Overview
The Northern Territory (NT) Government, through the Department of Health and Families(DHF), is undertaking significant reforms to the child protection service system. These reforms began under the NT Government's Caring for our Children child protection reform agenda launched in 2004. Some of the key achievements under the Caring for our Children child protection reform agenda included:
- New legislation for the protection of children was drafted. The Care and Protection Children Act 2007 was passed by the Legislative Assembly in November 2007 and commenced in stages throughout 2008.
- The immediate response to suspected child abuse was improved through the development of a central child protection intake service for the NT.
- A new Northern Territory-wide Joint NTFCPolice Child Abuse Task Force was formed, representing a new level of collaboration between NTFC and NT Police in investigating the most serious cases of child sexual assault and physical abuse. Collaboration between NTFC and NT Police was further enhanced through training staff from both agencies in child forensic interviewing techniques.
In August 2006 the Northern Territory Government established the Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse (the Inquiry). The Inquiry accepted that 'sexual abuse of Aboriginal children is common, widespread, and grossly under reported'. The Board also took the view that 'the violence and sexual abuse occurring in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities is as we have said, a reflection of historical, present and continuing social dysfunction' .
The Inquiry supported the review of child protection legislation and system reforms governing the function and administration of child protection systems in the NT as critical child protection measures. Together, these reforms represent the most significant changes to the child protection system in many years, and have implications for statutory child protection services and the other government and non-government agencies that work with children and families.
In response to the Inquiry, the NT Government developed a generational plan of action to combat Indigenous disadvantage know as Closing the Gap. Released in August 2007, Closing the Gap commits the NT Government to investment of $286.43 million over 5 years for initiatives across the areas of: child protection, family violence; policing; justice; alcohol and drugs; health; housing; education; jobs and culture.
Differential Response Framework
Internationally and in Australian jurisdictions, child protection agencies have responded to increasing numbers of notifications by refining their assessment and decision-making tools to better identify those matters that require a statutory child protection response. That is child protection agencies have focussed on cases where the concerns warrant a full forensic investigation and are likely to lead to some form of intervention to protect the child from maltreatment or harm.
In conjunction with enhancements to risk assessment processes, a range of new approaches have been created that permit more flexible responses to addressing concerns about a child's welfare where the risk is less severe, and statutory action appears unwarranted. Systems or frameworks that involve the creation of a range of responses to child and family need, including therapeutic and supportive responses, are often called 'differentiated' or 'differential response' frameworks.
Differential response frameworks enable a 'dual track' or 'multiple track' response to protective concerns and have a focus on creating better, more integrated, partnerships between child protection services and family support agencies. Such approaches are not necessarily new, but have been re-invigorated as a result of the greater recognition that child protection services, in isolation, cannot fully protect children and enhance child and family wellbeing.
A Differential Response Framework has been developed for the NT context. Key elements of this framework include:
- Revision of screening and decision-making processes within child protection intake, with the aim of gathering information from other agencies and services to improve screening and decision-making processes (supported by the new Care and Protection of Children Act 2007)
- Diverting 'high-needs, low risk' families away from forensic investigation
- Providing enhanced family assessment through partnerships between NTFC and contracted non-government agencies
- Provision of Assisted Family Referral services to support families where there are no child protection concerns so they can access other forms of support and assistance
- Establishment of at least one Targeted Family Support Service (TFSS) in each region of the Territory with the following features:
- Case management of "high-needs, low risk families" by the regional TFSS
- Outposting of NTFC Child Protection workers within the TFSS (where possible) to work with the TFSS in assessing children and families
- Provision of brokerage funds for the TFSS to engage and assist "high-needs, low risk families" when necessary.