You can allow a child in the CEO's care to be photographed, video recorded, or included in other published media provided the child is not or cannot be identified as a child in the CEO's care, and their safety is not placed at risk by the publishing of the information.
Before you provide permission, you
must consult with your team leader.
| If there is a chance that the child's care status may be revealed, you must also consult with your district director.
|
If the young person concerned is 18 years of age or older, they can provide their own written authorisation and make the decision based on their own views and wishes. If the young person cannot be located and the decision to identify them is being made by Communities, you
must document all attempts to seek permission and to ask them for their views and wishes about the decision. After serious attempts to contact the young person have failed, and there is a genuine identified need to disclose the status of the young person as being in the CEO's care, the DG or relevant Executive Director, Service Delivery may authorise publication.
You
must discuss with carers the legal requirement not to identify a child as being a child in the CEO's care. All carers
must be made aware that if they believe publishing information about a child would be in the childs best interest, they
must seek permission through the appropriate channels and the decision will be made in consideration of the childs views and wishes, their care plan and cultural support plan and their ability to give informed consent.
Further information is available in Information Sheet - Confidentiality (in related resources).
You
must also consider seeking permission from the child's parents, family and significant others, depending on the specific circumstances of the situation, the childs wishes and the nature of the family relationships.
| If the child is Aboriginal, you
must consult with an Aboriginal practice leader or another relevant senior Aboriginal worker before you make a decision to publish identifying information about a child in the CEOs care. You should also consider consulting with other family members and/or elders in the community to identify any specific cultural considerations. If the child is from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) background, you
must consult with the family to identify any relevant cultural issues that may arise by identifying the child. Children who are Aboriginal or CaLD are likely to regularly participate in community cultural events. Planning for the possibility of the child being photographed or filmed at these events should be considered in their Cultural Support Plan.
|
When responding to a request for permission for information or photographs to be published by a school, community group or other which does not identify the child as being a child in the CEOs care, you:
-
must sign the permission form provided by the school, community group or other and place a copy on the childs case file
- should consult with their team leader if there are any concerns about granting permission, and
- should, depending on the circumstances of the case, seek the consent of the child or childs parent using Form 773 - Permission to identify a child in the CEOs care in related resources.
Approval process
You should seek approval to publish the identification details of a child in the CEO's care when:
If you believe there are appropriate grounds for a childs details to be published in a newspaper or other medium, and it appears to be in the child's best interests, you
must:
- Submit a briefing
note to the district director for endorsement. The briefing note should include:
If endorsed, the District Director should seek approveal from the Executive Director, Service Delivery
Once approval is obtained forward the following information by email to the Director, Corporate Communications:
- a copy of the material to be published
- the briefing note endorsed and signed by the district director
- a completed
Form 773 - Permission Form – Media and/or Publications (in related resources) which has been signed by the person/s agreeing to be photographed and by our staff (if applicable), and
- a completed
Instrument of Authorisation (template in related resources) with the Executive Director, Services delivery (or above) approval.
You will be advised of the outcome of the request.