Table notes - Child safety services

Glossaries, Table notes and Resources

Table notes

Table notes refers to footnotes relating to changes or breaks in time series reporting, and only where the break has affected the total number of children/instances being counted. The Department continues to work to improve data quality, implement national and state reporting requirements and ensure consistency with the Child Safety Practice Manual.

Intake (concerns received)

See table notes for child concern reports and notifications.

Child concern reports

January 2018 — An additional intensive family support service opened in Bundaberg in the Maryborough/Bundaberg catchment.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) scope of enquiries received by, and referrals to, the department from Family and Child Connect and intensive family support services.

October 2017 — Eleven more intensive family support services opened across nine catchments in Queensland. These catchments were Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Maryborough/Bundaberg, Rockhampton/Gladstone/Emerald, Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Brisbane South West and Moreton Bay.

July 2017 – Amendments to the Child Protection Act 1999 commenced. From 1 July 2017, early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals are required to report child safety concerns where there is a reasonable suspicion that the child has suffered, is suffering, or is at unacceptable risk of suffering, significant harm caused by physical or sexual abuse, and there is not a parent willing and able to protect the child from harm.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) the scope of matters required to be reported to the Department.

April 2017 – The Mount Isa and Gulf Family and Child Connect and intensive family support services commenced operation. The new family support services in this catchment have been integrated with new domestic and family violence services, providing wrap around services for vulnerable families impacted by domestic and family violence.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (reduced) the scope of matters required to be reported to the Department. Referrals to Family and Child Connect services and intensive family support services commence/expand in North Queensland.

View the child concern report data.

Notifications

September 2019 – Amendments to investigation and assessment completion timeframes commenced. From 1 September 2019, timeframes for completion of investigations and assessments were extended from 60 days to 100 days from when the notification is recorded. This extension better reflects family led decision making processes, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families; as well as increased safety planning and support now offered by Child Safety in the investigation and assessment processes.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) the timeframe for completion of investigations and assessments.

September 2019 – Amendments to investigation and assessment commencement criteria commenced. From 1 September 2019, commencement criteria was expanded for five and 10 day matters to include gathering of information to assess the child’s current circumstances and safety, or the unborn child’s safety after birth. Information gathering may include receipt of information through an email exchange, phone discussion, receipt of a Section 159N information request, a SCAN team meeting, or a locally convened panel process with relevant partners. While commencement may be recorded as information gathering for five and 10 day matters, sighting and interviewing children will still be required as soon as practicable for all matters.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) the scope of investigation and assessment commencement criteria.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) the scope of matters required to be reported to the Department.

View the notifications data.

Investigation and assessments

From October 2022 - An extended review and complete strategy was implemented by a specialist centralised team to assist Child Safety Service Centres to review and prioritise investigations and assessments within available resources. This included the ability to finalise investigations with an outcome of ‘no investigation and assessment outcome’ where the investigation and assessment was open for more than 100 days, had not commenced and where no new or significant information had been reported to the department.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) completion of investigations and assessments with a ‘no investigation and assessment outcome’.

From October 2021 – A structured review and completion strategy was implemented to assist Child Safety Service Centres to review and prioritise investigations and assessments within available resources. This included the ability to finalise investigations with an outcome of ‘no investigation and assessment outcome’ where the original notified concerns were received more than four months prior, no new and significant information had been reported to the department since that time, and a review process had been undertaken by a panel to consider factors such as age, vulnerability, cumulative harm and previous intervention.

Impact on performance figures: Changed (increased) completion of investigations and assessments with a ‘no investigation and assessment outcome’.

View the investigation and assessments data.

Substantiations

View the substantiations data.

Ongoing support

See table notes for intervention with parental agreement and child protection orders.

Intervention with parental agreement

October 2018 — Legislative amendments enabling the Court to make a Permanent Care Order come into effect. Permanent Care Orders grant guardianship to a suitable person who is committed to preserving the child's identity, the child's connection to their culture of origin and the child's relationship with members of their family. No contact by Child Safety is required after the order is made.

View the child protection orders data.