Child Protection Induction Program

1. Child Protection Induction Program Child Protection Workforce Action Group

2. Purpose • To provide new staff of non-government organisations with an overview of Queensland’s child protection system Why? • Important that workers: • Have a clear understanding of the child protection system and how it works • Can identify how the work they do “fits within” or “interfaces with” this system Next

3. What we will cover You will obtain an awareness and understanding about: • Queensland’s child protection service system and how it links to the broader child and family service system • “good” child protection practice • “statutory” child protection services (including legislation and key “stages and steps”) • child protection processes that impact on your role and responsibilities • approaches to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and agencies • approaches used by organisations in working together • key values and principles that should inform your work • “self-care” and maintaining a healthy “work-life balance” Next

4. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system Child protection is concerned with ensuring the safety and well-being of children and young people within their: Family Community Culture Next

5. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights of children to: • Protection from abuse and neglect • Have a say in matters that affect their lives By signing the Convention, Australian governments have committed themselves to: • Protecting and ensuring children’s rights • Being held accountable for their actions in meeting this commitment in the eyes of the international community Next

6. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system How is the child protection system structured? Universally available strategies targeting whole communities or all families to build public resources and attend to social factors contributing to child abuse and neglect Eg. public health, education, housing and income support; family/ neighbourhood centres; health home visiting programs; school-based personal safety programs Next

7. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system How is the child protection system structured? Interventions targeting vulnerable families or children who are at risk of abuse or neglect i.e. those with special needs or who are in need of greater support Eg. Playgroups for “at-risk” children; family support programs for young parents; community development in high needs areas; Referral for Active Intervention Services ; Helping Out Families Initiative Next

8. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system How is the child protection system structured? Interventions targeting families where child abuse or neglect has already occurred; interventions that seek to reduce the long-term implications of abuse or neglect and to prevent its re-occurrence; includes “statutory” child protection services Eg. Counselling for abused children; investigation of child abuse and neglect; family intervention services; community programs; reconciliation process Next

9. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system How is the child protection system structured? Children and families who are in contact with the child protection system may also be in contact with other service systems eg. disability, youth justice, homelessness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol and/ or mental health Next

10. The child protection system and its linkages to the broader child and family service system How is the child protection system structured? Children and their families may have multiple needs requiring services from multiple service systems – hence the importance of seeing the child protection system in the broader context of child and family welfare and other service systems seeking to meet the needs of children and families Next

11. Exercise: Mapping the local child protection system • Locate your service within the child protection service system • Locate other services provided by your organisation within the child protection system • Identify other services provided in your local area within the child protection system • If your service is not part of the child protection system, identify how it interfaces with this system • Identify services from within other sectors that are relevant to the needs of the children and families with whom you work Next

12. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? Child protection system is complex Enhanced appreciation of: • The significance of children’s attachment to their family • The trauma and harm that can be caused to children when these attachments are disrupted by their removal form their family’s care • The dangers of child protection practice being influenced by judgements based on moral and social norms, economic hardship or cultural differences Abandonment of practices based on the notion of “rescuing children” Next

13. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? Lessons from the past informing practice today • The importance of supporting children’s ongoing attachments to their primary adult care-givers • Understandings about the trauma and harm that can be caused by disrupting children’s attachments and connections to their family, friends, community and culture • The need for legal and other safeguards to protect the rights of all parties, with the best interests of children remaining the paramount concern • The necessity for “checks and balances” when weighing up the risks of harm to a child of interventions do not take place compared with the potential harm caused by the intrusion and disruption to their care if these interventions do occur • The need for regulatory and other mechanisms to monitor and enforce the quality of “out-of-home” care services that children receive Next

14. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? Key aims of an effective child protection system Ensuring the safety of children and young people from harm and risks of harm These aims are inter-related Facilitating their access to the same life opportunities afforded to all other children and young people Promoting all aspects of their wellbeing Next

15. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? About safety from harm • Children also have a right to be free from: • physical, sexual or emotional harm perpetrated by family members or others, or • harm that may be self-inflicted. In most instances, a safe and permanent home with family members is the best place for a child to be nurtured towards adulthood. When children are at risk of harm, there is a shared responsibility held by family members, governments and the community to keep them safe. In most instances, this is best accomplished by supporting families. When a safe environment cannot be obtained within a family, alternative care arrangements may be warranted. Next

16. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? About wellbeing Requires that the basic needs for food, clothing and shelter of children and young people are being adequately met Promotes stability of relationships and the connections of children and young people with their community and culture These needs are best met within an environment that provides sufficient nurture, support and stimulation to enable children’s physical, intellectual, emotional, pro-social, cultural and spiritual growth. Next

17. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? About life opportunities Children who have experienced harm or been placed at risk of harm are entitled to the same life opportunities as the general population of children. This includes opportunities to: • Form long-term relationships with supportive adults • Be informed about and participate in decision-making about their care • Take ownership of their lives and be supported in making informed life decisions • Access education that meets their needs • Participate in activities that support their physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual growth and development • Learn life skills and progress towards independence with support to over-come economic disadvantage • Transition from care with a capacity for positive engagement in relationships and community life Next

18. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? How do children and young people benefit from the aims of an effective care system being met? Key factors: • Maintenance of their cultural connections • Continuity and stability of their care arrangements • Consistent and continued engagement with the school they have been attending • Having contact with their parents, siblings and extended family and the quality of this contact Security Identity Belonging • Continued contact and engagement with their friends • Having a choice about seeing their family • Consistent and continued engagement with known and trusted workers • Knowing why they are in care • Feeling safe, respected, listened to and believed • Being involved in decision-making about their care Next

19. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? Implications of our key understandings about good child protection practice National Framework for Protecting Australia’s children: Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business 2009-2020 Next

20. What do we know about “good” child protection practice? Implications of our key understandings about good child protection practice Achieving a more “balanced” child protection system Next

21. Statutory child protection services Include: • Receiving and responding to reports of child abuse and neglect • Working with parents to address child protection concerns through agreement or court sanction • Providing out-of-home care to children • Reunifying children and their parents • Providing long-term care for children • Supporting young people in leaving care Next

22. Statutory child protection services Provided by: • Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) through Child Safety Service Centres • Queensland Police Service • Queensland Health • Recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child protection services • Childrens Court • Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian • Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal • Non-government organisations Next

23. Statutory child protection services Child protection legislation: • Includes Child Protection Act 1999 and Child Protection Regulation 2000 • An expression of government policy about the way it intends to protect and care for children • Provides a context in which the statutory provisions of the Act are to be exercised in practice and interpreted by courts • Details statutory provisions to intervene in the lives of children and their families Next

24. Statutory child protection services Principles of the Child Protection Act 1999 • The safety, wellbeing and best interests of a child are paramount • A child has a right to be protected from harm or risk of harm • A child’s family has the primary responsibility for the child’s upbringing, protection and development • The preferred way of ensuring a child's safety and wellbeing is through supporting the child's family • If a child does not have a parent who is able and willing to protect them, the State is responsible for protecting the child Next

25. Statutory child protection services Principles of the Child Protection Act 1999 • In protecting a child, the State should only take action that is warranted in the circumstances • If a child is removed from their family, support should be given for the purpose of allowing the child to return to the child’s family if the return is in the child’s best interests • If a child does not have a parent able and willing to give the child ongoing protection in the foreseeable future, the child should have long-term alternative care • If a child is removed from the child’s family, consideration should be given to placing the child, as a first option, in the care of kin Next

26. Statutory child protection services Principles of the Child Protection Act 1999 • If a child is removed from their family, the child should be placed with their siblings, to the extent that is possible • A child should only be placed in the care of a parent or other person who has the capacity and is willing to care for the child (including a parent or other person with capacity to care for the child with assistance or support) • A child should have stable living arrangements, that provide for: • a stable connection with their family and community, to the extent that this is in the child’s best interests, and • their developmental, educational, emotional, health, intellectual and physical needs to be met Next

27. Statutory child protection services Principles of the Child Protection Act 1999 • A child should be able to maintain relationships with their parents and kin, if it is appropriate for the child • A child should be able to know, explore and maintain their identity and values, including their cultural, ethnic and religious identity and values • A delay in making a decision in relation to a child should be avoided, unless appropriate for the child. Next

28. Statutory child protection services Areas covered by the Child Protection Act 1999 Reporting of harm or suspected harm Administration, management and supervision of court orders Investigation of harm or suspected harm Regulation of care including standards of care, approval of carers, licensing of care services and Charter of Rights for a Children in Care Grounds on which statutory authorities can intervene in the lives of families Planning and review of interventions to protect children and young people Coordination of service delivery and exchange of information Use of intervention with “parental agreement” Confidentiality provisions Use of court proceedings to protect children including the range of orders that may be made by courts Decisions that can be reviewed by the Qld Civil and Administrative Tribunal Next

29. Statutory child protection services Other legislation relevant to the protection of children • Childrens Court Act 1992 • Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000 • Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Jurisdiction Provisions) Amendment Act 2009 • Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 • Public Health Act 2005 • Adoption of Children Act 2009 • Information Privacy Act 2009 Next

30. Statutory child protection services Organisation of statutory child protection services • Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) • Queensland Police Service • Queensland Health • Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Assessment and Management (SCAN AM)Teams: • Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) • Department of Education and Training • Queensland Health • Queensland Police Service • Recognised Entities Next

31. Statutory child protection services Organisation of statutory child protection services • Childrens Court • Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian • Monitors and reviews laws, policies and practices • Administers Community Visitor Program • Receives and investigates complaints • Maintains a Child Death Register and Child Death Review Committee • Employment screening • Conducts research • Promotes laws, policies and practices that uphold the rights, interests and wellbeing of children • Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) Next

32. Statutory child protection services Child protection process Next

33. Statutory child protection services Other key functions of the Department of Communities • Placement support • Funding • Licensing Next

34. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? • Reporting harm • Referrals for family support • Case planning and family meetings • Placement meetings and agreements • Service standards and licensing Next

35. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Reporting harm: • Definition of “harm” • Protection from liability • Protection from identification • Mandatory reporting requirements: • Employees of the Department of Communities • Employees of a licensed care service • Staff of the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian • Doctors and registered nurses • Family court personnel and counsellors • Staff of State and non-State schools • Your organisation’s procedures for reporting harm or risk of harm Next

36. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Referrals for family support: • May be made after a report of a child protection concern to the Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) where there is no identified need for ongoing child protection intervention • May be made after a determination that there is a need for ongoing child protection intervention, either: • with “parental agreement”, or • with a child protection order • “Helping Out Families Initiative” Next

37. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Case planning and family group meetings: • Case planning is intended to be an inclusive and participative process • Four key stages: • Assessment • Planning • Implementation • Review • Family group meetings are held to: • Develop and review case plans • Provide family-focussed responses and ensure an inclusive process • Your organisation may be asked to participate in the development or review of a case plan Next

38. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Placement Agreements and care planning: • Placement Agreements must be negotiated by the Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) with each child’s carers and the relevant care service to: • document agreed-upon support and services to be provided to the carer, and • establish roles and responsibilities of each party in achieving the goals of the • Non-government organisations providing out-of-home care are required to develop and regularly review “care plans” that identify goals and strategies used to address identified needs of each child Next

39. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Service standards and licensing: Quality assurance strategy incorporating 11 minimum service standards grouped into 3 focus areas: • Focus on children, young people and families using services, address: • Accessibility of services • Responding to the needs of children, young people and families • Participation and choice • Confidentiality and privacy • Feedback, complaints and appeals • Protecting the safety of children and young people Next

40. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Service standards and licensing: Quality assurance strategy incorporating 11 minimum service standards grouped into 3 focus areas: • Focus on staff, carers and other volunteers, address: • Recruitment and selection processes • Induction, learning, training and development • Support and supervision Next

41. How do child protection processes affect you in your job? Service standards and licensing: Quality assurance strategy incorporating 11 minimum service standards grouped into 3 focus areas: • Focus on governance, address: • Organisational alignment • Governance accountability Next

42. Exercise: Reporting harm • What are your obligations to report harm or the risk of harm to the Department of Communities (Child Safety Services)? • What is the process for making a report of harm or risk of harm within your organisation? • Which is your local Child Safety Service Centre/ Regional Intake Service? Next

43. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services The Child Protection Act 1999 includes a number of principles, provisions and requirements that specifically relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families These provisions recognise and acknowledge: • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the “first Australians” • The culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples • The continuing over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and young people in the child protection system • The past forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and the continuing impact of such policies on individuals, families and communities Next

44. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services Principles additional to the Act’s “general principles” • An Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child should be allowed to develop and maintain a connection with their family, culture, traditions, language and community (s5C(a)) • The long-term effects of a decision on an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child’s identity and connection with their family and community should be taken into account (s5C(b)) Next

45. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services Other provisions of the Act require: • The involvement of Recognised Entities in “significant decision-making” • Recognised Entities to be consulted when decisions, other than “significant decisions”, are being made • When the above is not possible, the Recognised Entity to be consulted as soon as practicable after the decision has been made • The Childrens Court to consider the views held by a Recognised Entity or where this is not practicable, the views of the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community to which the child belongs • Observance of the general principle that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children should be cared for within their own communities • Consultations, negotiations, family group meetings and other proceedings to take place in a way that is culturally appropriate to Aboriginal tradition or Torres Strait Island custom Next

46. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services Other provisions of the Act require: • Consultation with a Recognised Entity when it is suspected that an unborn child may be in need of protection (and the pregnant woman agrees) for purposes of: • assessing the likelihood that the child may be in need of protection after he or she is born, and • offering help and support to the pregnant woman. • Case planning to be carried out in ways that encourage and facilitate the participation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander agencies and persons • Certain factors that must be considered when decisions are made about the placement of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child in “out-of-home” care Next

47. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services The Child Placement Principle: • Proper consideration must be given to placing the child, in order of priority, with: • a member of the child’s family • a member of the child’s community or language group • another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander who is compatible with the child’s community or language group, or • another Aboriginal person or Torres Strait Islander Next

48. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services The Child Placement Principle: • If this is not possible, in order of priority, with: • a person who lives near the child’s family, or • a person who lives near the child’s community or language group • Person must be committed to: • facilitating contact between the child and their parents and other family members • helping the child to maintain contact with their community or language group • helping the child to maintain a connection with their culture, and • preserving and enhancing the child’s sense of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity Next

49. Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and services • Find out the names of relevant family or tribal groups in the area that you work • Find out about the demographics of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in the area you work • Find out about the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in the child protection system in the area you work • Identify relevant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services in the area you work and what they do • Visit the services that you are likely to have most contact with • If you are required to visit an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community, find out about the protocol for entering the community and talking with people Next

50. Working together • Participation of children, young people and families • Inter-agency collaboration Next