Family Services IRIS Upgrade Training

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Family Services IRIS Upgrade Training
Family Services and Strategic Planning
Team Information and Information Management
Unit Office for Children March- April 2007
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Objectives of IRIS Upgrade Training

• To introduce changes to IRIS to support the
  introduction of the Children Youth and Families
  Act 2005 and the every child every chance reforms
  to Family Services
• To ensure familiarity with how to use the new
  fields and processes in IRIS
• To raise awareness of the importance of the data
  and how it will be used to report on client
  profiles, service operations and outcomes and for
  planning purposes

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What must the new data support?everychildeverycha
nce

• New legislation, CYFA 2005
• Significant concern about wellbeing referrals
• Entry point to integrated networks
• Protection of referrer identity
• Cumulative harm
• Consultation and Reports to Child Protection
• Prioritisation on basis of needs

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What must the new data support?everychildeverycha
nce

• Structural reforms to Family Services
• Child FIRST and catchments partnerships
• Child and Family Service Alliances planning,
  service coordination and service delivery
• Allocation and Review meetings
• Demand management

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Changes to IRIS

• To meet the reform requirements the IRIS upgrade
  introduces
• Some new data fields and new values to existing
  fields to support legislation
• New capacity to refer cases between agencies,
  in particular from Child FIRST to catchment
  agencies

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Consistency in meaning

• Alongside the upgrade, Family Services is also
  introducing a Data Dictionary to increase the
  reliability and consistency of data entered into
  IRIS

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Walk through new data

• The new data is described the IRIS Procedure
  Notes
• Child FIRST case type
• Reference code
• Child Protection status
• Referrer Identity
• Intake Outcome
• Case category and date
• Children recorded
• Point of closure at intake
• Services Consult Child Protection Refer to
  Child ProtectionHolding Referral to__

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Updating mandatory fields on existing cases

• Workers will need to input the new mandatory data
  on all current cases prior to closure after April
  23 2007

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Refer case Child FIRST

• The new refer case button is located below the
  new case button (at bottom)
• Refer case allows Child FIRST to export a case
  to a partner agency
• IRIS does this by creating a copy of the Child
  FIRST case and sending the copy to the designated
  agency
• The receiving agency can then continue to work on
  the copy as its own case (FS- DHS)
• At the end of the quarter or when the case is
  closed, the agency case is returned to Child
  FIRST and the Child FIRST record is updated

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Refer case FSIP Central Intakes

• Family Support Innovation Project Central Intakes
  may also use the refer case function to allocate
  cases to partner agencies
• FSIPs should not use the track progress as this
  provides a level of case overview beyond the
  scope of most FSIP intake functions
• Any subsequent referrals to partner agencies
  within FSIPs should use the intra-catchment
  referral referral source (to avoid double
  counting and indicate integrated activity)

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The case screen looks like this
Refer case will be described in detail in a
separate session
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Explaining the fieldsClient identity children
and families

• Family Services fundamental purpose is to
  support vulnerable children and families
• Establishing accurate child and family identities
  within IRIS is critical to
• Targeting and accessibility of services How many
  children receive service? How old are they? How
  many families receive service? What vulnerable
  characteristics do these children and families
  exhibit? How many have significant concerns about
  wellbeing?
• Assessing cumulative harm Has this child/family
  received service before?How many times? What
  service characteristics?
• Allocation and workload Which families are
  allocated to what workers? Does workload reflect
  a mix of complexity and family size and age
  ranges?
• Cultural sensitivity How many Indigenous and
  CALD families receive service?

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Client identity children and familiesRegisterin
g a client

• IRIS is built on the basis of nominating
  (usually) one key person who is the
  representative for the family (children)
  receiving service.
• Convention is that the representative person is
  wherever possible the mother or the primary
  caregiver. This may or may not be the presenting
  person.
• More than one client name can be registered if
  appropriate. For example
• First name MumDad Family name Smith/Jones OR
• First name Mum Family Name Smith/Brown, where
  Brown is the childrens family name
• Always include the childrens family name when
  the children are known to move between different
  carers

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Client identity children and familiesSearching
for a client

• For any new referral, search the client list for
  the mother, the primary caregiver, the children
  in the family (or other known client)
• If present link the new case to this name using
  the attach client button
• If you search with in front of the name (eg
  Brown) it will bring up any instances where that
  name has been entered along with another name as
  in the previous examples. Previous cases for the
  children with different carers may then be
  identified.

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Client identity children and familiesRegisterin
g a client

• Non-substantive cases can equally be linked to
  an already existing client or to a subsequent
  client for a new case
• These steps will ensure that the full service
  history for the children in the family is linked
  to one IRIS client
• Cumulative harm and nos. of families receiving
  service can then be more accurately tracked.

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Client identity children and familiesMerge
client - new function

• Located under file on the toolbar
• Removes duplicate clients by combining under one
  client name
• To be used when names are misspelt or different
  cases have been established under different
  client names within the same household (eg mum,
  dad or grandparent).
• When clients are merged, all details of the
  duplicate client (name and demographics on screen
  cl02) are erased from IRIS, though the previous
  case and its details are included under the now
  single registered client.

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Client identity children and familiesIndigenous
and CALD status

• Fields to record Indigenous or CALD status are
  unchanged
• Greater emphasis will be placed on reporting on
  Indigenous and CALD status in both agency reports
  and DHS quarterly reports.
• Indigenous status is recorded for client and
  related persons
• Multiple CALD fields exist Country of birth
  Year of arrival Migration Program Language
  spoken Ancestry (4 options) Interpreter/
  Bilingual worker
• Ancestry (1) will be reported as the familys
  primary cultural identity in agency reports

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Client identity children and familiesChildren
as Related Persons

• All children must be entered in related persons,
  including ages Indigenous status
• New mandatory field introduced to prompt
  recording children
• Children recorded Yes/No
• This is only a prompt, the responsibility to
  record the children remains with the worker.
• If children are not entered, Family Services will
  not be able to account for children receiving
  service (as does Child Protection) nor plan for
  all childrens needs. Nor will consequences for
  allocation and workload be evident from agency
  IRIS reports.

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Client identity child and familyCumulative Harm

• The Best Interests principles in the CYFA 2005
  include consideration of the effects of
  cumulative patterns of harm on a childs safety
  and development (s10(e))
• Indicators of cumulative harm in IRIS are
• Presence of significant wellbeing concerns
• Numbers of consultations with Child Protection
• No. of previous entries and cases within Family
  Services
• Length of time open across cases in Family
  Services
• Accurate data as possible about these items is
  critical

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• The CYFA 2005 provides that Family Service will
  receive referrals about children (or unborn
  babies) with significant concerns about their
  wellbeing and that for these children Family
  Services may
• Not disclose the identity of a referrer, unless
  consent is provided
• Consult with Child Protection
• Share information with specified parties without
  consent for the purposes of risk assessment or
  determining an appropriate service

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• These legislative powers are provided to give
  agencies more avenues to assess and engage
  families of children with significant concerns,
  even when this may not be the parents expressed
  wish.
• Given this, the practice definition of children
  with significant concerns about wellbeing is
  Serious presenting problems that impact upon a
  child's care and development and where the parent
  is unwilling or unable to access appropriate
  supports to make positive changes

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• IRIS Implications
• Significant Wellbeing Concerns is a serious
  decision, with legislative authority, that should
  be clearly marked on the IRIS client record.
• This is for three reasons
• It is a key indicator of the need for heightened
  vigilance about the child in the current case
• It is a key indicator of cumulative harm to the
  child in the event of subsequent referrals
• It is a key indicator to Government about the
  vulnerability of Victorian children and about the
  role of Family Services in promoting the safety
  and development of vulnerable children and
  families

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• IRIS implications
• Significant wellbeing concerns are recorded in
  IRIS by selecting the significant wellbeing
  concerns option from the IRIS case category field
  on the Client Information screen
• The date of the decision must also be recorded

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• Implications for Child FIRST catchments
• Child FIRST must maintain a record of all
  decisions about children with significant
  concerns in the catchment.
• Either Child FIRST or a catchment agency may make
  the decision about significant wellbeing concerns
  and update the IRIS case category accordingly.
• Child FIRST will track agency decisions when the
  Child FIRST record is updated quarterly or at
  closure
• For local agency entries that do not have a Child
  FIRST case, a Child FIRST case must be created.
• See the Data Dictionary for more details. OfC
  will support your catchment in developing
  processes

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• Implications for non- Child FIRST catchments
• Registered Family Services in non Child FIRST
  catchments may also make decisions about
  significant concerns about wellbeing
• There is no expectation that an FSIP central
  intake or a non Child FIRST catchment maintain a
  catchment record of significant concern cases
• Decisions are recorded at the agency level only

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• Changing the Significant Wellbeing Concern
  decision
• The significant wellbeing concern decision can be
  changed if no longer currently assessed for the
  child(ren) in the family.
• Any decision about significant concerns about
  wellbeing must be made in a supervision context
  as per agreed agency policy.
• Because IRIS does not have an audit trail,
  changed data is deleted with no record of the
  change kept
• Rules must therefore be established to change
  this field and preserve a record of the decision
  on IRIS
• Different rules exist for Child FIRST catchments
  and other Family Services agencies

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• Changing the Significant Wellbeing Concern
  decision
• Implications for Child FIRST
• Child FIRST cannot delete the significant
  wellbeing concern decision once it is recorded
  (unless recorded in error) as this will remove
  the record from IRIS
• A new IRIS case category, however, can be
  assigned to the case once it is allocated from
  Child FIRST to a partner agency.
• The agency selects a different case category (and
  date) on the basis of the IRIS Issues present.
• The case on the Child FIRST IRIS will remain
  recorded as significant wellbeing concerns

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Client identity Heightened vigilance for
children with significant concerns

• Changing the Significant Wellbeing Concern
  decision
• Implications for local agencies, including Child
  FIRST catchments
• Without audit trail capacity, there is no simple
  answer to this.
• Yes the decision can be changed but no a record
  will not be maintained on the agency case to
  indicate this history.
• Alternatives are
• Do not change a decision over the life of a case.
  The date will provide advice about how recent it
  is.
• Change the decision as required and be aware that
  the IRIS case may not reflect the SWBC history.
  Service activities of Consult Child Protection
  will provide an alternative indicator of
  significant wellbeing concern history and
  cumulative harm
• In all instances, do not delete a significant
  wellbeing concern decision until after the
  original decision has been exported to DHS at the
  end of the quarter. This will mean that the DHS
  data provides an accurate record of the number of
  these vulnerable children in the community.

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Client Identity children and familiesCase
Category

• Cases that are not significant concerns about
  wellbeing are general family referrals and are
  categorised as either
• Complex IRIS Issues
• Other IRIS Issues
• The category is based exclusively on what IRIS
  issues are identified it is not an assessment
• The purpose of the case category is to be able to
  group cases for discussion about possible
  allocation priority or to enable analysis by
  agencies of cases with different client
  characteristics for planning purposes

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Client Identity children and familiesCase
Category

• Complex IRIS Issues are
• Mental Health
• Disability
• Family Violence
• Substance abuse
• Child Protection involvement
• Juvenile Justice involvement
• Sexual assault

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Client Identity children and familiesCase
Category

• Other IRIS issues are all other IRIS issues. This
  includes
• Behaviour
• Education and school
• Parenting
• Relationships
• Health
• Housing
• Isolation
• Financial and Gambling etc

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Client Identity children and familiesCase
Category

• The case category is determined on the basis of
  the highest order factor present
• If a case has significant wellbeing concerns it
  cannot have a case category of complex or other
  IRIS issues (though either/both of these issues
  will be present and can be separately analysed)
• If a case is not significant wellbeing concerns
  and has at least one complex issue, it is complex
  (even if other issues are present)
• A case is categorised as Other IRIS issues when
  neither vulnerable IRIS issues or significant
  concerns about wellbeing are present

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Explaining the fieldsReferrer identity protected

• CYFA 2005 s31 provides that a person who has a
  significant concern about a child may refer the
  matter to a community based child and family
  service
• CYFA s41 provides that the identity of the person
  making the referral about significant concern,
  and any information that may disclose that
  identity, is to be protected, unless written or
  oral consent is given to do so.
• From a practice perspective, Family Services will
  in most instances endeavour to gain this consent
  by explaining to the referrer the benefits to
  trust and engagement with the family and of any
  possible role of the referrer in the
  intervention, by having the identity disclosed.

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Explaining the fieldsReferrer identity protected

• IRIS implications
• When the referrer does not consent to their
  identity being disclosed for referrals about
  significant wellbeing concerns, then IRIS must
  record that the Referrer Identity is protected.
• The referrer identity cannot be disclosed outside
  of Child FIRST or the FS agency who received the
  referral (penalty applies).
• If the case is referred for allocation, the
  referral source will not be disclosed and will
  read as Identity protected

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Explaining the fieldsIntake Outcomes

• Intake is now recognised as a discrete process
  within Family Services with specified outcomes
• Advice to caller
• Advice and assistance to families
• Referral to other service
• Family Service Allocation
• Report to Child Protection
• See the Data Dictionary for definitions
• Closure fields must still be completed
• Point of closure is At intake(new)

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Explaining the fieldsNew Service types

• Key new Family Service activities will be
  recorded through the Services fields. These
  are
• Consult Child Protection
• Report to Child Protection
• Referral to (external agency pick list)
• Maintenance while on waiting list active holding

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Program requirementsService types

• Service types will be used to report on major
  service trends
• All intake hours are to be recorded as Referral
  and Intake activity
• All holding hours are to be recorded as Awaiting
  allocation holding
• In both instances direct contact can be
  distinguished from phone activity through the
  location field
• (Exceptions are Consult and Report to CP, and
  Referrals to, that must be entered to count
  incidence (see next slide))

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Program requirementsService types

• Number of instances, not only hours will be of
  major interest for
• Consult Child Protection
• Report to Child Protection
• Refer to__
• Every time these activities are undertaken, the
  service type must be selected
• When these activities are part of intake or
  holding, hours in these fields will be added to
  hours in intake and holding for a
  comprehensive estimate of time on these activities

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Explaining the fieldsClosure

• Closure descriptors are unchanged (with at
  intake added)
• The Data Dictionary provides definitions though
  it is recognised that the goal ratings will
  always be subjective
• Goals are defined as the goals as agreed with the
  family
• You must remember to click apply to save
  closure screen and close the case

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How will this work in reports?

• New reports will be available to agencies that
  will compile important client, service and worker
  information to assist
• Prioritisation
• Allocation
• Supervision
• Demand Management
• Service and catchment planning

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It will all depend on the quality of the data

• As well as the agency own IRIS reports, DHS will
  introduce a system of quarterly reports to
  catchments about key trends to monitor the
  reforms. This includes about
• Targeted to vulnerable families  
• Accessible entry to integrated services    
• Collaboration with Child Protection and wider
  networks
• Capacity Prioritisation of need and ongoing
  service