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You will be involved in making a plan for your child, called a case plan. Case plans are developed in consultation with you, your child, your caseworker and the child or young person’s foster carer.
Case plans vary depending on what a family needs, but always describe what you and other important people in your child’s life, including health care specialists, need to do in the best interests of your child.
As a birth parent, you can participate in decision-making by:
attending conferences and meetings
having a support person accompany you to a meeting or conference
contributing agenda items for a meeting.
We understand that parents may need extra support to express their views, participate in decision-making and understand the outcomes. We can provide appropriate support to help you participate, such as arranging for an interpreter or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander support person or community representative.
Foster carers are encouraged to work with parents and caseworkers to ensure your child maintains regular contact with you and possibly members of your extended family and other important people in your child’s life. They will work with you and the caseworker to help your child deal with their feelings about being separated from you and their family.
When it is part of the case plan, foster carers are also trained to help prepare your child for their eventual return to your home. In most cases, the main goal will be for your child to return to their family. This could involve services being provided to you or other members of your family, such as counselling or legal advice.
A case planning meeting is an opportunity to talk about the wellbeing of a child or young person in care and discuss any support needed, any issues or achievements. Case planning meetings aim to achieve good outcomes for the child or young person in care.
Families, the child or young person (where appropriate), their carers, other significant people and relevant agencies are invited to discuss issues, share information, make suggestions, participate in decision-making and identify goals. The case meeting may involve getting everyone together face-to-face or over the phone.
The child or young person’s caseworker organises the meeting and either they or their supervisor helps run it.
There are many different reasons for holding a case meeting. Some of these include:
Case meetings may be called different things such as case conferences, case review meetings and protection planning meetings. These meetings are the first step in developing or reviewing a case plan.
A case plan outlines steps and responsibilities to help meet children and young people’s day-to-day and longer term placement and support needs. This includes ways to keep a child or young person connected with their family and community, their health and wellbeing, education, emotional and social development.
A case plan clearly identifies goals and outcomes, key actions, the roles and responsibilities of all relevant people and how the plan will be monitored. The goals in the case plan aim to build on the strengths of the child or young person, their family, carers and community.
Generally, the caseworker, carers, parents or other family members and the child or young person (depending on their age and whether or not they wish to) attend the meeting.
The caseworker introduces everyone and explains the meeting’s purpose. The previous case plan is reviewed and comments made on what has or has not been achieved since the plan was drawn up. The meeting then focuses on the agenda and each item is discussed at length.
If a child or young person is not at the meeting the caseworker is mainly responsible for making sure their views and wishes are expressed.
Notes of the discussion are taken and kept as minutes of the meeting. After the meeting the case plan is updated by the caseworker or a new one is created. All people at the meeting get a copy of the case plan when it is finalised.
As a parent or carer there are a few things you can do to make sure you are prepared and able to fully take part in a case meeting.
If you have any issues after the meeting, or disagree with anything in the case plan, discuss this with your caseworker. If the issue remains unresolved, you can speak with your caseworker’s supervisor or their manager.
If you wish, you can make an official complaint or you can contact the Ombudsman.
18 Jun 2024