What we achieve

Child safety focusses on engaging with families earlier and, where appropriate, keeping children safely at home.

Children who did not experience a notification after a child concern report

A child concern report is recorded if the concerns raised do not require the department to assess whether a child is in need of protection. If considered a benefit to the family, a referral can be made to family support services.

To help prevent a child’s entry into the child protection system, the department funds prevention and early intervention support services for families to ensure they have access to timely, culturally appropriate and effective supports. Effective and timely support/referral is a key strategy for reducing the likelihood the department will be involved with families and reduces the risk of a child experiencing significant harm in the future.

The proportion of child concern reports that do not escalate into notifications provides a partial indication of the success of early screening and/or referral to family support services.

It is important to note there are factors impacting families which may be beyond the influence of family support services or the department, such as changes in family circumstances (for example, a new partner, or illness), that can affect whether a child is later subject to a notification following a child concern report. Escalation to a notification is also more likely to occur if a family did not have access to the right support services at the right time, in order to prevent future significant harm from occurring.

Children who did not experience a notification after a child concern report

Source: Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs.

What is being counted

Children who were subject to a child concern report and who did not experience a subsequent notification are measured as the proportion of distinct children subject to a child concern report during the reference year who were not subject to a notification within the following 12 months.
Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: Includes non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children whose Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown or not stated.

Definition notes

Child concern report: Reports that are recorded when information relating to a child protection concern does not reach the legislative threshold for a notification. A child safety officer may respond to a child concern report by providing information and advice, making a referral to an appropriate agency, or providing information to the police or another state authority.
Notification: A notification is recorded where there is a reasonable suspicion that a child is in need of protection, that is, a child has been significantly harmed, is being significantly harmed, or is at risk of significant harm, and does not have a parent able and willing to protect them.