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In NSW, people contact the DCJ Child Protection Helpline if they are worried a child has been harmed, is not safe or cared for, or may be harmed in the future. This is called a ‘report’.
Reports can be made by anyone in the community. There are also special reporters called mandatory reporters. These are people with jobs or roles that mean they often spend time with children such as teachers, health workers or the police. The law says if these people think a child is being abused or neglected, they must make a report. If a report affects you or is about your children or family, caseworkers cannot tell you who made the report – that is against the law.
The law says reports should not be made about minor worries. A report should only be made to DCJ when a child is at risk of signficiant harm.
DCJ uses your information in reports to decide if a caseworker should visit your home to see and speak with your child and family. DCJ does this by also looking at any other information they have. This may include other reports about the same worries or different things happening for your family. DCJ may have worked with your family before.
DCJ uses assessment tools to help make decisions. Two important decisions are:
Most of the time, caseworkers will try to ring you before they visit. There may be times when a caseworker will talk to children first. Usually, two caseworkers will come to talk about how safe your child is right now. This is called a safety assessment.
Before they visit, the caseworkers will read information that DCJ has about your family. They may ask for information from places like schools, day care, health services or police. This is so they better understand what is happening for your family.
Caseworkers may also seek cultural consultation. Cultural consultation means they will talk to someone from the same cultural background/s as your child and family. This helps caseworkers better understand your family's cultural experiences and needs. You have the right to ask if the caseworker has completed a cultural consultation.
DCJ might want to talk to you because of worries about your child’s safety or something that is happening for your kids that you need to know about. It is important that you understand why DCJ is involved, and what they are asking you to do and why. It is a good idea to talk to someone as soon as possible, even if you want DCJ to help you. You can work together with the caseworker while also getting independent advice and support from a lawyer. Independent lawyers can explain your options and how the law works, represent you or give you advice about alternative dispute resolution (sometimes called ADR, or known as a Family Group Conference or FGC).
You can ask the caseworker to make a referral to legal support for you. The caseworker can help you to get in contact with a lawyer, but if they are really worried about your child, they can’t delay a safety assessment while you wait for legal advice.
There are many things that can harm a child. A harm can be something obvious like when their body is hurt. A child might be sexually harmed, have a broken bone or lots of bruises, or be sick but not taken to a doctor. Children are also hurt when there is someone using violence or drugs at home, or they are left alone or hungry.
Children can have their feelings hurt a lot or in a serious way. This could mean a child is ignored, told lots of mean things about them, yelled at or humiliated. It can mean they start to see themselves as worthless or unlovable, and this can put them at risk of feeling down or even hurting themselves.
The caseworkers will explain why they are there and what worries they have for your child. Let them know what worries you have too. Ask questions if something is unclear or you are unsure. You can ask as many questions as you want. You can also ask for a support person, a disability advocate, an interpreter or a cultural service.
The caseworkers will ask questions to help them understand:
The caseworkers write down what they saw and heard in your home. You can also write down what the caseworkers say, and you can ask for a copy of their notes. The caseworkers might talk to their manager by phone during the visit or afterwards back at the office. Together, they decide how safe they think your child is right now.
They use a tool called a safety assessment to help them make decisions about your child’s safety. Caseworkers will talk to you about what the safety assessment finds and the decision they have made. You can also give the caseworkers extra information if you like.
The caseworker may ask if you want to take part in a Family Group Conference (also known as an FGC). This is a meeting with your family members, or people who care about you and your child, to come together to work on a plan to keep your child safe.
You can ask to have a Family Group Conference even if the caseworker doesn’t ask you. Family can help you early on to make a plan to keep your child safe. You have a right to involve your family in your work with DCJ.
It is a caseworker’s job to, talk, listen to, and spend time with your child. It is the child’s right to tell, show or communicate to a caseworker what they think, feel and need. DCJ recognises that not all children communicate with words and caseworkers will use other ways to listen to your child, for example, through play and activities. This helps the caseworker to understand what life is like for your child.
The caseworker will talk to you before spending time with your child – unless there is a worry that this might put your child in danger. They will tell you what they will talk to your child about, where and why. If a caseworker talks to, or sees, your child without speaking to you first, they must let you know what they spoke about as soon as possible.
If DCJ believes your child has been harmed, they can decide your child needs to be examined by a doctor. A medical examination may happen as part of the safety assessment. Your caseworker will give you a notice and then take you and your child to a doctor or hospital or arrange for you and your child to go to a doctor. Your child will be legally under the care of DCJ during the examination. The doctor will examine your child and write a report about the examination. You can ask your caseworker for a copy of this report.
The doctor’s report will provide information about:
The caseworker will consider the doctor’s report to help make decisions about your child’s safety. The caseworker will talk with you about a plan to make your child safe and what actions will need to be taken to address any worries found during the medical examination.
06 Aug 2024