Foreword by the Minister for Families and Children As a kinship carer, you play a crucial role in supporting the development and wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people living in out-of-home care. Kinship care is the preferred placement option for these children and young people, because it minimises disruption to a child or young person’s life, gives them strong and resilient relationships, and ensures that they can maintain their connection to family networks. Kinship care has the highest proportion of children and young people living in out-of-home care placements. Often, children and young people who enter a kinship care arrangement have experienced considerable upheaval or adversity before they come to be cared for by you, their family member, friend or community member. The Victorian Government understands the challenges that many kinship carers face when taking on the important role of providing a secure and stable home for a child or young person, and creating committed relationships. For this to happen, kinship carers need to be equipped with the right training and support to help children and young people overcome the traumas associated with abuse and neglect, and to strengthen their connections to family, culture and identity. That is why the Victorian Government has invested in the development of a manual for kinship carers, which is designed to be a valuable information tool to assist you in your role. It will help you to navigate through the child protection system, and provide you with information about child protection processes, financial and other support available to you and the children and young people in your care, and important resources. The manual was developed in consultation with Kinship Carers Victoria, the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, the Commission for Children and Young People, the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, Victorian Government staff, kinship care service providers and kinship carers.
Assessment and Progress Record – contracted cases (Looking After Children framework) This includes age-related records about the child or young person’s development and follow-up action covering the seven Looking After Children domains of health, emotional and behavioural development, education, family and social relationships, identity, social presentation and self-care skills Service provider (with drafting input from carers) Yes – care team meetings Yes Within four-six weeks after the Care and Placement Plan has been completed The plan is reviewed every six months (for a child under five years), and every 12 months (for a child or young person over five years)
undertaking ongoing assessment of the risks, needs and development of the child or young person ensuring the implementation of the case plan and cultural plan having contact with the child or young person, parents and carer participating in the care team planning and managing contact arrangements for the child or young person arranging and making referrals for specialist assessments preparing court reports and attending court. Regardless of who has the case management responsibility for the child or young person, child protection or the authorised Aboriginal agency will remain responsible for case planning, case planning decisions, and ensuring the cultural plan is developed for Aboriginal children and young people. Care team roles and responsibilities The table below provides a list of tasks and who is responsible for them. The ‘allocated case manager’ will either be the child protection worker or, in some instances, the agency case manager. You will need to know who holds case management responsibility for the child or young person in your care. Care team Care team roles and responsibilities of the carer, child protection (CP) or authorised Aboriginal agency and case manager (agency or CP) Role description Kinship carer CP or the authorised Aboriginal agency case planner, or CP or authorised Aboriginal agency task only Allocated case manager, either CP or agency Establish the care team and make recommendations about the day-to-day care of the child or young person Yes Make sure an initial Care and Placement Plan is developed and documented within two weeks of the child or young person coming into care, and a copy is provided to the care team Yes All members of the care team, including carers, contribute to the development of the Care and Placement Plan Yes Yes Be an active member of the child or young person’s care team Yes Yes Make recommendations to the child protection case planner about the specific decisions a carer is authorised to make Yes Yes Approve authorisation for carers for things such as routine medical/dental treatment, travel, school activities and camps Yes Work together to contribute to the development and implementation of the child or young person’s case plan and Looking After Children planning processes, including the Care and Placement Yes Yes
Work with the child or young person’s parents to promote family reunification Yes (see note) Yes Promote and support the relationship of children and young people with their parents and wider family, and their connection with their social networks and community Yes Yes Engage parents in a manner that is accepting and respectful of their primary role. Promote positive relationships where possible Yes (see note) Yes Transport child or young person to and from contact as required Yes (see note) Yes Inform carers of any changes to contact arrangements in a timely manner Yes Note: May not be the core role of the carer or possible, however, carers’ involvement in these activities is important for the child or young person. Care of the child or young person Care roles and responsibilities of the carer, CP or authorised Aboriginal agency and case manager (agency or CP) Role description Kinship carer CP or the authorised Aboriginal agency case planner, or CP or authorised Aboriginal agency task only Allocated case manager, either CP or agency Provide carers with the information they need to provide good care for a child or young person, at the time the care arrangement is made Yes Yes Provide day-to-day care and support for the child or young person Yes Provide a safe and nurturing home environment that contributes to all aspects of healthy development for children and young people, including their physical, social, emotional, cognitive, cultural and spiritual needs Yes Provide support and advocate for children and young people in out-of-home care Yes Yes
Metropolitan CASAs Name Address Contact details CASA House Level 3, 210 Lonsdale Street Melbourne 3000 Call (03) 9635 3600 Email: casa@thewomens.org.au Eastern CASA 17 Ware Crescent Ringwood East 3135 Call: (03) 9870 7330 Email: ecasa@easternhealth.org.au Gatehouse Centre Level 5, South East Building The Royal Children’s Hospital Flemington Road Parkville 3052 Call: (03) 9345 6391 Email: gatehouse.centre@rch.org.au Northern CASA Building 26, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital 300 Waterdale Road Heidelberg West 3081 Call: (03) 9497 1768 Email: <> South Eastern CASA 11 Chester Street East Bentleigh 3165 Call: (03) 9928 8741 Email: secasa@monashhealth.org.au West CASA 53 Ballarat Road Footscray 3011 Call: (03) 9687 5811 Email: <> Rural CASAs Name Address Contact details Ballarat CASA Ballarat Health Services Sebastopol Complex Corner Vale and Edward Streets Sebastopol 3353 Call: (03) 5320 3933 Email: casa@bhs.org.au Barwon CASA Level 1, 59–63 Spring Street Geelong West 3218 Call: (03) 5222 4318 Email: admin@barwoncasa.org Centre Against Violence (Ovens Murray District) 23 Templeton Street Wangaratta 3677 Call: (03) 5722 2203 Email: admin@cav.org.au Gippsland CASA 31–41 Buckley Street Morwell 3840 Call: (03) 5134 3922 Email: mail@gippscasa.org Goulburn Valley CASA 130 Nixon Street Shepparton 3630 Call: (03) 5831 2343 Email: support@gvcasa.org.au Loddon Campaspe CASA 71 Bridge Street Bendigo 3550 Call: (03) 5441 0430 Fax: 5444 6713
childsafe@ccyp.vic.gov.au or see on the CCYP website Information sheet 11: Key contacts The following is a brief list of organisations and services that are important contacts for kinship carers and can refer you to other services if needed. Independent support and advice Service Telephone number Kinship Carers Victoria (03) 9372 2422 Permanent Care and Adoptive Families (03) 9020 1833 Mirabel Foundation (03) 9527 9422 Create Foundation 1800 655 105 Centrelink contact numbers Service Telephone number Grandparent advisers 1800 245 965 Australian Immunisation Register enquiries 1800 653 809 Medicare general inquiries 13 20 11 Social work services 13 28 50 Child protection office contact numbers Division Local Government Area Telephone number North Division Banyule, Buloke, Darebin, Campaspe, Central Goldfield, Gannawarra, Greater Bendigo, Hume, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Mildura, Moreland, Mount Alexander, Nillumbik, Swan Hill, Whittlesea, Yarra Preston 1300 664 977 Bendigo (03) 5434 5555 Swan Hill (03) 5032 0100 Mildura (03) 5022 3111 South Division Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Bayside, Cardinia, Casey, East Gippsland, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Latrobe, Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip, South Gippsland, Stonnington, Wellington Dandenong 1300 555 526 Cheltenham (03) 8585 6000 Frankston (03) 9784 3100 Leongatha (03) 5662 4311 Morwell (03) 5136 2400 Sale (03) 5144 9100 Bairnsdale (03) 5150 4500 Warragul (03) 5624 0600 East Division Alpine, Benalla, Boroondara, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Knox, Manningham, Box Hill (03) 9843 6000 Wangaratta (03) 5722