Case planning and review

All children and young people deserve a stable home for life. Returning kids to live safely at home with their birth families is always the goal for kids in care. If that is not possible, the aim is to find them a permanent home through adoption, guardianship or sometimes long-term foster care.

The steps being taken to support the wellbeing of the child in care and to ensure they have a safe, stable and loving home for life are set out in a document called a Case Plan. The Case Plan should be reviewed and updated regularly and should include details around who is responsible for making certain things happen.

A good Case Plan is a window into the life of the child or young person and provides a meaningful plan for their future. It grows out of quality conversations with the child or young person, their carers and family, their caseworker and their wider support team.

If a child or young person chooses to go back and review their file at some point in the future, they should be able to look at their Case Plan and get a clear understanding of how their lives developed, how their strengths were promoted, how their needs were supported, and why certain important decisions were made.

Why is case planning important?

Case planning usually begins when an agency first becomes involved with a family. When children or young people have been in care for more than 30 days they will have a Case Plan that details what their needs are and who will take on responsibility for meeting these needs. The exception is for emergency placements. When a child or young person needs immediate crisis care, the Case Plan is developed as soon as possible after the placement is made.

Generally, your caseworker will give you information about the Case Plan when the child or young person is first placed with you. If you are a long-term carer, your caseworker will continue to involve you in the review and development of the Case Plan.

Case planning helps to:

• identify strategies to achieve stability for the child or young person and address their physical, emotional, educational, social and cultural needs identified through ongoing assessment
• provide a clear guide for the caseworker, you and the child or young person’s family about what conditions are required for the child or young person to return to their family home if restoration is the goal
• provide an opportunity to review the child or young person’s progress in care
• assist in casework decision-making.

How does case planning work?

Case planning helps to develop the child or young person’s Case Plan, which is updated to keep pace with their changing needs. Every Case Plan has one or more goals, for example, to return the child to their family or to help them to remain with a permanent carer.

As part of the case planning process, you can expect that:

• your knowledge of the child or young person will inform the process
• you’ll be informed well in advance that a case conference is being held
• your views will be presented and recorded if you’re unable to attend a case meeting
• reasons for not being invited to a case meeting will be explained to you
• a copy of the approved Case Plan will be given to you
• you’ll be consulted and told about any decision in the Case Plan that has an impact on you and your care of the child or young person.

A case 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. Meetings are called by the caseworker and are usually the first step in developing or reviewing a Case Plan.

There are many different reasons for holding a case meeting, including:

• getting support from your caseworker
• developing a plan to return a child or young person to their family
• reviewing the child or young person’s progress
• considering an unplanned change in placement
• dealing with a critical incident that may impact on the child or young person.

Who takes part in case meetings?

People who are invited to a case meeting typically include the child or young person (if they’re old enough and wish to attend), the carer, parents or other significant people in the life of the child, your caseworker and sometimes their supervisor, and relevant agencies and professionals such as the child’s counsellor or health worker, if appropriate.

Your participation is important because you live with the child and are responsible for making day-to-day decisions for them. Talk to your caseworker if you need an interpreter, childcare or other assistance so you can take part in case planning meetings.

The child’s parents or family will also be encouraged to participate in case planning, if appropriate. Your caseworker will talk to them about how they can be involved and explain that the interests of the child come first.

Getting ready for a case meeting

To get the most out of a case meeting, it’s a good idea to:

• talk to your caseworker before the meeting if you have an issue and ask them to put it on the agenda
• be on time so you don’t miss out on raising some of your issues or hearing important information
• think ahead about what sort of things the other people in the meeting will want to know, particularly the child or young person’s parents
• bring any relevant information with you such as recent medical information, school letters and awards
• think about any questions or concerns you may have before the meeting and the best way to raise these
• be open to sharing information and answering questions.

What happens at a case meeting?

Your caseworker introduces everyone and explains the meeting’s purpose. The previous Case Plan is reviewed and comments are made on what has and hasn’t 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 isn’t at the meeting, the caseworker is responsible for making sure their views and wishes are expressed.

Areas of the Case Plan that may be reviewed include:

• the Case Plan goal
• the placement’s stability and other permanency planning issues
• the child or young person’s legal status
• their needs around things like health and education
• your needs, such as access to training or other forms of support, or the need for any additional financial assistance.

Notes are taken and kept as minutes of the meeting. Following everyone’s input, the Case Plan is updated by the caseworker or a new Case Plan is created. All people at the meeting, including the child or young person if they’re old enough, get a copy of the Case Plan when it’s finalised.

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.

At times, you may have concerns about decisions being made by your caseworker, or your caseworker may want to raise some concerns about your role as a carer. A separate meeting should be arranged between you and your caseworker to deal with these matters and find ways of resolving them early. Usually these issues can be resolved by talking directly to one another.

If you feel like you need advocacy or support from an independent organisation, contact Connecting Carers NSW on 1300 794 653 or AbSec on 1800 888 698.

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.

Case Plan reviews ensure that placements continue to promote the safety, welfare and wellbeing of the child or young person. They are also an opportunity to reflect on how the placement is going for everyone.

Reviews look at the goals and objectives of the Case Plan, whether they’re still relevant and if they are on the way to being achieved. They also look at how the Case Plan will continue to meet the needs of the child or young person in the future, including any necessary changes or support arrangements.

Ideally, a Case Plan review meeting is held with you, the child or young person and all other relevant people involved with the child. However, sometimes this isn’t appropriate or possible. If a Case Plan review meeting isn’t held or you’re not invited to attend, you and the child or young person will still be consulted and the reason for this decision will be explained to you.

Stability of care is vital for kids but sometimes there is a need for a child or young person to change their living arrangements and either return to their family or to a different home. When a child or young person moves into a different living situation, it’s called a ‘transition’.

Planned moves

A planned move could mean that a child is returning to live with their birth family, or that they are moving into the permanent care of a guardian or an adoptive family. Most moves are planned. You, the child or young person, their family (when appropriate) and other relevant people should be involved in the planning process. The Case Plan will outline when the placement will end and how this transition is going to take place.

Unplanned moves

Talk to your caseworker as soon as possible if you think the placement is at risk of breaking down. They’ll work with you to find ways of supporting the placement so it doesn’t have to end. An unplanned placement change may be unavoidable due to a sudden change in circumstances. If this happens, your caseworker will find an alternative placement for the child or young person and put in place strategies to support their transition.

When it’s time to leave your home, you and your child may experience a range of emotions. You may have strong feelings about this time coming to an end. You may even disagree with the decision. The child or young person in your care may feel excited and eager about the move, or anxious and confused.

It’s important for you and your caseworker to encourage your child to be positive about the move and make it as easy as possible for them. If you have any issues or concerns, raise them with your caseworker during case planning meetings.

To support the child or young person, their birth family and you through the placement change, your caseworker will:

• ensure everyone is told the reasons for the change in placement or return to the family
• decide when and how they will leave the placement
• clarify their role and your role in helping the child or young person with the transition
• involve you, the child or young person and their birth family in planning and decision-making, wherever possible and appropriate
• make sure everyone knows how to access the complaints system in case they want to request a review of the decision to end the placement
• prepare the child or young person for the move as well as they can in the available time
• give you and the child or young person the opportunity to say goodbye and stay in contact after the placement ends, when possible and appropriate
• decide the amount and type of future contact between you and the child or young person if it’s agreed contact will be maintained
• provide information to everyone about the new placement, as appropriate
• ensure kids take all their belongings with them
• make every reasonable effort to keep the child or young person in the same school where they have established relationships.

What the child or young person will take away with them

When the child or young person in your care leaves your home, they must be allowed to take their personal belongings with them, including:

• personal items they brought with them when they arrived
• items that have been purchased specifically for them, such as clothing, bedding and sports equipment
• anything that has been given to them such as a phone or birthday gift
• money they’ve saved or earned
• their birth certificate, Medicare card, Health Care Card, personal health record (Blue Book), Life Story book, school reports, awards and photos.

Every child or young person should also have suitable luggage to carry their belongings, such as a suitcase or travel bag.

All carers are reviewed at the end of their first year of authorisation. This includes carers with non-government agencies as well as those with Communities and Justice (DCJ). Reviews take place annually unless one is needed sooner because of changed circumstances, for example, if a placement is at risk of breaking down.

The annual carer review involves meeting with your caseworker to:

• provide each other with feedback
• discuss any difficulties or issues that need resolving
• ensure that you are complying with the Code of Conduct
• identify your training and support needs
• review your previous Carer Development Plan
• update your Carer Development Plan and set a date for the next review
• check the current circumstances of your household to ensure nothing has changed to affect your authorisation.

The five-year carer authorisation review

An additional and more comprehensive review of the authorisation for DCJ carers is done every five years. As part of the review, you and any member of your household over 18 years of age must have a NSW criminal record check. Additional probity checks that apply only to you are a check of the DCJ Key Information and Directory System (KiDS) records and a medical review.

What happens when a carer’s authorisation is cancelled?

If an agency decides to cancel your carer authorisation, you must be advised in writing of the reasons for that decision, and your options for appeal.

Your authorisation might be cancelled if:

• you have decided to stop being a carer
• a medical review indicates you don’t have the capacity to provide adequate care
• you have breached the Code of Conduct for authorised carers
• an investigation into an allegation of abuse has recommended cancellation
• a review of your home has found it isn’t a safe and healthy environment for the child or young person.

Appeals and reviews of authorisation decisions

If you want to appeal the decision to cancel your authorisation, you can ask for an internal review.

If you’re still not satisfied, you can apply for an independent review with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).

NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT)
Website: ncat.nsw.gov.au
1300 006 228

Your caseworker will record any changes to your authorisation status in the NSW Carers Register.