Program level agreements and contract governance

The Permanency Support Program (PSP) is delivered by agencies who:

• are accredited by the Office of the Children’s Guardian for either Foster Care or Residential Care, and
• have been through a procurement process and have been awarded a PSP contract. 

Program description

The Program Description  (PDF, 2.8 MB) developed in 2017 provides an in-depth overview of the Permanency Support Program.

Appendices to the Program Description:

• Appendix 1 - Acronyms and Glossary (PDF, 316.3 KB)
• Appendix 2 - Service Overview – Preservation (PDF, 592.3 KB)
• Appendix 3 - Service Overview – Foster Care (PDF, 841.9 KB)
• Appendix 4 - Service Overview – Aboriginal Foster Care (PDF, 416.4 KB)
• Appendix 4a - Service Overview – Supported Independent Living (PDF, 226.3 KB)
• Appendix 5 - Service Overview – Intensive Therapeutic Care (PDF, 1.3 MB)
• Appendix 6 - Common Service Elements Reporting and Oversight (PDF, 648.3 KB)

Family Preservation 

Family preservation and restoration

The delivery of Family Preservation and Restoration services are a key component of the Permanency Support Program. Read more on Family Preservation and Restoration Services

Family preservation contracts

Agencies funded by DCJ must operate in accordance with their contractual requirements, legislation and DCJ policies and guidelines. DCJ contracts for the provision of Permanency Support Services for PSP Preservation include:

• the Funding Deed (PDF, 475.3 KB) - governs overall terms and conditions of the contractual agreement
• the Permanency Support Program, Program Level Agreement (PDF, 205.5 KB) (Preservation) - governs the delivery of services for the Permanency Support Program
• Schedules one (1) through to four (4) governs specific aspects of service delivery detailed below).

1. Schedule 1 – Family Preservation Service Requirements (PDF, 561.0 KB)
2. Schedule 2 – Family Preservation Performance and Outcomes Data Reporting (PDF, 281.3 KB)
3. Schedule 3 – Family Preservation Payment Provisions (PDF, 247.6 KB)
4. Schedule 4 – Family Preservation Legislation and Policies (PDF, 354.3 KB)

Foster Care, Supported Independent Living, Interim Care and Intensive Therapeutic Care Contracts

Agencies funded by DCJ must operate in accordance with their contractual requirements, legislation and DCJ policies and guidelines. DCJ contracts for the provision of Permanency Support Services for Foster Care, Supported Independent Living, Interim Care and Intensive Therapeutic Care include:

• the Funding Deed (PDF, 475.3 KB)(governs overall terms and conditions of the contractual agreement)
• the Permanency Support Program, Program Level Agreement  (PDF, 252.7 KB)(governs the delivery of services for the Permanency Support Program)
• Schedules one (1) through to six (6) of the PLA govern specific aspects of service delivery detailed below.

1. Permanency Support Program Service Requirements (PDF, 515.5 KB)
2. Performance and Outcomes Data Reporting (PDF, 273.1 KB)
3. Payment Provisions (PDF, 218.7 KB)
4. Legislation and Policies (PDF, 165.8 KB)
5. Definitions (PDF, 270.9 KB)
6. Implementation Plan (PDF, 92.0 KB)

• the PSP Recommissioning Q&A’s (PDF, 393.0 KB) (collated from communications that were distributed in May, June & July 2022)

Barnardos' Deed of Agreement (2022)

The Barnardos’ Deed of Agreement (PDF, 366.1 KB) (Barnardos' deed) between DCJ and Barnardos, sets out how Barnardos Australia (Barnardos) will exercise specified aspects of parental responsibility on behalf of the Minister, for non-Aboriginal children who are placed in the sole parental responsibility of the Minister and subject to final orders of the NSW Children’s Court. Read more about the Barnardos' deed in the Fact Sheet: Operation of Deed between DCJ and Barnardos (Parental Responsibility Delegation) (PDF, 177.0 KB).

Appendices to the program description include:

1. Annexure A - Instrument of Delegation (PDF, 9.2 MB) (PDF, 9.2 MB)
2. Annexure A - Instrument of Sub-delegation (PDF, 736.0 KB)
3. Annexure A - Schedule A Delegated Officers (PDF, 19.5 KB)
4. Annexure A - Schedule X Children and Young Persons Care and Protection Act 1998 (PDF, 849.9 KB)
5. Annexure B - Model Litigant Policy for Civil Litigation (PDF, 1.5 MB)
6. Annexure C - M2016-03 Model Litigant Policy for Civil Litigation and Guiding Principles for Civil Claims for Child Abuse (PDF, 262.1 KB)

Residential Care Program Level Agreements

Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITC) includes services previously known as residential care. ITC is a core component of services delivered within the Permanency Support Program.

The ITC recommissioning process has not yet been completed and current Residential Care service providers were offered an extension of their current Out-of-Home Care Contracted Care Program Level Agreement until 30 June 2024.

• View the standard Residential Care PLA (PDF, 590.7 KB)
• View special conditions attached to the PLA (PDF, 270.0 KB)

Contact us

For Preservation and Foster Care: Permanency.support@facs.nsw.gov.au

For ITC: OOHCRecontracting@facs.nsw.gov.au