Keep Them SafeImplementationGP NSW - Mental Health State Update MeetingMarch 2010

Jenny Marshall, Manager, Keep Them Safe Implementation Unit NSW Health

1. Overview – CP Inquiry Report

• Justice Wood’s report: 24 November 2008

• 111 recommendations specifying priority & level of cost

Key findings/principles:

• ‘a shared approach’

• system should comprise integrated universal, secondary and tertiary services

• Community Services as provider of last resort for children meeting statutory threshold

• improved interagency coordination & information sharing

2. Govt’s 5 year plan released 3 March 2009

3. Keep Them Safe - overview

4. NSW Health’s Role under KTSReinforces child protection as Health core business and importance of

service continuum (primary, secondary, tertiary)

28 NSW Health led actions + interagency actions

NSW Health Child Wellbeing Units

Family Referral Services

OOHC health co-ordinators and Health Assessments for all children entering care

Service enhancements: including Whole Family Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Teams; further sustained health home visiting pilots

5. Key timeframes• Aug – Dec 2009: whole of government training/change

management strategy

• 30 October 2009: new Chapter 16A information exchange provisions commenced

• 24 Jan 2010 onwards:

“risk of significant harm” statutory reporting threshold commences

rest of Children Legislation Amendment (Wood Inquiry Recommendations) Act 2009 commences

Government agency Child Wellbeing Units operational

Family Referral Services pilots phased start-up May 2010

6. New reporting threshold• 24 Jan 2010: “Risk of significant harm” replaces “risk of harm”

• Online Mandatory Reporter Guidance:

structured decision making tool

Aim to promote consistent decision making

www.sdm.community.nsw.gov.au/mrg

7. Information exchange

• Information exchange – identified in Wood Report and previous Ombudsman reports as the key to collaboration between service providers

• New Chapter 16A: overrides privacy laws /safety, welfare and wellbeing of children and young people paramount

• See DPC and Health KTS websites for guidance material

• Only applies to “prescribed bodies” which includes incorporated practices - legal anomaly for GPs

8. Health Child Wellbeing Units

• Wood rec. for units in Government agencies making 60% reports to Helpline: Health, Human Services, Education & Training, Police

• Telephone advice & support to government mandatory reporters on ‘significant harm’ threshold, other agency involvement & referral pathways

• Shared data base to help detect ‘cumulative risk’

• 3 Health CWUs: Wollongong, Dubbo, Newcastle/ State-wide coverage.

• Capacity to add other health organisations/individuals by regulation in the future (eg private hospitals, GPs)

9. Other mandatory reporters

• Community Services has established a Keep Them Safe transitional support line for 6 months, available for agencies that don’t have access to a CWU - 1800 772 479.

• Existing referral mechanisms/ HsNET

• Family Referral Services (where applicable)

• Working with GP NSW & GP Council to consider GPs access to Health CWUs and information sessions for GPs

10. Family Referral Services

• Aim to improve access to services for children and families in need of assistance but below statutory threshold

• Professional referrals (including GPs) and self referrals

• 12 month pilots (May 2010 – April 2011)

• Three regional locations (Mount Druitt, Newcastle and Dubbo)

• State-wide implementation over next 2-5 years

11. Health assessments – Children in out of home care

• Critical health needs of target group acknowledged by Wood

• Model pathway developed includes role for GPs

• AHS based coordinators

• Rollout from April 2010

• Prevalence study – Children’s Guardian file audits

• National framework