Scripts for providing information
Child FIRST stands for Child & Family Information, Referral and Support Team
Child FIRST provides a central intake service to family services across the North Central catchment (covering the Local Government Areas of Macedon ranges, Mt Alexander, Central Goldfields, Bendigo, Loddon and Campaspe).
Child FIRST is a partnership between all funded family service agencies in the North Central catchment. The agencies involved are:
  • Bendigo and District Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC);
  • Bendigo Community Health Services;
  • Castlemaine District Community Health Centre;
  • CentaCare - Diocese of Sandhurst;
  • Cobaw Community Health Services;
  • Echuca Regional Health;
  • Kyabram Community and Learning Centre;
  • Njernda Aboriginal Corporation;
  • St Luke's Anglicare Victoria.
Child FIRST can link families to the most suitable service, making it easier and quicker for families to get the support they need.
Child FIRST can receive calls from professionals, parents, young people, extended family and friends who are seeking information about support for families.
Child FIRST can also receive referrals from callers who have significant concerns for the wellbeing of a child.
Child FIRST is a service that:
  • operates within a strengths based framework 
  • driven by the family and what the family tells us they need/want
  • responsive- aims to respond timely to requests for service and to ensure smooth/clear referral pathways to other services
  • has access to a range of resources and information through links and partnerships with the other service providers (and we have access to CBCPW for consults)
  • Services offered can include links to other services, provision of information, outreach family support, Focus Sessions (in some areas) and Group work (in some areas)
REQUEST FOR SERVICE PROCESS
Families will be provided with information on the service and a Request for Service completed (when families require supports) to collect information to best support the family and to support the family to start developing a plan that will help ensure the children's safety and wellbeing.
Families will be given information on the next steps, timelines for allocation and the allocation process.
With the family consent this information will be shared to allocate to the agency/service best suited to support the family.
INFORMATION SHARING PRACTICES
Best practice is for information collected to be with family consent and copies of all information collected to be given to the family (excluding referrer details when referrers are not wanting to be identified).
Child FIRST workers will collect information about families referred to the service to assist with assessment and to link families to the agency/service best suited to support the family. Child FIRST can legally seek information about children and families referred to them from professionals already involved with the family
Once a family is to be allocated, the family will be introduced at the Allocation Meeting (with family consent) to allocate to the agency/service best suited to support the family.
CONSULTATIONS WITH CHILD PROTECTION
Child FIRST has access to a Community Based Child Protection Worker (CBCPW) who is at the office for part of each week.
The CBCPW is available for consultation with Child FIRST when there are serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child or young person.
The CBCPW role is to support families and the services they are being supported by to try and avoid further Child Protection involvement.
A consultation with the CBCPW is not a report.
CBCPW will keep a record of the consultation that will be referred to if there are further consultations or reports to child Protection.
Best practice is for consultations to take place with family knowledge and consent, and for a copy of the consultation to be given to the family. The only time that this may not occur is if there are any safety issues for the child or young person.
CONSULTATIONS WITH  CHILD FIRST INDIGENOUS WORKER
To ensure that Child FIRST responses to Indigenous families are culturally sensitive and competent we have an Indigenous  worker.
The Indigenous  worker is available to assist with and support all referrals for Indigenous families.
If families do not want the Indigenous  worker to be involved that is okay, however they will still be consulted and family names or any other identifying information will not be provided (a non identifying consult).
PROTECTION OF REFERRERS IDENTITY
Callers are encouraged to talk with the family about their concerns and to seek their consent to make the referral to Child FIRST.
Under the legislation referrers can be protected (ie their identity and details not provided to family)if the referrer has significant concerns for a child's wellbeing. This is also the default position for reporters who do not wish to be disclosed regardless of the concerns.
Best practice is to encourage referrers to be disclosed to maximize opportunities for engagement with the family and to respond to child wellbeing together.
OPTIONS FOR CONTACTING FAMILY
Families can contact Child FIRST themselves, or Child FIRST can call the family, preferably with families knowledge of the referral and consent.
When the referrer is protected all attempts will be made to talk through the concerns with the family in such a way to not disclose the referrers identity, however sometimes families may work out who made the referral.
When Child FIRST contacts the family, they will advise family of the referral, who made the referral (when disclosed) and the reason for the referral. Child FIRST will provide families with information about the service and seek consent when required to consult with the Indigenous Child FIRST worker
FEEDBACK TO REFERRERS
Feedback on the outcome of referrals will be provided to referrers. The nature of the feedback will be dependent on family consent.  Without consent,  feedback will be limited to information such as 'contact made with the family'.
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