Children receiving ongoing support
When it is determined that a child is in need of protection, intervention by the department is required.
This support can be achieved either through intervention with parental agreement or a child protection order.
Regardless of how ongoing support is provided, child safety officers will continue working with the child and their family during this time to help them address concerns.
Intervention with parental agreement (IPA)
An intervention with parental agreement case is opened following an assessment by the department that parents are able and willing to work actively with the department to meet the protection and care needs of the child. As the department is working actively with the family on this basis, the use of a court order is not required.
IPA enables the department to provide support and assistance to the family, and assist to develop or maintain a safety and support network to increase the likelihood that the parents will be able to meet the protection needs of a child once the intervention has been completed. It is generally of a short-term and intensive nature, and it is usual for the child to remain at home for all, or most of, the intervention period.
The level of risk to the child is one factor in determining whether IPA is appropriate.
Child protection order (CPO)
When it is assessed by the department that:
- a child is in need of protection, and
- it is not possible or appropriate for the family to work voluntarily with the department to the protect the child,
the department will make a recommendation to the Director of Child Protection Litigation, an independent agency within the Department of Justice and Attorney-General that handles child protection legal matters.
The Director of Child Protection Litigation will then consider the department's information and decide whether to apply to the Childrens Court for a child protection order, and the type of order required.
The types of child protection orders that can be granted by the Childrens Court include:
- short-term child protection orders (directive, supervision, custody to the chief executive or a suitable person who is a member of the child's family, short term guardianship to the chief executive) or
- long-term child protection order (guardianship to the chief executive, a relative of the child or another suitable person) or
- permanent care order.
Children receiving ongoing support from Child Safety
Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.
- Data is as at the reference date.
- Counts children who are subject to intervention with parental agreement or a child protection order.
- If a child is subject to both intervention with parental agreement and a child protection order, they are counted only once in the child protection order category.
- Age group: Based on the age of the child at the reference date.
- Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.
- Ongoing support: Ongoing support refers to intervention by Child Safety that occurs with a child and their family following the completion of an investigation and assessment, when it is assessed that a child is in need of protection.
- Intervention with parental agreement: Intervention with parental agreement refers to time-limited intensive intervention by Child Safety focusing on the safety, belonging, wellbeing and cultural needs of a child who is in need of protection, without the need for a court order. The child's parents agree to work cooperatively with Child Safety to keep the child safe, and are able and willing to work actively to reduce the level of risk in the home. The aim is to build the capacity of the family so they are able to meet the needs of the child following the intervention.
- Child protection order: A child protection order is an order made by the Childrens Court under the Child Protection Act 1999, when a child is assessed to be in need of protection. There are different types of child protection orders, depending on a child and family's situation, including directive orders, supervision orders, custody orders and guardianship orders.
Child safety officer caseload
Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.
- Data is as at the reference date.
- The average caseload for each funded fulltime equivalent child safety officer providing ongoing support to children and young people as at the reference date.
- From 30 June 2021 onward the caseload calculation methodology changed to reflect the updated Workload Management Policy for child safety officers working with children receiving ongoing support. As such data is not comparable to previous years data.
- June 2021 - Caseload calculation methodology changed to reflect the updated Workload Management Policy for child safety officers working with children receiving ongoing support. As such data is not comparable to previous years data.