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2.2.6 Child Safety Investigation Review

Last Modified: 06-Oct-2022 Review Date: N/A

‭(Hidden)‬ Legislation
Overview

​The Child Safety Investigation (CSI) Review replaces the previous practice guidance on Independent Internal Reviews.

A CSI Review should be completed within 30 working days of the Review being allocated. Where this is not possible, you should advise the client of the delay and intended timeframe for completion.

A CSI Review must determine:

  1. whether Department policy and practice guidance were followed at the time the CSI was completed, and

  2. if the assessment and rationale were informed by full and credible evidence and considered all available information, and

  3. whether procedural fairness requirements were met and the CSI outcome decisions were based on the balance of probabilities (see Guidelines on Procedural Fairness (Natural Justice) in related resources), and

  4. if the CSI outcome decisions are upheld or changed based on the information gathered during the CSI and CSI Review.

 

A CSI Review can only be conducted once, and the findings are final.

If a client is dissatisfied with the outcome then you should direct them to contact the Ombudsman for Western Australia via 08 9220 7555 or www.ombudsman.wa.gov.au

Grounds for a CSI Review request:

Externally

A significant person who was provided with a letter outlining the CSI outcome can request a CSI Review on the basis that:

  1. they do not agree with the decision made at the outcome of the CSI, regardless of whether or not harm was substantiated, and/or
  2. they do not agree with a recording in relation to an individual i.e. Actual Harm Continuing Risk (AHCR).

The request should be made within 30 days of the person receiving the outcome letter or as determined by the district director. They can make their request in person or in writing.

They must:   

  1. identitfy the specific decisions to be reviewed, and
  2. clarify the specific reasons for seeking the review.

Internally

A CSI Review can be generated within the Department by:

  • a local district
  • a district director
  • the Professional Practice Unit (PPU), or
  • another internal mechanism.

The grounds for this might be:

  • the Department becoming aware of new information that impacts on the CSI decision, such as a court outcome (conviction, acquittal), that may require amendment of the AHCR decision, or
  • a request by other Department business areas, in response to Ministerial requests or contentious matters.

The grounds do not require the Department to generate a CSI Review.

The PPU can be consulted at any point in the CSI Review process.    

 

Information and Instructions

  • Undertaking a CSI Review
  • Recording a CSI Review

    • Undertaking a CSI Review

    A CSI Review must be undertaken by:

    • a CSI Reviewer, Level 6 or above, who has completed the CSI Reviewer training, and
    • a CSI Reviewer from the relevant district office who has had no previous significant involvement in the CSI subject to review.

     

     

    You must save all relevant documentation in relation to the CSI Review to the family group file regardless of the outcome of the review.

    Receiving and allocating a CSI Reviewer

    All requests for a CSI Review should be forwarded to the relevant district director or their delegate.

    The district director or delegate allocates the CSI Review to a CSI Reviewer from the relevant district who has had no previous involvement in the CSI subject to review.

    When the CSI Review is complex, contentious or when there is a potential conflict of interest, it may be appropriate for another district office or the PPU to undertake the CSI Review.

    CSI Review process

    Once the CSI Reviewer has been allocated the CSI Review, the Review should be completed within 30 working days of its allocation. Where this is not possible, you should advise the client of the delay and intended timeframe for completion.

    You must use the CSI Review and must use the CSI Review Template.

    The CSI Reviewer must contact the person who requested the CSI Review within seven working days of allocation, to discuss and provide them an opportunity for input into the CSI Review.  Form 232 can be sent to the person who requested the CSI Review, acknowledging their request. 

    The CSI Reviewer must advise anyone else who received the CSI Outcome Letter (Form 230, Form 231 or Form 233) that a CSI Review is occurring. The letter must outline the timeframe and offer them the opportunity for input into the CSI Review.

    The CSI Reviewer must consider relevant Objective files and Assist records relating to the CSI.

    The CSI Reviewer may also consider any relevant information provided by significant people. Significant people can include anyone provided with a CSI Outcome Letter. The CSI Reviewer can contact other relevant parties at their discretion.  

    The CSI Reviewer may consult or quality assure their review with their line manager, or seek consult with the PPU at any time.

    CSI Review outcome

    The CSI Review will either uphold or change the original CSI outcome. The CSI Review must consider if:

    1. procedural fairness was met
    2. relevant policies and practice guidance were adhered to
    3. the original decision was made based upon credible evidence, and
    4. the outcome is upheld or changed.

    The outcomes can be:

    • Harm of the child is not substantiated.
    • Substantiated likelihood of significant harm (has or will occur) of the child.
    • Substantiated significant harm (actual) of the child.

     

    If…

    Then…

    Significant harm (actual) is substantiated

    The CSI Reviewer may consider whether a person meets the criteria for being recorded as causing Actual Harm and posing a Continuing Risk to children (AHCR) 

    ​The CSI Reviewer makes a new decision to record a person as AHCR ​The CSI Reviewer must follow the guidance outlined in the entry Actual Harm Continuing Risk (AHCR) criteria

     

    Where the CSI Reviewer or another role delegated by the director do not agree on the recommended outcome of the CSI Review, the matter should be escalated to the relevant Executive Director for a final decision.       

     

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    Recording a CSI Review

    ​

    The CSI Reviewer must record the CSI Review on Assist.

    Refer to the Assist User Guides - Recording a Child Safety Investigation Review for detailed instructions.

    Recording the CSI Review outcome

    The CSI Review is recorded in Assist and documents:

    • the review details and rationale, and
    • the review outcome and recommendations.

    Please refer to the CSI Review Template (Refer to Related Resources under Forms) for all the relevant headings and guidance when completing the outcome report.

    The district director or the PPU approves the CSI Review and advises all significant people of the CSI Review outcome using Form 188.

    Form 188 advises the significant people that there is no further review process available and to contact the Ombudsmen WA if they remain dissatisfied with the process.

    Recording a change to a person's status

    As part of the CSI Review, a recommendation might be made that a person's current AHCR status be amended. Please note that AHCR replaces previous recordings of Assessed as Causing Significant Harm (ASH) and Person Responsible (PR).  

    When you are removing a person's AHCR (PR/ASH) status as a result of a CSI Review, you must use a case alert to record the change.

    You must not use the Review AHCR screen to record the change in status.

    The Review AHCR screen is designed only to record an update to whether a person poses a continuing risk. The Review AHCR screen is not designed to capture a change to the original actual harm recording.

    If…

    Then…

    You are changing the original actual harm substantiation and this voids the original AHCR (PR/ASH) recording 

     Record via a case alert

    ​You are updating only the element of continuing risk ​Record via the Review AHCR screen

     

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