North East Metro Family Services

1
North East Metro Family Services Child
FIRST Child Family Information, Referral and
Support Team Banyule, Nillumbik, Darebin,
Whittlesea Yarra
2
NE Family Services Alliance - NEMFS

• Childrens Protection Society lead agency for
  CF
• Anglicare Victoria Northern Region
• Berry Street Victoria Northern Region
• Kildonan Child and Family Services
• Darebin City Council
• Yarra City Council
• North Yarra Community Health Service
• Victorian Aboriginal Child-Care Agency (VACCA)
• Ecumenical Migration Centre (BSL)
• DHS Child Protection and Partnerships

3
Childrens Protection Society (CPS), Anglicare,
Kildonan, Victoria Aboriginal Child Care Agency
(VACCA)
North East Metro Family Services LGAs Agencies
CPS, Berry St, VACCA
CPS, Anglicare, Kildonan, City of Darebin, VACCA
Kildonan, City of Yarra, North Yarra Community
Health, Brotherhood of St Laurence EMC, VACCA
4
When do I contact Child FIRST?

• significant parenting problems that may be
  affecting the childs development
• serious family conflict, including family
  breakdown
• families under pressure due to a family members
  physical or mental illness, substance abuse,
  disability or bereavement
• young, isolated and/or unsupported families
• significant social or economic disadvantage that
  may adversely impact on a childs care or
  development
• the family is willing to work with a community
  based agency.

5
Child FIRST Referral Process

• Referrers
• General community
• Specialist services
• Community agencies
• Direct/ family referral
• Mandated notifiers
• Child Protection Services

Child FIRST

• Initial screen for
• Geography
• Eligible target group
• Risk/ complexity
• Aboriginal linkages

Assessment of needs /risk

• Referral to DHS Child Protection Services
• High vulnerability/ risk
• Agreed Family Services/
• Child Protection guidelines
• Consultation/ dispute
• resolution.

No further action

• External Referral
• Other agency/ program
• Crisis response required
• Low needs, risk, complexity
• Other service is engaged
• Specialist service required

• NEMFS Referral List
• Direct allocation to agency
• LGA-based allocation mtg.
• Active holding list

6
What is different? - Central intake

• Intake processes will be consistent across Child
  FIRST local agencies
• Common intake form, based on Best Interests
  Framework
• Common scripts for describing roles and process
• Regular meetings to discuss processes
• All 9 agencies continue to receive local intakes

7
Coordinated Allocation

• Child FIRST is responsible for allocation
• Direct allocation of high priority cases to local
  agencies
• Other cases to be considered and prioritised at
  weekly intake meetings
• If no allocation possible Local Family Services
  Coordinator will provide active holding

8
Consent

• No change to principle that family services work
  with consent of family members
• In certain circumstances, a family service may
  share information without consent
• CYFA (s36) allows for information sharing at
  intake with other services without consent for
  the purpose of assessing the risk to a child
• All registered family service orgs can consult
  with Child Protection at any time without consent
  (s 38) supports risk assessment or safety
  planning

9
What can family support offer?

• Assertive engagement, sustained enduring support,
  practical assistance,
• access to needed services and creative practice

10
Striving for culturally responsive services

• Aboriginal Liaison Worker based at VACCA and at
  CF one day per week consult and joint visits
• CF will determine at intake if family are
  indigenous or CALD background
• Ecumenical Migration Centre focus on refugee and
  CALD families

11
Intersection of Family Support and Health/AOD
Services

• CF is able to consult with - to both give and
  receive information - information holders,
  service agencies, child protection in order to
• Complete an intake risk assessment
• Determine which agency is best able to respond to
  the family
• If the referral is based on significant wellbeing
  concerns for a child or an unborn child
• The identity of the referrer is protected and
  cannot be disclosed without their expressed
  consent.

12

• Child Abuse Prevention as a shared cross-sectoral
  responsibility
• A substance using parents attendance and
  engagement with AOD service is a key component of
  assessing risk to children
• Child FIRST can provide consultation to AOD and
  health sector workers with concerns for children

13
CF North East Contact Details

• 9450 0955
• Mon-Fri 9-5
• Located at CPS, West Heidelberg
• Email childfirst_at_cps.org.au