The Young People’s Outreach Team (formerly known as Streetworks Outreach Service) targets outreach responses to young people who are Child Protection clients most at risk, collaborating with care teams to inform the most appropriate interventions to minimise the risk of harm. This approach provides consistent and continued service responses after hours for those young people most at risk.
YPOT, alongside the After-Hours Service (AHS) and the Rural After-Hours Service (RAHS), remain an integrated component of the departments After Hours Service (AHS) responsible for service delivery to Child Protection clients outside of business hours.
Referral to YPOT
• To request advice, attendance at a care team, attendance at a High-Risk Youth Panel or other intervention planning tasks, a referral can be made to the YPOT team via email on YPOT@dffh.vic.gov.au or call 1300 139 767 between 4:30pm and 3am.
• For planned interventions, the length may vary up to three months and focus on building positive connections between children and family members, carers, community, positive friends, and support services after hours.
• YPOT can attend care team and professional meetings from 4:00pm (unless otherwise agreed) onwards. At times, it may be possible for an AHS Practice Leader or Deputy Area Operations Manager to attend meetings who can then brief and handover to YPOT about agreed plans and actions.
• YPOT will also respond to young people reported to the AHS outside of business hours who require urgent outreach, intervention or case work.
Divisional or after-hours practitioner tasks
- If seeking assistance from YPOT – provide identifying information about the client in CRIS and via the preferred referral method, including:
- physical description (recent photograph if available)
- risk issues and behaviour patterns
- associations and issues
- issues of engagement
- risk of sexual exploitation
- possible locations
- recommended approaches to engagement and intervention
- known triggers to escalation of risk
- summary history
- legal status, active warrants and recommended action.
- Ensure YPOT is regularly updated on high-risk young people and their case plans by inviting YPOT to meetings and providing written summaries and assessments
- Ensure the essential information categories are up to date with all known information in the ‘child identity’ and ‘child characteristics’ categories.
- Ensure there is an up to date and endorsed risk assessment available to support YPOT in understanding the risks and child’s lived experience.
Supervisor tasks
- Provide ongoing supervision and consultation.
Team manager tasks
- Endorse risk assessments.
- High-risk youth
- 2720 Young People's Outreach Team - service description