Gateway Tasmania:Reforming Child Protection Intake

and Family Support Services

Reform AgendaGateway is a key platform in the Tasmanian Governments' state-wide reform of the Family and Disability Sectors

July 2009 - Family Services Gateway and Integrated Family Services system in July 2009.

July 2010 – Integration of Disability Services Gateway

Gateway is provided in partnership with Mission Australia and family service Alliance partners

Each Area Catchment has a Gateway to provide a consolidated intake on behalf of all Family and Disability Services in the local area.

Supported by co-located DHHS Community Based Child Protection Team Leader (CBCPTL) and a co-located DHHS Disability Consultant.

• Located in Gateway 5 days per week• Facilitates referral pathways and information sharing • Professional consultation• Works in partnership with Gateway / IFSS

Gateway supports the development of much stronger pathways with other universal, secondary and tertiary services.

Gateway Model

Information Sharing Provisions

Amendments to The Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1997 (the CYPTF Act) included provisions to allow information to be shared about clients between organisations working in collaboration with Gateway Services and Child Protection Services; to allow for a high quality assessment of risk and cumulative harm

Mandated Reporters

Amendments to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1997 allow for mandatory reporters to report to either Child Protection or Gateway.

Gateway does not replace the statutory role of Child Protection, but rather compliments and support the work of Child Protection.

Amendments to the Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1997 allow for Unborn Reports to report to either Child Protection or Gateway.

Risk and Complexity

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Medium-High

High

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Levels of Prioritised Risk/Complexity at WAM South West Gateway1 August 2009 - 31 October 2011

IFSS - CPS Referral IFSS - Gateway Direct Referral

Impact of Reform The intended outcomes are being achieved - children have been diverted from the statutory system. Three reviews have provided evidence:

• Auditor General (No 2. of 2011-12, September 2011)• Review of 247 children referred for family support from

the Child Protection Service (CPS) in a 6 mth period. • Gateway and Family Support Services Midterm

Review Report (February 2012)

Impact on other parts of system - better planning into voluntary foster care system, less crisis/statutory.

Referrals to Glenhaven Temcare by SourceNorthern Tasmania

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Child Pro

tection Se

rvice

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Private/Se

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Universa

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IFSS/G

ateway

North Pre Reform

North Post Reform

This graph shows the redirection of referral pathways to Gateway post-reform.

Key Outcomes - Gateway & IFSS• Relationship between Child Protection and Family

Services is more collaborative and child focused• More robust decision making and improvement in

shared understandings of risk and cumulative harm• Partnerships and sharing of information that is

relevant to families and children is resulting in better assessment, better referral pathways and more targeted work, less duplication in system.

• Better case co-ordination and collaborative practice with other agencies/sectors involved with families and children

Key Outcomes - Gateway & IFSS

• Good partnerships have been developed which provide strong support for practitioners, managers and organisations

• Improved data collection to assist with planning and identify service gaps

• Enhanced accountability and reporting of work to government and other stakeholders

• Improved pathways and referrals across traditional silos of Disability services and Family Services

• Gateway - Creation of the NDIS front end

Thank You.