OOHC Health and Education Pathways

Collaborating in OOHC Health Pathway

The Department refers children to the OOHC Health Pathway within 14 days of entry into care.

PSP providers contact their local CFDU to request referral to the OOHC Health Pathway if a child has not been referred to the pathway at the time of transfer to their primary case responsibility.

PSP providers:

• attend and support attendance of the carers and child at the primary health assessment (within 30 days of entry to statutory OOHC), subsequent health appointments and development of the Health Management Plan
• consider the role to be played by the child’s parents and family/kin in providing their child’s health history and having input into the development of the child’s Health Management Plan
• incorporate health assessment reports and the Health Management Plan into the child’s case plan
• Implement and request regular reviews of the Health Management Plan. Health Management Plan review occur every six months for children under the age of five and annually for children aged over five 
• provide the OOHC Health Coordinator and their team with relevant information about the child needed to implement the Pathway, for example, relevant medical reports, change of details/circumstances
• save relevant Pathway records including communication about assessments, reports, Health Management Plans and reviews on their Record Management System.

If a child is not eligible for the OOHC Health Pathway (entry to OOHC before 2010), a PSP provider ensures a similar health assessment occurs and the recommendations become part of the child’s case planning and review. Children who entered statutory OOHC prior to 2010 with a significant health need can be referred to the OOHC Health Pathway.

Note: All young people are referred to the OOHC Health Pathway when they turn 15 years of age.

See also OOHC Health pathways

Collaborating in OOHC Education Pathway

The OOHC Education Pathway is in place to provide collaborative and consistent educational support to each child to be engaged in suitable quality education and help them to reach their full learning potential.

The Notice to a school form is lodged within 14 days, if a child:

• attending school or preschool enters statutory OOHC or
• already in OOHC begins school.

This informs the school the child is under the parental responsibility of the Minister and enables collaborative education support for the child.

Caseworkers organise a meeting with the school within 30 days of notifying a child is in OOHC, to undertake Personalised Learning and Support Planning.

All Aboriginal children attending a Department of Education school have a Personalised Learning Pathway (PLP) plan as part of the Personalised Learning and Support Planning (PLaSP). For a change of circumstance, use a change of detail advice (DOCX, 81.1 KB) form.

The child’s educational needs are reviewed:

• at least once per year with the school
• after any significant change in the child’s life, for example when they have a new diagnosis.

While the minimum review period is once per year, it is recommended that the child’s needs be reviewed once per semester. The annual review is timed with the case plan review, wherever possible.

PSP providers ensure that every school-age child is:

• enrolled in school by the time they turn six years old
• attending a government school or a registered non‑government school or is registered and participating in home schooling.

Also see OOHC Education Pathway