Family Wellbeing Service (FWS)

Supporting Queensland families

Family support services are helping families sooner, supporting them to provide a safe family environment for children to grow and thrive, reducing the need for child protection services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS)

The majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in Queensland live safely at home in their community and culture.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services make it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in communities across Queensland to access culturally responsive support to improve their social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and build their capacity to safely care for and protect their children.

This includes working with families with diverse needs — from prevention and early intervention support to help families at the earliest possible opportunity, through to intensive support for families already in contact with the child protection system.

Families referred to a Family Wellbeing Service

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).
  2. Counts the number of referrals opened and recorded as a case by Family Wellbeing Services during the reporting period.
  3. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
  4. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.
  1. Case: A case is created by a Family Wellbeing Service to begin working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families to plan and provide a tailored, holistic and coordinated response to their specific needs.
  2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are community controlled family support services that work with families as early as possible, providing tailored, culturally safe support to improve their wellbeing and prevent their problems from escalating.

Families referred to a Family Wellbeing Service by presenting concerns

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).
  2. Counts the number of referrals opened and recorded as a case by a Family Wellbeing Service during the reporting period by presenting concern as a proportion all cases created.
  3. A family can have more than one presenting concern.
  4. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander:A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
  5. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander:A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.
  1. Case: A case is created by a Family Wellbeing Service to begin working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families to plan and provide a tailored, holistic and coordinated response to their specific needs.
  2. Presenting concerns: Concerns of the family are identified in the referral and can include: 
    • child wellbeing
    • domestic and family violence
    • parenting skills
    • household relationships including conflict between parent/s and child/ren.
  3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are community controlled family support services that work with families as early as possible, providing tailored, culturally safe support to improve their wellbeing and prevent their problems from escalating.

Families referred to a Family Wellbeing Service by referral source

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).
  2. Counts the number of referrals opened and recorded as a case by Family Wellbeing Services during the reporting period.
  3. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
  4. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.
  1. Case: A case is created by a Family Wellbeing Service to begin working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families to plan and provide a tailored, holistic and coordinated response to their specific needs.
  2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are community controlled family support services that work with families as early as possible, providing tailored, culturally safe support to improve their wellbeing and prevent their problems from escalating.
  3. Prescribed entities: Includes the following entities:
    • the chief executive
    • an authorised officer
    • a licensee
    • the public guardian
    • the chief executive of a department that is mainly responsible for any of the following matters:
      • adult corrective services
      • community services
      • disability services
      • education
      • housing services
      • public health
    • the chief executive of the Mater Misericordia Health Services Brisbane Ltd (ACN 096 708 922)
    • a health service chief executive within the meaning of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011
    • the police commissioner
    • the principal of a school that is accredited, or provisionally accredited, under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001
    • the person in charge of a student hostel
    • the chief executive of another entity, that provides a service to children or families, prescribed under a regulation.