Child protection services in Murrumbidgee

The Child Wellbeing Coordinator (CWC) provides coordination to improve responses to vulnerable children, young people and their families, particularly where concerns are raised by mandatory reporters working with the Murrumbidgee LHD.

The CWC can also provide advice, support and education to Mandatory Reporters to help them determine the level of risk to a child or young person and to plan what initial action may need to occur. This includes ensuring all Suspected Risk of Significant Harm (ROSH) matters are reported to the Child Protection Helpline on 13 21 11.

Contact our Murrumbidgee LHD Child Wellbeing Coordinator at: MLHD-CWC-CPE@health.nsw.gov.au

How our child wellbeing coordinator can help

Our CWC provides education and consultation to support service delivery for vulnerable children, young people and their families or carers in the Murrumbidgee LHD.

They do this by making sure that staff are trained in responding to children at risk of harm or risk of significant harm and are available to provide advice to mandatory reporters who may be concerned for you or one of your family members.

Specific programs and services available

• Coordination of responses to vulnerable children, young people, their families and carers.
• Offering education and training to mandatory reporters in relation to Child Protection and Domestic Violence.
• Offering consultation to mandatory reporters to discuss child protection concerns, including:
  • support with how to use the MRG decision tool and/or how to make a mandatory report.
• Ensuring Domestic Violence services are accessible across Murrumbidgee LHD.

To refer and make appointments with Child Protection Counselling Services (CPCS), contact Murrumbidgee LHD CPCS Intake at: MLHD-CPCSIntake@health.nsw.gov.au

We provide specialist counselling services to children and young people and their families, where Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has confirmed that the child or young person has been harmed:

• physically
• sexually
• psychologically
• via neglect.

We are a specialist trauma focused counselling service for children, young people, families and carers within the NSW child protection system.

Referrals can be made by:

• DCJ
• Joint Investigation Child Protection Response Program (JCPRP)
• non-government organisations working in the field of family preservation, restoration and out-of-home care services
• NSW Health Services, where clients meet eligibility criteria.

Once a referral is received from the referring agency, the CPCS team will assess whether the family identified is suitable for the program. Families who are suitable for the program will then meet with the caseworker and the CPCS counsellor to discuss the referral and to identify goals to be worked on.

How child protection counselling service can help

We assist parents and caregivers to make positive changes so that they are better able to look after the safety and wellbeing of their children.

We provide counselling to children and young people to address the impact of abuse and trauma on their lives.  We can offer individual counselling, family and group work to parents, carers and/or children.

Specific services available

Our work usually involves a medium to long-term intervention (between 3 months and 18 months). Interventions are child focused and family centered and aim to address the impacts of abuse and neglect and exposure to domestic violence on children and young people. The aim is to work toward maintaining the child or young person living with their family where this is possible.

We will tailor the service to meet the needs of each family, and the needs of the child. Children may access counselling interventions through or a combination of:

• play
• storytelling
• puppets
• painting
• art
• music.

We work alongside agency partners NSW Police and the Department of Communities and Justice in responding to matters of:

• child sexual assault
• serious physical assault
• neglect.

We work with children and non-offending family members to ensure their emotional, psychological and physical needs are met in a timely and efficient manner.

Our team will help by

• offering crisis support following disclosure
• ensuring the child receives medical treatment
• supporting and assisting you with long-term therapeutic services.

Specific programs and services available

Our team looks after:

• the medical, psychological and emotional needs of the children and non-offending family members are considered
• crisis support for a child and non-offending family members during an investigation
• support and promotion of needs for children and non-offending family members throughout the investigation process.

We work closely with key Health partners including Medical Services, Sexual Assault Services and other therapeutic and Allied Health partners.

New Street Murrumbidgee is a free sexual safety program for children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours. The service provides a specialised, early intervention community-based service for children and young people aged 10-17 years and their families.  

The safety and wellbeing of those at risk of abuse and harm is paramount in intervention.  Many children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours are vulnerable, experience disadvantage and have trauma histories.  

New Street aims to assist the child or young person to understand the impact of their harmful sexual behaviour and to be safe, respectful and responsible.

New Street is committed to supporting the ongoing efforts of Aboriginal people and their communities in improving health and wellbeing outcomes.

To refer to New Street, please contact MLHD-NewStreet@health.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 5943 2850.

Service eligibility  

New Street provides services for children and young people ages 10-17 years who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviours. Priority is given to the following:

• children or young people who were previously a client of New Street in another LHD
• Aboriginal children and young people
• children aged 10-14 years
• children and young people with high and / or complex needs.

Services provided

New Street provides:  

• A direct therapeutic service to children and young people together with their families and/or caregivers.
• An interagency approach which sustains and supports intervention while working with the whole family.
• Consultation with other providers, care organisations, Government and non-Government organisations.
• Training and targeted community development activities. 

Service access

New Street can provide a service to any child or young person aged 10-17 years with harmful sexual behaviours.  The child or young person must live in Murrumbidgee LHD, with the harm confirmed by:

• Joint Child Protection Response Program (JCPRP - previously known as JIRT)
• Department of Communities and Justice 
• young person or family/carers.

Referral for a young person who has been charged with a criminal offence can be accepted if the criminal prosecution has concluded.  

Referrals

Referrals are accepted from anyone connected with or involved in the care of the child or young person.

This includes:

• family members
• GPs
• school counsellor
• JCPRP
• DCJ
• health workers
• other government and non-government service providers.

The Out of Home Care Coordinator (OOHCC) provides coordination and support to improve health responses to young people aged 12-24 years. This includes coordinating referrals and reports for children and young people referred to the MLHD OOHC service.

The OOHC Health Pathway is a joint initiative of DCJ and NSW Health aimed to ensure that every child or young person entering statutory out of home care receives timely and appropriate health screening, assessment, intervention, monitoring and review of their health needs.

To contact our Murrumbidgee LHD Out of Home Care Coordinator email MLHD-OutOfHomeCare@health.nsw.gov.au.

How Murrumbidgee LHD Out of Home Care Coordinator will help you

If you are a child or young person entering care or a carer of a child or young person who has entered care, the Murrumbidgee LHD Out of Home Care Coordinator will make sure that your health needs are checked and met regularly. This includes developing a plan for following up on things if there are any ongoing health needs.

This includes:

• providing Primary Health Screening Assessments as required
• providing Health Management Plans as required
• ensuring health reviews are taking place.

Specific programs and services available

Murrumbidgee LHD coordinates the Health Assessment pathway for children and young people in OOHC under the statutory responsibility of the Minister for Community Services. The OOHC Health pathway supports a comprehensive primary health screen, and follow-on comprehensive secondary level multidisciplinary health assessment, where required.

A Health Management Plan is then developed that provides guidance on follow-up health interventions required. This plan is reviewed every 6 months for children aged under 5 years and annually for children and young people aged over 5 years. Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), the OOHC Agency and the Foster Carers are provided a copy of the Health Management Plan once completed by the OOHC Coordinator.