice resource Children with sexual abuse histories .
When the preferred placement type is decided, the PSU will locate the best available placement option based on the child's needs and the supports or services required to meet those needs.
Whether this is conducted by the CSSC or the PSU will depend on the preferred type of placement, who is delegated to approve the placement or any placement related funding, and regional protocols regarding locating placements and making referrals.
As far as possible, locate a placement which ensures that:
Consider the impact that any existing children in the placement, for example, the number, ages and support needs of these children, and what impact this would have on the needs of the child requiring a placement. Also consider whether the placement of the child may pose any risks to the safety of the applicant or any other children in the applicant’s household (e.g. the parents or family members of the child being considered for placement have been identified as a safety risk for the applicants and children in the household).Contact the CSO of any other child currently placed with the carer to gather information and consider any feedback about the carer’s ability to provide for the care needs of the existing children, as well as for the additional child requiring a placement. Also consider the adult membership of the carer household, and the impact this may have on the child’s safety.
Also consider the adult membership of the carer household, and the impact this may have on the child’s safety. Where a parent resides in the same household, consider the impact of this arrangement on the safety of the child, and the carer’s capacity to meet the child’s safety needs.
Take into consideration the financial support, case work support and carer support provided within, or available for, each placement option and whether this enables the placement to meet the child’s support needs. For example, the provision of high support needs allowance may enable the foster or kinship carer to access services and supports to maintain a child in the placement, who might otherwise require placement in a residential setting. Similarly, the provision of additional placement support funded through child related costs may assist a foster or kinship carer to provide a short-term placement to a large sibling group who might otherwise be separated or disconnected from their family, school and local community – refer to the Child related costs – Placement support funding policy and procedure.
To assess the placement option best able to meet and respond to a child's needs, refer to the practice resource Placement matching principles .
If a child cannot be placed with an approved carer or licensed care service, and the most appropriate placement type is considered to be a placement with another entity, refer to 1. What if a child requires a placement with another entity (82(1)(f))?
Where it is decided that a foster care placement will best meet the child’s needs, the CSSC and PSU will work with a foster and kinship care service to find a carer who is well matched to the child’s needs. This will include:
When Child Safety makes a referral to a foster and kinship care service for a child, the care service will consider whether there is a carer who would be well suited to meeting the child’s needs.
Where the care service has identified one or more prospective foster carers for the child, the Foster care matching tool or a similar tool should be used to identify the best match between the child’s needs and carer’s capacity, capabilities and characteristics across a range of needs domains. This assessment will inform decisions about the additional supports, services or strategies that are required to meet the child’s needs in the placement.
The foster and kinship care service will also contact a prospective carer for the child to discuss the referral and seek their views about the proposed placement. If authorised by Child Safety, the care service may provide a prospective foster carer with the Child information form (sections A and B only), to assist them to make a well informed decision about accepting or refusing the referral.
Where it is identified that there may be particular needs presented by the match between the child and the proposed carer, the foster and kinship care service and Child Safety will collaboratively plan the provision of supports to meet the child’s needs – refer to 1.9 Complete a placement agreement.
For more information about the respective roles and responsibilities of Child Safety and foster and kinship care services in the matching process, refer to the policy Foster care matching: a partnership approach .
Once the best available placement option has been determined, the PSU will:
Prior to contacting the most suitable carer or service to request a placement for the child, an assessment of the placement information to be provided to parents must be undertaken and this information is to be discussed with the carer - refer to 1.6 Assess the provision of placement information.
If the carer or service does not agree with the decision by Child Safety about placement information to be provided to parents, the placement will not be able to proceed or, where applicable, continue. Refer to 1.6 Assess the provision of placement information to parents.
Note: When a child is subject to a care agreement, parents must be provided with full placement information and the assessment of placement information to parents does not apply.
Following approval of the placement decision:
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 51AK, 85 and 86, sets out the requirements for providing placement information to the parents of a child placed in care - refer to 1.10 Provide placement information to parents.
An assessment must be conducted prior to each new placement of a child in care to determine whether providing placement information to the child’s parents could constitute a significant risk to the safety of the child, the carer or anyone else with whom the child is living. Assess the potential level of risk by:
Once the assessment is completed, decide the level of placement information to be provided to parents, either:
If the assessment is unable to be completed at the time the child is placed with the carer or service, due to further information being required, it will be completed as soon as practicable after the placement commences.
Before requesting approval of the assessment outcome:
Note: the placement will not proceed, or may not continue, if agreement cannot be reached with the carer.
Once agreement about the level of information to be given to the child’s parents has been reached with a carer:
In cases where a very high level of security must be maintained because of serious and irrevocable safety concerns and all placement details are withheld from parents, the decision must be:
When the decision about the level of placement information to be given to a child's parents is approved:
When a decision is made that placement information is to be withheld, or that only partial information is to be given to parents, consider whether other persons or selected agencies, such as the child’s school administration or a hospital, should be advised that the parents are not to be informed of information regarding the child’s placement.
Record the assessment and the decision about the provision of placement information to parents in the:
When all placement details are withheld from parents and the CSSC manager approves the decision as being long-term and not subject to regular review, the CSSC manager is responsible for recording the details and outcome of the discussion with the regional director as a case note in ICMS.
If after all reasonable attempts, agreement about the level of placement information to be given to parents cannot be reached with the carer, locate an alternative placement for the child, having regard to the circumstances of the child and the case plan.
If a child has already been placed with a carer, licensed care service or another entity following an initial decision to withhold full placement information or to provide only partial placement information, and circumstances change which affect the level of placement information to be given to parents, discuss the new assessment and outcome with the carer.
Work with the carer and the care agency, where applicable, to develop strategies to address concerns the carer may have as a result of the increased level of placement information to be provided to the child’s parents.
If agreement cannot be reached with the carer about the new level of information to be provided to parents, and a decision is made to remove the child from the placement, the child or carer may apply to QCAT to have the decision reviewed, where:
In this circumstance:
A provisionally approved carer or the staff member of a licensed care service or another entity does not have the right of review under the Child Protection Act 1999. They may however access the Child Safety complaints system. For further information refer to the Customer service compliments and complaints website.
Unless a long-term decision has been endorsed by the regional director, the decision to withhold full placement information or to provide only partial information to a child's parents will be regularly reviewed by Child Safety, regardless of the order type, as follows:
Each decision resulting from a Child Safety review is a 'new' decision subject to review mechanisms. The new decision will be communicated to the parents, the child where possible and the carer - refer to 1.10 Provide placement information to parents.
Where a decision is made to withhold placement information to parents on a long-term basis, regular review is not necessary. This does not preclude the future provision of placement information should a change in circumstances mitigate the previously identified risks.
When the best available placement type or carer is identified, obtain approval of the placement decision by the delegated officer, as recorded in the 'Placement Types and Approval Requirements' table - refer to 1.4 Determine the most suitable placement type. Approval may be obtained before or after contacting a carer or service to discuss placement availability and willingness to accept the placement.
If the proposed placement is located in a geographical area covered by another CSSC, the senior team leader or CSSC manager with responsibility for that area must give permission for the placement in writing prior to the commencement of the child’s placement - refer to Chapter 3, 3. What if an ongoing intervention case needs to be transferred to another CSSC?
The placement decision will only be approved where the delegated officer is satisfied that:
When the carer agrees to the placement and the decision by Child Safety about the placement information to be provided to the parents:
In certain circumstances, a signed authority to care form may be provided to the child's parents, with a copy to an applicable service. In these circumstances, the usual 'Authority to care for child' form is unable to be completed in ICMS and an The authority to care form is completed. For further information refer to the practice resource The authority to care form .
For further information about the roles and responsibilities of the CSSC and PSU in relation to placement preparation and commencement, refer to the Placement commencement checklist.
The Ellen Barron Family Centre is one service that requires parents to have an authority to care form in order to facilitate admission to the centre, where a child is subject to a child protection order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive. The authority to care form must cover the duration of the admission. Children subject to a court assessment order granting custody to the chief executive may not be referred to the Ellen Barron Family Centre, as they are not able to be placed with a parent under the Child Protection Act 1999, section 82(2).
When making a referral to the Ellen Barron Family Centre the centre requires the following documentation:
When a family is to attend the Ellen Barron Family Centre, the following guidelines apply:
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 84, requires a written agreement be entered into between Child Safety and an approved carer regarding a child’s care. A placement agreement is a written agreement between Child Safety and a carer or care service about the care of a child.
A placement agreement must be developed for every child placed in care. This includes a child subject to an assessment order, TCO, child protection order or care agreement where the child is placed in care with:
The purpose of the placement agreement is to ensure carers and care services have access to relevant information about a child and adequate support for the placement. Information is provided to enable the carer or care service to provide an appropriate level of care for the child and to ensure the child’s safety, as well as that of the carer, members of the carers household, or children and staff in a residential care service. It also includes what is required to ensure the safety of a child in circumstances where a child’s parents are also living in the household.
The placement agreement:
A placement agreement is not required when a child protection order grants long-term guardianship to a suitable person - refer to Chapter 3, 1. What if a suitable person has long-term guardianship?
Complete the placement agreement prior to the child’s placement wherever possible, to establish the roles and responsibilities of each of the parties in achieving the case plan goal and outcomes of the placement.
If a placement is required at short notice and limited information is available about the child, complete a placement agreement with all known information, enter a short review timeframe and update the agreement when more details are obtained.
If it is not possible to provide a written agreement at the time of placement, provide the carer or service with as much verbal information about the child as is possible, and provide a written agreement to the carer within three working days of the placement.
Gather relevant information to inform the development of the placement agreement. This information has also informed placement matching, and includes:
Where a placement agreement is being developed for a child under 12 years of age who is being placed in a residential care service, gather information from any additional assessments that indicate their needs are best met by the residential care service or therapeutic residential care service. Include details of the nature and frequency of Child Safety contact that will occur to monitor the child’s progress, especially during the period from placement commencement until the initial placement review is held.
Arrange a time with the carer to complete the placement agreement (a "placement meeting") prior to the child's placement, wherever possible. Where possible and in accordance with the child's age and ability to understand, involve the child in developing the placement agreement.
Placement meetings are an important part of working collaboratively to support carers to provide quality care for children in care. Child Safety is responsible for ensuring that the placement meeting occurs. However, if agreed by all parties, the placement meeting may be arranged and/or facilitated by the care service. If a CSO, carer or care service staff member is unable to attend the placement meeting in person, participation by phone can be negotiated.
A placement agreement for a foster care placement will be informed by the Foster care matching tool completed as part of the placement matching process, refer 1.4 Determine the most suitable placement type. As part of the placement meeting with a foster carer, review the outcomes of the matching tool to determine whether any other additional supports might be required.
When negotiating the placement agreement:
Include the following specific matters in the placement agreement:
Financial responsibility for any costs incurred will be in line with the agreed expenditures in the child's case plan.
For a kinship carer, discuss and incorporate in the placement agreement:
Where a child under three years of age is being considered for placement in a residential facility, for example, a safe house, consider and include strategies to address how the placement type will impact on the child’s ability to develop a healthy attachment to a primary carer.
Record the key details of the placement agreement, including agreed roles and responsibilities, in the 'Placement agreement' in ICMS and provide a copy to the carer and the foster and kinship care service that the carer is affiliated with.
The placement agreement will be reviewed on a regular basis, and at a minimum, every six months, to ensure consistency with the child's current case plan and review processes, however, the review may occur prior to, during, or following a family group meeting or review of the case plan. For further information, refer to Chapter 4. Case planning.
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 85 and 86, requires that as soon as practicable after deciding in whose care to place a child, Child Safety:
The Child Protection Act 1999, section 51AK, requires that for a child subject to a TCO, as soon as practicable after deciding in whose care to place a child, Child Safety:
The Public Guardian Act 2014, section 89(1) requires Child Safety to advise the Office of the Public Guardian when a reviewable decision is made in relation to a child. A decision about where and with whom a child is placed is a reviewable decision. A copy of the written notice of the decision provided to the parents or the child will also be provided to the Office of the Public Guardian, within three days of the decision being made by the delegate. For information about the Office of the Public Guardian regional inboxes, refer to the OPG - Regional Visiting Manager contact details.
Before providing written placement information to parents or the child, an assessment must be conducted - refer to 1.6 Assess the provision of placement information to parents.
When a child is no longer in the care of their long-term guardian and is subject to an assessment order, TCO or interim custody order, the long-term guardian has the same rights as parents to placement information. Advise the long-term guardians of the placement information or decision to withhold placement information as per the requirements to a parent.
For an assessment order or a TCO of any duration, and a child protection order where the placement is less than seven days:
For a child protection order where the placement is more than seven days (exceeds six nights), the decision about in whose care to place the child, or to withhold full or partial placement information from parents, is a reviewable decision. This includes when a child will have planned and ongoing respite with one carer that is cumulatively more than seven days for the duration of the current case plan review period.
The written notice to be provided about these decisions will be signed by the CSSC manager. In this circumstance:
When placement information is fully or partially withheld due to significant safety concerns, provide the parents with a general description of where and in whose care the child is placed, for example, with an approved carer or licensed care service in the Brisbane area.
The table below sets out the requirements for how information provision requirements are to be communicated to the child and family.
Type of placement / order | Tell parents the decision | Provide written notice of the decision to parents | Tell the child the decision* | Provide written notice of the decision to the child* |
---|---|---|---|---|
Care agreement Assessment care agreement Child protection care agreement |
Yes | No | Yes | No |
Assessment order TAO CAO |
Yes | No | Yes | No |
TCO | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Child protection order – where placement is for 6 nights or less | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Child protection order – where placement exceeds 6 nights | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
* where the child is of an appropriate age and has the ability to understand.
Provide the applicable written advice, signed by the CSSC manager, along with information about Child Safety's complaint process, to the child's parents, either:
When a child will have planned respite with one carer that cumulatively exceeds six nights over the case plan review period, outline the respite plan in the written advice to the parents.
For further information about complaints, refer to the Child Safety's Customer Compliments and complaints website.
Where required, develop written notice of the decision to provide full placement information to parents. Develop the written notice on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the child's age, level of maturity and ability to understand and ensure that it includes:
the details outlined in the Child Protection Act 1999, section 86(2)
information about accessing the Child Safety's complaints system.
When a decision is made not to provide full placement information to parents, written notice to the child will include:
Provide the written notice, signed by the CSSC manager, to the child, as soon as possible after the decision about placement information to parents is made.
When a child will have planned respite with one carer that cumulatively exceeds six nights over the case plan review period, outline a respite plan in the written advice to the child.
Ensure that case notes reflect the extent and nature of information discussed with parents and the child, having regard to the child's age and ability to understand, and provide an overview of the parents and the child's response, where known. Record the details of the placement information provided to parents in the placement agreement - refer to 1.9 Complete a placement agreement.
Attach a copy of all correspondence sent to the parents and the child to the relevant event in ICMS.
When a child indicates that they wish to apply to have a decision reviewed, the CSSC manager will:
In this circumstance, the regional director will seek advice on a case-by-case basis through Court Services.
For information about when a Child Safety officer is to review the decision about the provision of placement information to parents, refer to 1.6 Assess the provision of placement information to parents.
Ensure that, as far as practicable, the child and the carer are prepared for the placement, and that the child's personal belongings and records move with them when the placement commences.
For further information about the roles and responsibilities of the CSSC and PSU in relation to placement preparation and commencement, refer to the Placement commencement checklist.
When a child is placed in care, provide the following information to the child, having regard to their age and ability to understand, and to their parents:
For further information, refer to 1.10 Provide placement information to parents
In addition, for a child subject to a child protection order granting custody or guardianship to the chief executive, and having regard to their age and ability to understand:
Note: Additional requirements for the commencement of a placement apply when a child is placed in care subject to a care agreement - refer to Chapter 6, 3.1 Place a child using a child protection care agreement.
When placing a child in care under the Child Protection Act 1999, section 82(1)(a-f), provide the carer with the following:
If applicable, provide the carer with:
For further information refer to the practice resource Placement documentation (PDF, 37 KB)
If a child cannot be placed with an approved carer or licensed care service, and the most appropriate placement type is considered to be a placement with another entity, refer to 1. What if a child requires a placement with another entity (82(1)(f))?
After considering the circumstances of the case, the child's needs and the nature of the placement, decide whether a referral to the CSAHSC is required. A referral to the CSAHSC is made when additional after hours support is required to ensure practice standards are met and a child's safety cannot be ensured outside normal business hours. If applicable, complete the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre: After hours referral form. For further information about making a referral to CSAHSC, refer to Chapter 10.15 The role of the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre.
If a carer requires additional support outside business hours to support the child's needs in the placement, decide whether a referral to the Foster and Kinship Care Support Line is required. Circumstances where a referral may be considered include:
If applicable, complete the Foster and Kinship Care Support Line Referral Form.
Foster and Kinship Care Support Line staff will record information about the contact with the carer within 'Documents and Communications' in the carer's 'Monitor and Support' screen in ICMS.
Approved foster and kinship carers, provisionally approved carers and Child Safety staff can also phone the support line on 1300 729 309, Monday to Friday 5.00pm - 11.30pm and Saturday and Sunday 7.00am - 11.30pm.
When a child is placed in care with an approved foster or kinship carer or a provisionally approved carer, complete the following to commence the carer's payment:
When a child is placed in a care placement, a copy of placement documentation not created in ICMS will be attached to the relevant event in ICMS, for example, the Conclusion of placement form and the Child information form.
For the duration of the placement:
maintain regular contact with the child in their care environment to ensure their needs are met and the quality of care provided is consistent with legislative and policy requirements
support the child and the carer to enhance placement stability and to assist the carer in responding to the child's changing needs
assess and monitor that intervention strategies are achieving positive outcomes for the child and their family, in accordance with the case plan goal.
For specific support functions to be implemented, refer to 2. Support a child in care.
Further information about working with children in care is available through the practice papers Placing Children in care - principles and guidelines for improving outcomes , Supporting children and young people in care through transitions and Working with children and young people in care .
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence