Transfers within and between divisions

The best interests of the child must be the paramount consideration when transferring child protection cases within and between divisions. Requests to transfer need to be completed quickly, so that the child and their family continue to receive timely support and case management required for the child’s safety and wellbeing.

This procedure includes the tasks and decisions required for transferring case management and processes for resolving transfer disputes or delays.

 For information relating to transferring case tasks, see Case transfers policy.

Case practitioner tasks

All cases

• Consult ACSASS when considering a transfer between divisions for an Aboriginal child.
• Consult your supervisor when considering a case transfer.
• Complete the Case Transfer checklist.
• Complete a case transfer summary (unless a Court report has been written and provided to all parties no more than 30 days prior to the transfer being requested).
• Ensure CRIS and paper file are up to date.
• Address any outstanding case issues.

Transfer during intake phase

• Establish that the report is being made to the appropriate division. An Area must accept a report regarding a transient family if the family is residing in the Area at the time of the report (including if they are in short term/refuge accommodation at the time of the report being transferred from intake).
• Do not transfer the case if assessment indicates it will be closed from intake.
• Negotiate a transfer as soon as possible when assessment reveals the child resides in another area or division and the case is proceeding to investigation. Comply with mandatory two day and 14-day key performance indicators.
• Complete the intake record. This is sufficient to facilitate a transfer at intake.

Transfer during investigation phase

• Consider case transfer if the family relocates during the investigation and no protection application has been made. If the case is to be transferred, do not delay, as practitioners may have limited knowledge of immediate safety until completion of the investigation.

Transfer during protective intervention phase

When protective concerns have been substantiated a case plan must be prepared.

• Do not transfer a case if the decision is to close the case promptly following substantiation.
• Advise the child and family of the transfer and confirm in writing once accepted by the receiving team.

When working with the family by agreement

• The transferring team will develop the first case plan with the family. This is to be endorsed and provided to the family before transferring the case.
• It is a courtesy for the case planner to liaise with the receiving team manager if the receiving team has been identified prior to endorsement.
• The receiving team manager may request responsibility for case plan development and endorsement, provided the case can be accepted and case plan requirements met within existing case plan policy timeframes.
• At any other time in this phase, the case plan and actions table are to be current before transferring a case.

Following issue of a Protection Application

• If a protection application has been issued, the case may be transferred after the first court hearing (regardless of whether there is a contest and providing there is no further Court activity within ten working days). The protection and recommendation reports are to be completed before transfer.
• If significant time has elapsed since the previous hearing, a draft update report is to be prepared before transfer, where one would have been required if the matter was returning to court at the time of the transfer.
• Consult CPLO or local area solicitor if it is in the child’s best interests to make an application for the case be heard in another Court.

Transfer during protection order phase

• Confirm the case plan and actions table are current before transferring a case.
• Ensure the risk assessment is current and endorsed.
• Advise the child and family of the transfer.
• Do not transfer a case:
  • within 12 weeks of a scheduled annual review of the statutory case plan
  • less than 12 weeks before the scheduled expiry of the protection order
  • if an application has been or is about to be made for a revocation of the order or seeking a different order. Transfers in these cases can be made after the application has been lodged with Court, parties served, relevant Court reports have been prepared and provided, and following the first Court hearing for the application, and there is no further Court activity within the next 10 days.

If a decision is subject to an internal review, the case can only be transferred if director or area operations manager from both divisions agree the transfer is in the child’s best interests and there are appropriate arrangements to ensure exchange of information between the divisions.

Supervisor or team manager tasks

Transferring Team Manager

• Decide whether a case should be transferred, taking into consideration:
  • What is in the child’s best interests and where the case plan objectives can be best achieved should be guiding principles for all decisions (where relevant).
  • The phase of intervention, as particular considerations may apply.
  • Whether transfer of casework tasks (rather than case responsibility) is a viable short-term or long-term option.
  • Whether case responsibility or casework tasks can reasonably and effectively be carried out by the area or division with current case management responsibility. This may be relevant when distance is manageable, continuity of service delivery is of paramount importance, intervention is time limited, or case closure is imminent.
  • The merit of transferring case responsibility in relation to sibling groups (if this will result in more than one case manager) and the impact this may have on continuity and consistency of case planning.

If case responsibility is held in different areas or divisions for different siblings, consider strategies that will mitigate the risk of service fragmentation for the children and family. For example, one case planner may take a lead role in coordinating and monitoring case planning across the sibling group and conducting joint case planning meetings with the parents.

• Contact the relevant area based case transfer email address to establish which team manager to negotiate the transfer with.
• Negotiate transfer with the relevant team manager. For high-risk cases this is to occur as a matter of urgency to secure access to appropriate support services. Consider seeking support from a practice leader to facilitate transfer to ensure safety.

Receiving Team Manager 

• The team manager in the receiving team or division will accept the CRIS transfer of the case on CRIS as soon as transfer negotiation between the area or division is completed. (generally within three working days of the request).

Dispute Resolution 

• Resolve any dispute about transfers according to the following timelines:

• Escalate to deputy area operations manager, area operations manager or director if unable to resolve the dispute within the above timelines.

Practice leader tasks

• If requested by a team manager, negotiate transfer of high-risk cases and cases requiring an infant intensive response to secure access to appropriate support services.

Deputy area operations manager, area operations manager or director, child protection tasks

• Resolve disputes regarding transfers if a disagreement has not been resolved within the timeframes above.
• If the outcome of the transfer dispute cannot be resolved at this level within 48 hours of escalation, the matter must be escalated to the Chief Practitioner for adjudication, whose decision is final.
• Email request for adjudication to the Chief Practitioner at oppcpintake@dffh.vic.gov.au, following the internal referral processes as detailed on the Office of Professional Practice internet page.

Chief Practitioner, Office of Professional Practice tasks

• Adjudicate the transfer dispute referred from Area operations manager, or director, child protection.
• Make and communicate the decision within 48 hours of receiving the request for adjudication.

• Case transfer checklist
• Case transfer policy
• Office of Professional Practice consultation requests