Introduction
Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
Relevant legislation
Other key documents
Child safety service centres: staff roles and responsibilities
Framework for the participation of children and young people in decision-making
Respecting diversity
Delegations
Accountability for children in Queensland
Resources
Framework for practice and maps
Practice maps
Chapters
1. Intake
2. Investigation and assessment
3. Ongoing intervention
4. Case planning
5. Children in care
6. Intervention with parental agreement
7. Support service cases
8. Regulation of care
9. Standards of care
10. General
Practice papers
Resources
Forms and templates
Departmental Resources
External
Structured Decision Making
What is Structured Decision Making?
Background to implementation
How do SDM assessments fit with professional judgement?
SDM assessments
Case reading
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Glossary of terms
How to use the Child Safety Practice Manual
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Search Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services
Child Safety Services
Child Safety Practice Manual
Introduction
Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
Relevant legislation
Other key documents
Child safety service centres: staff roles and responsibilities
Framework for the participation of children and young people in decision-making
Respecting diversity
Delegations
Accountability for children in Queensland
Resources
Framework for practice and maps
Practice maps
Child protection phases
Intake phase
Investigation and assessment phase
Ongoing intervention - Support service case
Ongoing intervention - Child in need of protection
Standards of care reviews and harm reports
Chapters
1. Intake
Key steps
1. Gather information about the child and family
2. Assess the information and decide the response
3. Record the outcome and provide to the relevant CSSC or RIS
4. Provide relevant intake information to external agencies
What ifs
Resources
2. Investigation and assessment
Key steps
1. Plan the investigation and assessment
2. Engage the family and gather information
3. Assess the notified concerns and the child's need for protection
4. Finalise the investigation and assessment
What ifs
Resources
3. Ongoing intervention
Key steps
1. Decide the type of ongoing intervention
2. Consult with OCFOS and make a referral to DCPL
3. Undertake ongoing intervention activities
4. Close an ongoing intervention case
What ifs
Resources
4. Case planning
Key steps
1. Assess and prepare to develop a case plan
2. Plan for a family group meeting
3. Develop the case plan
4. Implement the case plan
5. Review and revise the case plan
What ifs
Resources
5. Children in care
Key steps
1. Place a child in care
2. Support a child in care
3. Decision-making for the child
4. Conclude a care placement
What ifs
Resources
6. Intervention with parental agreement
Key steps
1. Provide intervention with parental agreement
2. Review an intervention with parental agreement case
3. Place a child using a child protection care agreement
4. Close an intervention with parental agreement case
What ifs
Resources
7. Support service cases
Key steps
1. Provide intervention through a support service case
2. Review a support service case
3. Close a support service case
What ifs
Resources
8. Regulation of care
Key steps
1. Pre-application
2. Assessment
3. Approval
4. Renewal
What ifs
Resources
9. Standards of care
Key steps
1. Provide support to carers
2. Monitor the standards of care
3. Decide the appropriate response when concerns are identified
4. Continue monitoring the standards of care
5. Conduct a standards of care review - carers
6. Conduct a standards of care review - care services
7. Investigate and assess a harm report
8. Action plans
What ifs
Resources
10. General
10.1 Decision-making about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
Key steps
1. Enable meaningful participation in decision-making
2. Arrange for an independent person to facilitate the child's and family's participation
3. Refer the family for family-led decision-making
Resources
10.2 Statutory obligation to notify the Queensland Police Service of possible criminal offences
Key steps
1. Decide if a matter must be reported to the QPS
2. Report the matter to the QPS
Resources
10.3 Information sharing for service delivery coordination
Key steps
1. Key principles for information sharing
2. Decide when information may be shared
3. Decide if stated information is needed
What ifs - responding to specific information sharing matters
Resources
10.4 Providing adoption services
Key steps
1. Provide adoption services
2. Determine the primary case worker
3. Supervise services delivered by the primary case worker
4. Provide pre-consent counselling to parents
5. Facilitate an adoption care agreement for a child whose parents are receiving pre-consent counselling
6. Witness consents to an adoption
7. Provide information and counselling to a child and consider the child's views
8. Pursue adoption for a child subject to a child protection order
9. Respect Aboriginal tradition and Island custom
10. Respond to a request to provide one-off post adoption services
11. Record information
Resources
10.5 Recording sensitivity
Key steps
1. Determine whether a person or event is sensitive
2. Classify a person or event as sensitive
3. Manage a sensitive person or event
4. Review the sensitivity plan
5. Manage sensitive records
What ifs
Resources
10.6 Downgrading or deleting an approved notification
Key steps
1. Consider whether to downgrade or delete an approved notification
2. Obtain approval to downgrade or delete an approved notification
3. Downgrade a notification
4. Delete a notification
10.7 Undertake the substance testing of parents
Key steps
1. Overview of substance testing
2. The substance test and test results
3. Implement substance testing
4. Implement concurrent assessment, monitoring and intervention strategies
Resources
10.8 Responding to self-harming behaviour
Key steps
1. Identify that a child is at risk of self-harm
2. Respond to the child with a self-harm alert
3. Review the self-harm risk management plan
What ifs
Resources
10.9 Responding to suicide risk behaviour
Key steps
1. Identify that a child is at risk of suicide
2. Respond to the child with a suicide risk alert
3. Review the suicide risk management plan
What ifs
Resources
10.10 Warrant for the apprehension of a child
Key Steps
1. Apply for a warrant
2. Enact a warrant
Resources
10.11 Staff safety and well-being
Key steps
1. Implement strategies to promote staff safety and well-being
2. Implement strategies to avoid client aggression
3. Manage aggressive behaviour by clients
4. Respond to an incident of aggressive behaviour
5. Implement strategies to manage stress, vicarious trauma and critical incident stress
Resources
10.12 Professional supervision
Key steps
1. Implement supervision requirements
2. Fulfil roles and responsibilities
3. Develop a supervision agreement
4. Implement the supervision agreement
5. Record supervision
What ifs
Resources
10.13 The video taping or recording of departmental staff
Key steps
1. Implement actions when staff are video taped or audio recorded while performing work duties
2. Implement actions when the personal details or footage of a staff member are inappropriately published
3. Consider preventative strategies for enhancing personal privacy and safety
Resources
10.14 Referring to Family and Child Connect or intensive family support services for early intervention
Key steps
1. Roles and functions of Family and Child Connect
2. Roles and functions of intensive family support services
3. Referrals to Family and Child Connect or an intensive family support services
4. Making a referral to Family and Child Connect or an intensive family support service
What ifs
Resources
10.15 The role of the Child Safety After Hours Service Centre
Key steps
1. Interface between the CSAHSC and CSSCs or RISs
2. Make an after hours referral
What ifs
Resources
10.16 Referral to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family support service
Key steps
1. Determine eligibility for an ATSIFSS referral
2. Make a referral to an ATSIFSS
3. Action following a referral to an ATSIFSS
What ifs
Resources
10.17 Complaints management
Key steps
1. Intake
2. Complaint management process
3. Alternative response
4. Investigation
5. Internal review
6. Privacy complaints
7. Public Interest Disclosure
8. Conduct and Performance Excellence
Resources
10.18 Interstate and New Zealand matters
Key steps
1. Overview of interstate and New Zealand matters
2. Make a request to another jurisdiction
3. Respond to a request from another jurisdiction
4. Enacting a warrant
Resources
10.19 Systems and Practice Reviews following the serious physical injury or death of a child
Key steps
1. Actions following the serious physical injury or death of a child
2. Participate in the review
3. Actions arising from review processes
10.20 Victims of crime and the role of Victim Assist Queensland
Key steps
1. Respond to victims of crime
2. Provide information to a victim of crime
3. Make an application to Victim Assist Queensland
Resources
10.21 Family courts
Key steps
1. The family courts and child protection interface
2. Exchange of information
3. Assess information received about harm or risk of harm
4. Respond to an order requesting intervention by the department - section 91B orders
5. Undertake an investigation and assessment
6. Respond to a child in need of protection
What ifs
Resources
10.22 International child protection matters and the Hague Child Abduction Convention
Key steps
1. Manage international child protection matters
2. Manage intervention under the Hague Child Abduction Convention
Resources
What ifs
Resources
Practice papers
Resources
Forms and templates
Departmental Resources
External
Structured Decision Making
What is Structured Decision Making?
Background to implementation
How do SDM assessments fit with professional judgement?
SDM assessments
Case reading
SDM resources
Quicklinks
Acronyms
Glossary of terms
How to use the Child Safety Practice Manual
Previous versions
Printable version
Updates
CSPM July 2013 updates
CSPM February 2013 updates
CSPM June 2012 updates
CSPM August 2011 updates
CSPM November 2010 updates
CSPM July 2010 updates
CSPM February 2010 updates
CSPM July 2009 updates
CSPM June 2009 updates
CSPM May 2009 updates
CSPM April 2009 updates
CSPM December 2008 updates
CSPM November 2008 updates
CSPM September 2008 updates
Stage 9 updates
Stage 8 updates
Stage 7 updates
Stage 6 updates
Stage 5 updates (31 May 2006)
Stage 4 updates (20 February 2006)
Stage 3 updates (16 September 2005) (Note - SDM operational 30 October 2005)
Stage 2 updates (1 May 2005)
Stage 1 updates (7 March 2005)
You are here:
Home
Resources
Chapters
Framework for practice and maps
Introduction
Practice papers
Quicklinks
Structured Decision Making
Departmental Resources
Departmental Resources
A guide to the placement of young people in therapeutic residential services
Adoption Act 2009
(
PDF
)
Adoption Practice Manual
Adult household member guidelines
Advanced training
Attachment 1: Self-harm and suicide risk - identifying risk factors and warning signs
Care agreements - Information for parents
(
PDF
)
Carer Business Discount Card
Carer information sheets
Child Health Passport - private and confidential
Child Protection Act 1999
(
PDF
)
Child Protection Regulation 2011
(
PDF
)
Children and Young People's Participation Strategy
Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service
Complaints management policy
(
DOCX
)
Complaints management procedure
(
DOCX
)
Compliments and compliants feedback
Confidentiality and privacy information for private contractors and panel participants
(
PDF
, 27 KB)
Confidentiality and privacy information for private contractors and panel participants
(
RTF
, 7 KB)
Critical steps in case planning
Developing the goal, outcomes and actions
End of life decision-making - Guide
Escalation flowchart Department of Housing and Child Safety - dispute resolution re: service provision
Evolve Interagency Services Manual
Example of order to be made - Returning child to another jurisdiction
Example of order to be made - Returning child to Queensland
Fact sheet 1: What is provisional approval?
(
PDF
)
Fact sheet 5: Foster and kinship care - Legislative requirements for providing care
Fact sheet 8: Foster and kinship care - Blue cards
Family group meeting convenor handbook
Finalise the strengths and needs assessment
Flowchart - Requesting housing assistance from Housing and Homelessness Services
Form 3A: Guidelines for completing assessment report - Initial approval only
(
PDF
)
Form 3B: Guidelines for completing assessment report - Renewal of approval
(
PDF
)
Foster and Kinship carer handbook
ICMS Child Protection - Linking court orders
Info kit for children and young people in care
Information Coordination Meetings (ICM) and the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Team System Manual
Information for Department of Child Safety - Department of Housing products
Information privacy statement
Information sheet for carers and staff members
(
PDF
, 176 KB)
Information sheet for children and young people
(
PDF
, 178 KB)
Intake prompt sheet
Integrated Client Management System (ICMS) Child protection participant manual
Intensive foster care program description
(
PDF
)
Interim Memorandum of Understanding between State of Queensland (through the department Child Safety, Youth and Families) and State of Queensland (through Queensland Health Child and Youth Mental health Services) 2010-2013
Intervention diagram
Intervention with parental agreement - Information for parents
Interview resource: Childhood experiences
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Ecomap
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Family relationships
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Genogram
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Instructions
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Interview with child
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Interview with other household member
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Interview with young person
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Lifeline
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Motivation to foster
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Parenting styles
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Statement of standards
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Support in times of stress
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Teamwork
(
PDF
)
Interview resource: Use of time
(
PDF
)
Interviewing children and recording evidence (ICARE)
Key factors for the Department when considering the level of intervention in a Family Law Court Proceeding
Kids rights: Charter of Rights for children in care
(
PDF
)
Kinship care program description
Kinship care: A Literature Review
Kinship carer initial assessment report guidelines
(
PDF
)
Kinship carer renewal assessment report guidelines
(
PDF
)
Listening, hearing and acting: Approaches to the participation of children and young people in decision making
Long-term guardianship to a suitable person: Information for carers
(
PDF
)
Long-term guardianship to a suitable person: Information for children and young people
Long-term guardianship to a suitable person: Information for parents
Medicare information sheet
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between The State of Queensland through the Department of Child Safety and The State of Queensland through the Department of Housing 2007
Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Education and Training and the Department of Communities 2010 (Child Safety Services)
Memorandum of Understanding between Disability Services Queensland and the Department of Child Safety 2007-2010, Schedule 2
Module 5: Maintaining client files
Multicultural Policy and Action Plan
My journey in care
(
PDF
)
Physical and cognitive developmental milestones
Practice guide: The assessment of harm and risk of harm
(
PDF
, 886 KB)
Practice guide: Unaccompanied humanitarian minor wards
Practice paper: A framework for practice with 'high risk' young people (12-17 years)
(
PDF
, 1.1 MB)
Practice paper: Assessment of foster carer applicants
(
PDF
)
Practice paper: Carer support
(
PDF
, 502 KB)
Practice paper: Carer support
(
RTF
, 326 KB)
Practice paper: Child sexual abuse
Practice paper: Domestic and family violence and its relationship to child protection
(
PDF
, 1.3 MB)
Practice paper: Domestic and family violence and its relationship to child protection
(
DOCX
, 3.2 MB)
Practice paper: Engaging parents through case work
(
PDF
, 250 KB)
Practice paper: Engaging parents through case work
(
RTF
, 111 KB)
Practice paper: Engaging with families
(
PDF
, 175 KB)
Practice paper: Engaging with families
(
RTF
, 95 KB)
Practice paper: Family contact for children and young people in out-of-home care
(
PDF
, 193 KB)
Practice paper: Parental substance misuse and child protection: intervention strategies
(
PDF
, 239 KB)
Practice paper: Parental substance misuse and child protection: overview, indicators, impacts, risk and protective factors
(
PDF
, 217 KB)
Practice paper: Permanency planning
(
PDF
, 945 KB)
Practice paper: Permanency planning
(
DOCX
, 257 KB)
Practice paper: Placing children in out-of-home care - principles and guidelines for improving outcomes
(
PDF
, 89 KB)
Practice paper: Supporting children and young people in care through transitions
(
PDF
, 154 KB)
Practice paper: Valuing and improving educational outcomes for children in out-of-home care
(
PDF
, 278 KB)
Practice paper: Valuing and improving educational outcomes for children in out-of-home care
(
RTF
, 115 KB)
Practice paper: Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Practice paper: Working with children and young people in out-of-home care
(
PDF
, 83 KB)
Practice paper: Working with parents who demonstrate hostile and aggressive behaviour
Practice paper: Working with people form culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
(
PDF
, 489 KB)
Practice resource: Approved carers - an overview
(
PDF
, 225 KB)
Practice resource: Assessing the progress of the case plan
(
PDF
, 227 KB)
Practice resource: Assessment of kinship carer applicants
(
PDF
, 33 KB)
Practice resource: Assessment orders
(
PDF
, 27 KB)
Practice resource: Bank accounts
(
PDF
, 24 KB)
Practice resource: Case planning - an overview
(
PDF
, 429 KB)
Practice resource: Child concern report responses and referrals
(
PDF
, 85 KB)
Practice resource: Child concern report responses and referrals
(
DOC
, 78 KB)
Practice resource: Child health passports
Practice resource: Child health passports flowchart
Practice resource: Children with sexual abuse histories
(
PDF
, 52 KB)
Practice resource: Communicating with the notifier
(
PDF
, 57 KB)
Practice resource: Comparison of the key steps for carer approval
(
PDF
, 63 KB)
Practice resource: Completing the Certificate of Approval
(
PDF
, 27 KB)
Practice resource: Completing the joint action plan
(
PDF
, 59 KB)
Practice resource: CSAHSC - profile and crisis intervention model
(
PDF
, 25 KB)
Practice resource: Departmental employees as carer applicants or approved carers
Practice resource: Developing a cultural support plan for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child
(
PDF
, 249 KB)
Practice resource: DNA paternity testing
Practice resource: Education outcomes for children in out-of-home care
(
PDF
, 37 KB)
Practice resource: Education outcomes for children in out-of-home care
(
RTF
, 20 KB)
Practice resource: Evolve interagency services
(
PDF
, 38 KB)
Practice resource: Explaining harm and criminal offences
(
PDF
, 45 KB)
Practice resource: Facilitating family contact
(
PDF
, 44 KB)
Practice resource: Family risk evaluation
(
PDF
, 33 KB)
Practice resource: Funerals and memorial services
(
PDF
, 26 KB)
Practice resource: Guide to supporting positive behaviour
(
PDF
, 384 KB)
Practice resource: Guidelines for departmental staff when providing information to the court regarding a domestic violence order application
Practice resource: Information gathering guide
(
PDF
, 95 KB)
Practice resource: Information sharing - case examples
(
PDF
, 15 KB)
Practice resource: Informing parents about the harm and the outcome - section 15
(
PDF
, 141 KB)
Practice resource: Interviewing a child
(
PDF
, 25 KB)
Practice resource: Key concepts for the regulation of care
(
PDF
, 320 KB)
Practice resource: Legislative provisions in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with their families
(
PDF
, 683 KB)
Practice resource: Legislative requirements for the approval of kinship carers
(
PDF
, 30 KB)
Practice resource: Legislative requirements for the approval of kinship carers
(
DOC
, 68 KB)
Practice resource: Long-term guardianship - assessment factors
(
PDF
, 45 KB)
Practice resource: Long-term guardianship orders - a comparison
Practice resource: Mandatory advice to blue card applicants
(
PDF
, 133 KB)
Practice resource: Meeting the statement of standards
(
PDF
, 16 KB)
Practice resource: Negotiating support arrangements for approved carers
(
PDF
, 22 KB)
Practice resource: Negotiating support arrangements for approved carers
(
DOC
, 84 KB)
Practice resource: Notifiers and mandatory notifiers
(
PDF
, 266 KB)
Practice resource: Out-of-home care - an integrated child protection response
(
PDF
, 74 KB)
Practice resource: Overview of referral and planning process with Department of Housing
(
PDF
, 24 KB)
Practice resource: Participation of children and young people in decision-making
(
PDF
, 342 KB)
Practice resource: Placement documentation
(
PDF
, 37 KB)
Practice resource: Placement matching principles
(
PDF
, 267 KB)
Practice resource: Placements with another entity - 82(1)(f)
(
PDF
, 208 KB)
Practice resource: Planning for and undertaking a joint investigation
(
PDF
, 31 KB)
Practice resource: Planning the investigation and assessment
(
PDF
, 247 KB)
Practice resource: Program of supports - long-term guardians
Practice resource: Providing adoption services
(
PDF
, 26 KB)
Practice resource: Receiving Integrated Justice Information Strategy email alert information
Practice resource: Recording notification information
(
PDF
, 24 KB)
Practice resource: Recording the investigation and assessment
(
PDF
, 31 KB)
Practice resource: Recording your professional assessment about whether the child is in need of protection
Practice resource: Regional intake services workflow
Practice resource: Respite options
(
PDF
, 29 KB)
Practice resource: Responsibilities - long-term guardians
Practice resource: Reviewing the foster carer agreement
(
PDF
, 30 KB)
Practice resource: Safety assessment
(
PDF
, 503 KB)
Practice resource: Safety assessment
(
DOCX
, 97 KB)
Practice resource: Safety and support plans - young people frequently absent or missing
(
PDF
, 205 KB)
Practice resource: Safety and support plans - young people frequently absent or missing
(
RTF
, 50 KB)
Practice resource: Schedule of criminal offences
(
PDF
, 84 KB)
Practice resource: School Disciplinary absence
(
PDF
, 210 KB)
Practice resource: School Disciplinary absence
(
RTF
, 692 KB)
Practice resource: Section 55 requests -
Domestic and Family Violence Act 2012
Practice resource: Standards of care - key concepts and definitions
(
PDF
, 26 KB)
Practice resource: Structured decision making - an overview
Practice resource: Suitability decision-making for a new adult household member
(
PDF
, 187 KB)
Practice resource: Suitability decision-making for a new adult household member
(
RTF
, 14 KB)
Practice resource: Support levels and behaviour characteristics
(
PDF
, 51 KB)
Practice resource: Supporting parents who have an intellectual disability
(
PDF
, 33 KB)
Practice resource: Supporting parents who have an intellectual disability
(
RTF
, 24 KB)
Practice resource: Temporary custody order
Practice resource: The authority to care form
(
PDF
, 28 KB)
Practice resource: The child placement principle
(
PDF
, 78 KB)
Practice resource: The role of a support person
(
PDF
, 25 KB)
Practice resource: The role of the CSO at intake
(
PDF
, 161 KB)
Practice resource: Transferring an ongoing intervention case
(
PDF
, 49 KB)
Practice resource: Transition from care
(
PDF
, 59 KB)
Practice resource: Unborn children
Practice resource: Use of powers for a child at immediate risk - section 16 and 18
(
PDF
, 29 KB)
Practice resource: Vexatious and malicious notifiers
(
PDF
, 81 KB)
Practice resource: Working with family courts
(
PDF
, 36 KB)
Practice resource: Writing an affidavit
(
PDF
, 67 KB)
Pre-service training
Procedures and guidelines for Quality Care: Foster Care Training
Protocol between the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia and the Department of Child Safety Queensland
RecFind user guide
Recordkeeping: Client file procedure
Reporting missing children: Guidelines for approved carers and care services
(
PDF
)
Responding to people at risk of suicide: How can you and your organisation help?
(
PDF
)
Right to Information
Schedule 2 Providing housing assistance to children in need of protection
SDM: Child strengths and needs assessment
SDM: Family reunification assessment
SDM: Family risk evaluation
SDM: Family risk re-evaluation
SDM: Parental strengths and needs assessment
SDM: Response priority
SDM: Safety assessment
SDM: Screening criteria
Serious criminal offences
Standard training
Standards of care
(
PDF
, 40 KB)
Standards of care flowchart
(
PDF
, 229 KB)
Statement of Commitment between the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and the foster and kinship carers of Queensland
(
PDF
)
Statutory delegations
Strategic Plan
Strengths and needs interviewing questions
Support Service Case: Information for young people transitioning from care
(
PDF
)
The case planning process
The Child Placement Principle Prompt Sheet
Transfer summary sheet - administrative transfer from Queensland to all states and New Zealand
Transition from Care Planning Tips for CSOs
Translated resources (Child Safety website)
When Child Safety officers visit your home
(
PDF
)
Youth Protocol: An agreement concerning referral, assessment, case management and support for homeless and unsupported young people
Last reviewed
17 April 2018
Last modified
9 September 2019
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