What family support services achieve

Family support services are helping families sooner, supporting them to provide a safe family environment for children to grow and thrive, reducing the need for child protection services.

Family Wellbeing Service (FWS)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services make it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in communities across Queensland to access culturally responsive support to improve their social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and build their capacity to safely care for and protect their children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to establish safe and nurturing environments for their children, including families who have come into contact with the child protection system.

Along with providing the right mix of services necessary for families to thrive, Family Wellbeing Services ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples participate in, and have control over, decisions that affect their children.

Family Wellbeing Services meeting families needs

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

What is being counted

  1. Data is for the year ending the reference date (12 months of data).

  2. Counts the number of cases closed (where consent was given) by whether needs were met during the reporting period as a proportion of all cases closed (where consent was given).

  3. Excludes cases closed during the reporting period where the family was unable to be located/moved out of the area, already engaged with a service, data entry error or no reason recorded.

  4. ‘Other’ case closure reasons can include terminated service, disengaged and refused support.

  5. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family is identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander if one or more people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

  6. Non-Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: A family where no people attached to the case are identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or their Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status is unknown.

Definition notes

  1. Consent: Once a referral is received by a Family Wellbeing Service the service then work towards gaining consent from the family to begin assistance.  Receiving services from a Family Wellbeing Service is voluntary for families and consent is required.

  2. Closed case: Cases are closed when the service has ceased working with the familyA case can close for various reasons including:
    • all or majority of needs were met
    • partial needs met
    • unable to locate family
    • refused support
    • referred.
  3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are community controlled family support services that work with families as early as possible, providing tailored, culturally safe support to improve their wellbeing and prevent their problems from escalating.

Children who did not have an investigation by Child Safety after their Family Wellbeing Service closure

Source: Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services.

What is being counted

  1. Counts all children who had a case closed (where consent was given) with all or majority of needs met who were not subject to a notification within six months of the case closure date (up to the reference date) as a proportion of all children who had a case closed (where consent was given) with all or majority of needs met.
  2. Data for cases closed is for the year ending six months prior to the reference date.

Definition notes

  1. Consent: Once a referral is received by a Family Wellbeing Service the service then work towards gaining consent from the family to begin assistance.  Receiving services from a Family Wellbeing Service is voluntary for families and consent is required.

  2. Closed case: Cases are closed when the service has ceased working with the family. A case can close for various reasons including:
    • all or majority of needs were met
    • partial needs met
    • unable to locate family
    • refused support
    • referred.
  3. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (FWS) are community controlled family support services that work with families as early as possible, providing tailored, culturally safe support to improve their wellbeing and prevent their problems from escalating.