Keep Them Safe Implementation GP NSW - Mental Health State Update Meeting March 2010 Jenny Marshall, Manager, Keep Them

1. Keep Them Safe Implementation GP NSW - Mental Health State Update Meeting March 2010 Jenny Marshall, Manager, Keep Them Safe Implementation Unit NSW Health

2. 1. Overview – CP Inquiry Report • Justice Wood’s report: 24 November 2008 • 111 recommendations specifying priority & level of cost Key findings/principles: • ‘a shared approach’ • system should comprise integrated universal, secondary and tertiary services • Community Services as provider of last resort for children meeting statutory threshold • improved interagency coordination & information sharing

3. 2. Govt’s 5 year plan released 3 March 2009

4. 3. Keep Them Safe - overview

5. 4. NSW Health’s Role under KTS Reinforces child protection as Health core business and importance of service continuum (primary, secondary, tertiary) 28 NSW Health led actions + interagency actions • NSW Health Child Wellbeing Units • Family Referral Services • OOHC health co-ordinators and Health Assessments for all children entering care • Service enhancements: including Whole Family Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Teams; further sustained health home visiting pilots

6. 5. Key timeframes • Aug – Dec 2009: whole of government training/change management strategy • 30 October 2009: new Chapter 16A information exchange provisions commenced • 24 Jan 2010 onwards: • “risk of significant harm” statutory reporting threshold commences • rest of Children Legislation Amendment (Wood Inquiry Recommendations) Act 2009 commences • Government agency Child Wellbeing Units operational • Family Referral Services pilots phased start-up May 2010

7. 6. New reporting threshold • 24 Jan 2010: “Risk of significant harm” replaces “risk of harm” • Online Mandatory Reporter Guidance: • structured decision making tool • Aim to promote consistent decision making • www.sdm.community.nsw.gov.au/mrg

8. 7. Information exchange • Information exchange – identified in Wood Report and previous Ombudsman reports as the key to collaboration between service providers • New Chapter 16A: overrides privacy laws /safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people paramount • See DPC and Health KTS websites for guidance material • Only applies to “prescribed bodies” which includes incorporated practices - legal anomaly for GPs

9. 8. Health Child Wellbeing Units • Wood rec. for units in Government agencies making 60% reports to Helpline: Health, Human Services, Education & Training, Police • Telephone advice & support to government mandatory reporters on ‘significant harm’ threshold, other agency involvement & referral pathways • Shared data base to help detect ‘cumulative risk’ • 3 Health CWUs: Wollongong, Dubbo, Newcastle/ State-wide coverage. • Capacity to add other health organisations/individuals by regulation in the future (eg private hospitals, GPs)

10. 9. Other mandatory reporters • Community Services has established a Keep Them Safe transitional support line for 6 months, available for agencies that don’t have access to a CWU - 1800 772 479. • Existing referral mechanisms/ HsNET • Family Referral Services (where applicable) • Working with GP NSW & GP Council to consider GPs access to Health CWUs and information sessions for GPs

11. 10. Family Referral Services • Aim to improve access to services for children and families in need of assistance but below statutory threshold • Professional referrals (including GPs) and self referrals • 12 month pilots (May 2010 – April 2011) • Three regional locations (Mount Druitt, Newcastle and Dubbo) • State-wide implementation over next 2-5 years

12. 11. Health assessments – Children in out of home care • Critical health needs of target group acknowledged by Wood • Model pathway developed includes role for GPs • AHS based coordinators • Rollout from April 2010 • Prevalence study – Children’s Guardian file audits • National framework