Information and Instructions

• Child considered to be a risk to others
• Inclusion in decision making
• Referral to residential care
• Placement in residential care
• Residential care plans
• Exit and transition from a residential care service

Child considered to be a risk to others

If a child is deemed to pose a risk to others, has seriously hurt another child in their care arrangement, or displays behaviours that indicate they are likely to pose a risk to others, such as extreme violence and violent or abusive harmful sexual behaviours, you must do the following:  Recognise the child posing a risk to others is also in need of support and respond to the child in a trauma-informed manner. It is important to recognise and acknowledge that the child is likely to be displaying trauma-related behaviours. Ensure the immediate safety of all children involved and in the care arrangement. This may include seeking medical advice and or police involvement. Contact the district managing the child who has been harmed in the care arrangement or who is believed to be at risk in the care arrangement. This district may want to be involved in safety planning. The child who may pose a risk to others must be invited to participate in the safety planning process. The carers/family will also need to be invited to participate. They must all be provided with details of the safety plan once it is made and kept up to date if any changes are made. A new care arrangement must be organised if the risk is considered too great and is unable to be managed through safety planning. A new care arrangement must be organised where a child is in a residential care home or setting with other children (including siblings), and you become aware they have reporting conditions under the Community Protection Offender Reporting Act 2004.   Create an alert on Assist if the child who poses a risk to others is to remain in the care arrangement with a safety plan in place. This alert must be removed if the child moves or if they are no longer deemed to be a risk to others. You or another case worker must speak to the child who has been harmed/who is at risk in the care arrangement. It is important that they have the opportunity to raise any safety concerns, that their opinions and wishes are considered that they are offered and provided appropriate therapeutic supports.

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Inclusion in decision making

​Under s.10 of the Children and Community Services Act 2004, child protection workers need to emphasise the importance of child participation, particularly in relation to significant events and times of intense planning for the child:


When a decision is being made that is likely to have a significant impact on a child's life, to make sure the child is able to participate in the decision-making process, the child must be given: adequate information about the decision being made, in accessible language and in a way the child can understand. an explanation on why the Department is making this decision. an opportunity to express their wishes and views freely, according to their ability any help they need to express their views and wishes information on how their views and wishes will be documented, and a chance to respond and to challenge the decision made. In relation to the extent of a child's participation, due regard must be given to the child's age and level of understanding.

 


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Referral to residential care

For further information child protection workers should refer to the Residential Care Referral Process Map (in related resources).

As a requirement of referral to a residential care service, children and young people must have an active child protection worker assigned to their case.

Referral during working hours

1.  You must complete an assessment of the child's needs to determine the type of service required and complete the standard CAR.

2.  The CAR must be quality assured and signed by the senior child protection worker - placement services and team leader.  Request for placement must be endorsed by the district director.

3.  The completed and signed CAR must be forwarded (with appropriate supporting information) to:

• the Central Referral Team (CRT) for review and potential placement within metropolitan residential care services, or
• the designated senior officer (assistant district director or other suitable director designated senior officer) for review and potential placement within country residential care services (residential group homes and family group homes).

4. Consultation to confirm the suitability of the placement being considered must occur as follows:

• Metropolitan residential group home services - assistant directors residential care
• Metropolitan family group home services - senior child protection worker - placement services CRT (and the assistant director residential care (FGH) if required), and
• Country residential group home services – assistant district director and the relevant FGH service provider or residential group home manager.

5. The CRT will confirm metropolitan placement options with the senior child protection worker - placement services as soon as practicable.

6. Offers of placements are made by the assistant director residential care directly to the district. This includes information and acknowledgment of the risks by case managers and team leaders.

7. If a child is referred from a country district and offered a place in a metropolitan residential care service, the referring district must have successfully negotiated the allocation of a co-worker with the relevant paired office. For further information refer to Chapter 2.2: Case allocations, management, transfers and requests for co-working or services and case closure.

The assistant director residential care (FGH) will mediate the final determination on a placement should there be disagreement with the service provider.

 Out of hours referrals

1. The Crisis Care Unit (CCU) must assess the child's needs to determine the type of service required (Note: FGH's have no afterhours capacity).
2. CCU can place a child in an RGH should a bed be available but must consult the on-call residential care manager if the homes are at capacity.
3. CCU must complete the standard CIF Referral and send to the relevant service as soon as practicable.
4. CCU staff should arrange transport for the child and accompany the child to the residential service.
5. CCU should arrange for the child\young person to be transported to the district office the following working day for further assessment of child's needs.

Where a placement in a residential care service is not considered the most appropriate placement, the district will be notified in writing by residential care services as to the reasons why. 

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Placement in residential care

Whenever possible, placement of a child or young person into a residential care service should occur in a planned manner. You and appropriate district office staff must commit to initial and ongoing assessment, review and planning and the provision of resources as required, to assist the residential care team in the implementation of an agreed therapeutic plan.

Whenever possible, you and the child should plan a visit to the house to meet the manager and residential care staff/specialist carer prior to admission.

You must accompany the child to the residential house. You and residential care staff/FGH staff must actively support the child's transition into the home environment.

You must provide detailed information on the child's medical history, placement history, contact arrangements and any other relevant information.

The district where the child is case managed is responsible for all case support costs while the child is placed in a residential care service.

Safety Plan

A residential care safety plan should be completed in consultation with the RGH/FGH when making a placement in a residential care service.

If a child is admitted without a current safety plan, one must be developed immediately by the residential care service in consultation with the district office. Any risks identified as part of the assessment process must be considered in the context of the proposed placement and form the basis of developing a safety plan.

The child must be encouraged and supported to participate in the development of the plan, as appropriate.

For further information, refer to the entry 1.2.6 Safety Planning.

Support for children who have an acute mental health episode

The Acute Response Team (ART) is a metropolitan service that operates 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The service conducts acute mental health assessments in emergency departments and community settings in the metropolitan area, from Clarkson to Peel.The ART can be a first response option when a young person has psychosocial issues and you or residential care staff believe the young person requires immediate intervention – for example, the young person is self-harming or a suicidal risk. The ART can be contacted on 1800 048 636.

Two flowcharts are available in related resources that step out the process if a young person requires an immediate mental health assessment:

• The Acute Response Team – Referral Pathway (mental health information and triage), and  

• PMH Emergency Department Contact Process for Children in Care (including mental health intervention).

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Residential care plans

The residential care plan must be developed by the care team with reference to the child or young person's care plan and identify areas that will be the focus for staff/specialist carers during the child/young person's stay in the residential care service.

Residential care plans must be developed at the admission meeting or within 10 days (or two days in transitional homes) of the child being admitted and be informed by the child's care plan, child protection worker and district team leader.

The residential care plan must identify the agreed placement goals, actions and tasks, who is responsible (including resources), the time frame and a measure of the child's progress. It must be signed off by both the residential care service manager and district team leader.

Plans must be reviewed at least once every three months or more frequently if necessary, by you, the residential care service manager and district team leader.

The residential care plan review document is the basis for reporting back to you on agreed placement goals. A copy of the review document must be provided to the child protection worker and a further copy placed on the child's file.

Individual therapeutic plan

Individual therapeutic plans should be developed and implemented collaboratively by the care team. The residential care service manager, in consultation with the residential care service's psychologist/therapeutic specialist, is responsible for the development, implementation and review of individual therapeutic plans for all children in their care.

An individual therapeutic plan must identify the child's specific behavioural and emotional needs and forms the framework from which all residential care staff will engage with the child to address those needs.

Planning must be informed by and linked to the residential care plan, be reviewed regularly by the residential care team and amended accordingly. Progress must be reported to the district through the residential care plan review process.

If a child is deemed to pose a risk to others, has seriously hurt another child in their care arrangement, or displays behaviours indicating they are likely to pose a risk to others, such as extreme violence and harmful sexualised behaviours, you must do the following:  Recognise the child posing a risk to others is also in need of support and respond to the child in a trauma-informed manner. It is important to recognise and acknowledge that the child is likely to be displaying trauma-related behaviours. Ensure the immediate safety of all children involved and in the care arrangement. This may include seeking medical advice and or police involvement. Contact the district managing the child who has been harmed in the care arrangement or who is believed to be at risk in the care arrangement. This district may want to be involved in safety planning. The child who may pose a risk to others must be invited to participate in the safety planning process. The carers/family will also need to be invited to participate. They must all be provided with details of the safety plan once it is made and kept up to date if any changes are made. Consider if the current care arrangement can be maintained in a manner that ensures the safety of all children present. Create an alert on ASSIST if the child who poses a risk to others is to remain in the care arrangement with a safety plan in place. This alert must be removed if the child moves or if they are no longer deemed to be a risk to others. Ensure you or another case manager has spoken with the child who has been harmed/who is at risk in the care arrangement. It is important that they have had the opportunity to raise any safety concerns and that their opinions and wishes are considered.

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Exit and transition from a residential care service

Transition to exit is an integral part of the care planning process. An exit planning meeting must be conducted prior to the child/young person exiting the program so that processes are in place for a smooth transition to the next placement.

Initial planning for transition to a longer term care arrangement commences on admission and remains part of the ongoing assessment, planning and review process. All relevant stakeholders should be involved in the planning however, you are responsible for the transition of the child to their future care arrangement.

For further information, refer to the Family Group Home - Placement Breakdown and Exit Planning Protocol (in related resources).

Decisions regarding care arrangement changes are care planning decisions and must be made in accordance with s.89 of the Act.

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