Information and Instructions

• Overview
• 1. Residential Group Homes
• 2. Specialised Fostering Service
• 3. Community Sector Funded Placements
• 4. Transitional High Needs Program (including disabilities)
• 5. Contract placement services with community sector agencies (generic 'fee for service') via Accommodation and Care Services

Overview

The procedures for paying the costs of a child’s care can vary in some ways from those used for approved foster placements. The ways in which the costs associated with a child’s care are met differ depending on the type of placement.

Subsidies and case support costs are also paid if a child is in residential group homes. Refer to the Chapter 3.5: Case management costs - basic subsidy provisions for detail.

The variations relate to the following categories of placement:

• residential group homes
• specialised fostering service
• community sector funded placements
• transitional high needs program (including disabilities)
• contract placement services with community sector agencies (generic 'fee for service') via Accommodation and Care Services.

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1. Residential Group Homes

Residential group homes are managed by Communities' Accommodation and Care Services.

Subsidy 

No subsidy is paid to the residential group home as it is a Communities' facility. 

Clothing allowance

Clothing allowance is not payable for a child in a residential group home as the child’s clothing needs should be met from the district case support costs budget.

Pocket money

Pocket money is to be paid to the child from either the district’s case support costs budget or the Accommodation and Care Services’ budget.

Case support costs

Case support costs are available for any child in residential group home. Refer to the Chapter 3.5: Case management costs - case support costs for detail.

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2. Specialised Fostering Service

Communities has service agreements in place with a number of community sector organisations for the provision of placements for children in the CEO’s care.  The service agreements for pre-paid placements are managed by the Non-Government Policy and Funding, Service Standards and Contracting unit.  

Subsidy

The service agreements provide half-yearly subsidy payments to the agencies for an agreed number of children. No subsidy is paid by the Department’s Business Support and Coordination.

Child protection workers are still required to complete the living arrangement details in Assist for the district director’s approval, but this will not be accessed by Business Support and Coordination.

Clothing allowance

The cost for clothing allowance is included in the service agreement. However, if a child’s clothing is not sufficient when a child first enters a placement it is the responsibility of the child protection worker to organise the purchase of sufficient clothing which should be approved and funded in the case plan in Assist. 

Pocket money

The cost of pocket money is included in the service agreement.

Case supports costs

A payment for incidental expenditure is included in the contract payment to each agency. This is an amount for each placement (not each child) for that year and is intended to meet small incidental expenditures that would normally be met from case support costs for any child placed with an approved foster carer.

Exceptional case support costs should be negotiated and reflected in a child’s case plan.  Child protection workers should be aware that the payment of case support costs is the district director’s prerogative and an agency cannot commit to any additional costs without consultation with the child protection worker.

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3. Community Sector Funded Placements

Communities has service agreements in place with a number of community sector organisations for the provision of placements for children in the care of the CEO.  The service agreements for pre-paid placements are managed by the Non-Government Policy and Funding, Service Standards and Contracting unit.  

Subsidy

The service agreements provide half-yearly subsidy payments to the agencies for an agreed number of children. No subsidy is paid by Business Support and Coordination.

Child protection workers are still required to complete the living arrangement details in Assist for the district director’s approval, but this will not be accessed by Business Support and Coordination.

Clothing allowance

The cost for clothing allowance is included in the service agreement. However, if a child’s clothing is not sufficient when a child first enters a placement it is the responsibility of the child protection worker to organise the purchase of sufficient clothing which should be approved and funded in the case plan in assist. 

Pocket money

The cost of pocket money is included in the service agreement.

Case supports costs

A payment for incidental expenditure is included in the contract payment to each agency. This is an amount for each placement (not each child) for that year and is intended to meet small incidental expenditures that would normally be met from case support costs for a child placed with an approved foster carer.

Exceptional case support costs should be negotiated and reflected in a child’s case plan. Child protection workers should be aware that the payment of case support costs is the district director’s prerogative and an agency cannot commit to any additional costs without consultation with the child protection worker.

Tier 1 Family Group Homes

Communities funds a number of community sector organisations to provide four bed family group homes in metropolitan and regional areas.  The funding for these Family Group Homes does not include case support costs.  Therefore, the district office is required to fund all case support costs, similar to Communities' general foster care.

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4. Transitional High Needs Program (including disabilities)

Transitional high needs program is an intensive placement and support service, including therapeutic and other specialist services provided by community sector agencies that target individual children. These placements and associated contracts are negotiated and developed by the Child and Carer Connection Hub (the HUB).

Subsidies

Subsidies should be included in the contract cost.

Clothing allowance

Clothing allowance should be included in the contract cost.

Pocket money

Pocket money should be included in the contract cost.

Case support costs

Ongoing case support costs should be identified and negotiated between Communities and the community sector organisation prior to the development of the contract.  These costs should then be included in the contract cost. The district office must fund all other case support costs.

Refer to Chapter 3.4 Placement referral - Child Information Form for details.

Child protection workers should also refer to the Assist User Guide – Special Purpose Funding for a high needs care arrangement which details how to apply for funding and record special purpose funding for a submission relating to a high needs placement.

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5. Contract placement services with community sector agencies (generic 'fee for service') via Accommodation and Care Services

When placement requests are submitted to Accommodation and Care Services funded agencies, the district office is required to apply for funding through the HUB. This team will develop and provide contracts with approved agencies.

Subsidies

Subsidies should be included in the contract cost.

Clothing allowance

Clothing allowance should be included in the contract cost.

Pocket money

Pocket money should be included in the contract cost.

Case support costs

Ongoing case support costs should be identified and negotiated between Communities and the community sector organisation prior to the development of the contract. These costs should then be included in the contract cost. The district office must fund all other case support costs.

Refer to Chapter 3.4: Placement referral - Child Information Form for details.

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