Referrals to Child FIRST from Child Protection
Case Management Teams will be made regarding children where
significant concerns for their wellbeing have been established
during a period of investigation/intervention by Child
Protection. The purpose of these referrals is to ensure
parents/carers and children have appropriate supports in place to
address the child wellbeing concerns.
Referrals to Child FIRST are made to access
ongoing family/child support during the life of an open child
protection case and/or to provide ongoing support and exit planning
to the family/children upon closure by Child Protection.
Child Protection Case Management Teams include Adolescent
Protection Unit, Bendigo North Units, Bendigo South Units and
Bendigo Response Teams.
Child Protection Case Management Teams will direct
all referrals for Family Services to Child FIRST. For these
referrals Child FIRST’s role is generally limited to the
processing of the referral to the relevant Family Services agency
for action. Child FIRST may have a ‘brokerage’
role where a family is willing to work with Family Services but
unwilling to work with the Family Services provider in their L.G.A.
It is anticipated
that in most instances, Child FIRST will accept a referred case on
the assessment of the CBCPW. However, Child FIRST retains the
responsibility to determine the outcome of a
referral.
In the event of a
disagreement between Child Protection Case Management Teams and
Child FIRST about the appropriateness of a case for acceptance by
Child FIRST, the Child FIRST Manager and Child Protection’s
Community Partnerships Manager will endeavor to resolve the
matter. The dispute resolution mechanisms in the Shell
Agreements will be utilized if informal discussions cannot resolve
the disagreement.
Child Protection will take active steps to
facilitate a positive engagement and introductory process for the
family and the relevant Family Services
Agency.
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For referrals
from Child Protection Case Management teams, the following
steps apply.
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Child Protection
case Management Teams in consultation with the CBCPW will identify
cases that may be suitable for a referral to Child FIRST for a
community based family services involvement.
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Child Protection
will initiate the referral process to Child FIRST by completing the
case management referral form for Family Services (see attached
referral tool). The referral will address the child wellbeing
concerns as assessed by Child Protection, relevant family
history/information and what is required to make the necessary
changes in the family to ensure the child’s wellbeing ands
the family’s views on referral issues.
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To assist the
family’s engagement with Family Services, the Child
Protection practitioner should complete the referral and discuss it
with the family in a face to face manner before the referral is
sent to Child FIRST. The parent’s signature should be
obtained on the referral tool to confirm their agreement to the
referral, participation in completion of the referral tool and
consent for Child FIRST/Family Services to receive the referral
information and any supporting documents. Eg Best Interest
Plan.
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Child Protection
has responsibility for explaining to the family the role of Child
FIRST, the referral process and introductory process involving the
Family Services Agency.
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The CBCPW will
screen all Child Protection Case Management practitioners’
referrals to ensure they are appropriate for Family Services
involvement and meet the information needs of the
agency.
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The CBCPW will
deliver (via fax or hard copy) the completed Child Protection
practitioners’ referrals to Child
FIRST.
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The referral is tabled at the next
relevant allocation meeting for allocation to the Family Services
agency. The CBCPW will advise the Child Protection Case
Manager of the outcome of the allocations meeting.
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Upon allocation to a Family Services
agency, the referring Child Protection Unit is responsible for
convening a timely handover meeting (within 5 days) involving the
Child Protection practitioner, the allocated/holding Family
Services worker, family members, and other professionals including
Lekidjeka, VACCA and/or Child FIRST indigenous worker where
appropriate.
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The referral document will be
represented at the hand-over meeting with the consent of the family
and the discussions and outcome of the meeting will be recorded by
Child Protection on CRIS. The attending parties will
receive a record of the hand over meeting including any agreed
outcomes.
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It is expected that Child Protection
Case Management Teams will maintain case management responsibility
for all open cases referred from to Child FIRST until closure by
Child Protection.
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When referrals are made to Child FIRST
as part of a closure support plan, Child Protection will endeavour
to keep those cases open until the handover meeting with the family
is completed.
At the time of case closure by Child Protection,
Child Protection will inform Child FIRST/the relevant Family
Services agency of the date the case will be closed by Child
Protection, at which point Child FIRST/Family Services will assume
full case responsibility and case management of the family’s
situation.
