You are here:

  1. Home
  2. Chapters
  3. 6. Intervention with parental agreement

6. Intervention with parental agreement

Purpose

This procedure outlines the process for providing ongoing intervention to a child who is in need of protection when the parents are able and willing to work actively with Child Safety to reduce the level of risk in the home, and a child protection order is not appropriate.

Intervention with parental agreement is a type of ongoing intervention that enables Child Safety to provide support and assistance to a child and family in circumstances where all of the following apply:

  • the child is in need of protection
  • the parents are able and willing to work actively with Child Safety to reduce the level of risk in the home
  • a child protection order is not appropriate
  • it is assessed that the child is safe to remain at home for all, or most of the intervention
  • it is likely that the parents will be able to meet the protection and care needs of the child once the intervention is completed.

Intervention with parental agreement aims to build the capacity of the family so that following the intervention they are able to meet the child’s protection and care needs. 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

Key steps

  1. Provide intervention with parental agreement
  2. Review an intervention with parental agreement case
  3. Place a child using a child protection care agreement
  4. Close an intervention with parental agreement case

What ifs - responding to specific intervention with parental agreement matters

Standards

  1. The level of risk to the child is such that the child is able to remain safely at home with their parents for the majority of the intervention, while the safety and risk issues are being addressed.
  2. The parents are assessed as both able and willing to work cooperatively with Child Safety to meet the child's protection and care needs.
  3. The level of risk in the home is constantly monitored and assessed to ensure the ongoing appropriateness of the intervention.
  4. The recognised entity is consulted, where required for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child.
  5. Where required, the child is placed in a short-term placement, using a child protection care agreement.
  6. Case plans are reviewed regularly and at a minimum, every six months.

Practice skills (Key areas for reflection)

  • Have I engaged effectively with the child and family and enabled them to actively participate in decision-making?
  • Have I engaged appropriate service providers to work with the family and progress the case plan goal, outcomes and actions?
  • Has my face-to-face contact with the child and parents been meaningful, purposeful and goal-directed?
  • Have I actively engaged with the child, family and service providers in order to ensure the child is not at risk of immediate harm?
  • Have I assessed the progress of the family's ability and commitment to address the child protection concerns?
  • Have I assessed whether intervention with parental agreement is still the most appropriate form of intervention to ensure the child's ongoing safety?

Authority