Information and Instructions

• Introduction
• Identification and engagement
• Assessment and approval
• Ongoing competency building
• Annual review
• Reassessment of a family or significant other carer
• Assessment of family and significant other carers applying to become foster carers
• Naming assessment and review forms in Objective

Introduction

Section 3 of the Children and Community Services Act 2004 (the Act) defines ‘Relative’.

‘Significant other’ is not defined in the Act but includes adults who:

• would be included in a child’s ecomap
• have known, and demonstrated an active interest in, the child and/or their family for a significant period, and
• belong to the same cultural group.

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Identification and engagement

Identification of potential family and significant other carers should, wherever possible, occur in conjunction with Signs of Safety meetings that assess and plan for the safety of a child. Potential family and significant other carers are identified by either the family or staff and should be brought into Signs of Safety meetings as soon as appropriate.

Assessment starts at the point of identification of the potential carer and the decision that a child could be placed with them. Assessment is an ongoing process which should include building capacity to meet and enhance competencies.  The opportunity to do this will occur at every contact.

Assessment of the family and significant other applicant is undertaken by a SCPW with input from the care team (case manager, team leader, Aboriginal practice leader, senior practice development officer), and is different to a foster carer assessment in that:


• the focus is the care arrangement as a whole
• it considers the pre-existing relationship between the child, family and the applicant
• the applicant is being assessed to care for a specific child, and
• the applicant is usually identified by the child or their family.

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Assessment and approval

​All applicants must be assessed against the competencies set out in the Regulations.  The CEO must be satisfied that the individual:

• is able to provide care for a child in a way that promotes the wellbeing of the child, promotes the child's family and interpersonal relationships, and protects the child from harm

• is able to provide a safe living environment for a child

• is able to work cooperatively with us, a child's family and other people when providing care for a child

• is able to take responsibility for the development of their skills and competency as a carer, and

• is a person of good character and repute.

Assessment of applicants must be an ongoing process and should continue with every conversation the SCPW has with them. Assessment and capacity building with applicants should occur concurrently.  Each conversation should assist applicants to be aware of the things they need to do as carers, develop the necessary behaviours, and provide the SCPWs with a more complete picture about the extent to which the applicant meets the competencies.

If you become aware that a child in the CEO's care is being charged rent or board by their carer, or that the carer is attempting to charge them rent or board, seek advice from Legal and Business Services. The provision of financial assistance to a carer to meet a child in the CEO's care needs must be funded by the Department and not the child.

The values of respect, compassion, empathy and validation should be integral to these conversations.  The Interim Placement Handbook can help guide conversations with carers and help answer important questions they might have about the assessment process (in related resources).


Assessment informs the support strategies which should be tailored for the child and applicant. The applicant may have assumed the role of carer unexpectedly, in response to an unforeseen crisis, and may require additional support and learning/training opportunities while they adjust to their new role. 


A Carer Support Plan must be developed for every applicant to support them in acquiring additional skills and to assist them to build their capacity to meet the competencies. Access the Carer Support Plan in related resources.   

The Interim placement and family and significant other care assessment checklist, flowchart and Form 560 (in related resources) guide assessment requirements regarding:


• the next steps following an interim placement, and 
• the beginning steps for an assessment if a child has not yet been placed with the applicant as it is a planned care arrangement (for example the completion of Form 395 and the Application for a WWC Check).
  

For more information, see Chapter 3.1 – Interim Placement Arrangements. 


The number and type of contacts SCPWs have with applicants during assessments varies to suit individual needs. The competencies must be discussed with the applicant.

Using the prompt questions and other forms of interviews, discussions and resources (e.g. ecomaps and genograms) with the carer, SCPWs must gather evidence to support the applicant's abilities against each of the competencies. Analysis of this evidence is what forms the assessment to be written into the Form 560. Resources have been developed to assist the assessment process including Practice Guidance for Swimming Pools, Spas and Other Bodies of Water, Safe Storage of Alcohol and Other Poisons and Considerations for Pet Assessments (in related resources).

As part of the assessment process, SCPWs must contact the referees identified in Form 560 and complete Form 707 Referee Report for Foster, Family and Significant Other Carer Applicants. This must be done before the applicant is approved by the ADD/DD.


When an applicant has indicated they have health issues, complete Form 718 Health and Lifestyle Self-Assessment for Foster Care Applicant and 711 Authority to Release Medical Information.  SCPWs can then request a medical report and discuss any concerns with the medical practitioner, including mental health and other specialists.


Record screening is required prior to or immediately following placement of a child. The Statutory Declaration (Form 562) and the Records Check Consent (Form 395) must be submitted: Prior to the care arrangement commencing On the day the care arrangement started The next work day following the start of the care arrangement The Initial environmental Check (Form 715) is due within 5 working days of the start of the care arrangement.

If criminal record checking reveals any adverse information, the Screening Unit will request the Authorised Officer named on the applicant's Record Check Consent Form (Form 395) to discuss this with the applicant and complete a report for the ADD/DD. After considering the report, the ADD/DD decide whether the applicant's assessment should continue.


As part of the assessment, the SCPW must develop a recommendation that the applicant be approved as a family or significant other carer (for the care arrangement to continue if the child is already in their care), or for the applicant not to be approved as a family or significant other carer (the child to be placed in an alternative care arrangement if the child is already in their care).

This report must be shared with the applicant to discuss any issues and provide clarification where necessary.

The assessment report must be submitted to the ADD/DD for approval.  The SCPW advises the applicant of the outcome verbally, and then the applicant is advised in writing by the ADD/DD.


A final decision regarding the approval of the applicant as a family or significant other carer must be made within a maximum of six months of the commencement of the interim placement or assessment.  

If the applicant is approved as a carer, the SCPW must update the applicant's status in the 'Approve and Manage Carer' screen in Assist.

The carer must be provided with ongoing support, learning and development to continue to build or enhance competencies.

Once the applicant has been approved, the SCPW must again discuss the Care Team Approach Practice Framework and make sure the carer has a copy (it should be given during the assessment process).

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Ongoing competency building

Every foster and family carer must have a Carer Support Plan, and the plan must be reviewed annually.


After approval, you should have contact with the approved family or significant other carers on a minimum monthly basis. The information you gather from carers during your contact should be collated and used to inform the annual review process and review of the Carer Support Plan.  When reviewing the Carer Support Plan, use the Carer Support Plan template in related resources. 


The focus of your contact with carer should centre around the care team approach, relationship building with the child and carer, and the carer's cultural awareness and ability to maintain the child's cultural connections. This process should build carer's capacity through tailored support and learning and development, so that the care arrangement is a safe and positive experience for the child.


Record conversations with the carer as case notes or using the Signs of Safety three column template.  These notes will inform your annual review and identify any ongoing supports required and learning and development opportunities..

You should be clear about your role in supporting carers and determine what this will involve for each carer.

For more information refer to chapter 3.1 Foster carer review process. 


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Annual review

The annual review of a carer is informed by the continuing conversations that have been occurring monthly and is part of an ongoing process. This involves recording key issues in the Signs of Safety three columns and highlights the areas for further support, capacity building and learning and development (refer to Form 565 Carer Review in related resources). Once completed a copy is provided to the carer and the original document placed on the carer file.

Information recorded from ongoing contacts in case notes, quarterly reports, Signs of Safety mappings, care plan meetings and the Carer Support Plan should be brought together to form the basis of the annual review and report.

All carers must have a carer review once every 12 months (as a minimum requirement). To assist forward planning and for reviews of approved carers to be completed within the required timeframe, districts must implement a rolling 11 month planning cycle. This cycle is designed to support a sustainable and systematic approach to all carers having an annual review.

Using this model, all planning requirements are scheduled to occur between January and November of each calendar year. This should be documented in a letter to the carers at the beginning of the cycle, detailing the future meeting date for the annual review.

The carer review provides an opportunity for the carer and their family to give feedback on the experience of providing care, what is working well, what we and the carer might be worried about, and what needs to happen. It also provides the opportunity for the SCPW to check that the carer and all other adult household members have a current WWC Card.

The annual review formally affirms whether or not the carer is achieving and maintaining their competencies as a carer. This should also be reflected in the Carer Support Plan, for example,  what is working well, what the carer needs further support or assistance with. For more information on conducting a carer review, see Guide to preparing for a carer review in related resources. 

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Reassessment of a family or significant other carer

If a family or significant other carer has withdrawn after a child has left their care and we are seeking to return that child or place another child with them, the carer must be reassessed according to the Interim Placement Assessment.

Reassessment must also be undertaken when:

• an allegation concerning the standard of care has been reported and investigated, and the outcome was unsubstantiated but concerns remain

• an allegation has been substantiated

• a number of less serious concerns regarding the standard of care arise

• there is a change in the carer’s primary relationship such as a new partner, separation from a partner or death of a partner. If the review identifies that the carer has a spouse or de-facto partner who has moved into the home, the spouse or de-facto partner must be screened and assessed as a carer, and will require a WWC Card, and/or

• a carer’s situation has changed significantly and this affects their ability to provide safe and appropriate care. This may include the death of a family member or close friend.

The extent of assessment required should be determined by the situation that led to the reassessment being required. The reassessment must determine whether the carer meets the competencies, and must be approved by the assistant district director/​​district director.

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Assessment of family and significant other carers applying to become foster carers

If a family or significant other carer applies to become a foster carer, the process should proceed as for any other applicant – for more information refer to Chapter 3.1: Foster carer application and assessment.  Where the proposed family carers are a couple who reside together, and both will be providing care for the children, they should be assessed as joint applicants.


The family carer assessment and subsequent reviews will be considered as part of the evidence provided for the foster carer assessment. The assessment process will include additional assessment considerations regarding their suitability to care for children who are not related to them.

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Naming assessment and review forms in Objective

Forms 560 (for the assessment) and 560a (for the review) must be saved in Objective under the following naming conventions.

Form 560 – for the assessment:

• Interim Placement and Carer Assessment – Part One - Interim Placement Assessment (list child’s surname and child’s first name)
• Interim Placement and Carer Assessment – Part Two – Carer Assessment (list child’s surname and child’s first name)
  

Form 565 – for the review:

• Carer review (list child’s surname and child’s first name).

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